Posts in July 2008

Where Did I Go Wrong? Or Did I?

on July 19th, 2008 by Chrissy

In high school, I focused on science and art and was heavily involved in a group called Students Against Violating the Environment (SAVE). We collected cardboard boxes, painted them to stand out, and put one in every room for students to recycle their paper. We worked to get large blue tubs in the cafeteria for bottle and can recycling. We took field trips where we planted trees and enjoyed nature without destroying it. We attended meetings to prevent wetlands and parks from being converted into amusement parks and concrete lots. We did many, many things to conserve and help the environment.

Then college came. I chose Physics for my major since I liked designing, planning, problem solving, building, and computers. “Where did the environmental aspect go?” you ask. I ask myself the same thing now. I soon was succumbed by classes, homework, art projects, deadlines, and surviving on my own in a new environment with reasonable help from my parents, but just the right amount of help though. I met new friends and most had no outward concern for the environment since they were just trying to survive college (and most of them partied too much).

Then came an internship choice. On the eastern shore of MD, there is not much in the way of jobs for people with Physics degrees or any strongly science based degree for that matter. There are a few lucky positions out there and the other jobs that might be close are bottom level starters since no one wants to pay a decent amount of money. Luckily at the time, one of my teachers had a connection to a local microwave filter company and got me an interview. Soon after, I started my internship and again, a whole different world opened up.

My internship was with a designer and producer of transmitter and receiver filters for base stations for cell phones. The internship went well given the circumstances. My college classes had no direct application or preparation for the technology that I worked with, but I learned. My problem solving skills and building skills came in handy. While at my internship, I needed to buy a car. I wanted to get something new that held enough for moving time but was reasonable in gas mileage since I took trips home and to see friends. Through my own wants and much coworker influence, I ended up buying an SUV. Not the most earth-friendly choice, but at that point in my life I was somehow loosing my way from my conservationist ideals. At least I can say that I bought a Toyota and with about 21mpg, it was a whole lot more than most SUVs out at that time and still surpasses many today.

After a year and upon graduation, my internship turned into a full-time job. I started designing filters and then I started seeing the waste that was generated. While I did make some great friends and see some amazingly good things happen, over the years, I saw many awful things that ranged from toxic personalities that just fueled dysfunctional relationships to the overproduction of filters that weren’t sufficiently tested by my coworkers. The wasting of metal with this over production was astounding – at least they did start to recycle it eventually. The poor breathing conditions of the machine shop with no safety measures (that I knew of) that prevented people from inhaling small metal fragments was appalling. The constant backstabbing was sometimes too much to handle. And the workload… don’t get me started.  As a wise coworker once said “At your next job, you will never have to work as hard as you did here.” and boy was he right on so many levels. I was so stressed out from my working conditions that I was taking at least 6 Advil a day. Then, I got laid off. While I know it was not their intention, it was the best thing they ever did for me.  I was so upset and heartbroken at the time, but I don’t know what would have become of me had I been there much longer. Three things helped me at the time – my boyfriend who was completely devoted, my closest coworker who drove my truck around to the front of the building so I didn’t have to walk across the production floor after being laid off who was only the third person ever to drive my truck, and my only supervisor that I respected told me “remember, you did nothing wrong and did a great job here”.

With the looming repercussions of the layoff such as not having any faith in any company, I set out for a new job. I was doomed from the beginning with my poor outlook and lack of trust in anything any possible employer said. My only hope was to find a way to work for NASA, the only place I still had faith in – Why? I am not so sure other than it was always a dream of mine to work for NASA but not as an astronaut just as some supporting person. I had a head hunter calling me from MRI that just annoyed me to no end by calling me at 8am almost everyday with “New! Exciting! Opportunities!”.  The chipperness in his voice soon dulled when I wouldn’t take a job that was more than $10K less than I was making and proceeded to try to make me feel guilty which was unsuccessful and resulted in my not answering his phone calls from then on.

I took getting into NASA into my own hands and did manage to get in through the help of my boyfriend’s dad’s bandmate’s coworker who knew someone with an opening and a very successful, challenging interview. The job was nice even though it was a desk job, my coworkers were great, and the working conditions were wonderful. Now, I have to add that this job at NASA was 50 minutes from my home and that is a lot of gas money and pollution, so again, I was abandoning my environmental principals but at least at the time it was for good reasons – a steady paycheck and I was working for the company of my dreams. Unfortunately, the desk job though got the best of me and the working conditions deteriorated. This time the working conditions deteriorated due to building upkeep – breathing in fumes from the hot tar on the roof, mold in the ceiling tiles, a poor ventilation system, and out-gassing of new carpet that was installed. I started to have allergies and was on 3 types of allergy medicines.  I was having panic attacks on my way to work in the car. It wasn’t good and I eventually resigned.

