Niki's Truths About Exercise

"I don't exercise.  If God wanted me to bend over, He would have put diamonds on the floor."

 ~Joan Rivers

I'm human.  There is ALWAYS an excuse not to exercise.  I have gone through stages of exercising like a fiend (divorce diet, anyone?), but sadly, those have all been short lived.  Over the last 8 months (eight months - whoa!), I have been incredibly proud of myself for sticking with my exercise guns.  I may miss brief stints here and there, but I always get back in the swing of things, and I always feel better for it.

I caught myself thinking, what makes this time different?  How do I know I'll still be at this in a year?

Here are just a few things I think have really made a difference.


Space.  I have a space that is just mine, and it is only used for exercise. I call it my "workout room," but that might be overselling it a bit.  It has inexpensive flooring, a tv with a DVR for all my fave workouts, a table to keep my stuff on, and fan.  Not to mention, it's in the basement - it stays about 10 degrees cooler than the rest of the house!  Knowing that space is there keeps me motivated to use it.   Oh, and no one ever goes down there but me.  I can sing along with the music and act a fool, and the boy is none the wiser.


Variety.  I am up to about 12 different workout DVDs.  They vary in length, from 20 minutes to a full hour.  I have weight training, cardio/aerobics, yoga, toning.  Of course, I have my favorites, and there are a couple that are straight brutal.  Changing it up keeps things challening, and it keeps me from getting bored.


My heart rate monitor.  Oh, I am full on addicted to this thing!  There is nothing more motivating than seeing your stats flash across that little watch.  I love knowing how long I've been in my target heart rate zone, what my maximum heart rate was - not to mention the calories I've burned!  It challenges me to keep going.  475 calories?  I can make it to 500!  


Gear.  Gear, gear, gear.  I always went el-cheapo in the past.  $10 sports bras and stretch pants from Walmart.   This time, I stepped it up and spent a bit more than I normally would. I think buying better stuff helps working out feel like a commitment, rather than a passing phase.  After all, when is the last time you saw someone run a marathon in cheap ass shoes? Here are a few things I have committed a little extra cash to:

• Ryka shoes.  I've tried several brands, but I always come back to Ryka. They are made for women's feet.  Narrower through the heel, a little wider in the metatarsal, and light!  I love that I can feel the floor through them.

• Fila gear.  Those cheap workout pants from Walmart?  Their only true use is sliding off your rear end while you exercise.  So unless you want to spend your quality workout time hiking your drawz up, pick up some pants that will stay with you while you move.

• Decent sports bras.  I have a few, mostly Nike and Fila.  The support can't be beat, particularly for aerobics.  My old ones have been relegated to sleepy time.

• Socks.  Yes, I just said socks!  I had a conversation that went like this.  Me:  I think I need new workout shoes.  The Boy:  I think you need better socks, not the cutesy dollar socks from Target.  Me:  Huh, never thought about that.  So I went and bought new socks.  Turns out, the $12 pack of socks was a waaaay better investment than another $75 pair of shoes!

So there you have it - Niki's list of fabulous exercise stuff.  Because we all know......

First Forays into Glycemic Index

After much reading and research, I decided to give the Glycemic Index "diet" a try.  As per my usual ways, I immediately ran out and bought four (yep, FOUR) new books.  I grabbed a glass of wine (which is totally okay), parked myself on the couch and started reading.

I can't lie.  The first week was tough.  Pasta for dinner 2-3 times a week?  A thing of the past.  Snacky time pretzels and crackers?  Goodbye, my loves!  Dinner rolls and *ahem* heaping *cough* servings of mashed potatoes?  Fare thee well.  But I was able to make choices about the carbs I consumed.  Unlike some of the more hardcore anti-carb diets out there, I can still eat carbs without feeling like I'm going to derail all the good I've done.

Let me just say (without getting into embarrassing numbers), I've been very pleased with the scale over the past three weeks!

So what do I eat?  Here's a lowdown of a typical day:

Breakfast:

• 1/4 cup homemade granola (See? Carbs first thing in the morning!)
• 3 celery stalks w/ 2 Tbsp peanut butter (yes, I do measure, thankyouvurahmuch)

Lunch:

• Salad made with romaine or spinach, carrots, shredded cheese, turkey breast, diced hard boiled eggs, bacon and dressing of my choice (even full fat stuff)

Dinner:

• Meat.  Lots of lean meat.
• Non-starchy vegetables
• Small salad
• 2-3 times a week, I will have 1 dinner roll, or one small serving of potatoes (I'm currently trying to avoid mashed taters - I love them so hard, it's near impossible to control myself!)

