Tortuous Tabata

So apparently in recent times a Japanese scientist named Tabata came up with a high intensity circuit workout program made to take half the time and burn twice the calories of a regular workout. It’s a fairly new trend that is making the rounds in the fitness circles.

Basically each “tabata” is a four minute workout where you’re on 20 seconds and have 10 seconds of rest for a total of 8 rounds. Then you rest about 3 minutes until the next one. The entire workout is roughly 30 minutes and incorporates weigh training and cardio exercises.

I’ve done tabata workouts before but my new trainer took them to a whole new wicked level today. I really thought I was going to die. I almost barfed halfway through, but I held out and completed the program.

This a very intense program. Do not attempt unless you’re already in great shape and definitely consult a doctor or certified trainer first.

–plank to push-up: 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, repeat 8 sets
Rest 3 minutes
–squat to shoulder press: 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, repeat 8 sets
Rest 3 minutes
–squat to standing row: 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, repeat 8 sets
Rest 3 minutes
–med ball slams: 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, repeat 8 sets
Rest 3 minutes
–squat to med ball toss: 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, repeat 8 sets
Rest 3 minutes
–treadmill runs at 6mph: 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, repeat 8 sets
Rest 3 minutes

Plugging Away

It has been a busy few weeks. I finally have gotten back on track with regular exercise and eating properly again. After 8 months of being depressed and stressed, I’m now just stressed. Well, that’s one down anyway.

I gained 10 pounds during my boyfriend’s deployment. He’s still gone but hopefully will be home in 6 weeks or less. In the meantime I’m trying to get back on track. I’ve started working out regularly with a trainer and keeping my food journal.

After a tough start, I lost a pound and shaved 5 minutes off of my last 5K time. Each week my trainer increases my weights, reps and times and I’ve been showing strength and speed improvements. I ran my 5K section of my half marathon race in 47:02 and last weekend I finished my training run in 42:01.

I feel my confidence returning. After being in a terrible fog for so long, I feel like the pink ninja again. It’s been hard adjusting to fewer calories each day and squeezing in workouts was a challenge at first but it feels great.

Anyone can get back on the wagon, no matter how hard it seems. Just make up your mind to start and don’t make anymore excuses. Any day can be your start day and only worry about that day. Don’t think about the pounds ahead or trying to conquer endless miles. Just meet your goal that day and worry about the rest tomorrow.

The Comeback Kid

Dear readers,

After an extremely long hiatus of nearly 8 months, the Skinny Pink Ninja has returned. It’s been a super rough time on my end, and I have to admit I just shut down for a while. The love of my life is James Bond. No really, he is. He has a secret government job that sends him away on long assignments with very little to no contact with me. 

I’ve always considered myself fiercely strong and able to overcome just about anything, but my guy is my Kryptonite, my Achilles heel. Living without him and only getting a 3 line email every 2 months was agony. I tried to keep going, but I was definitely in a depressed funk. My fitness level dropped tremendously during that time and I was just focusing on getting out of bed and trying to live my life. I also got mono during that time and was sick for about 2.5 months. Then there was family drama with my dad having emergency back surgery and some other health issues. 

So between all of that, I just couldn’t take it anymore. I gained almost 10 pounds and was barely keeping my toes in the water at the gym. I still ran and worked out, but it was only about 2 days a week instead of my former 4 – 5. I didn’t really care about keeping track of my food intake or anything, because that was my comfort during a hard time. I was mad at myself for giving into the sadness, but I just couldn’t help it. Worrying about someone you love, who is halfway around the world and in extreme danger is a full time job. 

He was supposed to be home permanently this month, but sadly the government took him from him again for another 2 – 3 months. Luckily he came back for a visit last week and we had a great talk that helped alleviate some of my fears and neuroses. The bad news is he’s got to do this another few months and then he has to move to Washington, DC. The good news is his contract is up in December and he is quitting. He is done and tired of being James Bond. He plans to move to Colorado after his contract is up so we can attempt a normal life. So in the meantime, once he’s back from other continents, we have to travel back and forth to see each other, but after all we’ve been through that seems so easy. 

