I am actively in love with my gym. I've been a member at Equinox since January and I have never, ever felt this way about exercise. Not even when I had a view of the entire Monterey Bay from the elliptical machine in college. The Equinox in San Francisco is in the old Pacific Stock Exchange building and the locker rooms are literally in the vault. The ceilings are wicked high, there are eucalyptus-steamed towels always waiting for you and oh man, don't even get me started on the steam room. It was out of service for two days last week and it was pretty much a personal disaster.
I pay a pretty penny for this membership, but I look at it as a necessary cost because I actually look forward to going to the gym after work everyday. I'm even doing yoga twice a week and I LOVE it. I get positively ecstatic on yoga day. This is all very strange because I've always hated yoga and while I'm naturally athletic, I lack any sort of motivation. I'm the kind of person who won't even get out of bed to eat or pee, because, ugh, so much effort.
My wedding dress is going to be made out of fabric that is not entirely forgiving. I've already stocked my Spanx arsenal, but I'm still a little worried about my pudge stealing the show. In the past year, I have discovered my arms are chubby and my abs have disappeared. Pushing thirty has put me one step closer towards transforming completely into Liz Lemon. So, to get rid of this flab and welcome back my lost muscle tone, I have been working out every day, tracking my food and eating thoughtfully. I've cut out sugar (mostly), snacking on empty carbohydrate calories and excessive amounts of cheese. Here's a typical day of eating for me:
Breakfast:
Bob's Redmill oatmeal with almond milk, a touch of brown sugar and cinnamon
Coffee with half and half
Lunch:
Leftover soup (roasted carrot, broccoli-arugula, parsnip are some of my favorites)
Whole wheat toast with goat cheese and radishes
Snack:
Kind bar
Dinner:
Quinoa salad with steamed kale, scallions, goat cheese and Meyer lemon
Dessert:
Tcho "Nutty" chocolate square
The first week of eating like this was kind of hard because I was always hungry, but I realized how off the rails I had gone with stuffing my face over the past couple months. I think I was eating at least 2500 calories a day in February and March and I felt like shit. In November of last year, Thanksgiving to be exact, I had a nightmare of a hangover and had to cook basically the entire meal for ten of my best friends, the same friends who were guzzling Fernet with me the night before. After getting started about three hours too late, I chugged a giant glass of cold whole milk to keep me from either barfing or passing out while peeling potatoes. I stopped drinking milk regularly in high school because it never really sit well with me and my parents only ever bought fat free (blech), but this Thanksgiving morning glass was like the nectar of the gods. From that day forward, I had at least one glass of whole milk a day. Whole milk was my crack. My body responded by bulking up like it was getting ready for a long winter, hence the puffy arms. I broke up with my beloved whole milk and it really hasn't been that difficult, but I do miss it INTENSELY from time to time. On top of eating like an offensive lineman, I also wasn't getting regular exercise because I was tired all the time -- a vicious cycle, if you will.
After two weeks of eating well and regular exercise, I feel super great! I'm already feeling stronger and I've lost an inch or so from my waist. My body responds really well to healthy food and regular exercise, but my mind has a tendency to be all "Fuck it, couch, meet ass," so I imagine once the initial excitement wears off, this process will not be as fun.
I use My Fitness Pal to track my calories and nutrition as well as my exercise. I used Lose It! for a while, but their food database was pretty sparse and they don't really provide a lot of feedback on your nutrition. I've also been drinking a butt load of water everyday, and aside from the constant trips to the bathroom, I can report that all those lady fitness magazines are right on this point.
Drink water! Exercise! Don't eat crap!
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