My Losing List

Motivation wears off.

Now this is not a post about how everyone should be bathing daily - that is a whole different topic. ;)

During this week's Weight Watchers meetings, we are talking about creating a "Losing List." A losing list is a place for members to compile the reasons why they are looking to lose weight, create a healthy lifestyle or maintain the weight loss they already have.

The topic is wicked important to me. Since hitting goal in January 2012, I have found that I constantly need to remind myself why I lost the weight to begin with. Now it isn't because I really forget, but when I entered maintenance I found it more difficult than losing. I wasn't having the excitement of seeing a lower number on the scale each week.

I had to change my mindset. And with a new mindset came a new list of hurdles and a new level of motivation.

So I decided to create my own "Losing List."

1) Health - I didn't want to end up with high blood pressure, heart disease, etc.

2) Chairs - I wanted to comfortably fit in a chair with arms, airplane seats, movie theatre seats, etc.

3) Shopping - I wanted to be able to shop at "regular" clothing stores instead of the plus size stores.

4) Pants - I was tired of wearing sweatpants or pants that used a M-L-XL sizing chart just because I was avoiding seeing the actual size I had let myself reach ... which was a size 20.

5) Knees - I have knee pain (thanks genetics), but I learned that for every 1 lb I lost - it would relieve 3 lbs of pressure from my knees. Isn't that crazy?

6) Back - I had back surgery for a herniated disc midway through my weight loss journey and learned the more weight I kept off my back the better it was for my discs.

7) Stairs/Ramps - I was tired of getting winded by walking up stairs or trudging up the ramps at Wrigley Field during work.

8) My Wife - I wanted to start a healthy lifestyle so I would have a long future with my wife.

But to me, these are the easy answers. The ones that many people rattle off when starting a weight loss journey. But, I know in my heart of hearts there were deeper and truer reasons why I took that first step into Weight Watchers on November 2, 2009.

So here they are:

1) Self-Esteem - I HATED myself. I wanted to finally like - and over time learn to love - the person that I am.

2) Worth - I needed to prove to myself that I was WORTH making the change.

3) Eating Disorders - I wanted to prove to myself that I could lose weight and keep it off in a healthy manner. After battling two eating disorders for years, I knew there was a healthy way to lose weight.

4) Depression - Tired. I was so so tired of being unhappy with my outward appearance and the internal struggle I had to find the good inside myself. Which circles back to self-esteem.

5) Suicide - I hoped that as the weight began to disappear that the suicidal thoughts would do the same. I was so unhappy (see depression) for so long that the thoughts of suicide followed (especially in high school).

6) Hiding - I wanted to stop hiding behind my weight and start living!

Now, I didn't want to have so much of my self-worth tied to my weight, but it was. I thought that once the weight was gone I would be "cured," which I wasn't. But it has improved leaps and bounds.

Wow! Seeing all these things in writing really brings back the memories of how truly unhappy I was before embarking on this journey.

I can't always carry this list or blog post around with me so I need a physical object that can encapsulate the list. Weight Watchers calls these "anchors." I have more than one anchor - shocking! :P

One of my anchors is a tattoo. No I am not telling you you have to get yours tattooed on you too. ;)

Ancora Imparo is a Michelangelo saying in Italian which means: "I Am Still Learning."

This simple message helped easy my perfectionist mind deal with the ups and downs of a weight loss journey. I have it on my right wrist, which allows me to see it daily and touch it if I need an extra dose of motivation.

Will this list and anchor helped me through every single tough situation? No.

But that's why I have this list, this blog and this community - to pick me up when I need it.

***

What is your #1 reason for losing weight or embarking on a healthy lifestyle change?

Dani Dishes 11-25-13

On this episode of Dani Dishes, I share my thoughts on hitting my goal of running 1000 miles in 2013!!! Ahhhh! :)  

Thanksgiving Day Cheat Sheet & Tips

With six days to go before Thanksgiving and with an influx of interest from social media, I am going to share the Weight Watchers Turkey Day Cheat Sheet that I have been handing out to my meetings over the past several days. I also added a few Hanukkah items on there as well at the bottom. Obviously it doesn’t have every candy available on there, but I think I covered the most popular items.

