The evaluation consisted of several different steps. Initially, Tony had me weigh-in without shoes and then he measured my height with shoes on. I measured 65.5 inches with shoes and 205.8 (dressed with no shoes) on his scales. The results this morning on my home scales (and naked) was about the same (205.0) but I know that all scales vary a bit so I will stick with mine for the routine weight-ins since I probably won't see Tony's scale again for about 2-3 months. My overall goal in this next 4 weeks is to leave about 8-10 pounds of fluff behind without sacrificing my lean muscle mass of 137.7. Tony shared a couple of examples of folks that crash diet and end up sabotaging their lean muscle mass but barely change their fat mass. My Body Fat is currently 33%. This is not to be confused with my BMI which is 33.9 by the height and weight calculations.
Next, we returned back to the desk and he took my blood pressure and resting pulse. Wahoo! Finally, a number that I can be OK with for the time being. BP: 109/68, Pulse 65. Truth is I have rarely ever had BP elevations but my resting heart rate has improved over the last year or two with all the exercise. It used to be in the high 80s. I'll celebrate those numbers for sure.
After those measurements, he took me to the indoor track and had me walk a brisk mile. I really don't like that track because you have to do 9 1/4 laps to make a mile which gets quite monotonous. Either way, I completed it in 14:58. Shins burning and breathing a little heavier...my post-workout heart rate was 120. I am hoping that I can continue to improve that pace over time but not too worried about that for now.
I won't bore you with the details of the next testing but I will just say...IT WASN'T PRETTY!
My results of the "Sit and Reach" test made me look like a stiff old woman that couldn't reach her toes in the sitting position if her life depended on it. Those hamstrings weren't giving! Then...the "Partial Curl-ups" results were disgraceful with a whole 8 reps. A score of 28 was considered GOOD and 42 was excellent. This simply tells me that the busted can of biscuits that I am carrying around my waistline aren't worth a flip. My core strength SUCKS!
On the upside, I qualify to be part of the Healthier You program that Vanderbilt offers. It's geared toward helping those fluffy folks like me with a BMI greater than 30% with meal planning and ideas to make good choices part of lifestyle rather than a quick fix. I am excited to speak to their nutritionist so I can learn new ways to meal plan on days that I work out as well as rest days. I am waiting on a callback from their scheduler to arrange my first visit. I think it is more like a support group setting after that initial evaluation. I am open to new ideas so you better bet that I am jumping in with both feet.
So....where did this evaluation lead me? Well, it took me straight to the elliptical to knock out 45 minutes at a steady pace and then home to sulk. I simply needed this day to get my mind right and put my big girl panties on. Good news! I am renewed.
I do need to share that my Sole Sisters, Krazy Kinser and Hurry-Up Huddleston, are so much more than workout buddies for me. They knew I was in a bad place yesterday and this AM and reached out to me to lift me up through encouraging texts and "We've got this!" Also, the FB followers on the blog are a great cheering section. I am so very thankful for the continued outreach of support that my friends provide during these valleys in my journey. Even my Marine offered some great advice as she texted me her words of wisdom. They resonated with me so I had to add them to the chalkboard frame that sits on my kitchen counter.
Needless to say, this AM was a wake up call. I enjoyed a Mint Chocolate Brownie Meal Replacement Shake on my way home from the gym. I got busy with a few household duties and decided to play a little. I put together a craft that will help me visualize those pounds lost over the next months. My goal for 2015 is to lose 50 pounds and I've been using #50in2015 on my Instagram tags, etc. Each poker chip represents a pound of fluff gone! I will weigh in once a week and move the chips accordingly. These jars will be sitting on my counter with the quote from Dannah behind it as a reminder that it's a journey. She told me that "if the journey was easy then the results would not be worth it." I love that kid!
My lunch was quite yummy and on the healthy track. I stumbled upon these Salmon Burgers at Costco a few months ago. I love them for the quick fix and high protein choice. You just have to cook them for about 8 minutes from frozen in a skillet. No oil needed. In addition, those Marketside and Dole bagged salad mixes at the grocery are great for eating alone or on a low-carb/wheat wrap (I use about a cup) with the salmon burger chopped up. Yum factor=9 and way filling.
Well, it's dinner time now and my sweetheart just walked in. So...I am heating up some leftover Black Bean Chili and calling it a successful day. I'm super pumped about heading to the gym tomorrow for an early AM workout to kick start my day. I will be meeting with the personal trainer tomorrow evening to develop a fitness plan to help me meet my goals.
My mind is clear and re-focused so stay tuned for those poker chips to be moving their way to that other jar this week!
