SAY WHAT!?!?

I've been dutifully going to my gym now for 18 months.  I do a weigh in every six months, just to make sure I'm decreasing the space I take up in this world.  The folks at Lifetime have informed me they have done away with the skin-fold method of calculating percentage of body fat.  I was not disappointed at all, as I never thought this was a very reliable method, but whatevs!

Ok...so this test required me to fast for three hours prior to the test.  Arriving for my weekly circuit training workout I am, at this point, hungry and quite thirsty - I hop on the fancy looking scale and hold my breath.  WOWZER!!!  My body fat percentage is nothing I can post here.

Crushed, defeated, confused and trying to make sense of the world (DRAMA!) I just don't know what to think.  Based on my weight and % I'm 45 pounds of fat??????  How, what, where, why and WTF?

After consuming protein and mass amounts of water I begin to get a grip.  I know I still have a pesky 10 pounds until goal weight...but 45 nearly sent me over the *freaking edge.  I quickly contacted my trusty support system and asked if I truly put stock into this new machine.  My conclusion is - NO.  If I lost 45 pounds I'd be too thin (is there such a thing?).  My family would most likely diagnosis me with a severe eating disorder and off to the hospital I'd go for some serious nutrient replenishment.

I'm not beating myself up.  I'm not changing my "diet" (I hate using this word).  My trainer suggested re-examining my food intake and she encouraged me to keep a food journal so we could take a look at it.  She said, "You're probably not eating enough".  Initially I was offended...I'm a savvy foodie!!  But then I realized there are steps I can still take in order to reach my ideal weight.  Don't get me wrong, being a size 6 is fab...but there are still parts of my body I'm working on minimizing and toning.

Steps:
1.  Keep food diary - this will keep me honest
2.  Up cardio level to new zone levels - this will require me to run into levels best left to sprinters
3.  Increase protein consumption - this does not mean more chicken, there are numerous opportunities to up the protein without eating more dead animals
4.  Continue with Pilates and Yoga - but now I'm going to increase weight training days
5.  Stop looking at workouts as 'it's done' - I tend to do my class and then I'm done...I'm going to expand my workouts

These are just a few additional steps I can take in order to continue losing and toning.  I feel rather Bridget Jones here.  But seeing my thoughts on the page really helps me from

It's about time!!!

What can you get done in 30 minutes?  I'll tell you what I can do in thirty minutes:
-watch an episode of 'Say Yes to the Dress'
-google the words 'Snooki's love child' and read the countless number of articles speculating the future of Jersey Shore's sure demise
-hop in the car and drive to Starbucks for an Americano (that's a hot beverage, not a hot Italian import)
-think of new blog post
-catch up with friends (and mother) on the phone (sometimes more than 30 minutes, truth be told)
-throw a ball for my poodle (which she would rather I spend all day doing)
-take a shower

The list could go on for a blog that would read as a mini novella.  My point -- thirty minutes is not a long time.  I'm going out on a limb and guessing most of you reading this (kudos to you for having higher IQ's!!) would agree that thirty minutes is really just a blink of an eye in the grand scheme of things.

Guess what you can do, everyday, for thirty minutes and improve your health -- exercise!  For example, thirty minutes of walking everyday helps to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system.  I hope it goes without saying, being a savvy foodie AND exercising go hand in hand to help improve your health.  I do not condone downing a Big Mac, french fries and a coke and then justifying it by saying, "Well I walked for thirty minutes so I'll be fine."  Fine is the last thing you'll be if that's your normal way of being.

The hardest part, for me, is actually getting my behind TO the gym.  I read a weight loss success story of a women who struggled with the simple act of getting dressed FOR the gym.  To bypass this obstacle she slept in her workout wear and then when her alarm rang (at 5:30 am)  all she did was brush her hair and teeth and she was ready to head out for the gym.

Ask yourself this, once you're engaging in your workout routine (be it, walking, running, weight lifting, stair climbing, whatever) is it still challenging to press on?  I usually join a class that goes for an hour so I just put myself in the middle of the room and throw my 60 minutes to the wind and get a great workout.  Sure, I have those moments when I think....THIS SUCKS!!!!  But my life would suck if I weren't working out, that's for sure!

I just got my 6 month body measurements done today.  While this savvy foodie had some moments of (what I like to call) 'eating like an idiot'...I was nervous and wanted to put it off for another month.  To my pleasant surprise my weight and percentage of body fat both decreased and my muscle mass has increased.  I'm stronger, leaner and more flexible.  My fabulous trainer told me, "Those of us who frequent the gym are stronger than 90% of the rest of the population who don't work out at all."

This squirrel is my inspiration

Well smack my (smaller) butt and call me happy!!!  What's another 30 minutes of exercise?