No weigh-in for me yet this week. The trainers both fell ill with hangovers food poisoning, I'm presuming from the intense celebration over Alabama's big weekend win. :) Seriously, it does sound like they were pretty sick fellas, and I hope they're feeling better.
I'm happy to say that in 15 months of working with trainers, that is only the second time I've had a trainer cancel a session at the last minute, and both instances were unavoidable. I really appreciate the professionalism of the people I've worked with.

I didn't do a full workout last night. I had some yard work to do, and I let that take the place of the workout. Tonight I went to the gym and did an elliptical 5k (29:29!). I'm hoping that, coupled with 18.7 miles of biking over the weekend. will aid in good scale results tomorrow night. It all certainly helped my mood! :)

I'll be back with the "official check-in" tomorrow!

Makeover Monday: Creative Gifting

With the current US economic woes, I'm sure this will be a tight year for many Christmas or other holiday celebrants who are accustomed to an abundance of gifts, parties, and food during the season. I'm thinking that's not necessarily such a bad thing. Maybe this will be the year of the smaller, more intimate Christmas. There's no reason we need to go into debt to give our loved ones expensive gifts we can't really afford, and incurring debt for gifts to folks we can barely even tolerate is even more ludicrous.

There are scads of project sheets available for creative gifts at the hobby stores, and those are great if you're a crafty sort of person. (Those of you who ARE have probably already made your gifts, wrapped them, and stored them in a closet.) Unfortunately, I'm not one of those persons, but that doesn't mean I can't come up with a few ideas for inexpensive, personal gifts from the heart. Here are a few of my favorites and one I have yet to try. Maybe you'll reciprocate and offer any ideas you have in your personal warehouse of great ideas?

Inexpensive Holiday (or Anytime) Gifts

Themed Gift Bag (or Basket) – My favorite to give and receive! Here are a few I've done:
-movie theme (Blockbuster gift certificate, microwave popcorn, Raisinets)
-exercise theme (bottled water or water bottle, hand towel, protein bars)
-gardening theme (seed packets, Farmer's Almanac, gloves)
-tea theme (antique tea cup from thrift store, packets of tea from World Bazaar)
-relaxation theme (scented candle, book of poetry, bath salt(see below))

Tip: For Christmas, you can use a Christmas stocking instead of a bag or basket

Chocolate Spoons – put them in a coffee mug along with some individual coffee or cocoa packets

The how-to:
You need a package of plastic spoons (I use red and green for Christmas, but you could use blue and white for Hanukkah)
Melt some chocolate chips over low heat (or in the microwave)
Dip spoons in chocolate and shake off the excess.
Place spoons on wax paper and sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy (or sprinkles or crushed toffee or whatever intrigues you)
After they're dry, wrap each spoon in cellophane and tie with a ribbon.


Candy Cane Bath Salt – I like this one as a gift for me, too.
2 cups Epsom Salts (I have tons of this stuff on hand since I started exercising regularly)
1/2 c. sea salt
4-6 drops peppermint oil
2-3 drops red food coloring.

Place one cup of Epsom Salts,1/4 cup sea salt, and 2-3 drops peppermint oil in a bowl or resealable plastic bag.
Place the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and mix well. Layer the red and white salts in a clear bottle or jar. Tie a ribbon around the bottle/jar and you're done.

Coupon Book – It's been a few years since I gave anyone a personalized coupon book, but they always went over well way back when. I made special coupons for things that were important to the recipient: babysitting, yard clean-up, a shopping day w/lunch provided—those types of things. You can make your own coupons or print off blank coupons found here and there on the Internet.

Gifts in a Jar - I haven't done this one before, since I'm not much of a cook, but I've received a couple. I might have to give it a whirl. Surely I can asssemble dry ingredients. Here's a link to a promising-looking ebook, if you're looking for ideas.

Those are just a few ideas, but the possibilities are endless. I'm counting on you to supply even more ideas! And I may be back in the comments, because I'm certain there's something I'm forgetting.

Happy Monday!

Playing Catch Up

Wow, life went a little wonky there for a few days. Work took over the second half of my week, which wasn't entirely unexpected coming off vacation, and then the internet took the day off, at least at my house, yesterday. Thanks to those of you who checked in on me. I appreciate ye!

Gorgeous week and weekend here in Memphis. I tried to be out and about most of yesterday, starting with a 10.7 mile bike ride in the morning, followed by a carb-loaded breakfast at Chick-Fil-A, conveniently located adjacent to the bike trail. I had promised myself a biscuit if I rode the 10 miles, and then decided if I did it in an hour or less (a good time for me at this point in my development) that I could have some hashbrowns, too. I got them both! I had wanted hashbrowns the whole time I was on vacation, but I put them off until my return home, when I would have better control of the rest of my daily intake.

