I've had a rockin' great weekend. My BMI has gone down 1.47 since the end of January. I went out with friends last night and didn't eat my way across town. I've learned I can stomach rum and Diet Coke, so long as I have plenty of limes. But better than all of that: I climbed today.
I wouldn't call it a triumphant return, though I did nearly on-sight my first route of the day (much to my surprise). My new harness is awesome - thank you, Black Diamond. Of course, this new harness was all twisted up and strange at first, took three people to straighten it out, and two failed attempts ... but that's another story for another day. Let's just say I lived up to my socially awkward ways and loved every minute of it.
The Flatland Climbing Comp is less than a week away, so the next four days will be the best climbing opportunities for me. After the comp, the wall will be rather bare with just the competition routes hung until everyone has their chance to master what mastered them. That means I've got four days to get up the "Back Bacon" and "Blue Hand Blues" (5.7) before they'll disappear just like the "Dolly Parton Project" did. I imagine I'll get UP one of those 5.7s before the route setters steal my dreams (metaphorically speaking).
Things that went really well today:
1. My foot didn't start to hurt until I spent too much time on the crux of my first route back.
2. I didn't panic, even when I really wanted to flail and bail.
3. I graduated from the house-issue "harness of shame" to my own (just like a big kid).
Things that could have gone better:
1. I let my head get too far away from the task at hand.
2. I didn't get to the wall in time to spend a half-hour bouldering.
Today was spectacular. I was able to return to the wall that I love (it hugged me, I swear). I made a new Asian-inspired soup (recipe to be posted later this month) that is spicy and loaded with fresh vegetables including a kind of mushroom I've never used before. I got my two-miles of walk/running in today, washed my sheets, graded student papers, and still found time to go to my Weight Watchers meeting before heading to the grocery store. The day ended at the wall, as all good days should. What more could I ask for? Chocolate? An earth-shattering orgasm? Puh-leaz!
Okay, so maybe the orgasm wouldn't be so bad. But it would have to be battery-free and not self-propelled like a John Deere lawnmower.
Anyway ...
My point (and I have one) is this: I'm back. The two months and two weeks in the Boot of Doom is over. I've got my life back. And that's more love than I could have hoped for this Valentine's Day.
P’UP is turning into a family affair. My oldest daughter decided she was willing to try one aspect of the project: Improving eating habits and exercising. After making so many changes on my own in the previous two years, I decided that perhaps we needed something more organized to help us get going together. So we decided to try Weight Watchers, and to see if the program can live up to his promise to help you, “stop dieting” and to “start living.”
We were dead before, you see.
We’re nearing the end our second week on the Weight Watchers program, and that alone is an accomplishment. This week, we’ve focused on two goals: 1) Incorporating more fiber-dense and nutritious foods into our menus (instead of buying all that empty brand-name “diet” fodder); and 2) Working out together.
Weight Watchers’ online tools and recipe converter have made it far easier (and dare I say, far more fun) to get a handle on both our nutritional needs and emotional outlook on the changes we’re trying to make. Having a weekly meeting on our calendar helps us to divide our goals into tidy increments that seem doable: A person can put up with anything for a week, right?
What we’ve accomplished: 1) Adding bulgur wheat dishes like Tebouleh to our culinary arsenal. Not only is it inexpensive, it’s packed with nutrients and whole-grain happiness. It’s low cost in the caloric sense, satisfying, and perfect when stuffed into a whole-wheat pita with a little hummus and mixed greens (recipe will be posted soon); and 2) We’ve made it to the gym together, an addition to my already busy recovery workout schedule.
The emphasis, at our house anyway, isn’t on the numbers. Our goals are relatively small, and reachable – always important for people trying to make big changes in their familial culinary traditions. Weight Watchers promotes this type of goal setting, dividing rewards (stickers, key chains, reasons for people in the meetings to clap for you) into five-pound increments. So no matter how much you have to lose in total, it’s only important to focus on five at a time.
Our goals, however, revolve around nutritional exploration and exercise. As a general rule, I don’t recommend weight loss programs. That being said, a program like Weight Watchers that requires clients to eat real food instead of pre-packaged mystery meals shipped to one’s house, is a smart way to go. For us, it has become something we can do together as a family with everyone invested for their own individual reasons.
This, I think, is really important. In any family unit, when one person goes such changes alone, it can be very hard on everybody. We’re keeping each other motivated and accountable to goals, working together on recipes, and walking together. This is the first time my kids have been willing to join in on the fun of change, so I’m excited.
Sundays have become our official planning day. We head to the Weight Watchers meeting in the late afternoon, go to the grocery store to stock up on perishables, like vegetables and fruits (no canned crap for us!), then spend the early evening cooking. What we’ve learned: With busy lifestyles, it’s really helpful to cook and freeze meals in one shot, package some meals such as soups and our beloved Tebouleh in single-serving containers, and cut up fresh vegetables in advance.
Though it seems like a lot of work, it’s not. Taking a couple of hours to plan and prepare the week’s meals (or as much of those meals as possible) has made day-to-day operations much easier. Each night before bed, I pack my lunch with fully planned healthy fare instead of doing what I used to do: Grabbing whatever’s handy and heading out the door. It’s been two weeks since I’ve eaten yogurt and pizza (not the best combination), or any restaurant food.
As a result, I’m saving money. I’m no longer tempted, either, to eat things that aren’t as healthy just because they’re handy (like a Wendy’s Baconator). As a general rule, I am more relaxed and introspective on Sundays, always have been, so it feels good to do something that will help relieve my weekday stress. My fifteen-hour days are no longer an excuse to do anything less than I deserve. That alone, feels like relief.
In terms of P’UP and my recovery, losing weight will make climbing and recovery easier. My immediate goal is to lose five percent of my starting body weight and to be able to walk/run 15 miles each week in the gym. Last week, I managed a total of 8 miles, so I am halfway there. The physical therapy exercises with the rubber band are helping to increase calf and ankle strength. The exercise I hate – motioning with the big toe the letters of the alphabet in big, sweeping strokes – still sucks. Though mobility is returning to the ankle and ligaments, the pain after the workout is enough to set my teeth on edge.
However, I’ve made progress and may be at the climbing wall this weekend to give it a shot. I’m not expecting to complete a route – I’m most worried about the first few moves. We’ll see. I’ll never know what I can do until I try – and I’m thinking that I’ll be ready to learn my limitations by Sunday.
I was tempted to keep our work with Weight Watchers secret for fear someone would post something about how we didn’t need to, that we could do this work on our own. I’m sure that we could – we’re tough birds – but it feels good to have an “official” outside space in which to experience this change. And it helps to meet and support others who are trying to do what you’re doing: Live.
Because this isn’t a numbers game, I won’t be posting losses in terms of pounds. When I reach that first goal, I’ll let you know. Thanks for your support.
I realized, after reading Climbing House today, that we learned how to make movies during the technology clinic in the NeWP Summer Writing Institute. So I went back and futzed around ... made this performance piece. I had forgotten how much fun this is to do, so thanks Climbing House. This film has nothing to do with climbing, but it made me feel better. And I think it could garner an Oscar for best animated short. No really.
