yogging

Readers of this fine blog often ask me how tall I am, and sometimes I'll answer in the comments or with a personal email. That's pretty silly of me, I realized, because I'm not sure how many people actually go back and read the comments section of a post after they comment. (I know I don't on other blogs.) Also, an email only gives the answer to that particular reader.

So here it is, folks. My height ...

www.nataliedee.com

5 feet 5 1/2 inches!

Exciting, I know. And not freakishly tall ... but I had you goin' for a second, right?

I calculated my BMI today and then crunched the numbers for what it was before I lost weight. (Thanks for the idea, Mama Laughlin!) Using my height and today's weight of 145, I am happily rockin' a 23.76 BMI, putting me in the Normal Weight category. Hollaaaaa! I'm healthy :) ME! Feels darn good.

Just think, I had a 35.92 BMI when I decided to improve my lifestyle. I was in the Obese Class 2 category. My risk of weight-related health problems and even death was SEVERE. Yikes yikes yikes. Scary. Not a good place to be. So happy I'll never be there again!

I don't think BMI ranges should be your only basis for healthiness, but I do find them to be a helpful guide. What do you think?

I'm thinking about going for a run after work. I kind of want to, but I kind of want to just take it easy before going to Alia's for dinner and Vampire Diaries. (That's right. I admit it. I watch that show.) HOWEVER, now that I think about it, I really NEED to go for a run because I have a 5K coming up in only a little more than three weeks!

I randomly jogged 3.1ish miles a couple of weeks ago, but when I went for a jog a week ago I I started walking after only a mile. I think it was just due to boredom, though, because it's not like my legs or lungs hurt. I'm gonna push myself today after work. Decided. No getting bored and walking.

Here's my run/walk schedule for the next few months:

• April 17: Challenge Obesity 5K run (Charities Challenge)
• May 1: Five-mile Walk for Animals (Animal Humane Society)
  Check out my page within team Applause for Paws! (shameless plug) http://tinyurl.com/yc3ke9w
• June 26: Time to Fly 5K run (Children's Cancer Research Fund)
  

Geesh, I've got my work cut out for me! But it's all worth it because they are fab causes :) Yay for helping people and animals!

Goals

1. My goal for the April 5K is to finish without walking. Keepin' it simple.
2. The five-mile walk in May will be a piece of cake compared to the 5Ks, so my goal isn't fitness-related. My goal is to raise at least $500 for my favorite cause, the Animal Humane Society.
3. My goal for the June 5K is to increase my speed. I'm not going to set an exact how-much-faster speed, but faster than my 33:47 from my first 5K last year.
   

www.nataliedee.com

Here's another reason why I should run after work: I have three, count 'em, THREE birthday's to celebrate this weekend. Party in the MSP!

Tomorrow evening I'll be celebrating the lovely Jennifer's birthday, which was actually yesterday. We're going downtown ... so drinks will be consumed and much fun will be had by all. Saturday afternoon I'm going to Dave & Buster's for Michelle's golden bday. I've never been there before, but I'm thinking I'll just be extra intense while playing the games and I'll burn some extra cals. (Kidding ... kind of.) And I'm not sure what we're doing Saturday evening for Leah's birthday, but it'll prob involve food and/or drinkies. Thanks for being born, my friends! Love y'all.

I've already made plans to attend Rollerdome on Sunday because I love rollerskating ... and I'll need to work off Friday and Saturday's funtimes :) And then I have dinner Sunday evening with the gals before the Michael Bublé concert. THE FUN NEVER ENDS!!!

Also, Twin Cities peeps, don't forget about the Open House with free stuff and drawings this Saturday. I'll be there for a little bit! Read more about it HERE in case you missed the deets.

And now it's time for me to peace out.

Open House in the Twin Cities!

So you know how I'm pretty into kickboxing? I've boasted about it here and here and here and here, so I don't see how you couldn't :)

I'm whipping up this post before tonight's class, and I'm excited to go. I had kinda a drab Monday and could really use it. You see, if I'm tired or in a bad mood before class, I still go and then VOILA! I'm energized and happy.

