Month-End Review, March

X marks the exercise spot and I exercised for 27 days. Yay! Here's how the calories were burned:

10 Minute Solution: 5 Day Get Fix Mix

Cardio Kickboxing, 1 x

Power Yoga, 1 x

10 Minute Solution: Belly, Butt & Thigh Blasters!

Better Booty Camp, 1 x

Belly Flab Fighter, 1 x

10 Minute Solution: Dance your body Thin!

Smooth & Sexy Moves, 6 x's

Dance Toner, 2 x's

Get Fit Club Mix, 1 x

Cardio Dance Party, 1 x

Ballet Sculpt, 1 x

10 Minute Solution: Fitness Ball Workouts

Firm Flat Abs, 1 x

Ultra Stretch, 1 x

10 Minute Solution: KnockOut Body!

Knockout Body Blast, 1 x

Fierce & Fabulous Abs, 1 x

10 Minute Solution: Tone Trouble Zones!

Stretching, 3 x's

Adaptive Motion Trainer, 1 x


Cardio and Muscle Class, 4 x's


Personal Training with Jackie: Power Circuit Training

15-Minute: Abs Only Circuit, 1 x

15-Minute Total Body Circuit, 1 x

P90X

Ab Ripper, 2 x's

Cardio X, 1 x

Rock Climbing, 6 x's

Stair Climbing (Out and Indoors), 6 x's

StairMaster, 1 x

Swimming, 2 x's

Treadmill, 3 x's

Walking (Outdoors & Lazy River) 8 x's

I'm most proud of the fact that I set out to drink eight glasses of a water a day and got in a total of 249.5 cups during the month of March.

Erin Gudeux from Consumer Reports Health Blog had me chuckling when she said that she is more likely to climb Mt. Everest than get in the newly recommended 60 minutes of exercise for women over 40. Well, duh, Erin; you'd have to be in great shape to climb Mt. Everest. So, go ahead and get in that 60...


Disclosure: I received the following videos without charge: 10 Minute Solution: 5 Day Get Fit Mix, Belly, Butt & Thigh Blasters! KnockOut Body! and Personal Training with Jackie.

Month-End Review, February

I feel like I had a pretty good month exercise-wise. I've gained two pounds but my clothes are loose.

I was unbelievably moved by something that post-surgery Miggy from The Biggest Loser said on episode six:

I'm going to give it all that I have then I'm gonna give it all that I don't have.

Whenever I find extra time to exercise, I'm going to do it and I'll continue to monitor my food intake as well.

Here's how I exercised this month:


10 Minute Solution: Tone Trouble Zones! (Stretching), 9 x's

Basic Yoga Workout for Dummies, Intermediate Level, 1 x

Cardio and Muscle Class, 4 x's

Muscle Works Class, 1 x

Rock Climbing, 7 x's

StairMaster, 3 x's

Step Class, 1 x

Swimming, 4 x's

Treadmill (with bouts of jogging), 5 x's

Walking in Lazy River, 2 x's

Walking Outdoors, 1 x

Eyes On The Thighs

I was heading out to lunch to have my usual turkey sandwich, hummus, Wasa crackers and baked chips when one of my colleagues pulled out of the alley. I've worked with her for over five years but she said, at that moment, she almost didn't recognize me, wanted to know how much weight I had lost and couldn't believe that I wanted to lose more weight (a recurring theme lately).

Sometimes I forget how much weight I've lost but, yes, I have lost a significant amount of weight but being up close and personal with the mirror yesterday was also a reality check. My BMI is still in the obese range and I still have some heft to contend with but contend with I will.

I took it to the StairMaster today -- sore behind and all. I climbed for 45 minutes, came home and stretched for ten then soaked with some Epsom Salt in the mix.

Speaking of contenders, I love this Dayquil commercial featuring Apolo Ohno. I also have a thing for super heroes. Possibly my need to believe that good conquers all...



I love the thighs on the speed skaters and I love to watch them do that side exercise they do, with and without the special belt that is used. And here's a video that showcases what it takes to be an Olympic speed skater which, in the end, just makes me want to push myself harder.



If the video doesn't work, here's the link .

The Kinks Worked Themselves Out

I had plans to go swimming but just looking at the snow on the ground made me shiver. Don't believe the hype about those indoor pools being heated.

