Here are some ways we have used our CSA veggies this week:
Stir fry made with garlic scapes, sugar snap peas, and zucchini
Fruit smoothie with kale
Stir fry made with ground beef, onions, assorted squash, kale, and herbes de provence
Salad made with lettuce, cucumber, tomato, scallions, avocado, tuna packed in olive oil
Stir fry made with ground beef, garlic scapes, patty pan squash, broccoli raab, Chinese seasonings
Scrambled eggs with cilantro and garlic scapes.
Today was a Barbell Club day. Once a week I leave the porch gym and train with a local weightlifting club, so I can be coached. I hit 3 personal records! My snatch max went from 68 lbs to 83 lbs. My clean and jerk went from 99 lbs to 105 lbs. And my prior 1 rep max in the back squat (170lbs) is now my 3 rep max! I feel very proud of my progress.
One of my coaches filmed me in these attempts. Looking at them later, I realize that once my speed in pulling under the bar improves, I should be able to lift a lot more. My strength is there; my speed is still coming.
As far as training frequency, I’m very glad I dropped back to 3 times per week. I had been attempting to follow a training program was 4-5 times per week, but decided to drop back to 3 after reading a book by Matt Foreman about Olympic Weightlifting for Masters. The gist of it can be found in this article. Basically, older people (and in weightlifting, even being in your late 20s or early 30s is staring to get “old.” After 35 years old, you are in the masters level for competition) usually cannot handle 5 training days per week, simply because their bodies don’t recover as quickly. Strength gains are made in recovery, and if you train more than you can recover, you set yourself up for overtraining and injury. I was feeling pretty sore or tired a lot, so I dropped back to 3 days per week.
It was a good decision! This last week was a heavy week in my training cycle, and I still felt like I had the physical and mental energy and focus to handle my other responsibilities. And today was the “heavy single” day in the cycle, and I felt physically well recovered going into it.
I also felt good today because my coaches told me I have “outstanding dedication.” I really appreciated the acknowledgement, because as a fat person, I am well aware that some people make assumptions that people my size are lazy and lacking dedication. So it felt great to be seen for what I can DO, not how I LOOK.
All in all an excellent training day! I’m writing this post with my feet up after a meal, a shower, and a nap, and I’m feeling very satisfied.
I added a new habit to my healthy habits goals list for 2015: go for a walk at least 75 times between now and the end of the year.
I have become more introverted since having a kid, and especially since going back to work. Between my toddler and my job, I need a lot of introvert time. I still feel overloaded on human interaction a lot. So I tend to just stay in the house a lot, whenever I get time to myself.
That’s all well and fine…..but sometimes I feel like I’m wasting my life sitting in my house a lot. And I just know that getting fresh air, sunshine, and movement other than weightlifting will probably be a positive contribution to my wellbeing.
75 feels like a doable number between now and the end of the year. It’s roughly three times per week. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but it’s more than I am currently doing, between work and weightlifting and all the other responsibilities where it is more convenient to drive the car. In fact, even though it is a totally doable number, I am already thinking of reasons why it might get difficult. Like weather.
I decided not to put any mileage or time minimums on this goal. Any walk I do deliberately counts (obviously I am not counting incidental walking through parking lots and grocery stores). Today I walked less than a mile, but it took a long time because my toddler was walking himself. Whatever. I get a gold star for deliberately leaving my house and taking a walk instead of driving to the bank.Just another example of cultivating towards health supportive habits.
In the health and fitness world, I see a lot of trainers/gurus/athletes/TV personalities saying something along the lines of “you need to tap into your ‘why.’ Your journey will suck sometimes, so you need to have a strong enough reason to keep going.” Right? We’ve all heard it. The other day, I saw this question pop up in my newsfeed. I felt somewhat…perturbed. I didn’t know how to anwer the question. I’ve been working solidly on getting stronger for the past 6 months, and I’m loving it, but if you asked me “why,” I couldn’t tell you.
This morning I thought about this again while I was lifting. What is my “why?” (I didn’t even say it out loud. And as soon as I jotted down a note to write about it later, my kid said “do you know why you are doing that, Mama?” Damn. Kids can be so creepy sometimes.)
