This is how I currently use my Baby-Sitters Club stationary. Heather, enjoy!

For those of you who didn’t know, I was an official member of the Baby-Sitters Club. My mother had to pay for me to enjoy this privelege.

Spin
Today in spin we did something I had never done before — TURNS. For example, a turn to the left entails putting your left hand on the bottom of the left side of the wheel (is that the right word for a spin bike?), place your right hand on the very top of the left side of the wheeel and twist your body to the left, looking over your left shoulder. A turn to the right is the same thing on the right side.

We did a few of these during class, and then at the end the instructor explained that people had come up to her and said that they wanted spin to be a better workout. They wanted to work more parts of their bodies. In some spin classes (like the one I  took at SoulCycle but none at my gym), the instructor will have the class bend forwards and backwards while standing for more of a workout. My instructor today said doing that is very bad for the neck and the back. She said the turns are a great way to engage your core and work more of your body.

I enjoyed them as a nice change, although I was a little off at spin today. I don’t know if something was wrong with my HRM or with me, but my heart rate was MUCH lower than it normally is in spin. It was in the 140s a lot — even when I  felt like I was working a great deal harder than that. I’m never that low during class, and it just kept dropping. Even when we did a bunch of jumps (usually my failproof way of increasing my HR) it stayed low. I felt like I was working hard, but I was distracted by the low numbers. I wonder if it is related to a new medicine I am on, or if my HRM isn’t working properly, or it it was just a fluke. At the end of the workout, it said my max HR was 190, which is a normal max for me. I did burn about 100 calories less than the HRM usually says I burn. (I know that HRM cannot accurately tell calories, since that is based on more than just heart rate, but I like that stat for comparing one workout to the next).

I’ll see what happens next time I use it and hopefully get the answer that way.

Have any of you ever done turns in your spin class?

Biggie, Biggie, Biggie, Can’t You See… Session #1
So last night I had my first hypnotherapy session. It is a program designed for IBS, which I do NOT have, but could be beneficial since it falls under the umbrella of improving gastrointestinal health.

I was nervous. After waiting in the waiting room, I was called in to the office. The psychologist has an office at the hospital where my doctor is and another one where I went last night, which is in a much more convenient location for me. The office was a big room. It had big comfy leather couches. I kind of stood there at first not knowing what to do, and the doctor told me to sit down. So I sat and we talked a little about how I have been doing. She explained again that the hypnotic state is not like on TV. If a fire engine is outside, I will hear it. If she tells me to go into the corner and stand on my head, I won’t do it if I don’t want to.

And then we began.

I’m not going to get into specifics of what was said for privacy reasons, but I will give a general overview.

I sat on the couch and the doctor told me to find a spot on the ceiling and focus on it. The ceiling was that material that isn’t smooth, it’s a lot of little nooks and crannies like an English Muffin, so I was  able to focus on a little spot. My neck hurt from craning.

The doctor began speaking and it sounded like she was reading a script. I think she was. She was talking in a funny, sing-songy voice that was meant to be soothing. It was.

There was a lot of repitition. She would say the same things over and over, but not necessarily in a row. She would come back to the same sentence, in the same tone of voice, at alternating times. It was like she was reminding me of something. She was.

I had to close my eyes. I felt uncomfortable knowing that she was watching me. Also, I don’t know if i did what she said because I was trying to be good and do what she wanted, or it really just happened on its own.

After going through some more general ideas and themes, she got into the GI part. Again, not going to give detail. And then she “woke me up” so to speak.

I have to say, I felt extremely self conscious there, which I think defeats the purpose! I tend to be awkward, so I felt like I was sitting awkwardly, holding my hands in my lap awkwardly. After craning my neck to look at the spot, and after my eyes closed, I didn’t exactly move my neck. It was still tilted back against the couch. And I kept having to swallow, which I was extremely aware of every time. I wasn’t sure if I should move it because then I might start struggling to find a position that is okay, so I left it. She noticed and said, in the voice, that I could move to be in a more comfortable position. But I didn’t because I was worried (don’t think you’re supposed to be worrying about things like this during hypnosis!) that I would not like my new position, and would have to keep trying to find one that was okay. So I stayed how I was.

Not the smartest idea, I know. Next time I will think of the most comfortable way to sit beforehand. There were some throw pillows on the couch but I don’t want to fuss over finding the best way — I need to just choose one that is all right and be done with it!

I am not sure how I feel about doing this 7 times. I will go to the next one on April 20 and see how it goes. It is expensive, but I can submit the receipts to my insurance for a bit of a reimbursement. I think actually laying out the money now is freaking me out — at least it did last night.

So that was my first hypnosis experience! I am glad I did it; I think I would have been too curious, knowing about the program, not to. And I wouldn’t have done it with just anyone — this doctor works at my gastroenterologist’s office, so it just made sense. Please contact me if you have any questions.

And here is very easy to read information on how hypnosis works!

Books and Eksusize DVDs
I am really into Rethinking Thin. It is fascinating! I read about studies where thin people had to eat a lot and get fat, where fat people had to live in a hospital on 600 cal a day and get thin — and what happened to both groups after. I read about a group of already thin men who were basically forced to starve, and what happened to them psychologically as a result. I read about weight studies comparing the weight of twins who were separated at birth and a study comparing  adoptive children’s weight in relation to their biological parents and adoptive parents weight. I am a little more than halfway through and I will describe in greater detail once I am done.  More TK!