After the ride, I was off to Steinmart, where I picked up five new tops (still size large for most tops.) I have NO cool weather clothes left, so I have to buy a few sweaters and jackets as well as a heavy winter coat. We don't use big coats a lot here, but when we need them, we really, really need them. After looking at the prices yesterday, I think I'll try the thrift store for the big coat. :)

Sally Beauty Supply was the next stop. I'm trying to find this fantastic product my stylist used on my hair last week: Moroccan Hair Oil. Jill called it "hair crack", and she wasn't exaggerating. I couldn't keep my hands out of my hair. Shiny. Silky. Smooth. Pretty. I must have more, and I can't wait for Jill to return from her cruise.

Next on the agenda: the post office. It seems they never canceled my mail hold from vacation, and I wasn't getting any mail at all. I knew there were credit card offers just waiting for me to shred, so I had to take care of that and pick up the accumulated mail. Not so many offers, but I did receive my shiny new Toshiba portable hard drive. I'm proud of this little jewel, since I purchased it with the contents of my "spare change box". I converted the change to an Amazon gift certificate via the coinstar machine at my grocery store.

Then it was off to lunch at Honeybaked Ham, where I had the best grainy bread (despite the carbalicious breakfast) for my ham sandwich. I could have had a cookie, if I hadn't blown it already with the hashbrowns. Stupid potatoes. Oh well, they'll have cookies another day. I hope. Oh dear, what if that was the last day they were ever going to have cookies? ::worries::

The rest of the day was spent doing more productive-type stuff, and then the carbs wore off and I crashed early. As you can see, I'm up and running early today. I've still got the bike on the car rack. I'm thinking today's ride will be downtown or midtown. No worries about biscuits, since the biscuit place is closed on Sundays. :)

It is my fondest hope that you folks all enjoy a beautiful Sunday and that it carries over to the week ahead.

This post has been brought to you by the fine folks who made my Saturday ever so pleasant.

HYC Check-in Week 38

Kind of an unofficial check-in since I'm off my normal training schedule, but I wanted to see the immediate Austin damage.

Hell-o, there was none. I actually show a 2-pound loss! I wasn't going to worry about it had there been a gain, because my pants were a little loose this a.m. plus, you know, there WAS that venture into Tex-Mex world. I won't be surprised if there's a little post-vacation bounce up next week. I'll walk the straight and narrow until then. Or maybe just the straight or the narrow but not both. We'll have to see. :) (No, I don't have any idea what that means, either.)

My first-day-back workout was gruesome...and rewarding. Push-ups (with one hand on a medicine ball and the alternate leg in the air--graceful, I'm sure) and pull-ups and squats and step-ups and planks and bicycle crunches and something-else-I'm-forgetting. I don't always like doing it, but I do love the results!

Hope you're all having a most marvelous week!

Farewell to Austin

Fun things I never expected to do in Austin:

Improve my on-base percentage. Granted, I'm not actually playing on a softball team, but I figured it couldn't hurt to work on my swing. I played on several teams about 20 years ago, and I was a decent player. After Saturday's practice session, I'm happy to report that the girl's still got it! (The same girl that's still feeling it three days later!)

Compete in my own special Olympics. "Sports" I'm good at: mini-golf, basketball, skeeball. The not-so-great: driving for Nascar, air hockey, any game involving a gun. Morgan, on the other hand, scared me a little with her shooting prowess. Especially with the automatic weapons.

Ride a bike for three hours. Austin has amazing bike trails. We rode and rode and rode and rode, and we covered only a fraction of what was available. We probably would have done better if we hadn't discovered SoCo and it's fun and funky shops.

I had such a blast on this trip, in part because of the great company, but also because of the joy of being ACTIVE all weekend. The bike ride, especially, wouldn't have happened last year.

Oh, there was also the joy of scoring a Fossil handbag for $10 at the factory outlet store and going for scrumptious Tex-Mex after all that exercise.

Life is so good!

Makeover Monday: Eat Like This, Not Like That

Other fitness/weight loss bloggers have shared that they've become more aware of what others around them are eating. I've noticed myself doing the same thing, PLUS I'm really noticing HOW people eat. The results are not good.

At first, I thought maybe it was just a Memphis thing, but my summer travels have revealed that the problem is pervasive. People chewing with their mouths wide open, talking with their mouths full of food, eating loudly enough to be heard in a neighboring county—it's disgusting!

Not that I think anyone HERE needs it, but just in case, a quick review of the basics won't do any harm. After all, if we're going to do all this work to get ourselves looking spiffy, we don't need our table actions canceling out the spiff. None of these tips/reminders will solve the world hunger problem or the current global financial crisis, but they are at least a brief diversion from thinking about those issues. So here we go…

BASIC TABLE MANNERS
First things first (and listed first only because it is possibly my worst offense), sit up straight! No slouching, no leaning back in the chair, no slumping.

