Well, I only lost half a pound from last week so that says to me that it definitely wasn't water retention that caused the weight gain last week! It was poor choices...
I've been really great about exercise this week (including Bikram yoga!) but I am still obviously off in terms of my eating. I know the bad choices as I make them, I am just not stopping myself from making them. That's kind of a big deal... Hello self restraint? Where have you gone? Why have you forsaken me?
Time to man up and start making difficult choices again. Like to stop eating after 9 PM. Like to get a side salad instead of fries. Like to walk by the bucket of candy in the Stage Manager's office and not grab a handful.
Come on Maia. You can do this. Get back on track!!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Bikram Yoga Adventures
The other night in the office, a co-worker asked me if I wanted to venture to a Bikram Yoga (hot yoga) class with her. Having only attempted Bikram once before in my life, and it was on the hottest day of the year and I was about 70 pounds heavier, I decided that I should give it another shot.
We signed up online for the class to ensure our spots and also I did it so I knew I couldn't back out of it. If I had already paid for it, I would definitely go. The next morning we walked to the studio which was about 20 minutes away and I proceeded to get more and more nervous as the walk continued. I knew that I wouldn't be judged for not being able to do every pose full out, but more I was nervous about what this was going tell me about myself and my journey thus far. I was setting a certain expectation on myself on being able to achieve more in this class than I had in the one several years before and while I was pretty sure that I would do better this time, the thought still crossed my mind that maybe I wouldn't...
As we got to the studio we were greeted by two very nice guys behind the counter, one of which was going to be the instructor. He recognized my name immediately when I signed in and he proceeded to walk me through the basic breathing as I signed the release form. I had my ankle surgery in between the first class and yesterday and it didn't dawn on me that it might affect my ability to do some of the poses. It did end up affecting me.
After signing in my co-worker and I went into the room to kind of adjust to the temperature and just get into the mind set for class. It was definitely warm but I didn't feel uncomfortable like I usually do when I get hot. Oh, I also dressed more appropriately for Bikram this time than I did the last time. Last time I didn't know that it was a hot yoga class and I had on sweatpants! BAD mistake! This time I had on my capri running tights and a Nike workout top, both made from material whose purpose is to wick away moisture from the body. Every little bit helps, right??
Okay, here's the first sign that I knew yoga might not be for me... The yoga instructor came into the room and I almost immediately burst out laughing. Because guys tend to not wear shirts during Bikram, the instructor came in wearing shorts and nothing else but that's not what made me laugh. It was the fact that they were CHEETAH print shorts that basically looked like boxers that almost made me snort. I purposefully didn't make eye contact with my friend because I knew she noticed the same thing. Judgement over what people are wearing does not a Yogi make...
Once class began and we got to work on the standing poses I felt pretty good. Sweat almost immediately start poring from my body but I didn't mind at first. I had a little bit of a struggle with some of the balancing poses, especially on my right ankle, but I knew that those were things that would come if I continued to practice. I only sat down to catch my breath once and I felt good about that. I was pushing myself, but not outside of my limits. I noticed that people who were obvious frequent class attendees also sat occasionally so I didn't feel like a failure (like I did in the previous class.)
Actually it wasn't really until we got to some of the sitting poses, surprisingly enough, that I had some struggle. He did an entire series of moves that required me to sit on my ankles and I just couldn't do it. It actually really hurt my right ankle to sit on it, so I just sat and continued breathing and joined in when I thought I could.
The last series of exercises were a bit tough as well, but that was honestly because of how the instructor had us execute them. There was a lot of spinning around and sitting up and laying back down and it kind of made me dizzy. So, after about 15 minutes of spinning, sitting up and laying down I finally just stayed laying down for a couple of them. Those I was a little bit frustrated I couldn't continue, but oh well... The other sign that I knew that Bikram wasn't for me? Half of the time that we were on the floor, especially laying face downwards, all I could think about was how the carpet needed to be cleaned because it smelled like stale sweat. Not exactly a smell you want to be sticking you face into... Yuck.
All in all, I think I did much better than the other Bikram class I had attended. The instructor told me my goal was just to stay in the room which I most definitely did. I also did MUCH better with my breathing during this class than I had previously. I think that has to do with the fact that my body is used to exercise now though so I'm not forcing myself to remember to breath through a stretch. It just naturally does it now. I did feel very detoxed and refreshed after the class I will admit, but I still don't think Bikram is for me. Could I continue to do yoga on a regular basis? Yes, I do believe I could. But, I don't think Bikram is the right fit. At least I tried though, right?
