Booty camp check in

OK, I'm finishing up week #8, my second month - Monday through Thursday - at the Seattle Weight Loss Bootcamp, and has it been a challenge, but it has also changed my life.

As tough as the workouts are - always outside (no matter the weather) because your body eats up more calories when it's active outside - I'm getting better at most. In fact, after the first month, I was one of the most improved participants in all three groups!

It feels great to get up early, put my knee braces on to avoid injury, my head band because I sweat like the winner of the Kentucky Derby, and fingerless leather gloves because grass, mud and other natural elements of the ground and atmosphere abound and I'd rather keep my hands warm and dry.

I'm learning the perfect form for every exercise we do, so some time next year I should be downright buff!

In addition to pushing myself physically and psychologically every morning, I've nearly completely changed my eating habits. Our coach, Kimae, is an encyclopedia of nutrition knowledge, and has made my transition easy. It's an old story - fiber, fiber, fiber, flax, flax, flax, fresh fruits and vegetables, protein, yadda yadda yadda. But she has a way of explaining how each individual can modify their nutrition that made it easy for me.

And there is so much stuff made with flax now that is downright delicious, even bread made without flour. It is more expensive to eat well, but I find I'm eating less so it evens out.

I've dropped a full size and recently started feeling lighter, stronger and more fit than I have in many years - before the big C hit. I'm far healthier now than I was before I had cancer; this is a similar story of many who have had to go through the misery of surgeries, chemo and radiation because we don't ever want cancer to return or go back to the days of sheer misery and pain with more surgeries, chemo and radiation.

The next month's series - it will be my third - starts Monday. I'm continuing my full schedule training there for at least another three or four months (for a total of 5 or 6) full time, then returning a couple days a week to maintain what I hope is an excellent state of fitness.

Currently, SWL booty camp is just for us females, but next year that might change. It all depends on how much more energy Kimae can summon.

Springing into action!

Ah, Spring!

Time to renew, clean house, plant seeds, watch plants grow, put on my sunglasses and bask in the sunlight that has made its rare appearance this year in the Northwest.

Yesterday was the first day of my physical rejuvenation and fitness program! I want to finish losing the weight I "found" when I couldn't be active while recovering from surgery for the past 3 months.

I just joined a free nutrition-exercise online service that provides the same information and benefits for individual members and support groups as those charging cold hard cash, SparkPeople.

The same caveat emptor is always a given when I mention any website I've found, but I will say for myself that I find it very helpful.

It's the old eat properly and move enough to burn up calories formula with a lot of support.

I'm not much of a joiner, so my support will basically be checking in every day, keeping track of everything I eat, drinking my 8 glasses (at least) of water and my exercise choices (cardio and strength training).

SparkPeople has a lot of food and menu choices for my personal program, which I need since I don't cook very much (I consider peeling an orange "cooking").

This is a day to day process for me, the old "one day at a time" ritual.

I have very realistic weight loss and optimal health goals, which I can achieve just by paying attention to what I'm eating and pushing myself to *move* every day. It's not a source of stress or pressure or discomfort for me - just a fact of life, part of my daily schedule.

And I do have to schedule exercise as well as plan my menu for the following day to make certain I stay on track because nearly twice the number of people I normally coach are seeking my services and I said "yes." Several of them take more than one session at a time, so 23 people is a lot to coach and mentor, but I'm too easy. As soon as they tell me, "Your the *only* one who understands how to help me ..."

I'm screwed- I mean, I'm *hooked* and agree to coach them.

I also bought a road (as opposed to competitive or mountain) bicycle to make sure I don't rely on my car so much, especially for all the errands I run that are too distant for walking (I do walk for those within a mile or two) and not so far that I necessarily need a car to get there and back in a reasonable time.

I'm not wild about having bicyle helmet hair, but it's worth it to keep the cardio pumping at times it would ordinarily be a mellow car passenger. I bought it - practically brand new - at a neighborhood pawn shop. It's in perfect shape and cost only about half its normal price. I also bought saddle bags to carry goods from my errands, and lights - head and rear, in case I find myself peddling at night. I bought them through ebay - again, a great savings, even after shipping costs.