Don't talk with your mouth full of food. No one wants to see it. No one. And yet, almost everywhere I go, some bozo (or bozette, to be fair) is sharing the joy of his/her meal with the rest of us. Eeeewww. (Note to parents: please teach your children this rule. Young ones and others who lack the ability get a pass , but your healthy 12-year old should know better.)

Near and dear to my heart, eat quietly. I should not be able to hear you all the way across the restaurant. This holds true for both chewing AND slurping. (I work with a chronic slurper and I'd push him out a window if I didn't like him so much.)

Eat slowly. It's better for your innards, plus you'll enjoy the meal more. (Confession: I sometimes have a wee problem with this one due to finite amount of time for lunch.)

Take small bites. It makes all the rules listed above much easier to manage.

Use your napkin! Put it in your lap when you first sit down at the table so you don't forget. If you have to leave the table, put the napkin on the chair. It should never be placed on the table. (I've heard different opinions on what should be done at the end of the meal: napkin on the chair vs. napkin on the table beside the plate. Anyone know?)

Keep your elbows off the table. It was the second table manner I learned (after chewing with my mouth CLOSED.)

Wipe your mouth before drinking. This will help avoid that lipstick-on-the-cup ugliness.

While we're on the subject of beverages, stir your coffee/tea/whatever as much as you want as long as you're not clinking the spoon against the cup or glass.

Excuse yourself when leaving the table. It's only polite.

Never put your knife or fork back on the table once you've picked them up. If you need to rest one of them, place it on the side of the plate. When you're finished eating, place both knife and fork side by side on your plate, diagonally.

And those are a few of the basics offered by a frequent diner-outer. I don't expect perfection from my fellow diners (until I attain it myself, that is), but a few common courtesies would make the communal dining experience ever so much more enjoyable.

Any peeves/suggestions from YOU will also be appreciated.

Hope you all have a great week!

Round Rock Day 2

With so many Texans reeling from Hurricane Ike, I feel the teensiest bit very shallow complaining about my nice cushy hotel pillows, but honestly, these things were invented by Satan. And there are about ten of them on my bed. I feel like I'm under attack by foot-thick pillow monsters. I may have to make a Target run today to buy a normal person pillow.

Anyway, how much fun was yesterday? Morgan and I got to spend a precious hour or so with the delightful MizFit and her beautiful tornadic sidekick. (I got to see the actual Sidekick of the thumbtyping, too! Cute, but no comparison to a two-year old.*G*) I may have to move here so that I can spend more time with both of them. If you're one of the 14 people who hasn't checked out MizFit's blog, I encourage you to run (or walk really fast) over there and check it out. She's the Real Deal.

After our meet-up, we went to 24Hour Fitness for a good workout. I took over a corner of Manville for a few minutes of weight work, earning only a couple of glares from the residents there, and spent the rest of the time on cardio. It's so great traveling with someone else who's fitness-minded!

Today's agenda involves spending time with our friend, Keri, who is driving down from Dallas and then....we're going to a local place to use the batting cages and play mini-golf. I don't know how we got it in our heads that this would be fun, but there you have it. After that, who knows what we'll get up to. There might be live music and cowboys involved, but I probably should start a whole new blog for that report. :)

Okay, time to get my day started. There were rumors of IHOP this a.m., and I'm ready for it! (There will definitely be a gain from this trip, but so far, the clothes still fit. *g*)

Have a lovely weekend everyone. I'll be back for Makeover Monday to address something that's been bugging me...

On the Road Again - Round Rock, TX

Greetings from the Lone Star State. No offense, but East Texas is about as exciting as...West Tennessee. :) Farm, farm, farm, McDonald's, farm, farm, farm, Subway, farm....for eight freaking hours.

This area (Austin and points north) is nice, though. I haven't explored too much but hope to take care of that this weekend. Today I hope to meet up with a fellow blogger (more news on that later since I don't want to jinx it by writing of it now). Before that I hope to check out some factory outlet stores in the area. I usually avoid those places, but this one has a Fossil store! How can a girl pass that up?

My friend, Morgan, arrived last night. Much joy and laughter! I hope it lasts the whole weekend since we're both pee-em-ess-y. :) It was great to see her (looking ever fit) and for her to see the evidence of her inspiration. Tonight we're going for a workout and something yummy to eat. And more laughing.

That's it for this road report. Before I go, though, I need to make a MAJOR correction to my previous description of Cake Day. It's every 2500 minutes exercised, not 500 as I hurriedly typed. Five hundred does have a nice ring to it, though, doesn't it? :)

Happy Weekend to all!

HYC Follow-up

Well, I'm all packed and ready to go. I've already had my workout (yaay for 24-hr gym), and now that I've loaded the car, all that I'm missing is breakfast. Before I set off, I wanted to post a couple of follow-up items...

