My French - Pictures Part 1

Bonjour Genev

Flower Clock in Geneva

Jet of Water at Lake Geneva

St. Peter's Cathedral in Geneva

Bonjour Mont Blanc 

Absolutely Breathtaking (literally)

Le Mer de Glace (the sea of ice)

Aguille du Midi from the Cable Car

Aguille du Midi

Care for a bit of hiking?

Ice Cave

Just a Spectator at the Ice Cave

Bonjour Yvoire

Jardin des Cinq Sens

Jardin des Cinq Sens

Happy French Chat

Ahhh....

Bonjour Annecy

Hubby and Reblochon Cow, Happily Ever After

The Hills are Alive

Reblochon = Miam Miam

Cheese Shopping

More Cheese Shopping

Behold the Cheese

And it Tastes Soooooo Gooooooooood

Merci pour tous les fromages merveilleuse

Bio-Impedance Test

What is a bio-impedance test?

The long name is bioelectrical impedance analysis or BIA. The medical and fitness professions use it to test body composition. You know, how much fat versus lean body mass you carry on your person in addition to body water content.

Your gym may have a simple version that is a hand-held device which runs an electrical current through your body and gives you a percentage of body fat when it has completed it's process. I also have a simple version in my scale at home.

My personal trainer used a fancier system for which I had to adequately prepare myself.
Rule 1: No food for 4 hours prior to test
Rule 2: No coffee for 12 hours prior to test
Rule 3: Drink lots of water

For my first appointment with him, I had to follow the above rules then lay down on the table with my right foot and hand naked and exposed. Then, out came the machine.

It was at about this point that I started feeling like Frankenstein's monster....especially after my trainer hooked me up and stepped back a few feet. But there was nothing to fear, no pain, no discomfort, no embarrassing pinching of any inches (which is another way to test body composition).

I have a fat caliper at home that I can use in the privacy of my own bathroom with the door locked, the lights out, and the mirrors covered. Why? Because I have more than a little inch to pinch and no one needs to see that. That's why.

So anyway, the bio-impedance test only took a minute. After it read my body composition, it displayed a simple number on the screen which my trainer then took and plugged into a nifty software program that spit out a report which looks like this:

That was my results from August 15th which was my starting date.

Six weeks later (after skipping 3 weeks because I had to take a fabulous French vacation) on October 28th, I took another BIA test. I was nervous for this one around because my clothes haven't started feeling any different, the scale hasn't moved much at all, and did I mention that I was in France eating foie gras and baguette pretty much every day....

For as nervous as I was before the test, I felt equally as relieved after getting the results. So, the scale hasn't moved much. I've lost 1 whole pound in 6 weeks. But in reality, my body has started moving about 7 lbs in the right direction (4lbs of fat gone and 3lbs of new muscle here to stay). That's something to celebrate.

The results also surprised me. I wasn't expecting to have gained any muscle at all but rather just toned the current muscle tissue I have. To see that I was able to build muscle while also burning fat at the same time made me question some previous reading I've done. Have you ever heard of Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle? Well I have, and I've read it. Although I think it's mostly a sound book chalked full of good info, it misses on one small piece of information. It states that it is impossible to build muscle while burning fat at the same time as they are two opposing actions. Apparently that's not entirely true because I have just seen my body do both simultaneously. Interesting.....

Also, because I'm in the mood to give full disclosure, feast your eyes on these numbers.

Those are my measurements over the past couple years. Pay closer attention to the difference between August 15th and October 28th of this year. Oh ya baby! I'm shrinking. Love it.

Thankfully, there are more than a couple ways to measure success. I'm a numbers girl all the way but that doesn't mean I ignore the touchy-feely methods at all. I do pay attention to how my clothes are fitting and how flabby or tight my frame feels before and after working out. It seems that a hybrid method works best for me. If the scale is a lie (which is usually the truth) then I can rely on my measurements and the bio-impedance analysis with my trainer as well as the simple body awareness.

How do you like to read and track your success?

Green at the Gills - My Rowing Adventure

August was a month of rowing in my little active life.

A good friend of mine emailed me one day and said (try to read with a subtle french accent in your head)

"Hey, check this out. They have classes for beginners. Wanna take one with me?"

What could I say in response to a question like that besides "OF COURSE"....

