Why Is It . . .

That when you get into the habit of daily exercise you can feel like total crud and realise that it is probably in your best interest to go ahead and get in that workout anyway? In point of fact, the more exercise becomes a regular part of your daily routine the harder it is for you to rationalize your way out of going to the gym just because you don't "feel like it".

I wonder if it has something to do with the endorphins that your body produces when you do work out. I think that it has more to do with misery loving company; if you are going to feel lousy, you may as well go the whole way and drain all the energy out of your system with a workout as well.

Anyway, since workouts have become a regular part of my day, I am off to get in my workout. Then I need to come home and clean and spend some time this afternoon writing. I hope I have energy left over after the workout.

Pax

A New Kinda Pain

So, I have decided that I really need to get serious about getting in shape, and the WiiFit is great but I need a little more incentive to get it in gear.

A really great friend of mine is a member of Curves and she loves it, so I joined two weeks ago. The workout is set up so that you don't have to think about what you are doing, you just do the circuit and you get a total body workout with cardio and stretching in 45 minutes, which is great for me. Besides that, the Curves that I joined is right down the street from the school the angelbaby attends and both of the campuses that make up the Community College where the other girls are taking classes. Not the least bit out of my way. Since I pass by the place almost every day without really going that far out of my way it really is a convenient and helps me stay motivated and showing up.

While I wouldn't say I am enjoying the workouts I haven't had any trouble at all getting there at least five days each week. I am hoping to jump start getting in shape by really working hard to get things going. I have been working with the Curves Smart program this week, which is a computerized tracking system that helps me not slack off on any of the machines on the circuit because it tells me how hard I have to work and how many reps I have to do on each machine each day.

The really nice thing about Curves Smart is that I get immediate feedback after each workout by placing my tag in the computer at my Curves when I am done. The computer tells me how many calories I burned, and how hard I worked each muscle group for that specific workout and then it compares that to the last ten workouts. It shows the percentage of effort I put forth for each muscle group based upon my range of motion that was tested when I started the program (and then each workout it gets a little more strenuous).

I hate to love this new workout regime, or love to hate it I suppose. I enjoy the company of the other women who are there to work out when I go in, and I know that I am getting a well rounded workout and I can tell that I am working very hard every day and that is rewarding. I am hoping to see results very soon. It has only been not quite three weeks after all.

Pax

Temple Census

We have entered Mardi Gras weekend. . . that last little bit of Ordinary time just before Ash Wednesday. Why is it that every year I get the sense that I should indulge to my hearts content in these days? I think it is partly because of that ROR_2">Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) attitude that we have to use up all the indulgent stuff in the house so it won't tempt us during the long season of lent.

Amazingly for me, this Mardi Gras season has come at a time when I am in a good place both mentally and spiritually to get my temple (aka body) in order. Not so coincidentally, I will be reading Interior Castle by Teresa of Avilla, so the spiritual reflection is set in motion. I have been working out with the Wii for over a month now so the physical exercise component is in place, now I just have to wrap my brain around the eating as fuel and what is the best fuel to heat this particular temple and everything will start working together.

I have decided to make changes in my diet because it is the healthy thing to do, and I need to be eating better anyway, rather than thinking that I am depriving myself of something that tastes wonderful. I am going to go back to a diet that is very low in allergens, and in food groups that are close to the ones I am allergic to as well. (which means, less soy, less condiments which have traces of corn starch and corn syrup, etc).

Essentially I will be back to an Atkins/South Beach lifestyle which ends up being very low in carbs and higher in protein, but I am going to supplement it with fresh fruit in the afternoons as a snack. For drinks it will be back to tea, tea and more tea. One cup of coffee a day and then all the iced or hot tea or water I want the rest of the day. My big treat will come when I allow myself two pieces of dark chocolate in the evening. (gotta have my chocolate).

After a few weeks of eating sensibly for my particular body's needs I know I will begin to feel better, less tired and healthier. I should lose weight, but that isn't the immediate goal of my new plan. After the 40 days of Lent I should be totally transformed.

I just hope I can get it all together and make this a very spiritual practice and not get frustrated about the entire thing. We shall see, grasshopper, we shall see.

Pax

They Should Change the Name of This Thing . . .

From Wii Fit to Wii Fun!

picture credit http://www.flickr.com/photos/katy_am/2321575943/

We have had ours for three days and we have thoroughly enjoyed it. It has been especially eye opening for me. I knew from my time in therapy (really scary flash back of graston knives and bruised thigh *shudder*) that I was off balance -- placing more weight on my right leg than on my left -- but this Wii Fit board graphs all that out for me and keeps track of my progress toward getting my balance back into alignment and strengthening my left side so that I will be equally as strong on both sides.