I ordinarily buy most things online now through amazon.com because it has a delivery cost ceiling - apparently not so at ebay. I got burned a couple times with outlandish shipping charges from ebay items, so I shop there very little any more - only when I can find an excellent bargain with reasonable delivery charges.

I've also started walking three miles around a nearby lake with my friend Michelle. I'll take Junior - my new pup - with me next time. He walks like a little Pomeranian show dog champion, so it should be fun watching people react to him.

Changing the world 1 positive reinforcement at a time!

As a coach, I love to learn how people have taught themselves to do things they thought beyond their reach, ability, willpower or capacity.

Lots of folks talk and write about changes they've made, but most of them don't last. They're merely short-term transitions rather than long term transformations. And there's usually lots more to the story than they're telling - and it's not positive.

Recently Carnie Wilson told Oprah Winfrey that after dropping more than 150 pounds after serious weight loss surgery and telling everyone how great it was to be slender? Behind the scenes she became a raging alcoholic - stopping after several years only because her husband gave her an ultimatum to quit drinking or he would leave her.

So many others have similar stories of temporary "recovery" from all sorts of addictions, destructive and self-destructive behaviors -- and after their seemingly astonishing success, they return to identical or worse self and other-abusive behavior. Often repeating this cycle more than once.

No more public example of this is Oprah herself.

So what can make for a successful learning experience that lasts?

And lasts and lasts?

The Seattle Times recently ran a story about a woman who lost weight because she loved herself enough to eat properly and exercise.

She realized the reason she initially tried to lose weight was because she hated herself - the way she looked and felt, the way she believed others perceived her.

But all the methods she tried, again and again, failed. So she beat herself up for 1) being fat, 2) looking the way she did, 3) feeling incapable of becoming who she wanted to be and finally, 4) feeling like a failure.

Until she decided she would eat well and exercise because she loved herself enough to be good to herself and accept herself unconditionally. She dedicated herself to learn how to do what's best for her body and soul, giving herself positive reinforcement every step of the way.

So all these years later, the 60 pounds is still off - a distant memory - because she kept giving herself positive reinforcement, support and appreciation for who she was and everything she did to love herself.

Negative reinforcement doesn't work because it's done to prevent perceived and real abuse or punishment of some sort. The change is usually instant and fleeting.

Positive reinforcement works in the long run 100%.

In my experience, it takes longer to establish a solid ground work and system of individual positive reinforcement from which to work and grow. But once it's solid? It sticks.

Unfortunately, some people are actually uncomfortable with positive reinforcement - they believe unless you're smacking them upside the head they aren't being "pushed" enough.

Others don't believe they're worthy of such good treatment.

One of my coaching techniques is to say a word, then have my client say whatever that word inspires. After they respond, no matter what they say, I respond, "Good."

It's meant to inspire confidence for whatever their response might be, to build a sense that their response is just fine - they don't have to "edit" themselves in order to be "approved."

Here's how it works:

CP: Wood.
Client: Shed.
CP: Good!

Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

It's amazing how terrifically it makes people feel to do this exercise even for a few minutes.

I then suggest they tell themselves, "Good job!" a million times a day - for every tiny little success they achieve.

Like this:

You finish brushing your teeth. "Good job!"
You wash your hands. "Good job!"
You arrive at a destination, accident-free. "Good job!"
You pay a bill. "Good job!"
You mail the bill. "Good job!"
You find that (something) you've been looking for. "Good job!"
You help your kid with homework. "Good job!"
You make a healthy choice at a meal. "Good job!"
You practice piano. "Good job!"
You sing! "Good job!"
You take a walk - even if it's inside your apartment. "Good job!"
You decide to do something to spiff up your relationship. "Good job!"
You actually do something to spiff up your relationship. "Good job!"
You decide to leave an unhealthy relationshp. "Good job!"
You actually leave that unhealthy relationship. "Good job!"
You do one part of your acting homework. "Good job!"
Make a list of your own of things to which you can respond. "Good job!"

You read my blog? "Good job!" ;-)