So we promptly signed up for the Learn to Row 1 class. Nevermind that they offer a Row for a Day class to try it out and see if you're even interested in learning more. We don't pay attention to such details. We jumped in with both feet, literally. 

Step 1: Sign up for the class online. Check.

Step 2: Print out and complete all the forms to consent to put your life in their hands and not blame them if they fail you. Check.

Step 3: Take a float test. I found a local community swimming pool and got to take the test for free. Some pools will charge you a couple bucks but mine was free. What is a float test you ask? Easy. Jump into a swimming pool with all your clothes on and float without the aid of anything or anyone for 10 mins. If you drown or cling to the wall, you fail. Well, there is one more step to determine pass or fail. At 9mins 30sec the guard will throw you a life vest and you have to put it on and get it zipped up while still floating by the 10min mark. If you do that (which is super easy), then you pass. Hint: Don't wear jeans, sweat pants, or cargo pants or you might just sink. Check.

Learn to Row 1 was a month long commitment. Every Tuesday and Thursday evening from 6:30 to 8:30 pm for the month August, our lives were dedicated to the Sammamish Rowing Association. My friend (lets call her C) and I were all ready, having signed our lives away, emptied our wallets, and risked a public drowning to get to our first class and row our hearts out. C was desperate to build her back muscles while I just wanted the cardio workout. Plus we were both excited thinking it was going to be fun and maybe even peaceful on the water.

Lake Sammamish, WA

How wrong we were.

The first class consisted of a tour of the boat house, role call, and an educational safety video. Yawn. I have a faint memory of singing Kumbaya but that might have been from the dream I had that night. I know they have rules and regulations and laws and stuff that need to be followed for newbies but disappointment is disappointing.

Perhaps we get to row during the 2nd class? Nope. Third for sure? Nope. We were allowed on the water during the 4th class. The earlier classes were all about learning proper rowing technique and the intricacies of coxswaining and the language of rowing, etc. I'm not even going to go into all that. If you want to know, sign up for a class and enjoy.

The first few times we were on the water, we barely made it to the end of the slough before it was time to turn around and return to the dock. Why? Several reasons.

1. We were in the heaviest boat known to man
2. There were 8 people in the boat (plus the coxswain) who all needed turns to row by themselves
3. We were all brand-spankin-new to rowing
4. For some mysterious reason...adult people (much like most children) don't  know how to follow simple instructions 

Octuple (8 people plus the coxswain)

Sammamish Slough
Notice the lily pads on either side? We spent some quality time in those lily pads.

Eventually the coaches got most of us going pretty well and we made it to the open lake and were able to paddle around a bit before we had to return to the dock. They even got us out in smaller boats so we each got a lot more active rowing time. And as if that isn't cool enough by itself, we eventually got all 4 or 8 persons (depending on which boat we were in) rowing at the same time. Wowy!

What's the big deal?

Boats are most stable with all oars flat on the water (like you see in the picture above). As each person starts adding in (meaning they begin rowing as a group one at a time), the boat becomes increasingly unstable unless everyone is perfectly in sync. A team of newbies who don't know how to follow simple instructions are most definitely not going to be perfectly in sync. Right? Right! So it's very cool that we were able to get it going even if for just a stroke or two.

4 weeks, 2 classes per week, 8 classes total. Overall impressions? Hated it. It wasn't all bad though. There were definite highs and even more definite lows.

Pros

• It was summertime on the beautiful Lake Sammamish
• We got quite a bit of inactive time in the boat so I did get to experience a tiny bit of that peace and take in my surroundings like I had hoped for
• I got to try something that I had always wanted to try
• I got to spend time building a wonderful friendship with C
• Our coaches were amazing in every way
• I learned something new which is never a bad thing
• I got the opportunity to practice my skills in patience over and over and over again
• C found a new hobby that she loves and I got to be there with her as she discovered it

Cons

• There was nearly no cardio activity included in the Learn to Row 1 class other than carrying the ridiculously heavy boat to the water and taking back out of the water again
• My patience was tried over and over and over again so my hopes of peace were shattered more times than not
• People can't follow simple instructions. What do you think "oars flat on the water" actually  means? Put your F$#!ing oars FLAT ON THE WATER
• It requires interaction with other humans and that usually doesn't work out so well for me (see the second and third bullets for more info)
• I didn't get to row nearly as much as I had hoped
• Blisters and scars from sculling (I still have scars on the top of my hand), ouch
• By the end of the session, I felt like I let C down because.......
• Sea sickness sucks and
• I didn't enjoy my experience nearly as much as everyone else did

So here's the story with the sea sickness. I am extremely sensitive to motion sickness. If I even turn my head too fast I might get sick. I've tried the ice behind the ears, the wrist bands, and the motion sickness pills. All have failed me at different times but I find that Dramamine works most of the time. MOST of the time. It failed me in a big way during a gorgeous helicopter ride over Molokai but that's a long story for another day or maybe never.

