Exercise Update

Walking maniac!
Last night I walked for 70 minutes. I did 11.5 laps around the outside track at our gym. I wish I could get an accurate distance for the track. I got two different answers from gym employees and my GPS says something different too. But, I think the time spent walking is more important than the distance. I'm not really all that sore today and my feet don't hurt! That's amazing.

New Shoes
The new shoes were really comfortable! I still want the other type with the rocker-bottom though. I think that having both kind and switching it up would be a good idea! 

Tonight
I might walk again, but maybe a light night of Wii fit or I might go to the gym and try some indoor activities. Depends on the weather. Right now its pretty gloomy and wet out there!

Shame Doesn't Change People

On my way back from Savannah, GA. last weekend, I saw a childhood obesity billboard in Macon, GA. that featured a little girl who was overweight and the caption said "It's hard to be a little girl when you aren't Little". Farther on down the road, I saw another billboard with a little boy's image and some other tagline. My husband and I were both pretty shocked.

When I got home, I found out that these billboards are a Georgia campaign that has been drawing nation-wide attention. From what I can tell, people seem to be split on the appropriateness of these billboards. I checked out the campaign's website (stopchildhoodobesity.com) and I find that extremely inappropriate as well.

Why feature the children? Notice how they are all scowling? I don't know if they were trying to show them unhappy, but to me, they don't look unhappy - they look mean and that is another stereotype of overweight children. And believe me, I work in the advertising field, and they chose these images for a reason - scowling children will be more attention grabbing than happy children. I guarantee that they directed the children's facial expressions during the photo shoots as well.

The videos on the campaign's website are also demeaning...One little boy (Bobby) talks about how he likes donuts and puts chips under his bed to eat later. In another video a little girl (Tina) talks about how she gets picked on at school - guess what? All of Georgia is now picking on you. Shame on the parents of these children for letting them be a part of this.

My point is that this is not the children's fault, so why bring even MORE shame to them? It may not effect all children in the same way, but there are more positive approaches to this problem that would bring better results. I feel like this campaign is talking about the problem, but what are they DOING about it? The real target is parents. In either case, shame is not what is going to bring about change. Shame causes anger and more denial. If the purpose of this campaign was to make Georgia residents realize that their children are obese, then I think they are causing more problems for themselves.

Another little boy (Carlos) talks about how after school he is alone at home and plays video games rather than going outside to play.

BINGO! We are finally at the heart of part of this problem. Carlos' parents both have to work, therefore, he is at home alone and his parents probably tell him not to go outside and play when they aren't home in order to keep him safe. Personally, I feel like the biggest contributor to childhood obesity is the "new American lifestyle". If a child is lucky enough to have a two-parent household, usually both parents are working and when those parents are home, they don't have time to cook, so children are preparing easy meals for themselves which are typically unhealthy - and their eating habits go unmonitored.  Also, I'm sure there is some kind of link between low-income households and childhood obesity. Unhealthy food is cheap...peanut butter, bread, mac & cheese, pasta, etc... All affordable ways to feed a family. I feel like this "new American lifestyle" is not one that we purposefully choose, but one that many are forced into out of necessity during the economic downturn that we've been experiencing over the last 10 years.

OK, Georgia (and the rest of the nation) time to stop picking on little kids and outing their shortcomings to the world and it's time to start finding solutions. I would love to know what kind of foods are being served in rural Georgia school systems.

Your thoughts?

My Exercise Plan Report: Days 4-6

Amy W - you are badass all on your own! :) And you commented on my blog...I might faint ;) hahaha 

Thanks to everyone who keeps reading my updates and supporting me with comments-I wish there was a way to directly reply to each of you. I'm so glad to have a community of folks who understand! You all rock!

Wow
This is really working. I did 5 days of some kind of exercise (workouts varied from 25 min - 1 hour) and I lost 5lbs this week. I was/am flabbergasted. It's about time I saw that scale move again. I'm REALLY excited! I know I can't expect this much every week, but man, it really is a motivator!