The snow made me wonder if I should stay at home or go.

I hit the gym around 7:20 or so and decided to hop on the StairMaster which is not the most logical choice after you've done back-to-back days of rock climbing. My hip flexors protested but the kinks worked themselves out after about five minutes.

My goal was 45 minutes and whenever I have a StairMaster goal like that, I hone in on this yellow poster directly in my line of vision:

Ask Us How To Enhance Your Goals

I focus on that poster the way I pick an item to focus on when I'm doing the tree pose. I like how this cross-training thing works.

But even with my focus, I started to buckle with about 13 minutes left. I have a new MP3 player and it has a Go List, a very appropriate title methinks.


A few songs on my go list:

Bad, Michael Jackson
Super Bad, James Brown
World, Hold On, Bob Sinclair

By this time, I'm telling myself all manner of things. I'm bad, hold on. Yadda Yadda Yaddda.

My car was pretty much clear of snow when I went into the gym and here's what it accumulated while I was working out.



And here's a little video that I took at the world's longest stoplight.



My stats:

490 calories, allegedly burned
180 floors, allegedly climbed
Level 7, Highest (Average 5)
Total Time, 60 minutes

No wonder I popped my head as I was getting into my car.

Corkscrewed

I decided to go to Step class at Bally which has a huge exercise studio. I was surprised that there were only about ten people in attendance but I should not have been since the guy that was teaching the class was dispassionate, detached and barely involved. Honestly, I had to look at other participants to try and mimic the steps. As an added bonus, the routine was way out of my league.

I tried to hang in there because I don't like quitting but the grapevine and marching were the only steps that I could pick up. By the time he called for the corkscrew, I knew that I was done. I was in the opposite direction of the class so many times that it was beyond awkward. I've never even walked out of a boot camp class, but I walked out tonight.

Dude did say that it was an advanced class and that it would be hard to catch on the first time. He was talking to me because everyone else had obviously been to practice. I felt like I was on Dancing With The Stars but no one had paired me with a professional. On the group exercise schedule it said nothing about the class being advanced. The code simply said CWL (Cardiovascular/Weight Loss).

I got on a StairMaster, turned on my MP3 player, hit manual, entered level four then put in 40 minutes. Once I had attained my goal, I just decided to stay on the StairMaster and get the rest of my frustration out. I ended up doing 60 minutes and 157 floors and I can feel it all in my abs.

Sock Shortage

As I was packing my gym bag, I noticed a sock shortage. I finally put together a pair but couldn't believe that I was down to the undesirables i.e. the mismatched along with the ones that need to be darned.

I have about 30 pairs of socks but most of them are currently residing in the hamper. You know what that means? Yes, I need to buy more socks. Of course not. I have enough irregular Nike socks with the swoop in the front and/or back and my real gems -- comfortable Champion socks that I found at Big Lots.

I thought about taking back-to-back classes even though my glutei are quite sore. I didn't nix the idea completely until I saw that the class, Drills to Make You Sweat, was packed. The step platforms made the space even more compact so it wasn't as bearable as the crowded Cardio and Muscle that I took yesterday.

Despite the sore glutei and tender hamstrings, I hopped on a StairMaster and went for 47 minutes (six for cooling down). I climbed 141 floors with an average level of five.

My goal is to, eventually, stay on the StairMaster without stopping for 60 minutes.

When I got home, I did the stretch portion of 10 Minute Solution: Tone Trouble Zones! As always, stretching felt very good and I already feel less sore.

For Dinner? Leftover Senegalese Peanut Stew that I made on Sunday. There was a whole lot of chopping going on but it was totally worth it. A clichéd symphony (cayenne, cloves, garlic & ginger) of flavors, I tell you.

You Should Be Drinking Not Climbing or Month-End Review, December

One of my friends was taunting me by waving a bowl of Hershey's chocolate in my vicinity; she, essentially, beckoned me in a voice that said chill out about the sweet stuff.

I decided to retaliate in my own little way and asked her if she wanted to go rock climbing after our half day at work. She looked at me in horror when another associate actually voiced his horror. You should be drinking not climbing. Oh well, to each his or her own.

Plus, the taunter failed to realize that Hershey's would not make me cave. Kinder Bueno? Yes. Hershey's? No...

