The day did not begin well.
I hopped on the scale to find I have GAINED 2.5 pounds since Friday. HUH? I mean, I know I ate some cookies yesterday, but come on!!! Gave myself some positive self talk and kept going.
I went to make breakfast, and was nearly out of oatmeal. As in, I only had 1/4 cup and I needed 1/2 cup. I almost bought some last week, but I just KNEW I had 2 more boxes at home. Wrong. So I only had 1/2 of my usual serving. Not great on a high activity day.
I got to the gym and, you guessed it, every damn elliptical was in use. This is a BIG gym. There are 8 ellipticals (the kind I use anyway, there are other types too). NOW what do I do??
I saw my trainer and asked if she was free to train right then, rather than waiting an hour for my scheduled time. She was, so I worked with her for an hour first, leaving the entire 8 miles for after, instead of breaking it up into 2 sessions with training in between.
I had prepared well, bringing 2 big bottles of water and a snack of granola and grapes for my mid-point break. Only now my time schedule was all off.
I finished training and hopped on the elliptical. I think I've done an hour straight before, but at a lower intensity than I do nowadays, and I usually stop at 45 minutes. So this was going to be a long one. I just had no idea HOW long.
I don't sweat much, never have. 45 minutes on the elliptical will leave me "glistening", but that's about it. If it's really really hot out, my face and neck might get sweaty, and when I have a hot flash, my shins sweat (weird, huh?), but that's it. Well, I was sweating like a pig!! I drank all of my water. We're talking 48 ounces! No problem getting in my 8 glasses today!
I was reading a good book while I worked, so it wasn't too bad. But then I finished the book. I started another (God, I LOVE my Kindle!) but it just wasn't holding my attention very well. I kept looking at how far I'd gone, and thinking of how far I still had to go. That damn mileage display was NOT helping things!
At 5 miles, I had to take a break. The stupid machine tops out at an hour, plus a 5 minute cool down! So I had to reset. Thank God my trainer trusts me! I walked around for a minute, stretched a bit, and climbed back on. It was alot harder than I remember it being the first round. I decided to switch the display from distance to revolutions/min. I kept my speed where I usually do, but it was really really hard!
About 30 minutes in to my second round, my trainer came over to chat. I had a little more than a mile to go. I was fading. FAST. She gave me a pep talk, and stayed to encourage me. I'd sent my BFF a text, and she responded with encouraging comments like "you can do it", and "you're amazing and tough". This is why she's my BFF--she always knows exactly the right thing to say!! Thanks Tracey! Thanks Jaime!
35 minutes in, I switched back to the distance display, and realized I was almost done! I kept chatting with Jaime, and before I knew it, I'd hit the 3 mile mark! I climbed down off the machine, with more than a little difficulty, and did some stretching. I thanked her for her support, got my paper signed, and hobbled out of there. I ate my snack in the car, made a quick stop at the grocery store (oatmeal, remember?), and headed home to collapse.
Until I remembered I had to pick up my doggie from boarding. 30 minutes away.
How the heck am I ever going to swim 50 laps tomorrow?????
Monday, June 14, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
The Curse of the Chocolate Chip Cookies
My mom makes the world's best chocolate chip cookies. Seriously. They are famous all over the world! Spain, Turkey, Finland, Croatia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea, Kosovo--you name it. And those cookies are responsible for more than a few of the extra pounds I was carrying around for so many years.
Today my mom baked cookies in celebration of my daughter's swimming success at the Summer Olympics this weekend. I grabbed a quick bite of the dough (the best part!) and told myself that was enough.
But then she had to go and BAKE them! And the whole house smelled SOOOO good! And of course I had to eat just one. And on the way out to pick up my son, just one more. And one more, and....well you get the idea.
To top that off, we had Spaghetti Pie for dinner. Pasta, eggs, cheese...all on the no-no list for food sensitivities. (as if the flour, eggs and butter in the cookies wasn't bad enough!) Oh, and did I mention we had ice cream for dessert? Ay yi yi!
So now I'm back home with a headache, feeling nauseous, and wondering eating those ghings was worth it. OK, I overdid it on the cookies. But a little ice cream? And a long-time favorite dish for dinner?
Yeah, it was worth it. Now, if only those damn cookies weren't so GOOD! (and if only there wern't still 6 of them in a bag on my counter...for the kids, I PROMISE!!! I'm done.)
