I am moving my adventures in dieting to my Wordpress blog hosted from my website - it's "purtier". :)
www.swift-creative.com/Blog/
Please follow the link and bookmark! Thanks!
Thursday, July 07, 2011
Don't like to exercise? Dance!
I have always dreaded the idea of having to exercise every day! I didn't want to walk anywhere unless I had a destination, or at least someone to walk with. I was too out of shape to jog. I bought an elliptical trainer, and since it has sat in my closet unused because frankly, it's BO-RING! So when I was reading, "The 17 Day Diet" and got to the part about exercise, I started scratching my head. I didn't know what kind of exercise I could do that would keep me interested, focused and not give up immediately.
On the second day of the diet, I turned on some tunes and was ready to drag the ol' elliptical out of the closet, when I decided to just start dancing. Now, I must admit that I am a terrible dancer and I would hate for anyone to catch me doing it. You know that saying, "Dance like no one's watching"? Well, that's the only time I CAN do it. Trust me - flailing arms, the junk in the truck carelessly being whipped around and the occasional karatesque moves wrapped in one package is not a pretty picture. But, it's FUN and doesn't even feel like I am exercising - well, aside from the sweat pouring down my face. And who would have known - sweating can actually feel good. On top of all that, I am so thirsty afterward (even though I drink water while I am doing it), that I get at least 2/8 glasses of water out of the way in a short amount of time.
Below are the songs I have been using for my "dancing" exercises. Maybe they might get you up dancing, too... or give you nightmares imaging ME actually trying to dance to them.
The point is... if you like to or have to sit on your butt as much as I do, or you are confined to an office cubicle all day and the last thing you want to do when you get home is put on your running shoes and go for a jog or run on the treadmill, put on some music and get your groove thang on!
If you have any song suggestions for me, please leave me a comment!
On the second day of the diet, I turned on some tunes and was ready to drag the ol' elliptical out of the closet, when I decided to just start dancing. Now, I must admit that I am a terrible dancer and I would hate for anyone to catch me doing it. You know that saying, "Dance like no one's watching"? Well, that's the only time I CAN do it. Trust me - flailing arms, the junk in the truck carelessly being whipped around and the occasional karatesque moves wrapped in one package is not a pretty picture. But, it's FUN and doesn't even feel like I am exercising - well, aside from the sweat pouring down my face. And who would have known - sweating can actually feel good. On top of all that, I am so thirsty afterward (even though I drink water while I am doing it), that I get at least 2/8 glasses of water out of the way in a short amount of time.
Below are the songs I have been using for my "dancing" exercises. Maybe they might get you up dancing, too... or give you nightmares imaging ME actually trying to dance to them.
The point is... if you like to or have to sit on your butt as much as I do, or you are confined to an office cubicle all day and the last thing you want to do when you get home is put on your running shoes and go for a jog or run on the treadmill, put on some music and get your groove thang on!
If you have any song suggestions for me, please leave me a comment!
7 Pounds in 10 Days
Yay! I am down 7 pounds in 10 days and still holding strong! Although I had another dream last night about eating an entire birthday cake, in waking life I have no desire for it! Ok, well maybe a little. I mean, if someone set a cake down in front of me, I would be tempted to devour the entire thing in one go, but I wouldn't!
For someone like me, who starts diets and can never stick with them... not even after a couple of days, I am still amazed that with this diet I am STILL excited!
Tuesday, July 05, 2011
5 Pounds Down!
Yay! I am on day 8 of my first 17 day cycle in the "17 Day Diet", and while I was holding at 3 pounds down for a couple of days, 2 more pounds seemed to have slipped off overnight! I was hoping that it would start by coming off my butt, but it's been coming off my stomach and it is quite noticeable. My little "pouch" at the front is now almost completely flat when I am standing, and I don't know if I am imagining things, but I think my posture is even a little bit better.
