Sometimes when we gain (or lose) weight, it isn’t because we are eating too much food or the wrong kind of food or we aren’t healthy enough. Sometimes it is our bodies trying to tell us something is wrong.

Two years ago, before I got sick, I was at a healthy, ideal weight for myself. Then I came down my GI illness in August 2007. And then my weight literally shot up.

As someone who had always (not counting college!) been thin, it was a major slap in the face when in November 2007, a salesgirl at a clothing store told me I am thick. I knew my clothes were no longer fitting. I knew that the new clothes I bought for my new job that summer were becoming tighter and tighter. I knew that the belts I was forced to buy one morning before work were no longer needed. But to hear it from someone else, someone who saw me for the first time ever . . . well, it really got to me. Just two years before that, I was (don’t freak out) under 100 pounds. I didn’t have an eating disorder, it was just my small frame combined with conditioned associated with working on a teen tour. My weight stabilized back to its normal amount after that, but I was still very thin. 

And now I was thick.

I went home that night and cried. I couldn’t understand what had happened to me. I wasn’t eating any more than I always had. I wasn’t eating any worse than I always had. I was still eating my oatmeal, salads, brown rice, etc. Only something was clearly wrong.

Over the next year and a half, my weight went up and up, despite regular exercise. Eventually, I learned to avoid the fibrous foods. And my weight dropped a few pounds immediately, but I was still not where I felt comfortable. I was also not eating any fruits or vegetables on the recommendation of my doctor. (Great doctor, huh.) But I still had to buy all new clothes. I couldn’t accept that my old, sexy jeans no longer fit. I avoided going out partially because I felt sick and uncomfortable, but partly because I couldn’t face the fact that the clothes I wanted to wear didn’t fit. I chose to stay home in pajamas than confront that fact.

Last summer was the time I spent a lot of money that I didn’t have to spare on expensive pilates reformer sessions at my old gym, desperate to find something that would help. After that failed, I began spinning all the time. My weight stayed up. And yet I still was not overeating. I was still eating fairly healthy, considering I had to avoid many healthful foods.

Then I learned about green juice, ordered it at some juice bars, bought myself a juicer and began making it every day.  This was the only way I could get many essential vitamins and nutrients. Once I was on the right path, I began figuring out meals that worked for me. I learned that low-fiber spelt is a fantastic grain with tons of health benefits. I learned that a small amount of almond butter won’t hurt me at all, and that the one food that all doctors banned me from — bananas — weren’t harmful to me at all! I learned to eat the whole egg, as yolk aids digestion of the protein in the whites. I learned to eat very small amounts of cooked, soft vegetables. I learned to avoid processed foods, corn oil, soybean oil, margarine, and anything labeled “low-fat” or “fat-free.” And in addition to that, I started getting an alternative medicine treatment that gave me my life back.

And then, without any effort at all on my part to eat less, the weight dropped off. Now I am closer to my original weight than I have been since my problems started. A few days ago, not only did I wear a pair of capris to work that I haven’t worn in two years, but I regretted not having my belt with me! Today I am wearing another pair of capris that I purchased right before my illness started and haven’t been able to wear since — and they feel comfy and great!  I feel great that I am wearing them. It just feels right. And for the record, I exercise much less now than I was four or five months ago when my weight was still up.

I now see that weight gain and weight loss is not necessarily linked  to overeating or undereating. It is not always linked to eating too much fat or too many carbs. It is not always linked to how much exercise you do. Yes, many times it is linked to those things. But sometimes a change in weight is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong.

My weight is not completely back to where I was before I get sick, but it is very close. I feel much more comfortable with my body. I  feel so much better overall, although I am far from cured. I still plan to do everything I can to find a doctor who does research related to my problems, find out what medications, if any, are in the pipeline, try to introduce more foods into my diet and eat real, whole foods. I decided that I do not want the surgery. But I know for sure that my weight finally stabilizing is my body’s way of telling me I am doing something right.

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I’m going to post next week about my frustration with my doctor and the medical system once again next week! Let’s just say yesterday’s immunologist appointment was NOT a success. More to come next week – have a great weekend! Staycation Mon – Wed!

Edited to add: My blog format doesn’t allow me to have a Twitter widget (I will be geting a redesign soon though) but I wanted to remind you all to follow me on Twitter – which I am just now learning to love.