Feel free to click on the above list and print out your own copy

*Points values taken from WW eTools.

***

Here are some of the tips to navigate the dreaded the HoliDAY that my members came up with this week:

My #1 recommendation is to wear clothes that fit!! That's right friends - keep the sweatpants at home. I don't want to see anyone pulling a Joey from Friends and borrowing maternity pants from a friend for the day. ;)

*Ask yourself before each food or beverage choice: "Is it worth it?"

*Start the day right by eating a healthy breakfast.

*Use recipe builder to figure out Points values of homemade dishes!

*Eat something BEFORE you head to the event itself. Does it ever work out well when we try to "hoard" our Points until the event begins? Has showing up to an event ravenous ever ended well?

*Bring a "safe" dish, which will help set your space up for success.

*Get moving and earn those Activity Points - bank some before, earn some during and do damage control after the day!! Go for a walk or do a Turkey Trot the day of with friends and/or family.

*Allocate your 49 weekly points for those "must-have" holiday favorites.

*Keep the Weight Watchers Portion Estimator Quick Guide handy!! View it here!

*Do a drive-by of the food before filling your plate so you can devise a game plan.

*Load up half your plate with fruits/veggies.

• When wanting blueberry pie, load up a bowl with fresh blueberries and a tiny piece/bite of the actual blueberry pie.

*Leftovers. If you are hosting, load up on tupperware containers and send the food home with your guests. If you are a guest, politely decline the leftovers or take the healthier items home.

*Drink lots of water. If you need to make it more appealing, you can:

• Put it in a wine glass or a pint glass.
• Add a strawberry, mint leaf or a lime as a garnish.

*TRACK TRACK TRACK!

• Experiment with pre-tracking. Many holidays have many dishes you can expect to encounter so pre-tracking may help with temptations.
• Use the mobile app. Excuse yourself to go to the bathroom if you want to try to Track in privacy. ;)
• If you are unable to use your phone, snag a paper tracker from your meeting or use any scrap of paper to jot down the food as you go.
• Utilize the Snap&Track feature on your mobile app. So many people take pictures of their food and Instagram it anyway - you won't look out of place. :)

---If tracking seems overwhelming on Thanksgiving or just not something you will do, pick it up on Friday - make it mandatory on that day to get back on track!

*2 fun mantras that came out of some meetings:

• "Nobody ever died because they didn't have a dinner roll."
• "Did they really bring over mashed potatoes on the Mayflower? No? Then you can probably have those next week."

And last but certainly not least - remember the Weight Watchers BLTs!! For every Bite ... Lick ... or Taste, mark down 1 pt. Would having to do that stop some of the mindless snacking or unnecessary tasting while cooking?

***

If the day gets away from you then start fresh on Friday!! Each day is a new beginning.

Have a Happy Thanksgving! And remember:

"It's called THANKSgiving not EATgiving" - Melanie, WW Leader

What is Metatarsalgia? Because I have it!

"You don't have a stress fracture!" Amazing words that came out of the podiatrist's mouth on Monday.

Phew! Now I can wipe that bead of sweat off my brow.

But's let back it up to the beginning of this saga.

On September 22, I went out for a 15-mile run with my dad around the Charles River. We were cruising along - me running, him on his bike - until Mile 10.5. INTENSE pain in the ball of my foot. A searing pain that I had never felt before. Okay okay. I pushed through to hit the 11-mile mark. Darn my OCD and ending on a whole mileage. ;)

Since that moment, my Dopey Challenge training has taken a hit. I basically scaled my running back as far as I could while still completing the race commitments I had in place. This basically meant running on the weekends and that is it.

The foot wasn't feeling any better by the beginning of November so I knew I would have to DNS (Did Not Start) the Miles Standish Marathon, which I had planned to run on November 17th. The longest run I completed between September 22 and that date was 13.1. I would've made it through the marathon, but there was no reason to push my foot through the race. Since technically it was supposed to be a training run for the Dopey Challenge.

Finally I made an appointment to see the doctor on November 12th. For anyone that follows this blog, you know that I went to that doctor's appointment and THIS happened.

I'll wait a moment while you all catch up.

