I've just had some great feedback from two sources and I'm happy and proud and want to share the news with you!

This ol' gal is finally getting a handle on her body ( and I don't mean love handles)! I've been working out at Curves since January 4th, and started a walking class on February 12th with an exercise physiologist who has taught me some great stretches and when to do them. Additionally, I do a 10-15 minute Qigong practice almost every morning. (That's a series of gentle movements connected with breath, designed to stretch and massage my internal organs.)

I work pretty hard at it. At Curves, I'm up to about 50 minutes because I do some of the machines extra times, and spend time on the floor with crunches. I also spend more time than they recommend on the stretches, too, because I want FLEXIBILITY - as much as possible! And I've added some time in their Nautilus room. Just two exercises there so far, but as I continue, I'll add more. I'm starting with my 'wings'; you know, that part of your body that would be biceps if it could balance on top of your arm instead of dangling! Guess what! They are already a little firmer AND I DO HAVE BICEPS. Who knew?!

The feedback: My regular massage therapist (Joyce) got her hands on me for the first time this year and was 'amazed' at how much my body has changed. I'm still feeling the pull of the workouts, but she was feeling smoother, firmer muscle without the knots that used to be there. She said she could tell the difference in my back, too. How cool!
AND a coaching colleague (Kim) who specializes in fitness, told me that "if my massage therapist could tell, then my body has gone through some BIG changes". (OK, the capitalization is from me, and I'm VERY PROUD!)

So here are some of the stats: I'll be 58 in three months. Before this year my favorite sport was walking to the refrigerator. My favorite exercise was the knee bends that put me in my dining room chair!
I didn't let them weigh me at Curves, so I'm not tracking the progress on that front. I am overweight, but I know me and food; if controlling what I eat is the focus, it won't work. So, I thought, let's come at this from a different angle. I was noticing that I couldn't haul as many grocery bags at one time as I used to. Easier tasks were making me breathe harder. Some of that was age, and some of that was weight.

OK, what to do? Well that became an easy decision, move more. Get off your fat a$# and move! I just wasn't sure I could stick it out. I joined Curves because you sign a contract with them; you have to pay whether you go or not: great motivation to go! Also, their program if fairly gentle and they move you around so fast that you hardly notice you're working. AND there is always someone in the room who is fatter and/or older than you. If they can, I can! The first couple of times, I felt pumped and energized! Cool, I thought; this will be a breeze. Well, it's not a breeze. There are days when I just have to get up and go! My muscles are still talking to me, but I figure, if they don't I didn't really work them. I don't think of it as pain, (it's tiny, anyway) I think of it as a great reason to soak in a hot bath! Then I noticed that I could feel the work on my biceps, but couldn't feel anything going on with that flabby stuff under my biceps. Answer: ask the trainer. She showed me some exercises with the Nautilus equipment. Now, my triceps are talking to me, too! Hooray, that means progress!

Then I got this wild notion that I wanted a gold medal for something. What? Well, I'm not sure, but I "ain't dead yet" and there must be something. Back in college (way back) I resisted Phys. Ed. as much as possible. But in one class I couldn't avoid taking, I noticed that I was pretty good at speed walking. Hmmmm...maybe that's it.
I started looking around for a coach and found this really cool exercise physiologist (Vanessa) who was starting a walking/hiking class at the local college. She was willing to work with me toward my goals, and to change up the coaching when I'm ready to coach for speed. Cool, huh? And she didn't laugh!

I live in the mountains. The road outside my house is too steep for me. And, I found out very quickly that I don't really enjoy walking in the rain, or the mud. Snow is not so bad, but brrrrrrr.... So now, I've ordered a treadmill. I can't wait for it to get here. All we have to do now, is find a place to put it.

Extra added bonus to all this work: I notice a little sooner when I'm putting something in my mouth that will need a lot of extra workouts to get rid of. WITHOUT focusing on food, some of my habits are beginning to slowly change. That SO works for me. It's not the changes I resist; it's the enforced deprivation. Now, with all this physical work, and new pride in myself and my body, the changes in diet are happening on their own...
And I'm considering Pilates for my next step.

For this effort, I am, yours truly,
SUPERCRONE!
ttfn
Kate