Keri's True Confessions

If you are going to be a fitness educator, you had better get used to your body and your lifestyle choices becoming public info. When I'm in the grocery store, people who know me (and a few who don't) look through and comment on what's in the cart. When I'm leading an exercise class, participants notice if I've grown another belly roll. Those of you who've been around me the last couple of months are probably not surprised to learn that when I stepped on the scale this week, I saw my highest weight since shortly after my third son's birth.

It didn't take the scale, of course, to tell me the truth--my "fat" jeans had become the only pair I wear. I've seen pictures. I've been watching the calories go down my throat. I've been watching my feet not moving and the weights not being lifted. But once I saw The Number (132.0), I finally hit my "motivational moment" and am now taking the weight off.

Here's the plan: In order to lose two pounds a week, I must create a caloric deficit of 1,000 kilocalories (or "Calories") a day. I'm following the generally recommended process of reducing my food intake by 500 kcal/day and increasing my physical activity by 500 kcal a day.

Every day I weigh myself and record the weight (in the last five days I've come down 1.4 pounds--right on target). I have mapped out my weight targets over the next 70 days and each day I compare to see if I'm on track.

Every day I record every single bite I eat and every minute of exercise in an old software program called LifeForm. You can do the same thing at www.Sparkpeople.com or www.FitDay.com or many other free sites.

I have increased my fluid intake to 2.25 or 2.5 L a day (an entire bottle of Diet Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice plus 1 C of milk plus whatever else). For Lent I'm giving up caffeine (my rapid weight gain coincided with drinking caffeinated beverages again) and alcohol (my desire for that evening glass of wine also increased at the same rate I drank caffeine and gained weight . . . kind of obvious in retrospect, isn't it?)

I am consciously focusing on eating more produce and protein and reducing "white" foods (refined flour, added sugar, added salt) from my diet. Breakfast this morning was scrambled eggs with one egg, two egg substitutes, a bell pepper and 1/2 onion chopped. I chased it with a chewy fiber bar. I was stuffed at only 300 kcal.

If I hit the end of the day and I've got less than a 1,000 calorie deficit, I have to "earn" that next cheese stick or apple with ten more minutes of cardio/weight lifting. The aerobic step is in front of the TV and the aerobic slide (a trend which never took off, but which I love) is off to the side.

That's my plan. It's basic, nothing fancy or magic. Food in will equal 1K Cal/day less than food out. I'll let you know how it goes now and again--but feel free to check in and ask. My body and yours works essentially the same way (and our heads play the same mind-games), which is why community support is one of the secret weapons of weight loss.

By the way: I will get to count teaching the next series of Belly Dance classes towards my cardio every Tuesday night. Sign up now for classes starting March 10 and come sweat with me.

OH! And Tuesday night is Mardi Gras at Belly Dance Fitness, 1070 Richwood Rd, Walton. Drop in at 7p for only $5 rather than the usual $12. It's a great night to give it a try!

Here Comes the Sun!

New Year's Day (and its resolutions) has come and gone. We've been snowed under, blown down and washed out. But the sun is up this morning, and you can almost feel the new energy soak in to your skin, can't you?

Truth be told, January 1 is a horrible time to start making life changes. In the natural cycle we should be hibernating, conserving energy, resting, readying ourselves for this time--the coming of spring and the lengthening of days.

So spend this day looking forward: Decide again for yourself how you want the next 12 months to be, and figure out what you need to do in order to live the life you want.

I need to move more--the time for hibernation is past. I need to eat more green and less white. I need more dance, more time with live people (not that I don't love you, facebook friends!), more time in the sunshine. How about you? What do you need?

(If what you need is yoga, Radiant Yoga is ready! We're adding three new classes in March and have created a punch-card pass so that you can attend any class you want and save money. Order your pass today!)

Big Butt? Big "But."

"But" is a dangerous word.

It begins every excuse, every barrier people create in order to avoid working out.

"But I don't have the time."

We each get 168 hours per week. If you work two full-time jobs and sleep eight hours each night, you still have 32 hours a week to schedule in what is important -- including some exercise.

"But I'm just too tired."

Exercise helps you sleep better and creates energy: People who exercise "zone out" less often and take fewer, shorter naps. They concentrate better and are more productive. If you are frequently exhausted, consult your doctor to eliminate medical problems. Then examine your lifestyle to see where you can fit a couple of 10-minute walks each day.

"But exercise is uncomfortable -- and I hate sweat."

If your heart pounds too hard while you are walking, slow down to keep going. After all, the discomfort of a fast heart rate is easier to fix than the pain of a heart attack. As for sweat -- consider it bathing from the inside out. Sweat is, at worst, a minor logistical problem, solved with showers, diaper wipes in a desk drawer, a tube of foundation in a purse or a change of clothes in the trunk of your car. A stroke, on the other hand, has no quick fix.

"But I've tried everything to lose weight. I just don't see the point anymore."

The despair inherent in this excuse comes from a sense of losing control over our bodies and lives. Instead of focusing on controlling and changing your body, it may be time to change your mind. When you approach weight loss as a war, you battle yourself, and therefore can never win. Instead of starving, melting or burning your body away, therefore, try giving it what it needs and deserves: Great food. Lots of movement. Water. Sleep. Love.

Your enemy is not your butt, but your but. So get off it and honor, treat and bless yourself with exercise.

P.S. Check out the schedule at www.RadiantFitness.com. Starting end of February, beginning of March, we have several new classes and room for you in some old favorites.

Stretching FAQ

I never stretch. Why bother?
Stretching makes you younger! Stretching helps keep your heart healthy, your blood pressure down, your mind sharp, your temper cool, and helps you lose weight by balancing your stress hormones.

Yes, Ma’am! But what stretches should I do?
You should stretch your spinal column, your legs and your shoulder girdle/neck area every day. There are dozens of ways to stretch these muscles, but the basic technique is the same: Move to the point of resistance (NOT pain), take a deep breath, and melt into the stretch as you exhale. Continue to breathe as you hold the stretch for about 30 seconds.

Wait a second . . . did you say “every day?” Who has time for that?
You do. You can stretch your entire body in as little as five minutes a day, and it’ll do you a world of good. Five minutes at bedtime can mean the difference between 8 hours of solid, healthy sleep or a night of tossing, turning and battering your pillows in an effort to get comfortable—now who has time for that?

I’m sorry, but I just can’t abide sitting around doing nothing!
Yeah, it seems like that, doesn’t it—which is why people injure themselves when they stretch: They bounce and jounce because they are antsy or because they learned “old school” stretch techniques. Some force themselves to stretch as far as they can reach. Overstretching causes your muscles to retract reflexively in order to protect themselves. This reflex tears the muscle. Doing it wrong in order to be “doing something” will leave you worse off than before.

Fine, so I should stretch. But I’m not getting a skimpy top and a yoga mat . . .
Stretching is the cheapest of the fitness modalities—the only requirement is that your clothes not get in your way (so if you are at home, just take ‘em off!) No shoes, no tools necessary. You can stretch at your desk, at your table, in front of your TV, while lying in bed. As long as you move slowly and melt into the stretches, you won’t injure yourself. At the end of the day or at the end of exercise is best—warm muscles, like warm taffy, stretch better. Cold muscles (like cold, hard taffy) can tear.

(P.S.--FREE chair-based yoga/stretching today in Walton at the Senior Center, 9:30a, 40 N Main St. And no, you do not have to be a "senior" to come!)