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Thursday, December 30, 2010

Listening to My Body

Today I had a GOOD eating day and a BETTER running day!

I followed my menu with no treats today; Although I did eye the left over pizza at the office. But all I had to do was think about how hard and painful it was the last time I ran (two days ago).

I think my two days off did the trick. My legs were not swollen today and they felt really rested. I was ready to go. My gut told me that this time I was ready to run.

No body knows your body like you do. If you are just starting training or running or some new exercise, your biggest learning curve will be learing about your body and how and when to listen to it. This will be your biggest asset in sticking with your health plan. It also has ended up being the hardest thing to do in my plan.

I think this might just be a mind set. When I am working out everyday and get in to the groove, I want to keep the momentum. So, when my body starts to tell me to rest, I resist it. Then my body reminds me who is really knows best. It might be sore hamstrings, heavy legs, water retention(like earlier this week), or something as simple as feeling exhausted.

But this doesn't always mean that you need to rest. It might mean you need to stretch, ice, try a different exercise, check your form, or eat foods with less sodium. Everyone is different and there are soooo many variables to different people doing different workouts. I have to learn how I respond to my workouts and my meals. Everytime I alter something as minor as the time of day I work out, I might see a difference in my performance. I truely believe this is the same for every human.

Today's Workout:
I decided to drop back and repeat week 2 of Chi-Running. I needed to set a goal for myself today that I knew I could reach. After my last run, I needed a good workout and needed a psychological boost. I needed to feel the satisfaction of reaching my goal:

1 mile warm up walking at a moderate to fast pace with dogs.
Dropped off dogs.
3 min run, 1 min walk (repeated 8 times)

I covered a total of 3.5 miles and worked out for over 40 minutes (this includes warm up with dogs, walk/run, cool down, and stretching).

My favorite crutches this week:
Bananas
All Natural Apple Sauce
Hard boiled eggs (whites only - dont care for the yolk).

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

There was Pizza at work :/

I've missed a couple of days writing about my health progress. But I will get you all caught up ;)

Monday was a good day eating. Due to the snow I got to work from home. I found that working in a more relaxed and controlled environment helped me to make better food choices. I ate all my planned meals with a little exception ... Starbucks!

But before my Starbucks trip I wanted to run a little. My gut told me it was going to be a dificult run but I didn't know why. Determined not to give myself any excuses, I leashed up the dogs telling myself I would at least go and give it a try. It was cold - about 28 degrees out and VERY windy. I walked the first mile hoping to warm up and get my body going. Then I thought that dropping off the dogs would help. So I parked them at home, set my watch for 5 min run then 2 min walks. I was to repeat this 6 times. But I still wasn't feeling it at all.

The terrain is rarely flat in my neighborhood. I'm usually running up hill or down hill. I started my first 5 min running going down hill... After 1 minute I started an incline. I talked myself through it... Minute 2 was painful. Minute 3 I found myself walking until I reached the top of the hill. The 5th minute I was running down hill. I felt like I had cheated. I was discouraged and my face was frozen in place from the wind.

I decided I should compromise my work out. I had to regroup. I was now in the middle of my 2 min of walking. I stopped my watch intervals and began to revise my plan.

What was my goal for that day? It was kind of to start my 3rd week of Chi Running intervals but my body was not agreeing with it. So what was plan B? I didn't have one...

I decided that it was important for me to know how it felt for me to run 5 min nonstop using my new Chi Running form. I walked to a road that I had never run on before because it looked a little flatter than my usual route. I started my music, started my watch and started my run. It seemed like the longest 5 min of my life.

I was frustrated with my body. I kept thinking about the stories I have read by other runners. I have heard several times that even the most fit athletes have bad days. I tried to remind myself that I am not exempt from that. I also started searching for something positive about my workout so I wouldn't take this disappointment with me for the rest of the day. I thought of how I walked a mile at a good pace, I ran for 5 min using my new Chi running form, and I didn't have any pain in the areas of injury.

When I got home to take a shower I went to take off my shoes. My legs were swollen. Maybe I was retaining water? Maybe water weight gain caused my workout to be a bummer?

*Monday's Treat: Starbucks Fat Free Peppermint Mocha Latte

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Tuesday I decided I needed a rest day. After Monday's bad run I thought maybe my body was telling me to rest. I went to work and had a good breakfast. It was a busy day and I had planned on eating a lean cuisine for lunch. I know lean cuisine is a far cry from a perfect meal but sometimes it's my best effort on really busy and challenging days.

One of my meetings ended right at lunch. I walked into the kitchen at work to find pizza. I was going in to heat my lean cuisine. The next thing I knew, I was eating a slice of cheese pizza at my desk. I didn't even feel guilty. Then I went for a second slice. I told myself as I devoured my pizza that I had to give myself a free meal once a week and that this was it. Then, after lunch,  there were chocolates (2 mini chocolates). I figured since I was on a roll I could have chocolates too. But I also made a promise to myself that the next day I would need to have a good clean day of healthy eating... Which brings me to today :)
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Today - Wednesday:

I originally thought of this blog as a way to journal my daily habits and progress. I thought that if I would write everything down, I would learn a lot more about my habits.