Thank you all for the lovely comments on my brief, but entirely enjoyable, size 4 experience. I still have issues with posting photos, but I do it to show those of you who are where I was (or beyond) that it IS entirely possible for us to beat this ugly weight monster. Plus, I thought my butt looked good. :) (You'll note the face doesn't show in that photo. That's due to the Sunday morning justgonnaruntoTargetforaminute lack of makeup or hairstyle. LOL)

Anyway, whether it's a size 4 or a size 14, we CAN get to AND STAY AT (that last bit's especially for me) a healthier weight!

Okay, and speaking of photos, some folks asked about my before photos. If you follow the "photos" category link on my sidebar, you'll get all my posts that have photos in them. There are some "before" and "during" photos scattered throughout.

Just_Kelly asked about my eating plan. Thanks for the question, Kelly. I started with sparkpeople.com, using their food logging feature to record what I ate. I also used their calorie guideline, which was 1300-1500 calorie per day in the beginning. Initially, I set goals of eating lean protein, 5-7 fruits and veggie servings, and whole grains. By recording and studying the numbers, I was able to figure out that when you're eating good-for-you foods, 1300 calories a day is A LOT!

Now I record only sporadically, and then I use an index card I keep in my purse. Mostly I just eat the same things a lot. Since I exercise so much, my view of food has changed (mostly) to getting the most fuel out of any meal.

I also set up room for splurges. I have Cake Day, which is a piece of cake for every 500 minutes of exercise. It's temporarily suspended during the vacation season, since vacations are MADE for splurging. A monthly splurge meal has also been part of my plan. One meal, anything I want. It starts when I sit down at the table and ends when I stand up. (Prevents one of those all day splurges. *g*)

I'm not sure if this answers your question. If not, feel free to let me know. (I'm posting inahurry.)

Kelly's question reminded me of another question that was asked while I was on my previous vacation. Several people asked about the stair-climbing challenge I'm leading at work, and I apologize for forgetting to respond to it. How rude!
Click here to find a description of the plan. Most of us are somewhere in the Grand Canyon right now. :)

Gotta run!

HYC Check in Week 37

Another Kevin-less workout.... I suppose it was a good workout anyway, just different. Oh well, onward and upward.

The mysterious 3-lb bounce from midweek last week is gone, so I'm basically right where I was last Monday. Or maybe not. Take a look at this:

Sunday morning (9/14/08) Target dressing room: my happy butt in a pair of size 4 jeans. Stretchy size 4's, and I couldn't have sat down in them without hurting something essential, but by golly, that tag running down the leg says 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 .

I didn't buy them, because as you can see the fit is poor, but I wanted to capture the moment for posterity. When you start out in a size 22, a size 4 (even a stretchy one) is a definite photo op. I'm not likely to see a non-stretchy size 4--ever. It's not even a goal. It's enough to have worn them for even a minute!

Tops are still mostly size large, if you were wondering, with a couple of mediums among newer purchases. That's a size L t-shirt I'm wearing in the picture.

And that, my friends, is my victory of the week. Nothing from the scale, and yet I am content.

I head out tomorrow for my Texas road trip. I'll be attempting to connect from the road, but you know how that works out sometimes. Before I leave, I want to share two good links from yahoo!:

Excellent link here on reasons we regain lost weight. I've not only bookmarked it; I've printed it and posted it on my bulletin board.

And another one of those superfood articles. This one reminded me to explore the wonderful world of quinoa.

Hope you all are having a great week so far!

And if you have a few spare dollars hanging about, please consider sponsoring me in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's walk on October 4th!

Makeover Monday: Avoiding the Tooth Fairy

Imagine my surprise when my dentist's wife (and office manager) called last week to remind me that my semi-annual cleaning/examination is tomorrow. Yikes! How time does fly. Needless to say, there was lots of flossing going on around here this weekend.

Every time I get my teeth cleaned, I promise myself that I'll floss more regularly, but it's one of those pledges that gets dropped. Much like the promises I used to make about weight loss. Hmmm, maybe there's something here….

Okay, so rather than develop a whole new blog, The Tippy Toe Guide to Oral Hygiene, why don't I just share some tips on taking better care of our teeth and gums. After all, we've got lots to smile about and we want the teeth to look good.

Straight from the website of the Amercian Dental Association (ADA), here are some tips for good oral hygiene:

- Brush your teeth twice a day with an ADA-accepted fluoride toothpaste.
- Replace your toothbrush every three or four months, or sooner if the bristles are frayed. A worn toothbrush won't do a good job of cleaning your teeth.
- Do not share toothbrushes. (Cammy note: Eeewww. As if!)
- Rinse your toothbrush with tap water after brushing and store upright for air-drying, if possible.
- Clean between teeth daily with floss or an interdental cleaner.
- Eat a balanced diet and limit between-meal snacks.
- Visit your dentist regularly for professional cleanings and oral exams.

If you need some visual assistance (and that's nothing to be ashamed of, btw), click this link for how-to animations.