Some might say the same thing about working out in general, but that's not always true for me. I can enter the gym for a treadmill-and-weights workout and exit with the same crappy mood. Kickboxing's different. It doesn't feel like a workout! Well, my muscles would beg to differ, but what I mean is that it's so fun you don't dread it.

Do you have a particular workout about which you feel the same way? Hollaback and maybe I'll give that a shot, too. Any exercise that puts me in a good mood and doesn't feel like work is A-OK in my book.

ATTN: TWIN CITIANS

There's going to be an open house from 12-4 PM this Saturday, March 27, at my kung-fu studio (151 Silver Lake Road, New Brighton)!

But wait! There's more! This open house isn't just for American Kung-fu Studio, but it's also for Style 151, Tan I Am, and Mind, Body, Sole. Man oh man, this open house combines some of my favorite things: kickboxing, massages, getting my hair done, tanning, and freebies! Sounds like a great time. You really should go! (I'm talking to you, Mpls/St Paulies and Liz who lives in New Brighton.)

Here's the schedule for the day:

12-1:00 PM
chair massage; chiropractic exam; paraffin hand wax/foot bath detox; qigong healing

1-1:30 PM
kung Fu & self-defense demos

1:30-2:30 PM
chair massage; chiropractic exam; paraffin hand wax/foot bath detox; qigong healing

2:30-3:00 PM
kung Fu & self-defense demos

3:00-4:00 PM
chair massage; chiropractic exam; paraffin hand wax/foot bath detox; qigong healing

Along with free product samples and snacks, you can enter to win:

• 1 month free kickboxing or youth kung fu
• free hair product/$25 gift certificate at Style 151
• free month unlimited tans/free ultra bronz
• free bottle of tan lotion

I'm going to try my best to make it there in the early afternoon before hitting up Dave and Buster's for Michelle's birthday. I can't resist free stuff! I know the idea is to get new people into these businesses, but I REALLY want to win the free month of kickboxing :)

So, who's going? Mark it on your calendar now and do it. Kthxbye.

don't stop 'til you get enough

Hey hey hey! I've had a great week since my last post; how about you?? I've worked out 4 of the past 7 days. Go me!!!! Considering I'm usually a three-times-a-week girl, I'm pretty pumped about this.

I'm still doing the kickboxing thang Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and I'm lovin' every minute of it. Last night was big night in class. I GOT MY GLOVES!

In January I started off with bare hands, then after a week or two I stepped it up to some hand weights kinda like these.
And last night my instructor gave me my new weighted gloves! Woot woot!

I felt like a real part of the class once I switched from socks to my sweet black PUMAs, but now I'm REALLY real. I was punching harder than before, but let me tell you, they are A LOT hotter than the other weights. It was hotter than usual in the studio last night anyway (think sauna), and I was a sweatmonster. Sexy, I know, and soooo worth it. I'm seeing some arm muscles, my legs look better, I look thinner, and I FEEL stronger. It's amazing.

Onto my next whimsical adventure: Roller skating.

That's right, roller SKATING. No blades for this girl. I just don't like 'em. My parents bought me some inline skates in fourth grade, and I skated around the driveway that summer, but I just never really liked doing it.

Then last year Michelle invited me to Rollerdome at the Metrodome. We thought we'd have a choice to rent roller skates or blades, but that was false. It's sponsored by Rollerblade, after all, so blades are it.

Last March at Rollerdome (~173 lbs, btw)

I fell three times in about 1.5 hours. (Not bad for not doing it for 15 years, right? Haha just agree with me.) It was fun, but I was reminded that inline skates aren't for me.

So this year I bought a couple of Groupons for discounted Rollerdome. I knew I didn't really want to rent Rollerblades again, so I hit the interwebs and tried to find out who sells roller skates. Dick's Sporting Goods had a bunch online and, surprisingly, so did Target. I popped into the stores only to find that they don't stock them in store. And why would they?? Seriously, who roller skates?

Well, I do :) I went to Roller Garden, an indoor rink in St. Louis Park, and made my big purchase.

Take a look at these beauties!

