There's Power in Them Thar Capris

Today, I had to talk with some people I hadn't met before. It was a situation where it was in my best interest to be "impressive." Or at least seem like I was a little smarter than I really am.

So I put on some clothes that made me feel powerful ... black heels, black capris, a snappy little jacket. And I set off to conquer.

I can't tell you how different I felt walking into this uncomfortable and sort of nerve-wracking meeting as the new version of me.

Clearly, I'm really not any smarter than I was six months ago, a year ago or six years ago. But I felt different ... inside. More confident. Less worried.

In the old days, I would have been thinking about how the other people were judging me. I would have been uncomfortable in my clothes and in my skin as I tried desperately to sit up straight, suck it in and hope that I was having a good hair day.

Today I smiled. I relaxed. I made sure I was heard. I gave the conversation happening around the table my full attention and didn't let the conversation in my head sink me.

I was able to be me. No distractions. No worries. No fear. 

And it was good.

Keeping Each Other Honest

I had a short, but effective text conversation with HRGirl last night in which she said:

"You'd better go to bed now so you can run 1.5 miles tomorrow."

I woke up late, hustled down the stairs and then ran 2.5 miles.

At work, I was IMing with Gary Allan Fan who was sharing her "Couch to 5K" training plan. She's been waking up early, battling the heat and the weather with a friend, getting ready for her first race in a few weeks. She said her husband actually commented to her that he was kind of surprised she was sticking to the whole program. To which she said:

"I have to do it. My training partner won't let me quit."

I am not a big believer in group activity. I hate chitchat and making small talk. I really like my alone time.

But some things are better shared. And exercise might be one of them. We keep each other honest. Challenge each other. And support each other.

Find someone to talk to about it. Or share your experience here. Miss Daisy, HR Girl and Gary Allen Fan are ready to back you!

Update 6/28/11

1. The last 10 pounds: Still 5 pounds away. Or 7, depending on the day. I have to admit, I'm not trying very hard. Exercising plenty. Eating decently, but too much.
2. New running shoes: Blisters gone. Lovin' them. They're hot, neon green.
3. Training for Dirty Girl: Started. Running every other day, distances between a quarter-mile and a 1.25 miles so far. Knees holding up. But it still freaks me out.

Eating Clean

While I enjoyed my long weekend getaway to St. Louis with my buddy Mitchell and his homies, I must say I'm happy to be home.

Happy to be home ... and eating "clean."

It just feels good to chow down on raw veggies. It feels great to dive into a big bowl of melon and blueberries.

I swear you can almost feel it in your muscles ... like they do a little happy dance when the nutrients pour in.

Jim and I were sitting on the couch last night, taking turns chasing those blueberries and some red grapes around a big Tupperware bowl in an effort to spear them when he said, "Isn't it funny how much you miss eating like this when you don't/can't for a couple of days? Who would have thought we'd crave healthy food?"

New habits are good.

Exercise Myths

I like this article.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/06/24/exercise.myths.trainers/index.html?iref=allsearch

I'm especially fond of #7 and #3. Having issues with both of them myself right now.

Equipment Envy

Boy, those Precor treadmills in the hotel fitness center are da'bomb!

The one I've been using for the past two days makes my $399 NordicTrak from Sears feel like a Yugo missing a spark plug, if you know what I mean.

They're tall and the deck is LONG. They're cushion-y, with many buttons and programs and inputs (like height and weight) to help you determine a more accurate calorie burn. The incline capability is positively Alpine and they really feel like a luxury sedan compared to that darn Yugo.

It's going to be tough to hard to go back home again after being so spoiled.

But when I get there, I'll have a renewed motivation to get my new workout room in the basement painted and reassembled. The drywall is finally finished. I have a wall color chosen.

(It will also be nice to get out of the storage/furnace room with the Xmas decorations, suitcases and unpacked boxes from three years ago when we moved in.)

And I've been eyeing up a punching bag and spin bike to add to the collection. Since I've never used either, I'd love some input from someone who has. Any recommendations?

Unexpected Benefit of Being Thinner #20

Four of us fit in the back seat of the Ford F150 and I wasn't embarrassed to hop on "Dance Dance Revolution" in the arcade.

(I also didn't do well at DDR, but who cares.)

Hooters. Yes, Hooters.

On a long weekend trip with my bestie and her family in St. Louis. Navigating "road food" and hotel exercise again.

Since our entourage includes an 11-year-old and 15-year-old boy ... and two 43-year-old boys ... the obvious choice for lunch was ...

Yes. Hooters.

What the heck does one eat in the land of chicken wings, French fries and burgers?

My husband could barely contain himself when I ordered the fish tacos. Insert you own joke here.

Though I haven't had time to look up the nutrition info online yet, I do believe I chose the best thing on the menu. With a side of celery. Grilled mahi, lettuce, sauce on the side.

And, my hat is off to the marketing/culinary genius who planted that one little menu item in the Hooters offering. Freaking hysterical.

Kale Chips

Overrated.

I kept hearing all this crap about kale chips on a few different Food Network shows. They said you needed kale, olive oil and a little salt.

I tried it. And it tastes just like you'd imagine. Liked dried up, baked lettuce.

And what's the point of that?

Maybe I'm missing something. Now, baked chickpeas? That's got potential. Still perfecting, but you'll hear about it soon.