As I was belaying for Jessica, one of the Upper Limits folks came to give us the countdown to closure. What? We thought the gym was closing at 4 p.m. instead of 2 p.m. Can you say rock climbing interruptus?

Before I left the gym, though, I was able to make it up the 5.8 Face Plant route. So, I'm able to climb that route on every other outing. Ha.

I headed to the bank with the intention of going from there straight to the gym and squeaking in because, clearly, I hadn't worked out enough but, dang it, I didn't have my tennis shoes.

I headed by the house, ate a few Wasa crackers and hummus and headed back out. When I got to the gym, there were no signs about early closure and I was told that there would be no early closure. Hmmm, I could potentially play Biggest Loser contestant and really get my exercise in today.

When I got to the locker room, I discovered that I did not have my MP3 player. Ironically, I did not have the energy to put on my street clothes and go back to the car to retrieve my tunes. I blame my misplaced MP3 player on too many bags: bag with rock climbing gear, bag with work gear and another gym bag with my regular workout stuff. I did a little self-talk and told myself that I could gut it out for at least 30 minutes without the television or music. Almost the whole time, It Takes Two, was on loop in my head. It's all the fault of that goofy little flick, The Proposal.

Here's how things played out this month. I deliberately set aside more time for stretching which felt good...

10 Minute Solution: Fitness Ball Workouts (Upper Body), 1 x

10 Minute Solution: Kickbox Bootcamp (Fat Burning Blast), 1 x

10 Minute Solution: Tone Trouble Zones! (Stretching), 3 x's

10 Minute Solution: Yoga (Flexibility and Relaxation), 1 x

Adaptive Motion Trainer, 3 x's

Crunch: Candlelight Yoga, 1 x

Drills To Make You Sweat (Class), 1 x

Rock Climbing, 6 x's

StairMaster, 3 x's

Stationary Bike, 1 x

Step and Muscle (Class), 3 x's

Swimming, 6 x's

Treadmill (with bouts of jogging), 14 x's

Best sound of the day: Primal screams from a female lead climber as she made an ascent.

Honorable mention: Me. I'm told that I was making Serena Williams-like sounds going up the Face Plant route.

Phrase of the day: Amazonian Toes -- a male to his female friend after a discussion about rock climbing shoes.


And the song of the day?????????

24 Hour Fitness

I decided to get a seven day pass to 24 Hour Fitness and chose the Arnold, MO facility since it has a pool.

I didn’t know it but the 24 Hour Fitness closest to me is a 24 Hour Fitness Active and the one in Arnold is a sport type. I would love to see a Super Sport or Ultra Sport 24 Hour club. The sport one is happening and I can only imagine what kind of toys the ultra sport one possesses.

The immediate downside of choosing the Arnold location is that it is about 20 miles away -- quite a bit of travel time when your fitness regimen is already like secondary employment.

Plentiful -- that’s how I would describe 24 Hour Fitness Sport. It’s like a huge freakin’ playground with a full length basketball court, weight machines for as far as the eye can see, a saltwater pool, whirlpool, sauna and steam room. It’s well worth the $31.99 charge per month. For a few dollars more, you can have access to all clubs across the country.

There’s plenty of cardio equipment and plenty of lockers. The locker room, by the way, has two flat screen televisions along with ample showers and the locker area is so spacious that you never feel crowded.

I got beside myself last night and hit the rowing machine, StairMaster, basketball court and pool.

The warning on the rowing machine had me cracking up:

Abuse of the chain can cause injury. Really?

I’m not much of a class person but I did participate in a water aerobics class. The instructor didn’t rock my world like the one and only Combat Judy that was at Bally’s but it was sufficient. I really dug the bicycle maneuver. You take a noodle and ride it the length of the pool. I also liked the boxing moves: jabs, uppercuts, etc.

Why do people claim that their pools are heated? 24 Hour's pool was chilly just like the others.

On any given day, it was so nice to hit the pool then the whirlpool followed by a warm shower with oatmeal lavender soap provided by 24 Hour. I kept thinking that a dormitory would make 24 Hour Fitness the complete experience because all I really wanted to do was hit the bed instead of drive home especially after the warmness of the whirlpool.