Going to the dentist isn't fun for most of us, but it's something we definitely should do. To take your mind off the unpleasantness of it all, here are some Fun! Dental! Facts!

50% consider the smile the first facial feature they notice
80% are not happy with their smile
32% of Americans cite bad breath as the least attractive trait of their co-workers.
38.5 total days an average American spends brushing teeth over lifetime.
73% of Americans would rather go grocery shopping than floss.

Dentists have recommended that a toothbrush be kept at least six (6) feet away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush. (Can I get a group, "Eeeewwwww!")

The average woman smiles about 62 times a day!
A man? Only 8!

Kids laugh around 400 times a day.
Grown-ups just 15:-(

Smilers in school yearbooks are more likely to have successful careers and marriages than poker faced peers

Americans spend $2 billion a year on dental products -- toothpaste, mouthwash and dental floss.

83% of people believe their teeth are more important to their appearance than hair and eyes, according to a recent survey conducted by Roper ASW in conjunction with ReachMax.

Go here for even more dental trivia.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to floss.

Again.

Have a happy week, everyone!

(image by jana christy via Flickr!)

For the Cooks Among Ye

Y'all know I'm not much of a cook. I've been known to grill a chicken breast, assemble my own tuna salad, or make my own cole slaw, but that's about it. I do, however, like to read recipe books articles, which kind of doesn't make any sense. I guess I'm a cook-wannabe. Anyway, my local paper had an article last week that made my heart go pitter-patter. The subject was cooking websites. Bingo, three bars, jackpot!

Since I know many of you DO cook, I thought I'd share the article's links with you! Here you go:

From my favorite grocery store, Fresh Market, a link full to the brim with luscious recipes. It would be better with nutritional info included.

Chef2Chef – A chef's guide to practically everything.

Earthy Delights - Where great chefs buy
May have hard-to-find local items. Plus, they have some yummy looking recipes.

Food Reference
You will not BELIEVE the amount of information and fun stuff on this site! Go look. Go now!

foodgeeks.com
"Foodgeeks.com is a free online community designed for food geeks to share recipes and information about cooking and ingredients

Culinary Café – recipes, communities, tips and hints and such

Recipe Source
"RecipeSource is the new home of SOAR: The Searchable Online Archive of Recipes and your source for recipes on the Internet."

International Vegetarian Union – resources for all things veggie

Hope y'all enjoy. I'll be over at Hungry Girl. It's entirely possible I might cook something from that site someday. :)

Happy Sunday!

~

Dazed and Confused

Huge shocker tonight when I went to work out. Trainer Kevin is gone. Just like that! I don't know the whys or wherefores and it's not really my business anyway, but...wow. I never expected this. It's not like the other trainers are bad; in fact, I had a great workout with Trainer Wayne tonight.

They're just not TK. Prince of the Push-up. Lord of the Lunge. Sultan of Squats.

::sad sigh::

I wish I'd made it to 100 push-ups or 100 pounds lost or 100 pounds on the bench press, since those were the goals he said we were gonna make, even if it killed him. But the worst part, I think, is that I didn't get to say goodbye and/or thank you, so if you'll pardon me...

Kevin, if you should ever stumble across this entry (maybe while googling "sad people in Memphis who lost their favorite trainer ever"), know that I appreciate all the great workouts, your quiet wisdom, your gentle (except when it's evil) sense of humor, and your constant encouragement. I'll miss you, but I wish you well in your next great adventure.

I think for the weekend, I'm just going to pretend it's all a bad dream. Or a really bad joke the other guys think is hilarious.

::more sad sighing::

Thank goodness I have lots going on this weekend to distract me. I'm volunteering for the FedEx Rock and Roll 150 tomorrow (and taking advantage of the masseuse while I'm there). Then I have a long list of Things That Should Be Done prior to my trip next week. I'll be trying to dodge a hurricane, too. Oh, and getting in my cardio workouts both days.

But now? I'm going to bed. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

(Texans, my thoughts are with you. Be safe!)

~~

Big Bounce

Wow, my scale comments in my last post turned out to be quite timely. My midweek weigh-in (not to be confused with my official Monday weigh-in or my Friday sneak peek weigh-in) showed a big bounce--UP around 3 pounds (or so. I keep forgetting to write things down.) Do you suppose I jinxed myself? LOL

Since I've been doing the right things, I should see a bounce the other direction sometime soon, but I did have that oh, shit heck! moment when I first saw the number. Fortunately, over the past year I have had ample opportunity to practice the reality check follow-up moment: Pants fit? Check. Shirt fits? Check. Okay. exhale

I bring all this up because guess what I found in my inbox this morning? A fantastic article from sparkpeople on scale obsession, that's what! In the event you're running short on time, here are the signs of obsession as described in the article:
1. You constantly worry about weighing in.
2. You weigh in more than once per day.
3. You can recite your weight to the nearest fraction at all times.
4. The scale determines how you feel about yourself for the day.

