Bootcamp Results

My fourth and final bootcamp wrapped up  today. I'm sure it was exciting, but I wouldn't know; I was snoozing in my bed. While the results don't have SHAPE magazine calling, I'm still happy with the progress. 

I lost 15 pounds since starting bootcamp back in February.  I didn't go on most days for this last session in May, so I feel like, technically, I should only count three camps in my calculations (February-April).


My results aren't that incredible compared to other people, I'm guessing.  With more dedication I surely could have done better, but I still learned a lot and was reminded how much better a body feels when it's worked...even a little. 


Though I enjoyed it a lot, I'm not signing up for any more sessions for a while. Now that the weather is nicer, outdoor running is becoming a big part of the class, and I HATE that; I'd rather do push-ups, real ones now that I can, inside that sprints in a parking lot. Also, 'camp is pretty pricey, and with all that I skipped last session, it's just doesn't make sense to commit for three more months.


Since my "after" photo looks a lot like some pregnant bloggers during the start of their second trimester, obviously my work is not done here. I feel motivated still, and I'm hopeful that I will continue to get up and do at home the things I learned all those early mornings at camp! I still have a beach trip in July and, as it has for a while...that red dress still lingers in my closet! 

Results - Bootcamp Round 1

After my first bootcamp, I'm down 5 pounds! I also lost one inch in my waist, and one inch in my hips. Tragically, my thighs and arms remained the same - but give it time, I tell myself!

What has changed most, however, is just my general disposition. I feel better, and I feel stronger. Already I can tell a difference in how my clothes fit. I see my collar bone again!  Even though by 2:30pm I need a caffine pick-me-up, something I never needed before my 5am early risings, I have a ton more energy. And, the sacrifice of sleep and sweat sure does make it easier for me to pass on bad food - most of the time!

I have certainly had some cheats here and there, and during the last week, I saw the scale go back UP three pounds after a week that included some birthday cake, chips and salsa and seafood lasagna. The scale has since returned and started moving downward again.  It's amazing what a few bad decisions can do to a weekly goal. On the flip side, some clean eating can also be pretty rewarding, and when I step on the scale this Saturday, I hope to have good results. I've done really well with my diet this week.

Also this week I've been doing a mini-camp at the same training center, but it's SO much harder than the full bootcamp. It's been just three days, but it has been a real challenge for me.  After Wednesday's work out, I nearly cried sitting in my car after class. I know that sounds wimpy and cheesey, but it was just this strange mix of exhaustion and accomplishment. 

Bootcamp starts back Monday-Friday next week. I've signed up for these three-week classes for the next three months. CRAZY! Y'all have been so sweet and supportive to me, and it has really been motivating - thank you!  

Groin Pains

I pulled my groin this week at boot camp. I mean, could I be more of an athlete?

The truth is, I didn't even know girls had groins. I always thought "groin" was just a football code word for man junk. Luckily for me, mine took a stretch during a sprint, and I loathe running (especially when other people are watching, especially when I will likely come in dead last) so much that I secretly celebrarted the day of only slight discomfort and the valid excuse to "stretch it out" while the rest of the class Prefontained it.  A few ibuprofen and I was back the next day.

Tomorrow is the end of the 3-week camp. We'll get to measure any results. I've never been so excited to see a tape measure! A new camp starts in March, and I'm signing up for another tour of duty!

Conversations With The Trainer

I have two weeks of bootcamp behind me, and it's going really well. I kind of even like it, and am already thinking about doing another in March. I have been up at 5am every weekday, and I haven't missed a class. The scale is moving. The clothes are looser. I hate to claim victory too soon, but I will say I have not been defeated. That's not to say, however, that I'm on the front row of the class.

There are about 35 of us in "camp", under the leadership of three instructors. The main guy is George. I really like the way he motivates the group. He's just stern enough. I'm pretty sure George thinks I'm a loser.

George:  Last week when we brought out the punching bags you were kind of all over the place. You need to hold your form when you punch it. Keep the elbows in tight. You were kind of flailing about. And that's ok, you've probably never done this before. You're not a fighter.
Me: This is true. But I am very skilled at a verbal assualt. 
George:  Then you yell at that bag!

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George: DO YOU EVER SWEAT?

