Tuesday, 27th of April 2010 at 06:14:43 AM 
I want out of my comfort zone (and into my 7 for all Mankind Jeans)
There you will see a picture of my whole family and a related story about how we are working to be healthier. In this interview I claim to eat a lot of avocados (true!) hummus (true, Sabra brand, with garlic!) and egg whites (True…ish? I eat eggs and last time I checked, they had whites in them). My eldest, Sam, shares his Red Wall Cookbook recipe for Shrimp Soup. Maisy Jane is irked her recipe did not get picked, but she looks really cute in the hellaciously expensive Gymboree fairy T-shirt she wore once (for this shoot) before it got ruined in the laundry. Mostly I talk about how SUPER GREAT it felt to lose 15 pounds and lower my cholesterol while working as an International Spokesmodel for the American Heart Association. (Okay, fine,The AHA called me a “blogger” but I am pretty sure that blogger is the French word for International Spokesmodel).
Unlike the vat of vibrating marbles thing, you can see from the parentheticals that the Family Circle article is mostly true, especially the part about feeling great. It WAS super great. I remember that. I LOVED blogging for Better U, and at the end of it, I looked and felt better than I did before I had kids. As well I should have! I was going to five boot camps a week as well as working out from home. I was eating like a champion, albeit a champion who did not actually give up YOLKS and who used 1% milk in Sam’s shrimp soup instead of the required skim. But still. I was eating in a manner that could be described as Champion-esque, let’s say. AND I was a true believer in the cause…my mom has high blood pressure, I do not WANT to have it, and I think the AHA, especially the people involved in the Go Red for Women BETTER U campaign, are hella cool and their mission is righteous.
That said: This interview and article were done right as the squishy bits in my abdominal cavity began actively plotting to kill me. That particular photo was taken a good two months before Mellisa exploded and they had to cut me open in the terrible hospital. In those two months I lost more and more blood, which meant less oxygen and less energy, I exercised less frequently and less vigorously. Then, post surgery, I ate a lot of soft and comforting bland white items, such as potatoes. And white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies. I now look like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man version of the woman in that Family Circle picture, and I DAST not have my doc check my cholesterol.
See how happy he looks? I think it is because destroying the world is a high impact endorphin releasing aerobic activity.
So. My comfort zone is currently “the sofa.”
Beloveds, I am getting out of it.
I am going to finish these five weeks of uncomfort zoning by trying to find my way back to a reasonable approximation of my former comfort zone, aka Endorphin Town. Starting tomorrow? I am OFF the comfort of all simple carbs. Sugar detox, as well as a shock and awe attack on my long neglected free weights. I can’t do core work or boot camp yet, but I can hit the elliptical 20 minutes a day and lift and eat more fruit and less Cold Stone Creamery. And I am going to.
Care to join me? You can consider yourself dared.
Yay, you! It can be depressing, the backsliding in physical condition that happens from ill health. My always-buff-and-studly-for-his-age father is dealing with a similar backsliding from a health-condition, and it’s making him so bummed. But I know he’ll be quick to jump back into his workouts as soon as it’s all over and he’s better.
As for me, seeing as you mention “fruit” and “Cold Stone Creamery” in the same sentence and my first thought is of various fruit-flavored ice creams, it may be a bit more difficult.
Yes! I am in! I’ve gained 10 pounds since my husband came home for R&R in February and I’m tired of it. I’m ready to work hard and take classes I wouldn’t normally take.
I’ll keep you posted.
I will try. I need to lose 150 pounds, but when you’ve got that much to lose and bad knees it’s hard to see a start. This week I will strive to make one virtuous change and do at least three “Just Dance” Wii dances a day. I might even fire up the Wii Fit–but the yoga lady always shakes her head in disapproval of my stance and I want to throw something at her. “You put your foot down, again, didn’t you?” She says. “Well YOU try doing the stupid poses with a torn achillies and bad knees, you virtual harridan you!” Say I. We have a terrible relationship that makes me want to eat chips…
Go Joss! Yes, I think I will take you up on the dare. I’ve been nibbling around the edges of getting to that feel-good place, but keep getting derailed as I get close. But I miss the endorphins…
Yes, this is something I can do. I loved the 10 lbs in 10 wks, and actually got close (8.5 lbs). But now I have gained (SCHMUMBLE) of those pounds back and am not okay with that.
Jen….I lost 90 lbs several years ago and would just like to let you know that when you lose the weight, your knees will feel so much better. And I hate shaming Wii ladies too! can you mute her???
Thanks, Joshilyn, and now I have to go wander the local Publix in search of a Family Circle….
I’ve been good on the workouts, but my diet has flamed out! I’m with you on abandoning the simple carbs.
Oh, and as I said in a post on your blog, I definitely want to try that shrimp soup.
[...] you, may have merit. Still HALF of the idea has basically torn me open again. SUPER! I am over at Five Full Plates just a few hours PRE-tearing myself open, explaining why it is a GREAT idea. And now I am taking [...]
Elliptical my/your ass. What, walking’s too good for you? Durn it, I TOLD you you looked great in Grand Rapids. ARe you calling me a liar? Walk. On a flat surface. You drama majors …
So I can eat Sabra, avocado and egg whites (with yolks)? I’m IN since I recently lost 10 lbs. and need to lose 30 more plus the three I’ve already gained back. It does feel better but exercise gets me. I even work at the YMCA but who wants to go back to work! Wish me luck, strength and the same to you.
I have been working from home for the last six months and have gained some weight. I am not eating any more but I used to walk to and from work (about 20 minutes each way) now it takes 20 seconnds to get to my desk.
My little dog was spayed a few weeks a go too and now is bounding full of energy so my resoultion is to walk her for at least an hour every day. That way we both win!!
I’m in! Although I wish I had read this before I went to the store and stocked up on my weaknesses. So I’m shelving the sugar detox for now and just vowing to exercise 3x a week. And that involves finding a home workout solution, be it the cross country machine or cable on demand or simply walking (once NH remembers it’s Spring).
Yes, I care to join you. My foot is mending from a bad sprain, and I’m out of my exercise groove because… OW! I am trying to ease back into it with varying degrees of success. Yoga on Sunday was fine. Yoga yesterday? Ouch. Not sure why, but I guess it’s just a process. I’m doing what I can in terms of non-weight-bearing exercise, so my hand weights and I are still good friends and I’ve been doing a fair amount of Jane Fonda style floor work. But I miss the cardio and feel like a slug.
I am puffy from stress and stress-dealing-with activities that seem to involve alcohol (not in excess) and chocolate and, who are we kidding, bread spread with extra butter and marmite. TO each her own extra carbs. BUT I just want to be obnoxious and maternal for a minute and remind you that your health is more important than your jean size, and sure, eat healthy, but cut yourself some slack too. Sorry. Was that too obnoxious? Seriously, there are times to kick butt on the elliptical and times to curl up on the couch. I would suspect you are still more in need of the couch.
Second vote for the couch. You get up too soon, you rip your insides out, one step forward, two steps back and even champagne-drenched crustaceans can’t fix that. No you just relax and plan to wear pretty mu-mus on tour. You look gorgeous in anything anyway!
As for me, I’m dare-proof, as I am currently doing Insanity workouts every morning, followed by a relaxing ice pack. I am accepting my teenage-boy appetite and simply trying to burn off all those calories and not have to buy bigger clothes every year. Here’s to last year’s summer capris!