All set?

Good.

So the doctor told me I probably had metatarsalgia (which I will explain momentarily), but she wanted to get me in with a podiatrist to be sure.

On November 18th, I met with the podiatrist, had x-rays of both feet and had it confirmed that I did in fact have metatarsalgia.

Metatarsalgia is a general term used to denote a painful foot condition in the metatarsal region of the foot (the area just before the toes, more commonly referred to as the ball-of-the-foot). This is a common foot disorder that can affect the bones and joints at the ball-of-the-foot. Metatarsalgia (ball-of-foot-pain) is often located under the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th metatarsal heads, or more isolated at the first metatarsal head (near the big toe).

So how does one get so lucky to acquire this foot disorder?

Running.

Yup, my love foiled me. ;) Okay, really it is just overuse and excessive pressure in the ball-of-foot area.

The podiatrist confirmed that this had NOTHING TO DO WITH WEIGHT. Unlike what the previous doctor had told me. Ha! I did a little internal fist pump when he said that. Little things in life friends.

I quickly rattled off question after question to him: "Is my ankle pain related to that?" "Does having multiple pairs of running shoes affect this at all?" "Can I ramp my running back up?" "What happens if the pain doesn't go away?" "How do I stop the swelling in my right foot?"

And he calmly answered all of them.

The x-rays showed that there wasn't a stress fracture, but he noted that if the pain doesn't lessen in the next week he wants to get an MRI in case there was a stress fracture that has healed over time.

But in the meantime, I am rocking this lovely "metatarsal pad," which is designed to relieve ball-of-foot pain. The pad is placed behind the ball-of-the-foot to relieve pressure and redistribute weight from the painful area to more tolerant areas.

Isn't it sexy? ;)

My goal for this week: play around with the placement of the little metatarsal pad and find the sweet spot. I took it out for a try tonight on my run and I had to stop a couple of times to readjust. I am going to listen to my body and if it isn't better by Monday, I will call the doctor back and schedule an MRI.

I have TOO many goals to reach in 2014 to let this foot pain continue to cramp my style.

But for now, back to Resting Ice Compressing Elevating.

***

Do you or anyone you know have metatarsalgia?

New York State Of Mind (11/7-9)

I went to New York on Thursday, November 7th to do a photo shoot so that I could be featured on the Weight Watchers website as a Success Story. Wanna see behind-the-scene pics from the photo shoot?

Well unfortunately you can't until my story is posted on WW.com. Sooorrryyy!! Let me tell you it is tough to have pics on my phone and NOT be able to share them. Gah! My story should be posted sometime in the next couple months. I know you will all sit on the edge of your seats until it goes live. ;)

For now, I can leave you with this post-shoot nap shot.

Can you believe I had that much make-up on? Yeah, I couldn't either.

Shockingly this was my third trip to NYC since June and I wanted to take full advantage of the free trip and see as many friends as I could.

I hit up the Amtrak on Thursday morning and was psyched to not have to go through airport security!

Can you tell?

I love taking the Amtrak (besides it always arrive late) because you just sit back, relax, you can bring your own food/booze and you can power your electronics the entire time. It's the little things in life my friends.

My friend Kitty met me at Penn Station and we headed over to my hotel, the Yotel. If you haven't heart of Yotel, here is a bit from their website:

At YOTEL New York, we have created a first-class hotel experience at a great value. Our Midtown West hotel is unique, placing an emphasis on simplicity and usability with automated check-in and check-out that frees up our crew members to assist you. After checking in, enjoy the convenience of one-stop service at Mission Control, a one-stop service center open 24/7 ... Cabins at our Times Square hotel are perfectly formed and intuitively designed to place an array of amenities at your fingertips.

They definitely have a unique decor as seen by this random artpiece (?) in one of the lobbies.

The cabins are sort of like pods.

I was out in the lobby to try and fit as much as I could in this picture.

It even had a great mirror for selfies. I wanted to take it home. ;)

I was also trying to calm my nerves for the impending photo shoot by trying to get my normal poses out of my system before being with the professionals. ;)

Kitty and I decided to walk from my hotel to dinner since it was only a couple miles and it was a better way to see the city and get some extra steps on the 'ol Fitbit.

