P to the C to the O to the aweSome

I have Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome. I was diagnosed first at 16 and then again at 19. I was diagnosed a second time at my request because when I was first told I had PCOS it was still a new syndrome, there was not a lot of research or information on it. My diagnosis was based on two factors: the loss of a menstrual cycle and the presence of "string of pearl" cysts in my ovaries. I was given birth control pills, told to watch out for uncontrolled weight gain, was informed I would not be able to get pregnant  without fertility treatments and given a  hearty wish of "Good Luck".  Shocked to the core and scared out of my mind, I decided my best plan of attack to conquer PCOS was to stop eating meat. I figured it was healthier and would keep me from fried foods.  My first year of college I dreaded the "Freshmen Fifteen" which for me with PCOS I believed would easily be the "Freshmen Fifty" so I made a daily commitment to the gym. I conquered the beast which is one's first year of collegiate art school (totally stressful, totally awesome) the numbers on the scale staying just where they started (high five!) However, I did note that this meant I also did not LOSE weight- even with monitoring my diet and getting to the gym consistently. This was disheartening and  as more information came out  about PCOS I started to wonder if I really had it to begin with. I did not have a majority of the appearance related symptoms most women with PCOS have: I was not terribly overweight, I did not have any more facial hair than the normal half Italian girl would have and I was not balding. (Yeah you read that correctly... PCOS is a sexy beast!) I did have the acne which was my albatross. Every passing year I deeply believed would be THE year it would magically begin to fade: 18, 19 ... surely 20... I mean I am officially not a teenager!!! But sadly no..no matter the age, no matter the creams or soaps, or meds... still it stayed... my trusted companion.  At 19 my mother and I decided I should be re-evaluated for PCOS. Luckily I was attending VCU and at MCV there was a specialist studying PCOS who agreed I should be re-tested and I was given a slew of evaluations. I was taken off my birth control pills and a few months later when my hormone levels evened out they were tested and I was quickly given back the red "P.C.O.S" to sew back on my hip art school self.  This was based on my extremely elevated testosterone levels (are you sure I am not a boy?!?!) , my present but scant periods (oh wait. I totally am a girl)  and my ovarian cysts (OUCH! I am so totally totally a girl). I was put on Metformin (Glucophage), originally developed to treat elevated blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes, and back on birth control pills. Finding out that many women with PCOS are insulin resistant ( which basically means your body does not move insulin (sugar) effectively through your bloodstream to your muscles... it is automatically stored as fat instead, resulting in the "spare tire" weight gain in one's middle) was major for me. I had the answer to why I could never lose weight and why I had the acne of a fifteen year old at an age when most women are worried about wrinkles: my diet was totally off key. I stayed vegetarian but did try my best to link protein with all carbs I ate, key to the insulin resistant diet. Though I did lose weight on the Metformin, I eventually went off it and took Chromium supplements instead. I continued to exercise, mostly running and almost no weight training. I was lucky enough to have two kids with out fertility treatments which I attribute to keeping my hormones levels in check through diet and exercise. (And the fact that I probably only ovulate in the month of December as both birthdays fall three days apart in September!)  When I was pregnant with my first child I started eating meat again. I started with chicken and then when I began seriously weight training I added in pork and (OMG) beef. I am pretty sure it still shocks those closest to see me eat a real hamburger.  The addition of meat to my diet has been key to my weight loss success. By doing so (and by adding weight training to my exercise routine) I started losing inches for the first real time. The knowledge of carb sensitivity has made all the difference.  Recently I stopped taking birth control pills and started taking Metformin again. I also now take daily fish oil, folic acid and a calcium/magnesium/zinc supplement. Fish oil can help manage insulin sensitivities and folic acid can support healthy hormone function (ding!ding!ding!) both key to successfully managing one's PCOS. There are multiple pieces to one's health and wellness puzzle. The hard part is piecing them all together. PCOS is a hard cross to bear but it is who I am. It has influenced everything about me from diet to personality. Now, though, as I jump head first into a new decade, I think less about the few pimples I still get once a month and more about how many push ups I did yesterday. Everyday I remind myself that "real strength is forcing the things that make you sad into the things that make you strong" and for that you need some serious muscle....

