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Foods that Lose, Strategies that Win

Angela C. — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 19:38:40 +0000

I’ve been on a quest to use kettlebells to lose weight and document it on this blog since April 2009. In 12 months, I’ve maintained 25 pounds lost, and have gone from a XXL in my pants to a size 14. (I’m still 5′ 4″, that hasn’t changed.)

Although I still have a way to go before I reach my goal (size 8, somewhere around 132 pounds), I do know when I’m off track, and more importantly, when I am in my personal zone.

Here’s ten brief tips that I found to make a difference when I implement them:

10. I have three words for you. H 2 O.
Drink eight glasses a day, straight. This doesn’t include diet soda or juice.

9. A salad a day.
When I eat a salad made with lettuce or spinach as its base every day with a tablespoon of dressing, I find that I feel fuller and manage the other foods I eat.

8. Beans, beans are good for your heart.
Okay, I don’t have the scientific evidence stating that legumes are good for your heart. They are good for my waistline, though. I try to eat meals a couple times a week with beans making up over 50% of the meal.

7. Go nuts.
Almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts and even peanuts have become a staple for me. A large handful satisfies my afternoon hunger pangs.

6. Have Chocolate.
I never pass up an opportunity to have good chocolate. The key word is “good.” I look for dark chocolate made with 60% or higher cacao content. This means there is less sugar as an overall percentage of the entire treat.

5. Cardio? Yes!
Yes, I heart kettlebells and the practice sessions I have with my trainer predominantly focus on kettlebells. If you watch any of my videos, you’ll see that interspersed into our kettlebell exercises are 30 to 60 seconds of jump rope with a weighted rope.

I also take after-dinner walks with my son in a pack on my back. It’s good bonding time, clears my mind and isn’t too difficult. I also find that my core muscles work more than pushing him in a stroller.

4. Keep it simple.
I get stressed out if I think I’ll need an hour to work out, and then I won’t do it at all. But I can find 20 – 30 minutes. My trainer has us complete one exercise for 1 minute, then transition for 10 seconds, then jump rope for another minute, then transition for 10 seconds… until I’ve completed 20+ minutes of heart pounding work.

This routine is so simple- all I need is a timer (I prefer Gymboss‘ interval timer), two 8kg kettlebells, one 16kg kettlebell, and I’m off! I don’t even need to look at a program to see what comes next. I just try to alternate between upper and lower body (thrusters for one minute, jump for one minute, swing for one minute).

3. When in doubt, just swing the kettlebell.
Sometimes I want to get technical. The clean and jerk is quite a technical move, and I’m only now understanding how to do it (yeah, 8 months later)! If I don’t even want to think, I can just start with two handed swings with the 16kg. I can do one handed swings with the 12kg. I can swing two 8kgs at the same time. Just swing it!

2. Keep your mind right.
The biggest enemy to my success is not a person, place or thing. My largest obstacle is my own pattern of thinking.

For me to be successful, I need to have enough rest; not just in terms of nightly sleep, but also in terms of rest from mental or emotional stressors. Instead of turning to food or drink, lately I’ve been contacting friends. It’s helpful for me to revisit “good times,” especially during difficult ones.

1. “It’s better to do a little bit of something than a whole lot of nothing!”
I just thought of another one: It’s better to start small than not at all.

Small, smart changes will make a difference. Picking one thing and focusing on it for 7 days straight, or until it becomes a habit, will make a huge difference.

Sometimes just keeping track of yourself will help provide the insight you need to push through whatever is stopping you. This could be keeping a food journal, or putting a happy face on your calendar on the days you took that walk instead of watching TV, or asking a friend to check in with you every afternoon instead of heading for the refrigerator.

Start now. Do something. Stay focused.

Positive transformation is on its way!

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!

Sunday Wrap up- the good, the bad, and the ugly

Angela C. — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 09:53:31 +0000

Well, here it is, folks. My painstaking progress over the last 13 weeks. On average, I’m losing a pound a week. Last week, I lost EXACTLY one pound.

I suppose that can count as part of the “good” news. My measurements stayed exactly the same, which I will also consider “good,” given all of the “ugly” that happened over the weekend.

Other good news: I worked out on Friday and Saturday, incorporating a brisk walk at the beginning of the day, and a kettlebell workout in the afternoon. Check back often– I have some back posts to enter!

Let’s move on to the “bad.” I did nothing on Sunday. I mean– I slept late, didn’t hike, didn’t workout with the kbs– nothing. I didn’t even try. That’s bad.

I’m also drinking diet soda again. I have been drinking DECAF coffee in the morning, as opposed to my 3-shot latte, but started with the one or two diet cokes/pepsis mid-week.

So how bad is “ugly,” then? I ate three different desserts at my cousin’s graduation party on Friday. I mean, COME ON! Three? Well, yes, a nibble of banana cream pie. A sliver of chocolate cake. And a full-sized serving of gooey bread pudding. Mmmm… I mean, bad girl!