I do have to say that the employees are persistent, um, stalker-like. I told them, at the beginning, that I belonged to another club (minus the contract) and that I was looking at other facilities. I received call after call about appointments I had made (not). Two other friends also signed up and they received the same stalker treatment.

You have a great club, 24 Hr Fitness, but there’s a fine line between salesmanship and harassment.

I Was Ray Allen

I rowed, climbed, swam and I was Ray freakin' Allen. I was hitting so many three pointers that I shrugged à la Michael Jordan. I want someone to vote for me so that I can participate in the NBA's All Star game -- the three point shootout, please.



I did layups to burn more calories and felt like the joggler. Maybe because the joggler's been on my mind since I spotted him in Forest Park.

I had a funky fitness adventure y'all but, dang, I just got home and I am the fitness equivalent of intoxicated.

‘Drea Minus 60 (Allowances Included)

It took me two years plus six and half months to do it but I finally reached my 60 pound weight loss goal.

My aunt Al, cousin and I were sitting around talking about weight loss. My cousin has recently gotten back in the gym and wants to lose a significant amount of weight to which my Aunt Al said, If I lost 50 pounds, I wouldn’t tell anyone.

At first, I thought it was the usual tactic of not airing one’s dirty laundry but I see my Aunt Al’s point of view.

Sixty pounds is a lot and it signals excess but I’m glad that I’m letting the excess skeleton out of the closet.

When the Bernie Madoff scandal hit, there was a great deal of commentary but only one essay, Geneen Roth’s I was fleeced by Madoff stuck with me.


In the essay, Roth talks about how 30 years of retirement savings went down the drain. She also talks about her decision to be a waitress and maid in order to buy time to write poetry.

Over and over again, I've asked myself: Why didn't I secure the most basic of all things -- shelter itself? Why didn't I pay off my mortgage? And if I don't engage in blame, I see the answer clearly: because I believed in something else more -- I believed in accumulating. And when you believe in accumulating, you see what you don't have, not what you have. My relationship to money was no different from my relationship to food, to love, to fabulous sweaters: I never felt as if I had enough. I was always focused on the bite that was yet to come, not the one in my mouth. I was focused on the way my husband wasn't perfect, not the way he was. And on the sweater I saw in the window, not the one in my closet that I hadn't worn for a year.

Roth’s essay moved me in so many ways but it was also a reminder not to excessively consume food or worry.

In trying to reach my 60 pound milestone during the past two months, I became aggravated because the scale would head north then south then north -- always one pound or two shy of 60. I couldn’t believe my tactics of exercising longer and drinking more water weren’t working. I knew that I had more weight to lose. So, why wasn’t it coming off? In addition, I was literally counting what I was putting in my mouth while making allowances for my recurrent snacking.

What I lost sight of in the last few months was the fact that I’m in great shape. I can tell by my 40 minute stints on the StairMaster. Before, I had to stop the machine and, now, I don’t need to take a break. I’m swimming more laps and I’m better at rock climbing.

I forgot that my body works superbly and has supported me with the excess weight and it has supported me as I’ve gone through the process of shedding the excess weight too. I have practically been on a non-stop regimen for over 800 days.

I forgot about the simple joy of being in motion and reacquainting myself with the athlete that I left behind so long ago.

I was also reminded to be grateful by several bloggers’ Love Your Body Day posts:

FAT!Fat!FAT!—it’s all talk

Exposed: Why I Love My Body

Hopefully, as I continue this journey, I won’t lose sight of the fact that I feel healthier and I’m in a good place – even when the scale is teetering back and forth.

Month-End Review, October

10 Minute Solution: Fitness Ball Workouts (Upper Body), 2 x's

10 Minute Solution: Kickbox Bootcamp (Fat Burning Blast), 1 x

Adaptive Motion Trainer, 1 x

Army Crawls with Weights, 3 x's

Bicycling, 5 x's

Elliptical Trainer, 1 x

Mowing Lawn, 1 x

StairMaster, 6 x's

Stationary Bike, 1 x

Swimming, 9 x's

Treadmill (with bouts of jogging), 15 x's

Yard Work, 2 x's

Lesson Of The Month: If you haven't done upper body work in awhile, don't go swimming as planned the next day.

High Note Of The Month: I swam 29 laps today; I'm getting closer and closer to a mile.