Lately, my brain has been mush. I just can’t remember anything anymore! In May, I forgot to go to jury duty. Just totally slipped my mind. When I realized, I got very scared that I would be hauled off to jail. I called the jury place and they were very nice and let me choose any month from August to January to go back to jury duty. I selected September.

I can never find anything. If I need something on a given day, I have to tear apart entire rooms to find it. I get very stressed.

When I have something important and expensive that I will obviously need to use, like a camera battery charger or a new Airport router, I know exactly where it is. That is, until, I decide it would be better to move it from the spot where I know it is to a new, “safe place.”

And then I never see these items again. Sure, I tear apart the entire apartment looking, but the safe place is just that safe. And all along I am mad at myself for not just leaving these expensive items in their places, when I always knew exactly where they were.

Attending Core Fusion? Great! Core Fusion socks? Ummmm. Time to tear the room apart again.

I got a BlackBerry thinking this would solve my brain forgetfulness problems. And it certainly helps . . . when I remember to actually use it. For my next jury duty appointment, you can be sure that will go into my calendar. But sometimes I don’t set reminders for myself, even though I should. Like today.

I have an appointment with the immunologist later to test for food sensitivities. Note: I do not actually have any food allergies, nor are food allergies or sensitivities causing my GI problems — but I am just curious to see what this test will show. For my own peace of mind. Some of you have suggested elimination diets. Well, I’ve tried them all. Problem is, when your body simply does not work properly, you always feel awful, regardless of what you are or aren’t eating.

When I made the immunologist appointment, I was told to not wear anything scented on the day of my appointment. No scented soaps, perfumes, deoderants, etc. I woke up today. Showered. Put on my rose deoderant. Put on some perfume, wanting to smell nice for my dinner with Melissa tonight. I knew I was going to the doctor today, but my mind simply did not make the connection.

I could should have set a reminder in my BlackBerry for last night or this morning to remind myself. But I didn’t. My brain failed me yet again.

I tried scrubbing my wrists and neck in the bathroom at work, but I don’t think this is good enough. I believe the only solution is another shower. So I now have to leave work even earlier than I planned so I can go to my apartment and shower before my afternoon doctor’s appointment. I really don’t like missing work or having to ask to miss work, since I do it all the time. And next week is my staycation, so I feel even worse about having to leave extra early today. But it is my fault. My brain is mush.

Today is my little sweet baby brother Matt Matt’s birthday! That little ball of mush is 24 today. So is my doll, Nicole. Happy 24th birthday to Matthew and Nicole.

My iPod even knew it was my little one’s birthday; the very first song that came on shuffle today was John Lennon’s Beautiful Boy, which was my brother’s Bar Mitzvah video montage song. It true.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATTHEW HENRY!!!!
Halo tatele. Du bist mayn harts.

Back in 2006, I read the book that initially changed the way I ate. This was Ultrametabolism by Dr. Mark Hyman. As a result of this book, I switched to omega 3 eggs, quit drinking soda (I used to drink LOTS of diet coke), started buying nitrate, antibiotic and hormone free deli meat and upped the nut consumption.

Now that I know so much more, it is probably worth it to take a look at the book again through clear eyes. Anyway, Dr. Hyman wrote this blog on Huffington Post and I wanted to share it with you:

Are You Also Being Deceived Into Eating Frankenfoods?

Dr. Hyman was privy to some trade information of the food industry. Some of the most compelling points:

– The advice to the food industry was clear: Modify packaging and ingredients in food just slightly to give the impression of health, while continuing to provide poor-quality, nutrient-poor, calorie-dense foods.

- In this journal, I also learned that one company cleverly labels their chicken as “produced without antibiotics that impact antibiotic resistance in humans,” meaning they did use antibiotics — just not ones that cause problems in humans.

- Another article documented a company who said that innovation in the food industry will continue in areas of “perceived” health and wellness, convenience, and ethnic products.

Read that carefully.

“Perceived” health and wellness — not actual health and wellness.

As long as you make people think they are getting something healthy, that is good enough — even if it is the same old junk food.

