| Bring It! |
[Jul. 17th, 2007|02:12 pm] |
Some of you may be wondering why Rich and I sound like a P90X infomercial lately, but it’s simply because the program really works. It’s awful and wonderful and it hurts and it really really works. Rich suggested that I write about my experience so far and so I’m carving out this time during Isabella’s noontime nap to do so.
I’ve always struggled with my body image and, more importantly, my complete lack of coordination, physical fitness, and athleticism. I lost a lot of weight right before my wedding and kept it off for a year until I got pregnant and started eating like a maniac. Now I’m not for a moment suggesting that women should diet or avoid weight gain during pregnancy- the health of your baby should always come first. But I gained over 50 pounds, which is well beyond the recommended guideline of 25-35 lbs (and is even more significant in my case considering that my daughter was below average weight at birth). The weight gain made the last two months of pregnancy really difficult to handle; I suffered from chronic lower back pain and was plagued by sleep problems. As concerns about Isabella’s health began to arise in my last trimester, I responded to the growing levels of stress by eating even more. At nine months pregnant I weighed 192 pounds.
So I had my beautiful baby who, except for some minor problems unrelated to her small size, turned out to be perfectly healthy. I gave my body about a month to return to normal before tackling the weight issue. At this point, it turned out, I weighed about 171 pounds. Now what?
So I started working out and eating smaller portions of food. And I began to lose weight slowly. But I didn’t quite feel good. I was hungry between my sensible meals and the drop in my blood sugar deprived me of the energy I needed to take care of my daughter. Plus I was eating pretty much the same things everyday, which caused me to wonder how soon before I got bored and went back to old bad habits.
When Rich mentioned the P90X program to me, I was more than skeptical. It sounded way too intense and when would I ever find the time to do all that? But I was feeling really insecure about how I looked (not only about my weight, but also about the stretch marks and, well I won’t even go into what pregnancy does to your boobs) so I thought that I could at least give it a try. Besides, it seemed like a good way to motivate my husband to work out, too, something that I’ve been trying to do for years.
I opted to do the P90X Lean version-less resistance training and more emphasis on cardio and weight loss. I weighed 151 when I started. The first week was hell. The second week was slightly better. The third week I started to enjoy it. I am now on day 24 (out of 90) and I’m so happy I’ve made it this far. I now weigh 145 pounds and have lost inches off my waist and hips. I won’t go into too much detail about the exercises because I think Rich has covered that pretty well, but here are a few things that surprised me:
1. I can eat healthy and enjoy it. I was really skeptical about following the diet plan at first, but I decided that since I was going to work out this hard, I’m not going to blow it all to hell by eating junk food. I used to tell myself that I couldn’t eat healthy because I don’t like vegetables, so why bother? Well, I discovered that I was wrong on several counts. First, while I hate onions and all the variations thereof, there are plenty of vegetables that I do like, for example: carrots, peas, corn, beets, asparagus, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, mushrooms, bok choy, string beans, cabbage, lettuce, squash, and more! I also found out that a healthy diet does not have to be boring or tasteless. In recent weeks, I’ve made split pea soup, turkey meatloaf, tomato soup, BBQ pork and broccoli stir fry, lowfat chicken pot pie, some fun fruit salads and a few delicious fruit smoothies. Some of the recipes I found online, some I came up with on my own. I also started experimenting with spices as a way adding flavor to foods as opposed to butter or oil. I’ve found that I enjoy cooking much more that I had expected. It can even be a relaxing way to end a stressful day.
2. My skin looks better than ever. Yes, it’s true, exercising and eating healthy really does make a difference in your appearance. I’ve had skin problems for a long time, including acne, dull complexion, blotchiness, and lingering marks from past breakouts. I would hardly dare leave the house with foundation and a thick layer of powder. But I noticed a marked change in the past couple of weeks. Not only are my breakouts less frequent and less severe, but my skin is more radiant and my acne marks have started to fade more quickly. In fact, I have gone out several times wearing just mascara and lipgloss and felt pretty damn good about it.
3. I can do a push-up! Yes, I was once a pathetic lump who could not do a single push-up. Now I can do more each week and I can get lower every time. I can also do some twisty yoga things that I would have never thought possible and this week I was able to do Wheel! I love the measurable progress in my strength, flexibility, and balance.
4. I have a bicep! Two, actually. And some killer calves. And there are wonderful things happening in my abdominal area of which I dare not speak lest I scare them away.
5. I’m a better parent. I decided that if I want my daughter to be healthy, and I do, then I need to lead by example. After all, how I can I teach her good eating habits if I lack them myself? How can I expect her to be fit and active when I fail to do the same? And I want to be there for her when she grows up, which means taking care of myself now. And that’s the greatest motivation of all.
6. I’m looking forward to going shopping. Okay, that’s pretty much always true- I love to shop. But I discovered some really great stores while I was pregnant and could not reasonably engage in this activity, particularly Forever 21 and Steve and Barry’s. Now I’m really looking forward to getting a cute back to school wardrobe at reasonable price and without having to worry about camouflaging my hips.
7. I’m really, really happy! And I don’t just mean because of the post-exercise endorphins (although those feel so good!). Working out and eating well has really improved my sleep and my moods. And it just feels good to be doing something positive for my body, my health, and my family.
So perhaps you actually read all this and are now thinking: “This sounds good, but I really don’t have time for this or any other exercise regimen.” Well, who does? I spend all day taking care of a three-month old, I cook dinner every night, vacuum every day (we have two cats whose composition is as follows: 98% hair, 2% cat), and devote at least an hour a day to learning Arabic. But I still make time to do this everyday. It’s not easy, and there are some crazy, hectic days when I’d just rather skip it. But I work hard to fit it anyway, even if it means getting up at 5am once in awhile. Because it’s that important. And it works. And it’s worth it. |
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