It's working!

Habit -  an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary (Marium-Webster dictionary)

I was just reviewing my last few days. What I have seen so far that concerns me is that 2 out of the last 6 days, I have given myself an "out". I have found myself treating myself on a whim. What I am afriad of is that this might be my habit that I haven't recognized all this time. Maybe this is something I do on a regular basis? Maybe this is why my 20 pounds have been so hard to lose?

Lots of questions today and not many answers. At least by writing this all down I will think twice next time when I think I deserve a treat! I will start tracking when I treated my self last in order to avoid this becoming a daily occurance.

So, today has been another rest day. Day 2 of rest. My diet is what I promised myself it would be. No treats! Pleanty of protient, low/healthy fats, whole grains and water.

Tomorrow we are expecting warmer weather and I have a half day at work. I am looking forward to stopping at the track on my way home to try my Week 3 Chi Running (5 min run/2 min walk intervals). This time on a level surface! This time no wind! This time the temp will be above 40 :D

Sunday, December 26, 2010

DIETS :P

I have never been a "dieter". I have jumped on the bandwagon a couple of times long enough to remind myself why they don't work. The key to losing weight for me is by making food compromises with my body type and staying active.

Body type? I dont mean anything scientific by this. I simply mean what I crave and what I need to feel healthy is rarely the same thing. Counting carbs is very popular. If I reduce my caloric intake the way most carb counting diets suggest - I feel dizzy, weak, hungry, moody and fatigued. I dont even think clearly. But I can certainly can cut out the cookies, change to fat free milk, cut out the cheeses and eat more fruits and veggies and feel fine. This tends to be more of a low fat diet and it works a lot better for me.


My Little Tricks:
Its not easy to reverse direction if you have always had trouble with your weight. It takes time - and a lot of it. This isnt just in food preparation this is in thought as well. The one time you dont want to think is when you are hungry. At least this is what I have learned about myself. The trick for me is to plan way ahead. Have those "go-to" snacks (see my banana vice below) already waiting for you. There have been times when I am waiting for my chicken to cook and I am so hungry that I am about to knaw off your arm. This is dangerous for me. No doubt I will suddenly find myself inhaling oreos while watching my chicken breast cook in the oven.

Carrots are another good crutch for me as well as:
Pretzels
Apples
Bananas
Low Fat trail mix
Yogurt


Why and How I Gained some of my weight back over the last few years:

Once again - time. Life gets away from you. You have life changes - wether you are stressed at home or at work or both...moving...super busy...It was a combination of things for me.

The biggest change in my life was going from being incredibly active at work (carpenter) to switching to a desk job (engineering). I started back on some bad eating habits when I was a carpenter - I could physically afford it at that time. My muscle mass had doubled in a year and I was able to work for 10 hours constantly moving, climbing ladders, lifting materials, lifting tools, etc. But when I stopped doing carpentry, I continued to eat the same way.

I packed on 20 pounds very quickly. I moved during this time...twice. I went to school. I had a new relationship, a new puppy, AND a new job. My activity plummited and my energy depleated. I failed to plan meals and revise my eating habits to suit my new life.

Now I am over 30 and I am determine to get those 20 pounds back off. I work out and run regularly but unfortunately this is not enough. Eating clean and lean is the only way to do it for me.
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Today's Breakfast:
Yogurt (about 1 cup - FF) with Granola (about 1/4 -1/2 cup)
Coffee (with 2% milk and a teaspoon of sugar)

This starts my day with carbs and sugar but also with omega 3s and protien. This lasts until 11ish... then I need a "crutch" to get me through until lunch.

Lunch:
I started with a banana and a glass of water. I had just started to get hungry and I knew I wanted some carbs which my sandwich was not going to offer. Since there are potato chips and oreos in the house, I thought a banana would help curve my cravings.

Homemade Sandwhich - 1 whole wheat flat bread, 1 tbsp of humus, lettuce, tomato, red onion, 2 tbsp of avocado, lean chicken breast - grilled on a George Forman - I only ate half.

2nd glass of water

I was full after half of my sandwich! The water and the banana helped. I followed it all with a piece of gum - once again hoping to forget about the chips and the oreos in the pantry. Bananas are sweet and fill my belly very well.


Dinner:
I started with an Apple while my sandwich was heating up
Finished my left over sandwich from lunch
Glass of water with crystal light "to-go" limon lime flavoring

Evening time is the hardest time:
This is where it is the toughest for me. I ate dinner, I worked out, and now I have time to kill and I want just a little something to top off with. Oreo's are calling my name. Its getting late (after 8pm). I shouldn't have anything. This is when I should start thinking about what I could have that will tide me over and not ruin my healthy day. Maybe I will have some herbal tea...
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Daily Exercise:
I had planned on running until I took the dogs to the park and realized it was in the 20's out. With the gusts of wind I knew that trying to run outside was going to be way more painful than healthy. Then it started snowing - running in the snow is asking for an injury.

