D.S.P.!

If you follow my facebook page, you might see the letters "DSP" show up here and there. Lots of people ask me what it means. Lots of people also ask me what kind of exercise/physical activity I do as part of my weight loss program. Well, the initials are a part of the answer. DSP stands for "Do Some Pushups," which is Adam's constant mantra aimed in my direction. So... do I do pushups? You BET I do!

So... other than pushups, what do I do for my physical activity?  Well, here's what a typical week is like:

Monday:  Workout with Adam at Fitness Together

Tuesday:  Cardio on my own (60 - 90 minutes)

Wednesday:  Workout with Adam at Fitness Together

Thursday:  Cardio on my own (60 - 90 minutes)
Friday:  Workout with Adam at Fitness Together
Saturday:  Walk/Run on the Greenway (12 miles)
Sunday:  Walk/Run (Sometimes I climb Crowders Mountain)

What's a workout with Adam like?  Tough as hell!

The first 15 minutes are cardio (treadmill, eliptical machine, or recumbent bike) on my own.

Next it's 45 minutes of training with Adam.  What kind of stuff do we do?  Here's a sampling:

Running up & down the stairs

Jumping Rope

Hitting/kicking the punching bag

Stepups (sometimes with weights)

Situps

Pushups

Body weight squats

Planks

Jumping jacks

Squat jumps

Every kind of weight training imaginable

So... if you wanna' get tough and buff like me (LOL), that's the recipe.  Who's not too scared to try it out?

NOW... EVERYBODY DO SOME PUSHUPS!

Changing Course

Hello everyone!

I had the opportunity to IM with one of my facebook friends the other day.  He was bemoaning the fact that he's gained some weight and said that he would like to lose a few pounds.  He asked me some questions about what I do and said something like, "That sounds like a tough program... I need to start something like that---after the New Year."  I told him that there was no need to wait until January and that there was no better time than now to get started (I think I was channeling Adam)!

Today, I had the chance to IM with my friend again.  He mentioned that he is following my advice and has started working on improving his health.  Interesting how one comment can affect us and help us change course, huh?  It's a great feeling to know that I can have a positive influence on my friend, and possibly, even people who I don't know.

Thanks for reading my blog.  Since a lot of people are curious about my exercise program, in my next post I'm going to talk about what my daily activities are like.  Check back in the next few days to read all about it.  In the meantime, DSP (shorthand for "Do Some Pushups!")

New Rule -- Eat More / Weigh Less!

Lately my weight loss has stalled.  I'm eating EXACTLY how I'm supposed to.  I'm working out as hard as I can.  What could I be doing wrong?

Well... according to Adam, I may not be eating ENOUGH!  This is VERY difficult for me to wrap my brain around, but since he's the one who got me THIS far, I'm going to go ahead and trust his advice.

So... the new rule is, "If you're hungry--EAT!" 

I got home from working out a little while ago and I was starving (I was actually hungry when I got there).  I had some onion dip that I made with Greek yogurt, so I had that with some celery and carrot sticks.  This was a good, high-protein, low-calorie snack with about 160 calories.  Mmmmm... I can practically feel the fat melting away!

Stay tuned, everyone!

The Universe is Cheering Me On!!

The other day I had something really nice happen to me, and Adam said that it was the universe cheering me on toward my goal.  I seriously believe in that kind of thing, but today something happened that totally confirmed it.

I went for my usual 12-mile walk at the greenway, and was struggling to add some running into the mix.  I was about 2 miles from the end of the course when I started mentally beating myself up.  I said to myself, "Why can't I motivate myself to run?  If Adam were here, he would be able to push me to do it--why can't I do that myself?  I really need to get inspired to run again."

Just when I was certain that I would walk the rest of the course, a total stranger walked up to me and said, "Are you up for a little running?  You DO run, don't you?"  I told her that I DO run, but that I've been recovering from a knee injury and have been trying to add running back into my program.  So... we started running and chatting as we did.  Turns out, she was visiting from out of town and was out getting her run in as she is training for a marathon in a couple of weeks.  We ran the last 1-1/2 miles together and then walked it out a little to cool down.  Even though I'm sure she was going slow for me it was all I could do to keep up with her pace, but it felt SO good to push myself. 

I'm not sure if this lady (her name is Tara) was an angel of fitness, one of Adam's secret spies, or a total figment of my imagination, but she appeared out of nowhere just when I needed her!

Adam is right--the universe IS cheering me on!  Now I just need to answer that call and keep pressing forward!

