i want the sunshine to never end

so, tuesday was bar method in the a.m. and rock climbing in the p.m.

wednesday was lots of city-sidewalking but i didnt formally workout.

thursday was busy running errands and getting dear niknak to the airport. i was tempted to go swimming but i just slinked (slank?) around lab and got stuff done but didnt formally workout. my triceps were pleasantly aching all day. not sure what it was but it still felt alright, like i wasnt completely slacking. :)

and this morning i went for a run. went down cambridge street into harvard sq, turned into the law school area, went north on mass ave, swung around porter sq, and returned back to inman via beacon. lovely run except for one weird thing that's happening -- my toes start cramping / going to sleep. i dont know if it's my gait, my shoes, or my socks, but it's so frustrating and i have to stop, take off my shoe, shake my foot for a few seconds, and then keep going (it holds for about 10 minutes, when i have to do it again). i wonder if this is a common problem -- and how to fix it! maybe a different way of lacing or something? i've never had this before...

this weekend i'll be playing and swimming and cavorting in maine. yay!

p.s. yesterday i ordered a scale -- the tanita bc553, which does fat composition and water composition. i also got the lotte berk 4-dvd set. gotta keep going...

metrorock

yesterday morning i did the fatfree bar method workout, and last night i went to metrorock climbing gym with my roommate who's a regular. climbing really is a physical and mental challenge -- plus you use your whole body, from the tips of your fingers to the ends of your toes! i went up 3 or 4 climbs, each challenging in different ways (usually it's the question of 'where do my feet go now?') and i have to say reaching the top and coming down is one of the most euphoric moments. no wonder it's so addictive!

too bad it's really expensive, like $75 a month, not to mention gear and stuff. there are a couple conditioning bikes/treadmills but for the most part it's just climbs as far as the eye can see. so fun! so really far away if you dont have a car!

this morning i slept in and plan to go swimming later this afternoon. however, i know myself -- working out first thing in the morning really suits me because then i can just carry on the rest of the day without worries. minus the whole dragging out of bed thing, which is fine if one gets enough sleep!

too many exclamation marks to handle. intense!

renewal

heya.

so from the last time i've been blogging about the exercise progress, i've had a thesis to finish. that's no excuse, but i just needed to focus on finishing up. therefore, it's been a little hiatus. summer heat + stress doesnt bode well for motivation.

however, i recommenced the regime 1.5 weeks ago on august 3 (thursday), just when the weather was turning into unseasonably cool climes. i was shopping around for online health support communities, and the best one i found was sparkpeople. not only is it free (take that, ediets), but it really is a great circle of people, and a very healthy and holistic approach to sustainable weight loss and fitness.

i've been exercising regularly since then, alternating days running outdoors for 45 minutes and then doing the bar method dvds. the bar method is amazing... it's kind of like pilates (i'm guessing?) but it really isolates the muscles in tight isometric movements. it really burns. i find myself throughout the day walking with better posture after getting used to putting my body in the 'bar method tuck' (where you drop the tailbone, tuck in the butt and suck up the gut). i'm so poetic -- the 'tuck' sounds better. ;) it stretches out the upper thighs and sort of tightens and frames the core. i am planning to get the lotte berk dvd set from amazon pretty soon. i'm also curious about callenetics -- anyone remember doing them? i've heard amazing things about this 80's-style technique, but the dvds are pretty pricey (about $20 each disc).

i want to keep track of my progress, but using a tape measure is kind of annoying because i'm not sure if i'm being consistent each time (one inaccurate angle or circumferencing of the tape can change the reading). i'm tempted to get a scale with fat composition (something from tanita or whatever) but i kind of have a love hate thing with the scale. i know i should be tracking myself more with how my clothes feel and stuff, but since i'm only hoping to drop 1 or 2 sizes i know that the progress from day to week wont be extremely obvious. i'd be happy even with dropping one pound per week, which may or may not translate into looser clothes (especially when it's humid outside). will a scale break me or keep me in check?

i've also been keeping track of my daily food intake (packing my lunch, too) and i manage to eat around 1500 calories a day. plus, drinking a TON of water constantly and cutting back on the diet coke. i'm getting pretty good at that, surprisingly. :)

so here are my stats:
i'm 5' 0" tall.
after college (two years ago) i wavered a bit but i think i was stable around 140. i'm plenty dense!
june 6 i had a medical physical and i was 151. i'll round to 150 because i needed to pee. :)

between june 6 and today i have not had my weight checked but i think it hasnt been anything drastic one way or another.

as of this week (they took my vitals when i went in for my splinter), my blood pressure is very good (120/70 i think) and my resting pulse is 58. i've always been good on this, but this is reassuring.


so how do i feel?

well, i can be pretty confident i'm not getting steadily fatter, which is what i always fear when i just keep living life without really putting a conscience mind to losing weight. i'm eating less and moving more than i used to. so the worst case scenario is that i'm staying exactly the same.

my goal weight (according to the BMI thingy) is around 125-130 lbs. i'll be happy to get within 130-135.

my BMR is 1500 calories, so that's like the bare minimum to keep alive.
so sheer calculation: if i consume 1500 calories a day, and do my cardio (which burns around 400-500 calories), and also walk all over cambridge and take the stairs and everything, let's just say i burn 600 additional calories. that gives me a daily deficit of 500 or so calories. if i do this every day, i should be losing one pound of fat per week (not counting muscle gain). therefore i should be theoretically two pounds lighter from august 3. it's hard to tell.

new york times article on obesity was pretty insightful. not sure how much truth to glean from it, but basically one really challenging thing is that people who used to weigh more than a certain weight have to consume *less* calories than someone who normally weighs that just to maintain it. that is, if i make it down to 135 and maintain it, i have to have a net gain of calories that is less than someone who is just naturally 135. doesnt that SUCK? it's like the physics of calories in and out just doesnt hold fair logic. another thing is that some people are better or worse at metabolizing calories thanks to the little microbes in the body. it's hard to tell whether or not i caught a virus that will be with me forever (hello, hips) but it's actually pretty interesting. never before heard of this area of research.

all this really makes me excited and tired at the same time. i really enjoy working out and adopting my lifestyle -- it feels great, but i want to see it work, too!

i'm doing something new and going rock climbing at a gym today with my roommate, who's a climber. it'll be an adventure for sure :)