August 5th, 2009
So as I’ve said before I had a weird last month where there was lots of eating of caloric dense food (read junk food). Not a lot of working out. And plenty of sitting around.
Needless to say after all that I was feeling pretty sluggish and like all my hard work had been for nothing. But its been two weeks since then and I’m now feeling like I’m heading in the right direction again. Its just taken some discipline and a little dash of willpower but I’m back.
Just in time! I’ve applied a few places for personal training jobs, I’m going to be giving a few calls out this week to see what the status is about them.
There’s one job that I want above the others that I’ve applied for and if (when) I get it I’ll update you guys about it. But this also gets me away from my current gym, and all I can say about that is the sooner then better. My gym is going to hell quick. Its like people expect their mothers to be in there cleaning up after them when they are done lifting. No one takes weights off the bars anymore, and no one wipes down their benches after their sweaty asses have been on them. There’s dumbbells and benches and stools just littered all over the place, I seriously am just baffled by how its been taken care of in the last two weeks or so.
/rant
Categories: fitness
Tags: diet, Excercise, fitness, Healthy Living, Lifting, weight loss, Working Out
August 3rd, 2009
My personal life is not disheartening actually so I’ll get to that part later. On the personal front I’m actually doing pretty well. I went out to a couple clubs on Friday and that’s something I haven’t done in a long time. In fact one of the odd things about going out is that I ran into a girl who works at a place that is hiring personal trainers! So that worked out pretty well for me!
Something else thats going my way is that my package is almost ready for this officer position I’m applying for so hopefully I’ll have these two new jobs here pretty soon!
Source cdc.gov
What is disheartening is how people take advantage of fitness. On both sides really. I spent some time this weekend watching a few interesting things that became available for me on netflix. One which is Penn and Tellers show “Bullshit” on that runs on Showtime. They had an episode dedicated to the myth of the obesity epidemic. What really bothered me about the episode was how they view the fitness industry. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of vultures out there that only want to scare you and make you buy their latest wonder product.
But that’s not all of us. I know a lot of good people out there that have decided to make that life change and lose the excess weight. And there is a wonder product out there that can help you lose all the weight you want. Its called hard work. Only through dedication, discipline, and consistency is it possible to lose your excess self and keep it off. Its just hard for people to take anyone seriously when there’s so much bad information out there. Disheartening.
I also watched a documentary on netflix called “Killer at Large: Why Obesity is America’s Greatest Threat”. I know that you have to be careful when it comes to documentary because the film makers are trying to get their views across. Thats all documentaries not just this one.
Its another view of how obesity is affecting America and how it could have serious implications in the future. What makes this film so disheartening is that it comes across as that we are all helpless to stop obesity. While there are quick fixes that can be instituted, there is nothing that you can put out that will help everyone. In this I also disagree. I think we all have the power to stay healthy. But people have to take the steps to educate themselves to how the body works and the basic principles of thermodynamics that enable it to burn off its storage form of energy (fat). Food these days is extremely calorie dense and if not careful it can really get away from you.
Overall I think the most powerful tools we can arm ourselves with in our quest for fitness is knowledge and hard work. If we can leverage these two tools together I think we can really get a handle on this problem.
Categories: fitness
Tags: blog, Cutting, diet, fitness, gluttony, Healthy Living, job hunting, obesity, weight loss, Working Out
July 31st, 2009
Today has been a pretty hectic one. Woke up this morning to my older dog having thrown up a bunch of blood so I was freaked out about that. Then just got back from car shopping for my fiance only to find out that her car doesn’t meet the requirements for the cash for clunkers program >< What a damn day.
Categories: Uncategorized
July 29th, 2009
As the title says now that all the exciting action filled last three weeks are behind me. Its time to settle back down into a routine of fitness and whatever else I do (hint: video games).
But with that maybe I should also look for a job now that I’ve got my certification. So if anyone knows of any gyms hiring in the columbus area you be sure to let me know 
Besides that its been three days back on a strick meal plan and it feels great. Usually when I first start tightening up my diet I get urges or cravings for different (read: crappy) foods that I don’t plan for and don’t do enough exercise to work off. But I guess the last couple of weeks have burned me out on anything thats not on my plan for awhile.