The Power of Positive Thinking

My friend and fellow Fitness Together client, Mitch, posted something on my facebook today that really made me feel good:

I still remember the very first time I saw you and thinking "she wont last." Did you prove me totally wrong!!!!! Keep it up Girl!! you look fantastic!!!! You are disappearing in front of us!!

While, in a way, this is not very complimentary, since I have actually "lasted" despite his gut instincts, it actually is a testament to my achievement.

What I told Mitch is that there were plenty of times that even I didn't think that I would last, so it feels really good to have come this far.

So... how did I manage to "last"?  Well, I guess it's because at any given time there was at least ONE person who thought I could do it.  Sometimes that person was me, but lots of times, even when I had given up on myself, the one person who believed (or KNEW) I could do it was Adam.  Other times, it was my husband or my son...everyone has supported me and helped me get this far.

This last part is hard and it seems like I'm scraping and scratching for every pound, but I know I can do it!  THAT is the power of positive thinking!

Good Friends Love You No Matter What!

I have a very good friend...a young man the same age as my son... who recently moved away from Charlotte.  I sent him an email and told him to read this blog if he had some extra time.  His response truly warmed my heart:

Wow

Just read your blog……not all of it…….its too long, but the first few that come up………..wow. I really didn’t know all that.

Normally I don’t read blogs and I certainly don’t write them, but this being you and seeing how important you are in my life, I couldn’t help but read.

I am so happy you have found your way and made a new life for yourself and your family (real and self imposed included ).

Is that picture really up to date m2 ? The one on the trail? That is crazy :).

You should know though that even though I am happy and ecstatic for your journey and victory my love for you as a friend, mentor, co-worker and mom was always the same, because you are always you no matter what your physical state was or is :)!

I hope though that you finally feel as good outside as you should feel about yourself inside!

XOXOXO your best son

There are many people in my life who have loved me no matter what I looked like or how miserable I was.  These are my TRUE friends and family!  I love you ALL!!

How It All Began!

A lot of people ask me how I got started on this weight loss and fitness journey, so I thought I would write it down here for everyone to see AND to remind myself from whence I came!

I suppose the beginning of the end of my life as a fat person began in October of 2008.  I was in Las Vegas for and NHRA drag race event and had brought my son, Ken, with me to help with the race and to spend a couple of extra days afterward for a mother-son vacation.

Working the race was exhausting and I was glad to have Ken there with me to do the "heavy lifting" and to help run around and get things done.  I was too fat and tired to do much, so I mostly took care of business by directing things from the hospitality hauler.  After the event was over, Ken and I continued our vacation and did all the usual tourist stuff.  One night, we went to the top of the Stratosphere to ride the insanely scary rides that are on the top.  I was SO fat, that I almost didn't fit in one of them... they had to get two people to jump on the lap bar to get it to latch!  During the day, we walked around and saw the sights, but because of my weight, my back would get terrible spasms, and I would have to rest.

We had a really good time in Las Vegas, but once I got home, the reality of being fat and out of shape took me right back to my usual depressed self.  The more depressed I was, the more I wanted to eat and the less I wanted to do.  I basically worked during the day so that I could come home, hold down the couch, watch TV, and EAT myself into a coma.  That is what I did... I ate to forget about everything else that I was experiencing.  Lonely?  Eat.  Sad?  Eat.  Worried?  Eat.  Tired?  Eat.  Mad?  Definitely eat!  That was the vicious cycle that I was in.

Then, one day, I was watching TV and saw the show "Big Medicine," which is about a father-son team who are bariatric surgeons.  Most of their patients are there to get gastric bypass surgery.  This sounded like the last chance procedure that might finally help me escape my fat girl hell.  So... I started learning all I could about the various procedures.  I watched anything I could find on TV on the subject, read articles in magazines and newspapers, and did a LOT of research on the Internet.  After a lot of investigating, I found a very qualified surgeon in Charlotte and signed up to go to one of his seminars to learn more.  As the day of the seminar got closer, I was both nervous and excited.  I knew that such a procedure can be risky and I also had some doubt in the back of my mind about my potential success.  You see, I had been successful on other diet programs-especially Weight Watchers.  3 years prior, I had gone from 285 to about 215 with the program, but gave up when I hit a pretty serious plateau.  With my new job in marketing and all the travel it involved, I had just the excuse I "needed" to gain back most of the weight I had lost.  By this time I was all the way back up to 268.5 pounds!

