It's Really Quite Simple

John simply having fun

A friend suggested to John that he read the book Younger Next Year written by a Chris Crowley, a former lawyer and Henry Lodge M.D. a board certified internist.  John hasn't read it yet, but I picked it up, since I'm one of those people who will read just about anything.  The book is supposed to be a "revolutionary"  change of attitude towards the aging process.  The authors base their plan on the idea that instead of looking forward to decades of pain as the body slowly deteriorates, it's possible to live as if you were 50, maybe even younger, for the rest of your life.  The book is clearly targeted towards baby boomers who are just now hitting their retirement years and are scared poopless of the aging process. 

To be honest, I didn't find it very revolutionary.  Clearly the masses don't agree, since it sold extremely well and even spawned a website http://www.youngernextyear.com/ that helps promote various spin offs from the original book that of course cost money.  The book follows a set of rules called "Harry's Rules" (Harry is Henry Lodge - I know it's confusing)

Harry's Rules

1. Exercise for six days a week for the rest of your life
2. Do serious aerobic exercise four days a week for the rest of your life
3. Do serious strength training, with weights, two days a week for the rest of your life
4. Spend less than you make
5. Quit eating crap
6. Care
7. Connect & Commit

Heck, all you had to do was watch Oprah for the past few years and you would know all about this.  I've never really followed Oprah that closely, but I remember watching one show, where she made it quite clear that she had more money than she could ever spend in a lifetime and if there was a sure fire quick and easy way to lose weight, than she would have bought it, not matter what cost.  At the end of the day, the only thing that really worked, was eating the right kind of food in moderation and exercising.  It's a fact we all know, but there's a billion dollar industry out there that feeds into the belief that there's a magic potion that can help you lose weight.  The book Younger Next Year simply puts the Oprah show into print (and profits from it).

One thing the book pointed out, is that the rules were much easier to follow if your spouse/partner/significant other/friend joined you in the process.  It simply makes sense that if you're trying to change your life style, than those that will affect and be affected by the change, are on board with you.  I'm really lucky in that respect, since John (even without reading the book) is totally on board with regards to all of Harry's Rules, even before we knew about Harry's Rules.  These days John and I are over at Donalda Club hitting golf balls in the indoor range, working out and sometimes skating on the outdoor rink.  We both enjoy it and we both enjoy cheering each other on in our efforts to drop some weight and get healthy.  On Friday nights we play together in co-ed league - it puts a whole new spin on date night.

At the end of the day, we're all getting older.  I don't need a book to tell me that I need to stay active and eat right ... I just need to do it.

Weight Loss #4

Weight to Lose:  30 lbs

Weight Lost to Date:  8 lbs

8 lbs!  8 lbs is close to 10 lbs and 10 lbs is an accomplishment! 

To be honest, I don't really feel lighter, but I do feel much more healthy.  That in itself makes it all worthwhile.

I'm still battling the same demons, in that I love to eat - I'm trying to drink water when I think about snacking, but lets be real, right now that just isn't as good! 

I am doing well at the gym.  I've started to incorporate a very light jog while I'm on the teadmill.  I walk for 2 mins at 3.7 mph and then I jog for 1 minute at 4.0 mph - I know it sounds pretty easy, but please remember that three weeks ago I could barely walk at 3.0 mph!  I'm on the treadmill for 30 mins, so that means I'm jogging for 10 mins, even if it's not consecutive minutes, it's still 10 minutes!

The other night I started to look at triathlons.  Crazy Talk!  Right now it's just some light hearted flirtation on my part, but maybe a goal to work towards ....

The knees are pretty sore right now, I think I'll go on the recumbent bike today ... that'll help.

Just do it.

If You Look Good - You Feel Good

A New Jersey and A New Year

All told, I didn't play hockey for about 6 weeks.  I missed it a great deal.  Sure, I went to the rink with John to watch our team play.  Sure, I went to the rink to watch Madie play (my women's team was playing on the rink beside her's).  But it's really not like actually taking part, you're not really part of the team.  Of course, that didn't stop me drinking with the team (my co-ed adult team, not Madie's house league team, I have some standards)!  I'm not a 100% yet, but I'm close enough that I'm out there trying.  Plus, our co-ed team got new jerseys and I had to get in on that!

There's something about a new uniform that gives you a sense of a new beginning.  It reminds me of choosing what to wear for your first day back at school.  Why it really mattered what you wore for the first day back somewhat eludes me now ~ probably it was a remnant of your mother choosing your first day of school outfit so that you made your best first impression.

Our new hockey jerseys are pretty 'stylin,' there not quite as impressive as my old team's Thrasher jerseys, but then again, they only cost me $30.00, as opposed to more than triple that for the Thrasher jersey.

we did look good!

