Week at a glance: w/e 6/29/07

This week was pretty good, although I told myself it wasn't. There has been some physical activity every day, although I didn't really do the gym on Thursday, other than my meeting with the trainer and a wee bit of leg nautilus (which I still feel). However, here is the data:

Monday: 30 minutes elliptical
Tuesday: 45 minutes elliptical
Wednesday: 30 minutes elliptical, 60 minutes yoga
Thursday: 90 minutes (roughly) walking around Somerville, 15 minutes nautilus
Friday: 90 minutes power yoga

And now, a note about Power Yoga. I hate it. Despise it. In all the ways that people despise things. It doesn't feel like yoga - it feels like some weird bastard child of yoga and pilates, and it's a way for athletes to trick themselves into thinking they're doing yoga, when really they're doing this weird transcendental aerobics thing that, no matter how many times you chant "om," just. isn't. yoga. As a result, I won't be going to THAT class again.

I have, however, fallen in love with the Wednesday and Thursday evening yoga classes at Healthworks, and plan on making them weekly events. I might, however, shift my Thursday schedule to include belly dance from 7-8 and restorative yoga from 8-9. The same teacher does it, so I think I'll like it just as much.

Next week, I try the Kundalini class. Tomorrow, Slow Flow yoga. Eventually I'm going to try some Pilates and maybe even hip hop, but for now I'm just happy that I've been motivated to do it every day.

Well, I'm fat.

So the verdict is in - I'm fat. Although I have to say that I guessed pretty well about my current status - I've lost some weight in the last week or two, and the scale told me just about what I expected to hear. And don't worry - I'm not stressed out/angry about it. Honestly, I'm not even really worried about it - because I know it's going to change.

So, to the stats:
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 205 lbs

Body Mass Index: 30.3 (JUST over the obese line)
Body Fat Percentage: 34.9%

Measurements (I'm remembering most of these from the top of my head, so they might be off a bit)
Waist: 43 in
Bust: 44 in
Underbust: 37 in
Hip: I want to say 42?
Thigh: 27.5
Calf: I think 16.5?
Tricep: I think 13.5.

I'll have to double-check the numbers when I get back to the gym today for yoga (didn't get a workout today; just the preliminary stuff), but that's about what she wrote.

What's fascinating about this experience was how calm and - frankly - not upset I was when I heard the numbers. Sure, they're higher than I like, and I still get a twinge of "what the hell" when I look in a mirror (especially when I'm working out), but right now, I just know that it's a starting point, and that all of these numbers are going to change.

So, that said, the goals are:
a) get down to a comfortable size 8;
b) have more energy and focus throughout the day (which is something I'm already achieving)
c) stop getting winded when I reach the top of the stairs in the gym (i.e. three flights of stairs)
d) strengthen my core so that I can do more powerful yoga practices.

I'll re-check all the numbers once a month, and check in with myself periodically to see how I'm feeling, how things are fitting, etc... and every time I lose a size (or achieve a pose I haven't been able to before), I'll celebrate. With what, I haven't determined yet.

I have to admit - this is pretty exciting!

okay, yes, well - it HAS been a long time!

So, it's been a while since I've updated all the occasional readers out there as to the stuff going on in this area of my life, and I thought I'd break the habit of ignoring this humble blog, especially since now things are actually happening.

This month has been amazing on multiple fronts. For one thing, I have been getting tons of work lately, which has been exhilerating but a bit scary. Through my talks with la lovely therapist and with my amazing lifestyle/business collaborator, Brenda Stanton, I looked within and realized, through waves of concern and panic over whether I can actually be productive with all this work on my plate, that all of the various times that I've been truly productive and happy in my life, I've worked out every day.

So, I made a promise to myself. If one of my new clients came through (one that came in quite randomly about a week and a half ago, and thus was thoroughly extra income), I would join Healthworks in Cambridge and start working out every day.

And, I got the client. So now I'm a Healthworks member. It's been a week and a half, but I've exercised more in the last week and a half than I was able to do in the last month. So far, the changes have been amazing already - although I haven't gotten the eating thing completely handled yet, I've definitely been eating better than I was before, I've been sleeping better, relaxing, and amazingly productive. And - this is important - I CAN BREATHE AGAIN! Whenever I get to a certain weight (and I've been at this weight for over a year) I have horrible breathing problems, especially when I'm exerting myself. But today, I was able to get all the way up three flights of stairs without getting TOO winded - still a bit, but hey. It's progress.

I'll probably post more as the week unfolds, but thought I'd share this for the moment.