Anything you've tried to make that turned out well that you'd like to share?

P.S. Posts may be spotty for a few days. My apologies in advance.

Unexpected Downside of Being Thinner #11

When I was bigger, I was forever pulling at the front of my shirt, trying to make sure it wasn't sticking to me, or stuck in my rolls.

You know, the crevice between your boobs and your belly that forms every time you sit down? I was mortally afraid of the fabric getting "stuck" in there and thereby making the rolls more visible. So I'd pull at it to ensure that the shirt looked flat, even if my body wasn't.

Now I have the opposite problem.

The shirts I bought last year or a few months ago with the big (and not so big) scoop necks no longer fit as tight as they used to. And I'm too cheap to go buy more.

So I spend my days picking at them, lifting the necklines upward and tugging down on the back of the shirt to make sure my bra and boobs aren't showing.

It's just never right.

Unexpected Benefit of Being Thinner #19

The new bathroom remodel at work has replaced the simple toilet paper roll holder with one of those big, stainless cabinets that hang on the wall of the stall. You know what I'm talking about ... they dispense two rolls of TP and house a few more in reserve. Plus, there's a feminine hygiene disposal compartment and who knows what else. 

The stalls were not built for this big box to be hanging there. They're not wide enough. So it's a little claustrophobia-inducing.

But thankfully, I'm not as wide as I used to be. And I can actually turn around without knocking into anything.

It Doesn't Get Easier?

I work on the 4th floor of a four-story building. There is one main set of two elevators. They're unbearably slow most days.

Yet I never take the stairs. Why?

Well, one of the reasons is that I usually have heels on and the combination of steps and heels kills my knees. The other, probably more important reason, is that no matter how many days in a row I do take the stairs, they never seem to get easier. And I hate being all hot, sweaty, huffy and puffy first thing in the workday.

As I pounded away on the treadmill this morning, I was thinking about those stairs. And the metaphor.

I had a hard time getting to the blessed treadmill today. I lazed in bed for a while. Then I got up and did a load of laundry. And cleaned the hard water deposits out of the guest bath faucet. And put away the clean dishes. And sprayed the doorways for ants. You get the idea. I was delaying my trip down the stairs because I was tired and just wasn't feeling it.

It has been a long week. The stress at work is palpable. And exhausting. I had a friend in from out of town and that meant a sort of goofed up (though completely enjoyable!) schedule ... later nights, eating out, eating late. And the whole impending Father's Day left me weepy and emotional. All of those things  were playing games with my head. I started to look for reasons that I shouldn't go downstairs. I needed more sleep. I needed some catch-up time. I deserved a day off.

But I finally chose to remember that whether I wanted to or not, I needed to. Wanting to is irrelevant.

The first mile, the first slow mile, was hard. I was sweating. A lot. And I kept thinking, "Why doesn't this ever get easier? I do it every blasted day. It should get easier."

As I was thinking about it, and the stairs, I looked down at the odometer. It said I'd gone two miles.

Then it occurred to me, the first mile might not get easier. But the ones AFTER that do. If you just start. But you gotta start.

How's that for a metaphor?

Edamame Salad

With a nod of thanks to my Aunt Karen. I think I scared her when I called her and asked her for the recipe. It was kind of early on a Saturday morning. (I made a couple of adjustments to match what I had on hand.)

Edamame Salad
5 c blanched broccoli florets (this is one big bag from the freezer section, but fresh is better if you have the time)
1 c light edamame (from freezer section ... and you can add more if you want to)
1/2 c chopped red onion

1/2 c dried cranberries
1/2 c dry roasted peanuts

1c light mayo (or 1/2 c light mayo, 1/2 c Greek yogurt)
2 T sugar (or Splenda)
2 T cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

If using fresh broccoli, blanch the florets and pop them in an icebath so they retain a little snap and neon green color. If using frozen, drop them in boiling water for literally a minute and remove them to an icebath. (You DON'T want mushy broccoli!) Prepare the edamame according to package instructions ... I think mine says drop in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Again, you don't want mush.

Mix broccoli, edamame, onion and set aside. Make dressing. This makes MORE than enough dressing for the veg volume.

If you have more people to feed, stretch it with more veg. The dressing seems like enough for more veg than I have listed ... so I mix the dressing in a separate bowl and only add as much as I need.

If you're eating it right away, toss in peanuts and crasins and mix everything together. Chow down. If you're not serving until the next day, keep the three categories separate (veg, peanut/craisin combo and dressing) and mix it all together just before serving. The peanuts get soft if they're in the dressing too long and the dressing kind of thins out.

Love It!

1. Wasabi Peas
2. Mentos Watermelon Gum
3. The gray Calvin Klein dress I bought for Cheri's wedding, that I couldn't attend, and now I have no where else to wear it.
4. Hollywood Nails in Janesville
5. Johnson & Johnson Lavender and Chamomile Lotion

Attitude is Everything

Have a friend who's training for a 5K. She's joined a running class (at All Season Runner) and is well on her way.

I know she's going to knock it out of the park. Want to guess how I can tell?

As she's describing the program she's on, where they have you walk/run in prescribed intervals, heavier on some days, lighter on others, she says:

"I always do an extra set of walk/run intervals at the end of what's on the schedule."

I love that. She knows her body is completely capable. And she's trusting her head to lead the way.