I felt better after our talk and have decided to pick myself back up again. I can’t let the PInk Ninja get down. I’ve gone back to writing down my food and making smarter choices about what I eat. I started a new workout regiment this week with a new trainer and actually got 3 solid days in. I’m going to start distance running again tomorrow. I’m signing up for the Denver Colfax Half Marathon in May. 

I did manage to complete my third half marathon two weeks ago. When my guy left in May, I signed up for the Disney World Full Marathon. Unfortunately, thanks to mono taking me out for about 3 months, I had to downgrade my registration to a half marathon. I had a lot of trouble training due to the fatigue that held on from mono and my overall depression. Nevertheless, I finished the race. The conditions were fierce—85 degrees and 75% humidity. It was brutal and I barely finished in a tragic 3:40:43. But, in all honesty, I was most proud of finishing this race than my other halves. It took everything I had to overcome the heat, the mono, the sadness, the stress in my life and pull out that finish. 

Completing the race helped me a lot. I feel like my fighting self again. I know I’ll get the 10 pounds off and I know I can finish my next half marathon. Not only is my goal to finish, but I want to PR and finish under 2:57:03, which is my best finishing time. I’m still scared to death about my love’s safety and it’s going to be a long 2 – 3 months waiting for him. But we’ve overcome the worst and have made it through. Now it’s up to me to pick myself back up again and return to my former self. 

It’s a long road to the next finish line, but I have done much harder before, I know I can do this. 

Going, Going…Gone

Following the marathon in October, I gained 3 pounds. It really didn’t start until November as a result of the holidays but mostly due to the fact I was working 70 hours a week. I wasn’t eating right and I definitely wasn’t getting my exercise in. I felt awful, but there was nothing I could do. I was so exhausted and so busy, I was just trying to keep sane. In January, things finally calmed down at my office and with my freelance work so I was able to get back into a routine.

The routine had its ups and downs. I was definitely going out to eat more to socialize with friends who I hadn’t seen during my busy time. So the 3 pounds wasn’t budging. Three pounds doesn’t sound like much, but if you let 3 slide, then it becomes 5 and then it becomes 10 and down rabbit hole you go. I was fretting about the 3 pounds, but I knew it’d come off eventually.

One of the hardest thing was getting a regular workout schedule going again at work. With a new promotion came new responsibilities and less time. However, my workouts are important not only for weight maintenance, but they help me greatly with stress. So I started marking them on my email calendar as a meeting so people wouldn’t schedule things at the office during this time. It really worked! I was able to leave and get my workout in. The interesting thing is that my work still got done. So it was okay to take some time for myself.

I cut back drastically on eating out. For one thing, I was tired of it. It doesn’t taste as good as homemade food and it was no longer a special treat I enjoyed. I made sure I allotted time to cook my meals and take my lunch. I got back to recording my calorie intake regularly as I had sometimes let it lapse.

Today, the 3 pounds is officially gone. It’s not much, but I can tell the difference in my clothes. I feel better too. Mostly I just feel good that I caught it before it turned into a serious number. That’s the key. If you put on a few pounds from the holidays or a vacation, it’s okay. It happens. Just make sure to get on top of it before it gets out of control. Put workout appointments on your phone or email calendar to make sure you get them in. Take time to record your food. These are all simple steps to success.

The Obesity Stigma Continues…

This week in the news, fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, made headlines for calling superstar singer Adele fat. Although this isn’t the first time the designer has commented on others’ weight, for some reason, this one seemed especially cruel. Adele is recovering from vocal chord surgery, overcame a bad break-up (hence the reason her album is so successful) and is right now enjoying some much deserved praise as she sails into the Grammys with 6 nominations.

Adele is an amazingly talented singer. She is probably one of the best voices to come along in decades. Yet, rather than praising her Lagerfeld points out her weight. Typical in the society we currently live in. Demi Moore and Lindsay Lohan get more sympathy for their drug problems than the overweight do. Bridesmaids actress Melissa McCarthy is up for an Oscar, but it seems like every time she is mentioned, somehow her size is worked into the article. Whether it’s something along the lines of a plus sized actress getting a nomination or who thought she’d make it in Hollywood with her size.

