Columnists The Skinny on Being Fit and Fabulous
The Skinny on Being Fit and Fabulous: Work In Progress
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- Written by Josh Williams
People ask me for tips on how they can lose weight and what my secret is. I have said it before. There is not a magic pill to get you where you want to be. But I do know this.
Diet alone will not do it. Exercise alone will not do it. It must be a combination of both.
When I started on my weight loss journey, I didn’t exercise for the first three months. I lost weight but I then reached a point where it stalled. I realized then that I needed to add movement and exercise into my plan if I was going to get to where I wanted to be.
When I began training for my first half-marathon, I threw my food plan out the window. I mean, I was a runner now…I didn’t need to diet. After I gained 5 pounds over my original goal weight, I realized that this was a false statement.
I have a friend who is about ten pounds from his weight goal. He is a workout machine. He works out about 2 – 2 and a half hours each day/five days a week. His eating isn’t bad…but it’s not the greatest either. I have mentioned to him before that if he really want to get rid of those last ten pounds, that he must be vigilant about his eating habits. It gets harder and harder as you get closer to the end. The last remaining pounds want to hold on for dear life and it’s up to you to make a decision of how bad you want it.
Here are my own personal top 5 fitness exercises counting down to number 1:
5. Wall sits. Want your thighs to burn? Try a wall sit. It’s quite simple, just stand with your back against the wall and sink down like you are sitting in a chair, except the only thing that is holding you up is your thighs and legs. So you are sitting with no seat under you. Talk about a burn. Start small and try to work your way up to three minutes. When it starts to burn, I take this opportunity to get on the smartphone so I don’t think about it.
4. Shoulder presses. Summer is coming up and so is halter top and tank top season. Get yourself some free weights and press those hands to the sky! In each hand, have a free weight. Your hands should be level with your shoulders, knuckles forward. Simply press the weights into the sky and then back down. You can also do this with the weights turned in instead of forward.
3. Squats. Did I hear a groan? Want a firm butt and backside? Squats will give you this. Regular squats, side squats, frog squats, jump squats, pistol squats. I would not recommend the latter until you have had plenty of practice. For a regular squat, simply bend your knees and sit back, trying to make a 90 degree angle with your butt to the floor. For an extra burn, try holding and squeezing.
2. Crunches. Abs, baby. Abs. It doesn’t matter where or how you do these…regular sit-ups, crunches on the stability ball, ab crunches with your feet in the air, bicycle crunches, reverse abs, oblique crunches. A strong core cannot be underestimated. It helps your posture which helps your back muscles.
1. Push-ups. Yea, I said it. I love push-ups! It targets so many areas: chest, back, arms and shoulders. Also, when you do the push-up, you are holding your core firm, another added benefit. Don’t be nervous if you can’t do the push-ups on your toes. Do them on your knees or use a wall and do a push-up while standing.
The Skinny on Being Fit and Fabulous: It’s Mental, Too. Not Just Physical
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- Written by JENNIFER CONNOR MARTIN
The Skinny on Being Fit and Fabulous
It’s Mental, Too. Not Just Physical
To be honest, I haven’t felt very fabulous lately…
I have been dealing with the realization that the body breaks down with age and that sometimes rest and recovery is the best medicine that a doctor could prescribe. Now, if they could just prescribe a medicine that helps alleviate the toll that this takes on your mental state.
Without going into a lot of specifics, it is now six weeks post surgery for me. I had surgery on my ankle to repair tendons that were torn or severely deteriorated due to injuries throughout the years. Rolling my ankles was a common thing for me when I played volleyball in high school and college. The doctor determined that because I had high arches, that I was putting pressure on the ligaments around the ankle. So, I had surgery to repair the tears. Two weeks in a non-weight bearing cast, four weeks in a weight-bearing, walking cast. Vicodin for pain as needed. Absolutely no driving (lucky me, it was my driving foot) for six weeks. Which meant that I was relegated to my house and was only able to get out when people drove me. Talk about a blow to your independent self…
I’ll admit that when the six weeks began that I was looking forward to some downtime…that feeling lasted three days…
Being house bound can really affect your mental state of mind. I don’t like being dependent on others, but that’s exactly what I had become. For the first two weeks, I could not even get my own coffee. I had to have things brought to me. I felt so helpless and weak. Two weeks after that I moved into a walking cast, but still couldn’t drive. I was not expecting six weeks of basically being restricted to my house. Not to mention the fact that most of the time, I kept my leg elevated to prevent swelling, which meant I sat most of the time.
