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I'm still behind, but I wanted to take just a minute to expand on this morning's post.

I do not watch The Biggest Loser. I have always thought it was unsafe, the way they push the contestants in exercise. Last season I tried to watch it, saw the first two or three episodes, including the one where the woman passed out and was hospitalized. Then the coach, wasn't he in the hospital, too? Proved my point to myself: unsafe.

And don't get me started on Jillian. (Wouldn't she be beautiful if she would wipe the smirk off her face and stand up straight instead of pushing her slanted pelvis at us?) (YES, I can be snarky.)

I was curious about the science behind it. Dr. Huizenga's book does not have The Biggest Loser on the cover as all the rest of TBL stuff does. I bought it because I was intrigued.

He has people starting off by walking an hour outside in the morning with the intention of them building up to a jog and run. He lives in Malibu. I invite him to come to Minnesota and start his program in January. Ha! The evenings he gives them their choice of cardio and strength training on alternating days.

I never, ever, ever, ever could have done this a few months ago. I think it would have been very unsafe for me. I have been building up to this--and I can do it now. I'm tired, but the hardest part is figuring out the timing of it all. I don't like early morning exercise--I tried real hard, but it just isn't for me. So I'm doing mid-morning workouts and then late afternoon/early evening so I give my body enough recovery time. So had I bought his book when I weighed 282.5 and jumped right in--it would have killed me. lol

Another thing is that while I do visit my doctor, have blood work, etc., my doctor does not go to the extreme that he does when examining patients. He administers *a lot* of different types of tests. Much, much more than a standard physical. So I kind of question that aspect of his book as well.

His book is good, I think it outlines a good program. I do think he goes a little too low on the calories. They determine calories needed by the testing they do. I live in Podunk and don't have access to these tests. I could get a BodPod test 100 miles from here, but I just don't think it's worth it. I know I'm losing fat and gaining muscle. I'll use his generic formula of multiplying your weight by 7 to get your calories needed. And FWIW, I eat about 100 more than that a day.

I just finished reading the book last night and need to read it again taking notes. The plan is simple: eat less, exercise more. Watch what you're eating, follow his prescribed exercise. It does have a lot of science behind it--science he learned from Season 3' At-Home contestants.

Like I do with everything in life, I'll take what I can apply to myself and leave the rest behind. I can and will do the exercise twice daily while I'm in losing mode. If it gets to be too much, I'll knock off. I listen closely to my body.

For example, I will not be doing an evening workout today. Why? Because "that pain" that I have had or years, which I believe is a repeating ovarian cyst, reared its ugly head today. On a scale of 1-10, it was at an 8. I got into bed, DS brought his work with him and sat next to me, and I dozed off and on. This is a big signal to me to REST. The pain is now gone, I think it was bursting--if that's really what it is, but I will give my body time to recover.

I don't want to run. I don't want to jog. I have a few personal reasons for that, but one major is the climate in which I live. So I choose to do my beloved videos. I make sure that I do strenuous videos that work my heart. Yesterday I did a Leslie Sansone and it was not strenuous to me at all, and I won't be repeating unless I'm sick. Work hard, sweat hard, improve my cardio endurance. As for strength work, again, I'm using my videos. I do need to re-read that portion of his book because there are a few exercises my videos don't do that I would gladly incorporate into my routine. (Pull-ups and ankle work comes to mind.)

I was getting very frustrated with how the scale had slowed down, even though I was losing fat. I was tired of being in the 220s. I was sad I'd only lost 60 pounds in 10 1/2 months--I felt at my starting weight it should have been more because I don't cheat. This is a nice boost, it moved that darned scale, it's going to make me stronger, it's going to improve my heart! (I've already noticed my resting heart rate has gone from the mid 80s to the 70s!)

I'm not going to be losing muscle and bone in addition to fat. Rather, I'm gaining muscle, bone and blood volume--I didn't know that about blood! I am tired of being obese.

So I just figured I can give myself 2 hours a day--it's minor in the scheme of things. Quality of life is so important, and this will get me there. Besides, I really enjoy working out!

Behind

Busy, behind, busy, behind, can't catch up, behind, busy: STRESSED OUT. lol

Haven't read blogs, haven't thanked for awards, haven't been online like normal. School's been busy, hubby took a day off, our other computer crashed, working out twice a day is great but it's hard to fit in well time wise.

Will catch up soon.

Went out to dinner the other night in my size 16 jeans-hubby suggested I wear a larger pair. I said NO WAY and did fine in my 16s. lol

Reading Where Did All the Fat Go by Dr. Rob Huizenga, the doctor who designed the program The Biggest Loser. I don't watch that show at all, but I appreciate and enjoy reading the science behind it. This book is what inspired me to workout twice a day. This quote from that book hangs on my fridge:

Is exercise two hours per day for six months impractical?

Would you encourage a loved one to attend two hours or more of outpatient rehab per day if you discovered they had a heroin habit? Would you expect your mom to agree to four hours of dialysis every other day if her kidneys failed? Would you take chemo two hours per day for six months if it could cure your newly diagnosed cancer?

If you have overflowing abdominal fat, you're facing a choice, in my opinion, not terribly dissimilar from the above examples. Your excess fat is a deliberate poison. It's not easy, but two hours per day of exercise with calorie counting and moderate caloric restriction for six months is a small price to pay to remove the poison.

Dr. Rob Huizenga

Isn't that powerful?

I hope to get caught up soon!

Monday Morning Weigh In

I wrote a big, long post with links to books and thanks to bloggers whose contests I've won and two awards, and a fabulous quote and darned if blogger didn't eat it! I don't have time to re-do, so I'll try again later. I'll also do a post about my heart rate monitor today or tomorrow as a few asked in the comments. It's time to work out!

Right now I'd just like to report my weigh-in:

219
Down 3 pounds! =)

Official: Size 16

Today I put my size 16 jeans on, they zipped right up, and off I went into the world.

So it's official, I am now a size 16. The last time I posted, I had to lie down on the bed to zip them.

Here's the weird thing: I bought these 7 years ago when I lost 70 pounds. I was in the 190s by the time I was able to wear these jeans. I only wore them a very short time before I started gaining wait again. So I'm 30ish pounds heavier--

this proves a point:

I AM losing fat. The scale cannot reflect the fat loss. Obviously I'm gaining muscle.

So even though I get down about that stupid scale, what I'm doing is working. In fact, it's working very well if I'm 220 pounds and wearing a size 16.

I'm FIT!

Woot!

"Mom, that's kind of gross."

Tonight I had an amazing experience. I had my first-ever over 500-calorie workout! I did The Firm's Cardio Step Mix. I was so psyched that hubby snapped a photo.

I love my heart rate monitor. I used to use the online calculators, and they ***way*** over estimate calories burned. I really have to work hard to get a good burn, and tonight I did. My back was as soaked as my front, which never happens.

I've done this workout before. I love it. The last time I did it, I burned 358 calories. Why the difference? All this exercise has been building my strength and endurance. I can now do real jumping jacks. I can now do all the high-impact moves. I've moved from 3-pound weights to 5's during the aerobic portions requiring weights. This is why I burned 507 calories.

This is a huge deal to me!

I'm no longer afraid of jumping--I can actually do it now. It's time to take things up a notch, pull out some of my tougher Firms that I've been afraid to do and conquer them!

Dig my outfit? This is why I workout at home. Bright $3 clearance capris at Wally World, an old too-large t-shirt that doesn't match, hair thrown up (and falling out of) a hair clip, and close proximity to a private shower. lol

I did it. This was a goal I wanted so badly to get to--now there's no stopping me!