If any of that rings true for you, you might want to check out the article. It's a little long (as SP articles go), but I thought it was a good 'un.

I've performed a self-check, and I'm pleased to report an 'all-clear'. The fact that I had two scale posts in one week had me a tad concerned. :)

Hope you're all having a great week!

HYC Check-in Week 36

Not much to report this week that I haven't already covered in previous posts, so I'm going to spend a moment talking about the scale, if you don't mind.

The diabolical scale took away my vacation pound. And I was so proud of it, too! Poor little pound...

If you hang around here semi-frequently, you know that I don't live and die by the scale numbers. I learned my lesson with that after the first six weeks of this Serious Life Conversion, when I learned I had lost only TEN pounds, despite having eaten right and exercised ALL the time. (All together now: poor, poor Cammy!)

Unfortunately, I learned this sad, sad news on the morning I was leaving to attend BlogHer '07 in Chicago. I spent most of the 8-hour drive fretting about the dismal results. (Aren't you glad you weren't along for that ride?) By the time I arrived in Chicago, I had pushed the worst of the black thoughts to the back of my mind.

Michigan Avenue will do that to a girl.

It was only after I arrived at the conference and had walked a mile-and-a-half and climbed two flights of stairs with my computer bag strapped to my back, AND I WASN'T EVEN BREATHING HARD that the magical light bulb finally came on. The weight didn't matter.

Thud.

Okay, so if the weight didn't matter, just what did matter?
- I had lost 20+ inches, 10 of them around my core.
- I had already lost a clothing size and was well on my way to losing another one.
- I was eating nutritious meals that gave me energy.
- I had already had to reduce the dosage on my blood pressure medication--by half.

More than anything else, though, was the emotional benefit of knowing that I had taken charge of my life and was doing something good for ME!

And I had been upset because the scale showed only ten pounds lost. Silly girl.

So now I weigh myself regularly, but it's just a benchmarking kind of thing. I know from experience that my weight can bounce around a couple of pounds during the week (probably during the same day), so I don't attach any importance to numbers within a "normal" range. If the number should show a steady incline (or decline, for that matter), then I'll deal with it. Otherwise, it's just a number. Kind of like age. :)

If you're fretting about the scale, I encourage you to take a step back (a deep breath probably wouldn't hurt either) and look at the bigger picture. List all the things that you are doing right and how they benefit you. You're adding YEARS to your lives, for cryin' out loud! Celebrate that, when the scale doesn't give you something tangible to be happy about.

End of lecture. I'm off to have a celebratory sugar-free fudgesicle and, perhaps, a peach. :)

~~

Makeover Monday: Walk This Way

One of my primary forms of cardio exercise is walking. People often ask me if I ever get bored with it, if it doesn't get to feeling too routine or mundane.

Short answers: No, no and hell no.

For one thing, I love being outdoors and even though the exercise is the same, the scenery is constantly changing around me, even when I'm just walking around the neighborhood. Plus you never know when you might have to save some wildlife.

Another factor to consider is that not all walks are created equal. Some days I stride, some days I scurry, and some days I do both. And then, of course, some days I just walk and feel the sun and breathe fresh air. By varying my technique, I can activate and use different muscle groups at different times or on different days.

Family Circle magazine covered this very subject in an all-too-brief article in their September issue. Guess what? I'm about to make it briefer. :) The article included a recommended schedule, but given that we're all at different levels of ability here, I thought I'd focus on the walking and leave the when and how long to you.


Here are some variations for you to consider for your walks:

The Heel-Toe Step – This one is simple. You focus on putting your heel on the ground and push off with your toes. Repeat with other foot.

The Straight-Leg Walk – For this step, you envision yourself wearing a mini-skirt (you too, guys) and are having to hurry to catch a bus. I think of it almost as a scoot step and confess that this is not a step I've ever done.

The Tea-break Walk – A really stupid name for this step, if you ask me (which they didn't). They also refer to it as the "Morning Walk," proving that one goofy name was apparently not enough. That aside, it's my favorite kind of walking: long strides with arms swinging straight out in front and behind you. I let every ounce of pride and accomplishment I feel flow through me, and I move. For our purposes, I'm changing the name of this step to The Pride Walk. If you don't try any of the others, please try this one.

The Short-step Walk – Here, you take small steps, placing one foot in front of the other no more than two steps ahead. It would be a good middle ground between the striding "Pride Walk" and the Straight-Leg Walk. And no mini-skirt is required (unless you want to.)

The Feather-light Step – In this step, you lengthen your spine, pull your belly in and roll from your heel through your toes as you walk.

You can also vary your walk by combining different steps. Alternate five minutes doing one type of step with five minutes of doing another and so on. Or you could do what I do and adjust your steps to the music you're listening to at the time.