This Should Feel Good

Most of the time when we think of weight training many of us picture the Arnold lifting massive barbells stacked with huge plates that read 1000 lbs comically on the end. We think of big moo-scles. We think of veins and grunting. We think of those awesome sleeveless tanks and unitards. We think of pain. And though there is not much stopping you from purchasing your next work out outfit from "Highschool Wrestlers R US" it is not a requirement. The truth is weight training does not have to include an end goal of becoming super huge and if you are a woman you wouldn't be able to WWF your guns out with out a specific and detailed plan of attack, which would most likely include hormonal therapy. Lifting heavy and less reps will increase strength, where as lifting light with more reps increases lean muscle tone. Either one is effective to the end goal of increasing muscle percentage in one's body. Now, you may be wondering why the need of increased muscle percentage matters to you: You are within a healthy weight (and you are definitely not looking to increase the number on the scale like you've heard weight training does), you fit nicely into a respectable dress size and you are overall happy with your exercise routine. This is why weight training matters to you: The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate through out the day. This is important because as you get older, your metabolism slows, leading to weight gain. By increasing muscle to fat percentage you get a heads up on this process. Also muscle may be heavier than fat, however, it takes up less space, so even if your weight may not change a huge amount (which it may not if you don't have much weight to lose) you will see a significant decrease in inches.  I went from a 6/8 pants size to a 2/4, which I am happy at so I work to maintain it.  A decrease in waist size equals an increase in longevity as stated here: "new research suggests that waist size could play as important a role as body weight in determining how long you live. After examining a database of more than 100,000 men and women ages 50 and older participating in a cancer prevention study, researchers found that those with the largest waistlines had about twice the risk of dying over a nine-year period as those with the smallest waistlines. " (http://health.usnews.com/health-news/diet-fitness/heart/articles/2010/08/10/for-good-health-watch-your-waist-size-not-just-your-weight) Cardio is great, but it is not the only piece in the healthy living puzzle, you have to add resistance training. You will be happy you did. Forget the "No Pain, No Gain" slogan. Weight training should not hurt. If you feel actual pain, stop. What you should do is work until it feels uncomfortable, until the muscle is TIRED and then give it a rest. And to clear up one thing:  muscle tanks don't make you stronger, they just make you awesome!

Who Do You "Heart" ?

I love Jillian Michaels. I love Jillian Michaels like some might love a pop star. For me she even trumps those Twilight kids  (Blasphemy!!). I will no doubt buy any magazine she lands the cover on. (To be honest…and so that my husband does not give me a hard time later, I must admit I do have a softness for magazines with the Twilight kids on the cover as well....) I have bought her videos and I have contemplated her diet supplements. I have bought her books and have almost bought gear endorsed by her. When I first started really getting into weight training her book "Making the Cut" was my bible. It's a large floppy book and, Dude,  I would roll it up stuff it into my camel back, run to the gym and shamelessly follow it, a true deciple and proud of it. The other night at the gym I saw a woman come in with another lady and a guy. In her hand she held some computer print outs. What they were exactly I can't say, maybe she photocopied some workouts from Oxygen Magazine, Maybe they printed out some Crossfit workout… who knows, but they stood there reading their papers and eventually got their equipment out and got to work. And it made me smile out of familiarity. Though I am now a certified personal trainer, I have never personally used one. Before studying weight training for certification, my knowledge base was all self gathered. I read books, magazines, took mental notes not only while watching reality tv shows but while watching other people at the gym (esp. the guys) and had a lot of trail and error.  The point is, to succeed at anything you need to be knowledgeable on it. There is no shame on bringing your computer print outs to the gym. Nor is there shame in googling an exercise you don't quite understand… believe me I have done this and there are plenty of people posting Youtube Videos on everything from preforming perfect Hammer Curls to how to use that scary looking Smith Machine.  So there is no excuse for not committing yourself to fitness, even if you can't afford a gym membership or a personal trainer. So,  Find a Guru. Even three years into this I still will pick up my ragged copy of "Making the Cut" for inspiration. And yes, that is me at the gym giving the famous TV personality on the cover of such book a high five by the pull up bar. We all need heroes. Luckily there are plenty of resources out there- even Twilight inspired one's . Wolf-tastic!!  (Seriously- http://joshsgarage.typepad.com/articles/2009/11/twilight-workout.html) And then man up and take your cheat sheets to the gym. And to quote my best imaginary girlfriend Jillian, "Unless You Puke, Faint or Die, Keep Going!"