Another nonfiction book I want to read is Brain Lock. This was recommended to me by a few people, including the psychologist I saw last night. It is supposed to be extremely helpful for anyone with OCD tendencies who want to change their way of thinking. I plan to read it as my book after my book after Rethinking Thin! (Yes, I have lots of books lined up!)

And DVDs lined up as well! After loving my Transfigure experience (and eagerly awaiting my next class!) I ordered Exhale Core Fusion Body Sculpt and Pilates! I really liked the way Transfigure worked my muscles and I am excited to continue working this way. I will use the DVDs every now and again when I have some time.

And, really — who wouldn’t want this tush?

Housewives News

What are your thoughts on Countess de Lesseps recent split from the Count? I think it showed poor class on his part to end if over email.

With the boy away at a cardiology conference all weekend, I had the entire day today in my own apartment on Sunday. I slept until 10:30 which is a BIG deal for me. I never sleep that late. And I was asleep by 11 the night before! I clearly needed to catch up. I woke up and went right to spin and it was a fantastic class with lots of jumps. I went home, showered, and went back to the gym to try a class I have been curious about: Transfigure.

Transfigure Review

From my gym’s class description:
Join celebrity trainer Brynn Jinnett for this intense total body workout that combines the most effective movements from Pilates, yoga, ballet, Lotte Berk and traditional strength training.

It sounded like it might be similar to Physique 57, which I am excited to try very soon. I did some research on the instructor and found out some interesting information:

(1) Brynn Jinnett teaches Core Fusion at Exhale. I have recently been thinking about ordering the Exhale Core Fusion DVD after reading some wonderful reviews, so I thought it was a good sign that I would be taking her class. I have a feeling Transfigure is similar to Core Fusion, because this is the Core Fusion description, from their website:

Core Fusion^® is a Pilates-infused transformational fitness experience allowing you to work from the inside out as it consistently delivers results. This highly publicized mind body class is proven to give you washboard abs, a tighter and higher backside, and a perfectly toned body.

This one-hour class fuses the disciplines of Lotte Berk fundamentals, core conditioning, Pilates, and yoga to produce long, lean muscles, a flexible, youthful body and a sense of peace and relaxation.

(2) She did ballet with my cousin for 10 years. I discovered this when my research of Brynn turned up that she was in the 1993 Macaulay Culkin movie The Nutcracker. My cousin was in that movie as well, and I knew they recruited dancers from her dance school for it. I figured that being dancers in NYC at the same time, they must know each other, but because I wasn’t sure of Brynn’s age I didn’t know for sure. After coming home from Transfigure, I texted my cousin to find out that they did, in fact, take ballet together for years.

Transfigure is offered at my gym on Sundays at 2:30 and Wednesdays at 7:30, both inconvenient times for me, plus I am often lazy. Also, it was only recently that I became fascinated with Physique57 and similar workouts. With the boy being away and me being in my apartment next door to the gym, it was the perfect time to try it out.

I get to the class and Brynn tells us to take a thick mat, light weights, a wooden stick, a yoga block, a strap. I wasn’t sure if I should take 2 or 3 lb weights, so I took both. The class is broken up into sections — arms, legs, butt, abs. I might be forgetting something. I also can’t remember every part of the class, but I will do my best.

We started with arms. I immediately considered leaving. The pushups were difficult and many, and I hate pushups. We did planks. It was not easy. I decided this class was not for me. Then I decided to stick with it — it is one hour and I was so curious! Plus, if I couldn’t make it through this, I probably wouldn’t make it through Physique 57! I was determined.

We picked up the weights…  did so many repetitions of different arm exercises. So very many reps. My arms were burning. At some point, I put down my 3 lb weights and picked up the 2 lbs. Next time I take this class, I will only be taking the 2 lb weights. My arms are extremely sore today. It was a great arm workout though and something I need to get the toning I want.

We put the yoga block on the floor and the wooden stick on top of it and stood there holding the stick, doing various leg exercises like plies and lunges. Only they weren’t normal lunges. They were fast, intense and involved lots of movement up and down and back and up again, all quickly, never stopping. I wish I could describe it better.

We went to the barre/mirror and began the most painful legwork of my life. WOW. It was intense, short, quick movements that we performed to exhaustion. My quads were BURNING as was my tushie. One move that I particularly remember is holding onto the barre, one leg on the floor and bent, the other leg behind me, also bent. The back leg has to be moved up and down, up and down by little squeezes of the butt.  It was hard! There was another move that kept causing my quads to spasm. I need to work on this more!

Also, by this point at the barre, I was SWEATING. I didn’t expect to sweat much I guess, so I didn’t wear one of my headbands. Next time, I will definitely remember. As you know, I can’t stand sweat dripping down my face! And during one of the barre moves, my right foot was on the floor and my left was bent behind me in an arabesque-type position. My right leg was SHAKING. That’s how you know you’re working hard!