{This was not offered as a compliment, he meant for me to step it up!}

Me:  I'm Southern. I just...glisten.

{Yes, I went fridge magnet on him. It would have been tacky to tell him I could fill a kiddie pool with the content of my sports bra.}
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George: This is not your grandma's workout!
Me: I know, my grandma would probably be in far more advance class that I am.

Fitness Bootcamp - I Enlisted!

I'm down to my last gimmick for weight loss and it's... exercise. I'm not just talking an occassional Zumba class, though.  I'm going to see the My Fitness Pal app and raise it Monday through Friday 5:30am work-outs for the entire month of February. I enlisted for bootcamp and it starts on Monday.

I'm a lot terrified. I'm a little hopeful. And, if I'm being at ALL honest, I'm totally motivated by vanity. I have two girls trips in the works this year for places that are warm and where people are generally beautiful.  This means I will have to pack a swimsuit. I was already entertaining boot camp before these trips were solid, but is it kind of sick and twisted that having to be all BFF bikini with my friends is a bigger motivation than, well, most anything?

Last week, Kris over at {the really fun and clever} Simply Fabuloss told me about a bootcamp that is in our neighborhood.  I called and talked to the trainer who is called George, but I might refer to him as Bob or Dolvett just because I watch The Biggest Loser.  I told him that while I do Zumba and walk that I'm by no means in shape. I admitted that group exercise intimidates me. Bobby Georgevett assured me that the class will inspire and motivate me, and that if I can't do all the assigned push-ups he won't shame me in front of everyone else on the Ranch the rest of the campers. So I told him to hold a spot for me.

Have you ever done a fitness bootcamp and lived to tell about it? If so, please share your advice!

Let's Call Them...Habit Changes

January 9th, long since passed, is the day on which most people who made new year's resolutions have already broken them. This year, I've been kind of slow to get my affairs in order, and since I'm a tad tardy on setting resolutions anyway, I'll just call my own intentions for 2012 Habit Changes!

I plan to attack these changes on a quarterly basis (January- March; April-June; July-August; Septmeber-December) as if I'm Donald Trump running a businsess. I just thought to write CEO of My Own Life, but then hated myself a little for even having such cheese mold around in my brain.

I think starring down changes in the short term might serve me better than the both grandiose and general goals of yesteryear, so....for Q1 I'm getting more specific:

Moderate Home Make-Over:
In our time as roomies, Dan + I have failed to truly make our house a home. This is in part mostly because we know we aren't going to live there forever, and also because we've spent all extra funds on travel. I love to entertain and not having a space I enjoy sharing with guests is weighing hard on me, plus...I don't want to look back on our first place together in total disgust. While there won't be extreme overhaul and redecorating, I am going to try put my best lipstick-on-a-pig efforts into sprucing up what we do have, purchasing each month something classic to tie our hybrid mix of Shabby Chic Single Girl and Big Screen Bachelor furnishings into something a bit more cozy. Just this week I found this on Craigs List for a steal:

Steal My Youth:
Back in the day I could sleep in make up and wake up with plump, zit-free cheeks. Now when this happens, which sadly, is often, I just wake up looking....older and more time-stamped. It's time for some serious skin management. Any money that used to be spent on manis and pedis now goes exclusively towards facials. In addition, nightly face washing and sleeping in thick creme.

Operation Austerity:
I am so terrible at both saving and managing money. For a year I've had a personal budget each month which I think I adhered to MAYBE twice. For Q1, I want to stay on budget every month with a goal of helping Dan + I bank a certain amount by the end of Q1. I started by canceling a $40 montly Weight Watchers membership, which I joined in August but havent used since.....August.

Weight Watching:
Last year I lost nearly 30 pounds...but I hit a wall in the fall and indulged through the holidays. I don't want to quit, though, or fall back into my evil eating ways. By my 35th birthday in March, I want to have shed 15-20 more pounds.

How are you doing on your goals/resolutions/habit changes?

Mental Tips for Successful Exercise

Now, I know that taking exercise advice from a revolving heifer is like taking voice lessons from the tone deaf, but humor me; I believe I am on to something.....

Exercise in general is not something I enjoy. It's something I dread, it's something I force myself to do. I've been known to just walk of out of a class because I'm tired or bored or while stretching I'll start thinking about some perfect frozen yogurt topping, so I'll leave the gym to go next door to TCBY.