Here’s the thing…..all my life, I have done a lot of things with the underlying motivation of becoming thin/conventionally fit looking. I always told myself at the time it was to be healthier, but deep down, if I knew there was NO possibility of my body shrinking, I probably would not have done some of the things I did. Then, earlier this year, I learned about Health at Every Size and the research that shows that, for 95% of the population, weight loss attempts lead to gaining all the weight back (and then some, in many cases), within 5 years. I realized that this is consistent with my experience – every weight loss attempt I have ever made resulted in a net weight gain, by the time the 5 year mark was up. And that puts me in good company with the rest of the dieting/health seeking population. (By the way, I am by NO means enough of an expert on this topic to write about it just yet. If you are interested in learning more about this, read Linda Bacon’s book) And for some reason, it all suddenly clicked with me that I couldn’t keep doing that. I couldn’t keep trying and failing to change my body size and be smaller, and then feeling badly about myself, and putting more important things on hold while I put all my focus into something that was statistically almost certain to fail. I had denied myself so many experiences, telling myself I would do it once I was thinner. I couldn’t let my son grow up thinking that was normal behavior. I grew up in a household where that behavior was glorified, and it really shaped my entire self perception. It may be common in our culture, but it is f*cked up, and I would not let my son think it was healthy behavior, nor would I perpetuate the normalcy of this behavior anymore.
I went through a period of sadness after reading Linda Bacon’s book. I had wasted so much time and money chasing a dream of being thinner, because I thought it would make me happy. And here I was, with the deep realization that it was probably NOT going to happen. Sometimes I still feel sad and wish I had done more of the things I would have liked to do, like study abroad or go to the beach and feel comfortable in a bathing suit. What if I had not focused on my size at all? What else could I have accomplished instead that would have actually contributed to something in this world? So anyway, here I am……and my primary reason for doing so many things all my life is just…..gone. Not gonna happen.
So….I have no idea why I am doing some things that people call “healthy.” On “reality” television, contestants often give reasons like “I want to live longer for my kids.” “Disease runs in my family and I want to avoid it.” “I want to set a good example for my kids.” Honestly, those reasons sound good and all, but they are not really an underlying motivation for me. They’d certainly be welcome side effects if they happened, though.
Here is what I do know: I know I love feeling strong. I love the way my body feels when I lift heavy things. I still struggle with liking the way my body looks. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. Deep down, I think I still really don’t. I can name things I wish to change about my body. I sometimes look in the mirror and don’t like what I see. However…..that glance in the mirror is a very short part of my day, and when I lift well and rest well, I like the way my body FEELS, even when I’m unhappy with the way I look. I hope that I learn to like the way my body looks more. But in the meantime, I can like the way I feel, and appreciate my body in that sense, if not with my eyes. The feeling of strength gives me confidence that allows me to relate to the world better than I used to, even though I still don’t like the way my body LOOKS sometimes. It is helping me overcome and “feel the fear and do it anyway.” I don’t know if that’s going to be a deep enough motivation to keep me going when things get hard. So far it has. But it’s only been 6 months. However……it’s a habit that I LOVE doing. I look forward to lifting. I feel sad on rest days because I just love it.
So, maybe I don’t need a “why.” Maybe I just need enjoyable, sustainable habits that work for ME. I guess if you are doing something you hate (burpees. jumping jacks.), then maybe you do need a “why.” Right now, I’m just not doing that stuff. I’m focusing on the stuff that I love so much that I can easily sustain, even without knowing WHY I am doing it. I’ll be curious to see how my “why” evolves as time progresses. Thanks for reading!
My toddler slept in this morning, so I actually got about halfway through my training in peace and quiet! That was a nice surprise this morning!
I’ve been following a Catalyst Athletics training program, and today’s workout called for finding a 3 rep max for the snatch, after a series of triples (sets of 3) at prescribed percentages.
I got to the point where I was ready to try for 3 reps at 30kg (my 1 rep max after finishing the Starter Program a few weeks back was 31kg). I side-eyed the bar and was kind of intimidated by the weight. I snatched the bar once and it felt heavy. I went for the second time and missed the lift out in front of me. I decided to rest a couple minutes and then try again.