I took them out for their inaugural run on Saturday at Rollerdome. Didn't fall once! I'm not fast or anything, but I REALLY enjoyed it. Michelle and I skated about 7 miles, and we're gonna do it again Sunday. Come on out if you live in the Cities!

Last Saturday at Rollerdome. (30 lbs less than last year!)

Now I just need my own helmet and wrist guards so I can venture outside on my own. Man, I'm gonna be the coolest kid in St. Paul this summer! Oh, roller skating, my new love :)

And now for something that totally surprised me.

It was GORGEOUS outside on Sunday, yet I had inside plans with friends. I got home around 7pm, threw on some workout clothes, and headed outside ... for a run! I figured out that I hadn't run outside in 4 or 5 months, let alone run at all. It had probably been 2 or 3 months since I'd hit the treadmill.

The conditions were perfect: The temp had cooled to the 50s, the sun was setting, there was a slight breeze, I was in a pretty great mood, my iPod was reading my mind. I didn't even walk first like I used to. I just started running. And then I couldn't stop!

I used mapmyrun.com when I got home and I had run 3.12 miles. HOLY CRAP, I'VE STILL GOT IT! That's a 5K, my friends. Thank you, kickboxing, for making me strong enough to handle an impromptu run! I'm thinking about hitting up my old Como Lake run this evening for funsies. (I hope stalkers don't read this.)

My regular workouts have finally kicked in, by the way. I started my kickboxing routine at the beginning of January and weighed 149-150. This morning I saw the lowest number I've seen in 10 years. 142.4 lbs. Wowza. (That means I'm down 76.8 lbs. Can't believe it.) I am hoping to be 139 by April 7 when I go to Mexico. Wasn't sure I would really do it, but now I know I will!!!!

What a great day :) Be love.

show me your teeth

hello hello, lovas! i seriously don't know how other bloggers post once a day (or more!). i find it difficult to post once a week, for cryin' out loud. i'm a busy gal ... and i simply don't have interesting stuff to ramble about all the time — believe it or not. to those of you who stick with me even though i post so sporadically, i salute you! (apparently i have 545 followers on google reader. whaaa? seriously?? neat :) speak up so we can be friends!)

www.nataliedee.com

so i had a dentist appt one month ago today. it was my first checkup/exam/cleaning thing in three years. yeah, i know. i don't like that i waited that long either, but i didn't have dental insurance until recently. excuses excuses.

anyway, i was worried. growing up, i had always been cavity-prone and the hygienist would always tell me about how my gums were no good. i brushed a lot, but i'd still get a cavity a year (or at least it seemed like that).

my senior year of high school was the low point. i was drinking maybe three 20-oz bottles of regular pepsi a day for about half the year. i was brushing my teeth a couple of times a day, but when dental exam time came around — seven cavities. that's what liquid satan will do to your teeth! not to mention the problems with caffeine i still have to this day and the stupid amount of empty calories i was ingesting.

i rarely drink the stuff anymore. i generally keep it to a possible mixed drink on the weekend, a special treat with lunch once or twice a month, or fountain cherry pepsi at the movies (which is also a rare occasion and fountain cherry pepsi is sooooo gooooooood). even then i opt for diet, although i know the drawbacks to fake sugar, too. long story short (too late): water is my homeboy!

but back to my most recent checkup. the dentist and hygienist could not believe i hadn't been to the dentist in three years — in a good way! my gums are fabulous. my teeth are sparkly white. i didn't have any cavities!!!! and apparently my teeth have very long roots, which the dentist and hygenist repeatedly complimented (thanks ... i grew them myself). the only probs i have are that some of my old fillings need to be repaired due to usual wear and tear and a newfound clenching problem i seem to have inherited. (thanks, mom.)

i still brush my teeth a couple of times a day. i've used a manual toothbrush all my life, but will be switching to an electric one soon. i admit that i don't floss every day, but i do it often. i only use a fluoride mouthwash when i happen to think of it (sooo it's pretty rare).

why are my teeth and gums suddenly superb??
what's changed???

my diet. that's right. my diet improved the quality of my teeth and gums.