This means a lot to me after reading In Defense of Food (which Dr. Hyman refers to in his entry). Just because a package boasts a health claim does not necessarily mean you will get said health claim from consuming the product! The best way to get the health claims of the product is to eat the foods that naturally contain whatever it is they are boasting — ie, beta-carotene in carrots. Not beta-carotene in diet coke.  It is the nutrient working with the other nutrients in the whole food that give the food its health benefits. As of now, scientists that remove one nutrient from a whole food and inject it into processed foods do not know the repercussions. What we do know is that the health benefits are NOT the same.

If you can eat the whole food, eat the whole food. Much more on this when I finally have time (SO busy lately) to review In Defense of Food. But I feel very strongly about this.

Just read labels. Be aware of what you are buying. Beware of processed foods that boast health claims.

Speaking of being ware (ware?), a friend of mine read about my positive experience on the Blueprint Cleanse and, as she has an interest in living a healthier lifestyle as well, decided to give BPC a shot herself. She chose Level 1, the easiest/fruitiest level, and got through Day 1 with no problem. She woke up the next morning, however, feeling very sick. Nauseous, shaking, diarrhea. She didn’t know what she should do. Stick with her expensive juices, or eat real food. If she eats real food, what could she eat? She emailed BPC and asked. After she didn’t hear back, she called me and explained her situation. I immediately emailed the amazing Gena, knowing that she would know what to do. Gena advised my friend to make a blended salad and try some puffed kamut cakes. My friend blended up a salad and felt 100% better. All her symptoms went away. Gena explained that this is exactly why you shouldn’t start a cleanse without talking to someone (professional) first. Point taken.

My friend, who still didn’t get a response from BPC in her email, decided to call them. She got a message that said the entire company was out all day at a conference. And they left no one to cover the phones?

Eventually she received an email back. Six hours later. After she already, clearly, had to make a decision on how to proceed. Blueprint Cleanse told her that her that her symptoms sounded like a flu/virus and are probably not related to their product. They advised her to keep drinking the juices, no food except their approved “cheat” foods, because juices are the exact thing that would make her feel better.

I don’t know about you, but I never heard of the flu being cured by a blended salad. Clearly, she was reacting to a full day of all juice and no food. She is going to try and reintroduce the juices slowly, mixing them with blended salads, to see how she feels. Right now she is doing great! Just a little warning to anyone wanting to try a cleanse — get professional advice first. I had a great experience, and many do. But it can only help to make sure you go through the cleansing experience prepared. I wish I made that note on my original entry, but I am making it now!

In happy health news, I stumbled upon this gem of a shop on my way to the doctor this morning. Even though I wanted everything in the store (hello vegan banana cream pie and brazil nut milk) I settled on my daily shot of wheatgrass instead. Sadly, I live so far from there and will probably not see Bean of a Green for another year, when I revisit the doctor.

Look at those vegan desserts!

Note to self and others: When new to wheatgrass, it is best to NOT attempt a “doubleshot” as I learned this past Saturday. Beware of the doubleshot!

In other news, my good friend Jen at PriorFatGirl.com is only a few days away from a very special anniversary. August 1 will be 2 years since she decided to change her unhealthy lifestyle and turn her health around. Jen’s  goal is to have lost 100 pounds total by her anniversary — and she only has 2.5 pounds left to go! Click here to enter a giveaway for a free copy of the Eating Well Diet and cute apron. But don’t enter, because I want to win the book. I am trying to cook more now that I am too picky to eat at most restaurants thanks to all this information I am learning about food.

I thought I had plans tonight but they were actually next week. I thought about making other plans but decided to go home, do the apartment gym elliptical, make dinner and watch my guilty pleasure, NYC Prep (I love how they ask “What grade are you in?” when they are flirting!) As life gets more stressful and summer still has not actually arrived (UGH), I decided to take a 3 day staycation from work next week. I am REALLY looking forward to this because it is the last few days off I will be able to take in a long time. I plan to do the following, in no particular order:

Relax
Read a novel (not a food/nutrition book)
Sleep
Lay out in the sun on water by apartment
Take a Core Fusion class during the daytime hours
Rest
Watch The View
Nap
Go to pool/beach with best friend
Check work email (message overflow upon return is stressful!)
Go for a run outdoors

Best. List. Ever. I can’t wait! I will likely be neglecting the blog during this time, but who knows. Just a heads up in case I do disappear.

