women

Gym Observations

/ christinaparisi / Leave a comment

Hi All!

Been a hot minute since I wrote about my weight loss journey. Still rocking the gym five to six days a week and though I am all about pizza and bread and wine still, I have employed moderation to maintain my weight, though still want to shed ten more pounds… (Don’t we all?)

Anywho, as someone who now goes to the gym more than she ever thought she would, I have a few observations about gyms and gym etiquette that I would love to share with my readers, so here goes!

7 Observations From A Gym-Goer

1. Sweat, while a natural body activity, is really disgusting when it’s left on shared equipment. Rule #1 – wipe up your sweat! Though most do, there are those who don’t and they give us germaphobes a run for our money.

2. Mirrors are helpful and hurtful. Yes, they help you eye your form and movement but damn if they are not a constant reminder of where you are versus where you want to be. So, I’ve begun to change the way I think of them to use them as motivation rather than a source of depression.

3. After making a gym visit part of my morning routine, it’s become more enjoyable. At first, I would go whenever I fit it in but I noticed that if I didn’t go before noon, chances were I wasn’t going to that day. For me, the gym is something I like, but not loved, and it takes a lot of energy, which I have most of in the morning. My husband, on the other hand, likes to go at the end of his day. It works for him. Point being, once you figure out what works best for you, the gym is less a nuisance in your day and more a part of it, at least from my experience.

4. I can take the grunters. I can take the full faces of makeup and perfume smells. I can even take the machine hoggers. But what I can’t stay quiet about are the gym-goers who watch stuff on their phones with the volume up. Come on! Of course, we all want to do it, but have some respect and either use ear plugs or simply don’t do it. No one should be forced to listen to your news program or children’s videos or the latest episode of the Kardashians (for the love of all that’s holy!)

5. Machines under the air conditioner are coveted and rightly so. They are the gems, at least for me whose body runs at 100 degrees at all times, and once you figure where these machines are, they will be the best thing to get you to stay at the gym and not leave mid-workout. Well, that and discipline, of course ;)

6. Women can be just as strong as men. I get that genetically, males and females have differences making it perhaps easier for men to gain strength, but let no one tell you men are inherently stronger. Just walk into a gym and you will see that is definitely not the case.

7. I am typically the only one wearing flip flops. I know it’s more dangerous but I don’t use free weights so is it really? the crew at my gym let me slide and I feel more comfortable. (For those who don’t know, I wear flip flops 365 days out of the year, whenever and wherever I possibly can. I even bought a “fancy” pair…)

Do you have any of your own gym observations? Please share!

And stay tuned, the holidays are approaching and I’m going to try to do the impossible – continue to lose weight and be healthy…

 

 

 

 

Losing 20 pounds – post 16

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Why oh why do I have to like bread so much? Question of MY LIFE.

So…. to catch up, my weight loss journey is moving along, I’ll be it, slowly. Being busy is one of the best ways to organically lose weight, in the sense that it happens naturally, but it’s also one of the best ways to indulge in bad habits. At least, this is what I’ve found to be the case.

I got down to the 130s when I did some traveling last month – Yay! – but my love of bread and wine is keeping it steady in the higher part of the 130s. Still, I’m happy to report I’ve lost well over ten pounds since I began my weightloss journey toward a healthy way of living and my body has changed from soft to toned, though I still have work to do.

I will get back to the 120s, which I hope to then maintain, but damn if it isn’t a tough road, especially when you’re myself and will not cut out carbs and sugars and alcohol, haha.

I want to be happy, yet healthy.

An example of what I mean by this is allowing myself treats but paying attention to the ingredients. Rather than opting for something with high fructose syrup (ugh, can’t we just get rid of that shit) I’ll select a sweet made with simple, natural ingredients. Like strawberries and a few dashes of simple syrup I made myself or slices of cheese instead of chips.

Anywho, thanks again for coming along. I genuinely feel better since I’ve begun working out (still going strong 5-6 days a week!) and I love the strength I feel. Also, clothes have never felt looser and people have begun to notice and I’ll admit, both put a smile on my face as affirmation that I’m successful because, let me tell you,  I’m working damn hard at it.