Today I had to take my car in to the shop because the brakes were getting loose and the exhaust sounds like a tank is rolling through my neighborhood. This means I’m stuck in the house, and damnit its that cold swampy chilly rain outside right now so I can’t really get a good run in. But ce’st la vie. I’ll get it in at some point.
Categories: fitness
Tags: diet, Excercise, fitness, Healthy Living, job hunting, weight loss, Working Out
July 27th, 2009
So every time I have an “I’m back!” post something else seems to come up. So I will not be doing a post like that, but I will say that I am cautiously optimistic that I’m back on my regular schedule. But I’m not sure how long thats going to last because now unfortunately I have to find a job. UGH! Since I’ve gotten my certification its time to send the ol’ resume out to some gyms and see what comes back.
But as far as my vacation went it was pretty awesome. We went to Hocking Hill State Park which is just gorgeous. In all honestly growing up I was never a huge fan of the outdoors. In fact I would call myself an “indoors kid” but sometime since then thats changed, I don’t know when exactly but it has.
To put it in a fitness context though Hocking Hills was a great barometer (or gauge if you will) of how fitness can affect your life. There was a good deal of hiking involved, not to mention when you follow the wrong trail and get lost in the middle of no where. But not just the hiking there were plenty of natural and man made stairs that really didn’t bother me all that much to climb up all day long. Its nice to see that exercise can have its own uses outside of the gym. I mean I enjoy adding weight to a lift or running farther and harder then I used to be able to. But being able to hike over stairs that is killing everyone around you and not really feeling tired is a pretty great. Plus when we locked ourselves out of our cabin I had to do some spider man shimmying up the side of our cabin to go in the back way. Thank goodness for pullups!
Categories: fitness
Tags: 2009, blog, fitness, Healthy Living, weight loss, Working Out
July 25th, 2009
Yeah I know I’ve been gone. After training my fiance had some vacation time so we rented a cabin and did some hiking for the last couple of days. Boy do I have some stories to tell, from almost flipping our car and dieing on a really steep hill, to getting lost in the woods and hiking down a road (thanks to my land navigation skills). Had a blast and I’ve got some pictures and I’ll write out the full stories here in the next couple of days. But right now I’ve got to go hop in the shower and shave so I can drive to the other side of Ohio for a wedding. No rest for the wicked I suppose.
Categories: misc
July 22nd, 2009
Today I wanted to stop and give my thanks to the people that guest posted while I was away for training. So if you’re visiting my site you definitely need to visit theirs because they do in fact rock…and roll.
First up is Wrath of Nino. you can find him at www.wrathofnino.wordpress.com Its a great blog about weight loss and online gaming addiction. First rate!
Second is James from Body for Wife. His website is at www.bodyforwife.com He gives politically incorrect and slightly cynical information about weight loss, you should check out his site!
Third are Shannon and Angie from the Fabulous Fatties. They can be found at www.thefabulousfatties.com Its about their weight loss journey and they always have fun contests and prizes!
Seriously again thanks to you guys for the help while I was gone, couldn’t have done it without you!
Categories: fitness
Tags: Excercise, fitness, guest posts, Healthy Living, Lifting, weight loss, Working Out
July 21st, 2009
Man it feels good to be back at the ol’ computer! After being gone for a week and a half, coming back to the routine feels good. For new readers or someone that doesn’t know I was gone for military training and it wasn’t too shabby. I just got promoted to E-6 not too long ago so thats still a transition I’m working on getting used to.
We rappeled this week, did some urban combat training (MOUT) in a run down crack house, wow that was nerve wracking getting there, some riot training. All in all I think a good time was had by all.
From a fitness stand point I didn’t really lose any ground in the last week and a half. I mean I didn’t really watch my calories at all and I ate a good deal of bad food. But I spent most of each day wearing my body armor and gear so that was about sixty extra pounds each day, combined with a generous portion of running around alot so it all worked out in the end.
