Post-India: Veg and Carb-a-rama Prevented Weight Gain?

Last 2 Weeks' Results
February 2014 Face Shot
Weight: Closer to 153 lbs.
Aerobic activities:
  • Roller Derby Boot Camp
  • Walking in Chandni Chowk, the greater New Delhi area, Agra, and Gurgaon

Hmmm, with a 3 lbs. difference between last month and this month, I don't see a significance difference from the mug shot. That's how I look without going to Roller Derby Boot Camp for 2 weeks. I was in India for one evening. I didn't have the energy to go last night since I returned stateside on Sunday morn. I wonder how long it will take my body to adjust to the time difference.

Last week was another good week for STEM outreach! I'm happy to report that this time it didn't take a toll on my fitness. I traveled across the American and European continent - by aeroplane - to mentor Indian, Pakistani, and Chinese high school students at the Asian Regional Space Settlement Design Competition in Gurgaon, India. Even with 13+ hour flights to and from the Asian subcontinent, I still managed to get in most of my 10k steps on those respective days. I think the walk across terminals, baggage claim, and other parts of the airport infrastructure helped with the count.

Before the competition, my travel/competition companions and I did the tourist-y stuff that bumped up the step count:
  • watched the Republic Day parade in front of Red Fort
  • ambled through one of the oldest marketplaces in New Delhi (Chandni Chowk)
  • admired one of the 7 wonders of the world
  • climbed lots of stairs at at Agra Fort

In front of the Taj!
Yeah, I'm looking a bit chunky there in front of the Taj, but I actually lost a lb. there

The food was varied and I was happy the first couple of days when I had the opportunity to enjoy some mutton biryani.
Mutton biryani
Lamb/goat goodness with saffron rice, dried fruits, and nuts

However, by the end of the trip, I had nothing but vegetarian and carb-a-tarian options that looked like:
Naan, rice, and more potato stuff.
Naan, rice, and potato stuff

My gustatory senses were not engaged. The naan actually made me feel bloated. I cannot enjoy the taste of potato and curry for a while. Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner. Something potato. Something rice. Something curry. This curbed my appetite a great deal and I felt that also contributed to my (paltry) weight loss.

On the bright side, I'm grateful I didn't gain my usual 5-10 travel lbs. though.

Now that I'm back in the states and eating processed food again (I ate a pizza for my first dinner back home), let's hope my January weight loss efforts weren't in vain.

Losing Steam Already?

Last Week's Results
Weight: Wavering between 155 and 154
Aerobic activities:

Last week was a good week for STEM outreach. I judged at the Clear Creek ISD Secondary Science Fair and graded some essays and abstracts for the Future City Competition. My soul was happy and I felt fulfilled for helping in reaching out to young ladies and gents in their explorations of science, technology, engineering, and math.

What did that mean for fitness though? That meant I was mostly sedentary and compensated with food for my time. Not necessarily a good thing. I felt tired from expending my energy on this activity. A little exercise should boost my energy so I need to concentrate my efforts on trying to do some little bursts of exercise to keep the energy high. The Jessica Smith exercises are only 30 minutes. I couldn't get myself to carve out half an hour of a day to do some good for myself?

Let's see what happens this coming week. I'm glad the pounds are shaving off bit by bit (Roller Derby Boot Camp has a big hand in this), but let's see if I can get myself to work out every single day.

A Sore Complainer - Skating, Chair-ing, Sleeping

Last Week's Results
January 2014 Face ShotWeight: 156 lbs.
Other aerobic activities:

A lovely friend in my fitbit group suggested that we post pictures of our faces to see the progress we make in our weight loss endeavor this year. See above for my chummy mug to compare next month. It's not the most flattering picture because I'm in a daze from Roller Derby Boot Camp. Yesterday was my second time to the rink and my inner thighs are sore. The first week, I was groaning like an elderly gal, according to a co-worker. My quads and inner thighs have not been this pliable and sprightly in an obscene amount of time.

Last Saturday, I tried Jessica Smith's Chair Cardio and Strength workout and it turned my horrible preconceived notions about chair exercises from:
Sit & Be Fit with Mary Ann Wilson
Image courtesy of Amazon

To:
Zuzka doing amazing over the chair kick
Image courtesy of BodyRock.tv

The workout - sans stretching - was slightly under 40 minutes. In a swift couple of hours, my hamstrings were raising a fuss and feeling tender to the touch.

Last night, the evening got a bit frigid and we piled on an extra layer of blanket. Somehow sleeping on a memory foam mattress and being buried under a snug, cozy blanket managed to make my tailbone feel sore. Sheesh! I was afraid it portended my upcoming evening with Roller Derby Boot Camp. I am relieved to report - with sore inner thighs and all, but without labored breathing - that I did not fall on the bum at all today.

I must be doing something right to be sore whether in motion, sitting, or sleeping, correct-o?

if(2014 > 2013){ happyDance(); }

2013 Fitness Year in Review
Weight on January 1, 2013: 164 lbs.

Weight on January 1, 2014: 157 lbs.