'Get yo' butt out of bed' and other sweet nothings from my husband

My husband is in the Army and most mornings this means waking up around 5am to work out. And though this man would schedule his course load in college around that of a children's cartoon from Japan (I won't say names but it rhymes with Jokey-Mon ) and had what one could call a lax view on class attendance- nowadays, in the race to see who can accomplish more in one day, he takes his goody two shoes wife to the cleaners. Though we both have full days and stay up late some nights (Him even later!! Remember there is golf channel to watch!!!), he will consistently (and gosh darn him - with no complaints..) get his butt out of bed when, though I try,  I can not get up early to work out to save my life (though I know deep down, it will actually save my life to do so).  At this point in my life I can honestly say that there is not much about myself I am not proud of. I actually really like myself. But one of the few things that does drive me nutty is my inability to hear my alarm in the morning, jump out of bed and exercise. "But that is such a Normal problem!", you cry, "I can't either!" and "Don't beat yourself up about it!!" But see, I use too. In college, even with full time course loads and two jobs, I could get up early and get to the gym like it was nobody's business.... and I guess it wasn't. I mean now I have kids (to include a big 90 lb hairy one), a spouse, neighbors, friends, a house.... a life to attend to. As we get older the minutes of our day fill up and begin to weight us down. And this is why it is even more important to kick yourself out of bed (probably before the sun if your children are like mine and innately wake up at 6:30 am...everyday. Don't believe in Karma? Refer to my earlier comments on my husband's view on college scheduling...) - The way I see it there are two important things in this world, your health and family. Money and such merely grease the wheels... And though I am fantastic at getting to the gym in the evening, it takes away from family time, which is important to me. So the inner struggle for me ends up being a tug of war between me time and family time (there are many struggles similar to this... maybe between gym time and the dishes.. but, boy, is it easy for me to say "Later!" to those dishes- don't be jealous,  it's a natural talent). Many of us get to the end of the day and are just too tired to exercise. So the obvious answer is, get up in the am and do it. But it's a struggle. I even have asked my sweet dear husband to banter me out of bed when his alarm clock rings, and though he risks me forgetting I asked him to do this the night before and me getting quite sore with him, bless him, he often tries.  And I just can't do it... most of the time. But I did today. Today he said to me, "We'll get up together, on the count of three..." and something in the way he said that, like a pact, made me do it. Without even thinking I got my butt out of bed and I marched right into our mini gym/video game room (yes, you read that right- barbells and wii controllers in the same room) and did an hour of Yoga this morning with Bob Harper. And as I was lying on the floor one leg stretching over the other, looking like I had just landed there from jumping off a  very tall  building, my husband comes in to kiss me goodbye and says "There, Don't you feel better?" And from my comically contorted body I manage to say "Yes, I do".  And I realized something afterward. Sometimes pushing yourself means one more rep when your muscles are on fire, sometimes it's drinking some water instead when you think you really want a cupcake and sometimes it's the act of scooching your bum to the side of your bed and merely rolling out of it at 5am.  And today remembering "We Are In This Together" helped me a lot. Here's to it helping tomorrow.... Namaste!

Perk Up Ladies!

