"YOU Don't Do Yoga!"

So...


We had our Health and Wellness Fair at work this past Thursday.  They had a lot of very informative booths - everything from the Arthritis Society, to World Health, to Survivor Bootcamp...and...The Yoga Studio...


For those of you that don't know, I LOVE Yoga.  I try and do it every Sunday when the opportunity arises.  It's been only since the start of this year that I have taken on a real interest in it.  This summer, I even tried hot yoga.  I am by no means an Ashtanga guru, but I do love the restorative classes.  I love the great stretch that I get and how relaxed it makes me feel. 


This story is going somewhere...lol


I approached The Yoga Studio booth and was grinning ear to ear - I said "Ooooohhhh!!  YOGA!  The guy at the booth looks me up and down and says "YOU don't do yoga!"  to which my reply was "Oh yes I do...I take a class down at Yoga Santosha."  I then proceeded to show him my old ID card with my big fat face on the front of it.  "This USED to be me." I said.  Not suprisingly, the guy wanted to give me his card and give me 50% a class.  I told him to keep his card.  I was shocked...and then the shock quickly turned to anger.  How could he be so rude like that???  You would think that someone in the fitness industry wouldn't treat people like that.  What I need to realize is that those kinds of people are everywhere - and I clearly need to figure out a way to not let them get to me.  I have been working WAY too hard to let some small-minded person rent space in my head like that. 


So ya...The Yoga Studio won't be getting my business anytime soon...or ever...


It was a pretty hard week for me.  I was sick to my stomach after spin class - which I found was kind of strange - I did push myself, but have pushed harded before.  I think it was mainly due to a mild stomach flu which I woke up to on Tuesday.  I took Wednesday off and rested - I needed it.  I ended up taking Friday, and today off too.  It was kind of nice actually.


We went to the movies last night and saw Crazy Stupid Love and Contagion.  Both movies were great and it was nice to get out of the house for an evening. 


I am looking forward to this week and I am looking forward to my fill appointment on Friday.  I am finding that my hunger is coming back a little more quickly after I have eaten than I would like.  I am hoping we can nip that in the bud.


Have a good week everyone!


K

So close...yet so far away?

I am frustrated...


To put it bluntly...I'm REALLY frustrated...


I blogged a couple of weeks ago about how I have been stuck at the same weight for the past couple of months.  The truth is yes I have been stuck at the same weight...but I didn't say what the weight was. 




Today I am 271 lbs.  Last Monday, I was 268...exactly 10 lbs away from 100 lbs down.  It has been an excruciatingly LONG journey to get to this point... I am so close I can almost taste it.  I worked REALLY hard this week - I ate clean, I exercised my butt off (literally)and drank tons of water.  The result???  271 lbs. 


I am trying SO hard to not let a number define me - to define how hard I have worked to get to this point...but it's hard.  I think the next step will be to switch things up with my exercise program... I tried a Y-Bo class yesterday at the YMCA and really liked it.  I know I need to crank things up a notch and do more cardio.  I will continue to do spin classes and add the Y-Bo in there.  I also need to be wary of my knees and not over-do it as I have in the past.  Maybe a day off here and there?  I don't know. 


If there is anyone out there who has been stuck in a long plateau as I have, could you please give me some advice?  Thanks!!


Onto my week...


We had employee appreciation week at work.  It was really nice and it was nice that we were all recognized for doing a good job.  I don't think enough employers out there do that for their employees.  Along with employee appreciaton week, came candy, chocolate, chips and cookies....EACH day.  I did REALLY well up until Friday when I had one to many cookies.  So to put it mildly, it was slightly brutal - I have issues sometimes with self-control.  Throw in PMS and I am screwed.  I was pretty amazed when our site leader brought out a veggie tray on "candy" day and made all of us throw out our candy and dig into the veggies.  It made me feel supported - I liked that.  It's nice that I work with a great group of co-workers that support each other!


On Monday, I did a Tabata spin class.  It was crazy...to put it mildly lol...we did lots of hill climbs, straight hills, straighways, and lots of intervals.  My Crossfit classes with Kendra were the hardest yet.  On Tuesday she had us doing bearcrawls, crabwalks and lots of agility ladder drills...my lats were sore up until yesterday!  I don't think I have been that sore in months.  Wednesday, I went to the YMCA by myself and proceeded to kick my own ass.  I went hard on the bike for my cardio, and then worked my legs on the leg press machine until I couldn't feel my legs.  Saturday I tried out a Y-Bo class at the Y, and today I did a spin class...I worked so hard in spin this morning that my face turned a beautiful shade of purple lol...