Brynn walked around during the class and corrected people if their form was off. The few times she corrected me, I felt a major difference in the exercise! It became much more challenging when I was doing it correctly. I was pleased when she walked past me and said I was doing something correctly! I’m not used to having good form but I think my background in dance (took dance grades K-12) helped me understand some of the positions.

We got down on the mat and did some leg work, lying on our side, that was reminiscent of all the pilates classes I have taken, but much, MUCH more challenging. My legs were really burning, and when we got to the point of these giant circles, putting our leg in front of us, next to us, behind us and back in front, the burn was so intense I couldn’t really do the move full-out. I never in my life felt a burn like this!

Then, abs. I really would like some nice, tight abs for the summer, but I hate doing anything about it on my own. The Shred helps, but I definitely need more. This is the class that would get great abs for anyone. Seriously. We did exercises that I’ve never done before. The moves, again, were quick and intense and I felt a burn unlike any other. It was painful and amazing. During these, we held the yoga block between our thighs.

The class ended with stretching using the strap. I never saw a strap like this before — it looked like one of those cloth belts that loops into 2 metal rings. It really made the stretching much better for me since I have a very tight lower back and can’t stretch deeply. I believe this class will improve that as well.

There was more, but I can’t even remember it. I will give more details next time I take the class. And yes, there will be a next time — and a time after that, and after that. I was ready to walk out in the beginning, and again during the barre work. I am so glad I didn’t. It was hard, the hardest class I have ever taken, but I could also feel it working. It pushed me much farther than I would ever go on my own or with the Shred. I felt both the major muscle groups working along with other, smaller ones. This class would tone anyone — and I love that we only used weights for arms and nothing else!

Also, there was really great music on the entire time which definitely made it all more bearable! Once class ended, Brynn told us that anyone whose name she doesn’t know should introduce themselves to her. I went up to her and we talked a little. I told her how difficult and rewarding I found the class. I didn’t tell her about my cousin because I didn’t know for sure yet, but next time I will! I told her about how tight my lower back was and she was just extremely nice. And it turns out her mom’s name is similar to mine!

The verdict: AMAZING. I seriously wanted to leave at first and I am SO glad I didn’t. I wanted to leave because it wasn’t easy, and I like easy. It was painful, and I don’t like pain. But when it was over I was so happy I did it — I really feel like it would make a huge difference if anyone who takes it regularly.  Also, I had already taken a really great spin class that day, so my body was probably more tired than usual! I even thought my abs looked tighter and flatter this morning — but that might just be because I had no food in my apartment and ate nothing buy yogurt all day yesterday. Hmmm… 

If anyone reads this who goes to the Sports Club/LA on the Upper East Side, take this class! If anyone reads this who might be considering Core Fusion at Exhale, try a class there! I bet it’s very similar. And now I definitely want to get the DVD. Anyone who has gone to Physique 57, let me know if this sounds similar to what you did. I’m especially looking forward to that now!

Like I said, Transfigure is offered on Wednesdays at 7:30 and Sundays at 2:30. As much as I don’t like going to the gym so late on a weeknight, I plan to go most Wednesdays (instead of spin!) since I am usually on the west side on Sundays. I’d like to get in a Sunday here and there, too, when I can!

OIKOS/Chobani Vanilla Taste Test

I love Vanilla Chobani. So much that I buy all of them I can find. Then OIKOS contacted me about trying their organic greek yogurt out. I decided to do a taste test with the Vanilla of both, since that is the flavor I eat every day.

The test was not blind. I have no bias towards either company — they both were generous enough to offer up some free samples. I just want to know which one I like better so I can make the best choices going forward.

I tasted each yogurt. The OIKIS was more tart. The Chobani was a bit sweeter. I like the Chobani Vanilla better than OIKOS Vanilla.

But — I rarely eat the yogurts plain. I usually mix pumpkin butter in. Once I mixed that in, they were both delicious and I would be happy with either. Since I do prefer Vanilla Chobani to Vanilla OIKIS, I will buy Chobani more often. However, since OIKOS is organic and I don’t dislike it and I like to treat myself to organic things once in a while, I will certainly buy it sometimes.

A note on price. At a Key Food in Queens this weekend the Chobani and OIKOS were the exact same price. In Food Emporium near my apartment in Manhattan and Jubilee near the boy’s apartment, OIKOS is more expensive. OIKOS is organic, though, which makes it reasonable that it would cost a little more.

Please click here for my previous comparison of the two yogurts.

Honey and Blueberry Yogurt Comparison – Chobani and OIKOS

I also tried OIKOS Honey and Blueberry varieties. (I have Plain but haven’t tried it yet). Here are my opinions:

Honey – OIKOS blows Chobani away here! I tried the Honey Chobani and thought it was all right, but nothing to write home about, and that I’d rather just add the honey myself. Yesterday, I tasted OIKOS honey flavor and WOW. I loved it. So much that I already bought more! There was lots of honey on the bottom that I mixed in, and the result was sweet and delicious.

Blueberry - I’ve gotta give this one to Chobani. The blueberries in the OIKOS weren’t very sweet, and since the yogurt itself is quite tart, the result was lots of tart, not enough sweet. The Blueberry Chobanis I’ve had were quite sweet. But I don’t plan on buying either, really. I prefer the Vanilla and Honey.