Also, the majority of the comments out there are directed towards women. Overweight men never come under the same scrutiny. Being overweight is the ultimate sin in our society right now. It’s sad, because overeating is a legitimate problem just like alcohol and drug addiction, but it is still being ostracized.

Adele has repeatedly said over and over that she is comfortable in her own skin and represents the vast majority of the women in the world as more are closer to her size than a supermodel’s. I commend her for taking that stand, but I’m sure somewhere, deep down it does hurt to hear those things.

Obviously being overweight can be unhealthy and dangerous, and it is good to slim down a bit in order to prevent diseases like diabetes, cancer and heart problems. But, people can weigh more than the “norm” and be considered fit and healthy if they exercise and take care of themselves.

Instead of criticizing these women for their struggles and flaws, we need to praise them for their accomplishments with no strings attached. Adele is a great singer, period. Melissa McCarthy is a talented comedian. That’s all that needs to be said.

Cooking Done Right Saves Lives

I just read an article this morning on ABC News about a new Food Network show coming out called “Fat Chef.” Part of me thinks its’ release is damage control over Paula Deen’s diabetes diagnosis, but whatever the reason, this sounds like a good program. An award winning pastry chef, Michael Magnano, started out the show over 500 pounds. It wasn’t even so much from his own sugary concoctions, but rather working late hours at the restaurant and eating fast food meals. On the show, he goes through a 16 week boot camp of sorts to learn how to cook healthy and start exercising.

Although I’m not a huge fan of reality TV, I think this show sends a great message. It doesn’t sound like it has the extremes of Biggest Loser, but encourages healthy weight loss through healthy methods such as changing recipes and portion control. Michael has lost 115 pounds and has run a 5K race. He has also gotten off his diabetes medication.

I think in this day and age of fad diets and pills/juices that promise to lose weight, it’s refreshing to see a show go back to the basics. Healthy cooking, portion control and exercise will not only let you lose weight, but you have a much higher chance of keeping it off. The average person can watch that on TV and think I can do that. The average person cannot watch Biggest Loser and think oh yes, I have 6 hours a day to devote to the gym.

If you’re wanting to lose weight, start slow with a food journal and healthy food substitutions. Gradually cut back your portions and try to get more physically active. It takes small steps to make big changes.

New Year Resolutions: Staying on Track for Success

It’s the second week of January and most people are still valiantly trying to stick to their new years resolutions, especially involving diet and exercise. It’s not until the end of next week that they start dropping off like flies.

But I want people to succeed so let’s take a step back and refine your efforts in order to keep them going for months. You’ve now had a week to get all the crazy extremes out of your system. I’m sure all cupboards have been cleared out of your favorite junk food, the fridge of full of veggies, tofu and other questionable health foods. You thought you could run a marathon after one week in the gym, but you seem a little stalled at a half mile. It’s okay, everyone gets excited and motivated and takes on too much.

Now that it’s out of your system, let’s get back go reality. Keep your groceries three-fourths health food that you actually enjoy. Don’t get strange stuff like tofu and kale when you really can’t stand it. But your favorite fruits and veggies and this way eating them won’t be a chore. But get yourself a treat too. It’s okay to eat that. Just pick one treat, your absolute favorite and make it your goal for the week to make one package last a week. Love chips? Portion it out every night so you can have a treat to look forward to, but don’t polish off the bag because you have to make it last until your next grocery trip.

This week cut your food portions by a fourth. Don’t cut it to a microscopic portion a nutritionist would recommend. Cut it back by one fourth of what you normally eat. Gradual changes lead to a lifestyle change and permanent results.

Finally, set a realistic fitness goal. You can’t run a marathon after a week. Setting a goal like that will only discourage you and make you quit. Instead search active.com and find a 5K near you. You can literally go from being a couch potato to a 5K in as little as five weeks. Sign up now. If you pay the registration fee, you are much more likely to follow through and do it. When the gym empties out next week, you’ll still be there training instead of wasting money.

Small changes this week can lead to big results. Keep your goals small, simple and realistic. Your frequent successes with small victories will keep you going long after the initial resolution period.

Is The Biggest Loser, the Biggest User?