We dined at Five Napkin Burger in Hell's Kitchen with some Weight Watchers Superstars!! Boy I am lucky to have found these lovely ladies thanks to social media. :)

From L to R: Melanie, Me, Kitty, Kelly, Katie

This group has combined to shed over 350 lbs thanks to Weight Watchers and all become Lifetime members. You may recognize Katie from a poster in your local WW center or in the recent WW TV commercials. Kelly is currently featured in the November/December WW magazine.

Yeah I roll with some pretty amazing folks. ;)

We had a great dinner (and some beer), but most importantly shared some great laughs. I love when you meet people that you have been friends with for awhile online in real life and they are just as amazing as you thought.

This was the first time I was actually meeting Katie so it was extra special that she was able to make dinner.

After finally having to call it a night, I decided it was better to take the train back to Times Square rather than walk. Of course as soon as I got out of the train station in Times Square, I walked the opposite direction of my hotel. Oops! Well at least I got to be a tourist for a little bit. In all the times I had traveled to New York with the Cubs or with Weight Watchers, this was only my second time being in Times Square and the first at night.

It was an amazing scene and some great people watching, my favorite past time. :)

After enjoying a little wandering, I righted my ship and got myself back to my hotel, which was just a couple blocks from Times Square.

Since I am paranoid about missing an alarm. I set two phone alarms and called for a wake-up call for the next morning so I wouldn't be late for the photo shoot.

Thankfully I arose before any of them went off so I arrived in plenty of time. As we know, I can't share any of those details yet, but let me tell you it was quite an experience to have hair, make-up and clothing done for you.

I finished up with the photo shoot just after 1 and had a free afternoon until a special guest would be making an appearance.

So when I checked into my hotel the day before, I found out that I actually had my hotel room for 2 nights not 1. Whhaaa?? That didn't make sense since I had a train ticket set for a few hours after the shoot. Well, the wife and I did some quick thinking and decided it was an opportunity we couldn't pass up. A free hotel room in NYC c'mon now. So we booked her on an Acela for that Friday after work. Yay! It would serve as an impromptu 3rd-wedding anniversary celebration. :)

Now I had an entire afternoon to do whatever I wanted ... and I got hooked into a Bones marathon on the hotel TV. Yup, I finally tore myself away after 3 episodes (Sorry Not Sorry!) and headed back to Times Square to find some lunch ... and beer!

I hit up Heartland Brewery because we know I like to drink local whenever possible. It had a cool decor.

I couldn't decide which beer to go with so I opted for the sampler. You just can't go wrong with a sampler.

I love that the holder said: "REAL BEER!"

And it did not disappoint. It was kind of nice to just chill at the bar and relax by myself. The morning was full of chatting with people and doing a video interview that it was nice to just be quiet and catch up on my social media.

Since I try to use my time in a new city wisely and I couldn't run because of my injury, I called up my friend Julia, who created Fit Journey to meet up for a drink. It was soooo great to see her and catch up. She invited her friend and Fit Journey blogger, Crystal, to join us. Come to find out Crystal is a blog reader and recently shed 60 lbs on her own and fell in love with fitness and running as well. Heck yeah I had to meet this girl.

She was awesome and it was nice to click with someone you just meet.

As we were all hanging out, my wife finally got into town and met us at the bar. It was great to have her there. We bid adieu to the amazing Fit Journey ladies so I could show her Times Square.

She was enthralled and was really happy when we hit the Times Square Toys 'R' Us. I believe her exact words were "And my trip is made." <> ;) JK.

A $64 minion. Really?

We had a great time exploring and seeing so many stores open at midnight.

Of course I made her go to the M&Ms store! Mmmm peanut M&Ms.

And the Hershey's store.

Zero points if you just walk through the store and smell it, right? ;)

Even though it was midnight, we stopped to get a quick bite at Friday's before calling it a night.

Our official anniversary cheers (a couple days early).

We hit the hay about 1am (which is wwaayyy past our normal bedtime) and tried to sleep in on Saturday. Which didn't work. Damn you internal alarm clocks.