The book states:
Bye bye, subcutaneous abdominal fat! Woohoo! Although I won't be in a bikini this summer, as long as I can get rid of some of my "muffin top" I will be happy, at least for a start... and it is turning out to be a great start!
The book states:
We pack on two forms of belly fat. One type collects around the internal organs (also known as visceral fat). This type of fat raises blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and increases the risk of diabetes, Alzheimer's and even some cancers. Visceral fat is far more sinister than fat elsewhere in the body.
The other type sits just under the skin and is known as subcutaneous abdominal fat. It causes a hard-to-get-rid of belly pouch. In a Finnish study published in the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, a rapid weight loss diet followed for 6 weeks trimmed visceral abdominal fat by 25 percent and abdominal subcutaneous fat by 16 percent.
Bye bye, subcutaneous abdominal fat! Woohoo! Although I won't be in a bikini this summer, as long as I can get rid of some of my "muffin top" I will be happy, at least for a start... and it is turning out to be a great start!
Sunday, July 03, 2011
Day 4, 5 and 6 of 17.
The last couple of days have been pretty uneventful with the diet. I have continued to be very diligent, only eating what the book suggests. I have found that in the evening I have had cravings for junk food, but have surprisingly had enough will power to munch on some carrots instead.
One of the "freebies" - foods of which I can eat as much as I want are sardines. I hadn't had sardines in years, but picked some up when I was doing my shopping. a couple of hours after having some delicious lemon & pepper Catfish for dinner, I was a little peckish and wanted a snack, so I opened the tin of sardines. Eww. I used to like these things? I took a couple of bites and I don't know if it was because I was all "fished out" or I couldn't stand eating fish in a tin with all the scales still on them, but they ended up being a lovely treat for my cats. Note to self: buy double the amount of carrots this week!
The first three days of my diet, I lost a pound each day and although I haven't strayed from the diet, I haven't lost anymore weight in the subsequent 3 days. I am not discouraged though - I think I need to step up the exercise a notch.
The diet requires 17 minutes of exercise, 2 times a day, but so far I have only been doing the morning exercises. I have found that after doing all my usual activities and working during the day, by the time I make dinner and let my stomach settle and I get into my usual routine of making some art - time slips by. By the time I feel up to it, it is late and I need to go to sleep.
Overall, on this, the beginning of day 6, I actually do feel better and I have noticed that I am not lethargic anymore halfway through the day. and, even if I have only lost 3 pounds, it is still 3 pounds. Plus, I am proud of myself for being able to stick with it, especially on some days when my mind starts thinking, "Really, how bad could it be to have a piece of toast".
One of the "freebies" - foods of which I can eat as much as I want are sardines. I hadn't had sardines in years, but picked some up when I was doing my shopping. a couple of hours after having some delicious lemon & pepper Catfish for dinner, I was a little peckish and wanted a snack, so I opened the tin of sardines. Eww. I used to like these things? I took a couple of bites and I don't know if it was because I was all "fished out" or I couldn't stand eating fish in a tin with all the scales still on them, but they ended up being a lovely treat for my cats. Note to self: buy double the amount of carrots this week!
The first three days of my diet, I lost a pound each day and although I haven't strayed from the diet, I haven't lost anymore weight in the subsequent 3 days. I am not discouraged though - I think I need to step up the exercise a notch.
The diet requires 17 minutes of exercise, 2 times a day, but so far I have only been doing the morning exercises. I have found that after doing all my usual activities and working during the day, by the time I make dinner and let my stomach settle and I get into my usual routine of making some art - time slips by. By the time I feel up to it, it is late and I need to go to sleep.
Overall, on this, the beginning of day 6, I actually do feel better and I have noticed that I am not lethargic anymore halfway through the day. and, even if I have only lost 3 pounds, it is still 3 pounds. Plus, I am proud of myself for being able to stick with it, especially on some days when my mind starts thinking, "Really, how bad could it be to have a piece of toast".
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)