Add extra variety on some days by walking hills or stairs and for even more fun, try walking up and down them backward. (Might help to have a friend or lookout available for this one if you're on a street or sidewalk.)

Finally, don't forget to take a walk every now and then just for the fun of it. Maybe invite friends or family along. The goal is just to be outdoors and enjoying life, to appreciate that you are able to do so.

Okay, dear Readers. That's all I have (the Family Circle people, too, apparently). Do you have any walking steps or techniques to share? Here, or your place, it's up to you.

As always, I hope any of these suggestions will prove to be useful, and I thank you for stopping by.

Have a great week, everyone!

~

Lifting Weight

Once again, I apologize for erratic blogging...so much going on. I did manage to find a moment or twenty for quietness today and was rewarded with a minor epiphany. Don't you love epiphanies?

I was remembering (and not too fondly, I might add) yesterday's workout with Trainer Kevin, during which he introduced a couple of new exercises. The one I'm remembering, or rather, the one my body remembers, is the one-armed shoulder press. With one arm, you press the weight up from the shoulder, while the other arm is at your size as a stabilizer. TK increases the weight with each set, and by the time we reached the final set (20-lb. weights), I was having to resort to an internal chant, This makes me feel stronger, this makes me feel stronger, this....

You get the picture, but what does it have to do with my epiphany, you wonder.

Everything.

As I was sipping my frosty Diet Coke (no lectures, please) and feeling the sun on my back, my thoughts drifted to the job situation. Or more accurately, the potential lack-of-job situation. While I know I can handle it, the enormity of it all is swirling beneath the surface all the time and making me a jittery, nibbling mess. (Healthy nibbling, but nibbling nonetheless.)

Enter the epiphany, and while it may not make sense to anyone else, I feel better. :)

We all know that we have to lift weight in order to lift more weight. Taking on too much weight at one time can be injurious (is that a word?), but if we take it slow and steady--only the weight we can safely lift at any given time--and remember to breathe, we build strength, and with that strength comes the ability to lift more weight.

Life, as it turns out, is really just one long weight-lifting session. Handling life's burdens--small, medium, or large--is no different, really, than a one-armed shoulder press. Plant your feet, stand up straight, take on only the weight you can bear at that point in time, and lift.

Oh, and always, always, always remember to breathe.

So maybe that's only an epiphany for me, which would maybe make it a Camiphany, and that's good. I wanted to share it here, just in case anyone else is trying to lift too much weight--in the gym or out in the world. :)

Happy and glorious weekend to you all!

~

Check-in among other things

It's been a little crazy getting settled back in. I apologize for erratic posting and commenting.

Thanks to all for the comments on this week's Makeover Monday post and for the additional tips. I'm lucky enough to have avoided true credit problems, and it breaks my heart to see others struggling with it, whether through their own mistakes or life circumstances. I know that I might not always be so fortunate, which is why I make every effort to stay debt free (minus the mortgage payment, that is.) In fact, if things continue as they were predicted at work today, I may be out of a job in a few months. I should know more in a few weeks. No matter what happens, I'll deal with it (an enhanced severance package wouldn't hurt), but it does make one apprehensive. :)

Lest you think work has been all bad, I can happily report that I have successfully resisted treats offered at two management recognition events this week. The staff secretly got together and planned a surprise breakfast for us yesterday and an ice cream sundae party today. I was lucky yesterday morning because I had just finished my breakfast (oatmeal with peanut butter, followed by cantaloupe--yum!), and I couldn't have eaten anything more if I'd wanted to. They had all sorts of biscuits, breakfast cakes, sausages, bacon, pancake, muffins, and fruit, but all I could do was smile and say, "Thank you." I really didn't want to offend anyone (it was so nice of them to do it!), but I also didn't want to go splodey all over the lobby. *g*

At today's ice cream event, they didn't have low fat or low sugar offerings, so I ran to the fridge for my Dannon Light & Fit Vanilla Yogurt, then came back and squirted some peanut butter sauce on it for my own version of a sundae. Not bad, but not ice cream. Next time I'll try it with chocolate sauce. :)

Then we had The Meeting about the Future, and I was glad I hadn't eaten anything heavy.

But the day ended on a bright note--several, in fact. I weighed before my workout and I'm down another half pound since last Friday. Yaay! I had a great workout with Trainer Kevin, who makes me laugh in spite of the pain, and then I just finished a good phone conversation with my friend (and inspiration), Morgan. So the truly important things were all achieved. :)

Just a reminder, I'm participating in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Walk in Memphis on October 4th. If you've got a few extra dollars hanging around, those folks would sure appreciate the sponsorship and I would, too. Just don't put it on your credit card unless you pay it off at the end of the month. ;) (And if you'd like to sponsor me without the credit card, feel free to drop me a line at cammysaid (a t) gmail (d o t) com, and I'll send you my address.)