 

 

Losing 20 pounds – post 15

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hey all! I am due for a scale check but I’ve decided to forgo it at this point for several reasons…

The main one being I don’t want to lose focus on the progress I’ve made by paying attention to a number.

Right now, my life is moving fast. My insanely amazing readers are handing in their notes on my book – these are people who care so much about me they’ve taken time out of their life (we’re talking parents, full time jobs) to read my book and offer constructive criticism before I submit to agents – so I am really busy working a day job as I prep for my book published, all the while trying to get my body back in shape.

Point being – I need to stay focused.

Here’s the thing. I eat sandwiches a lot (LOVE THEM in fact) and I’m Italian so pasta and bread are just part of my weekly routine and I am not going to budge on that. I love wine (though i’ve cut back, yay!) and I will pretty much need chocolate when it’s my time of the month if you don’t want me to bite your arm off.

See, I want to be able to eat these things and while I understand I need to do so in moderation, I will never be the person who has a slice of pizza once a month. No. That’s just not acceptable to me.

So… I’ve learned I need to work hard (I go to the gym 5-6 times a week, no shit, ask Don!) to be able to incorporate carbs into my diet on the regular, with moderation of course.

Now, you may be wondering… why no scale?

I am finally feeling the effects of working hard to get my body in shape that I don’t want to disturb my momentum.

My husband telling me the soft is gone and the tone is back means more than a number. The strength I feel when lifting a heavy box means more than a number. Pants fitting looser means more than a number.

And the way I feel about myself…

Yeah. That means a hell of a lot more than a number.

See, I was one of those people who weighed a solid 104 pounds till I was 33 and I ate whatever I wanted, with no concern for freshness, processed-ness and/or chemicals.

I was thin but unhealthy.

Then, I became overweight and unhealthy.

I’ve now realized neither are ideal.

So, what is?

Feeling good in my skin, happy with what I see in the mirror (not anyone else) and a healthy body.

The number on the scale doesn’t matter. It really doesn’t at the end of the day.

I will let you know if I’m back in the 130s next time I write but for now, I’m going to take pride in the fact that I shed unnecessary fat by working hard on my body and when I look in the mirror, I smile.

That’s the important part.

I smile.

As always, thanks for joining me!

 

 

 

Losing 20 pounds – post 13

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Phew! Okay… I need to get real.

First, I am back down to 140 after my crazy holiday weight period of 147.

But I need to tell you, my dear readers, that I have a new reason for my decrease in weight.

A couple weeks back, I had my yearly physical and my doctor informed me my blood-work showed I was a bit high in cholesterol and rather high in my glucose. She instructed me to make changes so as not to become diabetic in future years.

My doctor advised losing weight.

While I am on the low side of these numbers, it was still quite an eye-opening experience.

With age comes wisdom (hopefully) but also comes body decay (hopefully as little as possible.) We are mortal. Period.

However…

We continually grow in knowledge and power to guide our bodies and minds into living much longer than any generation before us.

It takes work though, if you want those years to be healthy ones.

Now, before I detail what I’ve done over the past two weeks to lose seven pounds safely, I want to address those who think talk of weight-loss is somehow body shaming, as though losing weight is a bad thing, as I’ve seen this idea take shape on social media lately…

I get that there are very real weight disorders, such as bulimia and anorexia, but with those aside, I fail to understand how losing weight equals shaming other’s bodies?

Yes, the media likes to show an unhealthy version of beauty, but go after them, not your proud friend who just lost twenty pounds and showed off their pride on a social media page.

Look, if you’re overweight and as healthy as can be, more power to you, but one’s body weight typically has to do with one’s health and becoming healthier is something to celebrate. And then on the more superficial side, if you’re happy with how your body looks, more power to you – but this goes for both weight loss and weight gain. It’s not a one-way street for those who cry #bodyshaming. If one wants to lose weight to feel and look better, according to their own standards, how is that any different than those proud of their extra weight and beautiful look?

Can’t we all agree it’s about health and being comfortable in our skin, whatever that means to us?