Something Funny
At my old job, I worked at a book company and had to write author profiles. I wrote a profile on Dave Barry once, and found him so funny that I ordered his daily quotes calendar. There was one day with a quote, written during the low-carb craze, that I particularly loved:

“When I was young, there was a lot of peer pressure to consume carbohydrates. You’d be at a party, and there would be a lava lamp blooping away, and a Jimi Hendrix record playing (a “record” was a primitive compact disc that operated by static electricity). And then, when the mood was right, somebody would say: “You wanna do some ‘drates?” And the next thing you know, there’d be a bowl of pretzels going around, or crackers, or even potato chips, and we’d put these things into our mouths and just . . . EAT them. I’m not proud of this. My only excuse was that we were ignorant. Back then, we had no idea. Nobody did! Our own MOTHERS gave us bread!”

Speaking of the low-carb craze, I am about halfway through Rethinking Thin, and I have to say it is fascinating. I will discuss more in depth once I finish.

Rethinking Thin Sparked Memory of My GI Condition

I was thinking on the train this morning about the course my illness has taken. It began in August 2007 but took a few months to get to where it is now, its true form. But from August through December, I had gone through a lot while the condition morphed into what it is today.

I imagine the insides of my body during those months as the beginning of an episode of House. They show the insides of the person suffering; neurons firing, synapses, electricity, things buzzing and connecting and hitting each other and lighting up and firing up and mutating. During the time my problems began and the time they reached their true state, all this was happening inside me. I know this because of the multitude of symptoms I had during this time that I don’t have now. I know this because the problems that I am left with came on slowly and built up over time to what they are now, and have been for a year.

One particular symptom I thought about today (sparked by my reading of Rethinking Thin) went on for maybe a month, and it was this consuming need to eat nonstop. Literally. I would eat breakfast and a few minutes later need a snack. And then another snack. It went on all day. If I wasn’t having a snack, I was thinking about the snack. When I could have it, how much I wanted it. Not a second went by that I wasn’t thinking about eating.

If I didn’t eat for an hour, my stomach would make these very loud sounds and I would feel things inside me grinding. It was an unusual movement. And I would get SO weak that I would need to shove food in my mouth at the very first opportunity I had. This is after an HOUR.

It was torture. Food should never consume thoughts like this. I was just constantly starving and nothing satisfied me. I couldn’t think of anything other than snacks and meals. And of course I gained weight. But not eating was simply not an option. The hunger pangs were so painful. The only way to relieve the pain was to eat.

This symptom went away, oddly, when my doctor attempted a treatment for bacterial overgrowth. It was a very expensive ($320) antibiotic that I had already been on, in a smaller dose. There was a simple, FREE WITH INSURANCE test he could have done that would have determined if I even needed the medication, but he did not tell me about it. So I took the prescription and while I never had bacterial overgrowth (evidenced by the continuation of my most extreme symptoms), the hunger pangs went away. I don’t know if it was related to the antibiotic or not, but luckily they disappeared.

At the time it was happening, I couldn’t even imagine a life where I wasn’t hungry all the time. I couldn’t understand how people around me weren’t eating all day, how they could just have their meals and be fine, how they weren’t obsessing over their next snack or picking at food at their desks all day. Once my symptom went away, I no longer had these thoughts. I once again knew what it was like to not need to constantly eat every few minutes.

It was a strange symptom and I am not sure how it relates to the rest of my condition, but very interesting to look back on.

Speaking of my GI issues, tonight I am getting hypnotized!

It will be the first of 7 sessions, every other Monday for 14 weeks.

Some of you might remember my dilemma — I’d love to get in a workout between work and hypnosis and was trying to find a way. Well, I think it will be doable after all. Today, no need to, since the boy is away and I was able to spin at my own gym this morning at 6:30. Plus I have a Victoria’s Secret $10 they sent me for my birthday that I’d like to use.

That leaves 6 more sessions. I have 3 guest passes that will be pretty easy to use (two to NYSCs near work, one to NYSC near hypnotherapy) if I want. Also, it will be getting warmer out so I’ll probably just want to walk outside!  In that case,  I might as well just walk from work (Battery Park City) to hypnosis (Flatiron)! I have to find a good, safe route (I tried walking somewhere once and ended up in some scary areas) and then I’ll be on my way!

Have a great week — I will describe hypnotherapy next time!

I woke up at 5:10 AM this morning for the Spin-A-Thon!

Waking up at 5:10 is not fun. My mind was all fuzzy and I even put on my deoderant before my shirt, creating that mess of white lines all over.  I left my apartment at 5:25 and it was really the middle of the night. I got to Melanie’s at 5:45 as planned so I could drop off my huge bag o’heavy things/laundry and we headed to the New York Sports Club at Grand Central Station to meet up with Missy.

We all got to the gym at 6:00 AM — half an hour before the class begins. We wanted to be sure to get 3 bikes together and have time to get ready/set up our bikes. As I’ve mentioned, I am nutty when it comes to time and always need to do everything way ahead of time. Melanie is a lot like me and Missy probably feels pressured by us! We snagged three bikes together in a corner — and every bike had a free water bottle! That was great for me because I am always rationing my water during class so I don’t run out. I had brought 2 water bottles, so now I had 3!