The new team (which is called The Blues) is slowly coming together.  Like the Thrashers, we were a 'put together' team by the league.  It doesn't have the cohesiveness of the Thrashers yet, but at least we're starting to hang out together after the game having a few beers (which is really the whole point of adult recreational hockey).  I think the reason the Thrashers got along so well since the inception of the team, was because we went through the beginner program together and plus we had Anooj who made it very clear that the bar, not the rink, was the focal point of the team!

But I digress, yet since this is my blog, I guess I can digress as much as I like!

The new jerseys go extremely well with my gloves - the same dark blue, lighter blue and white.  The gloves I bought on sale ages ago, but it looks like I was trying to match things up and of course, looking good means you play good (I know it should say play "well", but as I said, it's my blog).  For one second of madness I considered buying a new stick to go along with my new 'outfit.'

this one has just the right shade of blue to match the jersey

Yes, it was only a second of madness, since the price tag of this stick was $269.00.  Sigh.  All the style magazines tell you that accessorizing is so important, but I don't think my level of play really justifies this level of stick.  Flex is rather unimportant to someone who can't for the life of them do a slap shot - plus I play in a league that slap shots aren't allowed! 

Hmmmmm, maybe I could do something with my laces .....

Weight Loss #3

Weight to Lose:  30 lbs

Weight Lost to Date:  5 lbs

Hmmmm, well the wieght is flying off, but it is coming off slowly.  I know, I know, it went on slowly, so it'll come off slowly.  Also since I'm not doing any crazy dieting, I'm not getting any crazy results.


Course if I lost 1 lb a week I could be 50 lbs lighter by Christmas 2011 : )


The working out is going really well!  I'm fairly proud of myself for getting to the gym almost every day last week.  The other day I was going up the stairs to the gym (the change room is downstairs) and I realized I was sort of running up the stairs!  Big change from the way I was orignally dragging myself up the stairs one step at a time in pain.  Don't get me wrong, I'm a long way from where I want to be, but I keep telling myself to take baby steps.


I played hockey with my co-ed team on Friday night.  I certainly didn't set the ice on fire (which I couldn't do when I was fully healthy either), but I lasted the whole game!  Again, baby steps.  Didn't play in my women's league on Sunday night, because I had touch of stomach flu, but I'm OK today, so it'll be off to the gym soon.


I feel less achy and have more energy - just gotta keep it up!

Defending Idiocy

12 year old Kayla Watkins, who left her Pee Wee ''A" team

after being humiliated by the parent of one of her team mates

A blog or two ago I posted about a recent article in The Star about a 12 year old girl playing on a boy's Pee Wee "A"  hockey team.  A parent, yes, a parent, not the coach, convened a meeting to discuss what he perceived as poor skills on Kayla's part and what should be done about it.  This was a 10th place team, and the parent in question, a lawyer named George Atis, seemed to feel that the onus upon Kayla's lack of talent.  He did not discuss the issue with the team's coach (who by the way, chose Kayla to be on the team and wanted her to remain), but instead drafted an agenda that he sent out to the parents entitled "Kayla Watkins — Player Ability Limitations and Suggested Options.”  When Kayla learned of the agenda, she felt humiliated and subsequently left the team.  She's now playing in a girl's league, which is not as competitive; it is, far more supportive.

All in all, it was a classic case of unneeded parental involvement in the world of minor hockey.  Instead of volunteering his time, like Kayla's coach, or her mother (who was the team's manager), he interfered in a totally inappropriate way.  Let’s be real here Mr Atis, this is single "A" hockey, if your kid is playing single "A" hockey in Toronto at the age of 12, he's not going to the NHL.  Yes, some small towns can field a high quality single "A" team, but in Toronto, with the abundance of players to chose from, unless you're playing "AAA" you're not going anywhere with your hockey career.  Therefore the hockey should be about the kids having fun, developing their skills, as well as developing their sense team work.

Atis still believes Kayla’s removal from the low-level competitive team was in the best interests of the other players, including his son.  Since her departure, the team “is having fun again,” Atis wrote on his blog two weeks ago. “I know that people don’t want to hear this but, I am going to say it anyway: the reason the team is having fun now is because the negative elements on the team have left. It’s that simple.”  Amazingly he is still defending his idiocy.  Since Kayla's the departure, the team's record is 5 - 7, so clearly Kayla's presence was not the over riding issue as to the team's performance, unfortunately, George Atis cannot accept that it's a team sport and that success or failure has to be attributed to the group, not one person.

Atis also seems blind to the fact that such politics is not only bad for the team, but also bad for his own son. Ice Dogs general manager Gus Bovoletis said he was “totally against” Atis’ agenda.  “We don’t support that,” he said. “I spoke with him at that the time and told him he had no position doing that.”  Bovoletis says he’s asked for another meeting with Atis to discuss the matter. Some want him removed from the team.  “If I were to cast the father out, the boy would go with him and that isn’t fair,” Bovoletis said.  But think what will happen next season, what team will want to take Atis' son, knowing that such a father comes along with the package?