The day of the seminar, something came up at work and I couldn't get out of the office on time:  I ended up missing that seminar.  Sometime before I had a chance to reschedule, 2 things happened:

1. I saw a program where Carnie Wilson spoke about how she had had the gastric bypass surgery, but ended up gaining all of her weight back.  I thought, "If someone with this much money and fame can have the surgery but end up right back where she started, it could certainly happen to me."  I began to think that if I didn't fix the problem (i.e. my addiction to food and my tendency to use it as a crutch), having the surgery would not be a permanent cure.  I didn't want to alter my body in such a way that I could never eat like a "normal" person again only to have the results be less than optimal! 
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. I received a direct mail piece from a training facility called "Fitness Together."  The postcard showed a lady who had lost 110 pounds through diet and exercise.  I thought, "I've had success with food programs before... maybe if I combined that with the accountability of a personal trainer, I could conquer this once and for all.

I knew that such a program would be expensive, and I figured that my husband, Shin, was probably tired of me spending money, trying new programs, and then failing.  Here's a sample of all the things that I've tried:

• Weight Watchers (4 different times)
• Fen-Phen
• Jenny Craig
• Hollywood Diet
• Nutri/System
• eDiets
• The Best Life Diet

Through all this craziness, Shin put up with the cost and the lifestyle changes, so I really felt guilty asking him to go through it with me yet again.  But... he told me that he loved me, and if I wanted to try this Fitness Together thing, he would support me.  So, I called, made an appointment for my free training session, and that's how my journey began.

In the beginning, I worked with various trainers at the studio until I finally settled into a schedule with my main man, Adam!  He has been the perfect partner in this journey and has seriously whipped me into shape.  I don't know how I could have done this without him.  24.5 pounds to go... THIS time I'm going to make it all the way!

Stay tuned...

I'm a lightweight!

When Shin and I got married over 30 years ago, I probably weighed about the same as I do now, but he was SUPER skinny and weighed less than me.  He has since gained about 40 pounds (mostly muscle), but until recently I was about 100 pounds over my wedding weight (yikes)!  So... what I'm trying to say is that in our married life, I have never weighed less than Shin (even though he's about 4 inches taller than me).

The other member of my family, Ken, was born when I was 22, and I have ALWAYS weighed more than him.

[INSERT DRUM ROLL HERE]

UNTIL NOW!!!

I have lost over 95 pounds and I am the lightest person in my family!  Yay!

Yes... I weigh less than Shin!  AND... I weigh less than Ken!  I am officially the lightweight of the family!!

I still need to lose 25 more pounds, but it is SO cool to be the smallest person in the house for a change.  It's so much fun to try to borrow shirts from Ken and have him say, "I don't have anything small enough for you!" 

For someone who was having to wear a men's 3X, it is just unbelievable to me that I now wear a small!

I LOVE my new body!!!  Woo-hoo!

The Devil is EVERYWHERE!

Today I am in a panic because I am tired of being perfect all the time and it is weakening my resolve.  I see the devil everywhere I look.

Beautiful Day at Julian Price Park, near Blowing Rock, NC

What has changed since I've lost all this weight?  Well... pretty much EVERYTHING!

However, I would have to say that the biggest change is my ability to lead an active life and keep up with Shin and Ken in whatever physical activity we might like to enjoy.  Today was a fantastic day... walking the Boone Fork Trail at Julian Price Park was just the right challenge for me.  It was such a nice day and the scenery and companionship was so great that I mostly forgot about my injured knee.  There isn't a LOT of climbing on this trail, but it is challenging with tons of roots, trees, rocks, streams, etc. to maneuver.  Especially challenging were the multiple times that we had to cross the stream/brook that the trail follows.  In some places, I really had to step out of my comfort zone to jump over water or walk across some shaky logs.  In the beginning, I was pretty much relying on Shin and Ken to lend me a hand and help me across, but towards the end I was gaining confidence in what my body can do and was maneuvering the obstacles by myself. 

I guess having this new body is kind of like going from driving an old pickup truck

                                                                                                            

                                                            

to sitting behind the wheel of a Ferrari -- I just don't know how much I can step on the gas and how well the brakes are going to work, but I'm slowly figuring it out.  And, just like driving a Ferrari--it's a LOT of fun!

Life is GOOD!!

Size DOES matter!

When I started this journey, I was a whopping size 24!

Now I'm a size 12!  I guess that means I'm half the size I used to be?

God, these last 25 pounds are killing me -- but I will persevere!!

I DID IT!!

After my trip to Chicago, I am pleased to say that I came home without gaining a pound!  How did I do it?  Here's the scoop:

Breakfast:  The hotel buffet had everything I need.  Every day I ate hard boiled eggs,

fresh fruit (pineapple, strawberries, melon, and grapes),

and Special K cereal (no milk). 