It gets worse. Today? I might as well call it carb-fest Sunday. It started past midnight on Saturday. I was up too late. I had lite popcorn with REAL butter… and parmesan cheese. Some chips. And I’m NOT a midnight snacker.

Today, all I wanted was carbs carbs carbs. Breakfast was an organic chocolate bar. Then, off to CPK, where I diligently ordered a light salad… and finished my son’s fusilli with cheese.

Of course, who can resist the smell of popcorn wafting through Kahala Mall? Not me! More carbs!

Dinner? Pad Thai and eggplant tofu. Not bad, but not a lot of vegetables.

I think the moral of the story is this– I need to eat a full, nutritious, low cal, balanced breakfast, regardless of what time I wake up. Lately, it’s been Fiber One with light soy milk and a boiled egg. That way, I won’t have this urge to eat things that are bad for me.

The other important lesson here is that I can have and enjoy little treats… ocassionally. I am not going into deprivation mode, only to binge eat. I am making a lifelong change here.

I have to remember my former mantra: ”Is eating this worth it?” So far, that’s worked for things like rocky road ice cream, chocolate dobash cake, and even french fries. My logic is this– I can have these things anytime. They will not disappear off the face of the earth.

I can choose to have that margarita or even that bread pudding, but here’s the deal– I need to pay my dues. If I’m going to eat it, then I need to either work it off, or compensate with my other food choices.

Please feel free to share your strategies with me in the comments section. I look forward to hearing from you!

Kettletell's Updated Blogroll!

Angela C. — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 14:24:37 +0000

Hey, folks!

We finally put together a much more comprehensive list of websites of all things kettlecool. As you can see from the picture, I had a little help.

If you have a blog or website that’s related to mine, and you would like it to be featured here, just e-mail me at info@kettletell.com. Conversely, if your site is linked, but, hey, you don’t want random people checking you out, you can e-mail me, too!

Have a wonderful weekend, with lots of aloha!

Pre-Cleanse Day #2, Kettlebell Workout #1

Angela C. — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 08:08:06 +0000

Hola!

So as you know, I’m completing a 9-day cleanse with the Isagenix program. (No, I’m not a distributor, and I’m not reppin’ the brand. I just want to keep you informed.)

Today is day two of my “pre-cleanse.” Essentially, that means, get ready, here it comes! A pre-cleanse day is a “shake” day. I drink a chocolate meal replacement shake for lunch and dinner. Today, I had grilled ahi and a salad for lunch. I snacked on cashews and sunflower seeds this afternoon, because I wanted something crunchy.

I have given up drinking my iced non-fat 3-shot espresso latte cold turkey. For that, I got a massive, and I do mean, terrible headache. It lasted only an hour, thank goodness, and then I was able to rest.

I’m drinking my last chocolate shake of the evening, but I’m having a hard time finishing it. Frankly, I’ve had a lot of water. I’m full. I’m usually dehydrated– and now– I’m full.

I’d love to hear your tips about how you’ve been successful during a cleanse.

Today, I got back in the gym. I haven’t managed a workout since last Friday. Knowing that I’m pre-cleansing, my trainer gave me a little room today. I started with one-handed thrusters with the 8kg (unlike the usual two-handed), and counted down the ladder from 10 to 5 thrusters on each side.

A “fun” game we played? Let’s swing perfect swings! I completed 20 swings in between my thrusters, but I found that I kept shifting backwards. I do a little hop thing; it seems that I’m allowing my hips to push forward a bit, thereby hyper-extending my back and displacing my weight.

So the game was, “Do perfect swings in one place, or start over again!” Sigh. The first time we played this game, I did a hop back after 13 swings. So, I had to start over again. Let me tell ya– this was the last time I moved out of place!

I was having a hard time controlling my movements; we traced the source to my abs (of all things)! The way that Bill puts it– my abs are not connecting the energy from my lower body into my swings. So, we stopped mid-course to work on abs.

Typically, we don’t do isolated exercises, but today called for it. I started with forearm planks on the rubber ball.

Next we did the “Warrior Goddess” move, which is really a plank and then a turn onto the sides of your feet. Bill asked us to hold it for 5 seconds in each position. I couldn’t do it for more than a few reps.

So, we switched up to very isolated crunches on the ball. We got into a “table” position, lying with our butts and our heads hanging off the ball, and our stomach and thighs flat, like a table. Then, lifting my hips up off the ball, I curl up so that my rib cage area shortens. This isn’t a huge sit up, it’s really a small, but painful, crunch. I could do about 3 of these each time.

We finished our thruster-swing sets, I did a few stretches with the chest expander, and I was pau!

At 10pm tonight, I’m starting to feel a headache coming on. Rather than suffer in silence, I’m going to go ahead and take 2 ibuprofen. It’s allowed. Tomorrow- the cleanse begins!