I am a huge fan of the TV show, The Biggest Loser. I’ve watched it for years both when I was fat, hoping one day to lose weight and now thin rooting for them to lose weight. The show has been such a success, it’s spawned company weight loss contests and raised awareness for fitness and health in general. The Biggest Loser has meal plans to order, exercise equipment, a game for the Wii, a fitness resort and numerous cookbooks.

Yet, despite the immense success of the show and the contestants on it, there has always been controversy surrounding it. How many people have gained the weight back? Are the methods they use on the show healthy? Can losing that much weight so quickly be good for you?

Over the last few years, it’s begun to creep out that several of the season finale winners have gained all their weight back like season one winner Ryan Benson and season three winner Erik Chopin. Matt and Suzy Hoover have been very public about their struggles to keep the weight off. Despite finishing the Ironman in Kona, Matt is still quite far from his finale weight. It seems like the contestants who go back to normal lives that aren’t associated with the fitness industry struggle greatly with keeping the weight off. Others, who have pursued a career in fitness, tend to fare better.

I always assumed the show and the trainers somehow kept up with the alumni. I thought they at least checked in with them and tried to help as they adjusted back to normal life. But, it turns out they really kind of don’t get any help. The contestants themselves are a huge network with each other and consider themselves a family. I’ve seen via Twitter and Facebook how much they all work to encourage each other and help out. But I find it appalling that the show itself doesn’t do anything.

My heart broke the other day when I saw this blog post from season 8 fan favorite, Shay. She was the heaviest female contestant on the show and had lost over 200 pounds. She was brought back at later finales and signed deals with Subway to get $1000 for every additional pound she lost. She also made a deal with them to run the NY Marathon. She ended up getting injured and falling back to her old habits.

Yet, I was even more upset to read that the show more or less abandoned her. They wear Body Bugg devices on the show to accurately track their calorie intake and burn. The device itself is around $200 plus a monthly subscription fee of $9.99. The show provides it when they are on the show, but takes it away afterward. Seriously? All the money they make and they can’t provide that for their contestants. Would it really hurt them to check in on the contestants or provide them with a year gym membership after they leave to help them adjust?

I am not saying that weight gain is entirely the show’s fault. Not at all. People make their own decisions and struggling with weight is one of the hardest battles there is. Shay wasn’t trying to blame the show either. She knows she made her own mistakes. However, I just feel that with all the money the show makes and how those people at thrust into the spotlight, it is their responsibility to help them out for the first year.

They need to get used to not working out 6 hours a day and maintaining a healthy life on a normal workout schedule of maybe an hour a day while balancing family, a job, social life. They need help in learning how to eat a normal amount of food instead of the extreme dieting rumored to be going on on the show. And I think their trainer from the show needs to check in on them from time to time.

Losing weight is horribly difficult, but it’s so much harder to keep it off. I lost my weight gradually over 14 months. I had time to adjust and slowly change my life so it wasn’t scary or too much too quickly. These contestants literally drop hundreds of pounds in a matter of months. That’s horribly difficult for anyone to adjust to much less without the pressure of TV fame.

So I will continue watching the show for sure. I do think in the long run, it does much more good than harm. But the rose colored glasses have faded a bit and it makes me sad.

5 Changes to Make This Week

Three days into the new year, thousands are off and running with their new years resolutions to lose weight and get fit. Right about now, they are flocking into gyms across the country with brand new workout clothes, a huge cup of coffee and a breakfast of oat bran and other foreign foods inside them. Today’s goal is probably something extremely unrealistic like run 10 miles in 30 minutes. That seems to be the trend with resolutions involving weight loss and fitness: extreme and unrealistic.

Instead, I suggest we do some small changes this week. In my previous post I offered ideas on how to change your life slowly and make realistic goals in order to keep that resolution and make it a success. So let’s take 5 steps this week to change your life. It may not be dramatic, but it will add up over the upcoming weeks. More importantly, at the end of January, you’ll still be practicing these small changes while the other people’s new gym clothes stay wadded up at the bottom of their closets.

1. Add Greek yogurt and one piece of fruit to your diet every day. Whether you incorporate yogurt with blueberries for a breakfast treat or a snack, or have an apple when the afternoon lull hits, try adding these two things to your day. Apples have a lot of fiber that will help keep you full and the sugar will give you a boost when you get tired. Greek yogurt is full of protein and healthy bacteria to keep you full longer and keep your tummy happy.