This was delicious, filling and just the right amount of calories to get my day going.

AM Snack:  A protein bar and some dried fruit (apricots or plums) got my energy and blood sugar back on track.

Lunch:  The food offered at the event was NOT program friendly, so I took the rental car down to Subway every day and got myself a healthy lunch of roasted chicken salad with sliced apples and water. 

PM Snack:  Some fresh fruit and a small 50-calorie pack of beef jerky was enough to hold me until dinner.

Dinner:  We went to an Italian restaurant for two nights... I ate salad with lemon juice for dressing and for my protein, I had shrimp cocktail one night and grilled octopus the next.  Another night we went to McCormick and Schmick's... that was PERFECT!  I was able to get a salad and then a trout with asparagus dish that was out of this world!

Exercise:  The hotel had a fairly good fitness room, so I was able to get my walking in.  One night it got too late to work out there, so I did some pushups, situps, body weight squats in my room.

Anyway... I am VERY happy with the results.  Next trip, the goal will be to come home LIGHTER than when I left!

My Next Challenge is NOT About Losing Weight

Since I began this journey in January, I have traveled away from Adam's reach twice:  once when I went to Sonoma with my friends Bob & Tonya, and again when Shin & I went to Peru to celebrate our 30th anniversary.  While BOTH trips were great and I thought I was doing my best to stay on my program, I came back with extra weight both times!

This Monday I will travel to Chicago for a 4-day business trip, and I have ONE goal -- to NOT gain weight!  I am VERY proud of all of the progress that I have made with Adam's guidance and encouragement, but I have to learn to manage this process even when he is NOT at my side.  For now, it seems that every time I'm more than 20 miles away from him I end up failing.

So... I'm challenging myself:

Business Trip to Chicago - paid for by Okuma

Working Out in the Hotel - complimentary

Not Gaining Weight on My Trip - PRICELESS!!!!!!!!

For all my friends who will be in Chicago with me... your support will be appreciated.  For everyone reading this blog...pray for me, PLEASE!!

I Love My Friends!

After several weeks of disappointing results with my weight loss efforts, I posted a quite sad, "woe-is-me" update on my facebook page:

Mindy Chaffee Mikami is still struggling to break the 90-pound barrier! This is ridiculous! I'm SO frustrated, I could just cry...part of me knows it's going to eventually happen, but part of me is on the verge of giving up! Does that make me weak?
 
 
Imagine my surprise when I got all these fantastic comments from my friends!  I am truly blessed!  I love you all!!
 
 


Kenny Hill:  You need to stop . How many women would love to be in your shoes .Keep doing what you doing :)


Susan Marie:  Welchyeah and quit whining...the Melinda Chaffee I know was not a whiner. 90 pounds in 10 months! I would be doing a break-down hallelujah party.


Taj Orr:  Don't give up....your doing great, it will break before you know it.


Fennell Hi:  No..... the reason why you have done so well is actually quite simple..... it's not that you're doing something "new". The reason why you have done and will continue to do well is that you KEEP SHOWING UP... in the face of pain you SHOW UP in the face of just being tired you SHOW UP in the face of self doubt that we all have you SHOW UP! That's why you will continue on your path and find results because you WILL SHOW UP! Love, success and strength will always and forever be your mate and meet you at the door Mindy. Your strength is awesome and I'm watching and getting engery from it.


Adam Franklin:  Well Spoken Fennell.  No great feat without great effort.


Adam Franklin:  Well, which part of you are you gonna listen to?  The one that wants to give up after we've made it 75% to our goal(WTF!!!), Or the one that you and me both share, that will @#$%ing Die!!! Before it gives up, or concedes to failure.  It gets darkest right before the dawn. The sun will come up.(Soon)

Mindy Chaffee Mikami:  I am SO lucky to have so many amazing friends. I can't believe how many of you took the time to write words of encouragement on my behalf! Fennell is right--my success IS a result of continuing to "SHOW UP," but what I've realized today is that the reason I am able to continue to "SHOW UP" is that I have such an awesome support group in you--all of my friends! I love you all...keep watching closely...you're going to see less of me SOON!

Adam Franklin:  That's more like it.


Micho Velickovich:  ...and the crowd screams in unison..."Mindy, Mindy, Mindy"


Fennell Hi:  :-)


Leslie Hoehne:  Just remember - pain is fear leaving the body.

Mindy Chaffee Mikami:  Thanks, LH! I think I've heard Adam (my trainer) say that before! He's just full of nuggets of wisdom these days!! Miss ya'!