Missy and me ready to spin (I love the reflections in the mirror — you can see me from 3 angles!):

When I spin, my hair needs to be in a bun. If any hair is poking out of the bun, it can’t be long enough to touch my face or neck. It really bothers me when I feel hair stick to sweat, or when the bottom of my hair is soaking wet and hitting my face, neck, back, etc. When I run, it can be in a ponytail. But for spin, I can only handle the bun. I also wear a sweatband during spin. When I  feel sweat dripping down my face and getting into my eyes I feel very uncomfortable.  I still have to wipe my face with a towel during class with the sweatband, but not nearly as much as I would have to without it — and it helps control the amount of sweat to deal with.

A few days ago, the guy on the bike next to me had a POOL of sweat surrounding his bike. Literally, a pool. I bet he wished he had a sweatband. Although that would have been like throwing a glass of water on a burning building.

I can only wear shorts during spin. I hate the feeling of material touching me when I am sweaty!  And I could never wear a short sleeve top, must be sleeveless for all gym exercises.

Missy and Melanie. Melanie wears lipstick to spin, as you can see.

 Missy and Melanie aren’t bothered by their hair or their pants touching their skin the way I am. Good for them!

We sat on our bikes and glided while talking and catching up. Because of our busy schedules, the three of us haven’t had time together in forever. While we were waiting for class to begin, Ashley, a reader who attended the blogger brunch last week arrived! It was really nice to know 3 people in one class since usually I am on my own.

The clock turns to 6:30. No instructor. 6:35. No instructor. Also, the room wasn’t filled up, which surprised me. Hello, people — eksusizing for charity! Give back while getting your workout done. It’s a win-win in my book.

At 6:40 someone comes in, runs up to the instructor bike and says that the 6:30 instructor never showed up! Pretty obnoxious of the no-show since we all paid to be there, and it was for a great cause! This person expalined that she was there, early, to teach the 7:30 session, so she would teach ours as well. So 10 minutes after our 6:30 session officially began, we started the ride.

I immediately liked the music, which included California Dreaming and Money (That’s What I Want). That is my kind of spin class! It reminded me of my very first spin class where they played Rolling Stones. I always want the instructors at my gym to play music more like this but they typically don’t. Which brings me to something I would like to discuss. And that is a tale of two (spin) cities.

I had taken spin a few times at previous gyms before joining The Sports Club/LA. And I took it a few times at Sports Club/LA after joining and didn’t like it (will explain in detail another time, likely in a guest post — info TK!), but as of the last few months, I have become completely addicted. I have fallen in love with spinning. I crave spinning. I always try to figure out which class I can take on what day, which class I absolutely refuse to miss, which would be okay to miss every now and again, which instructors I like best and why.

The more involved in studio cycling I become, the more curious I get about how class is at other gyms. Hence, my SoulCycle experience. I’ve wanted to go with Missy to spin but we never can find a good time.  So I was particulary interesting in seeing how the instructor would be at NYSC’s Spin-A-Thon today.

Keep in mind that this instructor is obviously not representative of ALL instructors at NYSC, just as each instructor at my gym is different than the others. But I have noticed a general trend at mine, which I will get into further down. I was curious to see how it would be somewhere else.

And keep in mind, I am a MAJOR amateur! Feel free to take in what I say, but really, what do I know? I’m just a girl who has a newfound love of studio cycling.

Differences

Instructor footwear. The first difference I noticed was that the instructor did not wear cycling shoes. Of course, it is normal in class for some people to have the shoes and some to not, but in my experience the instructor always has. Not a big deal, just an observation. Some of the instructors at my gym wear full-on cycling gear — the shorts, the shirt, everything!

Length of hills. Another difference between the classes I take at my gym and class today was the length of the hills. Today, no hill lasted longer than one song. That was new to me, since I am used to hills that span a few songs, hills that run from 6 minutes to 12 minutes to 20 or even 40 minutes long. Last night we had a 40 minute hill, and while I didn’t push myself too hard because I wanted to make sure my legs could work today, that length wasn’t unusual to me.

That said, I enjoyed the short hills. It divided the class up into such small sections that it was hard to get bored or for my legs to get tired — although legs getting tired is the purpose of the long hills, to work the muscles so hard that you build muscle and increase strength. But today was a nice change of pace with the short ones.

Jumps. A couple of instructors at my gym include some jumps, but from my experience with many classes there, most don’t seem to. I really enjoy jumps because they get my heart rate up high without feeling like I’m going to pass out from overexertion!  They’re fun and make class more interesting.

This morning there were lots of jumps, and I loved it. I really do wish the instructors in my gym would incorporate them more!

Music. As I mentioned earlier, the music was great today – varied and fun. The music at my gym tends to be more intense. Which brings me to my next difference.

Instructor background. There is a trend at my gym, as I touched upon earlier, and that is to hire spin instructors who are actually cyclists. This is awesome because the workout is authentic and tough. They teach in a more realistic setting (hence the longer hills) and the music they select tends to fit that type of real-world intensity. While there are exceptions, the songs generally aren’t as light or pop-py as those played today. This morning’s session really was a fun change in pace for me and I truly enjoyed the music.

