Monday, September 8, 2014

The New Regime: Two Months In

So, I've been doing this lifestyle improvement thing for a couple of months now. I do have a lot to say about how I've changed from the vantage point of health and how I feel. But since I'm the first to admit that I'm hardly doing this for the good of my health, this post is a brief run down of how my figure is adapting. (Yes, this is superficiality incarnate. Feel free to skip this one... It's not exactly an opus.)

I'm one of those people who tends to gain weight gradually and evenly. There are obvious pluses to this tendency. Evenly distributed extra fat is easy to disguise. Alas, left unchecked, inevitably one wakes up one morning and looks kind of larger everywhere. It's kind of reverse analogous to that 100g skein of Abrazos I'm always nattering on about, the one I'm using to knit the Karner Wrap. I swear, I can knit for HOURS with that yarn - hours over DAYS - and every time I reweigh the skein the scale does not budge. Finally, after what seems like an eternity, the weight of the skein drops by 10 grams in an instant. Who can understand these mysteries??

Sidebar: I find it hilarious that I will not weigh myself (because I find it without merit) but I weigh my yarn obsessively. Obsessively.

At any rate...

A couple of months ago I took my measurements. It wasn't because I wanted to document them as a starting point of the New Regime. I constantly take my measurements to assist me in sewing. I noted however, on taking those measurements, that they were more robust than they had been in the 5 years I've been sewing. Which may have predisposed me to freak the fuck out and check out the local gym. Or maybe I was just having an enlightened fitness moment. I'll let you decide.

As you know I have no issues writing about my measurements - look back in the archives and you'll see numerous posts in which they arementioned  with nary a care. But that was to support a discussion of sewing. I feel, honestly, bizarre posting about my measurements in the context of how I look and specifically in the context of how I'd like those dimensions to decrease. It seems a bit crass, no? Furthermore, when I discuss those dimensions in the context of wanting them to decrease, am I sending unintended messages to others about their own shapes? I mean, seriously, even though I seem never to post new photos of myself, there are actually hundreds of pictures of me (as recently as 2 weeks ago), scattered on the blog, taken over the last seven years. It's not like my appearance is a mystery. 

In the interests of science, I've decided to share the info, though it goes without saying I am my own particular shape and size, and numbers are just useful from a relative perspective.

My "pre-Regime" measurements were: 34" upper bust, 38" full bust, 31" under bust, 31" natural waist, 35" lower abdomen/high hip (above hip, below natural waist - where most of my fat lives), 41" hips. Didn't bother with arms or legs. 

Note: Each of these measurements was between 1-2 inches higher than it had been 2 years ago. I opted not to go back in the notes farther than this because I didn't think I'd like what I'd see. In full disclosure: I was 3 seconds from getting my period when I took these, and it was about 5 minutes after I returned from the food-fest that was Europe.

After 2 months of 60 minutes of yoga (which is mainly what I've been doing) 4-5 times a week (in addition to my 5ish miles of daily walking as transportation), my measurements are currently: 32" upper bust, 37" full bust (mainly from increased tone in my back), 29.5" under bust, 30" waist, 34" lower abdomen zone, 40" hips.

While no one's said: OMG, you look so fantastically toned and svelte like an actress in the movies!, a comment I've heard a few times is: You seem kind of smaller. Not thinner - smaller. Cuz when I lose mass, I lose it like I gain it - a little bit at a time, all over. And truthfully, despite my massive personality, I'm a slight-boned, short person. I am kind of small when I get back to basics.

FYI, I'm pleased with the trend. I'm not as toned - or as small - as I hope to be in another 2 months. But it's a move in the right direction. 

I do want to focus for a second on what I've been doing on the mat - just to clarify that I'm working pretty actively:
  • 3, 60-75 minute active yoga practices wherein I move constantly and with an active core (vinyasa, power, flow, modified ashtanga)
  • 1-2, 60 minute moderate to restorative yoga practices (focus on forward bends and supported back bends)
Why, specifically, has this been effective to date? I really can't say. I'm certainly not eating less food. In fact, I'm loath to tell you that I've actually gone back to drinking booze mid-week. (What? I like booze and I have a teenaged daughter!) Maybe it's because I'm building lots of muscle mass. Maybe it has something to do with the endocrine-support element of yoga practice?

I do believe that I am experiencing these gains efficiently, with yoga, because my body is adapted to practice. My body knows how to move (even if it's not at its strongest). I am able to balance challenging postures with breathing which enables me to stay in those postures for a long time. I also have an entirely new perspective on practice - I'm doing it differently (an entire subject unto itself - but the gist is that I'm working less hard).

In terms of how I look (never mind the numbers): In my own opinion, I am definitely more toned. It's most noticeable in the upper abdomen, which has some nascent muscular ridges peaking out from under a layer of fat. I also see it in my arms and back. I've lost most mass at the under bust which means my band size is back at 30. I'll be fishing some bras out of the cupboard soon. It remains to be seen if the cups will also fit... I suppose if there's anyone who must restock the lingerie, I'm not a bad candidate. :-)

So, there you go. Anyone else on a New Regime? What have you noticed about changes in your own body? Are you a tape measurer, a scale-user or one of those who simply uses her eyes and clothes as evidence of change? Let's talk!

22 comments:

  1. I would love to do yoga, but here in smallcollegetownland, that's not an option (and I cannot do DVDs in my small Victorian home--no room/privacy). But I do need to counteract all that summer of cake-eating. I run as often as possible, and once I feel this semester is fully launched, I'll engage in more disciplined eating as well.

