The Power of a Single Clap

For quite some time before moving back to Iowa, I was not handling the stress of being a mom very well.  We didn't have a babysitter and didn't have anyone close enough that we trusted them to watch the kids. The only quality time together (without the kids) that DH and I had was when family came in from out of town - typically two times per year for my parents and 3-4 for DH's mom. 

It wasn't until we had already committed to moving back that a friend told me that most YMCA's offered free childwatch for people with family memberships.  While you can't utilize them as a babysitting service, they do watch your child while you are exercising.

We moved back Memorial weekend, May of 2006.  On June 8th, I decided to join the YMCA.  I was tired of being out of shape and felt like I should take a new approach to my health.  When I first started, I was doing the elliptical.  In August, I was talked into taking a cardio class (you can read about that story here.)  Every class is different.  Sometimes we do circuit training, sometimes kick-boxing, sometimes step.  It takes a few months before we see a repeat class.

The very first class that I took was a routine involving a row of steps lined up side by side - like a 40' wide/long step.  Half of the class (Group A) was on one side of the room, Group B was on the other side.  Group A would traverse the row of steps doing something like tap up/tap down to get to where Group B started.  At the same time, Group B would do something like lunges across the open floor to get to where Group A started.  We would do that about 4 times then do a different type of activity.  Over the top and back of the benches and moving squats on the way back.  The activities continue to rotate and one of the more challenging tasks is the inchworms.  Basically, it involves walking your hands into a push-up position (push-up optional) then walking your feet to your hands... continuing to the other end of the room.  Ugh.

I remember being dead tired and Leah even announcing to the class "If you need to take a break, walk the track."  She doesn't single people out unless they are doing something that could cause injury or if she knows they don't mind.  But since I was new, I didn't realize that she was indirectly directing her comment at me.  This time, she looked me straight in the eye, swung her finger in a circle in the air and said "If you need to take a break, walk the track."  Then she smiled.  Then I started to walk the track. 

Once I got comfortable with the class and the people, every time we did that workout I would say "This is the first workout I ever did."  Leah got to the point where she waited for me to say it when I arrived and saw the setup.

Well, this Wednesday was a little different.  Most of my regular friends were absent for the holiday so I didn't blurt it out.  Part way through the class, Leah announced "This is Nicole's class" (maybe she said workout or routine... I don't remember because I was already very tired.)  Anyway, it isn't my favorite routine in terms of activity, but emotionally, it is.  It is an absolute gauge of how far I have come in two years. 

As usual, I did my best - working at a high impact pace when I could and doing low impact on things like jumping jacks (because I have bad knees.)  I went strong on every pass across the row of benches and was able to smile as I remembered how difficult it was on that first day.  Lunges, squats and all that stuff are becoming easier but still are challenging in the midst of our exhaustion.  The inchworms were the true test.  While progressing through, Leah reminded us that the push-ups are optional.  When she saw that many of us were pushing ourselves to do them anyhow, she decided to jokingly add "Okay, you can add a clap in the middle if you like."  So on my next inchworm, I did just that.  I did a push-up with a clap in the middle... something I haven't done since my high school and college days of being in shape.  Leah acknowledged it as did a few classmates.  It made me feel great.

Granted, I have a lot of weight still to lose, but I feel so much better these days.  That one clap in the middle is a powerful reminder that with continued commitment, anything is achievable.

(The first photo was taken at Christmas 2006. The second one was just a few days ago when I tried on a fitted shirt that DH bought me.)

Free Dole Salad Coupon - Limited Supply

Update: When I checked on 6/8, it said the supply had been depleted. I don't know if they'll restock but it's worth checking!

I follow a few message boards that post links to free coupons and offers. Usually I enter my information and wait for the stuff to come in the mail. Just recently, I realized that some of my readers are just as frugal as I am and probably would love to take advantage also!

So with that said...

Dole Food Company is offering a coupon for a free Distinctively Dole salad to the first 10,000 people who register. Among the choices are Asian Island Crunch, Ultimate Caesar, Southwest Salad, Perfect Harvest, Hearty Italian and Summer Salad.

Here's the fine print: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. FREE Distinctively Dole™ Salad coupons available while supplies last. Maximum coupon value $4.49. Product subject to geographical and retailer availability and to terms and conditions printed on the coupon. Limit one FREE Distinctively Dole™ Salad coupon per household. Please allow 6-8 weeks for coupon delivery. Not responsible for lost, late, misdirected, incomplete or illegible mail. Good only in the U.S. Void where prohibited, taxed or restricted by law. This is an offer of Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc.

You'll receive an email - I got mine immediately - and you need to make sure you hit the confirm button in the email!

Like My Butt Isn't Big Enough...

