So, I've been doing Cardio Core Bootcamp for a week now. I've realized there is now a routine to things...On Monday we have Perky Instructor who shouts "Go, go, go!" and does false counts like:
"OK, three more seconds of jumping jacks... Three.... Two.... One.... One.... One.... One.... One... One."
She likes to work our legs until we puke (as I almost did during class on Monday - I actually had to excuse myself for a moment. Something about lactic acid makes us nauseous, I dunno). But she's sweet, if not a bit too energetic. I want to discover her secret.
On Wednesday we have Pushy Instructor who will shove you into the ground in order to demonstrate a move and doesn't take well to people who go at things half-way. She is unsympathetic and out to cause as much pain as possible. I get her tommorow. Yay.
On Friday we have Cool Instructor. He is a guy. He wants us to do kickboxing. We spend Fridays pretending to ram people's heads into our knees. He mixes stern military commands ("Suck it up, Ladies!!!") with positive reinforcement ("You guys are doing so awesome!"). He is my favourite so far.
I'm proud of myself for lasting a week and I do enjoy the endorphine high I get afterwards as I walk home through the cool, dark streets of the downtown core. But when I am in it, it is the toughest thing. It is pure hell. If I don't feel like puking, I feel like fainting and if I don't feel like fainting, I feel like I will actually collapse. It's never been a case of, "Oh I don't want to continue because I'm too lazy" (which, I admit, is what I used to say in the past), but it is instead one of "I can't continue because my leg won't physically move." It's tough and especially tough for someone who has never properly worked out a day in her life.
But I feel some benefits already. I feel like I have more energy. I go for walks almost everyday now, usually just running errands, but the idea of getting up and going outside doesn't phase me anymore. I actually like it.
And today, I ran to my therapists and ran back. It was the longest that I have ever run (jogged) without stopping and that alone made me feel like I was getting somewhere. I live in fear that jogging will never get get easier for me. I see women jog past, their iPods playing, their ponytails bobbing in their wake, they look like they are enjoying it.
Well, even though I feel like being active, jogging is still hell after a minute...finger's crossed that one day it I can do it without too much difficulty. But does it? Are all these jogger's secretly in pain, counting down the kilometers until they get to stop? Or does jogging actually become doable and enjoyable after a point?
At any rate, I have been feeling better. On the down side, I have been eating more. Now I am not pigging out, but I have become suddenly ravenous and wolfing down whatever is available. Luckily I am wolfing down things like salad and multigrain bread with cheese and carrots and chicken stir-fry and brown rice. But for the first time in my life, I am actually hungry. I'm not eating out of boredom but because my body is craving this stuff called FOOD.
So, I'm not sure if this extra eating is my wrong doing or not. After all, I understand that I need to eat to fuel my workouts, but in order to get the BEST results out of this bootcamp, I should be eating less. At any rate, I stepped on the scale today out of curiousity and...
I gained FOUR FREAKING POUNDS!
????wtf?????
I can understand if this was all due to muscle...today I noticed my shoulders were firmer than normal. But come on, I have been doing this a week, muscles don't just sprout out of nowhere, it takes time! Where did these four pounds come from? I don't want them, send them back!
So, a week into this effort, I am afraid that I feel a bit disheartened. I didn't expect to drop weight over this - and I especially realized that after I realized that working my ass off increased my appetite - but I certainly didn't think I would GAIN weight.
Therefore, there is going to be some drastic measures being made:
On Thursday, I am giving up my regular glass (or two) of evening wine.
I would start now but I just opened a beautiful Reisling from Germany and, well.....
17 comments:
Wander Lust: don't worry about the four pounds, muscle burns more calories than fat and so you will soon just start to melt awaaayyyyy!
Just so I know "You guys are doing so awesome!", what language is that?!
Keep up the great work, you'll be thrilled with yourself for doing it.
HMHB
Yes - When you make a big change like that your body goes into high-gear conservation mode - its just retaining everything it possible can. It will pass... But hey, at least you're freaking out your body!
For the running - I've always been an AWFUL runner, but have been working on it lately. The hardest part for me is the initial lung-searing pain that takes hold after a couple minutes (and in the past caused me to give up after a couple minutes). I started doing a 15-minute cardio warm-up before starting to run and that helped a LOT. When I do that, I can manage to run until my legs give out on me.
The other night I went to a dinner party after I did my 5K training run and everyone thought I was drunk upon arrival - I realized I was experiencing my first RUNNERS HIGH - what a trip!
Congrats on your workouts - its not an easy thing to do. :-)
HalfMan - I really like the sound of melting away...just not in the Witch of the West way.
Adjil - You know, that does make sense. I thought it only did that when you ate low-cal but I guess it goes for when you are working the shit out of it...and suddenly, too! I'm glad to know it will pass.
That runner's high sounds so awesome! Good for you to get there. It's nice to know that it can get easier but I guess you just have to push past the pain to get anywhere. Are you doing this for the St. Paddy's Day Dash?