Zumba, however, is among the very few exercise trends (jazzercise with Cas and her mom, and an oldies aerobics routine on VHS being the others) that I find amusing, and genuinely look forward to doing. It's not that I don't struggle, but when I do, I escape in my head with a few mental tricks I play that help me endure the 60 minutes of sweating. These might just work for you, too:

1. Imagine that you're trying out to be a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader, and dance like Kelli Finglass is watching...Judy, too.

2. Assume the role of a broadway wanna-be, you're at an audition, and if you hit the next move, you just might make it as a company dancer (when I do this, it's always to be in the show that John Travolta danced lead in on the movie Staying Alive)...

3. Pretend you're at cheerleading camp- if you don't look happy to be there, your squad might not get a spirit stick!

How do you make it through your work out?

Yummy Crock Pot Chicken Recipe

Recently I discovered the food website SkinnyTaste. I have been admiring SkinnyTaste recipes for a while, because most are all pretty natural  (no fat free faux food substitutes) and come with Weight Watchers points values.

In the spirit of Fall and those clever Crock Pot ladies on Facebook, everyone has been quick to pull out their slow cookers these days. Count me among them when I found this Santa Fe Chicken recipe on SkinnyTaste.

It stewed in my Crock Pot all day yesterday, and within thirty minutes of my arriving home last night, Dan and I were   at the table on the couch enjoying dinner.

If you're looking for a great weeknight meal that is the pefect mix of light but still comfort food, try this! Happy Slow Cooking!

(note: For two people, I used three small chicken breasst, and there was plenty, plus left-overs for today's lunch!)

This I Know For Sure...

 I'm sorry...the start of a Fall television season sans Oprah made me want to use the above as a blog post title.

photo credit: here

• I don't know much, but I know I love Trader Joes.

• I know that when I don't wear a lot of make-up to work, my co-workers say I'm in High-Def. When I take efforts with the concealer, the Low-Def is appreciated.

• I know that if there isn't a lot of posting on this blog that usually means there is a lot of cleaning at my house. 

• Laboring on Labor Day is under-rated, because all I did on my day off was launder + tidy, and I feel more together this week than I have in ages - now I know why all you Real Simple-types get so excited about organization!

• I've always known I bite off more than I can chew in life, and that is not a reference to my weight, just a way to say I haven't been binge eating, I just haven't had the time to update over at my Red Dress Report blog. 

• The DC Ladies blog, where I sometimes moonlight, got an updated look, and I know you'll love it if you click here... 

• Because I learned the hard way, I know that when dog poo lands unwittingly on one's face, a silly fight between husband + wife will quickly end and turn to desperate laughter. And I know that's all I need to say about that...even though it could make one hysterical blog post.

Bobby Flay's Burger Palace

As is often the case in politics, I went to a networking lunch yesterday. A Food Network-ing lunch....hee!

Last week, Celebrity Chef Bobby Flay opened up a Bobby's Burger Palace in Washington, down on K Street. My co-worker, Allen, and I made a little run downtown to bring back lunch for everyone in our office....after standing in quite a line just to even make it inside the restaurant!

This place is a hot-spot, but considering the crowd, we were still able to make it in an out pretty efficiently!

There are a few big time burger places in Washington operated by big time chefs (Shake Shack, Good Stuff, Ray's Hell Burger, Central) and between the bulk of us, we've been to nearly all of them.

The review? The shakes - delish, but not as good as the Roasted Marshmellow shake from Good Stuff. The fries - Bobby offers sweet potato, and they were very good, as were the regular fries! The main event, the burgers - better than Good Stuff, and as good or better than its other rivals.

The salads (aka, the topless patty on greens)? Cause yeah...that's what I got. Pretty good, probably even great...if you don't eat it while watching everyone else enjoy various forms of gourmet cheeseburgers!

I didn't order fries yesterday, but today over at Red Dress I'm telling about how fries were the key to the first part of my weight loss...you can read about it here!

Here We Go Again....

Remember a long time ago when I told y'all how much I really weighed and started a weight loss blog?


Remember when I stopped after, like, a month and then gained nearly 30 MORE pounds.