Yeah, I'm invited to a party and what do I do? Sit on my backside for the entire event. In my own defense, that's what EVERYONE at this party will be doing. I'm referring to the MommyFest Blog Party. It's an opportunity for a Mom Blogger (that's me) to talk about herself (like I need a reason to talk about myself) and meet other Mom Bloggers. So here goes...

Who Am I?
I could just recite my profile, but that would be ridiculous now, wouldn't it? So I'll give you a fast-forward version starting from when I met DH. My husband and I met while we were in college. We were at a Cubs/Cardinals baseball game in St. Louis during a joint event with our fraternity, Delta Sigma Pi. We belonged to separate chapters at our respective universities. A few years after we got married, we moved to Los Angeles - where we worked hard and took advantage of activities and travel whenever possible. After several years of trying for a baby, we finally successfully completed fertility treatments and were blessed with Miss M. We found out we were pregnant with Miss K a year later. After realizing that Los Angeles isn't where we wanted to raise our kids, we moved back to Iowa where I grew up.

About my Blog:
I only post casually when I have something I really want to share. More often than not, that means a few times a week. The posts on my blog usually revolve around my girls but sometimes touch on a variety of other topics. Check the archives for a better overview. Daily, however, I surf other blogs and keep up-to-date via my Google Reader.

What I do:
Well, I'm a stay-at-home-mom (hence the blog title SAHM) which is my first job but I consider the gym to be a second job. I want to get back into shape after years of not so I hit the gym regularly. In my free time, I participate in product testing, surveys and word-of-mouth marketing. I'm constantly getting cool stuff in the mail for free!

The Giveaway:
During Mommyfest, I'll be giving away a full-sized sample of Aveeno Positively Ageless Firming Night Cream (a $20 value). I'll create a separate post just for the contest so be sure to comment on the giveaway post for a chance to win! Just so you know, the Aveeno Night Cream was a full-sized sample I received from BzzAgent. BzzAgent allows us to give away our products and since I already have a full size sample that I'm using (and loving, btw) I figured I might share this one during MommyFest!

Talking about myself is a little drier reading than all the stuff I usually blog about! I hope you'll subscribe and read some of my other posts. Thanks for visiting.

Day 1 of the 100 Day Challenge

Today is the first day of the 100 Day Challenge, part of "Live Healthy America." Although I go to the gym regularly, I'm seriously overweight so I felt compelled to sign up for the program. As part of a 5 person team, I'm hoping that I'll be motivated to attend more classes and develop a better fitness routine. I signed up for the gym's (free) wellness program and will begin that on Monday. Ultimately, I want to lose some weight. For the 100 day challenge, I think it's reasonable to drop about 15 pounds, but I'm certainly not going to put that on paper anywhere. Umm, anywhere else, I mean.

I have no self-control when it comes to sweets; I just love them. To further complicate matters, food is my outlet for when I'm bored, frustrated or whatever. That's one of the reasons I so adamantly attend classes at the Y… to compensate. Maybe this challenge and some supportive teammates (and one very supportive and loving DH) will help me get focused on planning better meals and eating right.

Today, I did an hour of Leah's cardio/strength challenge class followed by 45 minutes of Pilates. I've been a little under the weather, but I still survived both classes. It's only the third time I've done Pilates so I totally get my butt kicked in what I previously thought was a laid-back exercise class. At least by doing the cardio class first, I can tell myself that I'm just tired because of that.

I'm actually very excited about the whole program and simply wanted to share my commitment. Good luck and best wishes to anyone else participating in the "Live Healthy America 100 Day Challenge" program. Please be sure to post a comment if you're participating so I know who to cheer along!

Back on Track at the Gym

When we signed up at the gym a year and a half ago, I never expected it to last. I signed up because I was tired of being overweight and out of shape. As I mentioned in a previous post, the weight gained as a result of having undiagnosed hypothyroidism, umpteen years of varying levels of infertility treatments, pregnancy (thankfully) and related chaos, had just become too much for me. I was unhappy and I figured the gym was a good starting point. Even if I only stuck with it a short time, I had decided that every minute I was at the gym was better than an equivalent minute sitting on my tail side watching TV or vegging at the computer. It was also a better alternative than snacking on something in hopes of feeling better. What I discovered is that exercising actually makes me feel better and my time at the gym has become exactly that, my time.

But with the holidays, things got hectic (preaching to the choir, I'm sure). I helped in the classroom or shuttled kids for a field trip. I needed to get Christmas stuff done or stayed up too late watching a movie. Oh yeah, there was also a spell of really crappy Iowa weather that made me want to stay in bed all day. What resulted was a two week hiatus that, surprisingly, frustrated me. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, but who would have ever expected that to hold true for something like working out at the gym?

Today was my first day back since a week before Christmas and I couldn't be happier. It was a difficult workout, as usual, but that's the way I like it. Leah, the instructor, encourages us to work at our own pace… whatever that may be. I worked as hard as I could without overdoing it.

