Inspirational link of the day: Liz gets buff. If a 50 year old grandmother with back pain and almost no muscle tone can do that to her body, none of us have any excuses at all. All we lack is sufficient desire and conviction.
I talk about my own "before and after" in this blog's first entry, but I still consider myself to be "during" really. I'd like to lower my body fat percentage, get my eating under more control, run faster, bike more regularly... etc!
In other news, I'm so proud of my mother. She has struggled with her weight for as long as I've been alive, and I've seen her yo-yo a few times on diets I considered to be less than great (low carb, for example). But this time is different: she's lost 30 pounds, goes to the gym three or more times a week, and has her blood sugar under control with no medication at all. She says she has more energy and never feels hungry or deprived. Eat less, eat better, move more, live well.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Monday, March 27, 2006
Groove
I've definitely got my groove back. Something in my head finally clicked into place and I'm back on the full regimen: clean eating, logging food, no coffee, and working out almost every day. My weight was creeping upward and had stayed above my trigger weight (150) for a week and a half, and there are only 6 weeks until my race, so since I want to kick ass at my race and not lug around this belly for two hours during it I'm back to 100% clean eating.
I'm going to suffer through a week or so of hunger, which sucks, but that's what I get for letting my weight bob up to 154 (eep!). I'm still going to indulge in a beer here or there but very mindfully. I'm going to try to get more sleep (as always). I have three concerts this week but then no concerts until April 21st, April 28th, and May 2nd, so I'll have no excuse to not get sleep.
My goal: 148 (my stable weight) by May 7th. If I get there easily then my secondary goal is a personal lowest weight: 144.
I'll be working out a LOT and eating clean, so I'm not worried about losing muscle instead of fat. I'll reevaluate my goals or methods if I don't like what's happening (too little energy, etc.).
My triathlon class today was great! We ran intervals on the treadmill and my form is getting much better. I was able to run 8:34 minute miles for the first two 5 minute intervals, and 9:13 minute miles for the second two (1 minute rests between intervals). Then we jumped into the pool and did some technique drills then swam 100 yard intervals with 30 seconds of rests, and I swam three 1:57 100 yards and one 1:59, which is definitely a major improvement on my old speeds. Whoo Hoo! As I suspected, previous to having real swimming instruction I was just flailing around in the pool like a cat having a seizure. Now I at least know what to ask my body to do, even if it doesn't always do it.
I'm going to suffer through a week or so of hunger, which sucks, but that's what I get for letting my weight bob up to 154 (eep!). I'm still going to indulge in a beer here or there but very mindfully. I'm going to try to get more sleep (as always). I have three concerts this week but then no concerts until April 21st, April 28th, and May 2nd, so I'll have no excuse to not get sleep.
My goal: 148 (my stable weight) by May 7th. If I get there easily then my secondary goal is a personal lowest weight: 144.
I'll be working out a LOT and eating clean, so I'm not worried about losing muscle instead of fat. I'll reevaluate my goals or methods if I don't like what's happening (too little energy, etc.).
My triathlon class today was great! We ran intervals on the treadmill and my form is getting much better. I was able to run 8:34 minute miles for the first two 5 minute intervals, and 9:13 minute miles for the second two (1 minute rests between intervals). Then we jumped into the pool and did some technique drills then swam 100 yard intervals with 30 seconds of rests, and I swam three 1:57 100 yards and one 1:59, which is definitely a major improvement on my old speeds. Whoo Hoo! As I suspected, previous to having real swimming instruction I was just flailing around in the pool like a cat having a seizure. Now I at least know what to ask my body to do, even if it doesn't always do it.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Back on the horse
A month ago I hit some kind of mental (possibly physical) wall; I remember being in the pool and just not being into the swim at all and climbing out after 15 minutes. After that I took two weeks pretty easy at the gym, although my first yoga class and first real bike ride were in that time. I was easing back into the full training regimen when I met a boy, started spending lots of time with him, and caught his cold. So the next week was pretty light on gym time as well. I'm still not completely over that cold, actually.
Enter the triathlon class two weeks ago. This has been priceless! The coach pushes us very hard, much harder than I'd be pushing myself right now, and this is very very necessary for me because I have only... 47 days until my race. The class will give me a big conditioning push then end in time for me to do a two week training taper before the race. Perfection. My performance in the class has been less stellar than I'd like; I'm not sure how much of that is due to me taking some time off from the gym and how much of it is this lingering cold.
The class will also help me catch up on my 2006 minutes, which you'll notice I've gone from being ahead to being behind on. :(
Also since my last entry I have proven that it's quite possible to fall off the horse no matter what eating plan and rules you've chosen. I've been pretty good most days, with a few binge days for the regular reasons. The weight blip was small and hopefully will go away quickly.
I suffered a low-blood-sugar attack during yesterday's workout and it took me a few hours to recover. That wasn't fun. I'm going to make sure to eat a portion of carbs a few hours before working out from now on.