Tomorrow starts the Triathalon. I suppose I could consider this carb loading...
Today my mom baked cookies in celebration of my daughter's swimming success at the Summer Olympics this weekend. I grabbed a quick bite of the dough (the best part!) and told myself that was enough.
But then she had to go and BAKE them! And the whole house smelled SOOOO good! And of course I had to eat just one. And on the way out to pick up my son, just one more. And one more, and....well you get the idea.
To top that off, we had Spaghetti Pie for dinner. Pasta, eggs, cheese...all on the no-no list for food sensitivities. (as if the flour, eggs and butter in the cookies wasn't bad enough!) Oh, and did I mention we had ice cream for dessert? Ay yi yi!
So now I'm back home with a headache, feeling nauseous, and wondering eating those ghings was worth it. OK, I overdid it on the cookies. But a little ice cream? And a long-time favorite dish for dinner?
Yeah, it was worth it. Now, if only those damn cookies weren't so GOOD! (and if only there wern't still 6 of them in a bag on my counter...for the kids, I PROMISE!!! I'm done.)
Tomorrow starts the Triathalon. I suppose I could consider this carb loading...
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Life Happens
And it's happening big time this weekend! My daughter is swimming in the NJ Special Olympics Summer Games (Go Marlins!!), so I'm spending the weekend at my parents (they live 5 minutes from the site of the games). In addition, I'm eating meals away from home (lunches) and prepared differently than my usual fare (dinners).
Today for lunch they had burgers and dogs. Yuck. My daughter didn't even want any! She begged me to bring her a sandwich. So I got one for myself too. Pulled out some of the bready part of the roll, and asked for only a little mayo. I had that, chips (OK, could have skipped those...) and some grapes. Not bad! Mom's making pork chops for dinner, and I got a potato and some tomatoes at Whole Foods to have along with that. My breakfast and snacks were the usal ones.
I came in range on everything except calories, and even those were only over by less than 200. Not too shabby. Tomorrow we'll go out for lunch, and I'm planning on a salad with grilled chicken. Mom's making Spaghetti Pie for dinner, which is all the things I'm not supposed to be eating (cheese, wheat, eggs) so I'll eat a small portion.
Life happens. Planning ahead really helps to deal with it!
BTW, my little fishy got a gold and a bronze today!!!
Today for lunch they had burgers and dogs. Yuck. My daughter didn't even want any! She begged me to bring her a sandwich. So I got one for myself too. Pulled out some of the bready part of the roll, and asked for only a little mayo. I had that, chips (OK, could have skipped those...) and some grapes. Not bad! Mom's making pork chops for dinner, and I got a potato and some tomatoes at Whole Foods to have along with that. My breakfast and snacks were the usal ones.
I came in range on everything except calories, and even those were only over by less than 200. Not too shabby. Tomorrow we'll go out for lunch, and I'm planning on a salad with grilled chicken. Mom's making Spaghetti Pie for dinner, which is all the things I'm not supposed to be eating (cheese, wheat, eggs) so I'll eat a small portion.
Life happens. Planning ahead really helps to deal with it!
BTW, my little fishy got a gold and a bronze today!!!
Friday, June 4, 2010
I Do Believe I've Lost My Mind!
Completely. Totally bonkers. Whacko! Yup, that's me!
I have signed up for a triathalon. Not a real one, mind you, I'm nowhere NEAR that level. But it's a thing at my gym, as part of the Biggest Loser Challenge. We have to cycle 15 miles, walk 8 miles on the treadmill, and swim 50 laps in the pool. We have a week to do it all, but each segment has to be done in ONE DAY! OK, the 15 mile ride is what I do in a normal 1 hour cycle class, so that's no problem. 8 miles on the treadmill is gonna kill my knees, and take me about 3 hours. I am allowed to do some on the elliptical instead, but that will only slow me down.
The biggest issue for me is the swimming. 50 laps? I haven't done that since college, when I did a swim-a-thon. It nearly killed me then (of course, I was nearly 100 pounds heavier at the time, but still...) It will probably take me most of a day to do it.
And on top of this fiasco, I still have to take 3 classes AND do 2 hours of personal training that same week! Well, if nothing else, it ought to boost my weight loss that week to record numbers.
Ay, yi yi, the things we'll do for $1000.