Even after a year and a half, I'm still out of shape but at least I have some muscle-tone now. I feel better about myself and have realized that the scale doesn't tell the whole story. I also am stronger and more confident than before and must be emitting that vibe. For the first time in I don't know how long, (maybe ever) my brother didn't make any attempt to steal my garlic bread at this year's Christmas dinner.

New Exercise Gadget – A Must Have?

DH and I have been watching Everyday Edisons on PBS recently. It's similar to the American Inventor show created by the American Idol people, but it follows the story beyond just selecting a winner. There are a handful of inventors that bring concepts forward and the folks at Everyday Edisons retool them, rename them, perfect them – and bring them to market.

On a recent episode, we watched the story of the Workout 180 Exercise System. Essentially, it's a balance unit that clips into a base to convert it to a step unit. There are different bands built into it for use in strength training and Pilates. In my workout regimen (if we want to call it that), I do cardio and strength two days per week, toning two days per week and one day of step. The diversity of the three instructors provides for a good variety of workout methods including step, band, stability ball, weights and occasionally Bosu. Having a class utilizing the Workout 180 might be a fun new way to incorporate the same types of equipment. Even having one in a home gym might be pretty cool, not that I have a home gym. Anyway, mentioned the gadget to one of my instructors today and joked that I would probably topple the thing over since balance really isn't my thing. She just smiled and said "Maybe that's what you need then." Hmmm.

Unfortunately, my Google searches have come up empty – with the exception of the PBS Everyday Edisons website and the following YouTube demonstration video.


I kicked an email off to inventor Jen Holloway in hopes of getting additional information. I'll be sure to post and update if I hear anything more. In the meantime, be sure to check out the new inventions that premiered on Everyday Edisons. They cover a great range including a stroller, teacher grading pen, drywall T-Square, cutting board and several others items.

EDIT: Wow. I asked for more information and received emails from both Andy at Everyday Edisons and the 180's inventor, Jen Holloway. Looks like it won't be available for purchase until after Christmas, so guess we'll have to put it on our post-Christmas wish-list. Guess that's the best time to get it anyway since we'll be working out to ditch the holiday pounds! I'll post more information (like the website) once it's live. Thanks Jen and Andy for your quick responses!

Handing out Pink Slips at the Gym

No, they are not firing people… they’re handing out evaluation forms that happen to be printed on pink paper. Management obviously has a twisted sense of humor. Evaluation time is our opportunity as members to critique the instructors anonymously. If we have anything to say, that is the time to say it. What I hate is that the forms are handed to us to fill out and return either before or after class – that’s really not much time to put your thoughts together if you want to say something substantial. More than just “I love/hate the instructor/class.”

I started at the gym early last summer when we moved back to Iowa. Out of shape from years of infertility treatments, stress, pregnancy, kids and life in general, I committed to a few days per week on the elliptical and some of the weight machines. After a few months, the only thing I noticed was that my pants were getting tighter. Translation, elliptical = bigger butt. At least for me, it did.

A friend talked me into taking the Cardio/Strength class and I swear I thought she was nuts. After one class, that was confirmed – anyone willing to endure that class was crazy. It was ridiculously difficult, overwhelming, exhausting… Guess I wasn't working as hard on that elliptical as I thought I was. Despite being in pain after just one class, I felt energized and hopeful. I returned for the next class and since then have only missed when I have to. The instructor is Leah, and she is why I keep coming back to the class. Leah instructs this particular class two days per week but she constantly changes the workout. In the year-plus that I have been attending her class, the most we have repeated the same workout is three or four times. I can’t speak for anyone else in my class, but she pushes me to do my best. She’s encouraging when I need it but tough when she knows I can handle it. I recall saying “can’t” once in her class and the whole group was instructed to do push ups as a result. It was good for a laugh, that’s for sure. Her class is as hard as I make it for myself and nobody criticizes me when I’m having an off day. We’re all there to better ourselves.

After a handful of Leah’s classes, I realized that I enjoyed the group fitness thing and started attending step classes the additional three days per week. Eventually, the schedule was changed and I ended up with Leah (Cardio/Strength) and Jayne for (Total Body/Toning) two days each per week and Stacia for step class. Between the three of them (and great encouragement from DH), I’m feeling much better about myself. For a recent baptism, I was able to fit into a dress that I haven’t worn in several years. I’m not one for tight fitting clothes, but I’m starting to see there’s a difference between “tight” and “fitted”; occasionally wearing a shirt that shows that I'm making headway.

For me, it has been a positive experience across the board. There is absolutely no way that I could have conveyed all that in the time allotted in class. Let alone give thought to areas for improvement. When the next wave of evaluations come around, I'm just going to put a note on the pink slip directing them here.