the fact that i rarely drink sugary carbonated beverages anymore is a HUGE part of it! i've heard that your teeth are under attack for at least 30 minutes after sipping the stuff. not 30 minutes from your last sip, but from the time you begin drinking until 30 minutes after you finish the can/bottle/glass/whatever. if you like to draw out the time it takes you to drink each serving, that's a long time of tooth attack!!! moral: just don't drink the stuff, but if you choose to, get your fix and move on.

i also REALLY think that my gums improved because i eat more nutritiously now. since i decided to take control of my health 22 months ago, i eat more nutritiously and try to keep the junkier foods to a minimum. i began to focus even more on the nutritional aspects of food when i stopped eating meat 13.5 months ago. i eat so many more vegetables, fruit and whole foods now that my entire body has become more efficient and healthier — even my gums!

alright. enough about oral hygiene. just smile and share your love today, ok?!

ps did anyone notice i never used the words "pop" or "soda" until now? i personally use both words interchangeably, but i know some people (ahem, you know who you are) feel strongly about one or the other.

Always I Feel Like a Nut

My computer is back in action! (Thanks a billion trillion to Matt.) But more importantly, today is National Peanut Butter Lovers’ Day!!! So, in essence, it’s National ME Day (as if every day wasn’t already).

http://www.toothpastefordinner.com/

In case you didn’t already know, my favorite food is peanut butter toast. Love it love it love it. Wanna marry it. Fo’ realz. Had peanut butter and banana toast twice last week for dinner, as a matter of fact. (I’m single; I do what I want.)

Aside from PB on toast, I really don’t use it for anything else. Of course there’s always PBJ sandies, but I prefer the crunch of toast to untoasted bread. Sometimes I’ll throw some strawberry jelly on my pb toast if I’m feelin’ crazy. I know a lot of people put PB in their oatmeal, but I’ve yet to go there. Oh! I LOVED peanut butter on English muffins when I was little, but again that’s a lot like pb toast … considering I toasted the muffins. I don’t much care for celery, but I could stand it with some pb slathered in the crevasse. No ants on a log for me, though, because I’m not a huge raisin fan unless they’re in cookies … but that’s another show.

Any peanut butter foods you think I NEED to try? Throw ’em at me.

I’ve tried many peanut butters in my day, but my fav is good ol’ creamy (not a crunchy girl) Jif. My mom was a choosy one, so I always find my way back to this tried and true friend. I purchased Natural Jif once because it was on sale, and here’s my review: meh. I could take it or leave it. I mean, I finished the jar, and the lower sugar content was nice, I suppose, but it wasn’t the taste that I long for.

Sometimes I think you just need to go for the real deal if you really like a food, otherwise you’ll compensate for the missing flavor by doing something bad. For instance, I think I used to put on MORE of the natural pb because I wanted MORE flavor. I should have just used the regular serving size of the sweeter stuff for, as it turns out, less calories. Lesson learned.

I found out it was National Peanut Butter Lovers’ Day right before I left for work. I was already running a tad late, so there was no time for making pb toast at home or scooping a serving size of pb into a little dish to bring to work. How handy was it that I got a single-serving, 90-cal packet of Barney Butter at the PriorFatGirl and Future PriorFatGirl Get-together this past Saturday!??! Barney Butter is almond butter, not peanut, but close enough, and I’ve always wanted to try it. I grabbed the packet and two pieces of 40-cal Village Hearth 12-grain bread and rushed out the door.

I utilized the toaster in my little work pantry for the first time then spread some Barney Butter goodness onto the slices. Verdict: Yum and simple!

I just saw that you can order 24 of these single-serving packets for less than $10 on Amazon. Not too shabby. Especially because it’s sooooo easy to go overboard on nut butters straight from the jar. (FYI Barney Butter also comes in jars, but I couldn't find it around Minnesota. At Woodman's in Wisconsin, though!) Almond butter is a nice alternative to peanut butter (attn: peanut-allergy friends), so if you haven’t tried it, go for it! Ah food is so fun :)

You might think you know how peanut butter is made, but I just found out the real way.

www.nataliedee.com

Baaahahahahaaa. A Natalie Dee comic strikes again. Surprise!

Enjoy the rest of the holiday. Celebrate all week like I probably will. Love!