During my usual classes, the instructor will remind us of small tips that make a huge difference such as reminding us to move our legs in a full 360 degree revolution, rather than pushing down. Or shouting out that we are not to bounce, letting us know what percent of our max heart rate we should be at or making comments on what muscles we are working during each position. Today, there was none of that. It was much lighter in spirit.

The reason for these differences is that this morning’s instructor, while awesome, was clearly an aerobics instructor rather than a cyclist. No complaints here – fantastic change of pace and I worked HARD! But that brings me to the next difference…

Focus on cadence and resistance. The spin classes I take focus heavily on resistance. A typical class will include the instructor telling us to increase the resistance repeatedly throughout — until it is so high you think you can’t take it anymore, and they tell you to up it just a little more, and you think you are going to die but you do it! They really push you to build your endurance.

Another focus is cadence. Some intructors will tell you how many RPMs you should be at during a specific hill or sprint, which is a great way for me to learn how different speeds feel at different resistances.

This morning’s instructor mentioned increasing resistance a couple times, but there was never any instruction to really push ourselves. Cadence wasn’t discussed as these bikes did not have computers.

All said and done, I had a really fun, challening ride this morning set to great music alongside my good friends! I am happy I came with my background in spinning because I knew when and where to push myself and work hard. I burned 451 calories according to my HRM, which is an excellent workout for me!

I want to add that my workout was also improved greatly by the fact that I didn’t have a day of eating behind me. This past week has been really rough, and I have gone to class on Tuesday while nauseous, on Wednesday a couple hours after recovering from intense abdominal pain, on Thursday feeling overstuffed and uncomfortable. That is because of my GI problems — all those are symptoms that I get just from eating a little.

This morning, I felt great. I had no food in me and I felt lighter and had so much more energy. When I eat, I become lethargic. I feel heavy and weighed down. I can’t push myself as hard as I’d like and I feel weak. I know the answer is more morning classes, but that just isn’t possible on most days due to my schedule. It certainly is food for thought (pun intended).

In conclusion
Every gym is different. Every instructor is different. Every class is different. Try out different spin classes to get a feel for what you want. I want to keep trying out different classes (hello friends with guest passes, please invite me) because I always learn something every time and really, how bad can a spin class be? Boring? Sure, but you are the one in control, so it can still be a great workout.

I am thankful to be able to belong to such an incredible gym as The Sports Club/LA because they have spin classes literally ALL the time. There is never a day where I couldn’t get to a class if I wanted to. You’ve never seen a gym schedule quite so robust when it comes to the spin! I haven’t tried out all the instructors, but I have tried many and always have a great workout. That is because I just love it. Today was actually my 5th day spinning in a row!

This morning’s studio

Change of topic, Melanie got us a copy of Hollywood Hills 90028, a movie that Bethenny Frankel starred in, mostly topless, in 1994. We cannot wait to watch!

Psst. Tina at Carrots ‘N’ Cake is having a Pure Bar Giveaway!

There was one point I forgot to mention in my earlier post about Bethenny Frankel’s book Naturally Thin: Unleash your SkinnyGirl and Free Yourself from a Lifetime of Dieting. And that is this:

Who edited this thing, Ramona??

I’m not going to go line by error ridden line, as I really do adore Bethenny and hope to one day be her best friend for life. I do want to quickly say that I feel a little bad for her — it brings down the credibility of her words. It is one thing that I never proofread these blogs and they have typos all the time (which makes me cringe but I am lazy). It is another thing to publish a book for wide release with mistakes and incorrect word usages. At one point, Bethenny’s moo shu chicken started oinking and turned into moo shu pork mid-paragraph. Well, which did she eat? Chicken? Pork? Did she even have moo shu? Did she eat ANYTHING she talks about in the book?

Don’t know. What I do know is that her editor should be embarassed.

I write and edit for a living. Yes, I have made mistakes. Who hasn’t? But not only would I be beyond humiliated if I sent something out to a large audience with mistakes of this scope, there would be a hell of a lot of damage to clean up. And it wouldn’t be pretty.

And when I write a book, you can be sure that thing will be edited til its raw.

My (Shredding) Buddy and Me!

Yesterday - The boy and I did Level 2 of the Shred. It was his first time shredding (although he works with a tough personal trainer) and he never did Level 1 –so he thought it was HARD. I thought so, too. My entire face was sweaty and we had some trouble with the living room rug bunching up during our plank jumping jacks and some other moves –  but I was able to do the walking plank pushups! I surprised myself. I noticed the other day in Level 1 that the girl pushups weren’t nearly as hard as they used to be for me. I must be getting stronger!

At night I decided to peruse Exercise TV OnDemand out of curiosity — and Level 1 was BACK! Remember my outrage when then took it away?? I wonder what happened. Why would they take it away and then put it back? Well, it didn’t matter to me since I decided to stick with Level 2 — which was still right there OnDemand. I decided not to bother with the DVD player since I could access it from the TV.

Today - This morning I woke up bright and early to try Level 2 with more space to myself. As I said, no need to bother with the DVD and the plugging and unplugging since it is on Exercise OnDemand. So I turn it on and start eksusizing. And then, right in the middle of the third strength circuit — it stops. The workout turns off. Why? BECAUSE IT HAD A 10 MINUTE RUN TIME.

