Blogger Beware!

So, tonight I met Michael (my personal trainer... not my date.  Unfortunately) at the gym for a one-on-one training session.  I saw him on Saturday where he decided that pushing me to the point of nausea was a great idea.  By the end of the Crossfit style circuit, he determined that my almost-miraculous survival was solely due to sheer will and we needed to work on my legs.  I took Sunday off in recovery but still had that "jelly legs" feeling until about halfway through the day today.  As soon as I walked up to the trainer's stand, I knew by the look on his face what we were doing today.  "Wanna do legs?," he asked.  "Do I have a choice?," I replied.  And off we went.

Leg curls

Today we were joined by another personal trainer who apparently had nothing else to do.  He's a bit older than Michael and a bit less Greek-god-like, but super funny and sarcastic (my favorite kind of people are dripping with sarcasm around the clock).  Apparently, I'm gym famous because he said that he thought we'd be entertaining.  It must be because I'm a model client, always exhibiting perfect form and sporting the cutest workout outfits in the gym.  Or it could be my sailor's mouth that can be heard near and far when I get to a particularly difficult rep.  Whatever... I'm still popular.  So, together we headed for the leg curls...

Reverse v-squats, although this picture is different.
My feet were pointed downward.

then moved on to reverse v-squats...

Then, in between reverse v-squat reps, we played this lovely little personal trainer torture game called "Cards," where the trainer drops eight playing cards in a line on the floor.  You have to squat to pick each one up.  Not bad?  Yeah, okay.  Each time you pick one up, you move to the next card and drop each one that is in your hand first, then pick them all back up.  So, by the time you finish, you're squatting fifteen times for the last card.  Then, we did 200 feet of lunges while holding a 6.6 pound medicine ball out from my chest.  I'm tired, peeps.  Tired.  Needless to say, I totally bailed on the stairclimber tonight.  I will make it my bitch tomorrow.  Tonight... I need protein and rest.

But the root of my story tonight is much better than a blow-by-blow of my physical activity.  Remember I mentioned the guest trainer who had turned our duo into a trio to kill some time?  About halfway through my second set of reverse v-squats, we'd all been laughing and joking around.  Since I had warned him ahead of time that I was a swearer, and my usual colorful language was just a'flowing, I asked Michael if he was trying to kill me.  In jest.  Of course.  And with sweat pouring down my face, neck and back.  Yuck.  The other trainer started laughing and said that he meant to send Michael an email he'd gotten earlier from another personal trainer friend.  "Apparently," he told, "this guy found this website of like some woman's diary and she had just started with a personal trainer.  At the beginning, she's all like 'oh, my trainer is so hot, he's like a Greek god (see above reference to Greek god....oh...no...), he's so nice, he's so considerate, he's so encouraging, he's so smart and just really cares about me and my health.'"  My stomach dropped.  So did the weights on the reverse v-squat machine.  "You okay?," Michael asked (he does care about my health!!! He is kind and considerate!!!).  "Uh... yeah.  Just tired," I lied.  I was at three-quarters strength at least; we'd just started.  "You've got this," he said (encouraging!  He is encouraging!).

The other trainer kept going and my brain was whirling.  Did they find my blog?, this blog?!?  In hopes that my fears were not confirmed, I kept listening under the guise of busting out some more reverse v-squats.  If I'd been discovered, that meant no more elaborate descriptions of how gorgeous my trainer is (I have told you he's gorgeous, haven't I?) or how, when he told me he'd catch me if I fell from a stair stepping exercise we were going, I almost fell intentionally, or how I consider him God's little reward to me for finally getting off my butt after thirty years and doing something healthy.  The other trainer finally stopped mocking the online diary and said "Then, by the fifth day that this woman had written about her training, she said something like 'Satan called and wondered why I hadn't been to hell in the last few days.'"  Whew.  That... was close.

So, with this in mind, I've decided that friend requesting my personal trainer on Facebook might be a bad idea considering my daily check-ins at the gym that usually include some kind of reference to his amazing attractiveness.  If he sends me a request, of course I'll consider it, if for nothing else the ability to share his photo with my disbelieving friends who probably think I'm making him up.  Although he might have a difficult time finding me because, for some reason, the last two sessions he's referred to me as "Malia."  Like the First Daughter.  Prior to this, he's called me "Melanie," so I'm not sure what happened.  But, quite frankly, he could call me "Wilbur," as long as he's calling me and I get to look at him while he's doing it.

Food Lust

Day 1 Weight:  252 lbs.
Day 142 Weight:  224 lbs.
Personal Trainer Sessions Complete:  9
Weight Difference:  -28 lbs.

So, one of the hardest things about maintaining a weight loss blog is finding the time in between weight training, cardio, grocery shopping, food prep, protein shake making, and sleep to update it!  But, I decided that, after a solid month of pretty intense training, I deserved a weeknight break and took up residence in a surprisingly uncomfortable spot in my neighborhood Starbucks, indulging in a latte (with "Make it as low-fat, low-cal as you possibly can" directions to the barista) and a reduced fat cinnamon swirl coffee cake.  Oh... I've missed cake.  I'm sure my trainer (who I should totally introduce you to instead of constantly referring to him with an nondescript noun) would disapprove.  But, he's not here right now.  Unfortunately.  I'd totally sacrifice the cake to be sitting here with his nearly perfect face across this tiny table and.... okay, okay, I'll stop.