I have signed up for a triathalon. Not a real one, mind you, I'm nowhere NEAR that level. But it's a thing at my gym, as part of the Biggest Loser Challenge. We have to cycle 15 miles, walk 8 miles on the treadmill, and swim 50 laps in the pool. We have a week to do it all, but each segment has to be done in ONE DAY! OK, the 15 mile ride is what I do in a normal 1 hour cycle class, so that's no problem. 8 miles on the treadmill is gonna kill my knees, and take me about 3 hours. I am allowed to do some on the elliptical instead, but that will only slow me down.
The biggest issue for me is the swimming. 50 laps? I haven't done that since college, when I did a swim-a-thon. It nearly killed me then (of course, I was nearly 100 pounds heavier at the time, but still...) It will probably take me most of a day to do it.
And on top of this fiasco, I still have to take 3 classes AND do 2 hours of personal training that same week! Well, if nothing else, it ought to boost my weight loss that week to record numbers.
Ay, yi yi, the things we'll do for $1000.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
It Really DOES Make A Difference!
I've been eating properly for quite awhile now. I've stayed away from dairy, wheat, and eggs due to food sensitivities. Because of this, my seasonal allergies have been much better than usual, despite the horrible year for allergies that everyone else is moaning about. I've been feeling really good about this.
Tonite I went to a dinner that was prepared by my daughter and her teen chef classmates. I knew in advance that the menu contained all of my sensitive foods, but chose to eat reasonable portions of everything. This was obviously NOT an event that I could bring my own food to! But I know that "life happens", and sometimes we are not totally in control over what we will be eating. This was just one of those times.
The menu consisted of Spinach and Cheese Cannelloni, Cheesy Breadsticks, Caprese Salad, and Chocolate Sticky Bread. I ate the cannelloni, which was delicious, and part of a breadstick. I absolutely love Caprese Salad (mozzarella and tomatoes), so I had some of that. Then came the Chocolate Sticky Bread. Picture biscuit dough, wrapped around Hershey kisses, rolled in butter and cinnamon sugar, and placed 4 together in a muffin cup. O.M.G. Sheer heaven!!
OK, I should have had just one of the 4 little blobs of yumminess, but I couldn't help myself. It was so obscenely delicious I ate the whole thing. And didn't feel one bit guilty!!
Now I'm home. I still have an odd aftertaste in my mouth. And oh, boy, do I have a headache! My stomach is feeling a bit unsettled too. Needless to say, I will skip my usual one Hershey kiss at bedtime, since I've had 4 already. In fact, I'm thinking I'll forgo a snack altogether tonight.
I don't know why I'm surprised at these effects, but I am. It really does make a noticeable difference when I eat the things I'm sensitive to. Makes me not want to do it again any time soon. Which, I suppose, is a good thing, and maybe the whole idea in the first place!
Tonite I went to a dinner that was prepared by my daughter and her teen chef classmates. I knew in advance that the menu contained all of my sensitive foods, but chose to eat reasonable portions of everything. This was obviously NOT an event that I could bring my own food to! But I know that "life happens", and sometimes we are not totally in control over what we will be eating. This was just one of those times.
The menu consisted of Spinach and Cheese Cannelloni, Cheesy Breadsticks, Caprese Salad, and Chocolate Sticky Bread. I ate the cannelloni, which was delicious, and part of a breadstick. I absolutely love Caprese Salad (mozzarella and tomatoes), so I had some of that. Then came the Chocolate Sticky Bread. Picture biscuit dough, wrapped around Hershey kisses, rolled in butter and cinnamon sugar, and placed 4 together in a muffin cup. O.M.G. Sheer heaven!!
OK, I should have had just one of the 4 little blobs of yumminess, but I couldn't help myself. It was so obscenely delicious I ate the whole thing. And didn't feel one bit guilty!!
Now I'm home. I still have an odd aftertaste in my mouth. And oh, boy, do I have a headache! My stomach is feeling a bit unsettled too. Needless to say, I will skip my usual one Hershey kiss at bedtime, since I've had 4 already. In fact, I'm thinking I'll forgo a snack altogether tonight.
I don't know why I'm surprised at these effects, but I am. It really does make a noticeable difference when I eat the things I'm sensitive to. Makes me not want to do it again any time soon. Which, I suppose, is a good thing, and maybe the whole idea in the first place!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Listening To My Body
My body has been talking to me lately. Alot. I ignored it for awhile, but finally realized I needed to listen to what it was trying to tell me. And in doing so, I've learned some rather interesting things:
I can do more than I think I can. Whether it's an untried Pilates move, a cycle class, or just keeping on walking, I continue to be pleasantly surprised by what my body can do. So I should try before I say "I can't do that!"
