Working out/ eating right/ being healthy is expensive. I would say it HAS to be worth it.

Boy, I don't feel the quads today... I feel the calves, the hams, pretty much every muscle in the leg BUT the quads...

It is SO funny that I mentioned "What Women Want" in my earlier blog, because as I was eating supper (more pasta! yum), I was flipping through the channels and it was on TBS! I love the part where he is flipping through the channels (as I did ha) and does his impression of Sean Connery. Classic. Anyway, later on in the show while he was having "women-woes", he tucked his daughter to bed and went for the fridge. He said out loud: "What am I doing? She is not hiding in here." How true is it that we eat for so many reasons BUT being hungry? I eat because I am bored, I am angry, I am happy, I am sad, I am avoiding doing something else, I want to eat, to socialize with friends, I want to take a "break", etc. I mean THERE ARE SO MANY REASONS! It's ridiculous, really. It seems that Americans have the biggest problem with this. Either that or other countries hide it REALLY well. Not sure.

Anyway, this is my lesson today. HOW DOES ONE GET RID OF FAT?! Wouldn't it be nice if we got rid of fat cells? That would be entirely too easy, now wouldn't it?! Of course, they just have to shrink and unfortunately swell. ha. Well, it takes roughly 1800 calories to lose a half of a pound. Unfortunately, the converse is that if you eat an extra 1800 calories that your body DOESN'T need, it keeps it for blackmail. So, I gained thirty pounds. My basic metabolic rate is about 1800 calories a day. I ate an extra 108,000 calories. WOW. I can't emphasize this enough. Wow. Are you joking me?! How does one take in that many EXTRA calories?! That's an extra 600 calories EVERY day for six months. That's a McDonalds Quarter Pounder with cheese EVERY DAY for SIX MONTHS. No, people... I did not eat that every day. I didn't eat that at all (I actually don't think I ever have, but that is not the point). To burn off those thirty pounds (or 108,000 calories), I have to walk/jog/run 1050 total miles (calculated at my current body weight = 2x your body weight/0.3 is roughly how many calories one burns in one mile). WOWEE. Let me think of this next time I go for that chocolate covered donut or something!

That's why I guess it's good to exercise, huh?! I like to use chemistry terms outside of chemistry, so exercise is our catalyst to weight loss [yeah, yeah, it doesn't officially lower the Ea, but whatever]. When you are using more energy than you are taking in, your body relies on internal sources, like complex carbs and fats for energy.

The first resort is the glycogen (complex carb) stored in the liver which is stored there when you have excess (don't be confused... eat some carbs before working out. Then your body will have glucose AND glycogen- TWO sources of fuel to get you through your workout). When your initial glycogen stores are depleted, your body breaks down those extra fat stores (hips, thighs, buttocks, stomach... aka MY THIRTY) in a process more formally called lypolysis (breaking of fat). So that ugly adipose (fat) tissue gets broken down into fatty acids from glycerol, which can be converted to energy. What you get back? Good old carbon dioxide and water. [Global warming, anyone ;)] It still obeys the law of thermodynamics... thank you, Mon. [Energy is neither created nor destroyed.] ANOTHER REASON WHY YOU SHOULD NOT STARVE YOURSELF AND SHOULD EAT SMALL MEALS THROUGHOUT THE DAY (OUR METABOLISM WILL THANK US)!

So, people who are overweight are simply eating more energy than they are using. Is it really that EASY? [In theory, yes.] Never mind hormone problems, genetic issues, glandular problems. These issues do complicate matters, but BY NO MEANS ARE THEY THE ROOT CAUSE.

My next lesson, students, will be why interval training works. Yes, more chemistry (it really is the root of all evil )... key word "lactic acid". I don't think I will go into why stressing out makes us overweight. That dang cortisol (which is also elevated if you don't sleep enough).

Oh, and don't get me started on diuretics... yes, it will appear you lost weight. Yes, overall WEIGHT; it reduces WATER weight, not body fat!

All for now...

AND THANK YOU TO SEF FOR INSPIRING (yet again) ME TO GO TO WW. LOVE YOU.

Thanks for reading, people!