WHAT??! Time Warner Exercise OnDemand — WHY would you put a 10 minute run time on a 20 minute video? Seriously, explain this one to me. Whose bright idea was it to say, “Hey! This workout is 20 minutes long – let’s stop it after 10!” I am perplexed. I don’t understand it. And I am annoyed.

At this point, I was in the middle of the third strength circuit, like I said. I didn’t remember the second exercise in this circuit or one of the cardios. I could have mixed in what I do remember from Level 1, but I was determined to do all of 2. Partially because today was a test — if I do Level 2 with sneakers (I did Level 1 barefoot, but that doesn’t work for 2) will I wake the boy? I needed to know so I can choose wisely going forward.

So I quickly unplug the cable, plug in the DVD, turn it on and wait for that annoying long intro, fast forward through Level 2 to where I was. It was a major time waster. It ruined the momentum of my workout. In retrospect I should have just finished up with what I did remember — the half of the strength from Level 2 combined with half from Level 1, plank jumping jacks combined with any cardio from Level 1. Abs from Level 2 because how can I ever forget those plank ab things. I wish I could forget. I never will.

Anyway, if anyone from Time Warner or Exercise OnDemand reads this, I would really love an explanation. I had planned on going through that channel much more to find other workouts to do — but why would I if there is the chance of them ending midway through? Ridiculous!

My problem with Level 2 is that even with sneakers on, my feet keep sliding. Any advice? I might have to go back to Level 1 just because the sliding is affecting my workout and it distracts me and messes things up. I don’t feel like I am working hard during a few of the exercises that cause this to happen.

The Shred has permeated my life so much that it is now in my dreams! I had a  dream last night where I was thinking I tried Level 2 already so I should do Level 3 in the morning. Other strange Shred-related thoughts and ideas took place during the dream but I can no longer remember. Crazy!

The most positive thing I gained from the Shred (by the way I currently completed 18 of the 30 days of the challenge, and I plan to continue doing it every day after the official challenge ends) is a desire to strength train. While trying to fall asleep last night, I was thinking about the days the boy will be away and I won’t have a place to Shred. I decided I could easily go to my gym and do the exercises there! Why not, since I know what to do, right? And the boy will help me become more familiar with weight machines, which I have learned in the past and promplty forgotten. It will also help my boredom at the gym with all these new things to do. This challenge, thanks to Caitlin, will help me become stronger and healthier for good.

Rethinking Thin

I started reading Rethinking Thin: The New Science of Weight Loss — and the Myths and Realities of Dieting this morning. I got an uncorrected proof a few years ago from the book company I used to work at and left it sitting in my room, but recently I read about it on a few blogs and it sounds fascinating.

This is the publisher’s note:
In this eye-opening book, New York Times science writer Gina Kolata shows that our society’s obsession with dieting and weight loss is less about keeping trim and staying healthy than about money, power, trends, and impossible ideals.

Rethinking Thin is at once an account of the place of diets in American society and a provocative critique of the weight-loss industry. Kolata’s account of four determined dieters’ progress through a study comparing the Atkins diet to a conventional low-calorie one becomes a broad tale of science and society, of social mores and social sanctions, and of politics and power.

Rethinking Thin asks whether words like willpower are really applicable when it comes to eating and body weight. It dramatizes what it feels like to spend a lifetime struggling with one’s weight and fantasizing about finally, at long last, getting thin. It tells the little-known story of the science of obesity and the history of diets and dieting—scientific and social phenomena that made some people rich and thin and left others fat and miserable. And it offers commonsense answers to questions about weight, eating habits, and obesity—giving us a better understanding of the weight that is right for our bodies.

From what I understand, the author alternates chapters between an intensive study on obese people using the controversial Atkins (during its peak popularity) and more traditional LEARN Program for Weight Management (low-calorie, low-fat) diets to determine which, if either, is better. The chapters have titles such as “Oh, to Be as Thin as Jennifer Aniston (or Brad Pitt)”, “Insatiable, Voracious Appetities” and “The Girl Who Had No Leptin.”

As I continue to read I will give some updates and my thoughts.

Naturally Thin

Speaking of books, I never thoroughly discussed Bethenny Frankel’s Naturally Thin. Let me first say that I am so happy I read this book. It really changed the way I try to view food. I agree with Bethenny’s main ideas. She believes that when you deprive yourself of foods you really want, you are more likely to binge. She says that you will not be nearly as satisfied with a large portion of something you don’t really want, but is healthy, than with a small amount of a food you really, truly crave.  I tried that one out — and so far it is proving true for myself.

Bethenny also says that you should allow yourself to taste a little bit of all the foods you want, but not to overdo it. That is something I need to work on as a taste for me usually leads to my mind shutting down — resulting in many, many more tastes. Her advice to “cancel your membership to the clean plate club” is something else I have trouble with, but I am working on. I hate leaving food sitting there! But I am trying to be more conscious.

I also eat as if someone is going to take my food away at any second. I am trying (not for the first time, but more successfully with Bethenny’s voice echoing) to eat more slowly, enjoy my food and allow myself to feel full. That is especially difficult for me. I am also trying to allow myself to indulge in small amounts of food that I would in the past eat too much of and feel guilty. For example, the boy and I were out to dinner last week and my meal came with french fries, which I did not realize when I ordered. Normally, my eyes would have bulged at the site of the fries (which looked incredible) and I would have started eating them right away, and continued to throughout the meal. This time, however, I ate my meal first. During this time, the boy was taking some fries. By the time I finished my meal, there were only a few fries left and I felt fine taking those!

