Let's see. I ended the week on a good note. I was able to get my four workouts in, but I had to double up on Saturday with an hour of yoga and 30 mins of cardio. My cardio was due to my new WORKOUT TAPE!! **For some reason the Kanye West 'workout song' started playing in my head just then.** Anyway, I stopped at Best Buy Saturday morning and picked up Shape magazine's Bikini Body Camp: Transforming Workout. http://www.globalfulfillment.net/gfsnet/shapeboutique/10Expand.aspx?ProductCode=SHP-DVD-0010

Let me give you a little bit of my criteria for selecting a DVD. 1st I don't want to select a DVD that will not expand my exercise options. For instance there were lots of yoga dvds, but not only can I take the class in person, but I can also practice it at home with my yoga book. Additionally, I want to get as much bang (or play time) for my buck. My Biggest Loser dvd has three 20 min workouts, one 25 min work out, and a 5 min warm up and 25 min cool down. I selected the Bikini Body Workout b/c I was looking for a cardio program that I could do at home, and the dvd comes with three 30 min work outs that cover cardio and strength training.

So far, I did the 1st workout which is an interval cardio routine. It contains a 5 min warm up and a 5 min cool down with three or four 'rolling hill' sets in between. The movements are things such as side to side lunges, power jacks, tire drills, and more. I def. got a great work out from it. The program recommends that you workout Mon - Fri completing a 30 min work out the 1st four days of the week and combining two for an hour work out on Friday. Right now, I am just going to use it at my discretion when I am not able to (or do not feel like going to the gym). However, during times where I am not able to go to the gym at all I may try the 5 day program. The dvd also came with a meal plan and a resistance band. The resistance band and a set of 3 or 5 pound dumbbells (I use jars of pasta sauce or cans of soup or water bottles instead) are required for the sculpting portions of the workout.

As for food, I had a team event on Friday where the food was flowing...as usual. I wasn't perfect, but I am proud of myself. I intended to eat 2 grilled chicken fajitas and 1 dessert bar (brownie/cookie/lemon bar). What I ended up having was the 2 grilled chicken fajitas, 1/3 of a lemon bar and 1/3 of a blondie, plus a small (saucer sized) plate of nachos w/cheese. It was more than what I agreed with myself that I would have, but I could have gone waaaaay overboard. I limited myself and I am pleased with that.

I'll check in as I try the other two workouts, and I'll continue with more healthy tips. Cheers!

Update, Updates, Updates!

The diet was actually quite successful. I felt incredibly confident on the beach in my swimsuit. I felt that my legs were toned and my stomach was flat. Plus even after the weekend of drinking and a few less than healthy choices, I still weighed in at 177lbs, which I believe is a decrease. Yay Me!

Unfortunately starving yourself simply isn't the answer. I am proud to still be making healthy choices, but I am definitely back to my dilemma of worrying about whether or not I made the 'healthiest' choice. For instance, yesterday I just wasn't feeling a salad or sandwich for lunch. I was wanting something warm, so I opted for backed chicken (dark meat) with green beans. Now I believe that this was a good choice, but since I'm not 100% sure what add'l butters, etc. were added to the food, then I'm not sure. Some parts of me wonders if it is just too heavy of a meal to be having at lunch time. Additionally, I was out with co-workers for dinner last night. I chose a veggie burger, but I really can't guesstimate the calorie break down. Again, I wonder if I should have just opted for a salad, though I have found that anything more than a fat-free/low-fat dressing hikes the calorie and fat content up anyway. I guess that this will be a never ending battle, but it kinda sucks b/c you are constantly thinking (read: worrying) about your food intake. Again, this makes me feel like I'm only a few steps away from obsession/'eating disorder' land.

I took my yoga class on Mon, but I didn't work out Tues & Wed b/c of fatigue and work stuff respectively. I am def. planning to get a work out in, be it doing 30 mins of cardio and 30 mins of weights at the gym or just my Biggest Loser video. Same for tomorrow and then I'll have pilates & yoga on Saturday morning. That should bring me up to my four workouts this week.

I've been wondering just how I should treat myself for all of my hard work. Really, I don't have any sort of 'rewards' program. I've decided that I want to get another exercise dvd. It isn't very expensive, and it will give me yet another option for exercising. I think that I might stop at Best Buy this weekend and see what I can find.