I went home early last night with every intention of going back in... I made myself a big healthy bowl of baked pasta (it was 9 pts AND delicious). [I used "smart pasta"- very good. Does not taste any different from regular pasta except it has a ton of fiber! And you know me and how I LOVE fiber!] I did some laundry, watched TLC's What not to Wear, and then crashed at 9 pm. I woke up this morning at 830 (boy, I felt good(!), except that my WHOLE body is sore today... I must've done something right at the gym yesterday), and I went to WW. I didn't attend a meeting (it happened to be at 830 and not 9, whoops). But I did get to weigh in. The last time I went was January 9th, so 24 days later and 5.4 pounds lighter, which works out to be about 1.5 pounds a week. Not too shabby. Its okay it's slow. It seems to be working, I am feeling good, and that is what I need to focus on right now. When I weighed in, the lady (very nice!) named Merry was super excited for me. Why do I downplay it? I said, yeah it was about four weeks since I was here, but I am trying. I told her I was hoping for a pound a week and she says: "even better!" Then I thought I should be excited because she was! ha. Isn't that funny? It helps that a couple of days ago, I was wearing size 12s (!) and I thought they were a little too tight. The beau saw me and said "I like your thighs". Of all things to like, he likes my thighs?! It's always the least thing I like about myself that day that he seems to like. I was like WHAT?! MY THUNDER THIGHS?! ha. Then a couple of days later I wore khakis (that didn't fit before) and a white shirt with a purple one underneath. When he saw me he said, WOW, you look hott. He is very genuine when he gives compliments. Then yesterday, I saw him before he left for the weekend and I was wearing jeans that I wasn't too sure about (12s again!), and he said he liked them and I said I was self-conscious and he said NEVER be self-conscious in those. I swear, it's always what I need to hear without me telling him (kinda like "What Women Want" with Mel Gibson). haha that makes me chuckle. He really is too great. It's just so nice having such a great support system and for having someone love you for WHO you are and not just that number on the scale. When I reached my new "low", I called the bf and he was really excited for me. Then when I got to school, there was a short email just saying "nice work" and that he was proud of me. It is amazing when I am having a good day and he can be just as excited as I am. Okay, back to research and then group meeting and then studying for the cume.

I see I have surpassed the 500 mark on my blog. Thanks for checking in on me to see how my progress is going. That's huge, 500 times people have checked in on me. I stepped on the scale this morning, and I have taken a new "low"!!! How exciting- another pound. It's just nice seeing a NEW number when I have seen the old one on Christmas Eve, first week of January, last week, this week. It was getting old! So I guess my calibrated risk paid off! Eat more and lose?! I went to the rec last night at about 11 and did my sprints. My quads were not liking me. Turn over rate was quick. I worked out at 11 am. Today was cardio and mixed weights. I completely forgot what one of my exercises meant so I asked the in charge of the personal trainers (his office is in the weight room). It took awhile to figure out. ha. I bought a new swimsuit almost two weeks on Sunday, and since then haven't had a chance to swim. No wonder why I was there for THREE HOURS. I couldn't believe the time when I got done. I guess it took me 45 min for weights/abs; 15 min to change (both times); 10 min to wait for a lane; 40 min laps; 10 min in the sauna. I KNOW IT DID NOT TAKE ME AN HOUR TO GET READY. Honestly, I can't even add up the time. Weird. It was an off day today... I missed my 1230 class (completely forgot about it). To add to that, I ALMOST forgot about my 1400 class. Luckily, I was eating lunch on 7 and I saw two groupmates and I had to ask WHAT they were doing. They thought I was crazy cuz I missed the first class. DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME TODAY.

Tomorrow I will make up for my tempo day (due to the sprints yesterday due to the quads on Tuesday). I will need to get away from studying anyway. Feeling a bit overwhelmed.

I can't believe it's been since Monday since I have written... SORRY AVID BLOG READERS! (All four of you ). Tuesday I met with my trainer at 0715 (I told you she rocks, right?). Well, I thought I was warm, but I started my first sprint and it was like knives into my quads. I didn't even run one (15x50yards). I felt like a big loser. So, yep, have been milking the double quad injuries as I hope they will get better soon. Wednesday I did 30 min cardio and arms. It was rough, but I pulled through. I have wanted to swim for awhile, but I think I will try on Saturday as a break from everything. A lot to do this weekend- cume studying, seminar preparation, research? nah... the first two will take up my time, esp with the cume being my boss'... I don't want him to think I am a complete buffoon (more than he does). [at least I am getting the BUFF part! tehe]

I am doing things a little differently this week. I am eating my flex points. I am still at my "low"... so let's see if eating more with help that cause. I actually think it might, but we'll see if it is a good move on my part. I will go to the WW meeting in the morning. I REALLY HATE TO ADMIT THIS, but I haven't gone since the FIRST time. At least it will be a loss, right?!

As for lent, why do people have to give up things? I think I am going to commit to drinking my water (hard hard hard to do this week- last week I did great) and working out five days a week. I want this to be consistent in my lifestyle and I think that is what I am "giving up" for lent, so to speak.

Have to check on my rxn and then go to the gym and see my honey before he leaves for the weekend.

One last thing, I am wearing my khakis that didn't fit a couple of months ago! YIPEE. It was the first time I have even tried them on for a LONG time. Small steps = big feelings!
Much love, people!!

My eyes are small but they have seen
the beauty of enormous things
Which leads me to believe
WHY I CAN BELIEVE.
there's light enough to see that
You make everything glorious

Gotta love me some David Crowder (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKgM_fv_4EI&feature=related
http://5purposedriven.wordpress.com/2007/10/03/video-you-make-everything-glorious-david-crowder-band/)

I like the first one better...

I have definite issues that I need to start getting over. I am a work-in-progress.

Headache... grr.

Worked out... it was a good one.

Bad research day- hard to get stuff done w/ office hours and class and blablabla... I suck!

My HR monitor told me that I burned 575 calories! WHOOPWHOOP. I <3 my HR monitor...

Calories In: 22.5 pts, 1100 cals. Don't know what goodies I will eat tonight..