For the two years between age 27 and 29 I seriously craved a boob job. Not the silicon Speidi kind, but the "up lifting, people you knew wouldn't be able to pin point what was different about you" kind. This is surprising because I am not only afraid surgery and all that goes with it, but I have never really been all that girlie. Or at least, girlie in the way that one would crave a perky set of ladies. But after having the amazing experience of having and nourishing my children with my super human girl body I was left with two kids and a sense of disappointment in my upper half. However, boob job was never really an option... but push ups were. So at 29 I really started committing myself to revamping my upper body: Chest, Back and Shoulders. And the amazing thing...  I have completely changed the way my ladies look. (Shut the front door!!!!! I know, amazing.)You may already know this but by increasing the muscle tone beneath the fatty tissue which are your breasts, you actually pull them up (think of a fit male pectoral, how firm and lifted they are - now imagine that holding up your girls), combined with the fat loss that usually comes with muscle gain, the breast firm up slightly. Oh wait... yes... um...that is the downside. The first thing to burn off when you begin kicking fitness into high gear is the fatty tissue of the breasts. That is why those muscle hulk women have implants... because to look that ripped, well, you have NO body fat... and what are boobs anyway, but fat. However, that kind of amazing is not really for most of us... so you will still have your ladies, they will just be smaller... like you will be. Though I do often joke of my twelve year old girl boobs (and they really are not THAT small) I would not trade my fit smaller set for my larger sadder set. I have said before you can't evoke change by doing one thing, and you can't give yourself a homemade boob job just by zoning in on them... You need to remember cardio and and core. Yes, I said core. Many core exercises use your upper body, your abdominal muscles stabilize you, but your chest, back and shoulders support you. BACK-tastic Batman! So here is my Chest-icle Circuit ( I like to dedicate one day a week to a "zone" so this would be done on "Chest day" I try to engage my abs every work out and don't always have an "Abs day"):  Feel free to give it a try, and remember to warm up and cool down (5 to ten minutes each)! You do the circuit all the way through and then repeat depending on your fitness level! After warm up do mountain climbers (1min or 30 sec: depending on level), bench press (with the bar or with a dumbbell in each hand) 12-15 reps, Plank (1 min or 30 secs), bench fly- 12-15 reps, Side plank (1 min or 30 seconds), push ups (if you are on your knees I want you to try alternating lifting one leg so that you are balancing on one knee) 12-15 - Rest for one minute and then repeat the circuit beginning with the mountain climbers. You should be doing three reps of the entire circuit and with the warm up and a cool down (and stretching) this work out should take you about 30 mins. If you are shooting for an hour long work out try a little yoga for the remaining 30 minutes to stretch out those uppers. If you really want to work your abs - do the resistance moves on a balance ball! My Chest-ercise mantra : "You've got to push it to perk it!"

You've Got to Do It All

More often then not you will hear that you won't ever look as good now as you did at Seventeen- but what if you didn't look that good at Seventeen to begin with? What if you carried extra weight around? What if (gasp) you had cystic acne? Worst yet, what if you did look good? What if you were a gosh darn Caroline Mulford (Sixteen Candles people- Keep Up!) and now after a few kids and a few more years as a devoted spouse you think you carry more of a Grandma Dorthy vibe- Is it true? Are we destined to ride into the sunset trapped within Billie Bird's body? To increasingly become run down, saggy and soft? Heck no people! I can say this because honestly I look better today at 30 then I did at 17. Not that I was bad looking at 17 (despite the cystic acne and the extra weight) but I was definitely not the fox I am now- oh yeah, I said it- Total. Fox. And I am a mother of two! The Key is this, You have to eat right, you have to do some sort of resistance training and you have to sweat... Every Day. Let's all say it again... EVERY DAY. Are you going to slip up... of course. But the fact of the matter is that you have to commit to getting back on track. Every. Single. Day. There is no one magic fix to looking good after 30. You have to work every part of your body. A smaller waist does not come from sit ups... It comes from challenging yourself. It comes from interval training, core exercises, circuits, yoga and polymetrics. It comes from putting a rockin' play list on your ipod and pushing yourself. It comes from using the picnic table next door as your own personal gym. It comes from putting down those 5 or 8 pound weights and trying the 10 or 15's. It comes from trying those scary looking kettle bells at the gym. It comes from asking that woman using the kettle bells at the gym just how to use them. It comes from having a dialogue about being healthy with your family. It comes from limiting your sodium intake and taking fish oil supplements. I comes from looking in the mirror and saying "I know you're in there somewhere Caroline, and I am going to pull you out kicking and screaming if I have to!"  You are a stone cold fox. Sit down, think about what you want, make a plan and get it done.

What I've Learned from my husband... and CartoonNetwork...