Categories: fitness
Tags: blog, Excercise, fitness, Healthy Living, Military, weight loss, Working Out
July 17th, 2009
My horoscope for today: In spite of the leaps and bounds you’ve taken over the last several months, Angie, a slump could soon set in as you start doubting your ability to attain your most cherished goals. An unexpected setback may have occurred that was disheartening, but you’ve never let this sort of thing stop you before. Don’t fall into this trap now. Brace yourself, reassess your methods, and get back in the saddle. You’ll get there!
I am not the type of gal that lives by what a horoscope may say, but I read my horoscope on MSN occasionally and sometimes I think its whack and sometimes something hits me. This was one of those that hit me. I am getting a little discouraged that I am not losing weight quicker, not that I have been absolutely perfect, but I am on a diet damnit and the weight should just fall off for that reason, right? So I know there are things I could be doing better, but there are plenty of things I am doing better than I did before. I know I am losing, but not as fast as I would like to, and I know I shouldn’t compare myself to anyone, but I do.
So… when I read my horoscope today it hit me. Life happens – you learn and are better because of it. I know why I haven’t lost more weight, or even just feel good about the weight loss I have had. I haven’t worked hard enough for it. I still haven’t had a soda since last Monday, and that is great, but don’t ask how much I have exercised because I don’t want to tell you. Also, don’t ask how many Peanut Butter Truffle frozen yogurts I have had. (Thanks Shannon for introducing me to my biggest demon!) I also stay up too late and I know I suck at exercise and diet when I am tired. Great, now I know why I am not happy with my results, but changing it seems to be the tricky part. I know I need to keep a food journal and count my calories (that’s why it is in the challenge… cause I suck at it). Okay, there it is my goal for the week… follow the challenge that Shannon and I created. It sounds so obvious, right?! I am doing some of the stuff, but obviously need to step it up in a few areas. It is funny how things just come to me in the middle of typing a post and it seems so brilliant at the moment, but is something that should be so obvious. Seriously, I think I am going to start posting about school, work, parenting, finances and everything else in my life I am having issues with because the obvious and amazing things come to me at those times.
I guess I am the girl that needs new motivation every other day just to stay on track and I haven’t been blogging or twittering much and I haven’t chatted with Shannon (a.k.a. my personal life/fitness/health coach and therapist) as much as I need to, apparently. Life happens – you learn and are better because of it!
A new day starts soon and another chance at being better than I was the day before!
Peace out – Angie, ready to transform her visions into her life!
If you like this you can find this and many more at Shannon and Angies website at http://www.thefabulousfatties.com/ I would highly suggest it. They are always having contests and challenges to keep you motivated!
Categories: fitness
Tags: Excercise, fitness, Healthy Living, weight loss, Working Out
July 15th, 2009
This article first appeared in IMPACT Magazine. Used by permission of the author.
John Lennon can help you get in shape. His words are more important than superior genetics, spare time, or even training “how to.” When it comes to following through on your New Year’s fitness resolution, “All You Need Is Love.”
Right about now you’re probably wondering what the hell I’m talking about.
Well, love may not be all you need, but developing a passion for the physical activity you engage in is critical for long-term success. People who get up early to run in the cold, adapt their schedules to go to the gym, push themselves to the limit in exercise classes, or cycle to work every day all have one thing in common: they don’t hate what they’re doing.
Purveyors of bogus fitness products sell a quick-fix miracle cure for getting in shape, but not only are they lying about the effectiveness of their products, they perpetuate the mistaken idea that exercise is a punishment to be endured, not enjoyed. That’s why they say things like “Only twenty minutes, three times a week…” Unfortunately, those who see exercise as no more than a means to an end rarely last more than a few months.
How do you learn to love exercise? It helps if you start off by not hating it.
If you go into a new exercise program with the attitude that it’s going to suck, then that’s a problem, but the solution is to minimize your discomfort by understanding some important keys to motivation. I’m not referring to the Tony Robbins pseudo-scientific “Awaken the Giant” crap, but the real science of cognitive behavioural change. This includes the work of Dr. Albert Bandura, the Stanford University psychologist, who in 1977 developed an important behaviour modification model called self-efficacy. This model implies that you should do the opposite of Nike’s famous “Just do it” tagline. Building self-efficacy follows more along the lines of: learn, plan, prepare, then do. It’s less catchy, but Bandura’s a researcher, not an ad hack.