While I am still feeling the effects physically, I have a better understanding of how health restrictions can affect your mental state of mind. I haven’t been able to run since August, I haven’t been able to spin since October, and I haven’t been able to do yoga in two months. Having doctors tell you “no, no, no” is hard to listen to and take that advice. It makes you feel small, weak and incapable of doing things. You think of all the things that you may be missing out on and feel that life isn’t fair. You begin to feel sorry for yourself and this self-pity makes you lash out at others. This is truly unfair, because those are the ones who care about you.
They say God doesn’t give you more than you can handle. I still wonder what God’s lessons here were. One thing I’ve learned to do is enjoy the downtime while you have it. I was able to catch up on some reading, some movies, and some projects that I had been putting off. Since I haven’t been able to go to the gym or an exercise class, I’ve had the wonderful benefit of enjoying more time with my kids. This may be one of the most important lessons I’ve learned: spending more time with them, especially when they are young. Before I know it, they are going to be all grown up and NOT want to spend time with me. The other thing I’ve learned is tolerance: tolerance for people with limitations, special needs, and disabilities. I was appalled at one restaurant that I went to recently where in the waiting room, not one person got up from their seat to offer it to me, and this is when I had crutches! I will make sure that I teach my children about limitations and being polite and kind to others.
I get the cast off in two hours…it can’t come soon enough…
The Skinny on Being Fit and Fabulous: “How to sneak in the veggies and fruits”
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- Written by Josh Williams
So as a fitness and nutrition nut, I try to pass on my healthy habits to my children. Looking at a dinner plate, you want to have a quarter of protein, quarter of grains, and the remaining half a vegetable and/or fruit. Try not to make half of that plate all fruit. Fruits still have sugar so the idea is to have them enhance/bulk up your meal, not make them the prime focus.
That’s nice. Back here in the real world, parents have a hard time getting our kids to eat their fruits and vegetables. I have one of the pickiest kids on the planet. And the reason I know this is because the “apples don’t fall far from the tree”. As a kid, I never wanted to try new things. I never tried any type of seafood until after college, that’s how bad it was. As I have gotten older and become wiser (and thinner), I have come to enjoy a variety of different foods and flavors. Last week while on vacation in the south, I made it my mission to eat seafood only for dinners. I am proud to say I accomplished my goal. For the first time ever I had: lobster, grouper, tuna, swordfish, scallops. I continued my love affair with shrimp and clams. I have also become smarter and realized how vegetables and fruits can add delicious flavors and smells to a meal. So while we wait for our children to grow up and have their epiphany that veggies and fruits ARE good for them AND delicious, how can we trick them into eating them since we know they provide essential vitamins they need?
Tips for devious parents and how to sneak in healthy food for the kids. Haha…
1. Bake some bread or cake and sneak in some vegetables. My mom used to make zucchini bread and zucchini cake all the time when I was growing up. Did it taste like zucchini? Absolutely not! Why do you think I ate it all the time? In fact, don’t even tell them it’s zucchini bread, but “bread”. Other things you can try this with are carrots. One more thing…this also works with meatloaf, too! Just don’t frost it like you would a cake.
2. The wonder of a smoothie. Smoothies are the best invention ever. Why? First, you have yogurt and/or milk so you are starting with dairy that is essential for children. You can add easy fruits that kids rarely turn away (bananas, strawberries) and then make a game out of it. How many more fruits can we add to our concoction? Pineapple, blueberries, raspberries. I have actually made a game out of this myself. Oh, and what color will it be in the end.
3. The wonder of a blender. We don’t need an egg timer to threaten our children with that they must get their vegetables. Pasta for dinner? No problem. Mix some sauce and veggies into a blender and voila! Veggies for dinner. Mexican for dinner? No problem. Add some beans and veggies into a blender and voila! A nice spread to put on the bottom of the tortilla.
4. The wonder of cheese. Don’t be afraid of cheese. If you need to add some melted cheese to their vegetables, it doesn’t make it wrong. Heck, they are getting dairy too! Things to consider are using reduced fat or fat free cheese when preparing.
5. Is it pureed cauliflower or mashed potatoes? I’m not joking. Add some milk and cheese and see if your kids will be able to tell the difference.
