The View from the Classroom

Just had to write about something my 17 year old son did the other night…

He had been out to dinner with his girlfriend and my mother-in-law.  Afterwards, with cash in hand (grandmas always give in, don’t they?) he and his girlfriend stopped by Target to buy a game for the X-Box 360 he recently acquired for his birthday through the generosity of his parents.  While there, he witnessed a big guy in a trenchcoat helping himself to some items with no intention of paying for them.  I guess the store employees got wise to the situation and the big guy took off running.  A store employee took off after him.  My son, thinking there was no way in hell the employee was going to catch the guy, stuck his foot out and tripped the shoplifter.  Needless to say, they got the guy.

My first thought upon my son telling me all of this, was "dude…that guy could have had a gun or something…you could have been hurt…", you know, typical "mom" thoughts.  Honestly, though, I’m proud of what he did.  He saw something wrong going on and made a decision to help.

Anyway…hope you have a WONDERFUL Sunday!  I’m off to take my Personal Trainer Certification test.  Wish me luck!!

I teach middle school, also known as the land of the chemically imbalanced, hormonally goofy 11 to 14 year-olds and people often wonder why I chose such a path.  Truth is, it keeps me young.  My days are NEVER the same and middle-schoolers will say anything.  Just yesterday I was thoroughly amused at one comment from a male student.  Let me set the stage…

I was teaching a lesson on rational numbers (for those of you mathematically challenged people, you need not know what they are to continue reading).  My kids were working on an activity with a partner and one pair (a boy and a girl) finished quickly.  So, I checked their work and asked them to be my graders, to walk around checking others’ work, helping as needed.  I was also still checking work…

Me (to a male student):  Have I checked your paper?

Student:  No.

Me:  Well, let me do that.

Student:  I want the chick to do it. (pointing at the girl grader)

Me:  (Laughing a little) I’m a chick.

Student:  You’re a manly chick.

Me:  (Grinning) A manly chick?  What do you mean?

Student:  You have muscles.

Me:  (Still grinning, starting to laugh) What, a chick can’t have muscles?

Student:  I’ve never seen a chick with muscles.

Me:  So that makes it wrong?

Student:  It’s just weird.

Me:  You mean different?

Student:  Yeah, different.

I went back to grading and some of the students continued to discuss my muscles, something that continues to amuse me.  Honestly, I’m just glad I can expose them to something most of them have never seen before.  And, who knows?  Maybe one of my girl students will decide to follow in my footsteps and hit the weights as she gets older.  Now THAT would be cool!

I know it’s a little late, but I don’t have the free time I had in the summer, so I write when I can.  I had intended to write this on Tuesday, but better late than never, right?

Say "September 11" and any American knows what you’re referring to.  Like most of you, I remember details of that day like it happened yesterday even though I was many miles away and had no one close to me personally impacted by the day’s events.  However, unlike most of you, I have another reason for remembering September 11 in such vivid detail.  My birthday.  Yes, my birthday is September 11. 

2001.  Earlier that year, my mom passed away from lung cancer after being a lifelong smoker finding it hard to quit even after being diagnosed.  Earlier that year, I was laid off a job for the first time in my life.  And, that very same year, on the 35th anniversary of my birth, the country was being terrorized.  I spent that day glued to the tv, in shock, crying, trying to make sense of something so tragic happening on the very day that I should have been celebrating my life.  Was it fair for me to celebrate amidst such tragedy?  What message was I supposed to get from this?  What lesson was I to learn?  There had to be SOME reason this was happening on MY birthday!!

I must say that 2001 was a major turning point in my life.  With all of the aforementioned events occurring one after another, it would have been easy to continue on the path I was on…sleepwalking through my life, going through the motions…to let the events get me down.  September 11, though, woke me up so to speak.  I really got that life is a gift and we never know when it will end.  I made a decision that year to change my life.  It wasn’t a sudden thing and the changes definitely took a long time to materialize, but the decision was there.

First, I changed careers.  Not easy given the amount of money I was used to making and one of the scariest things I ever did.  Sacrifices had to be made, but, in the end, well worth it.

Next up…I tackled my physical self…started eating a little better and eventually started working out some.  Like a lot of people though, I was inconsistent and thus, results were too.  However, unlike most people, I didn’t give up.  I had made the decision to do it and by God, I was going to do it.  I just needed to get serious.  So I did.  In the fall of 2005 (yes, it took awhile), sitting in a room full of overweight teachers (self included) in staff development, I was thinking to myself, we’re supposed to be role models!  I get disgusted with myself thinking about the fat, out-of-shape person I let myself turn into.  That was the exact moment though that I chose to "get serious".

