Ice is your Friend

My butt is sore, really sore. I woke up this morning trying to figure out why my butt is so sore. My hips are sore too and come to think about it, my lower back is sore. I went to the gym yesterday and did 45 minutes on the Precor Elliptical machine. This is not a new thing, doing cardio on the elliptical but I did change it up a bit. I squatted more and I also turned in my feet a few times to get an inner thigh burn. I also went backward for a while which I never do on that machine. I did bump up the level to a 9 and I am thinking that is what caused the back ache. Level 5 or 6 keeps the back ache away.

As I write this with a ice pack at my backside I think 10 or 15 years ago I would have never mulled over the reasons why I am sore or have aches. Yes, an exercise soreness is actually a good thing. I call it good because you know you did something to wake up or change up the way the muscles are working, they are very smart buggers. It is necessary to access why the back is sore because I do not want my back stressed to the point I can't exercise for a few days.

Ice is your friend, your ally, your amigo. It is very common to grab heat instead of ice. I used to make the mistake too plus it does feel much more soothing that ice. Heat actually tightens the muscles even further. Now, certain times moist heat is very effective. I use moist heat often but an injury to a muscle or wanting to decrease swelling and for my backaches, ice is the best bet. 20 minutes on an ice pack can alleviate much of your pain. 3 or 4 times a day and you are good to go. I have several cryotherapy ice packs left from knee surgery. I keep them in the freezer-ready to go.

Bright Future

Today, after over 30 years spending money on contacts and eye glasses, my husband had Lasik eye surgery. The procedure was very quick, we were in and out in less than and hour and a half. The actual eye procedure was done in less than 15 minutes. There was a big window from the waiting area to the operating area. I got to see Todd's big, blue eyeball on the big tv.

It is very hard for me to comprehend how a one laser machine can cut an eyeball while another can correct the vision. The doctor said the laser follows or rather tracks the patient's eye position up to 4,000 times per second. Typical pulses are 1 (mj) millijoule in 10 to 20 nanoseconds.

He was sent home in goggles and is in the basement resting, 'listening' to the 58 inch plasma tv. No reading or tv for a day or so and he is supposed to keep his eyes closed as much as possible. I felt sorry for him just lying there doing nothing with tears constantly coming down his face which is normal I guess. I handed him a 750 vicodin that I had left from knee surgery and gave him a glass of wine. He couldn't see so I didn't tell him it was a vicodin. He needs his rest.....and I need to finish a paper.

Apples and Pears

Thank you Shonda (not Shawnda) for the inspiration for this blog. Your comment on my Blog post A Manly Rant got me thinking. This isn’t per se an exploration of fitness after forty but your body shape tends to stay with you along life’s path so I think it is relative.

Generally, the taller you are the easier it is to hide the weight. I am 5’8” and I have to admit I can hide 5 pounds better than my 5’3” sister. My girlfriend is short and stout but not fat. She refers to herself as a “ten pound pack in a five pound sack.” Body builders tend to weigh more than their lean bodies present due to the extensive amount of lean muscle mass.

Some people are big but not really overweight. Consider when a magazine does an article examining different body shapes. The women used for the models are of the same weight but due to body shape, height and bone structure, the comparisons are quiet drastic. I get much enjoyment from the models that are heavier than they look!

The distribution of your body weight can affect your health. Consider the basic body shapes labeled Apples and Pears. Apple shapes carry most of their weight above the waist while the pear shapes carries most of their weight below the waist. Apples are prone to more health risks because their weight is located in the stomach area which surrounds the internal organs. Pear shapes carry most of their weight below the waist. Pears are prone to cellulite and varicose veins. Over the years they have touted diets geared for these fruity shapes. It is really quite interesting. Check out this link for more information about apple and pear shapes. http://www.brainyweightloss.com/apple-body-shape.html

A Manly Rant

Face, it ladies, men can lose weight faster than women.

All my husband has to do is keep his hands out of a bag of chips for a week and he can lose weight. Men as they age, have the same challenges with losing weight as women but they still can lose faster.

Men as they age get bellies, women usually get bigger in the hips and thighs. Men are usually more muscular than woman and need extra calories to sustain them throughout their day. I listed a few sample menus for women in my last blog. I will add a link for a 2000 calorie diet for men which seems suitable for an over 40 male to burn fat.

