I tell you - I just read through a few of my posts. please note that the typos are not due to my inability to spell words... I have a goofy keyboard and I have to keep re-reading what I type to make sure that every letter is in the right spot.
Here is hoping that I can get through one post without major typos!
Anyhow - here is the recap from last night. I am patting myself on the back for this one.
AP = Activity points (points earned for being active - running, walking, jogging, ellpitical, ST, etc.)
You will see me use these abbreviations often - so I figured I would explain them now in case I lost anyone! (Incuding myself)
Since I lost weight, I dropped point values. I am now at 27 points per day, 35 flex points per week. I earned 6 AP's last night running, walking, and ST, so I can deduct 6 from my total for yesterday.
I walked in the park at lunch, walked around my building, etc. for a total of 30-35 minutes. At night, I ran for 15 minutes, then went inside the gym with Mike and walked another 5, ran an additional 3 before heading down to the machines for chest and tris. I did 11 push ups!!!!! *clapping* That made me so happy,
For dinner last night we had Chinese food. I did good with eggdrop soup (1pt/Cup), the insides of an eggroll (3-4points), beef and broccoli with 1/2Cwhite rice. I ended up eating 2Cs of the BnB because of working out I was a little hungry. that is 8points for 2C (4pts/Cup). ;) I conquered the evil unhealthy chinese food beast!!!! I stayed OP for the entire meal.
Talk about a lifestyle change. I think that I got it now. I used to be the fried rice, with fried wontons/crab rangoons, with the full order of Gerneral Tso's chicken (15points/Cup mind you). I turned what used to be an easy 60point meal into a 15.5 point meal just by making healthier choices, and watching portion control. ;) That is the science in weight loss... that my friends is the math!
I am feeling good! So looking ahead for today - for my CAR is a 20 minute run (evening) , 30 minute walk in the park (lunch), and for ST it will be legs and shoulders at the gym (evening).
To repeat what I commented on in my previous post - Thank you all for the words of encouragement! I am loosing that self-doubt that makes it's way into my head form time to time. I see now that I can and will loose the weight!
For years my issue has been lack of focus. I want something so bad... I yearn for the weightloss miracles I dream of. What I get is a half-assed attempt at changing my life. Oh - I'll just pop a few pills and eat that cheesecake. I will down a block of cheese because there are no carbs in it. I will eat no fat - thus resulting in intaking sugar and preservative fakeness at such high levels I am rarely sure if what I am eating is in fact... food.
Newsflash me - there IS no magic to weightloss. Weightloss is simply a formula of in vs. out. It is all math baby!
We need to have control of what we put into our mouths, just as much as we have control over what comes out of them (what we say).
If I control my caloric intake and increase my caloric output, then the weight will naturally find equilibrium.
It all makes sense. What doesn't make sense is how healthy nutritiious foods cost so much more than the chemically created junk foods. It is cheaper to feed a family McDonald's than it is to make a dinner at home.
That, my friends, is what is so baffling. No wonder our country is so obese... we cannot afford to eat the ehalthier foods. In European countries, you often find healthier lifestyles. They buy what they consume in a few days, hence the lack of preservatives. Here - we buy what we cannot even use in a few months. Enter the world of big-box econ-mega-bulk stores.
It is a culture thing. but how on eearth did we get to the point where we want mass quantities of crap? I mean seriously now.
At what point did we stop eating for fuela nd survival, and started to eat for status and just going for more.. more... more... MORE!
Logically it would seem that the wealthiest poeple would be most likely to be fat, overweight, obese, whatever. You would think this solely because they have the money to buy more food, to consume more food, and high-fat luxury foods at that.
Not true. And obviously I am not saying that wealthy people are thin or healthy, and that poor people are fat or unhealthy - you see more obesity in lower incomes due to the simple fact that healthy food is not even available in some areas, let alone at a price everyone can afford.
So there is no magic to weightloss. We have to earn everypound loss, just like we earned every pound gained!
One thing I have been doing to increase my activity - I take two 5-10 minute walk breaks at work, as well as I go to a park at lunch and walk for 20-30 minutes. This is in addition to my running, and strengthtraining.
Well I weighed in this AM - and lost 4.8 lbs since last monday! I came in at 217.2, which was a little higher than my 216 goal, but that is OK! My goal for next weigh-in is 215.
Today's goal is to run 30 minutes, walk 30 minutes, and do chest and tris for strength training.
Tomorrow is my WW weigh in. I started off the week with a gain of 2lbs since the previous week. Well I am down those pesky 2, and then some
I weighed in at 220 or so last Monday. Now I am between 216 and 217. I am hoping for 216 for tomorrow's weigh in. :) That would be awesome! I need to really focus on getting in all 5 days of ST, and 3 days of running from here on out.