The strength training and yoga are good for me, but the aerobic and balance exercises are the real fun. I love the boxing and step aerobics. I even love the skiing (because I would never have the nerve to really ski with my bad knees) although I totally vacuum at ski jumping and usually end up a huge snow ball at the end of the ski jump because I don't extend my knees at the right moment.

The time really flies when I am playing with this thing and the motivation to "play" is a lot easier to work up (even to do the short running in place stints) than any other type of home workout I have ever attempted. I suppose only time will tell if I can sustain the motivation in the long run, but since the fit board tracks my daily progress on a screen that happily I am the only one that can access because it is password protected, I can keep a daily progress of my weight and BMI as I am slimming down (I hope).

Now I just have to come up with a meal plan that takes into account all of my allergies and allows me to eat a well rounded diet that is satisfying. A tall order I am sure. I suppose I should go back to low carb, I felt healthiest when I was eating a low carb diet, and considering I am allergic to so many grains it makes good sense.

Anyway, I just wanted to share my new fun toy with all of you. If you already have a Wii, this little addition is well worth the expense.

Pax

Some Sense of Humor: Personally I Don't Find it All That Funny

But God is up there in heaven laughing away.

So I made this agreement with His Almightyness that when I am at Gradual School I will go to morning prayer with the monks on Saturday mornings if He wakes me up at 5:30 in the morning. I don't set the alarm for that, in my humble estimation quite unholy hour, and if I don't wake up, no harm no foul, but if I do wake up I have to go to prayer with the monks.

I would say that in the four-plus years that I have been here I have missed morning prayer maybe three times. He is a pretty good alarm clock when He wants to get His way.

Well I am at Gradual School this weekend, but I drove down on Saturday morning instead of Friday night because mrangelmeg and I are taking a ballroom dancing class on Friday evenings. I wasn't even here for morning prayer, so I figured all bets were off for this weekend, but His Almightyness had other plans.

This morning, Sunday morning, I was brought to complete and utter awakeness (is that really a word?) at exactly 5:30. It was so light outside that I got scared and thought I had messed up the time on the clock when I set the alarm to go off at ten till seven, so I jumped out of bed to check the time on my cell-phone (I live in a different time zone than they are down here so I get messed up easily).

Nope, it was 5:30. With a sigh of relief I got back in bed, and was attempting to go back to sleep when I began this inner dialogue with His Almightyness:

Himself: Hey this is my time

me: Uhm no prayer this morning, it's Sunday

Himself: Do you really need the monks to pray? You can Find Me in All Things like a good student of Ignatius. Get up and come out for a walk.

me: you have to be kidding me.

Himself: Do I sound like I'm kidding, If you think you are going back to sleep, think again.


I went for a nice walk around the Abbey grounds for about a half hour.

Who says the spiteful Old Testament God no longer exists?

Pax

8, 7, 6, 5, 5, 5, 5, Lets Sing a Song of 5

I'm not sure if I was playing golf today or stuck in an old Sesame Street sketch. You know the one with the numbers where they would count five of a bunch of things, and at the end Frank Oz dressed as a baker would be carrying some scrumptious thing down a staircase and drop them into a big mess.

I played 9 holes of golf today at the par-3 with the angelbaby and one of her friends. My score for nine holes was just about exactly the title of this piece. I guess it is good that I was shooting a consistent five after the first four holes, but I kept hoping to get down to four on the shorter holes.

I have to admit though that my short game is looking better and better, I actually pitched onto three greens on the first try, and I one putted two greens in a row. Unfortunately the rest of the time I three putted, or I over-shot the green with my 9-iron or pitching wedge, or had crappy fairway shots.

The best thing I can say about my drives is that they would make William Buckley proud, because for the most part they were all slightly to the right. When I tried to correct for that flaw and aim to the left I would hit one straight down the middle and end up in the trees to the left or worse on the next fairway. It was so annoying.

So, all in all we had a really great time golfing, and I think it will become a regular weekly activity, I just wish I knew what I was doing wrong. Or maybe my real handicap is as I have said all along that I actually think I can play the game.

Perhaps this is the time to invest in a few lessons.

Pax

Golf: The Walk you Love to Hate

Mrangelmeg convinced me to dust (and there was a whole lot of dust) off my golf bag and join him and the angelbaby for a round of golf at the local Par 3 course on Sunday.

