*hi*

[Jenn]

Hello all,

So... My name is Jenn (I feel you all saying "Hi Jenn" in the AA voice)...

I have come to a point in my life that I am no longer happy with the way that I am surviving each day. I'm "skinny fat" and according to my BMI borderline overweight. I don't like being able to grab the chub on my stomach.

I'm going to start off by telling you I have EADD: Exercise Attention Deficit Disorder. It is hard for me to do an exercise for more than a few reps before becoming bored and moving on to something else. I'm lucky to enter a gym by myself and stay for more than 20 minutes. When I was trying to convince myself I liked to run, I had to listen to audio books to keep my mind busy enough to make it through.

I am a Trauma and ER nurse here in St. Louis. Lately CPR is about the most exercise I get and I ache the next day from it. My eating consists of hospital food.

I'm also going to share with you: I love food. I love cooking it, eating it, cooking it for other people. I love the way the flavors dance on my tongue and the textures join in a symphony of deliciousness.

This is the plan: next pay day (aka Friday) this girl is heading to gold's gym to start a membership. It's time to get off my spreading booty and get it moving to the gym 5-6 days per week. I'm going to start by going to classes so that I'm stuck there for more than 20 minutes. It's time for me to break up with food and start having a working relationship.

My first long term goal: quit caring about weight and care about feeling and looking good. I've got a wedding and more importantly a honeymoon fast approaching. For my honeymoon in October I just want to be able to go deep sea fishing, catch a marlin and not have to worry about what angle I have to stand to get a good picture.

After that I'd like to try out for roller derby!

I hope I can learn some things from my fellow rebels and get on the path to success!

Look forward to "meeting" you all and making progress together!

Jenn

[leadchipmunk]

Hi Jenn (before reading your aside, I actually said that in the AA voice. Haha)

Maybe the gym isn't the way to go for you? If you have a hard time staying more than 20 minutes and you are joining classes that last longer than that long, then you may start skipping them and still spending the money on it. Can't say that I haven't done that in the past. Check out the Angry Birds workout that Steve posted about. It only takes a few minutes out of your day, split throughout the day and doesn't really feel like you are working out as long as you are.

Another option is Grease the Groove. Basically what you do is when a certain event happens, you do an exercise. With you being an ER nurse (if it isn't a busy day) it could be, when a new person comes in, do 5 pushups. When someone hits the call button, hold a 15 second plank (after you have helped them, of course). When something else happens, do 20 jumping jacks. Think of it like the old drinking games where you watch a show and whenever someone says their catchphrase, take a drink.

I did this when I was trying to increase my pushups by doing every time I go through a doorway in my house, 2 pushups. When I started I could do maybe 5 in a row, but before long I was easily able to do 50 a day.

For the hospital food, it isn't always the healthiest stuff (I think it is a conspiracy to keep patients sick and get more money... Haha) so you need to pick and choose what's good for you. But you can maintain a good diet even when you have to eat hospital food.

[Jenn]

Thanks for the ideas!

As far as foregoing the gym, maybe after I have some skills under my belt? I feel like I need to go somewhere and meet people (I'm a hermit!) and get some workout experience and then I think I'll be able to go it alone.

And Grease the Groove would be good for at home when I'm watching my favorite shows. I'd hardly have time at work (we are a fairly busy ER) and couldn't imagine willingly putting my hands on the floor. We also get a fair amount of psych patients and I might get mistaken for one if I started exercising every time a call light came on LOL!

I think I'm going to start dedicated-ly putting meals together to take to work so that I know exactly what is on my menu and I'll have what is good for me on hand when I need a quick snack (we can hardly call eating in a corner a lunch break, but that's what the bosses term it).

Thanks again for the ideas!

[Church]

I also said "Hi Jenn" in the AA voice. Lol.

Best of luck with your goals

I'd definitely recommend getting some professional advice before heading out on your own, for a couple of reasons.

First is that LOTS of people in the gyms have NO idea that they're doing things wrong.