Today I opted to nix the run and focus on a task I have been putting off for almost 2 years! I finally got around to cleaning and organizing our office at home. About time, seriously!
I am 3 weeks out from my formal training, so I figured that I could afford the off day and get some serious spring sleaning done.
The office feels so much lighter, and believe you me... with the amount of furniture and book that I moved - including a TV twice! - I certainly got in some good exercise.
I am in the process of baking a few potatoes (a first for me), and a lemon/garlic turkey tenderloin.
I was super good on eating today!
So here is the wrap up for the rest of the weekend.
FRIDAY - 32.5/28 points for the day Ran 45 minutes
I didn't get the opportunity to work out (strength train) due to a possible plant shut-down at work. yeah suppliers! I got that all traightened out and by the time it was all set - it was too late to hit the gym.Had Taco bell (Tizzo as I call it) for dinner. Ordered a Chalupa (the uinfried one) with chicken, fresco style. Also had a taco fresco style, rice and beans - both fresco style. Well within points value for the day.
SATURDAY - 28.5/28 points, Walked 40 minutes, Back and Bis
Did so well on points that I had room for Cold Stone... and I still am loosing weight. I LOVE weight watchers. ;) Did strength training in the morning, then went to Birmingham, MI with MIke's (my boyfriend) Sister Mara. We walked around B-ham, and had lunch (late) at Tropical Squeee Cafe. I have a veggie and hummus wrap, an iced tea, and a mall (1/3 cup maybe) forrest berry sorbet. Loved it! For dinner I made chili with ground turkey (lean) and then had a like it ssie (small) of cake batter ice cream with brownie in it. only went over by .5!
A little note here - I am doing a modified Wendi plan on WW - I vary my points every day - opting to have one super high point day to shock my systems, then I level back down to my normal points. So far this ha worked out for me. No platuing so far.
SUNDAY - Cleaned for 3 AP's, 22/28 points.
Cleaned to office. Straightened out living and dinning rooms. Did dishes. Made dinner. Will try to get DBF to go for a walk with me after dinner. We wil see how this goes lol. Feeling great today!
I hope that everyone is having a wonderful weekend! It just got sunny aagin within the last hour or so here... so I hope everyone enjoyed their days off!
I looked over my training schedule and I am slated to start training fo rmy half-marathons starting in 3 weeks. I have been getting in some good base miles just get back into the swing of things, and plus this way I will know what will trigger any deviations from my plan once I start. One such deviation that hit me last night - a friend of mine got a job in my area, but lives an hour away so she crashed at my place. I did not want to be gone terribly long leaving her alone for a few hours, so I just did strength training and only 30 minutes of walking. Tonight I will get in my run and then hit the gym for back and biceps.
I am feeling so much more preapred now - and as a bonus, I weighed myself this AM, and I am at 218 even. I re-lost the momentary gain of 2lbs - plus an additional 0.2! This makes me very excited.
Diet alone is not the answer - it is the start - but not the end all be all. I have learned that I need to keep active.
One thing I reflected upon yesterday was that I finally have to battle my fear of failure. I have the courage to start - I must now develop the strength to finish. And not just to finish - but to finish strong.
So here is the recap from last night:
THURSDAY - 31.5/28 points (had some extra pasts after working out - still way under weekly flex points) Walked 30 minutes, legs/shoulder for 15-20 minutes. Increased weight on most evercises.
I am seeing improvements in my strength. I can do 10 push ups, and hold plank for longer. I still need to to work on the crunches. Goal for Friday night is 60 crunches - plank for 20, 25, 30 seconds, and 11 puch ups.
Goal for Monday's WW weigh in - down another 2 lbs, for a total of 216 weight. Thank goodness I have a 5 miler on Sunday to run!
Yeah - I decided to sleep in stead of doing a FIRM workout. BOO me!
However My plan for today is to go through with the Running for 45 minute (60 if I can do ti), the strength training. I think because I mised today' FIRM workout as a bonus, I wilol sneak in some bonus cardio during lunch by heading to a park or walking around my building if the weather is nice.
I thought that I would post my tentative race schedule for 2006.
All but the Boston half I am certain of doing.
I am a member of half2run.com, which is a group of people who want to run a half-marathon in 25 states. I am at 4 states down so far, with the addition of 2 more this year. I tend torun some races every year because I really like them!
If I run all of these - I will have 12 halfs under my gu-belt (lol... runner' joke there), 6 states down.