As we got to the studio we were greeted by two very nice guys behind the counter, one of which was going to be the instructor. He recognized my name immediately when I signed in and he proceeded to walk me through the basic breathing as I signed the release form. I had my ankle surgery in between the first class and yesterday and it didn't dawn on me that it might affect my ability to do some of the poses. It did end up affecting me.
After signing in my co-worker and I went into the room to kind of adjust to the temperature and just get into the mind set for class. It was definitely warm but I didn't feel uncomfortable like I usually do when I get hot. Oh, I also dressed more appropriately for Bikram this time than I did the last time. Last time I didn't know that it was a hot yoga class and I had on sweatpants! BAD mistake! This time I had on my capri running tights and a Nike workout top, both made from material whose purpose is to wick away moisture from the body. Every little bit helps, right??
Okay, here's the first sign that I knew yoga might not be for me... The yoga instructor came into the room and I almost immediately burst out laughing. Because guys tend to not wear shirts during Bikram, the instructor came in wearing shorts and nothing else but that's not what made me laugh. It was the fact that they were CHEETAH print shorts that basically looked like boxers that almost made me snort. I purposefully didn't make eye contact with my friend because I knew she noticed the same thing. Judgement over what people are wearing does not a Yogi make...
Once class began and we got to work on the standing poses I felt pretty good. Sweat almost immediately start poring from my body but I didn't mind at first. I had a little bit of a struggle with some of the balancing poses, especially on my right ankle, but I knew that those were things that would come if I continued to practice. I only sat down to catch my breath once and I felt good about that. I was pushing myself, but not outside of my limits. I noticed that people who were obvious frequent class attendees also sat occasionally so I didn't feel like a failure (like I did in the previous class.)
Actually it wasn't really until we got to some of the sitting poses, surprisingly enough, that I had some struggle. He did an entire series of moves that required me to sit on my ankles and I just couldn't do it. It actually really hurt my right ankle to sit on it, so I just sat and continued breathing and joined in when I thought I could.
The last series of exercises were a bit tough as well, but that was honestly because of how the instructor had us execute them. There was a lot of spinning around and sitting up and laying back down and it kind of made me dizzy. So, after about 15 minutes of spinning, sitting up and laying down I finally just stayed laying down for a couple of them. Those I was a little bit frustrated I couldn't continue, but oh well... The other sign that I knew that Bikram wasn't for me? Half of the time that we were on the floor, especially laying face downwards, all I could think about was how the carpet needed to be cleaned because it smelled like stale sweat. Not exactly a smell you want to be sticking you face into... Yuck.
All in all, I think I did much better than the other Bikram class I had attended. The instructor told me my goal was just to stay in the room which I most definitely did. I also did MUCH better with my breathing during this class than I had previously. I think that has to do with the fact that my body is used to exercise now though so I'm not forcing myself to remember to breath through a stretch. It just naturally does it now. I did feel very detoxed and refreshed after the class I will admit, but I still don't think Bikram is for me. Could I continue to do yoga on a regular basis? Yes, I do believe I could. But, I don't think Bikram is the right fit. At least I tried though, right?
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Oh hello tour pounds, there you are!!
Um, yeah... So remember how last week I posted a really great number? That won't be happening this week.
Why?
Because this week I seriously ate crap and barely got to the gym. What was the result?
I'm up 8 pounds from last week.
Yup, you heard that right. I am kind of disgusted with myself. I'm kind of hoping that some of it is water weight because of all the salty crap that I've been eating but I'm not going to count on it. Instead I'm going to mentally slap myself across the face, stop eating crap and get my ass back to the gym.
Today started my mental reboot and so far, so good. I went to the hotel gym and put in over an hour, doing both aerobic and strengthening exercises. I pushed myself and it felt great. I upped my weights, I added time to the elliptical and afterwards I felt like I had accomplished something. The interesting thing? I felt guilty for not doing more. Like, I think I must have weight gain guilt because I felt like I almost needed to punish myself by doing more at the gym. Has anyone else experienced this? Like it wasn't necessarily a positive, motivational feeling... It was a "it's your fault you're in this predicament and now you must pay for it..." feeling. Like I felt bad for not doing a full hour on the elliptical. Hmmm, maybe I should look more into this.
Anyway, I plan on eating better today than yesterday and that's what I need to remember. I just need to keep in my head the idea of "How can I make today better than yesterday?" With that thought constantly running through my brain I can't lose, right?