Perhaps George Atis is so used to working in a world filled with antagonism; he obviously feels no compunction in bringing such antagonism to the world of children. 

I'm sorry that Kayla had to go through such a hurtful process.  I'm happy that she's now on a winning and supportive team.  I'm really sorry for George Atis' son



Weight Loss #2

Weight to Lose  30 lbs

Weight Lost to Date:  3 lbs

The back is on the mend, still not 100 %, but on the mend and that's what counts.  I've dragged myself to the gym pretty much every day this week.  I know I have to treat it like a job, but that habit isn't ingrained yet.  Working out is still pretty horrible, due to the fact I'm so incredibly out of shape!

I was on the recumbent bike yesterday - the one I was working on was right up against a wall of mirrors, so all I had to do was look to my right and I could see my whole body.  Ick!  Not a pretty sight - way too many rolls.  Sigh.  Just have to keep working at it.

We've been eating quite healthily, it certainly helps having John join me in this battle. 

No hockey this week, but I'm looking forward to playing next week.  I'm hoping this working out will give me some core strength back. 

Onwards!

Weight Loss #1

Weight to Lose:  30lbs

Weight Lost to Date:  0lbs

I'm at a personal Waterloo - I need to lose weight, it's something that simply can't be put off any longer.  I have so many excuses, but it really doesn't matter in the end, because the end result is I'm way too heavy to live the life that I want.

I'm starting at square one because I've been off hockey and exercise because of my broken butt/back - of course this all happened during the Christmas season, when goodies galore abound and they we went off for a week at an all inclusive resort .....  I'm now the heaviest I've ever been ... sigh.

I know I won't achieve my goal through any silly diet.  I know I've got to eat healthily and get more exercise.  It's simple really. 

So it begins. 

Yesterday I worked out - 15 mins of stretching for my butt/back then 30 mins walking on the treadmill - it felt like I run a marathon, but at least it was a beginning!  Tonight I play hockey.

I plan to use this blog like a diary to document my exercise - to make me accountable. 

I will do this!

Resolutions for a Hockey New Year



A little (who am I kidding ?) ... a lot of this

&

Not enough of this

I just got back from a week of pure indulgence at an all inclusive resort in Mexico.   It was sheer bliss leaving behind the chaos of Christmas, along with the dreary cold weather, and heading off to a warmer climate.  For those of you who've been to an all inclusive resort before, you know that it includes all the food and liquor that you can consume.  The resort that we stayed at had 8 restaurants and 5 bars www.realresorts.com/The_Royal_Playa_Carmen/ so opportunity to over indulge was ever present, and as Oscar Wilde once said "'I can resist anything, but temptation."  To be honest, I really didn't try to resist much.  I didn't over indulge in the liquor end of things, not due to any sense of the enjoyment of sobriety, but more due to the fact that I'm a terrible drunk.  If I drink too much, I get depressed, cry, then throw up - this has been learned the long and hard way, so while I still like a drink or two (or three), I know when to say when.  Also we were travelling with my two step kids and mother in law; not a group whose presence you want to throw up in!

All in all the week was simply a capping off of a year that included too much indulgence.  I'm starting to notice that as I approach menopause, it takes far more effort to lose weight and to keep it off.  I need to learn to eat smarter and truth be told, I need to exercise more.  This past month with my broken butt, I haven't been able to exercise at all, even my twice weekly hockey games had to stop; add to that all the holiday goodies and you've to a recipe for disaster!  While we were away, we went snorkelling in a cenote (underground cave) and squeezing into a wetsuit was a humbling as well as uncomfortable experience!

So that leaves me in the here and now - my back is still giving me problems, my butt problems seem to have abated.  I know I don't want to miss any more hockey and that the only way I can start to ensure my participation in the sport that I love is to lose some weight and get in better shape.  I've never been one for New Year's resolutions, but this New Year happens to coincide with a time in my life that I need to change things in order to continue a way of life that I enjoy.  I won't do any crazy faddish diets, I wise enough to know that the only long term solution is to eat a well balanced diet, smaller portion, cut down on the red meat (I was vegetarian for two years so I need to get back to those roots) and eat way more veggies.  It seems so simple when I'm writing it here, yet so difficult to follow in day to day life.  The next couple of weeks are going to be tough till the new habits are established.  I'm lucky in that my husband is joining me in this journey so we can support each other.  The family isn't keen on tofu yet, but maybe now that I have the time to research some interesting ways to prepare it, I may change their minds.

I belong to an incredible gym and need to utilize that on a daily basis.  John is now there every day and as soon as back is stable, I plan to join him.  We're incredibly lucky that we don't have regular 9 to 5 jobs and we can tailor our days to our workouts, though as my trainer once said, "80% a weight loss regimen is accomplished in the kitchen, only 20% is done in the gym."

Keep your fingers crossed that the back heals soon - now I'm off to go look up something yummy with tofu in it!