After resting, I still found that I was up in my head, telling myself that this 30kg was heavy and that I could surely do it once, but I didn’t know about a triple. And then I thought: “I can do this once, three times. Just do one.” I snatched it. Heavy. I set the bar down and instead of counting “two” I told myself, “just do one.” Made it. And for the third rep: “just do one.”
I rest a few minutes and loaded the last kilogram onto the bar. I was determined to turn my previous 1 rep max (31kg) into a 3 rep max today. “Just do one.” And I made three lifts, telling myself to “just do one” before each lift.
And that is how I talked myself into turning my previous 1 rep max into a 3 rep max today! Feeling pretty proud of myself.
The workout also called for finding a 6 rep max for the back squat today. I was less intimidated by this because I have a lot more experience with the back squat than with a snatch. I definitely told myself “just do one” a few times though. My 6 rep max today was 67.5kg. With a toddler whining at me because he wanted to go past the bar. That should count for an extra kilo or two, right? 😉
After eating and showering, it was time for kiddo’s first parent-child swim lesson. The first time I’ve worn a bathing suit in public in two years or so. And I didn’t even shave. Would I rather lift or shave? Silly question! I really enjoyed being in the water (it felt good after all those squats) and kiddo seemed to have a lot of fun.
Feeling very good today! Thanks for reading :).
In a local Facebook mom’s group, a friend asked how people find the time to work out, expressing frustration about life getting in the way. I was really excited to share my thoughts, so I wrote a novel. Ha.
That said, I have been asked the same question about 10 times in the past six months by different people, so I wanted to share it here in case other friends find it helpful. Here it is!
*****NOVEL TIME!!!!*****
I’ve found a good groove over the last 6 months. I have a whole buncha thoughts to share, in no particular order. Hopefully at least one will be somewhat helpful. I know everyone’s situation is different. I have one child age 2y10m, a couple cats, a part time job, a husband who is supportive of my efforts, I live in a small city, and am recovering from a health condition that can sometimes affect my energy levels. So obviously, you and I have different situations and so take what I say with as many grains of salt as you need grin emoticon.
1. In the wintertime, I worked out at a gym. I chose this gym specifically because the daycare was highly recommended by a friend. I feel incredibly comfortable with the daycare there. Asher took some time to adjust to it, so in the beginning I only left him there for half an hour at a time. A HUGE factor in my success was the fact that this gym allows you to bring a snack/meal for your child. I understand many gyms don’t do that. In my opinion, if you are going the “gym membership” route, it’s worth it to find a gym where you can pack food for your child. It makes a big difference not having to schedule your workouts around mealtimes.
2. I NEVER short my sleep to get a workout in. My sleep is shorted enough by my not-great sleeper rooster toddler. I don’t work out at any time when I could be sleeping. Haha. Without proper recovery, training is not effective and can lead to overtraining and burn out.
3. Currently, I lift weights on my porch in the mornings, usually on days I don’t work. I hand Asher a banana and he runs around outside while I do it. Sometimes I get him his breakfast while resting in between sets. It’s not as relaxing as working out WITHOUT Asher would be. Like, I have to drill safety into him “remember, when the barbell is in Mama’s hands, you stand over there. If the barbell is on the floor, you may pass through” and “you may NOT go past the neighbor’s steps.” Etc. But it has it’s pluses too. Such as, we get it all done before the gym daycare opens. We have the day free for other things. My kid gets to see me enjoying physical movement.
4. Some moms I know love jogging strollers. Asher’s babysitter often takes him out in the jogging stroller while her daughter is in preschool. Sometimes Asher naps during her jog. Personally, I don’t love them, but it seems like, for moms who enjoy running, an easy way to work movement into the day.
