TheFATladyBlog

Politics, Politics, EverywhereEven In The Swimming Pool!

  Water aerobics classes resumed at the Bethlehem (PA) YMCA this week after a three-week break. I'm glad. In the meantime, I was there most days for private water workouts. There were lap swimmers in the PWW lane, slow swimmers in the fast lap lane, and all kinds of political hell to pay from one end of the pool to the other. For once in my life I remained totally neutral and took no sides (Uncle Saul, read this and be proud!). Just lots of underwater cross country skiing, jumping jacks, abdominal crunches, and butterfly kicks...over and over and over again.

Water Workout Is Effective;Minimizes Wear And Tear On Joints

  Hate exercise? Envy those gym regulars with bodies beautiful who seem to thrive on sweaty physical exertion? What's the first step for a fatty when more than 10 steps in a row makes the knees scream, "Stop!"?

I can happily report that water aerobics may be the ticket to liberate the couch potato from lazy-bones fiefdom. I enrolled in two water exercise classes at the YMCA--Hydro is a deep water class with a belt and styrofoam barbells; Aquablast is a shallow water aerobics class that also makes some use of the barbells. The programs are 45 minutes to an hour long, with constant movement for cardio fitness. Additionally, the exercises are geared to cover every muscle group--abs, biceps, triceps, legs. There are stretching exercises, water calisthenics, weight training. And to top it off, its downright FUN! I'm starting to make significant progress with increased mobility, added strength, endurance, and elimination of pain (knees and hip). Of course, I'm also eating more sensibly and using nutritional supplements.

The Beach Boys Have Good VibrationsFrom Flower Child To Golden Girl

It is the summer of 1970. The Beach Boys take the stage at The Schaeffer Music Festival in Central Park, NYC. A flower child, 18 years old, blond hair to her waist, rocks and rolls to cheerful melodies born in Southern California. There is a faint perfume of sweet cannabis and the crowd dances on chairs and in aisles. Fast forward to the summer of 2005. The flower child's tresses are barely shoulder length, with blond highlights straight from a bottle, and the surfing sounds of Brian Wilson and company come from a boom box CD in the cavernous swimming pool of a local YMCA. A determined group of aquatic calisthenics disciples includes silver haired gentlewomen, portly females, and otherwise weight sentient ladies. There is a faint perfume of chlorine and the crowd lifts Styrofoam barbells and consummates jumping jacks in rhythm with the music. Some things never change. Music is a universal balm that stills the restless spirit and kindles merriment.

State College (PA) Wedding Countdown

I have the number right on the refrigerator door. In less than a year Jens Holger Thorsen and Rebecca Pangborn will tie the knot in State College. It's a great tool to stay temptation. Tomorrow morning it's "Hydro" at the YMCA pool. I hear it's a deep-end program. I'm finally recovering from Thursday's "Aquablast" session. Anything that hurts this much must be working, right? I wonder how long it will take to pare down four dress sizes.

I'm Taking My Swim ExerciseUp A Notch With Aquablast and Hydro

See that scale? That's six pounds closer to the goal, and now I'm kicking things up a bit in the exercise department. I was feeling too good after those laps, not enough pain. I registered for two cardio workout classes at the YMCA, a shallow water program with weights (Aquablast), and a deep water program with belts (Hydro).

I had my first Aquablast session last night, a full 60-minute cardio workout program that must have hit every single muscle group. Cross-country skiing exercises underwater, jumping jacks, jogging, stretching, and constant movement. My sister, Linda, my personal telephonic nurse advisor, suggested that I bring water to rehydrate. I thought, "Rehydrate? I'll be in a pool!" I could hardly believe that I could work up such a sweat in a swimming pool. What a great round of exercise! Talk about an endorphine rush!

Tips For The Gym Scene Newbie

Tip #1  Before packing your gym bag, be sure that your shampoo and conditioner bottles are tightly capped and in the "closed" position.

Tip #2  Purchase a tote or duffel bag that is lined with plastic (not just canvas) for those occasions when shampoo leaks.

Week One: Health Journey Milestones

Weight: I confess that I was a little deflated when I saw that I lost only three pounds in the last week, but then I thought a little bit. If I continue to lose three pounds a week I'll weigh less than that dastardly 200 number by summer's end. Besides, I'm not hungry. I am eating real food, good food, loosely following The South Beach Diet Plan. I plan to update myself a little more on that plan in the days ahead and pick up the corresponding cookbook with those recipes for a little more structure to guide my gastronomic adventures.

Exercise: I've been doing 10 laps in the pool at the local YMCA each day. That may not sound like much to some of you, but it is a major undertaking for a plus-size couch potato. I had a little shoulder strain over the weekend but that  passed and I had my first little endorphin rush today after my workout. It's been a looong time since I had an endorphin rush after exercise, my friends, and it was good!

Interesting Benefits: There are two little surprises that greet me this week. Honestly, I was not expecting improvement so early in this junket, but changes like these are important.

1. I have had a skin condition for many years that affects primarily my forearms. The skin in this area has had an "alligator skin" quality for many years--scaly, red, almost impervious to liquid. I do not use creams or lotions or anything of that sort to treat this area. However, the skin on my arms has returned to normal since I have embarked upon this health journey. It is smooth and has returned to a completely normal state. I am anxious to show this to my sister, a nurse in Texas, who has followed my condition for years.
2. The heels of my feet have been responsible for umpteen pantyhose snares, tears, and rips over many years. The heel surface has ranged from emery board roughness on good days to a bed of little razors on severe days. For the past few days the heels of my feet are totally normal! Smooth!

I'm sure that supplements are helping in ways that I did not anticipate. I'll assemble a list of the products that I am taking and offer that in a future post in the next couple of days.

Those Pictures Finally Did It!I'm Getting Real With Exercise!

Okay, already! The first 20 pounds almost melted off, but there's a looong way to go, lady! I'm still tipping those scales way over that 200 mark, and I'm hoping to scale down to a trim 140. I'm using the best carbohydrate-reducing, metabolism booster on the market, but making a commitment to real health means more than pushing supplements. I'm using a three-pronged approach in this enterprise, combining nutrition, supplements, and exercise to lose weight, achieve fitness, and get healthy.

The exercise is the toughest part of this program. I've been content to take a walk now and then and call it "exercise." Who have I been kidding? Certainly not the mirror or the camera, and definitely not the bathroom scale! After posting those dreadful photos this morning I high-tailed it over to the Bethlehem YMCA and submitted this sorry body to a full, intensive 40-minute cardio workout. These muscles didn't know what hit them today! Afterwards I treated them to a glorious 15 minutes in the sauna, a delicious shower, and an utterly divine whirlpool experience. Then I summoned every ounce of effort remaining in this pre-menopausal protoplasm and dragged myself home to a lunch of yogurt with wheat germ, a glass of soy milk, and my midday supplement mix. Now it's back to the world of real estate for the balance of the afternoon and evening.

Does anyone have a house to sell? I'm almost sold out! Call me!