I also have in October (the 13th - 14th) the Pheddipidations Worldwide half marathon, which is in it's second year, and you run 13.1 mile, either in a formal race or on your own. People from all over the world run the race that day - and we submit our times in the WWHalf for ranking. If you want more info, feel free to visit the website, or even go check out Steve Runner's page - he is the hot of Pheddipidations. I HIGHLY recommend his podcast to you as he is wonderful - full of knowledge - and is a normal runner - no Kenyan blood in him! Very insightful. Even if you are not a runner, check him out - you just may catch the bug!
So that is my running schedule in a nutshell.
If you are really interested in the rest of my running life, I do have a running blog over at The 13.1 Mile Journey. I post nearly daily as to what I am going through with my training, motivational items, as well as carry on running dialogs with other runners all over the world. Pleae feel free to check it out!
DBF got home then was in a sour mood due to some depression issues with work. We sat down and talked for an hour, me trying to get him to see the brighter side - and by the time he felt better it wa already too late to get to the gym. I made him promise me that we would work out Saturday in lieu of today, and he agreed.
So for dinner was a nice garlic encruted pork chop, with mixed veggies, followed by a mini-toblerone to cheer DBF up.
Tomorrow on tap is back and biceps for strength, preceeded by 45-60 minutes of running. I also would LOVE to get up early and fit in a FIRM session before work. I would consider it bonus cardio/sculpting. It is only 30 minutes, so I should be able to handle that... lol... yeah right. I adore sleep too much!
However, if I could force myself to get up at 5:30, I could get it in and done... heck even if I woke up at 6AM I would be golden.
So that is my plan. I have said (written) it, so now I must do it, right?!?!
Again, I am working hard for these muscles... some day I would love to see them! Fell free to give me heck if I miss my FIRM session in the morning! I'd deserve every last tongue lashing!
Today I am a blogging fool aren't I? Please bear with me!
I was doing some product searches on the Jeff Galloway website, and came across this marathon benifiting the Mayo Clinic and women living with Breast Cancer.
Aw what the heck. There is a half-marathon option as well, but I think that I may as well sign up for the full. It is for a good cause, and I have a little less than 1 full year to get ready for it. I think by October I will have an idea if I will do the 26.2 or stick with my typical 13.1.
If it does not work out for me, I will just continue to play around with the ratios until I either find one that works, or I decided to not do it and just run straight through.
For the halfs, I have no issues really. It is the 26.2 that I have this HUGE freaking mental block. Come to think of it... it is more of a lack of training block vs. a mental one.
Here si where the fear comes in. My goals and my attitude have been so miss-aligned. i want to succeed at running, and used to take running as an excuse to eat whatever I wanted.
Errr... wrong.
I now need to look at food as fuel.
How the heck do you take emotion out of food?
I love food. I hate food. I am plain consumed by food at times.
So how can I have two compeltely opposite thoughts on the same thing?
I want to get healthy. i want to run decent. I want to love my body. Oh, and I want to eat like a hog and just go crazy at the sight of bad things! Is that SO much to ask?
Yes. It is.
I have this self-defeatist attitude a lot. I have ran 2 marathons, but only finished one. The first I had to quit at mile 23. A marathon is only 26.2 miles long. I couldn't even make it that last 3.2. But then again - I could have. I just decided that it was too hard.. and I was done.
I have run 8 half-marathons (13.1 miles or 21.1K to my non-US friends). I have only really been proud of 3 of them. The others, I simply shirk through... I plod along the course walk often and run half-heartedly.
Now I am getting serious about training for my 4 remaining halfs this year, and my 3rd Marathon in Feb 2008. HOWEVER - I am afraid that I will give up and only give a portion of myself to the neccessary training. I am afraid that my love for food will overtake my love for running.
I had gained somewhere about 30lbs since October 2006. I need to get that straightened out otherwise my running career will be cut short due to injury.
*sigh*
But I digress...
So if my goal is to simply finish this marathon - like my goal has been for all of them - then the Galloway method should do the trick. I am not planning on a time goal for this one - only that I come in under 6:45. Seriously. If I can sustain my pace even with the run-walk-run, then I should be able to do it in 6 or less. That is an admirable goal... IMHO at the least.
So on to half-marathon training. DAMN it is hot when I run. But then again - it will be in the dead middle of August when I approach the start line for my 9th half marathon, and my only one in Summer - so I should really practice with hydration and pre/post run rituals I plan on following during the race itself.
I have decided on investing in some Accelerade. It is supposed to have the correct ratio of nutrients that your body needs for running prep and recovery. I may as well get used to it now, because I have suffered dehydration during my runs, and I tell ya - it ain't pretty.
Well that is all. Oh - and if you are looking for some good running related podcasts - check out the Zen Runner, Pheddipidations, or Running from the Reaper on iTunes. They are all pretty amusing for the run!