I’m excited to tell you all about a really cool gym I had the opportunity to try out. After reading Melissa’s experience at SmartWorkout, I knew I had to see what this place was all about. The main reason?

Just look at this class schedule!

I can identify so many classes I would LOVE  to take on a regular basis. Some of the ones that most appeal to me are trampolines, swing, cheerleading, dance to the hits, broadway blast and, of course, spin! I’d never get bored!

So when they contacted me to offer me a free pilates reformer and personal training session? I was there! I originally tried to schedule my two sessions on the same day to save time, but there was no availability for personal training on the day I chose pilates.  We decided I would attend the pilates class and while I was there, schedule my training session.

First, let me tell you a little about SmartWorkout.

From the website:

Smart Workout is a beautiful facility: comfortable, sunny, and spotless. Our bathrooms, sauna, and steam, are all private; our towels are full body and fluffy. Our environment is welcoming (everybody REALLY knows your name). We offer camaraderie, but never huge crowds.

We pamper you: we give you a “reminder” call every time you schedule a workout; we provide complementary tea service; and hair twisties for the forgetful. We even set up your equipment and put it away for you!

Everything at Smart Workout is designed to make you feel at home.

All true. Elaine, the owner, explained to me that she created this gym with everything she didn’t like about the bigger gyms in mind. She wasn’t comfortable changing in front of everyone, so SmartWorkout has private bathrooms and changing rooms. Sometimes she forgot a ponytail holder, so they are available for free at SmartWorkout! Membership is capped at 300, so you will never feel cramped like you would at other classes in gyms.

When you walk in, you feel like you are in a living room. There is a little area with a comfy red couch, chairs and magazines. When classes are in session in this area, they move these things off to the side. That center area is where the majority of the classes take place. On one end of the studio is a circuit of hydraulic weight machines. You can use the machines as you normally would, or you can turn on their Curves-style circuit workout, where a voice will instruct you to “change stations now.” If you go around to all the machines 3 times, it takes 27 minutes and provides you with a great full body strength workout! You get some cardio in there too, as you work work work until you switch and then you work work work some more.

They also have a cute little store.

SmartWorkout uses hydraulic machines so the machine keeps up with your muscles. When you tire out, you won’t be working on a resistance that it too hard for you — and in turn, won’t get injured. And we all know how annoying my injuries are.

On the other side of the studio is the pilates reformer session, where 4 reformer machines reside. In another corner is the cardio section, which is comprised of two treadmills, one elliptical and one recumbent bike. You might think this sounds like nothing and people must be fighting over the machines. False. I found out that no one has ever had to wait for a machine. This is partly because of the membership cap and partly because there are always such great classes going on, people want to do those!

There is a treadmill class that sounds awesome called Tread N Shead. In this class (of 2 people), they give each participant a Polar Heart Rate Monitor to wear! The class — which includes no running — is taught in a way where each participant works in their optimum heart rate zone the entire time. This allows them to work at their ideal intensity for meeting their goals, whether they are losing weight or getting more in shape or both. The instructor will have each person do their own thing — move their arms, go faster, etc based on where their heart rate is. I love my HRM and can’t imagine being without it, so I think this is very cool!

Down a narrow winding staircase is where spin and yoga are taught. Not at the same time! For spin, there are 3 bikes in a row, with one (the instructor’s) facing them. I was surprised — and a little disappointed – to see the bikes were not SPD compatible, meaning there were no clips for my spin shoes. I come from a hardcore gym where spin shoes were the norm, and after caving in and getting my own pair I know the difference they make in the workout. They really allow you to pull UP with the pedal instead of only pushing down. But that is okay! I am not a snob, I just love all things spin.

Pilates instructors all must go through a certification program at the facility. There is a pilates instructor who was with the gym from the beginning who is supposed to be PHENOMENAL. Her name is Megan and it is her responsibility to train all people who come to work at SmartWorkout so they learn her amazing style. And SmartWorkout offers this certification program to anyone — so if you want to be certified in teaching pilates reformers, you can get trained there! Find out more here.

