Crossing it off the list

I recommend setting goals for yourself and working hard to achieve them. It's so incredibly satisfying to cross something hard off your goal list. I also recommend that a lot of the hard work comes BEFORE the finish line. Do what I say, not what I do.

I ran a 5k yesterday! My very first! I hadn't been training in a month! It was really, really hard! When I first started running a few years ago, I could only run/walk/run/walk. Then I got up to running a mile without stopping, then two. At the beginning of the year I was running twice a week, and I got up to 3.25 miles pretty easily -- slowly, very slowly, but manageable. So when I signed up for the 5k at the end of March, I felt pretty confident.

Then I started focusing my goal on my Zumba teaching license (post needed!) and slacked on the running. I figured it would be fine because all the endurance was still there; I was doing 20-25 hours of Zumba a month in April and May, and the training class was 8 hours long. So I thought I'd be all right.

This is my "Oh God, am I really about to run a 5k?" face.

I ran the Meet Me Downtown 5k, which was....downtown. On June 1. In Tucson. Which is in the DESERT. Lucky for us, yesterday was the first day we hit over 100 degrees in 2013! It was so hot ;_;

When we first started out, all I could think was "Oh wow, I'm really doing this!" It was tough to find my own pace in the sea of faster, better runners, and my muscles protested loudly for the first half mile. One of the lovely things about this race was the good residents of downtown Tucson. They sat on their porches and on the sidewalks and cheered us on, and they sprayed us with their garden hoses. That was the best. I definitely picked up the pace after a good drenching.

I ran the entire 5k. I was determined not to slow to a walk, because then it wouldn't count as running a 5k and I'd have to do the whole damn thing over again. So I ran it. Very slowly. There might have been people walking faster than me. BUT I RAN IT.

After: Fat, sassy, 'n sore.

It was a great feeling running to the finish line. I pushed every last bit of energy I had into that last sprint and finished 3.1 miles in 49:10. Which is pretty average pace for me...no records, but no major slow downs from my norm either.

After the race there was free vitamin water, bananas (I took 3), some amazing trail mix, and turkey hot dogs. And apparently beer, too, but we didn't get any. There was a band playing and local food trucks, but mostly we all just wanted to get home.

It's done! 5k! Crossed off the list! Never have to do it again!

Oh, what, there's a Turkey 5k Run in November? Well, we'll see....

What works - what doesn't work?

I'm about to finish my second week on the Four-Hour Body's Slow Carb diet. The scale isn't showing much of a change, but my pants are noticeably looser, and I know I'm gaining muscle from strength training 2-3 times a week.

I'm still struggling with the diet -- the same problems I have with any low-carb diet. I get so physically ill eating the same high-protein foods over and over. I'm doing all right in the mornings with my eggs and turkey bacon, but I'm having trouble facing chicken and salads. I feel like I'd really rather throw up than eat the allowed foods.

I've been tracking my foods in MyFitnessPal, mostly so I can make sure I'm getting enough nutrients, proteins and carbs, and I'm generally eating 1200 calories or less. Just because I cannot eat any more.

Why am I keeping this up? I'm giving it a full month, until the end of August, to see how I feel and how my body is doing (btw, my abs? TOTALLY THERE. Ablicious!). I like this diet because I do believe carbs and processed foods are harmful and slow carb forces me to eat real, whole foods. It's also easy: there's a list of foods I'm allowed to eat, and that's it. There's control. That's really the bottom line. If I can't control my diet, then I am out of control and on a binge.

I had great success with Weight Watchers from 2006-2009. I tracked my points carefully, often plotting out everything I would eat for the day in the morning before leaving for school or work. The problem with this plan, and the reason I'm hesitant to try it again? I was eating almost exclusively processed foods. It's difficult to count points with recipes (this was before recipe calculators that are popular now), and I don't have a food scale. While frozen foods and packaged snacks tell me exactly how many calories/points they contain. I know even if I was just counting calories with MyFitnessPal, I would still be tempted to fall back on processed foods instead of eating real foods.

It's still healthy even if I can't pronounce over half the ingredients, right?

And so I stick with Slow Carb, at least until August 31. I'm looking forward to seeing my measurements at the end of the month!

What works for you in your way of eating? Do you need to have the control, and how do you include more whole foods in your diet?

Rodeo Week!

It's rodeo week in Tucson!!

Which is apparently kind of a big deal, but I wouldn't know, since I'm from the midwest. I know the a lot of the schools in the area close for the rodeo. We get to wear our western wear to work on Wednesday, but since I'm from Ohio, I'm just going to wear normal clothes.

I was trying to think of a way to link the Wild West and the rodeo to weight loss, but I just can't come up with anything. Unless I die of dysentery, but that's really more a pacific northwest thing. Lucky bastards.