Bandura determined that self-efficacy is a situation-specific form of self-confidence that can be developed to give people a sense of comfort prior to engaging in a new behaviour and increase their likelihood of persevering. He came up with four ways to build self-efficacy: 1) think about times in the past when you succeeded at the same or a similar type of activity, 2) model the behaviour of someone else who succeeded, 3) listen to the persuasion of those close to you who are encouraging of the new behaviour, and 4) gain an understanding of what this new behaviour is going to be like.
Here’s an example that drives Bandura’s logic home: you’ve never lifted weights in your life and I come along and advise you to start going hard with the iron tomorrow (Just do it). You go to a gym and have no clue what you’re doing. You’re a total spaz at lifting, maybe you hurt yourself; you hate it and never want to go back. Alternatively, you think about first building self-efficacy; you read about lifting weights, hire a personal trainer, get a plan together, and then go to the gym. You might not love your first workout, but it probably won’t ruin your day.
It may sound negative to talk about people hating exercise, but if it were easy to love then a lot more people would be doing it. Another way to minimize the discomfort of adopting a new exercise routine is to start slow. Don’t be in a rush to get in shape; instead, choose a level of intensity that is only moderately uncomfortable. People hate change and need time to adapt to a new routine. Once you do adapt, then you can increase the amount and intensity.
Going slow at adopting exercise is a difficult mindset for people who want to lose weight fast, which is why you need to put these types of goals out of your mind for a while. The most important goal you can have is not losing a certain number of pounds, building muscle, or decreasing cholesterol. The critical objective for a new exerciser is adopting a permanent lifestyle change. If you accomplish that then all other related goals are more easily achieved and maintained.
Sticking to it
Bandura’s advice helps you prepare for and act on your goals, and the work of renowned psychologist Dr. B. F. Skinner helps you maintain. If you’ve ever taken an introductory psychology course then you probably learned about his reinforcement studies called operant conditioning. You not only want to start exercising but want to keep doing it for years to come, correct? Skinner discovered that there are four different types of events that can take place after a new behaviour that influences the likelihood of that behaviour taking place again in the future. The most important of these, and the most relevant to getting in shape, is “positive reinforcement.” If something good happens during or immediately after exercise then you will be willing to do it again. This is why losing weight is such a lousy motivator, because the reinforcement comes so much later than the activity. Instead of thinking about getting healthy or burning fat, focus on why exercise is enjoyable now. Some ideas for positive reinforcement: get into the social aspect of exercise, relish in the sense of accomplishment, enjoy the rush of endorphins, and even take pleasure in how a hot shower feels after a run in frigid temperatures.
You can also get positive reinforcement from external sources, such as a supportive spouse: “Ooh, honey! I’m proud of you for exercising so hard. Let me rub your back.” Be careful with this one, however, because it can end up making your activity seem like a chore to achieve your reward.
A parameter of operant conditioning to watch out for is “extinction”; if you don’t get your perceived reward for a while then the behaviour ceases. I have a personal example that took place a few years back: some friends and I used to take a weekly boxing circuit class and there was this one woman that always joined our group who looked just like actress Jeri Ryan (the hot Borg alien from Star Trek: Voyager). She was an outrageous flirt who motivated us to make it to the class every week. Even if we were sick or injured we still went and worked hard. Then one day “Jeri” stopped showing up. We kept going for a few weeks after, but eventually we all quit because we didn’t see it as enjoyable anymore; our positive reinforcement became extinct. This is why you should focus on positive feelings that come from an internal source that you control rather than an external one. The same type of situation could apply to your favourite yoga teacher quitting. In this case, you need to learn to love yoga more than any one teacher.
There are many ways to develop a love for exercise, but a key element is simply having the knowledge that it is important for success. If you approach exercise with a positive attitude and the understanding that you will learn to love it, then eventually that love will find a way.
James S. Fell, MA, MBA, is the author of Body for Wife: The Family Guy’s Guide to Getting in Shape. He gives free, politically incorrect fitness advice at www.bodyforwife.com.
Categories: fitness
Tags: Excercise, fitness, Healthy Living, Lifting, Working Out
