TheFATladyBlog

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.

People Magazine Article On Weight Loss

Don't miss the People magazine article on weight loss this week. It's about real people who lost lots of weight the old fashioned way, sensible eating and exercise. There's no surgery, miracle cure, or drugs touted in the piece. It's a good read.

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!

This Body Says 'Thanks'And No More 'Heave-Ho'

I can report significant progress on the fitness front. No triathalons yet, weight loss and fitness breakthroughs are measured with different parameters for the obese. First positive advance, there's no more "heave-ho" required when I rise from a chair. There's a point when obesity reaches that "heave-ho" stage that is utterly demoralizing. I've crossed over to the other side of that line recently and I'm not going back.

I've also lost the god-help-me-walking-up-and-down-the-stairs gait. This became obvious to me over the weekend at a rest stop on Route 80 enroute to State College. The rest stop has a flight of concrete steps from the parking lot to the pavilion. In the recent past I had to grab the aluminum handrails and use my arms and upper body weight to help propel my person up the steps. On this most recent trip I handily climbed the steps without even touching the rail.

My knees have stopped complaining and my hip has been unusually quiet in the last week, without even a hint of consternation.

Here's to more progress in the days ahead!

Polish/Irish Mermaid Offers Advice:Just Suit Up And Jump In!

No,  that is not Esther Williams in the pool. That is none other than the Polish/Irish Mermaid from The FAT Lady Blog, enjoying a divine moment of contemplative flotation between laps in State College this weekend. This summer is the first summer in about 15 years (or more) that I have put on a swim suit and ventured into a swimming pool. Every year I have been telling myself, "I'll buy a suit and go swimming next year after I lose weight." For 15 years I have deprived myself of the benefits and joys of swimming. And it was all about weight consciousness and humiliation. When you shed the fear, don the suit, and enter that water, you leave that nonsense behind and make a step in the right direction. If you have a friend or loved one who faces this same dilemma, click the "Permalink" below, copy the URL, and send the link as a measure of encouragement. Click here for more photos of glorious weekend memories taken from the other side of the camera lens. Here's another link with music.

Adding Positive Thinking To The Mix

Oh, well, I guess the funny mirror trick isn't really going to sculpt those oh, so round facial contours, so I just have to hang in there and swim more laps and keep doing more of what I've been doing. I'm going to apply the principle of positive thinking here as well. On the sage advice of real estate author, educator, attorney, and Internet Crusader John Reilly, I have purchased an additional domain name, TheTHINladyBlog.com. That web address will point right HERE and we will illustrate the power of positive thinking in real time. Thanks for the tip, John.

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.

Ouch! No Pain, No GainThis Must Be Working

I started an exercise program of sorts at the Bethlehem YMCA last week. I enjoy lap swimming, back and forth, alternating between breaststroke and backstroke, then heading to the steam room and whirlpool comfort. It is a good low-impact exercise without all that wear on tear on sensitive hip and knee areas. I'm a little sore around the shoulders, but that's par for the course when those lazy muscles are put to work after such a long sabbatical.

I'm already seeing some interesting benefits to this weight loss program in areas that are probably related to the supplements but I want to do a little research about that before I start to talk about it. I already see significant improvement in GI health and skin and nails.  It's wonderful to have GOOD surprises now and then, isn't it?