Just because it's on the menu plan for the day doesn't mean eating it is a good idea. Sometimes I really am too full to finish my meal. It's perfectly alright to put off eating part of a meal until later. I can eat that cup of pineapple just as well with my evening snack as I can with my filling dinner. Not stopping when I feel full is counterproductive, not to mention damned uncomfortable!
Getting enough sleep is really, really, really important. And that doesn't just mean spending time laying in bed. My Exer-Spy tells me how much time I spend doing each, and I'm often amazed at the amount of time I spend NOT sleeping, when I think I am. Going to bed earlier gives me more time to get in enough actual sleep, and makes me more productive the next day.
Sometimes I just need to rest. I spent last Friday walking around Six Flags Great Adventure with my son's Middle School band. Lots of walking, lots of sun, not alot of healthy food choices available (so I didn't eat much). I came home and was just worn out. In bed by 10:30, sound asleep before 11, and I didnt' wake up until 10:15 the next morning! If that wasn't a message from the management, I don't know what it was! I chose to take the day off from exercise, and use the hour I would have spent at the gym to pay a much needed visit to the chiropractor. Since Sunday is always my day off, I got a 2-day break. And was ready and raring to go this morning when it was time to head out to the gym!
Sometimes the cure is worse than the disease. I've been on too many meds for various health issues, and have long said I wish I could get off the anti-inflammatory so I could also say goodbye to the diuretic (needed because the anti-inflammatory causes fluid retention) and the Prevacid (to protect my stomach from the effects). Well, turns out my kidneys aren't real fond of the stuff either, so my doctor told me I had to stop taking them. She prescribed a painkiller instead. I didn't feel like it was helping that much, if at all. So I stopped taking it. The jury is still out on whether I can do without it, but I'm sure hoping.
I'm not a teenager anymore. I am a middle aged woman who has been severely overweight for most of my life. I will never have a 29 inch waist again. I will never have thin thighs, or toned legs and arms. I have wrinkles and they are here to stay. I may admire someone else's figure, or legs, or whatever, but there's no point in wishing I had that figure, or legs, or whatever, because I DON'T and I WON'T, even if I weighed 110 pounds! This is partly genetic, partly age related, and mostly my own doing. I'm much better off accepting the body I have and taking the best possible care of it.
So, see, I HAVE been listening! Paying attention, even. About time, dontcha think?
I can do more than I think I can. Whether it's an untried Pilates move, a cycle class, or just keeping on walking, I continue to be pleasantly surprised by what my body can do. So I should try before I say "I can't do that!"
Just because it's on the menu plan for the day doesn't mean eating it is a good idea. Sometimes I really am too full to finish my meal. It's perfectly alright to put off eating part of a meal until later. I can eat that cup of pineapple just as well with my evening snack as I can with my filling dinner. Not stopping when I feel full is counterproductive, not to mention damned uncomfortable!
Getting enough sleep is really, really, really important. And that doesn't just mean spending time laying in bed. My Exer-Spy tells me how much time I spend doing each, and I'm often amazed at the amount of time I spend NOT sleeping, when I think I am. Going to bed earlier gives me more time to get in enough actual sleep, and makes me more productive the next day.
Sometimes I just need to rest. I spent last Friday walking around Six Flags Great Adventure with my son's Middle School band. Lots of walking, lots of sun, not alot of healthy food choices available (so I didn't eat much). I came home and was just worn out. In bed by 10:30, sound asleep before 11, and I didnt' wake up until 10:15 the next morning! If that wasn't a message from the management, I don't know what it was! I chose to take the day off from exercise, and use the hour I would have spent at the gym to pay a much needed visit to the chiropractor. Since Sunday is always my day off, I got a 2-day break. And was ready and raring to go this morning when it was time to head out to the gym!
Sometimes the cure is worse than the disease. I've been on too many meds for various health issues, and have long said I wish I could get off the anti-inflammatory so I could also say goodbye to the diuretic (needed because the anti-inflammatory causes fluid retention) and the Prevacid (to protect my stomach from the effects). Well, turns out my kidneys aren't real fond of the stuff either, so my doctor told me I had to stop taking them. She prescribed a painkiller instead. I didn't feel like it was helping that much, if at all. So I stopped taking it. The jury is still out on whether I can do without it, but I'm sure hoping.
