Some of our readers may be wondering, “where’s Andrea?!” Well, Andrea, like millions of others in our country, experienced the proverbial seasonal flu virus. Fortunately, a flu that was not terribly severe, but severe enough to ‘keep a good woman’ down for over a week! One can imagine, and perhaps some of you have already, the start of a new year and beginning a new “you”—one that joins a gym and or starts a diet in an attempt to get fit, get healthier and gain strength and confidence….then WHAM – the flu! How frustrating and inconvenient is THAT?! Yes, most of us have been there… So within 4 days, after Andrea’s first blog and new found enthusiasm to lose weight, she texts me saying she’s home from work, feeling miserable, achy and just plain awful. She had to go on antibiotics, which can wreak havoc within your body anyway as well as suppress your appetite. While that may not be a bad thing, one cannot starve themselves and expect to expedite their healing process. So, I prescribed rest, water – and more rest and water until her immune system properly fights the ear infection and her energy level creeps back up. Besides, we all know instinctively when we’re “feeling better.”
After about 10 days, and many texts, she was ready to hit the gym again – slowly. She started back with the treadmill for an hour at a slow pace. I imagine sweating out toxins in and of itself was enough to re-charge her system. With her immune system finally cooperating, she never stopped eating entirely, kept to simple, REAL foods and now started eating more frequently with the antibiotic cycle complete.
As far as her progress…in my estimation, she’s accomplished 3 EXCEPTIONAL feats: 1) she stopped drinking sodas; 2) she learned that VARIETY is the spice of getting into shape and being consistent; and 3) she THREW away her scale!!! BRAVO Andrea…you’re on a roll….and without further adieu—here she is folks:
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Well, progress is being made…more mentally than physically. My eating habits have changed drastically, and actually it has not been that hard. I have just begun to think of food as “fuel for my body” instead of “something delicious and naughty to eat”. That was a phrase I heard a Miss America contestant say on Coach Valerie Hayes’ Pageant Talk Radio show, and I thought that was great advice! So now, I eat three smaller meals a day with several healthy snacks in between, and include lots of water, protein, and fiber, as well as good carbohydrates. The sodas have been kicked to the curb, but I do enjoy my one glass of 1% milk with dinner every night. I do not feel so bloated and overly full anymore…and it is great!
Two monumental things have happened to me since my last blog:
1) I found out that my company provides us with a membership to Gold’s Gym as part of our Healthy Investments Program; it was so exciting! The first time I walked into the gym I felt like a fat kid in a candy store…..it was like the heavenly clouds parted among a plethora of things to do to get healthy. *sigh* I have taken advantage of some of the many wonderful group classes they hold there. I have tried Zumba, Body Flow (pilates, yoga, tai chi), and my favorite is Body Combat. This class is a lot like Tae Bo, and I worked EVERY muscle in my body. I was sore for days and I was sweating like a hog. What excites me the most about this gym membership is the fact that I have such a wide variety of things to do to get fit. I can keep it fresh and will not get bored with working out, along with fitting it into my busy schedule as a full time working single mom…so I just go to the classes that are held right after work, and if there is no class that fits into my schedule, I walk the treadmill or ride the stationary bike in the Cardio Movie Theater (a gift from God for the movie buff).
2) I chunked my scale right into the dumpster….and it felt FANTASTIC! I am obsessed with my weight and I was getting on that evil scale after every meal, every day. I felt it was mentally hindering my progress…so I chose to get rid of it and resigned myself to the idea that I will weigh myself every two weeks on the gym scale.
I have to admit, I had a setback early on this journey dealing with the flu in my household. Both my son and I got the flu complete with double ear infections, and it was no picnic, but I managed to stay on track on my diet and in taking plenty of water. I was not able to get to the gym much, but I am back on track and the fitness has resumed. For the first time in about 10 years, I am excited about exercising and I feel guilty when I don’t work out. I have a pageant I would like to do in June, so I am trying to stay focused on my goal of losing 50 pounds. Luckily, I have Angela on my side to give me encouragement when I am feeling sluggish or unaccomplished, and she makes me feel better every time. I will be grateful to her always.
-You are braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem.-Christopher Robin (from A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh)
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About Angela Lee, B.A., CPT
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