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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!

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!

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!

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 Stats: Adjusting the Course

Angela C. — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 20:58:27 +0000

Aloha, Kettlepeeps!

After my birthday, it was tempting to feel proud. I had been working hard for 6 months, and had a modicum of success.

I could fit clothes that I had bought when I moved to Hawaii and soon “grew” out of. I was meeting with my personal trainer and also working out on my own.

Surely, this was cause for celebration?

Unfortunately, I allowed myself a bit too much leeway. I eased up on my home workouts and stopped tracking what I ate. I started a couple of new ventures and spent less time blogging. And I started eating things I had previously avoided.

Here’s the results for this week:

I’m back to my weight and size as in August! Talk about a roller coaster!

Yes, I’m frustrated. Sigh.

But I’m not giving up! Here’s what a friend of mine wrote on facebook recently:

you know… i wish all clients were like you. you set realistic goals, you know that it’s usually a 2 steps forward, 1 step back kinda deal, and more than anything, you accept that and never give up. i’ve given up on myself and people in general when it comes to health and wellness… but your kettletell story gives me inspiration and hope. thanks angela! and happy thanksgiving..

I’m going to keep reminding myself that success is not always a straight course, and it may not look like what I expect!

Realistic Doll Based on Average American Woman

I heard a great metaphor for this. A plane doesn’t fly in one straight line from Point A to Point B. A pilot makes minor adjustments all along the route, so that it looks more like a series of jagged lines:

So, while this may be a bit more turbulent than I expected, it’s all in the plan.

Thanks for continuing to follow me at kettletell. I am always happy to hear from you, so please leave me a reply below!

Calorie Counting and Kettlebells

Angela C. — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 20:35:45 +0000

Folks, I’m on a quest. I’m looking for the magic balance between food taken in and energy expended that will equal pounds and inches shed.

If you recall, last week Tuesdaay my trainer challenged me to lose a minimum of one pound every week. (I’m assuming, that is, until I hit one of my goals!) He’s threatened — I mean, motivated — us with an extra dollar added permanently to our session rate. I don’t like paying late fees, bank fees and parking tickets, so this is actually a good technique!

I started using a food diary and have meticulously entered everything in into it. This weekend, I’m looking up my favorite places, such as Yogurtland, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and, yes, McDonald’s grilled chipotle bbq snack wrap (no cheese) and entering all of the nutritional info.

According to the website, at a sedentary level of activity, my calorie intake should be 1900 kcals per day in order to lose one pound a week. At a moderate level of activity, my calorie intake should be 2200 kcals a day to lose one pound a week.

There’s also an “exercise diary,” where I can log in my activity and number of minutes. Unfortunately, there’s no “kettlebells” in the options. Kettlebell workouts are part weight lifting, but not 100%.

To solve this problem, I’m just using the “weight lifting” category and foregoing any rewards from the extra work done in my kettlebell workouts.

The same issue is occurring in my food diary. What if, for example, I put a cup of food down but don’t end up finishing it? Or I share with my son? Oh well. Again, it’s better to over-estimate my consumption and under-estimate my activity at this point in the game.

Here’s how everything’s looking so far (Tuesday and Wednesday were erased):

I have tracked my food issues down to the snacks I’m choosing. Yesterday, I went to a potluck, and tried to pick the healthiest options… which still left me feeling hungry and over in calories. The solution? Bring my own healthy food with me!

I’ve been staying up pretty late, too! What does that mean? I’m hungry at, oh, midnight. I’ve never been a midnight snacker, but lately, I’ve been dipping into these World Gourmet Veggie Garden Straws, 2 servings at a time. Sabotage!

I guess a trip to the store and pre-packing my snacks in appropriate portions will help.

Here are my actual stats for the week:

I’ve never been happier to weigh 191.2 pounds! Wheeeeeeee!

Thanks for visiting!

More video blogs will be posted here, and on you tube soon. Leave me a comment. : )

A Pound A Week… Or Else!

Angela C. — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:15:51 +0000

I’ve been politely questioned, rudely asked, and even teased about my weight. None of that really made a difference in terms of motivating me to get healthy, in fact, it may have had the opposite effect.

My trainer is taking a different approach — a financial consequence.

Liz and I have agreed. If we don’t come in weighing one pound less consistently every week, our hourly rate will increase by a dollar… permanently!

A pound is a comfortable goal. I’m confident I won’t go into the poor house, and can maintain weight loss of a pound a week. Two pounds a week, however, is my actual goal.

My exercise plan can certainly be improved since I have not been consistent in that regard. Some weeks I’ve had 5 workouts, and most weeks, just three. So, that can be easily fixed.

Healthy eating has not been a priority for me in weeks. Now, this is a touchy area for me. In my word, I say I want to eat healthy, but in deed, I’m not. My healthy integrity has gone out the door!

I’ve recommitted to eating well, one day at a time. I like my food journal on my phone, even if I don’t like its name. I’m always going to be a nerd, so I like seeing the calculations.

Here’s the part that takes real commitment, though– measuring everything– and I mean EVERYTHING I put in my mouth!

Here’s a few examples:

Coffee with 1 tbsp creamer

Examining the Nutrition Facts on Every Single Item

Note to self: a cup of spaghetti is not enough for a cup of sauce

Once I have everything entered in my journal, I’ll be able to recall it without trouble. This week, I find myself spending a lot of time looking up and then entering stats for things like “Organic Veggie Straws” and “BBQ Chicken.”

I’m also keeping track of my workouts on the exercise journal. Does anyone out there know how many kcals are burned in a 30 minute kettlebell workout? I don’t want to use the “weight lifting” stats, because that just doesn’t seem to capture the entire workout.

That just about sums it up. (Get it? SUMS it up? Aw, forget it.) Of course, I’d love to hear from you… it keeps me motivated! Please leave a comment below in the “reply” box. I look forward to reading it!

Mahalo!

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!

Just the stats, ma'am

Angela C. — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 07:14:39 +0000

Hi, people! After a good experience with the cleanse a month ago (during the week of 7/15), here I am:

As you can see, I pretty much look the same. Heck, I even feel the same– except when I’m working out. I know that I’ve gotten stronger. Today, I brought home a 16kg iron kettlebell to see if I am strong enough to at least swing with 1 pood.

Whether or not I hit my goal by my birthday remains to be seen. At this point, I feel like I won’t make it… but I can come closer than I ever thought possible!

This week, it’s all about vegetables. I haven’t been eating a salad a day like I was in the beginning of this quest. Sure, I’m getting fiber, but I’m not filling up on the nutritious leafy greens. So, I started yesterday and so far, I’m 2 salads for 2 days. Anyone out there want to join me? Who breaks the salad a day challenge first– me or you?

Facebook me, comment on youtube, or send me a tweet! It’s on!