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    1. Eating is so enjoyable. The part of me that says I should stop is at odds with the part that knows the thing I'll regret most about being dead is not being able to eat.

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  2. I've been running for 6 weeks on top of cycling to work. My weight has remained the same but my legs are stronger. As I force myself to stand straight when I run, my posture is improving which is a good thing since I don't want to end up looking at my toes like some of my older female relatives (and I slouch already). Next step is to add strength training when cycling tapers off over the next few weeks.

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    1. Posture is SO key! I can't tell you how much I notice it. A person who stands tall always has the edge. That's a terrific thing to focus on.

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  3. Not so much New Regime as getting back into a regime that works for the September through April part of my schedule. This means prioritizing workouts -- especially, it means running earlier than I might want to some days, and doing an afternoon yoga class at least once a week because mornings are no longer available. . .

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    1. I don't know how you manage with all the travel and family and papers etc. You are an example, Frances.

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  4. I love that weigh your yarn. Glad to hear yoga is Still It for you. Russell may well be right (see teenage daughter, menopause, etc) but it's very entertaining to read about!
    And, of course, good on you. Look forward to seeing the new bras.

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    1. It's very useful to weigh yarn - much more useful than weighing yourself :-) And let's not assume there will be new bras! I need to try to reuse and recycle (if possible).

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  5. Like you I put weight on gradually and all over until yikes it was not pretty. I also was suffering sleep problems etc and it all added up to giving up wheat. What a revolution for me. Exercise is becoming fun - eating is no longer my favourite pastime and people are finally starting to notice something is different about me. I fit all those clothes that were 2 sizes to small and still losing it - all for giving up wheat. Best thing is what it has done for me mentally - clear thinking and much less depressed.

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    1. That's the challenge, you wake up one day and it's all gone crazy. I do have a post coming up in which I discuss how I too have given up wheat in the last month (for a very strange reason). I wonder to what extent it's having an impact. I don't see as much of a correlation as you do, but I shouldn't discount the impact. I know many others who concur with you.

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  6. Yes, I'm in a new regime as well. Two months ago, when I went back to work, I stopped moving (hello desk job) and stared earing oreo cookies like they are going out of style. Not a good regime, especially in light of the fact that I out on weight fast, that I am overflowing at the waist band of my pants and my bras are fitting a bit snuggly. It's time for me to hit a gym and cut the many cookies. A forty minute walk with the dog each day is not cutting it! But, reading about your yoga regime keeps me hopeful that I will get into a groove again ... Soon?

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    1. Ah, bags of cookies. That's a habit I remember well :-) And I want to hear more about your puppy. You will be able to get back into the swing of things as the year progresses. Don't discount the huge amount of transition you've experienced in the last couple of years (and specifically in the last 6 months). I think you're functioning awesomely!

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  7. "Sidebar: I find it hilarious that I will not weigh myself (because I find it without merit) but I weigh my yarn obsessively. Obsessively."
    And that is exactly why it is a good thing you don't measure yourself.

    It's something I wish my husband would listen to me about. His body is totally changing - much less belly fat but his shoulders/arms bulk up pretty easily with muscles. So he is unhappy when the scale is the same or a half pound up on any given day. It's not until he gets dressed that he comments on how it's nice to fit into his "thin" shirts and he had to buy smaller shorts. That's way more important in my mind.

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    1. I agree, I'm not the kind of person who should weigh herself. If I did, I'd probably check every 3 minutes and wonder why the scale wasn't changing. And really, it's not a meaningful marker for the person trying to lose a few pounds. Far better to assess how the clothes fit.

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  8. I've been doing New Regime - strength - seriously for about two months now. I seem to have lost about an inch in my waist. My body mass had gone up by about 2 kg, although to be honest I didn't really track it that closely.

    Sounds like you're going in the right direction. How are you planning to sustain this? I'm hoping the social aspect of the workouts will keep me interested for the long run.

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    1. Oh, I'm so glad you asked this question because, the truth is, I have NO FREAKIN' IDEA. It takes so much time, Laura. I mean, I am enjoying it much more than I thought I would and I really appreciate how much better I'm feeling, but one imagines that you just keep on. I mean, I did more yoga than this in my twenties, but I didn't have all of the life responsibilities that I currently manage. I guess we'll just have to see. Do you think it's sustainable for you?

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    2. No idea. I like the social aspect, but 3-4 times a week is a bit hard to do. One of the people who does it at the same time looks fantastic and says he started about a year ago, and only does 2/week so maybe there will be some leeway there. I guess I'll see.

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  9. Hi there. How timely your post is. I was sitting here feeling sorry for myself because thanks to Prednisone, I've put on 15lbs. (Pain or pounds? Pain or pounds?)I'm off the steroids now, but I'm left with a thick and fluffy waist. I would have been okay with some more boobage and a bit more junk in my trunk. Alas, nothing I made this summer that wasn't free flowing or had an elastic waist fit. Last night, I resigned myself that the weight is going to be around for a while, so I may as well embrace it, even though I am on a new regime of exercise and eating cleaner.Thank goodness for knits and wrap dresses. Maybe tonight, I'll take my actual measurements.

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    1. Do it! And without judgement. I like to call it "graceful observation"... Prednisone is very tough stuff. I was on it for a couple of months a few years ago and, if it hadn't been making a huge difference to my health, I would have not been able to stand the side effects.

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