Oh....I haven't forgotten. But, I have been on track again - for far more than just a few weeks, and now that I have some significant success behing me, I'm going to start AGAIN with my weekly (at least) updates on getting back into my red dress.  That's what I'm blogging about today over at The Red Dress Report!

In Pounds, Not in Days

As I've mentioned, I'm dieting {once again!} these days. I've lost nearly 20 pounds.  I'm about to top any amount of weight I've ever lost during one diet. Still, I have more weight to lose than ever before, so there's a long way to go before meeting my goal...but that's another story for another blog (one you'll likely only hear if I'm actually successful...).

When you are successfully shedding pounds, it becomes such a focus in your phsyce that it's all one thinks about. It's pretty much all I think about lately. In fact, when on vacation with my family, Dan pulled me aside and said, I think you talk about your diet too much. At one point, my mom said to me, after I was weighing food options for the day, Why don't you go call that girl? That girl being the simply fabulous Kris of Simply Flabuloss, who has been my diet buddy and calorie confidant.

Kris posted not long ago about how now that she is slimming down, she's more into jewelry + accessories. I feel the same way lately about clothes.

In general {and likely by a fat default} I don't get too into fashion. I like pretty clothes as much as the next girl, but labels and brands don't really matter to me.  Since I've spent the bulk of my adult life losing and gaining and losing and gaining weight, I've never invested too much in my closet. During the times of gaining I've especially shied away from shopping for anything but....black. I do, however, own 12 sets of dishes. Hmm....and I wonder why I struggle with the scale???

I was talking to a friend about a necklace I bought this weekend*, and the outfit I would pair it with for a party out on the water. She asked when the party will be, and I told her the date, followed by...or in 7-10 pounds.I have a lot of fun events on my calendar this summer, and already I am mentally playing paperdolls with how I want to look at weddings, lunches with old friends, sailing trips on the Chesapeake, seeing Dolly at Wolf Trap.  As I look at the calendar, counting down to all my fun engagements, I think not in days...but in pounds. Specifically, pounds lost.



I don't know how healthy that is. It's obsessive, indeed. But...it can't be as bad as thinking in terms of food** which, let's be honest, I've also used as my countdown!

*It's on sale for $19 at Target,  people - do NOT pay ebay prices!
**Homemade Ice Cream recipe coming up this week for 4th of July - you'll love it!

A Bicycle Built For...

 I'm thinking about buying a bicycle this weekend.

When we were down at the beach, cyclists kept catching my eye. And, I keep seeing how cute my friends look pedaling around....

Jenni is extra "Speedy" on two-wheels, isn't she?

Monty was clearly born to ride.

Photo-ops, though the above are pretty presh, arent  the reason I have bikes on the brain. I'm trying {yet again!} to find hobbies {because reading, writing and wine tasting don't produce real calorie burn} that will help in my efforts to slim down. I need fun exercise. I think a bike is the way to go.

If I still lived on Capitol Hill, I wouldn't need my own bike. D.C. has a really great bike share.

But, alas, I live in the 'burbs. Still...all of my town is connected by trails and greenspace, so...biking would be a fun way to squeeze in some exercise without having to slow down traffic the way some DC bikers do morning and night during the middle of rush hour while pulling small children behind in bike trailors WTF! often do. In my head I'll ride on the weekends to my nail place. When Dan's grilling and we realize we need an extra ear of corn, I'll just hope on my cruiser and head to the store. I'm not aiming to Livestrong or anything, so don't think Lance Armstrong. Think...active, happy, stylish lady from a tampon ad.

Minus the socks.

I need a bicycle built for an out-of-shape 30-something that doesn't require any fancy gear changing, but comes, preferably, with a basket.

Tales From Zumba - The Cargo Shorts Guy

I've been to a couple of Zumba classes lately, and I must start sharing some stories because what happens during these 45-minute segments of cardio are a tad off-the-wall. If I could sneak in a camera Tales From Zumba could be a blog in itself.

photo credit - here

If you don't know what Zumba is, it's like Dancing with the Stars meets a Beyonce video.  There's lots of box-stepping, hip thrusts and even arm shimmies. It' a full on dance routine, and even a little sexy/grindy at times.