Enter the triathlon class two weeks ago. This has been priceless! The coach pushes us very hard, much harder than I'd be pushing myself right now, and this is very very necessary for me because I have only... 47 days until my race. The class will give me a big conditioning push then end in time for me to do a two week training taper before the race. Perfection. My performance in the class has been less stellar than I'd like; I'm not sure how much of that is due to me taking some time off from the gym and how much of it is this lingering cold.
The class will also help me catch up on my 2006 minutes, which you'll notice I've gone from being ahead to being behind on. :(
Also since my last entry I have proven that it's quite possible to fall off the horse no matter what eating plan and rules you've chosen. I've been pretty good most days, with a few binge days for the regular reasons. The weight blip was small and hopefully will go away quickly.
I suffered a low-blood-sugar attack during yesterday's workout and it took me a few hours to recover. That wasn't fun. I'm going to make sure to eat a portion of carbs a few hours before working out from now on.
Monday, March 13, 2006
No Counting, No Worries
I have been maintaining my weight the same way I lost it: strict food measuring/logging/calorie counting and lots of exercise. But lately the food logging feels less and less sustainable, as does my old habit of eating micro-meals through the day. That worked great when I pre-portioned and packed all my food for the day every morning, but my new job feeds me free breakfast and lunch and snacks every day. There are lots and lots of healthy options, which I do eat, but I also find myself eating the dessert every day at lunch and just eating less real food to make the total calories add up right. I haven't gained weight, but I have started to build up a "sugar belly." With all this triathlon training I had to increase my caloric intake but I was just eating more sugars and not more good food (big salad, grilled chicken, fresh vegetables, two big chocolate chip cookies. Hmmm...). I began to realize that we're socialized to eat 3 big meals a day, not 5 or 6 small ones, and that I should make my maintenance plan work with that. And, let's face it; I'm tired of mentally cataloging the contents and portion sizes of everything I eat every meal so that I can go back to fitday.com and enter it all in every single day. It's draining. :(
Then I came across No-S, mulled it over for a few days, and realized that here was a very simple, intuitive set of rules I could make work for me as a long-haul solution. Snacking was my downfall, of course! In my old job I'd have a tiny breakfast and tiny lunch with snacks a few hours after each. But at the new free-food job where I'm eating three normal-sized meals a day I can't also save another few slices of toast for midmorning and another half sandwich for the afternoon, as had become my habit.
Amazingly, after a few days, I didn't miss the snacking at all. I really couldn't believe it. Not only did I not miss the snacking, but since eating between meals was now off limits I wasn't constantly thinking about all the food available to me in the break rooms. I'm actually hungry before lunch, so I enjoy lunch more. I don't go grab an extra scoop of this or slice of that after I've finished a meal but before my fullness meter has kicked in. And I can eat socially on the weekends guilt-free. I've binged once, but for the most part I listen to what my stomach is telling me.
Now, three weeks into this new pattern, my weight is still totally stable. (You didn't think I had stopped weighing myself every day, did you? :) All those lessons I taught my body about portion sizes, craving healthy food, and wanting to be physically active are certainly playing a role as well. But not counting, not logging, not obsessing: beautiful. Freeing. I feel like a normal person, almost.
Then I came across No-S, mulled it over for a few days, and realized that here was a very simple, intuitive set of rules I could make work for me as a long-haul solution. Snacking was my downfall, of course! In my old job I'd have a tiny breakfast and tiny lunch with snacks a few hours after each. But at the new free-food job where I'm eating three normal-sized meals a day I can't also save another few slices of toast for midmorning and another half sandwich for the afternoon, as had become my habit.
Amazingly, after a few days, I didn't miss the snacking at all. I really couldn't believe it. Not only did I not miss the snacking, but since eating between meals was now off limits I wasn't constantly thinking about all the food available to me in the break rooms. I'm actually hungry before lunch, so I enjoy lunch more. I don't go grab an extra scoop of this or slice of that after I've finished a meal but before my fullness meter has kicked in. And I can eat socially on the weekends guilt-free. I've binged once, but for the most part I listen to what my stomach is telling me.
Now, three weeks into this new pattern, my weight is still totally stable. (You didn't think I had stopped weighing myself every day, did you? :) All those lessons I taught my body about portion sizes, craving healthy food, and wanting to be physically active are certainly playing a role as well. But not counting, not logging, not obsessing: beautiful. Freeing. I feel like a normal person, almost.
Still sick, workouts, shoutouts, goals
I've had this cold for a week now and it's really beginning to cramp my style. It's just bad enough to be constantly noticeable, but not bad enough for me to take a few days off and just rest at home like I should. The cold also made me decide not to go for a run over the weekend (it was cold!), but I did do some light calisthenics just so I didn't feel like a complete slug.