It has been at least two years, probably closer to three since the last time I have played any golf at all (including Putt-Putt). We first went to the driving range to hit buckets of balls. I was so rusty, but after a bit at least I was hitting the ball fairly straight (well, fairly to the right, but the ball was moving away from my club which is always good.)

When we got to the course I played with consistent inconsistency for the first four holes. I shot a 10 on the first hole and a 5 on the second, then a 9 on the third, and a 5 on the fourth. After that I played a much better round; shooting 5,6,5,4, over the next four holes and I even shot par on the final hole.

I was so pleased with the way I played (after the third hole anyway). I really could use some work on my short game, well actually I could really use a short game; but that has never stopped most of the men I know who play golf for fun, so why should it stop me?

I really like this little course, it is short enough to make you feel like you are doing a good job, and plays really fast even when there is a crowd. I think I will play out there a lot this summer to get my confidence back up. Then who knows, I might even try to play in a league or something.

Pax

National Body Challenge Update

Just so you know I will NOT be posting my weight on this sight. That is a number best left between me and my God.

I will though be posting occasionally the types of exercise activities I have been engaging in as a way to keep myself motivated and possibly to motivate someone else to try them (or not).

Today I spent a half hour walking briskly (well just above the slow setting actually) on the treadmill, while I was reading The Conversion of Augustine written by Romano Guardini in case anyone is interested in what I am reading as well.

Then I did 1/2 hour of Yoga with a video I got from Walmart. It is called Yoga for the Core. It was very invigorating as this segment was intended to energize me rather than strengthen any one area of my body.


I am being pretty faithful to five days of exercise a week with two days free, though I do count Ballroom dancing class as an exercise day (hey you try it and then you tell me it isn't a full body workout!).

On the free days I park my car farther away and try to walk a little more quickly on my errands and things like that without intentionally doing any real exercising.

So far I feel pretty good.

I may or may not post some of the changes in my diet, but as I said before, I am really only focusing on making healthier choices without really counting calories or doing anything that would be considered dieting at this point.


Pax

Improvement Time

So I have decided that I am finally over my virus that I got at Christmas and sufficiently back to a level of well being that will permit me to begin to do something about my general state of health. In other words it is time to

GET IN SHAPE.

Mrangelmeg is always after me to go to the YMCA with him, but he goes at 9:00 at night! I did try to go with him a few times but it was disastrous. By that time in the evening the most energy I can muster is to keep my eyes open and laugh heartily at whatever we are watching on television. I am just not a high energy evening person.

Not for nothing, but I could stand to lose a few pounds (like most of us, but maybe me more than some). I am sure that my arthritic joints, especially my knees would love to be carrying around less weight. I could stand to strengthen my back which is giving me a bit of trouble again. As for my abs, I would not be surprised if someone asked me when the baby were due, that is what I think when I look at my flabby tummy.

So anyway, I did something radical yesterday. I registered for the Discovery Health National Body Challenge which offers exercise and diet tips and promises 8 weeks to a healthier you. Of course, because of my food allergies, most of the meal plans are ones that I will not be able to use, but I might be able to adapt them, but I can use the exercise planner and some of the motivational tips and other helps on the site to keep me on the right track. I have promised myself that I will keep this going for at least 8 weeks, and I will make myself accountable by keeping a record of both diet and exercise.

On the diet end I am not going to focus so much on calories as on portions. No more sitting down with a huge snack of chips or some other empty calorie snack in the afternoon. I am going to start making more intelligent choices. More fruits and vegetables and less processed foods. More lean meats and the use of my new George Foreman G5 I got for Christmas to make healthy grilled preparations.

For exercise I am going to start using the exercise equipment and videos and DVDs that I have collected over the years. Three to five mornings a week I am going to set aside some time to actually move my body. I have a nice little collection of equipment, so I shouldn't get bored or have to use anything so often I get bored. When I feel like I won't embarrass myself because I am so wimpy I might even venture out to the YMCA some morning and use the workout equipment there or take a swim or something.

Who knows, when the weather gets warmer I might even get my old bicycle overhauled and take it out on the wonderful bike trails we have here in town.

I am really committed to this, I think the only way I am going to get completely healthy is to whip this body back into some semblance of muscle tone and endurance. What I am trying to say is that I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.

I am declaring 2007 to be the year of the new and improved angelmeg. Here is how the pledge is worded:

I, angelmeg, challenge myself to do my best to eat healthy, whole foods
every day, to get up and omve around more, to make the time to exercise, a to
keep a log of my progress. By doing so, I'm improving the quality of my
own life and my loved one's as well.

I will keep you updated as I go along.

Pax