When I first started going I took great comfort in the fact that most of my classmates were just average people - no Fly Girls or Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader-types. This made me feel so much more comfortable in my own, cellulite-dotted skin.  Before taking a class in a studio with mirrors, I actually thought I still had my high school cheerleader mojo; I don't. But that's another story...

photo credit - here

I'm oddly private and self-conscious when exercising anyway, so I stand at the back of the class. After all, it's not 1994 anymore. At the front of the class, however, is this white man, probably mid-40's. He's not totally without rhythm, but sporting a t-shirt, tucked into his belted cargo shorts that hit past the knee and stark white tennies, socks pulled mid-shin...well, let's just say he's no Drew Lachey. Still, at my 'burb gym, anything goes, even cargo shorts which I think are the biggest crime of fashion ever (even though I know men, Dan included, love them and I'm told by fashion forward male friends that they are once again "in").

Love the man. Hate the shorts.

Shorts aside, this guy is out of place only because he's one of maybe 3 men in a class that's mostly all women.

So, he's dancing away and I'm thinking, Good for him. Until....he starts turning around, facing me, and the rows of women behind him. From ear-to-ear, he's grinning. He's also chomping on gum. In an instant, he goes from a case of Bless his heart for trying to just kind of pervy. If you want to watch everyone, go to the back row, right?

But it gets worse....he starts partnering up with a girl directly  behind him. He's close to her now...like at a Catholic school dance the nuns would be intervening. He's just short of being the J-Lo to her Marc Anthony, Idol Final 2011. Not kidding. Bless her heart.

I feel for this woman; I am SO distracted just watching from a good 15-feet away, but she's surely feeling his sweat. He does this the ENTIRE class, moving from one victim woman to another. He'll work out facing front for a while, like every normal exercise class attendee in the history of the world, but then boom, he turns around to face the class again....grinning, chomping, sweating.

I lose my ability to concentrate on the instructor because I'm mentally preparing what I would say if Cargo Shorts guy starts to Zumba up all the way to the back row. 

Now, I could be wrong - it's been years since I consistenly darkened the door of a gym - but this is not normal behavior, especially in the 'burbs, for communal cardio, true?

Weekly Meal Planning

In this new year as I aim to transition my life from real messy to Real Simple, I've become pretty amused with meal planning. With a commute like mine that never has me arriving home at the same time, the only dinner I can do on the fly is call for pizza or Chinese, an option that is not-at-all a consistent way to operate for wallet or waiste. That's why I've been trying to plan ahead to avoid take-out temptations. Here are things that have been working very well, so far, for me: 

Have a Friend Sign You Up For a Weekly Meal Planning Service

Yes, this is kind of cheating...but so are Spanx + and your GPS system.  My friend Cassie suprised me a few weeks ago with a membership to The Six O'Clock Scramble.  Every Wednesday, I get an email with five dinners and the grocery list needed for cooking. Also, this website has a zillion recipes. I don't always use the full suggested menu the site sends, but I have added a couple dishes from it into my standard rotation, and I love that when I have no creativity for making my own menu, I can steal ideas from the Scramble. 

Use a Cute Grocery List - You'll Be More Inclined to Actually Keep Up With It

Clearly, the most clever meal planners wouldn't be caught in a grocery store without a solid list. The truth is, I'm famous for making lists, and then losing or leaving them in places I may not recall for 1 to 5 years. So, I printed out these pretties from The Project Girl and they are stuffed into junk drawers at both my home + office, and of course my purse - I can plan meals anywhere!

photo credits: The Project Girl

I'm also working towards a goal of only making two major grocery shopping trips each month. I'm a reckless grocery buyer.  I toss candles, magazines, and any box or bottle that says "limited edition" on it in my cart on a whim, and the money I'm spending at the Giant is getting out of hand. These grocery list/meal planning printables from The Project Girl have truly transformed the way I shop - I absolutely love them.  Also, my friend, Anne, swears by this list where one doesn't even have to fill in any items - just circle!

Cut One Episode of One Tree Hill That You've Already Seen From Your Sunday Viewing of "Breakfast in Bed with The SOAP Network"

I have recently started taking an hour or two on Sunday afternoons to prepare one or two meals for the week ahead. It has brought such peace + sanity to my weeknights, I cannot even tell you!!!! I thought I'd share with y'all the
make-ahead meal that is my current favorite: Easy Chicken Enchiladas + Mexican Rice.