Aerobic activities endeavored throughout the year:
  • Leslie Sansone Walk-outs
  • ZCUT
  • Rockin' Body
  • 10 Minute Solutions
  • Jessica Smith TV
  • Paula Abdul
  • Jane Fonda
  • Disc golf
  • Roller Derby Boot Camp

Ha comenzado el año catorce. Where am I on my fitness journey? I'm starting 2014 with a happy dance because it's looking better than 2013 already.

I lost at least 10 lbs. for the wedding. I gained most of it back with loved ones visiting and the fall/wintry holidays. I lost control on the food adventures and got lazy about maintaining the exercise routine. However, I'm mighty proud that the scale didn't display a glaring 164 at the start of 2014. The libations to ring in the new year probably nudged the 156 from 3 days ago to the eyebrow-raising 159 witnessed in the early morning. The stomach settled and mystically I'm at 157. I'll need to weigh myself at the end of this week to see how much damage the additional new year festivities with family and friends during the rest of the week will bring.

Aerobic Programs

I've dabbled in many aerobic programs in 2013 and had great difficulties committing to any particular one. I'll try, try again. I'm not giving up because I want to get to the point where I wake up each day revved up for some physical activity and going to bed soothed by some nerve-settling-sedentary-busting activity. This is not me making a new year's resolution. This is me (still) attempting to work on a habit I've been trying to cultivate since 2011.

For the month of January, I am committed to the Roller Derby Boot Camp and Jessica Smith's 4-Week Weight Loss Workout Program. I did pay for a $10 Groupon for an entire month's worth of Boot Camp. Who knows, I might get hooked. Jessica Smith is a fantastic trainer and I want to justify receiving her weekly e-mails (her cuing is really helpful so her e-mails must be equally helpful in leading me into the right fitness steps - that's how my mind is rationalizing it).

Fitness Magazines

Susy awesomely introduced me to DiscountMags.com many years ago to get a subscription to Shape to help me with my fitness goals. I just received a promotional e-mail about a sale for 2-year subscriptions. This prompted a quick reflection of the (potential) value these subscription(s) may bring to 2014.

I've had a subscription with Shape since 2011 and I think it did me well in 2013. Inspirational stories and fitness revelations somehow helped to keep 7 lbs. off throughout the year (I just know it!). I often complain there are too many ads, but there are still quality pieces. I've decided to renew my subscription for another 2 years.

Since it's the start of a new year, why not try a new and different perspective on women's fitness and health? For 9 buckeroos, I'll have a 2-year subscription to Women's Health. On a whim, I decided to also get Chris a gift subscription to Men's Health. Aww, what a saccharine gesture. His and Her's fitness mags. Now only if DiscountMags.com provided a subscription to Muscle & Fitness Hers, I might've been able to convince Chris to get jacked (<Shudders /> the word "jacked" is like a pair of And1s screeching against a recently buffed basketball court in my mind...) with me through good ol' M&F, his and her's.

On a side note, Fitness Magazine wants me to subscribe again after 2 years of bidding adieu to it. They tried to lure me back with a weight loss cheat sheet and other free gifts that didn't quite capture my fancy. During the time I had subscribed to Fitness, I gained weight. Not the mass you need to get your swole on. No, ma'am. Not for me again. Fitness would not return on my subscription list any time soon. It's also telling that this particular magazine is not available on DiscountMags.com.

fitbit

The fitbit communities motivated me to get those 10k+ steps/day throughout the year. I may not have been entirely consistent about getting to that step count each day, but it got me going. My specific fitbit is an older model and it hasn't died on me yet. I plan to still use a fitbit product if and when this one decides to croak. Within the last couple of weeks, folks that have a ridiculously higher average step count has connected with me. This will definitely light the fire behind my nalgas to keep moving and getting those steps in. My cousin just got a fitbit so it would be another source of motivation to keep me moving.

Webwalking USA

I was a pansy and a frosted flake for not completing the virtual Walk Across America challenge. With fitbit keeping track of my mileage, I should be able to complete this challenge in 2014. I can't leave so many loose ends around. I will finish it this year! Some of the lovely ladies in the fitbit communities brought up another web tool to track this virtual walk. Like what I was attempting to do here, pictures of your current location are shown every time you log your miles.

Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA) Challenge

In 2011, the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award Challenge proved be an effective gold star system to spur me towards physical activity and weight loss. I'm giving another shot at it in 2014. The challenge has changed a bit with a nutrition component added to it. In addition to getting in 30 minutes of activity at least 5 times a week, you need to make healthy eating choices like committing to drinking only water or eating lower fat dairy products during the week. In subsequent weeks you'll be adding to the list of nutrition goals you've set from the previous week. I'm confident I will get through this even though I know I have an eating obsession. I will conquer PALA with this additional nutrition challenge.

It seems like I'm stacking the fitness buffet plate again, but I don't like having so many loose ends at endeavors that are supposed to help.

2014 will be the year when I learn how to be responsible for my physical well-being and not be an aerobics program commitment-phobe.

Sedentary

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