Last thing. This past week I saw a bunch of co-workers that I haven't seen in about a year, and MAN!!! the compliments were rolling in. PLUS, I put on some clothes that I haven't worn since last summer, and there wasn't a snug item in the bunch. This was really encouraging, and it helped me to see how far I have come. Sometimes I wonder how noticeable or significant my loss has been. I must say that btwn last week and this past weekend, I am definitely excited and motivated for my work outs. I surely don't want to take any steps backwards!

I HATE DIETING!!!!!!!!!!


So the job ordered Eduardo's Pizza for lunch today, but all that I can eat is the crapy salad that comes with it. You know that isn't a good salad. I will NEVER diet again. This is ridiculous. Instead of being able to have a small portion of something that you want now and then cut back somewhere else. You are forced to simply go without and be unhappy. This is bullshit!

Happy Monday Everyone!

As you might have guessed I am in a very good mood today. I completed four workouts last week, and I'm in good shape (no pun intended) for this week. I got in an hour of yoga last night, and I am planning to do the Strength & Sculpt workout from my Biggest Loser dvd this afternoon. I just need to get in two more workouts this week (preferably one from my dvd and one yoga) before I head off to sunny South Florida this weekend.

Now since I am heading to the beach this weekend, there has been particular emphasis on the physical appearance. My best friend has convinced me to do a crash diet with her. I'm not actually sure that we will lose a noticeable amount of weight...I mean we're only doing it for 1 week...however, its just a fun way to challenge ourselves. Note: I am definitely not a believer in dieting. Right now, I am starving and using every bit of strength that I have to not only stop myself from eating a snack but also to stop myself from eating EVERY snack in sight. This includes the free cookies, pastries, and variety of candy bars that are within 20 feet of me. It is clear to me that one would never be able to maintain this lifestyle. No wonder dieters often 'yo-yo' with their weight. I'm sure that you would quickly fail any diet that is based primarily in denial.

This is why I want to re-emphasize the importance of healthy eating. As I sit hear yearning for an apple or cup of yogurt, I am truly realizing how you can be healthy and lose weight w/o necessarily being 'hungry'. If only I could master the art of eating quality foods that keep me full, yet don't pack a lot of calories or fat, then I would be in weight loss heaven. Its like this little crash diet has curbed my desire for junk food and made me appreciate the goodness that is a piece of fruit. At the very least I have gone ahead and requested fruit be brought in to our class tomorrow. I can't go another day w/these goodies sitting in front of me.

Finally...and I know that this sounds horrible...but I see why ppl are anorexic. What I mean is that when I am eating healthy and exercising regularly, then I feel thin and trim. I'm not sure if I actually look it, but it certainly changes the way that I see myself. I still want to eat right now, but while I'm not...I like what I see in the mirror. Scary right?!

Today I want to discuss cholesterol. Later I hope to get into muscle definition and sculpting, but that may end up becoming an entirely separate post.

Anyway cholesterol...this past Monday, I received a call from my doctor. She made a note to 'sneak' a cholesterol screen into a host of other blood tests that she was ordering. As it turns out, my cholesterol is in fact high. I really already knew this was the case, as I showed high cholesterol levels back in high school when my insurance company tested me. At the time I assumed that it was a random fluke b/c while I wasn't eating healthy, I was only 17 and quite active in dance class. I didn't make any changes in my diet, as I assumed that things would work themselves out over time. Well they haven't. It turns out that my cholesterol levels total 224, which is borderline high. I believe that the range for borderline high is 200 - 239. Above that is dangerously high and below that is normal. I am supposed to comeback in 4-6 months for retesting, and hopefully they will be back within the normal ranges by then.

Until then, let's discuss what cholesterol means and how I can actively work to bring it down.

Basically, "Cholesterol is a fat-like substance (lipid). About 80 percent of cholesterol is manufactured in the liver. The remaining cholesterol is consumed in cholesterol-rich foods such as meat, eggs or dairy products." There are several different types of cholesterol to be aware of:

- High-density lipoproteins (HDL). “Good” cholesterol, HDLs move easily through the blood and are actually beneficial. They are stable and do not stick to artery walls.