Here's hoping.
Why?Because this week I seriously ate crap and barely got to the gym. What was the result?
I'm up 8 pounds from last week.
Yup, you heard that right. I am kind of disgusted with myself. I'm kind of hoping that some of it is water weight because of all the salty crap that I've been eating but I'm not going to count on it. Instead I'm going to mentally slap myself across the face, stop eating crap and get my ass back to the gym.
Today started my mental reboot and so far, so good. I went to the hotel gym and put in over an hour, doing both aerobic and strengthening exercises. I pushed myself and it felt great. I upped my weights, I added time to the elliptical and afterwards I felt like I had accomplished something. The interesting thing? I felt guilty for not doing more. Like, I think I must have weight gain guilt because I felt like I almost needed to punish myself by doing more at the gym. Has anyone else experienced this? Like it wasn't necessarily a positive, motivational feeling... It was a "it's your fault you're in this predicament and now you must pay for it..." feeling. Like I felt bad for not doing a full hour on the elliptical. Hmmm, maybe I should look more into this.
Anyway, I plan on eating better today than yesterday and that's what I need to remember. I just need to keep in my head the idea of "How can I make today better than yesterday?" With that thought constantly running through my brain I can't lose, right?
Here's hoping.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Weigh in: 10/22/11
Highest Weight: 310.0
Last Week Weight: 238.4
Current Weight: 235.0
Weight Lost: 3.4
Total Weight Lost: 75.0
Well, I didn't make it out of the "obese" category yet, but I'm still EXTREMELY happy with where I am.
I JUST HIT 75 POUNDS LOST BABY!!!
I just need to be sure to keep this up throughout the tour and I will be WELL on my way to hitting my goal weight by my birthday of next year. (200 by 6/13/12 y'all!)
We're entering our last weekend of Cleveland and I'm ready to move on. I feel like we aren't technically on tour yet as we've only been to one city and we've been here for almost three weeks. Time for our one week engagements where we barely have time to unpack before we are heading off into the great yonder again.
Yesterday was one of those days I think I'm going to look forward to the most while out on tour. A bunch of us went to the "Christmas Story" house where they filmed the exteriors for the movie. Then afterwards we went to a cute little cafe that was featured on that show "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" on the Food Network. The food was AMAZING and everything was made from scratch, even the bread and hot sauce! I took some photos of Wembley while we were there, so keep an eye out for an update over there. It was a day full of the random stuff that you could only find in Cleveland and I hope to find some more of those hidden, tucked away places as we begin to travel from town to town. Things like the world's largest ball of twine or a cookie in the shape of Jesus... Something that the town pride's itself on to put it on the map.
Anyway, the next time you hear from me I'll be in Rochester, NY. 'Till then!
Toot-a-loo!
Last Week Weight: 238.4
Current Weight: 235.0
Weight Lost: 3.4
Total Weight Lost: 75.0
Well, I didn't make it out of the "obese" category yet, but I'm still EXTREMELY happy with where I am.
I JUST HIT 75 POUNDS LOST BABY!!!
I just need to be sure to keep this up throughout the tour and I will be WELL on my way to hitting my goal weight by my birthday of next year. (200 by 6/13/12 y'all!)
We're entering our last weekend of Cleveland and I'm ready to move on. I feel like we aren't technically on tour yet as we've only been to one city and we've been here for almost three weeks. Time for our one week engagements where we barely have time to unpack before we are heading off into the great yonder again.
Yesterday was one of those days I think I'm going to look forward to the most while out on tour. A bunch of us went to the "Christmas Story" house where they filmed the exteriors for the movie. Then afterwards we went to a cute little cafe that was featured on that show "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" on the Food Network. The food was AMAZING and everything was made from scratch, even the bread and hot sauce! I took some photos of Wembley while we were there, so keep an eye out for an update over there. It was a day full of the random stuff that you could only find in Cleveland and I hope to find some more of those hidden, tucked away places as we begin to travel from town to town. Things like the world's largest ball of twine or a cookie in the shape of Jesus... Something that the town pride's itself on to put it on the map.
Anyway, the next time you hear from me I'll be in Rochester, NY. 'Till then!
Toot-a-loo!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Obese vs. Overweight
Hi all!
Well, 1+1 still equals 3 evidently! I'm confused and still not understanding where this weight loss is coming from, but that lack of sense is leading up to potentially big news this week! I know my official weigh-in won't be until Friday (one week from the one prior) but I may have already peeked at my numbers and my jaw just about hit the floor.