The rest is history so to speak.  I got serious, got in shape, started really living my life instead of going through the motions.  I’m proud to say I’m 41.  I look and feel better (in my opinion) than I’ve ever looked or felt in my entire life.  I could run circles around the person I was at 35 or even 25 for that matter.  Yes, 2001 was a year of tragedy, but, at the same time, a turning point in my life that I must remember.

So today was my district’s convocation…kick-off to a new school year…where all the district employees gather together and get motivated…

I usually don’t look forward to this event…it lasts all morning…the superintendent speaks, board members speak, the keynote speaker speaks for hours it seems…no break…boring!!!! 

Maybe it’s my attitude, but today was different…the high school band played as we entered and found our seats and mingled with our co-workers whom we hadn’t seen for the summer.  When it was time to start, we started as we school employees start everyday…with the pledge…wow…thousands of people reciting the pledge at once…gave me chills as I thought about the words and what it means to be a citizen of this country, rather than just reciting them as I normally do.

Next, the "Star Spangled Banner" was sung by a high school junior…one of my former students from my first year in the district…it brought tears to my eyes…awesome job he did!  Now, I had nothing whatsoever to do with his ability to sing (I teach Math) but, seeing how he has grown since I taught him 5 years ago…that’s what teaching is about…awesome feeling.

After the normal array of speakers, our keynote speaker was introduced and if you’re my age and a Cowboy fan, you grew up in the 70’s when the Cowboys truly were America’s team so you can understand my excitement when he was announced…number 88, Drew Pearson…

His topic was about teams and how you sacrifice the individual for the team, but if the team succeeds, the individuals reap the benefits.  The topic itself wasn’t original or unique or exciting, but the delivery and the person delivering the message made all the difference in the world.  Plus, he finished almost an hour ahead of schedule which meant we got an extra hour for lunch, woohoo!!!

The afternoon was spent at school in meetings and working in my classroom.  And, yes, I did pack my meals and have been spotless on the diet for the last 2 days. 

So…I’m ready for a new year though I know in a few months that I may feel like turning and running away as TDetroit suggested…right now, though I am going to work shoulders and have an awesome end to what has been a great day!!!  

Some of you have noticed that I haven’t been as active on here in the past week or so and some of you have even stopped by to ask about it, which I thank you for   The thing is that I just haven’t had a great deal of free time in the past week.   As I type this, I am starting my last official day of summer…I start back to work tomorrow   which means I’ve been up at the school getting ready…moving to a new classroom, cleaning out cabinets, decorating, etc…

Anyway, my free time is dwindling…

Even with the increased activity, I have stuck to the workouts this past week.  That part is easy for me.  I would stick to the workouts no matter what…it’s truly my stress relief, how I survive…

The diet has been another story…I’m just now sure what to do with the diet…I mean, I’m eating more since the goal is to add muscle.  I’m eating clean more often than not though cheating has become easier…I justify it with "I’m bulking" it’s ok…  My macros are all over the place and I hate that!!  Being consistent with the diet has been hard since competing.  I’ve done a great deal of reading on nutrition for adding muscle.  There are a million and one differing views on the subject.  I think my brain is on overload.  It’s hard to sort through all the info in my mind and that’s the problem.  Atleast part of it anyway.  I think the other part is that I don’t have a real, clear-cut goal.  

I always tell people seeking my advice to do things gradually.  Give your body time to adjust.  I think I need to take my own advice…I think maybe I should just go back to what was working pre-comp when I was in "maintain" mode for a few days and then start adjusting from there gradually.  Give my body time to adjust so that I can figure out what’s gonna work for me.  Isn’t that what it’s really about?  Finding what works for you?

And…in the meantime, I think I need to work on clarifying my goal.  What do I REALLY want to do and by when?  I need a date.  With the competition, I had a date and thus, a reason to stick to the diet.  That’s what I’m missing.  Gotta work on that too.

Ok…so I have a plan…I feel better about things already…

Picture it….