Okay…

So, yes. I took what my doctor said very seriously and I also want to look in the mirror and be happy with what I see. I want to be happy.

I do. For me.

I don’t care about what other’s think, as I believe my extremely personal and revealing blog posts demonstrate…

So, back to my weight-loss journey…

I’ve shed seven pounds in two weeks not by doing some insane boot camp or waking at four in the morning to put in hours in at the gym. No. Instead, I stopped going through drive-thru’s. I no longer drink wine on weekdays. I go to the gym for a minimum of thirty minutes four to five times a week. And I no longer keep chips, cookies or carb-loaded bread items in my house.

Those are my changes.

And I feel good about them.

Thank you for coming along for the ride with me. I believe weight loss is very personal and I enjoy sharing it with you.

Stay tuned… I will get down to 117 again :)

 

Losing 25 pounds – post 12

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Yes…. the holidays got the best of me. I stopped going to the gym, I binged on eating and drinking and I said yes to more desserts in one month than I did all year.  While I enjoyed every minute of it, my body was wondering WTF?!

Sadly, my goal of losing 20 pounds did not come to fruition. YET. In fact, it increased. I had lost some weight but then put it all back on and then some in that gluttonous month we call December.

Yup, that’s my life at 41.

But I’m not gonna cry about it. I’m already back to the gym (four days this week!) and though I didn’t go 100% dry, I’ve cut my wine intake by like 85%. FOR REALS. It hasn’t been easy but my body has enjoyed every minute of it.

And yes, to the big fat question in the room – I have reset because I took a step back rather than forward.

But with this fresh new year beginning, what better reason than to start over and get down to business, with a refreshed mindset and a fiercer determination?

I mean, this is life, no? Making choices and learning from them while dealing with the consequences?

Instead of thinking I failed, I decided to look at this like I made some poor decisions but I acknowledge it and I’m paying the price.

Live. Learn. Evolve.

147 and counting down… stay tuned!

 

My First Mammogram

/ christinaparisi / Leave a comment

First off, I want to apologize – yes, again – for my delaying in posting on my blog. I truly appreciate you, dear readers, and want to explain that for the next six months, I might not be writing as much as normal here because I am editing my novel (while I wait tables and work on freelance writing assignments.) I then will be sending it out to agents and publishers so my time will be a little more limited but this is only a brief interruption. I will continue to post at least once or twice a month.

For those following my Diet Coke addiction, I have to admit I have fallen off the wagon and use this dark beverage for help with my weight loss journey. More to come…

And as for my weight loss journey, expect a new post next week. I’m figuring out my routine much more and will be sharing about it shortly. And yes, I am down a few pounds but lots more to go!

And now, for this post…

I had my first mammogram today. I turned 41 this year and my doctor told me it’s time I do it.

After waiting forty five minutes after my appointment time, I was finally called into a little dressing room area to undress to the waist and robe up.

And then more waiting.

Finally, I’m called – about an hour after my appointment time but I try to use this as training for patience (something I need continual work on.) Why do doctors set so close appointments? The majority of my doctor’s appointments keep me waiting well beyond the appointment time. When did this become acceptable??? But I digress…

My technician (I think that’s what she was…) was to the point. Friendly but distant. Definitely gave the vibe this is all routine for her.

But for me, it wasn’t. For the next ten minutes, my poor boobs were smooshed as they were x-ray’d. With all our technological progress, I don’t understand why this can’t be made a little easier on the chest??

Fortunately, the whole thing went by quickly but every time the tech told me not to breath for a x-ray (4 total), I suddenly became a person who couldn’t hold their breath longer than a second.  I realized it was because I use my breath when I feel stress or pain or uncomfortableness so having that taken away while I was clamped down was the hardest part for me.

The funniest part, though, was at the end, the tech drew closed the curtain so I could put my bra/top back on. Considering she had gotten to know my chest closer than my husband does, I couldn’t help but wonder if that was really necessary.

Overall, knowledge of my body’s health will by far make this whole visit worthwhile but if anyone can make this process more comfortable, please do!!!