While all of this was going on with the allergies and NASA, my boyfriend and I got married, which was awesome.  A positive point in my life filled with awful work stuff. I think planning our wedding was the only thing that kept me at NASA for as long as I stayed. NASA really is a wonderful place with so many great people, it just took me driving a total of 85 miles a day to and from work and location specific health problems to realize that a theoretical dream job just isn’t what it is made out to be sometimes. I was now on the hunt for a new job or something. My husband and I brainstormed to try to figure out what I would want to do – sales, secret shopping, administrative assistant, organizing… at no time did I mention anything environmentally related.. what was I thinking?… guess that part had been suppressed for so long it forgot to come out. So, I attempted to get a sales job at Xerox, but the owner was overwhelmingly unprofessional and would withhold information from me until the last minute and thus, I turned down that job. I thought being a Secret Shopper would be cool and practical, but at $5 for a visit to a store and a write up of the experience to their detailed specifications, it felt like a complete rip off. I tried for some administrative assistant jobs, but it always came back with the wording that meant “overqualified” and/or “we don’t want to train you and then you leave when you get bored”. Once many things were ruled out, we decided to start a business for me for Professional Organizing. My goals when helping to get people organized – reduce the items you have, recycle as much as we can, and reuse items through donations and giving away. My Green Reawakening had happened! And with purpose! I had a couple of wonderful clients and one not so good client, but they all were great learning experiences. However, lets just say that the business is closed now due to living in a location where Professional Organization is a luxury that is not pursued and there was growing concern for my safety when entering peoples’ homes to help them get organized.

This brings us to January 2008 when my blog started. Now my thoughts and ideas go on here for all to see – environment, organizing, interior design, stuff to sell… It is again, a whole different world.  Now, I just have to figure out how possibly make a little money at it but not loose the fun of it.

I wish I would have been active in enviromentally friendly practices in all that I went through, but that would not make me the person I am today. It is amazing where we start out, how far we get away from the things we love, and how… somehow… we eventually get back to them.

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Changing Your Life Through Fitness

on July 13th, 2008 by Matt

Getting in shape and staying in shape seem to be very difficult for most of us. We have busy schedules and fitness does not seem to get its own place on our calendars. It’s an unfortunate side effect of modern life. Another side effect of this age is a sedentary lifestyle. We have physically stagnant jobs; we have remote controls; we hire people to mow our lawns.

The Plateau Effect

Hard work and effort are not even enough for satisfying results. We need to know how the body “thinks”. This is why I don’t like the word, “routine”. It’s the routine that is usually the problem. Many of you know what I mean. You get really pumped up about a workout routine that you’ve discovered or devised. You may even see some results. However, after a few weeks, you level out. That’s the Plateau Effect. The body gets used to the stress it is put under and it quickly evolves to the new pattern. Your weight loss and muscle gain level out.

Avoiding the Plateau Effect

OK, so our bodies reach a plateau after following a routine for a few weeks. If you think about it for a minute, the solution to that problem should come to you. Change it up! You need to trick your body so it doesn’t figure out what you’re doing to it. You cannot let your body adjust to a pattern. Muscle confusion is the answer. Stick with a routine for a few weeks, then switch things around. One last thing to remember; your diet is just as important as your workout. I’m not saying that you need to change your diet drastically every few weeks, but some change is very crucial. A lot of protein and hardly no carbohydrates to start does wonders. Then, you can slowly replace protein with carbohydrates every few weeks until you are eating more and more carbs. Remember, if you stop exercise with much intensity, cut back on the carbs again.