Yesterday, my friends Katie and Jarred got married.  The ceremony was absolutely beautiful and Katie was stunning.  I can't think of two people that are more deserving of each other than them.  I hope they will live a long and happy life together - love you guys!!


Hope everyone has a great week!  I hope to break my plateau!


HUGS!!


Kris

Another week down...

I enjoyed this past week...

And then the weekend came.

For some stupid/strange reason, I don't like the weekends.  The weekends are supposed to give me all the time in the world to myself - to relax and rejuvenate and get rid of the stress from the week.

But for me - it's the total opposite.

Call me crazy, but I enjoy my work week and the whole routine it brings to my life.  It feels structured, and I feel in control.  On the weekends, I find I think too much...and I don't feel in control of myself.  Eventually this will all catch up with me I'm sure - eventually I will have to relax and have some fun. 

Anyway...on to the important stuff!

I went to my lap-band support group meeting on Wednesday - that was probably the highlight of my week.  I really enjoy seeing all of my fellow lap banders and see how each and every one of them is doing.  I was really happy to see my friend Ginny who had recently been in the hospital - and was really happy to see that she was doing better.  I also learned more about my band and how it works - there were details about it that I didn't even know about - I knew I had to eat slowly with it, but didn't realize just HOW slowly I am supposed to be eating.  All along, I have been eating WAY more quickly than I should be.  I took into consideration everything that was shown to me and am proud to say I have not had anything stuck since Wednesday!  I am finding now that I have had a recent fill also, that I am eating less.  I also stay fuller longer, and that's a good thing.

I went back to yoga tonight too.  I haven't been in a couple of weeks and was really missing it.  I love my yoga class on Sundays.  It gives me the opportunity to unwind and relax.  Most of all tho - I don't have to think about anything! 

I worked out five times this week - and am proud of that.  The Crossfit classes with Kendra were particularly brutal with Thursday's class being the hardest.  It was an hour full of exercises that worked on all the small core muscles and such.  Each exercise, we did 100 reps worth!  By the end of the class, I was dizzy and felt like throwing up.  Needless to say - the pain in my abs finally went away this morning.  Must have been a good workout!

I hope everyone has a great week...

Cheers!

K

Fitlinxx

I've had my membership with the YMCA since September 4th, and I gotta say, I'm pretty impressed.  I enjoy all the drop in fitness classes and I enjoy the weight room floor...but I think most of all, I really love the Fitlinxx System. 

What is Fitlinxx you ask?  Well, basically, it's a computer program that is connected to all of the cardio and weight machines and it tracks your reps, weight and your form.  I use it mainly with the cardio machines - i.e. the stationary bike and the elliptical.  My strength training, I either use the dumbells or the lat pull down and seated row etc.  I try and do my weight training as "manual" as possible.  I have worked on the "machines" a few times, but every time I do, I feel as though I don't get as good as a workout as I would if I was doing it manually with the weights.  For one thing - I'm just sitting there - and it just doesn't feel right to me.  On Wednesday, I hit an all-time goal (I think) for my dumbell chest press...I hit the 50lbs mark.  That's 50 lbs in each hand.  I managed to squeak out five reps, but I still did it - and paid for it the next day!  

So...yeah...I'm happy with the YMCA.  Sure, it's no ALIVE, but it helps with my fitness routine, and for the first time in a long time, I'm feeling motivated and happy about my exercise program.

I seem to have plateaued in the weight side of things...and it's starting to drive me crazy.  My surgeon doesn't seem too concerned about it, but I am.  I'm eating well and exercising like crazy, so eventually the scale will go down - in the right direction.  My clothes are fitting a lot looser and I've been getting lots of comments from people saying that they think I have lost some.  I've just decided to take it day by day and TRY (the operative word here is try) to not be so hard on myself.  I am in no race and there is no hurry to get the rest of my weight off.

So...one day at a time...I will beat this plateau!  Stronger both physically and mentally...I will do it.

Cheers and love to all!

K

Why I do What I do...