So anyway, of course I took the pills every day before class and expected to be fine. All was well, at first. That is until: 1) I was put in a smaller boat with only 3 other people and 2) We got out to the open lake on a choppy day rowing all 8 together. The smaller boat meant quite a bit more side to side rocking motion which was not good for me. The choppy day on the open lake was also the day that I was in the octuple boat and the coaches got all 8 of us rowing together which meant rocking side to side to the Nth degree in addition to being splashed in the face by the rowing dude in the seat in front of me because he was all over the damn place. Everyone was out of sync and doing their own thing and I was turning greener and greener with each clumsy stroke.

I don't think anyone wanted to have to watch my vomit float away because before it ever got to that point, the coaches asked if I was ready to get off the boat and go back to the boathouse. My answer was silent but obvious. So, they pulled the launch (coach's small motor boat) up to the oct and I climbed up and out and found myself on steady ground in just a few minutes. That was the last day of class so I missed seeing it through to the very end. I tried, I really did, but like I said before... disappointment is disappointing. I hate not being able to do things even though I believe I can and should be able to do anything I want.

Did I mention that I caught a crab too? I caught a crab. Luckily it wasn't a bad one. It didn't throw me overboard but it did get me in the gut good which was not comfortable.

Oars

Sculling (2 oars per person)

Sweeping (1 oar per person)

Although it may not seem like it, I really am glad I gave rowing a real try. In all honesty, I'm a little jealous of all the people who love it because it is one of those things that you either hold dear to your heart or you don't. For many, rowing is what they think about, talk about, and dream about all day, every day. For others, it's just not their thing. I fit into the latter category but I couldn't be happier for C that she found herself in the former.

If you find yourself interested in giving it a try, I highly recommend you look for a rowing association in your area and contact them for any classes they may offer. Also, C tells me that it gets much better in the next class and even better once you get onto a novice team and you start rowing with more people who know what they're doing. I'm also told that it is a great workout once you graduate to single and double person boats which typically happens in the Learn to Row 2 classes.

If you're lucky and find yourself in the great northwest where we have beautiful bodies of water all around us, I highly recommend the Sammamish Rowing Association. Not only were our coaches amazing, helpful, patient, and funny but every other member we met coming and going from the boathouse was equally as pleasant.

Enjoy!

Nailhead meet Hammer

I wish I could consistently come up with a way to express what I'm thinking and feeling but sadly I find myself at a loss for words, or maybe it's not a loss but they are all just so jumbled that I can't quite get them organized. Sometimes I'm lucky though and I find others who have said it better than I ever could and I can just point to them and say, "what he said".

Well, I stumbled upon one such instance just moments ago. When it comes to the constant struggle of losing weight and finding that healthy balance in life, I just feel......What he said!

I've been up so high that I felt I'd never come down again, convinced that I finally found the missing piece to my puzzle. Then I'm woken by the thud of me hitting the ground yet again.

Lost 25lbs in 1 year. Gained 20lbs back in 1 year. Back to the starting line.

Blogging
Journaling
Tracking food and exercise every day
1,400 calorie diet with 50% carb, 30% protein, 20% fat
Exercise 5 or 6 days per week
Drink 60oz of water every day
Vitamin D
An attitude of gratitude is always a winner


The Activity Calendars

No exciting fitness plans for right now but I reserve the right to get bored with the plan as is and find something different to do. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please let me know. I could use a little support and challenge right about now.

To Gluten or Not To Gluten

Just last week, my nutritionist mentioned a sneaking suspicion that I might have a "sensitivity" to wheat and/or gluten products. Why? Because.....

1. I crave bread always and forever - She says that a continuous craving for bread products is consistent with people who have a sensitivity to those grains because their bodies don't necessarily process them the same as other people.
2. I have a difficult time losing weight even when I am exercising regularly and eating a healthful, well-balanced diet - She says that difficulty shedding weight even when trying is a common complaint/experience of people who have a sensitivity because our bodies retain everything we feed it....including water.