I make Pioneer Woman's Good Ol' Basic Mexican Rice (using olive oil, instead of canola, and instead of cumin, this fajita seasoning I thought was so special and Food Network-ish because I bought it at an authentic Mexican grocery store....

only to learn that it is, in fact, made in the U.S.A. - which is fine, because when not shopping Mexican I'm big on buy America).  

PW's rice makes a TON, so it's perfect for feeding a big group. Or, if you live with a carbaterian like I do, and you serve lots of rice + potatoes, you'll find it's among the only rice dishes ever made that reheats to taste as good as it does when served orginially - I just add a dash of chicken broth, usually left over from the box I used for the recipe, to the skillet as I reheat it and voila - Yummy 2.0!


Now, for the main event: The enchiladas. I found the recipe in Eating Light magazine, and this dish is really good, really easy, and also still tastey when served for a second time.

Of course, on the week that I write a blog about planning meals in advance, I made this meal mid-week. I did this because I was busying bowling on Sunday, and because I'm sending it tonight to a friend who just had a baby....

I doubled the chicken recipe, and the rice makes SO much that I packed up a pan for my friends, served it for Mr. W + I to eat last night AND still put a huge amount in the fridge to accompany meals later this week.

I would love to hear your meal planning tips, and any recipes/dishes that are in the freezes beautifully section of your cook books!

Here's the recipe for the chicken enchiladas - for those of you who are Weight Watchers Points counters, 2 enchiladas - 11 points {new plan}.

Happy Planning!

Show Us Your Life: Weight Loss Tips, Diets, Workout Ideas

I think I'm the last person to put myself into Kelly's Korner, a very popular blog written by an Arkansas wife and mom. Kelly has more followers and friends than anyone in all of Blogland...probably because she seems so genuine (though the cute pictures she shares of her daughter, Harper, probably do not hurt her web traffic...).

Each Friday, Kelly hosts a blog event called Show Us Your Life. Since I'm a/A curious watcher of people, be them stranger or friend, in the real world as well as the wide web one and b/Know the rest of y'all are, too,  I'm going to feed everyone's nosey monster (while nourishing my own) and particpate.


Here's how it's going to work: Every week there's a fun topic, and bloggers indulge readers with the details of their world - everything from what kind of china pattern one has to sharing one's favorite charity. It's a great way to discover new bloggers, and to learn the tips and trades of sassy girls everywhere!

Today's Topic - Weight loss tips, Diets & Workout Ideas. Since the start of this new year this topic has BEEN my life, and I am hoping with an old plan and some new tricks, I will have weight-loss in the bag!

OLD PLAN
As I have done before when I want to trim down, I'm following the Weight Watchers Points plan. Every food has a Points value, and every dieter has a total number of Points, based on one's weight, that can be consumed in a day. You get a little calculator to help determine a food's value.

There are some caveats - you can bank Points, earn Points through exercise, etc - but once you get the hang of it, it's pretty simple...even for someone like me who is terrible with numbers!

I have counted Points as a pointed way to lose weight twice, and with great success - 13 and 17 pounds lost respectively. Ironically, that is the combined amount of weight I want to lose this go-round: 30 pounds. When I did the math and realized I had already lost 30 pounds, just not in succession, that was VERY frustrating!  

Bottom line for your waistline: If you stay within your Points, you're going to lose some weight. The hardest part of this effort is not giving up ice cream; Weight Watchers makes some yummy treats.

The challenge with this, and all elements of healthy living, is planning ahead and making good choices a priority. That is why my pantry and fridge are full of plastic bags.

IN THE BAG
Before I put away my groceries, I divide everything I can into an individual serving - my own version of the 100 Calorie Pack!

Not only do I know the Points value for each bag, but the bags are conveniently at hand for me as I dash out the door for work (no excuse for ordering take-out with the office because I didn't have time to pack a lunch) or if I want a quick snack. 

It makes eating right as easy as...

 Also...I started another blog, The Red Dress Report, to track my journey - the successes and the struggles. Sometimes when something is in black and white (and red!) it's easier to stay focused. I'm also hoping that confessing my weight each week gives me a freakish feeling of accountability....

Next week's Show Us Your Life topic - Favorite Shopping Spot