P90X and Muscle Confusion

P90X is a personal 90-day extreme workout and diet plan. Notice how I use the word “plan” instead of “routine”. Just when your body thinks it’s figured out the “routine”, things change and your muscles get too confused to adjust properly. As a result, you build muscle very fast. In case you didn’t know; muscle naturally burns fat faster than just about anything. P90X also lays out a diet plan for you that is essential to the whole process. I’m not using the word “diet” the way most people think of it. A lot of us think of a diet as a temporary change in our eating habits in order to lose weight. When I talk about your diet, I mean your eating lifestyle. It’s the food you consume every day over long periods of time. Sure, P90X changes your diet over the course of the 90-day period, but the key ingredients remain the same. The quality of food you eat is consistent. You just modify the quantity of certain categories of food (i.e. protein vs. carbs). There may be other workout plans out there that follow the golden rule of preventing the Plateau Effect and creating muscle confusion, but I am really impressed with P90X and the honesty it offers. Did I mention you do this workout at home with very little fiscal investment? Oh yeah; this is good stuff.

Getting Started

If you decide that P90X is right for you, but you’re not sure how to get started; buy the DVDs first. While they are being shipped to you, check out my post, “P90X: Getting Started“. The tips I discuss there will save you time and money. The best part is, you’ll be securing your fitness and health for decades to come.

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Posted in Health, Fitness, & Food, Life in General | 1 comment so far; continue the discussion »

P90X: Getting Started

on July 13th, 2008 by Matt

So, you’ve decided that P90X is the workout and diet plan for you to achieve lasting fitness and health for the rest of your life. Excellent! You won’t regret making the commitment. Now that you’ve ordered the DVDs, you need to get ready for their arrival. You ordered the DVDs, right?

Equipment Needed

You will need some equipment. Don’t worry though; it’s not much and you may already have some things. Let’s start with the most important first.

Weights or Bands

You’ll need either dumbbells (free weights) or resistance bands. There are a ton of options for each, but there are some basic guidelines you should remember when choosing.

You can get simple free weights at many department stores as well as sporting good stores. I recommend getting single piece weights. You can buy them in sets, but if you get the interchangeable plate design dumbbells, it may end up slowing you down. However, there are newer options now that let you adjust the weight of each dumbbell. These are very cool, but usually cost more at this time. If you get the single piece dumbbells, make sure they are coated for a good grip (or use gloves). Look for polychloroprene (i.e. Neoprene), or any kind of rubber/vinyl, coating. Here are links to some affordable dumbbells of each type:

Resistance bands are very versatile tools for strength training also. Each band is rated at a certain resistance, but you can vary the amount of resistance depending on the distance from the handles you pull. This actually allows for a much broader range of resistance. One option that I appreciate are bands that can be interchanged with a set of detachable handles. There are several types of bands that you can purchase. I, personally, own the full set of bands by the creators of P90X. Once I figured out how to easily swap the higher resistance bands among the handles, I really grew to like these bands.

Pull/Chin-Up Bar

A good pull-up bar or chin-up bar is something that you will absolutely need for this program. Depending on the type of person you are, you will learn to love or hate pull-ups. That said, you want to get a bar that makes the whole process much easier on you. You can get one that stands free like a tower on your floor. These are usually adjustable in height. A cheaper alternative is a bar that installs in a doorway. Some of these require a sturdy doorway with trim that you set the bar onto. Others need brackets screwed into the studs of your doorway with the bar resting into the brackets (these usually telescope to the appropriate length). Below are links to a couple of each type.

Fitness Floor Mat

Another essential for your workout plan is a floor mat. You will be on the floor for an hour and thirty minutes of extreme yoga. You will be sweating through plyometrics (jump training) for about an hour. You will be stretching all your muscle groups for another hour. Thankfully, these exercises are on different days. However, you will need a floor mat that is thick enough for these activities.

Heart Rate Monitor

Several workouts in this plan are cardio-based: Plyometrics, Cardio X, and Kenpo X. In order to get the most out of these workouts, you should monitor your heart rate. It is important to keep your heart rate within an ideal range for burning fat. A good monitor will prompt you for your physical attributes and calculate the rest for you. After a proper setup, you can equip the monitor and it will beep when you are out of your range. This allows you to adjust your activity to get back into range.

Other Equipment

Some other equipment that you may get could improve your experience.

Most importantly, a way to monitor your fat loss is very nice to chart your progress. You can get a standard caliper or an electronic monitor. Some are built into weight scales, others are hand-held.

If you have wrist issues or want to get more range of motion out of your push-ups, you can purchase a pair of push-up stands. I have a bad wrist, and a set of push-up stands are great.

Lastly, yoga blocks are absolutely great for so many people. For me (and most guys), yoga blocks will help to perform the more advanced stretches which would otherwise not be possible. For the more flexible people out there, yoga blocks will help you stretch beyond normal means.