My Husband Steve and I have been married for almost eight years... we have been parents for almost seven of them... so I am sure it comes at no surprise to hear that our first born was a surprise- a total "What does TWO lines even mean" kind of surprise.. It's not that we were being completely reckless for two grown-ish people who were on the whole "let's have sometime to be married before we start trying" track... but when you are told at 16 you won't ever be able to have kids with out "help" (Thank You PCOS) you kinda don't think to much about avoiding pregnancy... esp. on your honeymoon... esp. on your honeymoon with your Army Private new husband who is about to deploy for the first time... yep.. that situation pretty much leaves you reckless in the Nicholas Sparks novella kinda way... And though 23 wasn't my intended first time mother age and I definitely was not planning to spend my first pregnancy eating Dairy Queen at 2 am with my mother and not my new husband- we both have turned out to be 'Da' Bomb' at parenting. My husband is pretty excellent at being a Dad and to be honest... he is pretty darn good at whatever he puts his mind to and It's pretty annoying. Take the time he decided to pick up running... yes, pick it up... like it was a sock on the floor that needed to be helped to the hamper... This from the man I nagged daily to join me for a run in the early years of our marriage, who calls me up from a school he was attending to tell me he's started running... oh yeah... he's averaging 6 minute miles... and he is planning to run a marathon... WHAT!? The key to Steve is this, if you have a personal goal, there is no half way... there is only doing your absolute best, even if it means you become obsessive in your quest to succeed. He will admit freely to his tendency to let new interests consume him.. to a point, I mean it's not like our children scream "Stranger Danger!" when he comes home from work... Steve is nothing if not an equal opportunity obsessive... "I'm taking the kids to the driving range!!" he has been calling out lately after dinner-- see, balance! Steve's new Mt. Everest is the sport of golf. He stinks at it. Or he did, I guess you say now his game is simply "a little ripe"and he is fully committed to conquering it- as can be witnessed with the hours logged at the driving range and the frequency the TV is tuned into the "Golf Channel"- And I know soon the wicked split his ball does now, zooming dangerously towards parked cars and pedestrians will soon straighten out and fly right, because I know Steve won't give up till it does. Watching a cartoon late last night (one of those our children are not permitted to watch) the hero says,"Suckin' at somethin' is the first step at being kinda good at somethin'." to which Steve replies "That's ME!" with a big smile, referring to his golf game-and I think it's a great life lesson-one mantra I am glad he's here to help teach our kids.....

What's In a Minute?

I have been thinking about time a lot lately. Maybe it was the whole turning thirty thing, but honestly, when that happened (Months Ago!) I actually marveled at how unmoved I was by the whole experience. I mean shouldn't I have shuddered at any recognition of the milestone... or maybe even insisted on some huge elaborate fete to celebrate my impending decline... one last hurrah! and all that jazz? But I did neither. My 30th birthday pasted like any other... a little plain maybe... but sweet and full of love. So here I am months later and the floor has not fallen out from me yet and though I hate to admit it, I am slightly surprised. I mean it's not like I have no signs of getting older... the grey hairs keep multiplying and I am supremely convinced my upper back is in desperate need for one of those super expensive memory foam alien mattresses they keep taunting me with on the TV.  So I must be getting older... or at least my body is. But I look around at my friends, and I swear, all these artsy cool kids I went to college with, we are all running marathons and becoming belly dance teachers! Our cars are plastered with (13.1) and (Will Run for Wine) stickers! Our children are stuffed into jogging strollers and pulled along in bike cabooses! It amazes me. Awesomely lovable people I couldn't get to run with me two blocks to the gym at nineteen are now tri-atheletes in their thirties! And it's not just my inner circle, it's everywhere -  a zumba-ing marathon epidemic of awesomeness! And I love it so much I decided to start a blog to honor it. So here's to you, you once Freshman Fifteeners, who gave thirty a high five while planning your next (insert absurdly titled sports event here) - Huzzah to you! Take a Moment to relax and reflect on everything we have accomplished so far.  My Mantra for today : "One minute can't turn back time, but it can change your future".  Let's get up tomorrow and keep moving forward.... the North Pole Marathon awaits!