- Low-density lipoproteins (LDL). “Bad” cholesterol, LDLs contain more fat and less protein than HDLs. LDLs are unstable and tend to fall apart. They are more likely to adhere to the walls of the artery and penetrate the protective inner lining of cells (e.g., the endothelium).

- Very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL). These are extremely harmful lipoproteins that carry triglycerides and cholesterol.

- Intermediate-density lipoproteins. Like VLDLs, these also carry triglycerides and cholesterol.

- Chylomicrons. These are very large particles that are rich in triglycerides.

As I understand it, doctors tend to speak in terms of HDL and LDL levels. Although HDL seems to be the safer/better of the two, their are healthy limits for both. Above I noted the ranges of normal, borderline high, and high total cholesterol levels. However, the individual HDL and LDL ranges break down as follows.

LDL
< 100 =" Optimal" 129 =" Near" 159 =" Borderline" 189 =" High"> 190 = Very High

HDL
< higher =" High" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">ivillage.com (http://heart.health.ivillage.com/cholesterol/cholesterol.cfm)

So how do I bring my high cholesterol back down to within healthy ranges? As with all things, diet and fitness seem to be key. The American Heart Association advises that we eat no more than 300 mg of cholesterol per day, 200 if you are already at risk. There for it is key to check food labels, and purchase items with lower cholesterol levels. However, it was noted that some items may be marketed as 'Low Cholesterol' when they still contain large amounts of trans fats and saturated fats. Since trans and saturated fats also lead to significantly high cholesterol levels as well, then you aren't doing yourself any favors if you don't check the labels for those as well. Additionally, red meats are believed to be high in fat and cholesterol levels. It is recommended that if you eat red meat, that you stick to leaner items (like ground beef, which has cholesterol levels comparable to chicken) rather than steak, pork or veal.

While there isn't a whole lot of additional information on the correlation between exercise and cholesterol, the general consensus is that healthy body weight and active lifestyle will not only reduce cholesterol levels, but also other risk factors for heart attack and heart disease. It is believed that even small amounts of weight gain like one pound per year can significantly affect cholesterol levels over time. Again, info taken from ivillage.com (http://heart.health.ivillage.com/cholesterol/lowchol.cfm)

One final note. In an attempt to reduce the amount of red meat in my diet, I have increased the amount of chicken and seafood. This is fine, except for the fact that shell fish is fairly high in cholesterol. In particular I LOVE to eat shrimp. However, while low in calories and fat (84 and .9 respectively for 15 lg shrimp), shrimp has a moderate amount of cholesterol (166 mg). This is just the shrimp alone. I haven't yet accounted for butter and sauce, or cholesterol intake from other meals of the day. Remember total cholesterol levels for the entire day should be between 200 - 300mgs. Compare this to baked crab (3 oz.), which may have 117 calories and 5 grams of fat, but only has 80 mgs of cholesterol. Now, the point is not to cut shellfish from the diet, as there are plenty of benefits to eating it. The point is to be careful about portion control and frequency. Rather than making shrimp my favorite dish to order, I will have to focus more on choosing chicken/turkey, fish, and veggie options. When I do opt for shellfish (shrimp, crab, scallops) I will have to be sure to stick to reasonable portions, healthy preparation (steamed, boiled, baked with minimal butters and heavy sauces) and healthy sides. Info taken from Yale-New Have Hospital website (http://www.ynhh.org/online/nutrition/advisor/shellfish.html)

Whew, that was more than a mouthful, wasn't it. I'll have to comeback another time with my thoughts about muscle definition.

My final thoughts are that healthy living is really going to have to move to the forefront of my mind. High cholesterol, heart disease, stroke, and heart attack are no joke. The time to get serious about these changes is now, while I am young and relatively healthy. It will be a hell of a lot harder to make these changes as I continue to age, become more busy, and pass from borderline into dangerous.

Challenge time: I know, I know. I have been failing miserably with my challenges lately. My goals are simple this time. I want to get my cholesterol back down to below 200 by my next doctors appt in June. Also, I want to consistently work out 4 times a week (min). I was going to shoot for a 20 lb loss, but I am hoping that with simply focusing on getting to the gym at least 4 times a week (preferably 6), then the weight loss will come in pound and inches. I'll keep you updated on my progress.

BTW: I was successful at getting to the gym a min of 4 times a week last week, and I'm on target for this week.