Monday, March 30, 2009

Peculiar...

I'm avoiding the scale. Not because I'm not doing good on my diet and exercise, but because I am doing well. The last 5 days weren't all that great - I got a cold, stomach bug, and my period all in the same week. But the week before, I swam 4 miles, walked a 5k, worked out in the gym with weights and treadmill for an hour. Of course, I haven't lost a single ounce!!!!!!!!!! I can't insert enough exclamation points to represent my level of frustration. For 2 weeks, I've been swimming one mile a day, 4 days a week, and doing a land based work out at the gym. Not a single ounce. Of course, I weighed myself this weekend, and I lost 1 pound. This is particularly funny, since I've been pigging out. You know, the whole pms/chocolate/carb thing. And I didn't exercise. So what gives? Oh well. Anyway, my jeans are less tight, so I must be leaning up, which is fine with me. That's why I'm staying away from the scale.

Tonight I swam my fastest mile, after not swimming for 5 days. It took me 45 minutes, which is 3 minutes faster than my fastest time last week. I got a really nice complement, too. The lady who I was sharing a lane with (who incidentally had the same swimsuit on, which is why we struck up a conversation), said she was watching me from the hot tub and thought I looked so relaxed and effortless. I laughed, because I can tell you, it is not effortless. She said she was just learning how to swim laps, and I told her I had never swam a lap in my life until 4 weeks ago. She said she was really surprised at that, and that maybe there was hope for her, that I inspired her. Me? I almost felt like crying (don't worry, I didn't, that would be kind of weird and uncomfortable). And an old acquaintance on facebook, who was a swimmer in high school, is talking about looking up a masters swim team because I've been bragging about how much I love it. It makes me feel good. Kind of like a fitness-pay-it-forward (did I mention I was inspired by biggest looser - that'll have to be a blog for another day). I always look to others for inspiration - I never realized people could look to me. It's a peculiar feeling, one I'm not used to. But in a good way.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Swim Therapy

OMG. The strangest thing is happening. Something that has never, ever happened in the paradigm that is Kim. I actually am looking forward to going to the gym. Watch out for low flying objects of the porcine kind.

Last summer while watching Michael Phelps win 78 gold medals, I thought "hey, swimming burns allot of calories, I should try that". I even went and bought a pair of swim goggles and watched videos on youtube about how to swim a proper crawl stroke. But that's as far as it got. My gym has a pool, and when I joined, I thought I wouldn't use it. After all, it has glass walls on 3 sides of it, one side facing out to the street and parking lot. That doesn't quite seem copacetic with me in a swimsuit. But the idea that planted itself somewhere in my psyche last summer said give it a try. Costco had speedo swimsuits in my size. The stars were lining up. What the hell. After enduring 2 children's worth of ob/gyn doctors, nurses, receptionists (seriously, that's another story), I decided not to let a little cellulite stand in my way. Wait a minute - I flunked my YMCA swim class when I was 8. Not a problem. I've already thrown caution to the wind. I don't care if people glare at me for splashing too much, or smirk at my poor form. I'm doing this. And you know what - I loved it.

The first day, I was a little irritated with constantly swallowing my hair, even though it was in a bun. My little baby hairs are long, and they were really annoying. So I went out to Big 5 and bought a swim cap, even though I think they look dorky. The 2nd day of swimming, it was really enjoyable. Yes, I used the word enjoyable and a form of exercise in the same sentence. Half way through swimming laps, I developed a rhythm, and everything but breathing, kicking, reaching and pulling fell away. That noisy voice in my head that just won't shut up was silenced. Yes, my heart was pumping and I had to rest between laps sometimes, but that felt nice, too. I swam 1/2 a mile. The next couple of times, I swam 3/4 of a mile. Me. I can't frickin believe it. The one who hates water and failed her swimming lessons.

I can't really explain it that well. But the self-consciousness and insecurity that constantly plagues me goes away, and the weird thing, it stays away for awhile. I can walk out of the locker room in a swim suit to the pool surrounded by glass walls without even a towel while wearing a silly swim cap, and I have confidence. I know I am going to swim almost a mile. And it lasts when I leave the gym, too. Nothing has physically changed (yet), but doing this one thing makes all the difference in how I view myself. I might not be Michael Phelps, but that's not really the point is it. I'm me, and I don't have to make excuses for it. Call it swim therapy.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Bring it on!

So, I can't seem to get BOTH the diet and exercise thing going. I'll get the diet going good, but can't seem to get the exercise part. Now, I've got the exercise part down, but my diet has been horrible. I think I just need some motivation.

In steps the challenge: Becky says she wants to loose 2 pounds a week for the next 5 weeks. I figure, if she can do it, so can I. A wager is made. Looser has to watch the other's kids for a night. Even though she has 4 kids, I have a 2-year old, which is like watching 3 kids, so a fair deal. Is that motivation or what?

I'm thinking maybe instead of the number of pounds lost, maybe percentage, especially since I have more weight to loose and I'm a bigger person. Percentage is fair, but I also think it's important to keep up the weight loss for the whole 5 weeks. So maybe whoever has the best weekly percentage average? Details, but bring it on!