Men tend to get atrophy quickly. I am guessing it is because they carry more muscle mass than women. I usually notice shoulders on men. Older men that are not lifting weights or not doing pushups usually get that rounded, scrawny, shoulder look. Normally their legs stay the same-not fair. Women see an increase in cellulite and it is usually on the upper thighs-ugh.

Most men as they age tend to grow a belly. Some men are not concerned and they pat and rub the bellies proudly. Worse, when the women pat and rub the bellies and say things like ‘just more of you to love.’ Yuck! I don’t want a man with a belly and I don’t expect him to want me to have one either. If I had a big old belly, I couldn’t imagine any gratification in rubbing it or patting it either.

Most men working on losing weight can also put on a casual dress shirt (untucked) a stylish pair of jeans, cool shoes and they look great-thus hiding a belly. Most likely these same men would wear the same outfit when they lost the weight anyway! It is a lot harder for women to hide their bloat or fat especially if they are trying to stay fashionable. I am not going to go out in an oversized oxford shirt of my husband’s just to hide a belly or a big butt. Maybe it is just me because big and baggy is not my thing.

http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/bellyfatmen.shtml

http://www.menshealth.com/men/weight-loss

Sculpt your Abs - Core Fusion Style!

Finding the Grip

After whining and obsessing over trivial personal indulgences, I have decided to get a grip. No, seriously, a real grip. Not a promise until the next time I see a weekend bag of cheetos. I have decided that I am going to track my progress on this blog. I know it is of no one else’s concern if I am successful but I feel it may be the thing to motivate me to lose ten pounds.

My goal is twofold. First, this class will be over in under 4 weeks and secondly my family is taking a houseboat vacation with 3 other families to Lake Cumberland. Five days of living in a bathing suit, boating, jet skiing and did I mention the bathing suit part? The four weeks left in this class are going to fly by with the amount of work involved in this short course. If I could set a goal of 2 pounds per week or even if it slows to 1 pound per week and I end up losing 5 or 6 REAL pounds it will make for a better, happier me on the boat trip.

1600 calories seems to be the magic number for me. I am attempting to post a link or two that list’s examples of a day’s worth of meal at 1600 calories. I probably will not match the diet, they get too detailed but will substitute and keep it close. It gives me a guideline. A person not exercising would not lose weight at 1600 calories which seems crazy to me. When you add 3-5 days of exercise to this caloric intake to get results of fat being burned. I exercise 3-5 times per week. I should be good, right?

Exercising is easy and fun and yes sweaty and hard work but I get up most mornings and go to the gym before 8 a.m. It seems a no brainer most days. I wonder why I can’t have this no brainer attitude with food.

http://www.freedieting.com/low_cal_meals.htm

http://www.freedieting.com/1600_calorie_diet.ht

http://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/1200_Calorie_Diet

I am rethinking 1600 calories. I want simple so I am really liking the 1200 calorie diet.

I can add a few hundred calories to it if I feel I need it.

Losing the Grip

Oh my. I did it again. I said I wasn't going to eat or drink too much this long weekend. I started off good as usual but by the 3rd day in I was craving the picnic fare and eating all the terrible things I try so hard not to eat. I know that my stomach can't take it because it is not used to trying to digest all the crap I put into it this weekend. I am tired, cranky, and bloated. I know this will be the outcome so why on certain weekends I do it anyway?

Gone all weekend to soccer tournaments with two kids. Driving between Akron and Cleveland to watch them play in a rented RV because of the new puppy. Driving on the road, and eating on the road makes it harder for me to focus on eating properly. Sure, I brought the fruit and whole grain cereal but after a day and night watching the German Men's league soccer team (my son plays goalie off season with this team) and saying Prost too many times, the next day I craved the cheetos and hotdogs and hamburgers and more. I just gave in. No fight. No consideration when I got home yesterday to make a light meal, nope, kept right on eating.

At some point I tell myself I am sick of thinking about thinking about it. So I have at it when the reality is I feel 10 times more miserable after I indulge than not doing it at all. Some people can eat and eat and stay skinny, some people eat and eat and it shows, I fight hard to keep a balance of both but I know if would give up the weekend fun I could loss 10 pounds. I feel unhappy in tight clothes and I refuse to buy big baggy items just to feel comfortable in my hour of gluttony. Besides, the comfy cozy pants give me a false sense of comfort and when I put the jeans or shorts back on I feel even worse.