Disappointed with Self Magazine

I am a huge fan of fitness magazines and subscribe to several. Even though the topics are often recycled and the same exercises are used over and over, every once in a while there will be a good story.

This month, Self Magazine has disappointed me. They feature an article that is several pages long giving all of the favorable details about cosmetic procedures. "Your Guide to Cutting-Edge Skin Treatments" gives the cost, down time and benefits of Botox, fillers, cortisone shots and peels, among other treatments.

While I realize that many people may be interested in reading about these procedures, I find it disappointing that a magazine that claims to be all about making women look and feel better through exercise and healthier eating would feature an article that says "If you begin using Botox or other freezers as soon as you notice subtle expression lines and continue as you age, you can absolutely prevent certain wrinkles from forming," says Dennis Gross, M.D., a cosmetic dermatologist in New York City.
"Even in your 30s, you usually end up with 100 percent smoothing," says Patricia Wexler, M.D., associate clinical professor of dermatology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Oh, lucky me, even when I'm as old as my 30s, I can get results. Um, do they prefer people to get this done in their teens or early 20s? Should we all be doing this as prevention? It sure sounds that way. By the way, did you see you must continue these procedures as maintenance once you start them?

I'm 29 years old and I have very fine smile lines around my eyes. Am I old? I don't think so. But I do think that these subtle expression lines are what creates and enhances facial expression. I pride myself on being able to tell whether a smile is fake or genuine based on whether it travels to the eyes. I've noticed that when some celebrities smile, it never looks genuine because their face shows little expression from Botox, fillers and other procedures.

Sure, we all want to look good as we age, but do we want to be seen as fake because no one can ever read our emotions? I think it changes the way we "read" each other and communicate. If nonverbal language accounts for 70-90% of our communication, aren't we harming our relationships with others by taking some of the nonverbal communication out?

I can see both sides of the coin on this issue, but I guess the most disturbing part of the article was that it was surrounded by advertisements. I'm guessing the staff at the magazine wasn't just doing the readers a favor by writing about the procedures to satisfy curious minds. Given the overly favorable nature of the article and the extensive advertisements, I'm sure there was a LOT of money involved.

It makes me sad that we are constantly bombarded with things to make us feel worse about ourselves, followed by the products and procedures that promise to fix it all fast and easy...for a price. I know too many girls and women with low self-esteem and confidence that they are affected by these things that try to make them feel worse.

I encourage you to give at least one random compliment to a woman today. It can be a friend, family member or complete stranger but just maybe we can counteract the negativity from the media just a little bit, without Botox. It's sure worth a try!

If you want to read the full article, here's the link:
http://www.self.com/beauty/2011/04/skin-treatments-guide?currentPage=1

Get Lucky!

This weekend, I completed my first 7k, which is officially the longest distance I've ever run. It was the Get Lucky 7k in Minneapolis and it was an absolute blast!

The day started out with preparations of the green variety. I pulled my hair into a pony tail using a green hair binder with a shamrock on it and sprayed it bright green. Then, I dressed, wearing my "I'm not Irish, but...Kiss me I'm cute" shirt. Then came the green headband with green tinsel and pigtails attached and the green and gold beaded necklace. I was ready to be feisty and fast!

I'm so lucky in that I met up with a friend and her sister for the festivities. We took pictures before the race and decided we would run together. One of us slow (me!), one of us running her first race and one of us a half-marathoner.

Let me tell you, they really pushed me into running faster than I ever would have on my own and therefore helped me hit my fastest miles yet. We finished the race in 48:56, giving us an average of 11:15 miles. Woo hoo!

This race was the first time I had actually run with someone and it sure made the time fly by faster than even the best play list on my iPod would have. We chatted and laughed, which is something I never thought would be possible while running. There were a few moments where my body wanted to slow down or walk, but I was determined to keep going and keep up with my running partners.

The Get Lucky may have to be an annual tradition because I sure love any excuse I can find to dress up and act goofy. I loved it!