Another positive example is that I abandoned the gross sugar free, fat free, lactose free ice cream that did nothing for me. Instead, I bought Ben & Jerry’s Light Cookie Dough ice cream. I have had that carton in the freezer for a week now, and I only ate it once — out of a ramekin — and didn’t go back for more. I had what I wanted and was satisfied. I haven’t even broken into the freezer and eaten it from the carton as I would have done in a single night in the past!

I don’t know if these new ideas will stick — but I am trying, especially because her advice is excellent for my GI problems. It is often difficult because my mind goes blank sometimes and I just don’t think. Yesterday they had a cake  for me at work to celebrate my birthday. The cake was from Whole Foods so I had the comfort of knowing real ingredients were used. There was a white cake section, a middle layer of delicious thick chocolate, a chocolate cake section and frosting. I ate the frosting and the middle chocolate layer first because those were what I truly wanted. I wasn’t crazy about either cake section, and I really should have put down my fork and stopped eating at this point. But my mind went blank. I ate it all. I felt really sick and nauseous. The nausea lasted until 10 pm, and I couldn’t first eat dinner until then. NOT GOOD.

I need to practice consciously thinking both before I eat and during it. It is not just about being “naturally thin,” it is about feeling good and not being sick. My stomach simply does not allow for large amounts of food at once — so why stuff it with anything, ESPECIALLY foods that don’t even taste very good to me? If I am satisfied with what I eat, I won’t feel the need to keep eating more, further causing GI distress on my system. I know it takes time, but Bethenny’s words are helping me practice this. As I mentioned the other day, I had her instructions in my mind as I ordered brunch. I am trying.

However, not everything Bethenny says is  gold. She preaches about not obsessing about food, rather just eating what you want and not feeling the need to eat it all. Well, isn’t that obsessing too? It takes obsessing about not finishing your meal to…. well, not finish your meal! Bethenny suggests scooping out an english muffin. How is THAT not obsessive? A bagel, I understand. But an english muffin? Bethenny suggests having two bites of a delicious dessert and then stopping. Well, that’s just not possible for me and I don’t plan to obsess about my two bites. She says that a Snickers bar is better for you than a plain chocolate bar because the nuts in the Snickers balance out the sugar. Um. Snickers also have caramel, nougat and other delicious crap. Plain chocolate, to me, sounds much simpler and less full of chemicals and other sugary substances. How do nuts make the other stuff not an issue? I don’t buy it.

Also, Bethenny’s chart of everything she ate for three weeks shows she has some eating issues of her own. But, I love her, she is hilarious, her overall messages are good ones!

Her advice about balance is fantastic — your diet is a bank account. (Read how I attempted to practice that here). I agree that balance is key. Her advice about tasting a little of everything sounds great to me, too – taste everything, eat nothing.  I also agree with you can have it all, just not at once – this is a rule I would love to remember. Food will still be here tomorrow. I don’t need to it everything today simply because it happens to be sitting by my desk. Know thyself – yes, I know my habits and how I behave around food and should adjust my days accordingly. I also believe that nothing good can come of depriving yourself. If you starve yourself of the foods you crave, it can certainly lead to a binge. In theory, binges won’t happen if you aren’t deprived. And this way, I get to have the foods I want!

I never would have even CONSIDERED ordering french toast at brunch the other day if I hadn’t read Naturally Thin. But the words just make sense. If french toast is what I really want, if it will satisfy me more than an egg white omelette, then I should get it and not overstuff myself. Then, balance the rest of my day with non-carby, sugary choices. Makes sense. I want to follow it. I am hoping this becomes second nature to me and at some point I stop having to think about it.  I don’t want to obsess, I want to enjoy — without overdoing it and feeling ill.

I recommend Bethenny’s book , Naturally Thin — especially Part 1. Part 2 gets kooky. But it is great advice and will hopefully free me from the “must get lowest calorie item on menu” thoughts.

Spin

Even thought I felt nauseous last night, I went to spin (punish myself for the cake? maybe a little. but i also just REALLY enjoy spin and didn’t want to miss it) and didn’t work too hard. It was still a great class. There was a sub, the same one we had last Monday, and I really enjoy the way he teaches! His music is awesome (he even played Mamma Mia, ha!), he explains which muscles we are working and why during each position and there is a lot of up and down which I really like. Even though I couldn’t give it my all, I still had a great workout because of his fantastic teaching style. I never felt forced to push myself too hard. I looked for his name on the regular class schedule and he isn’t on there! Hopefully I get him as a sub again and maybe he will be on the schedule at some point in the future.

The Spin-A-Thon is this Friday morning at 6:30 with the following ladies who both happen to be hosting giveaways on their blogs:

MissyMaintains and MelonCauliflower

And another contest is from EatFabInNYC - Make your own granola!

Lastly, I got myself on a wait list for Physique57 (which is booked through the summer!) for Wednesday, April 15. I have two free visits and heard amazing things, so I am excited!