Good News & Bad News!!

Ok, so I have good news and bad news.

First the bad. Apparently, upon being weighed prior to the Holidays, I had actually gained a couple of pounds from my first post, where I told you all how much I weigh. (No need to re-look it up, it's not important). I didn't know this tidbit of information until I went to the doctor on Monday, and they weighed me, and I asked how much I weighed last time.

Now for the good news. I lost 3 whole pounds.

So, here's how I rationalize it. Since the "exact start weight" happened the day before Thanksgiving, I will surmise that I held that weight through Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years, because we all eat like crap during those weeks, and I will now commit to that number as my starting weight effective January 1, 2009. That being said, I lost 3 pounds since New Years!!!!

Yay!!!

But seriously, I didn't start consistently exercising until after Jan 1, so... I think the math works.

My doctor appointment was an interesting one. It was a "I think I want to have a baby next year, so what do I need to do?" appointment. My doctor is happy, because she wants me to have a baby before I turn 33. Whatever. But something strange happened when I asked her, "How much weight do you think I should lose before I get pregnant?"

I burst into tears. I sat there crying at her, and feeling very stupid. I'm not sure why it happened, anyone who knows me well, knows that I'm a dude, and I just don't cry over stuff. But I think I figured it out.

Reality: I could die if I don't lose weight. My mom got horrible toxemia and diabetes with her last pregnancy and spent a week in the hospital. It was bad. I don't want that to happen to me.

Reality: losing weight has been a battle for me since I was 12 years old. I'm tired. I'm frustrated.

Reality: almost 20 years of diets, hiding food, being made fun of, being told "you have such a pretty face", feeling "not good enough", feeling like a failure...it all caught up to me in that one doctor appointment.

My doctor is awesome, because she just smiled, handed me a tissue and said, "I'm not giving you a number. Look at how stressed you already are. If I give you number, and you don't achieve it, that will only make it harder to conceive. "

She gave me some easy advice. She told me to buy "What to Expect When You're Expecting". She said there's a pregnancy diet in there, and if I start following it now, I will lose weight, and I won't have to drastically change my diet when I get pregnant. That sounds easy enough.

So I got the book.

She also said that only 3 days of exercise a week is "maintenance" and to achieve significant weight loss I need to increase it to 5 days a week.

So, that's what I'm going to do.

Hope these next 6 months are better than the last, because all the blogging in the world isn't going to take the weight off. I really need to get into action.

Last, she told me to cut down on the Starbucks. This is the real problem. I have become accustom to around 3-4 per week. She said it's supposed to be once a month. ???? Not likely right away, so I think I'll have to start by cutting to half-caf. Then maybe decaf. Then maybe twice a week. Then maybe once a week. I already get it non-fat, no-whip, that's as far as I'm willing to go!

amy

Go to Sleep!!!!

So, I had the opportunity to talk to a sleep doctor last month and he said some amazing things about sleep. Apparently, if you work out and eat right, but don't sleep, you can still have a problem losing weight. Imagine that! I sleep like, 5 hours a night, and we need 7-9. I've been meaning to blog about it, but I wanted to get more info, then today I got an email from beachbody (they're the hip hop ab people). I am basically copying and pasting this because I think it will change our lives

So, here you go...

5 Reasons to Sleep Your Way to Better Health

By Suzy Buglewicz

When your mother told you to get your beauty sleep, she may have been on to something. From babies to adults, studies show that the amount of sleep a person gets can directly affect his or her diet and overall health. While individual sleep needs vary, most adults need about 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night consistently, while school-aged children need 9 to 12 hours. According to the National Sleep Foundation, about one third of adults regularly get 6 hours or less of sleep a night. How do you know if you're getting enough sleep? A good way to tell is if you feel alert during the day and feel satisfied with the amount of sleep you are getting. And there are myriad reasons to make sure that happens. Here are five reasons to get enough sleep.

1.
Reduces the risk of depression. Getting enough sleep is essential for functioning both mentally and physically during the day. Not getting enough can lead to dramatic mood swings, which can increase the risk of depression. Do you have a moody teenager in the house? Pediatricians recommend that teenagers get from 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night. While pulling an occasional all-nighter is not likely to make much of a long-term difference in our health, research shows that consistent sleep deprivation—getting less than 6 hours of sleep on a regular basis—can have lasting effects that can't be reversed. These effects can include high blood pressure, negative moods, and a decrease in productivity. Good sleep habits lead to better moods at work as well as better moods in our social interactions and personal relationships.

2.
Helps maintain an optimal weight. In a culture that encourages us to work and play 24/7 and fuel fatigue with caffeine to keep going, it's easy to see why so many of us are frequently tired. But did you know that getting too little sleep can cause weight gain? Studies have shown that sleep deprivation can lower proteins in the body that suppress our appetites, causing people to want to eat more than they would if they had gotten enough sleep. And when we're tired from lack of sleep, we tend to overeat to refuel our bodies—to replace the energy we've lost. Unfortunately, we're more likely to reach for our favorite comfort foods or foods that give us a quick burst of energy, and those foods tend to be high in calories and carbohydrates. People who don't get enough sleep might also feel too tired to keep up a regular exercise routine, making it harder for them to maintain a healthy weight.

3.
Increases the ability to think clearly. A lack of sleep not only makes us drowsy and unable to concentrate, it can also lead to impaired memory function and job performance. When we're well rested, we're likely to be more alert, physically stronger, and better able to perform well at our jobs and at creative problem solving. A lack of sleep in schoolkids can lead to poor concentration and behavior problems in school. Sleep deprivation has also been shown to decrease hand-eye coordination and reaction times, especially when driving. When we do get enough sleep, we're able to think clearly and react to situations quickly.

4.
Reduces stress. It's no coincidence that as a society we've cut back on sleep over the past few decades by 1 to 2 hours a night, while studies show that more of us are reporting higher levels of stress than in past years. According to the National Sleep Foundation, 35 percent of adults report that they don't get enough sleep, with women feeling the effects of sleep deprivation more than men. Unfortunately, many adults accept their lack of sleep as a way of life and turn to caffeine to combat the fatigue they feel during the day. Aiming for at least 7 hours of sleep a night—along with exercise and a balanced diet—will minimize stress.

5.
It's good for the heart. When it comes to getting a good night's sleep, there are significant health benefits for people of all ages. Research has shown that consistently skimping on sleep can weaken our immune systems, making us more vulnerable to sickness and disease. Several studies have shown that a lack of sleep, or getting less than 6 hours of sleep a night regularly, can lead to an irregular heart rate as well as higher blood pressure and increased cholesterol levels, which are both risk factors for heart disease. So the next time you try to short yourself on a good night's sleep, think about all the health benefits you're missing by staying awake for that extra hour or two.

I know that some of this we've been hearing for years, but I needed the reminder. I've been trying to go to bed by 10 or 10:30 each night because I get up at 6. Hopefully that will help.

bye

amy

Butt Kicking.. I mean Kick boxing!

So, I wrote a big check this week, bought some gloves, and am officially a kickboxer! I've only been able to go a couple of times because of our tour schedule in the fall, but now that we're wide open, I managed to get my hiney over there. That class kicks my butt!! I thought I'd show you couple pictures of my survival. Today I sit wrapped up in a blankey on the couch with every muscle hurting and aching.

It kind of sucked!

But I must admit it was kind of fun too!!

This is my friend Kat from church, she's been going to kickboxing forever, she kicks way higher than I do!!

The picture below shows my favorite move in the class. It's the very last thing our instructor does EVERY time, so I know class is finally over!!!

By the way: you should know that I hate my arms, so it's a really big deal that I'm showing them to you!!!

amy