Some more info on pilates reformer training, from their site:

Training with the aid of the Pilates Reformer equipment, helps you:

Shape long, strong, and sleek muscles – Improve flexibility and balance – Strengthen your back and improve posture – Decrease stress and improve energy level

Personal training is not expensive at all here, I must add! It is $450 for 10 sessions for members, $800 for non members. At my old gym it was well over $100 a session. Do the math.

Yoga instructors, in addition to their 200 hour certification, are also trained in-house to align with SmartWorkout’s goals.

And they also offer pole dancing.

It’s already been 3 weeks since I first went there for pilates! How time flies when it’s summer, huh? Grr. I arrived early — very early — and they weren’t even open yet! Oops.  Guess I should have checked their hours before I arrived. All was good since a Starbucks was right across the street and I just bought In Defense of Food that day!

When it was time for class, I went back and was shown the locker area. The keys are already in the locks so you never have to lug around your own heavy lock or worry about forgetting it. A big plus for me!

When I was waiting for class to begin, the founder of the company asked me if I wanted to stay for trampolines after! Of course I said “yes!” Many of the classes here alternate each week. Trampolines and spin were on an alternating schedule, and I am VERY lucky that trampolines was the class that week because I arrived in flip flops and would not have been able to take any class (like spin) requiring shoes. Luckily, I’ve done trampolines (rebounding) countless times at my old, old gym (Crunch) and knew I didn’t need sneaks! And rebounding was my favorite class at Crunch and I miss it so much. I was always upset that my last gym, The Sports Club/LA, had trampolines but offered no rebounding classes. So, needless to say, I was thrilled to be offered the chance to take this class.

Bur first, I had to get through pilates.

Pilates reformers sessions at SmartWorkout are free. No other gym offers this service. Last summer when I was in a very unhappy place with my weight, my body, my GI problems and my eating, I decided to use my stimulus check (remember that? oh the things I could have done with it. Like, SAVE IT) on 6 pilates sessions at my very expensive gym. (I am no longer a member). And I was already paying a LOT for the gym. Hindsight is always 20/20 but I had never done pilates reformer before and thought it might really help me. I also had not heard of Core Fusion or Physique 57 at that time, which are both much cheaper.

So it bears repeating that pilates reformers sessions are FREE with your SmartWorkout membership. Amazing!

There are 4 reformers which means a small, personalized class of at most 4 people. Some classes fill up, some don’t. Mine did, but I still got so much attention. My instructor Sandy was very helpful. The other ladies knew everything to do! They must take these classes all the time. Good for them! Shows that this gym is working out for them. I, on the other hand, knew nothing. Sandy was amazing with helping me position myself and doing the exercises properly. I told her about my shoulder injury (although not until midway through the class. i forgot!) and she was helpful with showing me alternative movements to avoid further injury.

If you have never taken a reformer session before, you probably think these pulley machines look easy. I used to think so. We are all wrong. It is HARD. Hundreds were extra painful on there, and most of the exercises required working the abs in addition to legs or arms. Although when class was done, I didn’t think I was worked too hard.

And then I woke up the next day, sore all over. The good sore, the sore where you know the workout is actually working and transforming your body.

But I digress. Back to the day of my workout! After pilates I was happy to take trampolines and get some sweat in. I had plans to go for a run later in the afternoon with the boy but I missed trampolines so much and figured I could decide later if I wanted to run as well. (I didn’t. I ended up rescheduling that run to Monday morning, and started my tradition of Monday morning runs. Todays was AMAZING by the way – ran pain free a little over 3 miles!)

Trampolines was held in the center of the gym. They have enough space for 4 people to take this class, but on this day it was just me and one other lady who was in pilates with me. I loved it! The lady and the instructor, Sandy again, clearly have taken a bunch of classes together and were just talking about their weekends and workouts in general. It felt very comfortable and I spoke up when I could! But that didn’t mean the workout was easy. It was just as tough as any rebounding class. We held weights during part of it and did moves that burned my arms! We also stopped to do strength training exercises during the class as well. The music is set up in playlists specifically for each class, and the trampolines music was fantastic. When class ended, I was SWEATY.

They asked me if I wanted to stay for the next class, which was a Body Wedge 21 class. As much as I wanted to stay, I was wiped out from the others, so I declined. How generous of them, though!