We stored our stuff with the hotel's "Yobot,"

The website puts it best:

The worlds most radical approach to storing left luggage, it's fun, efficient and only the beginning of baggage management ... also known as YOBOT. The T-Tech by Tumi luggage Lounge lets you safely store your bags before check in or after check out so you can make the most of your visit. Simply place your belongings in one of the 150 bins, enter a PIN No. and your last name and watch YOBOT store it away safely.

It was free and easy!

In moments, we were out the door ready to explore the city before our 6:30pm Bolt Bus back to Boston.

We had a delicious breakfast at Junior's in Times Square and it was fantastic. We actually happened on to the place and are so thankful we did. They are known for their cheesecake so we will have to try it next time.

Our main objective for the day was to see the Statue of Liberty.

These Statue of Liberty actors (?) were winning over the crowd and making some good tips.

We boarded the ferry and were off to the Statue of Liberty. Tickets for the crown and pedestal were sold out, but we were still able to do the audio tour around the island.

And we had perfect weather for it!

How amazing is that shot?

We did our best at a selfie.

The audio tour was about 30 minutes and extremely entertaining. The island had amazing views of NYC.

And I couldn't pass up this shot before we got back in line to take the ferry back to NYC.

I'm sad we didn't get to tour Ellis Island, but we were on a time crunch and will definitely see it next time.

Kitty was waiting for us in Battery Park as we departed the ferry. Time for a quick lunch with Kitty and Kelly before heading back to Boston.

We walked over to Stone Street, which was a cobblestone covered street lined with unique restaurants and outdoor seating.

We dined at Stone Street Tavern before catching one gorgeous sunset.

And one last group shot of course.

It was great seeing so many people that I love so much.

Unfortunately we had to bid these lovely ladies adieu, head back to hotel, grab our stuff and head to the Bolt Bus.

Thankfully the bus pick-up was less than a mile from our hotel so we were able to walk. Hey, I needed extra steps before being on the bus for 4 hours.

We made it safely on the bus and I immediately fell asleep.

What can I say, it was an amazing, whirlwind of a trip to NYC!!

And I wouldn't change one second of it!

Hey Boston, looking for a trainer? I have one for you!

I've always been terrified of the weight area/floor/domain at the gym. So terrified that I've avoided it at all cost. The judging eyes. The guys kissing muscles (yes I have HONESTLY seen that in real life).

Now in reality this is probably all in my head, but either way I haven't been able to really break it just yet.

As a result, I usually do workout DVDs in the safety of my own living room. Well, the only judging eyes there would be the dogs and well I can laugh that off since they judge me all the time. ;)

But, I have always wanted to try a personal training session. So many of my friends are personal trainers and well, they don't scare me or make me feel unworthy of strength training.

Enter Kristen from BeFitWithKristen.com!!

Image from Be Fit With Kristen

Kristen is a fellow Fitfluential Ambassador and a member of the Slumbrew running team, which is how we met. She listened to my worries about the gym weight area and my desire to give a personal training session a try and offered to meet with me for a sample session.

Awesome! I couldn't pass up the opportunity.

Kristen works out of the Somerville and Chestnut Hill areas. With the Somerville location about a mile from my house, it was an easy choice. ;)

I arrived at Corpbasics (where she trains out of) in Union Square in Somerville with ENERGYbits in hand. I needed all the extra energy I could.

I bound up the stairs in order to cover my nerves ;) and was immediately greeted with Kristen's warm and reassuring smile. Nerves slowly started to fade ... note: slowly! :P

Kristen and I headed into a side office so I could do some paperwork and she could learn a little bit more about my fitness and injury background.

After about 10-15 minutes, it was time to get started. Many of the exercises she had planned for the session where ones that allowed her to evaluate my strength, balance and fitness level. Oh but at the end she threw in some TRX floor exercises to push me out of my comfort zone. Wasn't that sweet of her. :)

We headed over to get this party started on the treadmill. Oh hello old friend. The goal was to run for 5 minutes as a warm up and a time for her to evaluate my running form.

Alright for starting off with a strength of mine. Sweet!

Of course that 5 minutes seemed to fly by as we were just chatting away. And then it was time to get it going.