Snacks:

• Cheese (mmmm!).  I like cheddar/colby, aged white cheddar, gouda. Let's be real.  I'll eat pretty much any cheese you put in front of my face.
• Turkey pepperoni
• Hard salami with cream cheese
• 1/4 cup nuts (almonds and cashews are my current faves)
• Pork rinds (I know, kinda white trash.  But they get me over the "I want potato chips" hump.)
• Lots of water throughout the day, with the occasional Coke Zero.

Interested in reading a bit more?  Dig this article from WebMD.

I'm off to check my pot roast!!!

One Hot (cool) Dish!

I'm about two weeks in with the low glycemic plan (which is FANTASTIC, but more on that in another post).  Feeling pretty saucy with my results and getting used to making different food choices when DUH DUH DUUUUUH..... I get an invite to a cookout.  

Knowing the menu will consist of white burger buns, chips, pasta salads and all sorts of stuff I'm trying to lay off of, I went in search of a low GI side dish recipe, and found this gem. 

Black Bean and Avocado Salad

2 avocados (not quite fully ripe - easier to work with)

2 Tbsp lime juice

1 can corn (drained)

1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)

1 red bell pepper (chopped)

4-6 scallions (chopped)

2 Tbsp parsley

3 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

Pit, peel and dice up the avocados, and put them in a bowl. Sprinkle with lime juice, stir gently to coat, and set aside.

In large bowl, combine corn, beans, bell pepper, scallions, parsley and garlic.

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.  Pour dressing over veggie mixture.  Gently fold in avocados, cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours (just until chilled).  

Serving size:  1/2 cup

Glycemic Index: Low

Glycemic Load: 6

Digging Into the Low-GI Way of Life

I do realize it's been forever and a day since I've blogged.  There's a pretty good reason for that though.  I haven't had much to say.  A crazy busy social calendar combined with my efforts being relatively status quo just don't make for entertaining reading.

But!  I did get some really good news today.  After 6 months of consistently exercising, my blood pressure was beautiful!  I've always been a 120(ish)/80(ish) kind of gal.  Today, I was sitting pretty at 106/68.  Knowing that hypertension runs in my family, my doc literally high-fived me.  w00t!

Also, I'm sniffing out a new "diet" plan.  I hate the word diet.  Just saying it makes me feel deprived and hungry.  So, I'm more hoping this will be a way of life instead of a "diet."  (Did you guys here that?  I think my stomach just growled as I said it.)

I'm reading about the Glycemic Index; aka: GI.  I've done the low carb thing before, living on meat and cheese with no fruit and very few veggies.  To quote Antoine and Blaine....

HATED IT!!!

Again with the feeling deprived thing, ya know?  Since when are fruits "unhealthy"?  Needless to say, that didn't last long.

The GI plan doesn't forbid anything.  What at it does do is teach you how to choose healthy carbs. White bread?  Not so much.  Stone ground wheat bread?  Help yourself!  With normal servings, of course.  I can eat fruit.  I can eat peanut butter.  The more lean meat and non-starchy veggies on my plate, the better, but nothing is off limits.  There are no phases to worry about.  I bought three books and am totally engrossed in them, and did my first shopping excursion today.  I am really excited about this one.  It will definitely be a learning curve, but it sounds like the health benefits (including better moods - the boy will like that!) will make it totally worthwhile.

I have to go stir my homemade low-GI granola now.  Ta-ta!

back on that horse

The boy and I have this thing we like to call "kickin' it Sunday."  I generally don't want to do anything on Sunday.  At all.  Including working out.  Bummer is, Monday was a "feeling sorry for myself Monday."  Everyone is entitled to a bad day once in awhile, right?  Right?  So, that ended up being a day off of the workouts too.

Today, I am happy to say that I pulled my head out of my ass and got back in the groove. 50 minutes of cardio with an average heart rate of 161 for a whopping 465 calories burned.

That feels good.  :)

New Toy!

OH BOY!  I got a new toy!

In my review of Burlesque by Jazzercise, I mentioned that I thought maybe I wasn't working quite as hard as I thought I was.  That got me thinking - what if I'm not working as hard as I think I am, like, ever?  Really, how does one tell exactly how hard one is working?  I mean, sure,  I'm sweating like a hoss.  My heart is pounding.  I'm tired when I finish.  But, Skillz... how hard ARE you working?