At this time, I got the grand tour of the facility. Elaine spent SO much time telling me everything about the gym’s conception to how it is run now. Elaine used to be a laywer, by the way, who was frustrated with the big gyms, as I mentioned earlier. This truly is a unique business model, and I hope they decide to expand! Where else can you take all these small, fun classes — that have a schedule that never stops — without feeling packed into a room like sardines!

I scheduled my next training session on a day where spin was given, since I miss spin and the owner said I could take another class for free - how generous! So I went back a few days later. I was all set for spin, with my HRM and sweatband on and ready to go. And . . . I was the only person in the class!

Now, there are only 3 spots in a spin class, with a 4th bike for the instructor. But still! A one-on-one spin class! I never in my life thought I’d be doing one of those. It was really cool because the instructor (Megan) and I talked the entire time. The time went so fast!

A couple of caveats. There are spin playlists, but Megan wasn’t using one this night. She had Pandora set to an 80s station, which was cool, but I am used to instructors who plan their classes — hills, sprints, jumps, RPM — based on the song. And Megan explained to me that they usually do this at SmartWorkout as well. I think it was because she switched with another instructor and she didn’t plan on teaching spin when I was there. And I do have to say, the 80s mix was fun, especially having no idea what song was coming next! And all the songs were great!

I did feel like I might have known a little more — or at least the same — about spin as the instructor. Like I said, these bikes didn’t have SPD clips or RPM computers, and I feel like my spin obsession of yesteryear (yestermonth?) taught me a LOT. We also relied on my HRM for the time. That said, I was VERY sweaty and burned more calories than I  typically do in a spin class. It was awesome!

After class, we were both kinda beat, it was late and so we decided to move my training to another time. Fine by me!

I arrived the next week for my training session and it was with Sandy, my instructor from the first day in pilates and trampolines. Training sessions are divided equally between strength and cardio. Sandy asked me what I wanted to do for the cardio aspect and I left the decision up to her. After all, I wanted to get the experience of someone who is training for the first time and might not know anything about the options. She chose elliptical and I went on it for 15 minutes while we chatted. I was slightly disappointed that something different, like kickboxing (as Melissa had done) wasn’t chosen, but I was fine with elliptical — and I had every opportunity to say I wanted to do something else if I had wanted to.

My goal was to go through this based on the trainer’s recommendations to see how they work.

Elliptical was good, I worked up quite a sweat in just 15 minutes, and then we moved to the floor for strength moves. We did a lot of abs, and it was all very challenging! We moved on to some arm and leg work using a big exercise ball. I even had to get on the ball on my stomach and raise and lower a kettlebell. HARD. You think that ball looks easy but it is so hard! I really had to work my abs hard to hold my body up while doing any arms or legs exercises I was doing at the time.

Overall, a solid workout.

I absolutely loved my experience at SmartWorkout. After my first session there, I was calculating in my head to figure out just how annoying it would be to get from their studio (located conveniently — for everyone but me) near Grand Central station to the boy’s, but alas it is just too difficult. In the summer, not too bad. In the winter, I would never make it. So unless they expand to the Upper West Side (they do hope to expand, but no plans are set as of yet) I will have to try and score some more guest passes!

A great deal
So this gym is a tad pricier than the New York Sports Club, but keep in mind what you are getting for your $145 a month –

Small class size — no more than 4 in a class, sometimes less come so it is like personal training
Class variety - Lots of strength and cardio classes, you can really do it all
Personal attention — you will be doing every exercise correctly, they make sure of it
Individual Bathrooms and Showers – no locker rooms here, lots of privacy
Giant, fluffy towels – no tiny dishtowels to try and cover your whole body
Highly trained instructors, especially in pilates reformer and yoga – ’nuff said
A community environment where people know each other and like each other – what gym has THAT! the cameraderie was there, i saw it myself as these ladies all talked and discussed their lives with each other
An alternating class schedule – if you can only go on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6, you will get 4 classes to take instead of 2, as they alternate each week. no more boredom!
— plus, the entire schedule changes quaterly so you can try it all out!

Interested? I say go and check it out for yourself. And if you decide to join you will get 10% off your membership my mentioning Dori’s Shiny Blog! Or save 10% on training sessions, reformer sessions, a pole dancing party or fitness mixer!

I really do wish I could join, but it just isn’t convenient for me.