After reading this poll in the October issue of Fitness magazine, I thought about my gym behavior.

I'm solid with wiping down the machines even though I've read that the solution that is used doesn't really sanitize the machines.

I had to think about the hogging machine question. I belong to a gym that is like the Wal-mart of gyms. The one I go to after work is large, has plenty of cardio equipment and there is not a time limit on how long you can occupy a machine. I tend to spend an hour or, at least, 30 minutes if I'm splitting my time on machines. So, I'll say no to the machine hogging.

I've had the urge to sing plenty of times when I'm really feeling my workout or trying to make it over a difficult hump. I restrain myself 95% of the time but I have sung quietly. At least, I hope it was quietly.

I try to be courteous of other people because I know that it annoys me when someone breaks out in an ultra-loud conversation on their cell phone at the gym -- especially after having listened to cell phone conversations at work and in public for the bulk of the day. It's almost as annoying as a gum popper on the next machine.

Cheese or Milk?

Over the years, people have suggested soaking in warm water and Epsom salt to ease muscle soreness. I never questioned the method but didn't really know why Epsom salt was a balm until I was reading the September Shape.

Your skin absorbs the magnesium in the salts, which reduces muscle swelling.

Of course, I have no need for Epsom salt with this being my tenth consecutive day of exercise. I didn't even know if I would have anything in the tank today but I hit the StairMaster for 40 minutes then I got on the treadmill for 25 minutes with four minutes of jogging.

Another item of interest that I saw in Shape was a got milk? ad featuring Dara Torres. I've seen the ad several times and the cheesy vibe that I get won't go away. I dig Dara Torres. I like her comeback story and love that she was out there doing her thing with people half her age but when I look at other got milk? ads, I wonder what the photographer had in mind. It's something about the way Torres is positioned that doesn't make for an authentic or captivating pose. Yeah, her taut stomach and subtle six pack is awesome but...







P.S. Massage can also offer relief according to Fast Relief For Post-Workout Aches in the Shape Ask Our Trainer column. I'm definitely going to take that suggestion to heart.

Month-End Review, September

September will go down as the month in which my workouts were more varied. I was flipping through an old journal and was reminded about how I used to hit the workout DVDs much more. I got out my kickbox bootcamp DVD and it was just what I needed for, at least, one day this month to be reminded that it's not just about working out but also how much effort you put into the workout.

10 Minute Solution: Fitness Ball Workouts (Upper Body), 7 x's

10 Minute Solution: Kickbox Bootcamp (Basic Training), 1 x

10 Minute Solution: Kickbox Bootcamp (Fat Burning Blast), 1 x

Adaptive Motion Trainer, 2 x's

Army Crawls with Weights, 5 x's

Bicycling, 8 x's

Elliptical Trainer, 1 x

Mowing Lawn, 1 x

Rock Climbing, 1 x

Shooting Hoops, 1 x

Squats, 1 x

StairMaster, 4 x's

Swimming, 8 x's

Treadmill, 5 x's

Walking (Outdoors), 7 x's

Yard Work, 1 x

Bosnian Hospitality

I asked for a few cookies because I couldn't resist. Plus, I know the cook and she is good odlično (excellent). A few cookies ended up being about five pounds plus some potato (krompir) pita.




I just stared at the dessert plate, which should have come with police caution tape, and tried to summon all of my self-control because I know that I'm capable of diving in without surfacing for awhile.

Today's my birthday, though, and I'm going to have a few b-day cookies, especially since I spent some time on the StairMaster this morning.

Month-End Review, August

I exercised by the following methods this month:

10 Minute Solution: Fitness Ball, Upper Body Workout, 5 x's

10 Minute Solution: Tone Trouble Zones!, Butt & Thigh Blaster, 1 x

Arc Trainer, 1 x

,

AMT, 1 x

Bicycling, 8 x's

EFX, 1 x

Mowing Lawn, 2 x's

Rock Climbing, 2 x's

Stairmaster, 5 x's

Swimming, 9 x's

Treadmill, 1 x

Walking, 2 x's

I also drank over 100 cups of water. Yay!