This week! I was pretty good! I went to the gym four times, thus honoring my pact with Gympact. I can't wait to see how much money I get for last week; since I added an extra day, I get an extra share of the winnings. REALLY looking forward to that Hulu+ subscription!

Yesterday I weighed in four pounds down for the week. Which is very yay! And then there was the monkey bread. I really wanted to have a nice, homemade breakfast with Boyfriend -- I'd been thinking banana bread, these bananas in my kitchen are almost goo -- but he suggested monkey bread. Actually, he suggested french toast AND monkey bread, but I talked him back down to just the monkey bread.

(What the hell is monkey bread? Also called pull-apart bread, it's basically refrigerated biscuits, cinnamon, sugar, butter and brown sugar. SO GOOD. SO FULL OF FATTY CARBS.)

 

 

 

 

There's no way this is good for you.

At first I was good. I counted the calories for EVERYTHING I ate, even if it meant I used up most of my daily allotment by 2pm. But I discovered something, which is probably a very DUH realization, but it just hit home yesterday: empty carby sugar makes me HUNGRIER. I'd done pretty well with the hunger all week. I'll have you know I had NO ICE CREAM and DID NOT order pizza! But as soon as I had a serving of that monkey bread, I was ravenous. I went back several more times during the day, then ate dinner, had popcorn at the video store, and had MORE monkey bread.

As a result, my net loss for the week on the scale this morning was 2.6. I'm 183 even.

I have seen my enemy, and it is sugar. I even saw it a little with the lowfat frozen yogurt I bought. I could be full and satisfied, have a small helping of frozen yogurt to kill the ice cream craving, and then suddenly I was hungry again!

Now that I know my weakness, how am I going to avoid it? No ice cream and no pizza again this week (I did have one Lean Cuisine pizza last week, and it helped). No baking things I know I can't control myself with! There's leftover monkey crack, but I'm not eating any more of it. If I don't start, I won't lose control.

Four gym workouts this week is the goal. REALLY hoping to see the 170s by next Monday!

Right Track

So I don't want to jinx myself, but I seem to be doing pretty well this week! I've been PERFECTLY on plan for three out of four days, and on Valentine's Day I still tracked everything I ate and exercised that morning! Morning weigh-ins confirm I am down a couple pounds, although I'll get my official weigh-in Monday morning. Yesterday at work I resisted a CUPCAKE. CUPCAKE. It was a grocery store cupcake; if it had been gourmet, I totally would have caved.

Exercise has involved my two favorites: swimming and Zumba, although sporadically. I'm also running 3-4 times a week and doing strength training! Oh, so much strength training. My friend Kai, a crossfit guru, has been helping me with my form and encouraging me to use heavier weights. Tuesday we did lunges and squats, and my legs STILL hurt! Wednesday was the worst; I could barely move at all, and I declared that day a rest day.

Kai and her fiancee Sarah met me at the gym last night for some heavy lifting. I'd already been to the gym that morning for my cardio. I tried logging into Gympact, but apparently they think you can only work out once a day. DENIED.

"This is for my blog" "Well then shouldn't we be doing something?"

Sarah doing a super-impressive back squat

You will notice there are NO WEIGHTS on my bar. I can only handle the 45-pound bar itself.

 Yeah, I'm starting from scratch with the strength training. Four years ago I'd built up a bit of muscle, but it is gone, gone, gone, turned into fleshy fat and loose skin. I really appreciate the support and encouragement I get when I strength train with my friends. They keep me in proper form and give me new exercises to try!

I have a huge blocking fear of the deadlift. Many years ago I did it -- INCORRECTLY -- and I threw my back out. For over a week I was barely able to move, limping from class to work, and sitting on a heating pad all day. It was terrible. I really want to strengthen my back in other ways before I give it another try. This is just a reminder of how important correct form is when using weights. Improper form can, at best, just not work out the muscles enough and at worst, fuck you up painfully.

Boyfriend was out last night, so I made myself a dinner. Two turkey burgers cooked on the George Forman grill. I like watching the fatty bits drip off and into the tray. No bun, but reduced fat mayo with olive oil. I will sacrifice bread for mayo. Also Kraft sharp cheddar slices, ketchup and pickles. As you can see, I was starving and couldn't wait to take the first bite.

The weekend is coming, and that brings a new set of challenges. You see, at my crappy job, I work ALL DAY, ALL WEEKEND. 10 hours each day. It is very dull, and in the past I've grazed on junk all day just to make it through. Preparing to keep myself happy and full for the weekend has taken a lot of ADVANCED PLANNING. I already know what I'm going to eat through 7pm on Saturday. Snacks and such will be packed tonight, to save me time in the a.m.

How do you plan ahead for long days? I'd much rather have an array of snacks I may not eat than run out and be desperate enough to raid the vending machine. What do you do when you run out of healthy snacks? Do you suck down more water and pee every 10 minutes (burning calories running to the restroom!) or do you cave and find the least evil thing in the vending machine?