I've had lots of comments from people in the last while stating that they are proud of me...that they are "in awe" by the amount of exercise that I do...that "I am an inspiration" to them.  While these comments always leave a lasting impression on me, and keep me going, there is a real reason behind what and why I do it.

I started this journey over two years ago because I lost my Mom.  My sisters and I found her body in her bed in her home one Saturday night in January 2009.  This is a day I will never forget.  She lost her battle with alcoholism and rheumatoid arthritis.  My Mom battled each day with dignity and courage, but her body just couldn't fight anymore. 

I was 360 lbs then.  Plain and simple - I don't want to end up like my Mom.  I don't want to go back to the 360lb Kristy.  She is gone.  She served her purpose - whatever that was, but she is now a blip in the past.  My Mom is what keeps me going.  Her strength within in me is what has been pushing me to work harder.  She has been the reason for me not giving up when I've wanted to - on numerous occasions I may add.  I've been having a lot of conversations with her lately - I know she can hear me...I can hear her saying "Keep pushing Kris - don't give up"  "Get a grip!"  "Smarten up!" 

Thank you for being an inspriation to me Mom...I love you and I will never give up!

Oh do I miss her...

So...my week...has been a bit of a struggle...Monday and Tuesday were great - my workouts were really great.  I am really beginning to love my spin classes tho!  On Wednesday my friend Randi and I went to the YMCA and she and I did my new workout!  She and I did everything from lat pull downs, to seated rows, to leg presses and bicep curls.  She did such a great job and I am so proud of her.  I have to admit, I was kind of happy that she was sore the next day...is that wrong??  lol...  Thursday I took a long walk through my neighborhood - I am glad the weather is still holding out so that we can still do that.  Friday I went back to the YMCA...and kicked my own ass.  I got my leg presses up to 160 lbs and my shoulder presses up to 30 lbs.  I am still feeling a bit of the effects from it today!  I decided to take yesterday and today off from exercise as my body has decided to rebel.  When I woke up on Saturday, I could barely get out of bed - I actually thought I had a flu bug, so went back to sleep.  By the time mid-day approached, it was very apparent that I was just exhausted from everything - I've been going through some more stress lately and the stress mixed with the hard exercise made my body to just basically give out.  I am glad to say I am feeling a bit better tonight.

I hope everyone has a great week!  Push yourselves and don't give up!

Cheers!

K

The Easy Way Out...

Alright...I really need to get something off my chest...and since this is my blog, I don't think there's a better place!

Within this past week I have had two people approach me and tell me that they feel I have taken the "easy way out" with regards to my lap-band surgery.  While I feel I don't need to justify to anyone the reason why I chose that route, I feel I just need to get it off my chest.

By no means have I taken the easy way out.  I had to go through a very tedious process to even be CONSIDERED to be put on the list for the surgery!  I had to go to classes bi-weekly and hand in my food and exercise journals.  I had to lose a certain percentage of bodyweight - I had to prove that I could do some of it without the surgery. 

Let's also not forget the 5-6 times that I trained with Ben and Kendra...they put me through workouts that were so intense that I could hardly walk most days.  I also had to do the dreaded three week pre op diet - which in fact, was the hardest thing by far that I had to do.  I was on 900 calories a day...three Opifast shakes and all the green veggies I cold eat.  Still to this day, I am still unable to eat green beans.  And - throughout this pre op diet period, I didn't miss a workout.  I even worked out the morning of my surgery at 7am!  Yeah - it was a pretty tame workout, but a workout nonethless!

The lap-band by no means, is a quick fix...it's only to be used as a TOOL.  It has taught me to eat more slowly and savour each bite.  I have had my "stuck" issues and have been freaked out - but have learned from them.  I am still able to eat those nasty "slider" foods too - and that's something that I've been trying to train myself not to do. 

So there - I'm done...and I won't be discussing it anymore - if you feel the need to say to me that I took the easy way out - please keep it to yourself.  You have no idea what I have gone through to get to where I am now. 

Alright...on to my week...it was BUSY!!  My workouts were awesome...my friend Angela joined me in spin class on Monday - she was a trooper and did so well!  Tuesday and Thursday I did Kendra's Bootcamps...Wednesday I tried another class at the YMCA which I actually wasn't really fond of - so I will be doing Wednesday evenings on my own from now on.  On Saturday I went to the YMCA for an appt with one of the trainers there to show me how the FITLINXX System works.  He sat down with me for 30 mins and discussed what my fitness experiences have been.  He helped incorporate some of the exercises I have learned from Ben.  It went a lot quicker than I thought as Ben has taught me well.  It's going to be awesome to be going back to some of the exercises that Ben and I used to do.  In fact, I went to the YMCA this afternoon, and tested it out.  I was excited to be doing lat-pull downs and seated rows again!  I am also thinking of picking up another class - a cycling one that is held on Sunday mornings...I can't believe it, but I think I am getting addicted to cycling/spin...who knew!