I've read a few little articles here and there since the last meeting with my nutritionist about the new gluten-free diet fad sweeping the nation.

The November issue of Health Magazine has an article on the topic. It basically says that cutting gluten from your diet may not actually help in losing weight if you choose to just replace the same breads and other baked goods with the gluten-free counterparts because those products often have more calories, carbs, fat, and sugar than the original wheat products.

WebMD is another place I found some helpful info. This article talks about who really needs to be on a gluten-free diet and why. Short answer: people with celiac disease. Also people who test negative for celiac disease but who still suffer from some of the same symptoms are considered to have a sensitivity to gluten so a restrictive diet can also benefit them. It also specifically says that eating a gluten-free diet is NOT necessarily healthy and must be done very carefully to avoid a deficiency in vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, magnesium, and fiber to name a few. Read the article for more.

Fitness Magazine also had to weigh in on the gluten debate.

The MayoClinic is yet another source I found info on gluten-free diets.

So far, it looks like either my nutritionist is wrong or perhaps she was just using the wrong terminology because I have none of the symptoms of celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. But, I did stumble on another concept that may better fit the bill. Carbohydrate (and/or gluten) addiction.

Here's an article I found on the subject: Addiction to Carbohydrates and Gluten.....
I know nothing about the source so don't blame if it sucks. The article does talk about the cravings and the difficulty losing weight.

Here's a website dedicated to carb addiction: http://www.carbohydrateaddicts.com/
Again, I know nothing about the source so don't blame if it sucks.
Ah merde! I just took their little carb addict quiz and guess who scored in the moderate zone.

Scholarly articles on carb addiction

Here's an article from The American Heart Association: Carbohydrate Addiction

After looking through all the above articles and consulting my own healthy living beliefs about what is right for me, I'm thinking I need more information. It seems to me that the gluten-free diet fad is just that, a fad for people who don't have celiac disease but are looking for the next easy answer as to why they can't lose weight. However, I'm intrigued by the carb addiction concept. I don't feel like I'm out of control but I do love bread and I have a long history of losing and regaining weight over and over again.

Thoughts?

One personal trainer vs. One heart rate monitor

Bold Statement: The perceived exertion scale is bullshit.

I wear my heart rate monitor (hrm) during almost every work out so I can maintain my hr in an optimum range (140 - 166 bpm) the entire time and check it for regular feedback so I know when to rest for a minute and when to push a little harder. Every time I stop for a moment, my personal trainer hops on his soapbox enthusiastically motivating me to hurry up and get to work. When I tell him that my hr is at 176, he responds every time with a "psha" and says that the hrm must be broken.

You see....he doesn't use a hrm because it is his opinion that the scale of perceived exertion is much more reliable and he can't possibly understand how my heart rate could ever be 176 if I'm still able to have a winded conversation.

Trainer - On a scale of 1-10, how do you feel?
Salina - 176
And the battle is on....

Trainer - That's not an option on the scale.
Salina - 175

Trainer - Still not on the scale.
Salina - 173

Trainer - I can't understand how your hear rate could be at 173 if you're able to tell me that it's at 173.
Salina - 170

Trainer - I just don't believe it.
Salina - You want to argue with my heart rate?

Trainer - It just can't be right.
Salina - Well it is.

Trainer - It can't be.
Salina - Feel my pulse if you don't believe me.

Trainer - Holy shit, it's racing.
Salina - 165, I told you so.

Trainer - Well at least it drops quickly. That's a good thing.
Salina - 150

Trainer - It just shouldn't be getting that high with weight training.
Salina - Even if I'm working the major muscles doing combined exercises like lunges on the Bosu with hand weights to a bent row in between?

Bosu Ball

Trainer - Ya, even then.
Salina - Now I don't believe THAT!

Trainer - It just means that you're not conditioned.
               Offended face....GO!
Salina - Even though my hr drops 30+ bpm in 30 seconds?

Trainer - Well, no, that's a good thing.
Salina - Perhaps the racquetball several times every week for the past almost 2 years has trained my heart rate to jump and fall quickly? Ever think of that?

Trainer - Not possible.
Salina - Psh (insert eye roll here)

Then we decide to change subjects to more political topics like whether Michael Jackson was guilty of molesting little boys. That's another post for another day.