I went online and did a little research on heart rate monitors and decided on the Polar FT40.  I didn't want to spend a fortune, but I wanted a little more than basics.  I found a great price through Amazon, placed my order, and within a few days, my new toy arrived.

I have to say, it's pretty cool and easy to use.  Some of it's perks:

• It's personalized.  You tell it your sex, height, age (HA), weight (HAHAHA), and it determines your target heart rate zone.
• Based on your info, it also tells you how many calories you've burned.
• It keeps track of your data.  How long have you spent working out this week?  How many calories have you burned this week?  How many of those calories were from fat? What was your average heart rate?  All at the touch of a button.
• Using it is pretty intuitive.  It ain't rocket surgery, y'all.
• The chest strap.  Looks big and cumbersome, but it sits right below your sports bra band.  Once you're moving, you can't tell the difference.
• A very easy to read display lets you know if you are in the fat burning zone, fitness zone, or anaerobic zone, and you can turn on an alarm to let you know when you've gone out of your target zone. 

It's anti-perks:

• Although it is easy to use, the user manual kind of sucks.  That said, I did just find a complete manual on their website.  I'll be printing that puppy out.
• READ the manual before you push a button.  I didn't..... and ended up being asked to input my stats in German.  
• No easy way to reset your personal info, like the fact it thinks you speak German.  I had to take the back off and pop the battery out (which was a real pain in the ass) to get it back to square one.

Bottom line, I'm diggin' it!  

Workout Review - Burlesque by Jazzercise

I have been sitting on this workout review for awhile.  Big reason?  I LOOOOOVE THIS WORKOUT ( <------ that is me shouting from the hilltops), and I didn't want to blow my wad too soon.

Let's get one thing clear from the start.  This ain't yer mama's Jazzercise.

As I've said before, I'm a pretty big Jazzercise fan.  I own several of their dvds (including Ballet Body, which I reviewed here), and this one by far takes the proverbial cake. Don't get me wrong - the first few times I put this one in, I had to tell the boy not to come upstairs.  I was not feeling sexy when I first started!  But I learned the moves, got more comfortable with the flow, and started feeling a little sexier a little bit at a time.  So, Burlesque by Jazzercise, how do I love thee?  Let me tell you all the ways!

Shanna.  Shanna Missett Nelson is the daughter of Judi Sheppard Missett, who founded Jazzercise waaaay back in the day (want a hilarious way to pass some spare time?  Youtube old Jazzercise clips).  While I have the utmost respect for Judi (she looks real good for her age, y'all),  I don't enjoy her style of leading a class.  Shanna brings new blood.  She's cute, she's upbeat, she keeps you moving, and she is fantastic with cues!  Her cuing ability may go unnoticed by some, but for those of you who have ever taken a class with an instructor who doesn't tell you what's next, you know how frustrating it can be to not get good cues.  Again, total respect for Judi, but I love having Shanna kicking my cardio into high gear.

Music.  With most workouts, music seems to be an afterthought.  Just there to fill the void.  But this dvd?  The music takes center stage.  J Lo, Britney Spears, Pussycat Dolls, and lots of stuff I've never heard of.  I have actually downloaded most of the music to make my own "Shake Yer Ass" playlist on my ipod.  I dare you not to dance.  If you ain't shakin' it, may I suggest checking your pulse?

Customization.  I've noticed a lot of dvds are jumping on this bandwagon.  Much like the choose your own adventure books of our youth, this is choose your own workout.  There is the option for the full 40 minute workout, a quick 20 minute cardio workout, or you can jump straight to abs and legs portion, which is 10 minutes.  I like having the option of shorter workouts when I'm tight on time, but I rarely do anything but the full 40 minutes.

Dancing.  Fun, fast, booty shaking dancing.  Need I say more?

The downside?  Hmmmmm, the downside.....  let me think on that.   Sometimes I worry I'm not working quite as hard as I think I am, heart rate wise (but I've got a new toy on the way that'll help me figure that out).  You know what though?  I may not be at the top of the exertion chart, but a) I'm moving; b) I'm sweating; c) I'm gaining strength and stamina; and d) I'm having a ball!

Want a peak?  Here's a little sumpin' sumpin' from Jazzercise's YouTube channel.

Buy it.  Do it.  Learn it.  Love it!