My Weekend/Shoe Review
Over the weekend I had one really good workout and the rest of the weekend was spent catching up and running errands. Saturday I walked about 2 or 2.5 miles with my new, rocker-bottom shoes on. I LOVED the shape of those shoes - makes a BIG difference. At first, it was hard to get used to walking in them and my feet were cramping a little, but after the first mile, I didn't even notice the difference. The sole absorbs a lot of the shock in each step not only because the sole is so thick, but the shape helps that too. However, I do not recommend the Wal*mart Danskin version - I am going to return mine. They are already falling apart. The eyelets are almost completely stretched out/broken from having tied my shoes. I didn't even tie them that tight. I wasn't expecting them to be that good, but I thought they'd be a little better than that!

These shoes rock!

On Sunday I went out to get a pair of Sketcher Shape-Ups, but I couldn't find them in my size! I have to have an 11, Wide if possible, but lately Mediums seem to fit just fine. So, I was bummed that I couldn't find any! I did find another pair of Sketchers fitness shoes though. They are called Sketchers Ultra fit Shape-ups Toners and they are the most comfortable shoe I've ever put on my feet. They have little balance balls on the bottom of the shoe so that you are constantly having to use your muscles to control your balance. But, it's SO comfortable. I highly recommend them. They are pretty too! Black with silver and hot pink - just my style!

I am still planning on buying myself some of the rocker-bottom Sketchers though - they really do improve your walk. They make you feel like you can walk faster and they really are good on the knees. AND, I can they they really WORK because muscles that are not normally sore were really sore. My butt and the muscles right under my butt on my leg in the back were really sore the next day. They do what they say they do!

The Week Ahead
Tonight I'm going on my first walk with the new shoes. I'm so excited! I can't wait to see how far I can do. It feels so effortless with the right shoes! Aunt flo is in town, so water aerobics will have to wait. I know the commercials show you how women can do everything they normally do when Aunt F. is in town (and do it with White pants on), but I just don't roll that way - too much hassle. I think while the weather is so awesome, I'll take a break from my wii and walk until I get bored with it!

Next week I've set up a walking buddy schedule so that some of the girls from work and I will walk right after work on Monday. The campus around here is very hilly and will be a good workout!

I'm optimistic that maybe I can at least shed 3 more lbs this week! I'm ready for it! BRING IT! ;)

My Exercise Plan Report: Day 3

Btw: I was SO stoked when I saw that THE Amy W. was now following me. She's like a celebrity to me or something. *SQUEEE* :)

Trying so Hard but Life gets in the Way
It is SO hard to exercise every day. My house is a WRECK because I've been exercising when I normally would be cleaning. Last night I had to stop by the grocery on the way home to get milk and a few other odds & ends. By the time I got home, put it all away, and changed clothes, my husband was home. Last night was the first night this week he got home on time, so I wanted to spend time with him. So, I did a quick little Gold's Gym thing where I mostly just tried to learn some of the routine and made some dinner so I could hang out with him.


2am Ideas
Then, in the middle of the night last night I had a GENIUS plan. Tonight I have to go see my mom and I wasn't going to have time to do my exercise routine, so I thought "at lunch, I'll take a walk...a really long walk. I'll grab my headphones and listen to music on my android and walk for 30 minutes and then turn around and come back."... It's a BEAUTIFUL day and it would have been awesome. I was going to leave early to avoid getting talked into lunch with everyone else, but I got tied up in this incredibly hectic day and I ended up getting talked into going with my cooworkers to have the $5 special at the pizza joint. I only ate like 2/3 of my slice but, I felt so guilty every time I put a greasy piece of pizza in my mouth.

Tonight
I have to pick my husband up from work because his car died. He's 1 hour away, so I've got 2 hours of car time to look forward to rather than exercise. THEN, I have to go to my moms. Ugh.

This weekend
Hopefully with the nice sunny weather and mild temps continuing, I can pull out those walking shoes. I have been dying to do that! This would be a perfect weekend too - the pine pollen has not yet begun to coat everything is a yellow-green dust!

My Exercise Plan Report: Day 2

Quick Update
Just a quicky update about my exercise plan so far. It was so rainy last night I just opted to Wii again. I did 30 minutes on the low step with the hand weights the entire time. Then I got out my Gold's Gym Dance Workout game and tried a bit of that again. It's hard, but the tutorials are good, so I can practice. Maybe that'll even get me coordinated enough for Zumba one day.