I substituted my running with about 45 minutes on the XBOX playing Fighters Uncaged again. I graduated to a new boxing level, got my heart rate up, sweated and got a good full body conditioning work out.

It was a good day.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

I did OK for a Holiday

Merry Christmas!
My day consisted of the following:


1. Slept in late (8:30)
2. Made breakfast (I had FF yogurt with granola and a cup of coffee)
3. Opened gifts
4. Started to read my new book from Santa: Running Anatomy
5. Feel asleep reading
6. Had all natural apple sauce and a banana in attempt not to overeat at the Xmas Party
7. Went to Xmas party
8. Ate well if you don’t count the triple layer chocolate cake :(
9. Came home
10. Today's workout: Total Time 1hr 15min


Warmed up - 30 min: by playing XBOX 360 Kinect, Game: Fighters Uncaged This is a mixed martial arts game. I played it for about 30 minutes. It was the first time I played it so these 30 minutes consisted of me training. I learned how to throw several types of punches as well as kicks. This was not very aerobic but it got my muscles nice and warm and definitely helped with working on my balance as well as stretched my lower body.


Walk/Run 2 Miles: After I was nice and warm I leashed up the dogs to head out for my run. I have been working on my running form. I have had a re-occurring injury that I have not been able to shake. I thought that my form had something to do with it. I started the Chi Running program about 2 weeks ago and it has improved my ability to run longer distances without pain in my Hip Flexor. Part of ensuring I perform Chi Running properly requires me to start running from the beginning; Focusing on form and graduating into longer runs over 8 weeks. Today I finished Week 2 which had me focus on engaging my core and running 3 minutes then walking 1 minute (repeating 8 times). Each time I stopped to walk I was to check my form. I ended up having to break this up in to two miles. The first mile with the dogs - then dropping them off at home and continuing on for my second mile free from doggie shenanigans.


Cool Down and Stretched - 15 min.


11. Took shower - by this time it was about 7 pm. I wasn't very hungry but I knew that in two hours I would be and it would be too late to eat. I compromised by eating a cup of yogurt with granola. This was light enough to make up for the chocolate cake I had at lunch. :)

Over all I feel good about today. I wish I could take back the cake but considering it’s a holiday I feel I should give myself a little slack. If I don’t give in a little bit every once in a while, I tend to give in too much in a less controlled manner at a later date. Does that make sense???


Over and out...


Friday, December 24, 2010

"CHUBBY"

Merriam-Webster defines Chubby as: "Plump"

I have to admit this definition actually made me feel better. I think it’s because it left out the word "fat"...


Me and My Fitness:

Some ancient graphs show that I should weigh anywhere from 105 to 115. And I assume that this is possible ... IF I had no muscle mass what so ever!

I teeter between 150 and 155 lbs.
I am 5'2"
I am 34 years old.

105-115 sounds grossly underweight for me. I don’t want to be skin and bones. Matter of fact, I would rather have a little extra than none at all.

My weakness? COOKIES.
When am I at my weakest? During PMS.

Yes, folks. I am using this excuse.

You see, my hormones rage so out of control, sometimes I think I have some sort of rare disease that no one cares to know about other than myself...

I have tried it all. Herbs, exercise, weight loss, dairy free, more fruit, more veggies, no meat, birth control, anti depressants, ice, heat, extra sleep, and magic potions.

Why is this so important that I am sharing it with you? Because it plays a huge roll in my failed attempts to stabilize my diet and my exercise for more than 20 consecutive days. Like people must do in running to break through to the next level, I have to ignore what my brain is telling me during these two weeks and push through it with out allowing my hormones to throw me off track...

Running:

I have been running now for a little over a year. I think it is now a lifelong habit - although at times I worry I will just stop one day due to my lack of improvement and the discouragement this causes.

I like to see improvement when I run. And for the first 6 months I saw A LOT of improvement. Then I got my first injury :( It was really tough. I am still careful of pushing myself to far in fear of re-injury.


My Weight:

Most of all, the excess weight I have had since I was 6 years old, has affected my fitness today more than I ever thought it would. My joints have been weekend and abused. My heart has been strained. My tendons and posture have been tortured.

I didn’t realize this back in 1998 when I was 200 lbs (75 lbs overweight). But I had finally decided to do something about my weight. I signed up for a college course in swimming. I cut out most fat from my diet. I allowed myself 20 grams of fat a day. It worked. I lost 70 lbs and got down to 125 lbs in about a year. I was going to the gym and I was feeling great. But I never REALLY challenged myself physically. Not until my running stopped improving and not until I had my first injury 6 months ago.

Conclusion:

This is my first blog. I currently weight 152.8 (as of this morning). My goal is to lose 20 lbs but in a lot healthier way this time. I would like to lose 1 lb per week. This puts my goal date at May 1st, 2011.

Follow along to see how I do. I will try and post my progress every day - weighing in only once a week - Saturday mornings.