I'm not a teenager anymore. I am a middle aged woman who has been severely overweight for most of my life. I will never have a 29 inch waist again. I will never have thin thighs, or toned legs and arms. I have wrinkles and they are here to stay. I may admire someone else's figure, or legs, or whatever, but there's no point in wishing I had that figure, or legs, or whatever, because I DON'T and I WON'T, even if I weighed 110 pounds! This is partly genetic, partly age related, and mostly my own doing. I'm much better off accepting the body I have and taking the best possible care of it.
So, see, I HAVE been listening! Paying attention, even. About time, dontcha think?
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Random Thoughts
On Friday, my BFF turned 50. That means I only have about 5 months to go. We went out to dinner with a mutual friend who I haven't seen in years. It's hard to believe that it was 40 years ago that we were the 3 little girls on bicycles riding around the neighborhood. Where have the years gone?
I got a salad spinner for Mothers' Day. Who knew a little thing like that could get me so excited? I love it! Makes salad making SO much easier.
Monday I took a Zumba Gold class. It's supposed to be "slower paced". I'm so glad they think so. I still can't keep up--I've got 2 left feet. But it was lots of fun, and I'd do it again.
Tuesday I went bike to the torture chamber...er, cycle studio. Beginner Cycle. I took my padded seat cover and promised myself I would stay for the one hour class. It was TOTALLY different from the first cycle class I took! I couldn't keep up the pace, but I did just fine. I was even able to ride standing up for a bit. And I lasted the whole hour!! Funny, but when I left, my legs were tired but my arms felt like jello. Guess I'm still leaning on them too much.
Yesterday I went to a women's conference with my favorite author, Liz Curtis Higgs. I don't know when I've laughed so hard so much! It was a wonderful day of fellowship. I even bought 2 more books!
Today I feel achy. My neck hurts and I've got a wicked headache. I did 45 minutes on the elliptical this morning, and that's when I noticed my neck was hurting. My stomach has been sore too--actually my abdomen, not the stomach proper. So I'm taking it easy tonite. My son got his braces on today--he looks so cute with his mouth full of metal!
Tomorrow is scale day. I wonder what the numbers will show. My ExerSpy says I'm running a calorie defecit of about 800-900/day. I actually dropped my calories from the high 1600s to the low 1500s. I need to be in weight LOSS range, not maintenance. But I also found that, while my expected calorie burn is 2175/day, most days I'm burning around 2500. I lvoe my ExerSpy. Unfortunately, my computer doesn't--half the time I can'tget it to download. Tomorrow I'm just going to download it at the gym.
Goodness, I lead such as fascinating life...NOT!
I got a salad spinner for Mothers' Day. Who knew a little thing like that could get me so excited? I love it! Makes salad making SO much easier.
Monday I took a Zumba Gold class. It's supposed to be "slower paced". I'm so glad they think so. I still can't keep up--I've got 2 left feet. But it was lots of fun, and I'd do it again.
Tuesday I went bike to the torture chamber...er, cycle studio. Beginner Cycle. I took my padded seat cover and promised myself I would stay for the one hour class. It was TOTALLY different from the first cycle class I took! I couldn't keep up the pace, but I did just fine. I was even able to ride standing up for a bit. And I lasted the whole hour!! Funny, but when I left, my legs were tired but my arms felt like jello. Guess I'm still leaning on them too much.
Yesterday I went to a women's conference with my favorite author, Liz Curtis Higgs. I don't know when I've laughed so hard so much! It was a wonderful day of fellowship. I even bought 2 more books!
Today I feel achy. My neck hurts and I've got a wicked headache. I did 45 minutes on the elliptical this morning, and that's when I noticed my neck was hurting. My stomach has been sore too--actually my abdomen, not the stomach proper. So I'm taking it easy tonite. My son got his braces on today--he looks so cute with his mouth full of metal!
Tomorrow is scale day. I wonder what the numbers will show. My ExerSpy says I'm running a calorie defecit of about 800-900/day. I actually dropped my calories from the high 1600s to the low 1500s. I need to be in weight LOSS range, not maintenance. But I also found that, while my expected calorie burn is 2175/day, most days I'm burning around 2500. I lvoe my ExerSpy. Unfortunately, my computer doesn't--half the time I can'tget it to download. Tomorrow I'm just going to download it at the gym.
Goodness, I lead such as fascinating life...NOT!
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