Swimsuit
I bought myself a new swimsuit. It was so weird to be able to go in Kmart and grab a size 22, it fit and looked good and I paid and left with it. Normally I have to order them in the LB/Romans Catalog and hoped that it would work.  After-the-fact, I realize I should have tried a size 20 - if it were comfortable enough, that would last me longer. I'm still not used to not grabbing the largest sizes they have! I still hunt for 28 or larger - it's surreal sometimes.

My Exercise Plan Report: Day 1

Thanks for all the support and commentary on my post yesterday. As promised, here is an update!

My test run with Zumba
I haven't gone to a class yet, but I went home last night and used the wii to bring up this YouTube video of an acutal Zumba class to see if I could follow along. Talk about discouraging. I could have cried. I suck. I just stood there with my jaw open trying to figure out what the hell to do. I couldn't get what was going on fast enough before they switched and some of the moves are just too hoppy for me and my knees. Plus, my feet don't slide across the floor with shoes on like these people's feet do. I guess it's because of the weight? But, I don't want to exercise in sock-feet. So, I brought up another video on YouTube that must be from the at home instructional DVD or something. It shows you a few moves slowly. I did better, but I still wasn't getting it. Maybe it was just because I was already feeling so defeated. Never-the-less, I really could have cried. Ugh. I wanna do the Zumba tho! It looks like fun, but I suck. :(

Back to Wii Fit
So, after sitting there feeling totally defeated for a while I got up  finally made it through 46 minutes of stepping. Only 10 of those were on the high step because my legs were all crampy yesterday for some reason.

Some New Gear
After my Wal*Mart Vision Center© appointment this morning, I found myself some new workout pants to replace all my old giant ones that don't fit anymore.  It's so hot here that I have to have capri-style. They only had those in the Misses sizes, but I held up a XL and it looked larger than an XL, tried it on and Lo & Behold they fit better than the 1X womens sized Danskins pants I tried on. Strange, huh? I also got these Danskin shoes for $25. I had been wanting to try the Sketchers, but they are so expensive! These fit really well and even though they are made with cheaper materials, they will last as long as I need them too. They are super cushioned and I like the way they just roll through when you step. Looking forward to trying them out on a walk! I got two pairs of capris, one shirt, and some shoes - I feel like it was $58.32 well spent. The next thing I need is a new water aerobics bathing suit!


Today's Plan
Since it's raining today, it'll have to be Wii at home or maybe a venture back to the gym if it's not stormy! If I stay at home with the wii, I plan to get out my Gold's Gym Dance game and give that another try too.

Trying to Formulate an Exercise Plan

Unused Resources
After yesterday's post, I looked at my gym's website and realized that I am not utilizing the best resource I have. I have many classes that I could participate in including water aerobics and Zumba. There is also a steam room, all kinds of machines, weights, and TVs hooked to everything. I should be using that to incorporate some variety despite the inconvenience.

I used to do water aerobics and really did enjoy it until, believe it or not, it began to hurt my knees. I should try the Zumba class too - I hear it's really crowded, but I just need to deal with it and get in there!

I think before I even think about a personal trainer (which is pretty expensive at my gym) I need to figure out how to make moving around fun for me. Maybe down the road, when I am a few pounds lighter, I can think about a trainer who can help me make sure I'm taking care of more than just my cardio.

My Plan
Over the next 2 weeks, I'm going to experiment with some different fun things like water aerobics, zumba, the gold's Gym dance workout for the wii that I have, and whenever daylight savings kicks in the park, and outdoor things. I'm going to try different activities and different routines (like taking workout clothes to work and walking around campus immediately after work). Maybe even see if I can wrangle up a buddy at work to do it too.

This is also going to help me find my "zone"- the place where I am pushing myself to work hard, but not pushing my knees so hard that I'm in pain. It's been so long since my knees have felt this good that I don't know what I am capable of anymore. I know I feel MUCH better, but I need to use these knees now that they have had a load taken off them.

After my experimental 2 week period, I'll formulate a weekly plan that includes 2 days where I do something other than the Wii workout at home. And my wii workout can vary to include the stepping and the Gold's Gym dance game I have. The good thing is, on rainy days or days when a plan falls through, I have a backup of the Wii at home.

I'll report my findings here! Thanks for everyone's input on my last post! Wish me luck ;) !