Work has been CRAZY...but yes, the answer is...I am still happy and know that it's been the best decision by far that I have made. 

Woohoo!  I'm getting my exercise routine back...I am starting to feel more confident and definitely more happy. 

Happy week everyone!

My week in a nutshell

I can't believe September is more than half over!  In just a few weeks, we will be digging out the parkas, mitts and boots...where did the summer go?  I can't believe how quickly it has flown by.

I checked out my first spin class ever on Monday.  The class itself is called Turn and Burn.  About 70 percent of the class is on the bike and the other percent is spent doing strength/resistance exercises.  I was worried that the biking would be hard on my knees...boy was I wrong!  It was a great overall workout - great cardio!  I enjoyed the strength training exercises too - even if planks were involved! lol...The instructor was awesome too - she went around to each participant and made sure they had their bike set up properly - this made me feel secure knowing that she knew what she was doing.  She was also really enthusiastic and motivating...it was also great that my buddy Lorraine joined me - I can't wait until my next class - tomorrow!

My Tuesday/Thursday bootcamps with Kendra were the usual crazy brutalness - Tuesday we did TRX and Thursday we did kickboxing with heavy weights.  It was the last two classes until the next round that starts this Tuesday - so she kicked it up a notch.

On Wednesday, I went to my Lap-Band Support Group Meeting.  We spent most of the class talking to each other about our experiences - it was neat to see all of the support we show for each other.  Wendy, one of the dietitians, brought a few receipes that were on the Lap-Band Connect Website - she actually cooked them and brought them in.  I think I enjoyed the Pumpkin, almond oatmeal the best!  I was also happy to see that the Health Region is putting more funding into the Calgary Weight Management Program.  Not only are they funding 50 surgeries for this upcoming year instead of 25, they are also in the planning stage of looking for an exercise specialist or personal trainer for the program.  I think that would be awesome and a great resource!

Friday, I was supposed to have my fifth fill.  After waiting for almost three hours, it was decided that there was a clerical/scheduling/communication glitch and the surgeon was in fact, not coming.  I was pretty annoyed to say the least, as I had taken time off of work to go there.  They are supposed to be rebooking me for this upcoming week.  I think I am finally getting close to my "sweet spot" - which would be great as the weight is not coming off as quickly as I woud like.  Last month, for instance, I only lost two pounds...I was a bit upset and frustrated when I was talking to the dietitian about it.  She told me that at least it wasn't going up and was going in the right direction - that I am doing what I am advised to do that that's all I can do.  Then she told me I need to be more gentle with myself.  Uhhh...she obviously doesn't know who she is talking to lol...I can't believe the amount of people in the last 6-8 months that have told me that - including my surgeon.  I'm not expecting rapid weight loss - in fact, I don't want that at all.  But two pounds in a month???  Give me a break!!

Friday evening I headed to the YMCA...all by myself!  I started out on the eliptical and rocked it.  I was surprised how great on my knees it was.  I then proceeded to do three rounds on the strength training machines.  I did it by myself and I am proud.  I have come a heck of a long way since the beginning of this year.  I am no longer nervous about doing it on my own - I can't wait to get hooked up with the FitLinxx System...then I will REALLY rock it!

Saturday I went to my early kickboxing class and loved it.  After that, I went and got my knees x-rayed.  They have been giving me a lot of problems lately.  They are now scraping - bone on bone.  I see my doctor in three weeks to go over the results and figure out what the next step is.  I just want some progress made - I want to be able to run up and down the stairs and not be in pain.  Time will tell...

Saturday evening, my friend Shane and I went to the Stamps game.  It was great to people-watch and have a great time and relax...unfortunately tho, they lost - they can't seem to win at home and nobody seems to be able to figure it out. 

This week I am looking forward to pushing myself more - I am capable of doing anything I set my mind to.  I can do it and I AM doing it.

Have a great week everyone!