Better Eating

I've been trying to eat better this week. Trying to get back into the groove of caring about my whole health and not just my running speed and endurance. I'm also trying to live the adage that "abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym." I know that the only way that I will get the abs that I want is to shed some fat that I'm carrying on my stomach.

This is not me saying that I'm fat, or even that I'm unhappy with my body. I love what my body has been able to accomplish this year. Even with flat feet, I finished a marathon. I can get up in the morning and decide to run 3, 5, or even 10 miles and I will probably be able to finish those miles. I love that I can hold a plank for a minute. I also love that my standing desk has improved my posture so much I had to raise my monitor.

This is me saying that I would like to change some things. This is me saying that I could be better/stronger/leaner. I think that too often we are pushed into looking at our weight or health in very stark ways. We must either love everything about how we look and how we weigh, or we must hate it. There doesn't seem to be much allowance for people who are currently happy, but still want to change/improve. Yes, I love what my body can do, but I think it can do more.

I know that this either/or standard has been applied to plus-size actresses who say they're happy with how they look, but then go on to lose weight. I can remember the backlash against Jennifer Hudson, Oprah, and America Ferrera when they lost weight. Their decision to lose weight was viewed as abandoning their fans. And of basically being a liar. It's possible that there is some jealousy in this criticism. Or maybe the critics fear that their own claims of happiness with their weight aren't true.

Just as I don't think we should fat-shame, I don't think we should thin-shame. People can see what they look like in the mirror without others telling them how they should feel about their reflection. If they ask for opinions, it's one thing, but we should stop offering unsolicited opinions on the health and/or weight of others. People know if their weight is unhealthy without being told.

Best advice ever

While looking for articles about how women hate their thighs more than any other body part, I found an article about resolutions. I am in the minority. I don't hate my thighs at all. They're not even on my list of body parts I dislike. I wonder why that is.

The article grabbed me because of it's sub-heading:

Don't fear resolutions or dread the January fitness crunch. Just make yourself one simple promise in 2012

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Now here’s what you need to know about me. I was always chosen last in gym class. I can’t open a jar of pickles without assistance. I don’t train for marathons. I will never be on the cover of a magazine, Valerie Bertinelli-style, flaunting my abs. I have a body that’s over 40 and has birthed two children, and looks it. And many days, I don’t want to get out of bed.

Good health should not be reserved for the perky sporty types. Screw the jocks. Almost everybody, of every age and fitness level, can afford a half-hour a day. You can.
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You really should read the entire article. It's really well-written and has a great message.

Day 3D--Butt

The third exercise I will be adding is the bridge. I'd describe it like a pelvic thrust when you're laying down in sit up position. It mainly works the glutes and hamstrings, otherwise known as the butt. It also works the quadriceps, abdominals and shoulders as supporting medicines. This is another exercise that can be done quickly.

My abs are still sore from yesterday, so my plank time took a backwards step. I love that I can feel the exercises working, even if the chart doesn't reflect that.

I can't find a record time for the bridge, but did find one for the wall sit. Dr. Thienna Ho once held it for 11 hours and 5 minutes. I thought 11 minutes sounded ridiculously long and impressive. I guess I have a new goal to shoot for. Although, 11 hours of sitting would be super boring. I could watch the director's cut of all the LOTR movies in that time. Not that I would be any less bored if I did that.

Day 2D--Core

The second muscle group that I will be targeting to improve my running is my core. The core is made up of all the muscles in your stomach. I focused on my transversus abdominis muscle. I did that by performing the plank. It's similar to the look of a push-up, without the pushing. You just hold your body straight, like a plank, while balancing on your toes and elbows or forearms. It forces the deepest abdominal muscles to engage and hold your body up.

Paul Drinan holds the world record in the plank at 33 minutes and 40 seconds. Today I managed to hold the plank for 1 minute and 10 seconds. I will continue to work on improving my time. I have added a chart to the top of the blog tracking my progress on the plank and on the wall sits. I'll chart the longest I can hold the exercises each day. I am doing them more than once a day, but these are my longest.

Day 58--solution

This makes me wonder why I work out. I should just buy these instead.

Day 19--abs

I spoke too soon yesterday. I was posting about 24 hours after I had worked my abs, but the pain must have been waiting for 36 hours to pass. Last night, right before going to bed, and continuing today, I have been in some discomfort. I'm not really in pain, but I can feel the strain on my abs when I cough, laugh or move. I have enjoyed how my abs feel to the touch, though. My stomach feels taut, which is my final goal. I just hope that doing some yoga this evening will help with the ouchies.

Day 18--abs

I had a rest day yesterday, so I hit by abs. I did the plank and the jack knife challenge against the trainer. I really like the jack knife because it works my upper and lower abs at the same time. I'm ok with how my abs look above my belly button, but don't like my "baby bumper" below that line. I'm not going to have babies, so I would like to lose the bumper.

I lost the plank challenge, but won the jack knife challenge. I had to do over 50 jack knives before the trainer gave up and conceded defeat. I fully expected to wake up today without the ability to sit up pain-free. It wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. I think I'll have to take a 10 minute break when doing ab work and then start it over again, repeating until I'm unable to continue. I am a firm believer in the "no pain, no gain" adage. If my ab workout isn't causing me some level of discomfort the next day, I feel like it's not as effective as it could or should be.

Day 16--abs

I realized today that the 30 day challenge ignores ab work. Today it worked my upper and lower body, mainly focusing on my arms. If I hadn't done some of the Wii Fit Plus Yoga, I don't think I would have done anything to use my abs at all.

I was wrong about the work weigh-in, though. It's not until tomorrow. I still think I'll do fine, but really feel like I need to do something to push myself a little harder. My weight is almost exactly the same as it was yesterday. Tomorrow is also my bowling night, which is a little bit of non-Wii exercise. Very little, though. Anything that can be done well while drinking isn't much of an exercise or sport.