6. Chocolate. I am dead serious here. Do you know how much fun kids would have with chocolate fondue and fruit? My husband and I did this one night with our kids and it was a HUGE hit. They got plenty of fruit (bananas, raspberries, apples, strawberries) and enjoyed dipping it into a warm chocolate sauce. Another surprise? It was very filling.
Word of caution: I would still make sure you are putting visible vegetables/fruits on their plate. You don’t want them to believe that you have completely given up hope of them eating any. Still insisting (or strongly suggesting) that they eat some of their vegetables never hurt anyone. Even if they only eat two spoonfuls, you as the parent, will have the satisfaction knowing that they are getting their fair share of veggies/fruits in other parts of their meal.
Bon appétit!
The Skinny on Being Fit and Fabulous: A Work in Progress Part One
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- Written by Josh Williams
I was looking at old pictures of myself recently after I first lost all my weight and was amazed at what I saw. I had forgotten how saggy the skin becomes after first losing weight. I have been fortunate to have some muscle tone throughout my life, but nothing like what I have now. But when you first lose weight, the elasticity in your skin is pretty shot. Your skin is used to being all stretched out (damn those stretch marks) having to accommodate the unwanted layers of fat trapped in your body. Once you lose the weight, your skin still remembers being stretched out as it once was. I would not WISH the fat back for anything, but it still is disturbing knowing how how hard you worked and when you look in the mirror, you only see saggy skin staring back at you.
A friend contacted me recently and asked me how to get a firm, toned body. She had lost a great deal of weight recently, about as much as I did, but didn’t like the loose skin that was left. It made her feel unconscious and had started to work with a personal trainer to tone and firm up her problem areas. She asked me if this was normal and when she could expect to see some results. It’s not the same answer for everyone because there are different body types out there. If you have seen the Biggest Loser before, they measure the contestants’ body fat composition to see how much of their body consists of fat and how much is muscle. So it should not be a surprise that those contestants with a larger muscle mass seem to lose more quickly than contestants who don’t. As I stated in an earlier column, lean muscle mass will increase metabolism which will allow the body to burn calories at a higher rate. Lean muscle also makes your clothes fit better, too. I lost 20+ pounds in the past year and dropped six sizes. Seems like a big jump in clothing sizes, but I credit that with the toning and strength training I have done.
So what are my favorite strengthening exercises? Here are my own personal top 10 fitness exercises counting down to number 5:
10. Donkey kicks. Want a toned, firm butt? Donkey kicks are a great exercise. Get on the floor on all fours, knees on the floor. Raise one leg off the floor while keeping your leg in a bent position at the knee. Keep your foot flexed and press it towards the sky. If you have never done these before, start with a set of 10 on each leg and feel the burn!
9. Bicep Curls. Got 5 lb. weights? If not, go buy some. A set of weights in your home is a great investment towards your strength training, Not sure if you can start with 5 lb. weights? You can also buy three pound weights. Or start with soup cans. Yes, seriously! We all have to start somewhere. With the weights in your hands, have your hands down at your sides and bend at the elbow lifting the weights to your shoulders and then lower down.
8. Chest presses. This is for the ladies…just because we have breasts doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be working our chest muscles. While lying on the floor, have your arms bent next to your sides with the weights in your hands. Press up towards the sky where the weights meet one another.
7. Bent Over Rows. Do not UNDERESTIMATE the importance of a powerful back. With your weights in hand, lean forward with your upper body, keeping your back straight. Your hands should be down at the outside of your thighs/knees. Lift both weights up towards your underarms and back down. If you have back problems, try doing one side at a time. I tend to have a sore upper back and doing one side at time definitely helps, especially when you feel fatigued.
6. Tricep extensions. Working on your triceps will give you get great arm definition for tank top season next summer! I have a couple of favorite exercises for these. The first exercise is to take both hands over your head, holding a weight in both hands. While holding the weight over your head, bend your arms back towards your shoulder blades and lift back up. The second exercise is to use your own body weight for resistance. Take a bench with some levels stacked underneath. Have your hands holding yourself up in back of you with your feet straight in front of you. When ready, lower your butt down to the ground using the backs of your arms for leverage and lift back up. For a more intense exercise, try hovering one leg over the ground. This exercise can be easy to cheat at so make sure you are not using your lower body to lower yourself to the ground but that your triceps are doing the work.
In my next column, I will give you my top 5 favorite exercises.