Rx For Anger

All day long I thought about what exercise to do. Bicycling? Swimming? I seldom do back-to-back swim sessions though. The gym was one of my last options and I started to think about how I'm becoming a gym cliché -- someone who pays for a membership and doesn't go. I was thinking that I need to find a solution - a gym with a swimming pool maybe and stop nickel and diming my resources. My cousin told me not to worry -- that I would probably head indoors once it got too cold to bicycle.

My cardio got decided for me when this bi heifer made me angry, nay, furious.

Dena and Her Rats II by Rhonda Manning

I went out of my way to go to a gym with a StairMaster. I signed up for 30 minutes, turned on the MP3 and didn't stop until I had climbed 100 floors. Next, I got on the treadmill and, just to get the anger completely out of my system, I did a few kickbacks, lateral raises and shoulder presses.

I'm all better now.

Month-End Review, July

During July, I signed up for my first sprint triathlon and, in doing so, discovered that I loved bicycling. The last bicycle that I had was stolen ages ago and I just never had the desire to buy another one. Now, I'm hooked and I'll make sure that I keep the bike locked up.

I also broke through a plateau and I'm looking forward to reaching another milestone -- losing 60 pounds sometime in the near future. Here's how I got physical this month:

10 Minute Solution: Fitness Ball Workouts (Upper Body): 4 x's

10 Minute Solution: Tone Trouble Zones: (10 Minute Stretch): 1 x

AMT: 3 x's

Bicycling: 8 x's

Bowling: 1 x

Mowing Lawn: 1 x

StairMaster: 7 x's

Stationary Bike: 3 x's

Swimming: 7 x's

Treadclimber: 4 x's

Treadmill: 3 x's

Walking: 1 x

English to English Translation

Original Document

Chiquita (cousin): So, what are you going to do next?

Me: *Shrug* I don't know.

Al (Aunt): Maybe sit yourself down.


Translated Text

Chiquita: So, what are you going to do next with your crazy self?

Me: I don't know yet since the most recent Fleet Fleet Sports newsletter has not come out.

Al: You need to sit your ass down somewhere.

Translator's Notes:

Honestly, after work today, I felt like I needed to go sit myself down somewhere; I didn't feel like doing much of anything. The irony of it all is that the StairMaster will make you leave that 9-to-5 up on the shelf and, after sitting practically all day, exercise is not only needed but gives me a boost of energy.

About 25 minutes into a 40 minute stint on a stationary bike (random hill mode), Bob Sinclair's song came up in my MP3 shuffle rotation and all I could say to myself was "'Drea, Hold On."

Month-End Review, June

I felt like I was in the zone this month. I was so on automatic with going to the gym and losing weight that I was caught by surprise during rock climbing when I discovered that my stamina had improved. The last time that I had gone climbing was in January and I was feeling that it was just too much to pull myself up a wall.

I'm in shape and even my left arm is stronger; I could hardly tote larger items with my left hand and now I can.

I've rediscovered the stairmaster and I no longer have to pause the machine to catch my breath. My cardio was quite varied this month and, through it all, I had a blast.

10 Minute Solution: Fitness Ball Workout, Upper Body, 3 x's

EFX, 1 x

Elliptical Trainer, 5 x's

Mowing Lawn, 2 x's

Rock Climbing, 1 x

Shooting Hoops, 1 x

Stairmaster, 6 x's

Stationary Bike, 9 x's

Swimming, 12 x's

Treadclimber, 10 x's

Treadmill, 3 x's

Yard Work, 2 x's


Workout Song Of The Month: P-Funk's Flash Light

Today's Cardio Selections

The stairmaster works me over like no other machine and I definitely had room for comparison today. I started out on a stationary bike, moved to the elliptical trainer then took on the stairmaster. I finished up with the treadclimber for a total of 65 minutes of exercise.

After leaving the gym, I prepped my camera to take this photo. Once I hit Market St., I knew that I would see The Arch which is quite the spectacle from Market or from anywhere downtown as a matter of fact.


Don't worry. There were really no cars around except for one many, many car lengths away. Still, I didn't want to linger and that's why I ended up getting STL's version of a leaning tower.

The weather is amazing. This morning the heat was stifling but as I left the gym around 7 p.m., I had my windows down and it felt good. I did a little yard work since yard waste pick-up is tomorrow. During those 25 minutes, I found out that the heat was not completely gone.