I'm not 1/4 done with my New Year's resolution of completing one running event per month for the year. My next event is a 5k on April 9th and the goal will be to shave time off of the last 5k. I'm still in awe that I think running is fun...I used to think of it as pure, unnecessary torture.

Guilt, Deprivation and Fear

These are the three words I heard repeated over and over in my Weight Watchers meeting on Tuesday.
The meeting topic was deprivation and what to do when you're feeling deprived. Many of the women said they try to distract themselves or eat a fruit or veggie when they're feeling deprived of their favorite foods or are having cravings.

Next, they talked about the guilt the feel after eating something they "shouldn't" or "can't".

Last, the fear came. Fear they would fall of the diet, fear they would gain back some weight, and fear of what others would say about their food choices. Fear that someone might say, "I thought you were on a diet. Should you be eating that?"

Then, the cyle begins again.

If you ask me, guilt, deprivation and fear don't belong in a healthy lifestyle change. If the Biggest Loser and other weight loss shows have taught me anything, it's that you have to change your mental health along the way in order to change your physical health. Beating yourself up over and over again doesn't do any good.
The way I see it, if you're feeling deprived or having a really strong craving, it's best to eat what you really want...in moderation. I've found that the craving goes away, but even better, once I start eating it I realize it usually isn't as good as I remembered.

If we stop beating ourselves up over being human, the guilt will subside. Do something about a choice you aren't fond of, such as going for a walk. Not to "erase the damage" but to do something to make your mind and body feel better. Make no apologies, just acknowledge that it was something you needed and move on without further thought.

Truly, what is there to fear? We all fluctuate a few pounds here and there and it's natural. Every day is it's own adventure and by not fully living life and enjoying the things around us be cause of fear, we aren't experiencing things the way we should. Those snide comments from others? Who cares?! Dismiss their comments because deep down they are either saying it to make themselves feel better by belitting you OR because they think these comments are helpful. Sometimes, it's because they want your advice on getting healthy and losing weight but they're scared to ask for it. See the vicious cyle popping up again?

Sure, by getting rid of the guilt, deprivation and fear, I haven't lost weight as quickly as I'd like to. After all, we'd all like that magic pill that takes care of it for us. But, I can say I've experienced what my day has to offer and enjoyed it. I'm happier and FEEL lighter because of the freedom of not being a slave to these negative feelings.

If I want ice cream, I eat it. Just less than what I would have eaten before my lifestyle change. Do I fear that I'll gain weight again? Nope, but I acknowledge there might be a temporary fluctuation. Am I having fun? Absolutely! Am I healthy? Yes!

These things go hand-in-hand with my previous post about playing like a kid. Do what feels right for you and your body. As long as you're healthy (by this I mean good numbers where the doctors are concerned: blood pressure, resting heart rate, cholesterol, etc.), then you're doing something right!

Play Like a Kid!

And I don't mean video games.

 I've been reading a lot lately about playing like a kid for exercise and it all makes sense. I look at my boyfriend's seven year old son who can't sit still 90% of the time. He summersaults across the entire house (hardwood floor included!), jumps around while playing video games, runs almost everywhere and loves to scooter around the driveway. You know what? He's strong AND slim. Oh, and he sleeps like a rock.

I remember being a kid and being on the go constantly. Rainy days and extremely cold days were torturous without a good book to read with my dog on my lap. We literally cried and begged our parents to let us play outside just five more minutes, even when the sun was gone from the sky, our stomachs were growling and we were getting tired.

My sister and I rode bikes around the neighborhood, played hockey on our rollerblades, had food races, played basketball, and chased our friends around the local jungle gym. We ate whatever we wanted to and were slim, healthy kids. We were also happy because we were always moving.

The fond memories from childhood come not from playing video games for hours on end or from having the most expensive pair of jeans (remember Gibeaus?). The best memories come from chasing your friends around, beating someone in a hula hoop contest or having calloused hands from too many hours on the monkey bars.

