charlatan psychic

J and I were having a discussion while running a couple errands this afternoon. I’m on day 2 of a migraine that gave me signs it might be coming for a week. Yesterday I had a queasy stomach that only felt better when I was eating. It felt worse when I moved around, so I mostly sat on the couch watching old episodes of Supernatural on Netflix. Today felt better when I woke up, but I could still feel some pressure. I took pup for a walk and went to the farmers’ markets. This afternoon, I started getting pain. J drove for our errands, because I’m having brain fog, too. So, our discussion— My migraines are a huge detriment to my fitness. I can’t workout. Sometimes even just walking can trigger a pain spike. And if my heart rate goes up, I swear I can hear my pulse echoing in my head, and feel the whole thing throbbing. Not fun. So I basically can’t workout when I have one. And then I have migraine hangover for at least a day. I can workout, but not too hard. Let’s not e...

Today was the last test at the Army Wellness Center. I did my VO2 Max. You walk/run on a treadmill for 6-11 minutes, wearing the silly mask and a heart rate monitor, until you reach 85% of your maximum heart rate. This is an accurate estimate – that is, not exact science, but better than other methods of guessing. Your results are your cardio-respiratory fitness number. I got a 37.6 this time, but had a 41.5 last time. So my cardio healthy has gone down a bit. I also weigh more, and haven’t been doing as steady of a cardio workout. Excuses aside, I can get this back up there. 38.6 is the dividing line between “good” and “excellent.” I want to be excellent. Let’s work on that. I also did some simple tests for strength and flexibility. First was the hang strength. You just squeeze this large device that measures your force applied. For back strength, you stand on a square that looks like a scale, hold a handle in both hands, and pull up. And flexibility is the dreaded sit-and-r...

Today was my “Upping Your Metabolism” class, where I got my metabolic test results. The good news – my RMR has increased! I went from 1472 back in September to 1711 this month. I learned today that every pound of muscle could increase your RMR by 35-50 calories. So this means the strength training has been paying off, right? But then there’s my increased weight and body fat. Which probably, in the end, comes down to poor eating habits. Hello. My name is Charla and I’m a carb addict. Bread, pasta, potatoes, and don’t forget the cake and ice cream – I love all the stuff that’s bad for me.   I don’t eat enough fruits and veggies. I don’t drink enough water, lately.   As I type, I’m eating a bowl of pasta for lunch. Let’s focus on the positives. Today’s class felt better than the one I took back in September when I first did all this. The instructor seemed more knowledgeable, and like he actually wanted to be there, teaching us this stuff. He’s a former body ...

If you read my blog, you know I struggle with my weight and fitness. I’m struggling right now. The recent move didn’t go well for me physically speaking. Mentally, I’m doing great. But I put on weight that I had kept off for a while, and now I need to get it back off. To help me accomplish this, I will be using the Army Wellness Center. You might remember that J and I did a bunch of metabolic and fitness testing last year. This is the same thing. But with pictures. I went in for the metabolic and body composition tests. The metabolic is easy – you lie there for 15 minutes with a mask on your face and just breathe.   I don’t understand how it determines your metabolism, but it apparently does. I will get my results next week in the required nutrition class.   sexy, no? Next comes the dreaded BodPod. This thing looks like an escape pod from a spaceship. You have to wear very little – spandex shorts, no top for guys, sports bra for women, and a little nylo...