Adam Franklin:  "Pain is weakness leaving the body" It's a marine quote. U were close though. It's OK.

What Does Mindy Eat? [Part II]

So, in an earlier post I talked about what I eat for breakfast.  Since I'm kind of stuck with my weight loss right now, I thought I would use this forum to reflect on my food.  For this post, let's talk about lunch.  Most days my lunch is some kind of salad.  Today was:

Lettuce (about 4 cups)

Mushrooms (about 5 or 6, sliced)

Onions (a little bit, sliced up)

Salmon (3 oz)

All of that with a little bit of fat free salad dressing was about 250 calories.  It was delicious AND nutritious, and made for me special by my fantastic husband.  I am SO lucky!

Keep rooting for me... I'm still working towards that goal!

75% Done! Yay!

This week has been very exciting because I've passed the 90-pound mark in my weight loss.  Only 30 pounds to go until my goal... the end is in sight!

This week I have also had the opportunity to see some people who I haven't seen in a long time.  Most of them were totally shocked and amazed by my appearance.  It's been SO much fun to hear all the comments and to have the opportunity to tell everyone exactly how I've accomplished all this.

As always, I am MOST grateful to my trainer and good friend, Adam.  He has been there every step of the way and keeps me on track with his special blend of discipline and encouragement.  I couldn't (nor would I want to) do it without him!

Keep reading and keep cheering for me...everyone's interest and kindness REALLY helps me to keep going!

Once in a while it's good to look in the rear view mirror

When you're driving, you mostly keep your eyes on the road in front of you, right?  However, occasionally, we know we need to glance in the rear view mirror, too.  I think that the same can be said about our lives.  We don't want to spend TOO much time dwelling on the past, but a little reflection can be good now and then.

For me, that means that most of the time I have my mind and actions focused on my goal of losing 120 pounds.  However, once in a while, I need to think about how far I've come and what it's taken to get here.  This becomes motivation to keep going, especially now that the finish line is WAY closer than the starting line.

Adam, my navigator and coach for this journey, always says that there's nothing that two people can't accomplish together -- especially if one of them is God.  After running the 5K this weekend, this is what he wrote to me in an email:

Less than a year ago, you had trouble walking for very long, or even worse going up a few flights of stairs..... You just "RAN" an entire (3.1 mile/5k) F***ing Race! Let us not ever let anyone tell us what God can't do!


Load it up Sister!, cause we're about to burn thruogh this final 30!  "Let's Lock It & Load It!"

I am so lucky to have such a good friend and motivator.  Thanks, Adam, for reminding me to look in that rear view mirror!  I've got my foot on the accelerator now... buckle up, baby!

My first 5K!

Thank you SO much to everyone who supported me in my first 5K race (either by donating money or by sending encouraging words)!  A special shout out to my main man Adam for whipping me into shape for this event!  Of course, now he is not satisfied with my pathetic time (MY words, not his) of 39 minutes and has set the bar at 25 minutes for next year.  Wow!  I have a lot of work to do there.  Don't worry... that's not a BAD thing... just motivation to get stronger, faster, and BETTER!

The Race for the Cure event was spectacular.  I really struggled for the last mile (thanks to the kind planning staff who put an uphill climb at the end), but all in all it wasn't too bad.  I learned that I need to eat more (both the night before and the morning of) the event, and that I need to arrive earlier so I'm not so rushed and stressed. But mostly I learned that whenever I set my mind to something (especially with the support of my friends and family), I can do it.

I was especially grateful (and proud) to have my son, Ken, and my husband, Shin, with me at this race.  Ken, who can run WAY faster than me, stayed with me the entire time.  His encouragement and calming presence really helped.  Shin, who can't yet run the entire 5K had his best time of 41 minutes.  I'm certain that next year he will run the entire course and finish even stronger.

So... the Red Tornado carved a path in the downtown area yesterday--look out for any leftover debris! 

Love to all!

What's in a Typical Breakfast?

Everyone is always asking me what I eat to support my weight loss program.  To start at the beginning, here is a little bit about what I eat for breakfast.

Almost every morning (around 7:00 AM) I eat the same thing for breakfast.  On work days, I usually eat this in the car on my way to work.  It's not glamorous, but it's nutritious, filling and I like it!

  

                             

1 ounce of Kashi Heart to Heart (dry... I don't like milk)

110 calories

2 hard boiled eggs (my favorite part is peeling them!)

140 calories

With a total of 250 calories, this gives me some good whole grain carbs and ample protein to get my day going.