Supplements

I suppose it is possible to experience this workout plan without supplements. However, I really do not see how this would work. In order to meet your dietary needs, I sincerely recommend that you invest in supplements. You can get all of these items at GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, and other similar shops or online with Amazon and many others.

Vitamins

The foods we have available to us today are usually very short on the vitamins and minerals our bodies need. Then, if you take on any workout plan, let alone an extreme plan, you will really need the vitamins. Get a multi-vitamin for men or women. For the P90X program, consider getting a multi-vitamin that targets sports activities or athletes.

Protein

The first phase of P90X expects you to really put down the protein and lay off the carbs. It is really, really hard to eat enough protein via food. You’ll want to consider a protein powder supplement. I keep it simple. I consume a GNC whey protein that is chocolate-flavored. It actually tastes great mixed with just water (this has come a long way in the past 10 years). 1 scoop of this stuff is equivalent to 1 protein on the P90X diet plan. Be aware that whey protein contains eggs, so if you are a strict vegetarian, look for an alternative to whey. You can mix a protein drink as a snack in the middle of the day and get a full protein count toward your daily goal.

For protein bars, there are the P90X Protein Bars; however, I prefer the Atkins Peanut Butter Granola Bars.

Recovery Drinks

After an extreme workout, you need to recover; and fast. There is an important 1-hour window, right after your workout, when you have the opportunity to help your muscles recover from the stress and strain beyond natural means. Consuming a recovery drink after such workouts, you will experience less soreness and will actually repair your muscle tears so much faster.

P90X has a recovery drink that I understand is great. However, my wife and I decided to find out the ingredients and find an alternative. The key to a recovery drink is the 4:1 ratio. That’s 4 parts carbohydrates to 1 part protein. If you want an alternative that is fairly affordable, I recommend Accelerade. You can find it at GNC and Vitamin Shoppe at a decent price. I believe GNC only has 2 of the flavors, while Vitamin Shoppe has all 6 or 7 flavors. You should take 2 scoops of Accelerade, but you may want to divide that up into 2 drinks unless you like it strong. This stuff tastes great and we always look forward to it after a workout.

Note: Accelerade (and most recovery drinks) use whey, which contains dairy. So, if you are strictly vegan, know this fact and read the labels to find something suitable for you.

Summary

It may seem overwhelming at first to get started on a high intensity workout. However, once you make a list of the things you need, it is not that bad at all. If you have to purchase everything listed here to get the most of your P90X workout plan, you can expect to spend the following amounts:

  • $150-$225 start-up costs for equipment
  • $35-$65 monthly costs for supplements

You will not regret committing yourself to this workout plan. P90X definitely guides you to real results of fitness. I mean long-lasting fitness. My wife and I love the results we are getting. I expect to finish the program, take a small break, then start it all over again. Yeah, it’s that good!

Good luck!

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Posted in Health, Fitness, & Food, Life in General | 222 comments; continue the discussion »

P90X: Week 4

on July 6th, 2008 by Chrissy

We are finally moving forward again in our P90X adventure. We didn’t take our stats like I thought we would at the end of our undecided Week 2 or 3. It was decided though that we just wanted to move along in the program, so this past week was Week 4 and on Monday we will be starting Week 5 and Phase 2.  We will get to eat a little more carbohydrates and a little less protein which will be nice.

Week 4 was interesting. It consisted of total body workouts and after the 3rd day, we were sore. There is definitely muscle confusion which is part of the design of the P90X program. Week 5 will be new muscle workouts with different muscle groups worked out on different days than Weeks 1-3.  P90X always keeps it interesting and challenging.

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Flickr Pics Fixed Now

on July 5th, 2008 by Chrissy

I finally got around to fixing all of my pictures. They all go to their corresponding pictures now. I can get back to uploading all of my before and after pictures of all of the rooms in our house that I have painted and fixed up. Yea!

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Posted in Social Organizations | No comments yet; your thoughts are welcome »

New Items for Sale Page

on July 5th, 2008 by Chrissy

Please visit my new Items for Sale page. I have a few things listed there now and hope to have more there soon along with links to items that are listed by me on Amazon and eBay. Please leave a comment on this post if you are interested in any of the items and I will respond to you. If you know me directly, give me a call or send me an email.

Posted in For Sale, Products, & Stores | No comments yet; your thoughts are welcome »

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