This brings me to my fitness plan for the more pleasant seasons coming up here in Minnesota. Yes, I do think spring will come! Anyway, I'm going to play like a kid. I was already planning on utilizing the jungle gym as a way to train for Warrior Dash, but then I thought about what else I'd like to spend more time doing this summer. It sure didn't involve exercising to a DVD in my basement or running on my treadmill.

I want to ride my bike, run outside, hike, hula hoop, play tennis, do cartwheels, jump rope and ride my horse. It's going to be all about fun! Exercising isn't going to feel like work. We all know we stick to the exercises that are fun over the ones we don't care for; hence the Zumba craze.

I encourage all of you to watch how the kids around you play and copy it. Sure, it might mean looking silly to those boring adults around you, but I guarantee you'll have more fun and it will lift your mood. Let's be kids again, even if it's only for a few minutes a day. I double dog dare you!

Your Community Education Programs

Zumba! Cardio Kickboxing! Bootcamp! Yoga! Volleyball!

 The above are just a few classes I've taken through my local Community Ed. What I love about these programs is they give me a chance to try something new without commitment. No expensive gym membership required! Most of the classes offered are "drop-in" classes, where people can show up whenever it fits into their schedule and pay a small fee on that night (typically $5-8). However, many offer punch cards at a slight discount if you buy 10 sessions at once. Oh, and you don't typically need to live in a certain community to attend their community ed classes.

This is such a great way to add variety to a routine to avoid getting bored and to keep working different muscles. Some may choose to attend once and use moves from various classes in their personal routines at home or at the gym. Others may find they love a specific class so much, it becomes a regular part of the routine. Still others may attend a new class on occasion to move past a plateau or rutt. It's also a great way to meet other people interested in fitness!

If you need to pump a little life into your fitness routine, I suggest taking a look at your local community ed. You may discover a new passion or meet some new friends!

Freedom is Visiting the Scale Less

Yes, you read that correctly. Freedomg is visiting the scale less. It's hard to do, but it's possible, I promise.
After a nine month plateau where I literally saw only the same 5 lbs. fluctuating on the scale, I was frustrated and ready to give up. I tried everything including switching my workout routine, eating more, eating less, eating exercise calories and not eating them, drowning myself in water, watching sodium intake, etc. None of it worked! I was weighing myself obsessively (2 times a day or more!) trying to figure out what the problem was. Had it not been for my friends on MFP, who I would miss chatting with, I would have disappeared off the radar.

In an act of desperation, I decided to go back to Weight Watchers for something different. They rolled out their new plan in November, where fruits and veggies were now zero "Points" and they were encouraged. I figured I'd give it a try for a few weeks and if it didn't work, it didn't work. Nothing to lose (except pounds!).
What do you know? It worked. From the first weigh-in, I told myself I would not be allowed to weigh myself more than two times per WEEK at home. I've been with Weight Watchers eight weeks now and am down 8 lbs. What a relief.

Even though I believe in the Weight Watchers program, because it has worked for me in the past and is working for me now, I think the real magic is in having better balanced meals and weighing less often. When counting calories, I know I had a tendency to just look at the calories only. It didn't matter if I was eating ice cream, fruit or Cheerios, as long as it fit in my calories. The WW Points system takes into consideration the protein, fat, carbs and fiber, which is what is beneficial to me.

However, even more than the change in food balance, I think the stress obsessively weighing was hindering my progress. Now that I only check my own weight twice per week, I don't obsess about it and don't think about it. It's forcing me to think more about how my jeans feel, how I felt on a run or seeing definition in my biceps.

Those most helpful think I learned from my LONG plateau is to "Step Away from the Scale!" Seriously, your mind and body will thank you and reward you!

P.S. I know people have their opinions about WW, but if you have a negative viewpoint on it, please keep it to yourself. I understand that it doesn't work for everyone, but it works for me. I truly believe that each person knows what works best for them and they have to go with it. I wish everyone the best on their weight loss and fitness goals!