The Camel is Gone..Repeat...The Camel is Gone!

For those of you who don't know, "The Camel" is what I call my freakish ability to retain water while under stress. Occasionally I get "camel" weeks, where my fat mass drops but the scale does not move accordingly--that's a "camel" week. It just means I am retaining huge amounts of water! Fortunately, I lost all the water I was retaining, unfortunately, my fat mass did not drop much. I lost three pounds this week, but only 1/2 a pound of fat--the rest water (that's okay though, the opposite happened last week--so I am still on a good track!)



The truth is: the sloth strikes again! (What is it with all these animals?) I did up my exercise this week, but I am having a hard time getting back to my running routine. I decided that I am going to run today--no matter how tired I am or how much I REALLY want to watch Top Chef (which is saved on my DVR and oh so tempting!).



This week in class I discover two things. 1) I was completely wrong about when I will get to eat real food again! ARGH! Those of you in the interwebs are thinking, "so what, it's only an extra week." OMG! I have only eaten Optifast and one sugar free Popsicle since March 17th. I am dreaming, DREAMING I TELL YOU, of a sliced tomato with warm goat cheese and olive oil drizzled on top (300 cal.) Or a simple clementine, bursting with juice (35 cal). Wait, wait--how about some steamed spinach with vinegar, garlic, and paprika (25 cal). ANYTHING but Optifast!!!!



Okay, 2) apparently, when you do a medical weight loss program, they bring in hot men to teach you how to exercise. Now, I know that was inappropriate and so very objectifying--but seriously? It was like red meat to the lions den! (We are group of primarily middle aged, married women after all!) After getting over my initial distraction from the bulging biceps, started to pay attention. Rodney* showed us some very cool, simple exercises that we could do sitting at our desk and while watching T.V.--perfect additions to the GeekStyle workouts!



Here is the first tip: when you are at your desk at home or work, stretch your legs out in front of you under your desk. Then flex your feet back--mmm feels good right? Apparently, many of us sloths don't exercise because we don't do flexibility training--so it hurts when we exercise. This exercise stretches the backs of your legs and lower back. Once you master that technique, roll your shoulders back and sit up, while still stretching your legs--now you are getting the rest of your back! I do ballet stretches everyday, and these stretches got me in places that I did not know existed!



Second tip: When you are watching T.V. --do not sit in a chair or couch. Simply sit on the floor, back against the chair or sofa, legs straight out, sitting up straight. Your back and legs will thank you for it!



Third tip: Watch T.V. standing on one leg. I know! LOL, right! There is a trick to it. Don't lock your knees, lift up one leg slightly, clench your glutes (you know--your butt), 30-60 seconds on each side. Does it burn calories? YES--it helps you strengthen your core, which includes all the muscles that support your spine. Apparently, a solid core is the secret to healthy living and enjoyable exercise. Also, if your core is strong, you burn more calories all day long!



Anyway, I am really happy that my weightloss is staying on track, and I am trying to feel okay with not getting to eat food until July. See you next week!

Non Scale Victories: Wearing a tee shirt I bought in 1986!

The Numbers:

Starting Weight in November 2009: 234
Starting Weight on Optifast: 224
Current Weight: 182.5

Goals:

Outer Goal: 160

Inner Goal: To come to terms with my decisions and to treat myself well! Oh, and of course, World Peace!

*Rodney did not ask us to advertise his services or try to sell us anything. He is simply really great at explaining things to beginners, so I included his email and promoted him 'cause he's awesome! He has a Boot Camp workout for people of all fitness levels in the San Jose, CA area.