I have another friend who has lost about 40 pounds and considers himself a work in progress. He is always trying to improve on the last strength challenge, the last run, the last spin. Everyone wants a quick fix but the reality is (and this may be a difficult pill to swallow for some) is that a toned, sculpted body is not something you are going to achieve overnight. It is going to take a lot of hard work, sweat and dedication. So the question is: How bad do you want it? Do you want to be the one turning the heads this year at the beach? Now that we have recently completed Summer 2011, this would be the perfect time to begin working on “your work in progress” for Summer 2012.
The Skinny on Being Fit and Fabulous: Poof
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- Written by Josh Williams
This would be the blowing out of my dream to run a marathon. At least for this season…
In one of my last columns, I mentioned that I have been dealing with an injury. After not feeling any better, I decided that it was time to go to the doctor. Verdict: high ankle sprain (thanks to the rolling of my foot during the half-marathon) and tears in my hamstring (thanks to the concessions I was making in my stride because of the high ankle sprain). The doctor gave me the okay to run a couple of times a week, no more than 10 miles. He said I could also do cross-training so my aerobic levels didn’t falter. I also began physical therapy to repair the damage in my hamstring muscle and work on strengthening exercises to build up the muscle again. This was two weeks ago.
Since then, I have been good. I have kept my mileage down and obeyed his instructions. This is a big step for me, I am a very impatient and stubborn individual, but I knew what the doctor was saying and how essential it was to recover and heal.
Today I had my 2-week evaluation. It was not the news I wanted to hear. My hamstring and ankle have not been healing well enough and my recovery will take longer. New restrictions: no running at all for three weeks. He asked what I had been training for and I said, “My first marathon at the beginning of October.” His response, “That is not going to happen.” Me: “What about a half-marathon?” I was thinking that if I wasn’t able to get enough miles in, that maybe the half-marathon would work. His response? “You will be on a ‘return-to-run’ program. Maybe you can do a 10k or 5k in October.” Defeated, I left the doctor’s office just in time before the tears started.
So my running is on official hiatus until further notice. When I don’t run, I get grumpy. When I don’t run, I get tense. When I don’t run, I get depressed. This is going to be a long three weeks. Hopefully my family won’t vote me off the island.
I’ve been repeating a mantra over and over in my head since this happened. “I can’t control the things that happen to me, but I can control my reactions to the things that happen to me.” How am I going to respond to this setback? Self-destructing is easy. Pig out, drown my sorrows in some booze, becoming a couch potato, etc. But proving that I am mentally stronger to overcome setbacks and obstacles, that is harder. Because every time I see a picture perfect day, I’m going to want to lace up my sneakers. Every time I see a runner on the road getting some miles in, I’m going to silently curse at them. Every time I see a posting about a race that is coming up or a race someone ran, I’m going to want to give myself a pity party. But leaving my sneakers in the closet, marveling at the strides of the person running and cheering on participants at a race, this will require a strong will. I will get through this. In all capacities of our life, we come up against obstacles. Whether it be in our family life, our work life, etc. How we deal with those obstacles and overcome those obstacles, this is what will define you and show what you are made of.
In the meantime, I’m looking forward to some new classes I have been taking and will write about. I am now taking a yoga class (and currently an addict) and am looking forward to starting a spinning class. This will give me an opportunity to explore some other forms of exercise that have peaked my interest in the past.
One my last long run, I was able to try a new product called Nutrilite. I tried their Endurance Cubes, Recovery Drink Mix, and their Rhodiola 110 Supplements. This product is currently being used by Kara Goucher, an acclaimed long-distance runner. The idea of the cubes and supplements is to improve energy and increase your physical and mental stamina. The recovery drink is to assist with replenishing, renewing and rebuilding your body after the beating it has endured. The marketing team at Nutrilite wanted a regular person to try their product to see what they thought. Enter me – your ordinary person. And I have to admit for not giving them any sort of chance to win me over, I was surprised by the energy I felt at the beginning and during my run as I refueled during those 13 miles that day. But the thing that surprised me the most was my mental alertness that day. Usually this is something I struggle with about 2/3 of the way through a long run, but not that day. The recovery drink was great, too. Extra bonus? They all tasted good, too! My verdict – I will be ordering this for myself in the future. Just as soon as I can start my long runs again. For more information, you can visit nutrilite.health.com.
So ask yourself. The next obstacle that comes my way, how am I going to respond?