5. My TOP TOP TOP TOP TIPPY TOP TIP!!!! Find movement that you enjoy doing WHILE YOU ARE DOING IT (not just the affects or afterglow). You know how sometimes you don’t want to do X, and you know that after you do X, you will feel better? In my opinion/experience, there may be a time and place for that……but I think it probably doesn’t work well with parenting small children. We have SO MANY other demands on our time, that regardless of how we feel afterwards, we may not make time for movement if we won’t enjoy it in the moment. I freaking love lifting weights so that’s what I do. I fit it in because I am looking forward to it, and I would be sad to miss out on it, and I am rested enough and fed enough to enjoy it. If you can’t think of any kind of movement that you love to do, that’s fine…..just try something, and if you hate it after a few weeks,be honest with yourself and be willing to try something new. Maybe the only thing you will love about it is the fact that the gym daycare watches your kids for an hour or two while you work out and shower alone! That’s okay…..anything that will really have you looking forward to it smile emoticon.
6. For that matter….don’t let your choice of movement be more influenced by how good a workout you think it is than by how much you enjoy it. Any movement is better than zero. The best movement is the movement that you love to do so much that you will do it consistently. Better to take a 2 mile walk every day for a year than to do Insanity 3 days out of every month and nothing else. See what I mean? (Just using Insanity as an example since you say you like it. I don’t know anything about it one way or the other, but like anything, it only works if you can sustain the energy to keep doing it!).
7. Once I found something I really liked to do, it helps me to follow an online program that some coach created. It saves me the time and energy of planning my training, so I can just do it.
8. Eat enough! It helps your motivation a TON to be carbed up smile emoticon. Nothing wrong with eating a pint of ice cream unless it makes you feel sick…..but I’m guessing you’d rather fill up on healthy stuff to the point where you are not hungry for it? It helps!
9. Personally, I’m skeptical of “challenges” where you follow a really intense program for 30 days / 60 days / 90 days / whatever. If a person can’t even sustain the habit of moving 3 days a week, what makes them think that forcing themselves to do it for 30 days will help them incorporate it into their everyday life better? Again, this is just my personal experience – I know there are people who find them motivating and useful. My question is…..how are they doing in the long term? 3 years? 5 years? How often are they repeating these challenges?
10. I took a different approach this year. I set the goal of weight training 150 times this year (that’s a little less than 3 times per week….to allow for some “shit happens” weeks, because let’s face it, sometimes it does.). I purposely set a more moderate goal with a longer time frame, because I’m trying to create the habits, not make drastic changes that don’t stick. I track my progress on a regular old spreadsheet, not an app or anything like that. Again, just for ease. Ease=good.
11. Sometimes my house looks like shit. My family is okay with that. I’m prioritizing health over a clean home.
12. I know nothing about what it’s like to have 4 kids. So take this with a grain of salt if you need to. However…..I’m guessing that if strength training is your thing, you might be able to get it in while at the playground/baseball field/ER waiting room/school parking lot / parking lot next the car when the toddlers fell asleep and you are just sitting there on Facebook / etc? There are plenty of exercises that use only your bodyweight that work really well.
http://www.niashanks.com/best-bodyweight-exercises/
http://www.niashanks.com/bodyweight-workouts-want-to-worko…/
http://www.niashanks.com/swing-set-workout/
13. Here are some options for activity – hope you can find one/some that you would enjoy and look forward to!
Skateboarding or rollerblading
Canoeing, rowing, or cross-country skiing
Fast walking, hiking, jogging, or running
House cleaning or yard work
Dancing to music
Playing tag or jumping rope
Basketball
Volleyball
Tennis
Biking
Hockey
Soccer
Swimming
Cheerleading, gymnastics, or aerobics
Rope, rock, or tree climbing
Running or rowing
Push-ups, pull-ups, or sit-ups
Tug-of-war
Gymnastics
Working out with weights or body weight
Jumping rope, hopping, or skipping
Running
Hiking
Yoga
Martial arts
Dance
14. I think I recall that you may have some equipment at home already? You may find more time to use it simply by moving the equipment. All my equipment is right by the door, since I use it on the porch. You can move it by the door, or into your back yard, or on your porch, so you can use it while the kids are out playing. That might make all the difference between getting time in, and not having time to go down to the basement.
AHHHHHH that’s a big long novel!!! I hope at least some of it is helpful.
Here is where I will share my thoughts with the world. Topics to be covered include, and are not limited to: habit cultivation, body positivity, olympic weightlifting, thoughts about living as a fat person in a world striving for thinness, and an occasional side of parenting as it relates to these. Welcome!
Power, Peace, and the Porch Gym 