I'm still trying to catch up with my RSS feeds, but I'll eventually get there. I hope you've all had a splendid few weeks and are looking forward to more ahead. If not, may your troubles end soon.

~

Makeover Monday: A Moneywise Post

It's no secret that I believe the path to fitness is based on mindfulness and self-control. For many of us on the heavier side, absence of those two elements in our lives frequently carries over into non-fitness areas: clutter, organization, finance, etc., and that's why I include these topics in this Makeover Monday feature. Feel free to move along if the non-fitness topics don't interest you. It won't hurt my feelings at all. :)

A hundred (or so) years ago when I applied for my first credit card, I said a silent prayer for acceptance as I turned in the application. Back then, approval for credit was a very iffy thing. You had to be credit-worthy to get credit. Nowadays, of course, everyone who has red blood can (and usually does) get a credit card and (in the U.S., anyway) as early in life as possible.

I was very fortunate in having parents who used credit cards wisely and taught me how to do the same. I've also seen more fortune in that I've never lost a job or had a medical emergency or anything that would push my finances to the limit. Not everyone was so lucky, though, and many, many folks are now deep in debt doodoo and sinking fast. In the current U.S. economy, bankruptcies have increased 39% since last year. Almost everyone knows someone who has either filed for bankruptcy or is very, very close. These are stressful times for hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people.

For many of us who are trying to find our way to a healthier life, stress in one area of our lives often leads to unhealthy eating or a general sense of inertia. If debt or credit card pressures are driving you to overeat or make unwise choices, I hope the following tips prove helpful, and if you have any tips not listed, sing out! I'm no personal finance expert. I'm merely sharing what I've been taught over the years.

Possibly Useful Tips for Controlling Your Credit Card Usage
- It should go without saying that you should make your payments on time. Failing to do so can affect your credit report and the current interest rates you are paying, not just on one account but all accounts.
- Pay more than the minimum payment, even if it's just a few dollars more. It's that whole energy creates energy psychology. As you see your balance dwindle, you'll build a healthy momentum in paying it down completely.
- Shop for the best rate. While it's better to pay off credit card balances each month, that's not always possible. If you suspect you'll be carrying a balance on your account, make sure you shop for the best rates and terms. Check out this link to a handy matrix for choosing a credit card.
- For your current account, call the customer service number (should be on your credit card statement) and tell them that while you have been a satisfied customer, you have seen several offers for cards with lower interest rates and no annual fee. If you have a good payment record, they might just agree. It never hurts to ask!
- Don't fall for enticing introductory rates without reading the fine print (terms and conditions.) These rates are most likely for a limited time only and will shoot sky-high when the period is up.
- Review your statement religiously and notify the credit company immediately if you spot any suspicious charges. My credit card company (Chase) offers an online method for checking up on current charges, and it has proved to be invaluable. Two "companies" keep hitting me with small charges (less than $5.00) that I never authorize--they're counting on me skipping over the small amount--and I can notify Chase immediately of the problem. It's resolved before my statement is ever issued.
- Keep track of your credit card spending and be aware of your credit card limit. Credit card companies make a lot of money on late fees and over-the-limit fees. In addition, they can raise your interest rate if you exceed your limit. A good guideline is to stay under 50% of your credit limit.
- Limit the number of cards you have. I have one credit card and one debit card, which makes monitoring usage much easier.
- Work with your creditor(s) when you have problems. They want to keep your business and will often work with you by cancelling fees or charges, especially if your account is in good standing and your payment history is satisfactory.
- Avoid taking out cash advances, as the fees associated with these withdrawals are excessively high.
- Unless you're able to pay off your account each month, don't use your credit card just because you get "reward points" for it. You're better off in the long run using cash or your debit card.
- To cancel a card, cut it up and send it to the issuer with a letter asking that they notify the credit bureaus that the card is being canceled "at the customer's request." Keep a copy of the letter for your file.
- Check your credit report annually. By law, you're entitled to one free report each year. Go to Annual Credit Report to start the process. Mistakes in your report can lead to a lower credit score, higher interest rates, issues with employment or housing, or fraud. Report any problems to the credit bureaus. If I'm not mistaken, you can report the problems online.

Credit cards are not evil, in and of themselves. They're useful for building a payment history, which shows your ability to manage credit and pay your bills on time. A good payment history makes it easier to get a mortgage loan. Also, credit cards are often required to guarantee a hotel room or rent a car, not to mention paying for truly necessary, and unexpected, expenses such as an emergency room visit. But the cards should be used wisely, and not as a way of living beyond what your income will support.

Two brilliant (IMO) documentaries about America and its love affair with the credit card:
Maxed Out and In Debt We Trust.

I hope you found any of this useful, but more than that, I hope that if you're one of those struggling with consumer debt, that you're able to gain control of it and work on developing a healthier financial life to go along with your new, fitter self.


image credit: b.franchina via flickr