I guess it would be cruel if I kept you in suspense for too long, so I'll go ahead and say that it is a VERY real possibility that I might move out of the "obese" BMI category this week. When I started this journey 13 months ago and tipped the scales at 310, I was at a startling 39.8 BMI (body mass index for anyone that's confused...) Now anything over a 30 is considered obese, so being at almost a 40 meant that I was considered severely obese and just barely out of the morbidly obese category.
Well, this morning at my unofficial weigh in, but current weight puts me at a 30.1 BMI.
SO CLOSE!
But the amazing thing is that I did the calculations and I'm just one pound away from being beneath a 30.
I must admit that I don't necessarily take the BMI chart too seriously. I know that I'm healthier than probably a lot of people with BMI's in the overweight or hell, even the healthy weight range. The chart doesn't really take into account muscle mass and considering my legs are quite heavily muscled right now, I know it's not quite accurate. I've always just used it as another measurement of my success really. I mean, because even at my goal weight I think I would be in the overweight category, albeit barely.
But even if I don't completely believe the BMI chart to be absolutely accurate I do have to say it will be nice to just be able to call myself "overweight." Might not mean much to some people, but means a LOT to me!
Well, 1+1 still equals 3 evidently! I'm confused and still not understanding where this weight loss is coming from, but that lack of sense is leading up to potentially big news this week! I know my official weigh-in won't be until Friday (one week from the one prior) but I may have already peeked at my numbers and my jaw just about hit the floor.
I guess it would be cruel if I kept you in suspense for too long, so I'll go ahead and say that it is a VERY real possibility that I might move out of the "obese" BMI category this week. When I started this journey 13 months ago and tipped the scales at 310, I was at a startling 39.8 BMI (body mass index for anyone that's confused...) Now anything over a 30 is considered obese, so being at almost a 40 meant that I was considered severely obese and just barely out of the morbidly obese category. Well, this morning at my unofficial weigh in, but current weight puts me at a 30.1 BMI.
SO CLOSE!
But the amazing thing is that I did the calculations and I'm just one pound away from being beneath a 30.
I must admit that I don't necessarily take the BMI chart too seriously. I know that I'm healthier than probably a lot of people with BMI's in the overweight or hell, even the healthy weight range. The chart doesn't really take into account muscle mass and considering my legs are quite heavily muscled right now, I know it's not quite accurate. I've always just used it as another measurement of my success really. I mean, because even at my goal weight I think I would be in the overweight category, albeit barely.
But even if I don't completely believe the BMI chart to be absolutely accurate I do have to say it will be nice to just be able to call myself "overweight." Might not mean much to some people, but means a LOT to me!
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Weigh in: 10/15/11
Highest Weight: 310.0
Last Weight: 238.2
Current Weight: 238.4
Total Gain this week: .2
Total Weight Lost: 71.6
Hi everyone! I haven't forgotten about this blog, I've just been kind of (extremely!!!) busy here of late. We've been in Cleveland for about a week and a half and have been at the theater almost non-stop. We started performances here on Tuesday and had our official press opening on Thursday. With that, there was a whole lot of the creative team in town (directors, designers, New York based management, press, etc.) and these are people that we won't be traveling with so there was a lot of our downtime spent with these people. And by spending time with them, what does that entail in downtown Cleveland, Ohio?
Eating and drinking. A lot of drinking, more like...
I've had more alcohol in the past week and a half than I've probably had in the entire past year. I've made some not so great choices. I could most definitely be doing better.
So, with all of these factors I am very happy to report that I've essentially maintained my weight loss for this week and a half. I actually didn't have a scale and had to buy one. I thought I could go without and just weigh myself when I came across one at whatever gym we are using in the various cities but it became apparent quite quickly that was not going to be the case. I started freaking out about the potential weight gain after about 3 days and finally broke down and bought the scale a couple of days after that.
Moving forward from here it's about making smarter choices. Do I need that second drink? Do I need those french fries? Do I need to eat after the show? The answer to all of these questions, is of course... NO.
Now comes the hard part: the execution of this decision.
Wish me luck!!