And second is that doing things wrong (like I did) can have disastrous results. For me this meant months of pain with expensive chiropractic and massage treatments before finally getting a personal trainer to help me clean up my form and rehab my injury. So hopefully you don't have to deal with anything like that

Best of luck

[D_chelyst]

Hi, Jenn!

I also thought of the Angry Birds workout like Leadchipmunk suggested. If the gym thing doesn't work out, maybe give that a try? Also, have you looked into the Paleo diet? It might help you find things that are decent at the hospital for those days that you have to eat there.

Good luck, and welcome to the Rebellion!

[CalvinHobbes]

Welcome!

New nurse here, not ER but I was in a code for the first time recently and got the adrenaline rush...think I did like, 12 minutes worth of compressions...and that hurt like mad the next day.

[Jenn]

Welcome!

New nurse here, not ER but I was in a code for the first time recently and got the adrenaline rush...think I did like, 12 minutes worth of compressions...and that hurt like mad the next day.

Welcome to the world of nursing I'm coming up on a year in the "trenches" . We're a level 2 trauma center so we see everything from birth to death, chapped lips to gunshot wounds. CPR can be a killer workout. Maybe we need to suggest this as a full body exercise?

@D_chelyst I think paleo is what I'm going to try and go for. at least 95% (I like greek yogurt). Stay tuned, formulating some measurable goals and working up the courage to take before pictures.

[Morrigainz]

Another thing that might help your EADD...or maybe it's just that I'm addicted...HEAVY LIFTING!

Okay so I'm probably just addicted. BUT! It's good to feel strong. And if you do a program like Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe (a lot of people here, self included, are fans) then you only do a few exercises...squat, overhead press, deadlift. And you only lift them at your working weight 3 set of 5 times! No WAY could you get bored with that

Well, maybe you could. Lifting is not for everyone. But check it out because it's awesome.

And welcome, and best of luck working your skinny fat off!

[Jenn]

Another thing that might help your EADD...or maybe it's just that I'm addicted...HEAVY LIFTING!

Okay so I'm probably just addicted. BUT! It's good to feel strong. And if you do a program like Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe (a lot of people here, self included, are fans) then you only do a few exercises...squat, overhead press, deadlift. And you only lift them at your working weight 3 set of 5 times! No WAY could you get bored with that

Well, maybe you could. Lifting is not for everyone. But check it out because it's awesome.

And welcome, and best of luck working your skinny fat off!

I think lifting weights would be fun. The big scary men at the gym scare me, but maybe I can practice form at home first or use a training session or two to get me going. Maybe one day I can be like spezzy and dead lift like a champ?

[Morrigainz]

Yes! I am on my way to deadlifting like a champ

Training session is a good idea, but just keep in mind that some trainers don't know what they're doing...even if they're trainers. So I would suggest also doing your own research

As far as the bros at the gym, I just pop my headphones in and go about my merry way! They stay out of my way usually

[Jenn]

Alrighty so here are the starting stats:

5'3"

140lbs

Est body fat using naval circumference method: 32.8% (this makes me feel ill)

Neck 12.5"

Bust 36"

Chest 31"

Waist 32"

Hips 39"

Right Thigh 22" Calf 13.5"

Left Thigh 22" Calf 14"

Right Bicep 10.5" Forearm 9"

Left Bicep 10" Forearem 8.5

Goals

1. Switch to an almost totally paleo diet starting 7/6/2012.

a. learn to like more veggies.

b. learn that real food does not come in a box.

c. Drink more water.

2. Start basic training workout 28day challenge on 7/6/2012.

a. Stop making excuses.

b. Do a freaking push up. A real one. And then another.

c. Transition to heavy lifting

d. Reel in a marlin during my honeymoon in October.

3. Lose inches. I don't care about my weight, I care about my health. This is my new mantra.

a. Learn to celebrate every small success. And not with ice cream

b. Learn that failure is part of life. Accept it. Let go and pick up the next day.

I think that's enough for now? Any suggestions? Thoughts?

Picture coming later... as soon as I figure out where the camera went.