Not being able to breath freely made today's triathlon training class less intense than I would have liked, but I still surprised myself. We ran intervals: 5 minutes at 75%-90% intensity, 1 minute walking, repeat. Run faster at each repeat. I started at a 10 min/mile pace, but by the last interval I was up to nearly an 8 min/mile and still feeling good. I was getting tired, but felt strong. The trainer, Tim, gave me some good tips on my running technique (raise my knees higher, take shorter strides) and as soon as I made those changes I wanted to run FASTER. It was amazing! In the end I was limited by my inability to breath full breaths. Then we jumped in the pool and worked some swimming technique drills.
Completely an unrelated note, I was googling my own name today and came across a stranger who found this blog and finds it inspiring! How great!
I'm playing with the idea of wanting to lose a few more pounds before my triathlon (55 days to go!). I've been hovering around 148 lbs for months now, but how great would it be to not have to lug some of this extra fat around for 19.5 miles? Maybe I'll postpone that decision until I'm not sick anymore.
Not being able to breath freely made today's triathlon training class less intense than I would have liked, but I still surprised myself. We ran intervals: 5 minutes at 75%-90% intensity, 1 minute walking, repeat. Run faster at each repeat. I started at a 10 min/mile pace, but by the last interval I was up to nearly an 8 min/mile and still feeling good. I was getting tired, but felt strong. The trainer, Tim, gave me some good tips on my running technique (raise my knees higher, take shorter strides) and as soon as I made those changes I wanted to run FASTER. It was amazing! In the end I was limited by my inability to breath full breaths. Then we jumped in the pool and worked some swimming technique drills.
Completely an unrelated note, I was googling my own name today and came across a stranger who found this blog and finds it inspiring! How great!
I'm playing with the idea of wanting to lose a few more pounds before my triathlon (55 days to go!). I've been hovering around 148 lbs for months now, but how great would it be to not have to lug some of this extra fat around for 19.5 miles? Maybe I'll postpone that decision until I'm not sick anymore.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Fast, Slow
I didn't work out at all last week. Excuses, excuses.
I have worked out some this week, but not rigorously. I even weightlifted, though it was only because I was avoiding a cardio session. In my defense I can't breathe well right now because I'm fighting off a cold.
I went running at lunch with a super-fast running co-worker. She let me set the pace, and I was feeling pretty slow (no working out lately, can't breath), but it turns out we ran a 9:20 min/mile pace for 1.75 miles (6.4 mph). Woah! I guess I'm getting faster if that feels slow.
I'm going on a trip this weekend and one of the other people going wants to go running with me. Let's see if I can sustain that pace.
Triathlon camp starts next week.
Weight stable on No-S. I love not obsessing about food. Very cool.
I have worked out some this week, but not rigorously. I even weightlifted, though it was only because I was avoiding a cardio session. In my defense I can't breathe well right now because I'm fighting off a cold.
I went running at lunch with a super-fast running co-worker. She let me set the pace, and I was feeling pretty slow (no working out lately, can't breath), but it turns out we ran a 9:20 min/mile pace for 1.75 miles (6.4 mph). Woah! I guess I'm getting faster if that feels slow.
I'm going on a trip this weekend and one of the other people going wants to go running with me. Let's see if I can sustain that pace.
Triathlon camp starts next week.
Weight stable on No-S. I love not obsessing about food. Very cool.
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Lunchtime Triathlon Training Camp
Apparently the turnout for the 6:30am - 8:00am Triathlon Training Camp at the work gym was so low (3 people) they've re-evaluated the wisdom of their choices and moved the class to 11:30am-1:00pm. Yay! Even better, it's now Mondays and Wednesdays instead of Tuesdays and Thursdays, which works much better with my meeting schedule at work. They couldn't have made this any better for me, really. Even an after work class wouldn't have been as good because late afternoon is when I get into a really good work groove, and I usually have social engagements at night.
This new class starts on March 13th. I've already signed up. All the training I've done since December has built a nice base for this class, I think. I hope. :)
In other news; I haven't worked out since that bike ride and yoga class on Sunday. I walked into work on Monday and was faced with a super high priority task, on top of a deadline yesterday that was pushed to today. I was at work until midnight on Monday and I let working out slip so that I could take care of myself (sleep) so that I could be super-effective at work. The strategy has worked, but I'm eager to get back to the gym. I have concert tickets for tonight and tomorrow but I'm going to try to get in there for at least a little bit. We'll see how today goes.
Oh god, Tim (triathlon training coach) is going to kick my ass... eep!
This new class starts on March 13th. I've already signed up. All the training I've done since December has built a nice base for this class, I think. I hope. :)
In other news; I haven't worked out since that bike ride and yoga class on Sunday. I walked into work on Monday and was faced with a super high priority task, on top of a deadline yesterday that was pushed to today. I was at work until midnight on Monday and I let working out slip so that I could take care of myself (sleep) so that I could be super-effective at work. The strategy has worked, but I'm eager to get back to the gym. I have concert tickets for tonight and tomorrow but I'm going to try to get in there for at least a little bit. We'll see how today goes.
Oh god, Tim (triathlon training coach) is going to kick my ass... eep!
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