Last Weight: 238.2
Current Weight: 238.4
Total Gain this week: .2
Total Weight Lost: 71.6
Hi everyone! I haven't forgotten about this blog, I've just been kind of (extremely!!!) busy here of late. We've been in Cleveland for about a week and a half and have been at the theater almost non-stop. We started performances here on Tuesday and had our official press opening on Thursday. With that, there was a whole lot of the creative team in town (directors, designers, New York based management, press, etc.) and these are people that we won't be traveling with so there was a lot of our downtime spent with these people. And by spending time with them, what does that entail in downtown Cleveland, Ohio?
Eating and drinking. A lot of drinking, more like...
I've had more alcohol in the past week and a half than I've probably had in the entire past year. I've made some not so great choices. I could most definitely be doing better.
So, with all of these factors I am very happy to report that I've essentially maintained my weight loss for this week and a half. I actually didn't have a scale and had to buy one. I thought I could go without and just weigh myself when I came across one at whatever gym we are using in the various cities but it became apparent quite quickly that was not going to be the case. I started freaking out about the potential weight gain after about 3 days and finally broke down and bought the scale a couple of days after that.
Moving forward from here it's about making smarter choices. Do I need that second drink? Do I need those french fries? Do I need to eat after the show? The answer to all of these questions, is of course... NO.
Now comes the hard part: the execution of this decision.
Wish me luck!!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Weigh in Wednesday 10/5/11
Highest Weight: 310.0
Last Week's Weight: 240.6
Current Weight: 238.2
Current Weight Lost: 2.4
Total Weight Lost: 71.8
Wow, I'm not gonna lie! I'm a bit surprised to see this loss! This last week here in NYC has consisted of a few goodbye dinners, a few goodbye drinks, and just generally eating out more because I wasn't staying at my own house. (My sublet started early, so I was staying with some wonderful and generous friends for the past week. Thanks Stacia and Lloyd!)
I also didn't go to the gym as much as I had wanted to this last week purely because my time was pretty precious. Finding time to do laundry was difficult so unfortunately the gym got pushed aside.
So, really when I look at this past week it looks more like a case of 1+1 = 3 because it doesn't really make sense! Oh well, I won't question it, I suppose!
Today I leave NYC for my tour. I can't really believe that the day is finally here. I'm very excited and nervous to be starting this new journey but it has been hard to say goodbye to all of my wonderful friends here in the city. For those of you who don't live in New York, it kind of is like Sex in the City in that your friends do become your family. I have always been a person whose friends mean the world to her, but it took on an even deeper meaning once I moved here.
My life journey takes a new, interesting and challenging turn today and I have to face it like I have the other challenges its thrown my way. I'm sure I'm going to stumble, but it's what I do after the stumble that will matter. I still have 38.2 pounds to lose until I meet my goal and I plan on making it by next summer!!
I don't know when I'm going to be able to post again. I have a feeling weigh ins won't be as scheduled as they are now, but I will be sure to keep you guys posted on my progress. In the mean time, don't forget to check out Wembley's adventures. He will post something later today!
See you soon Cleveland, Ohio!!
Last Week's Weight: 240.6
Current Weight: 238.2
Current Weight Lost: 2.4
Total Weight Lost: 71.8
Wow, I'm not gonna lie! I'm a bit surprised to see this loss! This last week here in NYC has consisted of a few goodbye dinners, a few goodbye drinks, and just generally eating out more because I wasn't staying at my own house. (My sublet started early, so I was staying with some wonderful and generous friends for the past week. Thanks Stacia and Lloyd!)
I also didn't go to the gym as much as I had wanted to this last week purely because my time was pretty precious. Finding time to do laundry was difficult so unfortunately the gym got pushed aside.
So, really when I look at this past week it looks more like a case of 1+1 = 3 because it doesn't really make sense! Oh well, I won't question it, I suppose!
Today I leave NYC for my tour. I can't really believe that the day is finally here. I'm very excited and nervous to be starting this new journey but it has been hard to say goodbye to all of my wonderful friends here in the city. For those of you who don't live in New York, it kind of is like Sex in the City in that your friends do become your family. I have always been a person whose friends mean the world to her, but it took on an even deeper meaning once I moved here.
My life journey takes a new, interesting and challenging turn today and I have to face it like I have the other challenges its thrown my way. I'm sure I'm going to stumble, but it's what I do after the stumble that will matter. I still have 38.2 pounds to lose until I meet my goal and I plan on making it by next summer!!
I don't know when I'm going to be able to post again. I have a feeling weigh ins won't be as scheduled as they are now, but I will be sure to keep you guys posted on my progress. In the mean time, don't forget to check out Wembley's adventures. He will post something later today!
See you soon Cleveland, Ohio!!
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