A dear friend of mine recently shared with me her near-lustful fascination with what people eat when they're losing weight.  I totally get this.  Before I started all this, I really had no idea what to eat.  I'd hear other people talk about their weight loss and wonder what they were eating that was working as opposed to my menu.  I'd stick to my daily points within Weight Watchers, but was never using them correctly.  I'd figure 'Oh, I have ten points left after dinner... I should have a Snickers bar.'  Well, although I could technically splurge on this culinary delight, it wasn't what was best for my body.  And I learned quickly that once you break yourself of those habits, you really, truly don't crave them like you used to.  Okay, so every now and then I think I could totally inhale a small fry from McDonald's.  But, every time I've indulged such cravings, I've always sat back and thought that it wasn't really worth it and I'd trumped up the amazing flavor I thought I'd experience in my head.

I started thinking of things in relation to their points value.  Was a Chick-fil-A sandwich really worth 13 points and would I be hungry again in two hours?  Or could I spend ten minutes the night before work prepping a huge chicken breast marinated in lemon pepper with a side of brown rice and vegetables for the same amount of points and be full and supercharged with energy long into the evening?  Much better choice.  Of course, I didn't wake up one day and realize this.   But, my trainer shared some valuable words of wisdom (and believe me... if you saw his pecs, thighs, arms, calves, etc., you'd realize how qualified he is to share said wisdom) with me a few weeks ago that I've been trying to incorporate in my day-to-day eating habits.  He said that bodybuilders look at food like fuel.  And just like your car, you wouldn't want to put crappy fuel in it.  It would eventually break down and stop functioning properly.  So, if we spend so much time and effort on upkeep for our vehicles, why aren't we willing to do it when it comes to our bodies?!  Good point, Michael (my trainer's name is Michael), good point.

My friend asked me if I would share what I'm eating on a regular basis.  I have to admit, I haven't been following Weight Watchers to the letter, as you can see from my weight update today, but I'm totally attributing that to muscle gain... well, at least part of it.  And the normal fluctuations of the body for the plus/minus five pounds rule.  I've learned about myself that it is hard for me to focus on more than one thing at a time, but after seeing the scale, I know that focusing on both my exercise and my food is critical, so sharing it with you will help me stay in check.  Since today isn't over, I'll share with you yesterday's selections, which pretty much mirror a typical day.

PointsPlus® Tracker entries Monday, October 03, 2011
Morning
1  serving(s) Kroger Active Lifestyle Almond & Cranberry Oatmeal
2 large whole hard-boiled egg(s)
1 bagel(s) Bagel Thins 100% Whole Wheat
1 1/2 Tbsp 1/3 less-fat cream cheese
1 Tbsp fat-free skim milk
1 serving(s) Kroger Lite Apple Juice with Splenda
1 Coffee with Half & Half and Splenda
Midday
3 oz frozen stir-fry vegetables
1/8 cup(s) teriyaki sauce
3 oz. grilled chicken breast fillet
1 cup(s) cooked brown rice
Evening
3 oz cooked lean beef steak
1 serving(s) Kroger Spring Blend Mixed Vegetables
Skinny Cow Caramel Cone Ice Cream
1 serving(s) GNC Amplified Wheybolic Extreme 60 Protein Shake - Vanilla
1 oz chocolate energy bar

So, as you can clearly note, I splurged yesterday too.  But, what you don't see are the points values for these items.  I could include them, but I figured those non-WW peeps would lose interest.  With my exercise from yesterday, all of this food was within my daily points target.  I was never hungry.  I use the most points at breakfast to jump start my metabolism and get my stomach working and ready to burn through calories the rest of the day.

One trick I've learned about WW and probably any diet, especially at the beginning, is to almost drown yourself in water.  Flush out the water weight first and honestly, you'll start feeling better in a matter of days.  Oh, and oats!  Eat lots of oats.  According to my brilliant trainer, oats are God's gift to the human body.  They give you energy more than anything else can, help with heart health and are cheap, cheap, cheap.  Because another thing I've learned... it ain't inexpensive to be healthy.  Take one look at my bank account!  But, my pantry looks pretty...

So, my advice for the day is to plan ahead, think out your meals long before you wake up in the line at Wendy's; shop with the whole week in mind and you'll be less likely to swing by the neighborhood junk vendor on the way home from work (Starbucks doesn't count); keep frozen dinners, like Lean Cuisines and Smart Ones, on hand for nights when you just don't feel like cooking or lunches that you don't have time to prepare; and make the switch from white pastas and breads to whole wheat or better, whole grain.  It will take a bit of getting used to (for pasta, I highly recommend Ronzoni Smart Taste... you almost can't tell the difference) but eventually you'll start to see a difference in your waistline and generally feel less heavy.

Stay tuned for some of my favorite WW-friendly recipes (like Cool Whip Peanut Butter Treats) and my go-to weeknight meals that are easy prep, full flavored and filling.