In the metric system that is less than 2 kilograms...it sounds better all ready lol
As a 'Drill Instructor' I used to have mixed courses of Guys and Gals. On average, the guys would lose weight faster than the girls and more of it. The girls would, over 13 weeks, put on weight. I hid the scales after the first few courses as the girls were getting depressed lol
It was all to do with fat and muscle ratio (alluded to by Beerman)...The girls would look trimmer but be more toned. The guys would eventually put the weight back on thru larger muscle mass but all the fat in their Stomachs, back and chest would be gone. The girls lost it from their thighs, tummies and butt. Water retains salts which, in turn, retains weight
I absolutely HATE instructors such as #1. I hate it when people are cheerful when I'm DYING. I want 'em mean and nasty because then I feel better about hating their guts.
Don't stress about the pounds, just be happy you're doing something good for yourself! I've found being healthy is addicting - but a nice addiction to have.
it actually is muscle.
You would be amazed at what little time will build muscle mass if you are doing the correct workouts.
This reminds me of college volleyball... that point of exhaustion feeling. I left many a lifting/conditioning workouts crawling to the locker room because my knees were too wobbly.
Make sure that when you eat, eat lots of lean meats and hearty carbs (ie: baked potatoes) because they will fuel your body better and fill you faster. Salad is great but doesn't have hardly any nutritional value so your body doesn't get what it needs and goes into starvation mode.
ANYWAY, congrats! And yes, running really does get easier and eventually, you will crave the jolt it gives your body and the mind clearing it does. I LOVE running, I just haven't been able to for a long time.
haha you crack me up! Yesterday I went to the gym and it was all about legs, dammit I want model legs (victorias secret models, not just add glue models)I started jogging for the first time last summer and my friend told me how to breathe correctly when running she said I needed to exhale more than I inhale and I swear that it suddenly became alot easier! If only I didn't have such crappy knees. Anyways, whenare you free to chat???
WanderLust: Yup - St Paddys Day Dash is Sunday at 7 am (yikes) the same day as daylight savings (yikes yikes). We'll run from the Seattle Center to Safeco Field 3.4 miles.
And you get free beer at the finish line!
I started training in December or so and have lost 21 pounds. Woo hoo!
Noooooooooooooooooo, not the wine!
You going to Boot Camp inspried me to sign up to the gym. My work does pay for it after all so I may as well at least have the membership. lol.
Its not about how much you weigh tho - its just about how u feel and look. I measure myself by my pair of skinny jeans =)
Great that you're sticking to it... I probably would have given up by now ha ha.
Hey, don't fret the four pounds. You really do build up muscle mass that quickly when you do things like boot camp.
Besides, if anyone teases, you can probably kick their ass now, what with the cardio kickboxing and all.
Congrats on keeping it going this far, by the way.
Scorpy - I'm an advocate of hiding the scale in general since I tend to weigh five pounds more at night an so on. But as long as in the end, I do look trimmer...
M - That's very true, which is why I like the Friday guy...he's not too perky and not too mean. The perky girl annoys me because I do not share her enthusiasm and have NO idea how she can do what we are doing with such easy.
Blondey - You are so right, it does feel nicely addicting, the more you do, the more you want to do.
DCchick - Really? Even after a week? Well that does make me feel a bit better, thank you. But as for your volleyball, if your knees start to wobble during the game or workout, how do you push past that?
Charm -Well, honestly I haven't been eating that many salads. But I have upped my carb intake and I fear that it's working against me now.
Kiwi - Hmmm, I do think part of the problem is me not catching my breath and I find that breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth helps...but I will try you exhaling more suggestion. Other than that, if it's not my breath its the burning pain in my poor legs. Probably because when I am not jogging they are being worked to shit at bootcamp.
Adjil - Free beer? I would SO run for that!!
Jul - I know. It's absolutely horrible but I must experiment. Don't worry, once I lose a bit, I'll bring back the wine. In moderation.
yeah right.
Karina - Awwww I've inspired someone! I know it's totally about how your clothes fit...but guess what, all my clothes are still too tight! But we shall see in a few weeks what the final outcome is...even though I am thinking now about extending bootcamp for another month!
Becs - If I didn't pay for it already, I would have totally thrown in the towel. But I am determined!
Hoosier - Thanks! And I will try not to fret it, it just totally caught me by surprise. Let's hope it really is muscle and if it isn't, I am going to kick my bodies ass! Hiiiiya!
Wander:
It's a mental thing. When your at the point when you don't think your body can do anymore, you need to tell yourself you can.
And do it anyways. It's really hard at first (I've done my share of falling because of it) but your body adjusts and then your "shaky" point is further away.
You can do it!
And email me if you need more "pep talks"! :) I won't be as sugary as the instructor.
DCChick - Thanks! I did apply to my thinking the other day and just made myself do it...it's worse when I am doing the burpies excercises...so freaking tough!
Interestingly, I talked to the "mean" instructor" and she said that I gained the weight because my body is in shock (as Adjil mentioned) and it's retaining as much water as possible, esp since building muscle keeps water retained (as Scorpy alluded to).
She then said that one day in the next week or two, I might just wake up one day be 10 pounds lighters. It happened overnight and your body suddenly stops retaining.
Finger's crossed!
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