2. Add some extra steps to your day. Everyday you go somewhere this week, park in the furthest spot in the parking lot. At the office, grocery store or out running errands, you can add some extra steps to your day by parking further. It gets you in the habit of walking more. Try and incorporate a 20 minute walk three times this week. Use your lunch hour or duck out after dinner to get it in.

3. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. They aren’t lying. If you eat breakfast within 30 minutes of getting up, it jumps starts your metabolism for the day. Eat something in the morning. If you’re not used to eating in the morning, it will be hard to start this habit. I used to never eat breakfast and the thought of food made me sick in the morning. Start with something small like a piece of toast with some peanut butter or the cup of yogurt with fruit I previously mentioned. Those things are healthy, gentle on your stomach and will keep you full.

4. Make one healthy substitution with your food. Switch out one thing that you eat that is unhealthy for a healthy item. Just one thing, you don’t have to clean out the whole pantry, start small. A recipe calls for sour cream, try Greek yogurt instead. You chow down on potato chips, try using almonds or low sodium peanuts instead. These small substitutions don’t affect the flavors of your food, but save a lot in calories and fat.

5. Cut one junk food portion by one fourth. If you eat ice cream every night or eat a bag of chips every day, try cutting the portion by one fourth. Measure it out ahead of time so you’re not tempted. One fourth won’t freak you out into thinking you’re deprived, but it gets you in the habit of starting to cut back on portions. It’s gradual so you won’t feel it, but it can really add up over the course of a week.

Try these 5 small steps. I guarantee you’re not going to be in any “pain” this week from food deprivation, but it really will start to make a difference. If you want to change your life, start with small changes.

Resolve to Ignore the Calendar

A new year is upon us and thousands of people are making their new year’s resolutions. A vast majority of those resolutions focus on losing weight and getting healthy. TV and radio are flooded with ads for fitness equipment and diet programs. The local gyms are going to be insanely crowded for the next three weeks or so. Then, like clockwork, they will empty out dramatically and resume their normal flow. Most people have abandoned their resolutions and life goes on.

I think there’s a lot of pressure put on new years, especially with losing weight and improving fitness. People try to take on too much in too short of time and they are doomed to fail. You see everyone in the gym in their brand new clothes attempting to run at 8 mph and conking out after a few minutes. Discouraged they leave and many don’t come back. You see grocery carts full of foods so healthy that even many of us health freaks haven’t seen them before. The following week you see the same people stocking up on Cheetohs and ice cream.

So I propose this new years, you ignore the calendar. Don’t make a resolution. Don’t go out and buy a whole new workout wardrobe and a grocery cart full of tofu and kale. Don’t mark the calendar and plot out an unrealistic gym schedule. Instead, starting today, put on an old tee shirt, some comfy jeans and a pair of sneakers and head out for a walk. Don’t worry about your pace or timing yourself. Just go for a walk and enjoy it. Try to do it again every other day this week.

When you go to the grocery store, buy what you normally buy, but add a few things that are healthy. Do you normally snack on chips all day at the office? Buy your chips, but instead of snacking on them all day, throw in a few apple breaks instead. Or buy some low-sodium almonds or peanuts to enjoy. Instead of buying the regular ground beef you get, get the 93% lean. Buy chicken breasts instead of thighs. Small changes and still buy the things you love.

Try jotting down what you eat everyday. Don’t worry about recording calories and fat yet. Just take a plain, old notebook and keep track of what you consume. Get in this habit and if you can stick to it for a few weeks, then try moving to an online source like sparkpeople.com, livestrong.com or my-calorie-counter.com and really start to record your calories.

If you’ve kept up these small habits over a month, then try joining a gym. Set a small, but realistic goal for yourself like entering a 5K race, even if you just walk the whole thing. Try to cut your dinner portion by a fourth and then half. Go gradual.

The key to changing your life is to make small changes with easily attainable goals. When reaching these goals, you’ll be happy and motivated to keep going. Change your life because you are ready and want to, not because the calendar says you have to.