You just started your workout…10 minute warm-up on the elliptical to get the heart pumping…bench press up first…starting heavy…you’re focused, mentally pumped…you pound out 5 reps…next one’s a little hard, but your hubby (or buddy or whatever) is spotting you so it’s ok…you bring the bar down for the 7th one when you feel it…it breaks your concentration a little, but you can get past it, overlook it, continue on, your mind is stronger than that….after all, it’s your husband (or buddy or whatever)…

On to rep number 8…bar down to your chest…you’re struggling to bring it up…hubby (or buddy or whatever) leans over just a tad to spot and you feel it again…sliding off your spotter’s sweat-drenched face, it lands on YOUR face, just missing your mouth by a mere fraction of an inch…

Two drops of someone else’s sweat on my face…I don’t know about you, but I was done…no way I’m gonna endure 4 more drops of sweat just to make twelve reps…husband or not, it was disgusting!!!

Just finished the shoulders (courtesy of my new PT): 

DB Shoulder Press…3 sets of 12

Side Lateral Raises…start low and go up the db rack…3lbs, 5lbs, 8lbs, etc. doing 12 reps with each weight…4 weights make a set…repeat 3 times

Rear delt cable pulls…this one’s new to me, but I like it…3 sets of 15

Front raises…3 sets of 12

Short and sweet, but your shoulders will be on fire, guaranteed!!

Back and bi’s tomorrow night and I am SO looking forward to it…it was brutal last week

I’m really wanting to put on some muscle…upper body mainly…which entails making the scale go up and maybe having to buy a bigger size clothing…now to guys, putting on muscle, that’s a good thing and you might not think too much about it.  However, being a women programmed by society starting at a very early age to gauge her appearances by her clothing size and, coupled with the fact that weight has been an ongoing struggle in my adult life (though I’m confident I have it more than under control now), this is a scary thought.

I mean, I just spent the last year and a half or so getting rid of 70 pounds.  Now I want to put some back on????  It scares me a little.  What if I don’t do it "right" and I gain all fat, no muscle????  What are people gonna think when I start gaining weight?  Will they whisper behind my back…"I knew she couldn’t stay thin forever"…."that’s what happens when you start eating again"…."she must of stopped working out"….blah, blah, blah….???? 

Ok…don’t want to blow it out of proportion, but I have had those thoughts going through my mind a little.  I know though, without a doubt, that I will do this right by continuing to eat clean, just more of it.   AND, even if I do gain a little bit of fat with it, I know how to eat/workout to take it off when I’m ready.  AND…I’ve NEVER been one to care too much what other people think anyway…so I enter the next phase of my journey facing a little bit of fear (isn’t that how you conquer fear, face it head-on?), but otherwise ready to gain some weight or as my trainer says…get jacked!!!

Gotta admit I’m a little excited too…ok, a LOT excited

I thought it was the fourth of July-i…

Ok…that was weird…that song just popped into my head…anyways…Saturday morning…just finished my protein pancakes made with fresh blueberries…kinda tasted like blueberry cobbler, yummy, and my coffee…said I was gonna stop the coffee habit, but ya know…I just don’t WANT to right now…gotta work arms for 2nd time this week later today…bi’s, tri’s and shoulders…the last time was so brutal, I just can’t wait til hubby gets home and we head to the gym…really, no sarcasm there at all….I really can’t wait…the things I look forward to :)

I have a question for anyone that wants to chime in…

I’m on a mission to put on some muscle…haven’t decided exactly how much, but I have a lot of time to do it…at least til the end of the year so no hurry.  I want to add as little fat with it as possible.  I know, I know, isn’t that everyone’s dream?  I know some fat is inevitable, but seems to me with a clean diet that it could at least be minimized.  Now…I like to educate myself and have been trying to answer this question for the last week…there is so much conflicting information out there…so…just want to know what has worked diet-wise for those of you looking to put on muscle…high protein/low carb?  High carb/low protein?  Carb and protein in about the same ratios?  What percentages of each?  And, what is a reasonable goal?  1-lb per week?  2-lbs per month?

Give me your two cents worth, please!

Metabolically speaking, that is.

I bought a new scale today…the Tanita Innerscan Body Composition Monitor…it’s pretty cool, I must say.  I like new toys:)

Anyway, you use it like a normal weight scale after programming in height, age, fitness level, etc…and it gives you not only your weight, but your body fat percentage, your body water percentage, your daily calorie intake, your bone mass and your metabolic age.  WOW.  Technology is great, isn’t it?

So I had to try it out as soon as I got it home and it seems pretty accurate.  I mean, I was using the Omron (with a formula I found for women who weight train) and the body fat % readings for both are pretty consistent.  All of my factors were in the good or better range and it said my metabolic age is 12. 

The metabolic age feature calculates your BMR and indicates the average age associated with that kind of metabolism…so I guess that means I have the metabolism of a 12 year old…not bad for a middle-aged woman, huh?