Thanks for following me! I look forward to hearing from you!

"More hips, more thighs"

Angela C. — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:35:33 +0000

I haven’t been putting my mind in my hips. My arms, yes. Long torso? Okay. Breathing is pretty good, too.

But swinging kettlebells is all about bending the hips, loading the hamstrings, and using the weight of the kettlebell to create explosive motion. So far, I haven’t been utilizing the force that’s already there to complete a swing, clean, or even a thruster.

As one friend put it, I’m “arm-y.” And I don’t mean an army of one, either. So today at the studio, we focused on technique. And that means hips and thighs.

At one point, I felt like giving up. My arms were burning up from using them too much. We had been practicing half-swings and cleans, and I just didn’t think I could do it anymore.

After a set of about 8 cleans with two 8kgs, Bill asked me why I threw the kettlebells down. “My arms hurt,” I automatically replied. “Okay, then, let’s move into full swings.” Literally-- there’s no rest for the weary.

Although I didn’t think it would, the swings actually loosened me up and I felt ready to do cleans again. Bill’s theory was that I always stop when I start to feel some pain, never progressing. “Try for 10 this time.”

“Ten? Okay.” I practiced PUSHING the bells behind me, using the momentum to finish the clean. Wow! It was like the kettlebells were floating.

After a brief rest period, which included watching Liz successfully complete one-hand snatches, it was time to go again. “Try fifteen.” No problem. I even pushed myself to do 17.

I paused again to watch and record Liz complete a set of snatches using both 8kg kettlebells. That’s when Bill asked, “Think you can do 20?” The result, although not perfect (I still need “more hips, more thighs”) is below!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlW5Nr7CV6U

The Family that Works Out Together…

Angela C. — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:44:56 +0000

I’m so lucky. I have a wonderful extended ‘ohana here- it’s one of the reasons why I chose to move back to Hawai’i. I even consider the neighbors down the street “Aunties” and “Uncles.”

My nephew plays football for his high school, and his uncle created a gym in the garage for them to train in. Now that my 9-year-old nephew is starting sports, he and his best friend down the street can also train here.

On Wednesday, we all had our turns working out. Mine, as usual, was punctuated by various interruptions including technical difficulties, runaway toddlers, and curious babies. This made it a bit of a challenge to complete the two circuits I was assigned by my trainer for homework.

But-- you know what they say-- The family that works out together stays together! Enjoy:

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPsMx91w2f0

Just in case you missed it— my homework from my trainer was:

10 -- 15 minutes of cardio, then, using the 8kg kettlebell
Deadlift x12
Pushups x10
Suitcase Squat x12 each side
Orbits x10 each direction
Complete the above twice, then
Double thrusters x5- 4- 3- 2- 1
Swings x 15 in between thrusters set
Complete the above twice, then
I added in a little ab work and lots of stretching at the end!

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! : )

The day I enjoyed getting my butt kicked in the gym

Angela C. — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 21:26:49 +0000

Actions speak louder than words. I can ♥ kettlebells all I want, but if I’m not using them effectively and consistently, what’s the point?

So, my trainer gave me more tools for my kettlebox in yesterday’s workout.

I still can't make a mad face!

Liz and I arrived ready to work! That’s good, since we started out immediately with the 26 pounders-->

Just kidding. I’m not there yet. We used the 8kgs. But we did warm up with some new exercises which were killer, including a suitcase-squat kind of thing. (Sorry kettlebellers, I’m still learning terminology.)

Just for us, Bill bumped the 80′s hip hop. Most of the songs were great… except for one.

We then moved onto thrusters with modified burpees. We each used two 8kg kettlebells. I liked this, especially the countdown-- start with 6 thrusters, 6 burpees, 5 thrusters, 5 burpees, and so on, until, mercifully, we ended with 1 thruster and 1 burpee. Let me tell ya, the last one was hard to get done!

Next? Clean and Press, with Swings in between. Bill put a wall in front of me so that I could keep my kettlebell close to my body. My cleans got cleaner. The set was a countdown from 5, this time, but we kept 20 swings in between. I have three words for you: Oh- Em- Gee!

We learned how to switch hands while the kettlebell is in motion. The trick is to move the kettlebell handle from palm to palm. I was pretty apprehensive, but it was fine.

Then we tried to make the kettlebell hover. It’s just like it sounds- the bell hangs in the air for a couple of seconds. I haven’t managed to do it yet, but I’m learning.

By this point, my arms were on fire, so we needed a break. Enter M.C. Hammer. A few hammer moves later, we were good to go.

We finished with the hovers, and then had a great stretch. Just like at home, I got sat on when I hit the floor. This time, though, it was Bill’s “Bear,” named Koa.

I hope you enjoy watching this video of Liz and I. It was a fun day!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwtvHLtFE3M

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