Kristen set up the TRX, which is something I have always wanted to try, but never had access to. As Kristen set up the straps, I looked around the studio to realize we were the only people in the studio. Woo! Talk about privacy and putting me at ease.

We did 8 strength exercises (3 sets of each, 10-15 reps per set).

*Squats (with jump squats during the final set to add in some cardio)

*Chest Press

*Lunges

*Low Row

*Single Arm Power Pull

*Bicep Curls

*Tricep Press

And I was already feeling it after that ... and we were only 1/3 of the way through. But thankfully I had been able to complete all of the exercises with the TRX so I was happy. Also, Kristen did a great job gently correcting my form and encouraging me as we went along.

Next up was balance. Now since my back surgery in January 2011, my balance has never been 100%. It is something the doctors told me would happen with a herniated disc and how severe mine was. But, I still try to improve my balance as best I can.

She had me do a single leg dead lift with a sandbell grab. Translated to: you stand on one leg, you drop the 10 lb sandbell to the floor, you bend over still on that one leg, pick it up and stand back up.

I didn't fall completely over - WIN! I had to reset my footing a couple times, but overall I was really happy with how well I did.

I was pretty proud of myself. 2/3 of the way through and I was able to complete all the tasks she had asked and didn't feel uncomfortable.

I was also very open about asking questions about form and how certain moves would affect my back. She was open to answering anything I threw at her, which was comforting.

And then she pulled out the big guns - the TRX floor exercises. Hello core work!! The TRX floor exercises work full body strength, core and cardio. You put your feet in the TRX straps and your body dangles. It seriously was an entire body workout in a short period of time.

We did 4 different exercises for 20 seconds at a time with a 10 second rest in between. We then repeated the circuit twice.

*Mountain Climbers

*Hip Abduction

*Pike

*Pendulum Swing

This was a true test for me as it was out of my comfort zone. I gave it my 100% in all of the exercises and know that if I did it more regularly I would be more comfortable with the straps. I wish we had the pendulum swings on video as I definitely had myself cracking up over how I looked.

I untangled myself from the TRX straps, did a little cool down and it was time to wrap up the session.

Kristen went through her assessment afterwards and gave me some great feedback. Always a good feeling when someone tells you you aren't as weak as you think you are. :P

Sooo Somerville, Boston, Cambridge, Medford or any other area in Greater Boston, if you are looking to give a one-on-one personal training session a try or looking to try a small group training (4 participants) atmosphere, check my girl Kristen out. You can contact her through her website.

Oh and tell her I sent ya! ;)

Dani Dishes 11-18-13

On this episode of Dani Dishes, I had to take a DNS (Did Not Start) on the Miles Standish Marathon and being sick (5 weeks and counting)!!  

Must Have: Runner's World Cookbook

I love eating. I love cookbooks. I love my wife who loves cooking. Now, I personally don't cook, but that doesn't stop me from choosing recipes that look amazing to give my wife to make. ;)

It is a team effort. I am a great grocery shopper and dish washer. Okay we have a dishwasher, but I can load and unload it like no other!

But I digress.

This Fall, I had the opportunity to obtain a free copy of the Runner's World Cookbook (value $26.99) thanks to Runner's World. The book came in the mail and I was already drooling just looking at the cover.

Can you spot the drool marks or did I wipe it all off?

The Cookbook was actually released on October 1st, but with a crazy Fall racing schedule I didn't even get the crack the cover until Halloween. Fail on my part I know. But the first thing I did once I had time was calculate the Weight Watchers Points Values for all recipes.

Thankfully each recipe had the nutrition information on the bottom so it was an easy task.

The cookbook was edited by Runner's World nutrition editor Joanna Sayago Golub, who also hosts RunnersWorld.com's nutrition Web series Quick Bites, and featured a foreward by Olympian Deena Kastor, who holds the American marathon and half-marathon record holder.

I loved when Deena wrote:

The Runner's World Cookbook can help you accomplish these dual goals - creating meals made with simple ingredients to fuel your training while helping build relationships with those you love... These recipes will satisfy, empower, and keep you running optimally-while meeting any dietary need or craving you have.

With that I was sold and couldn't wait to try out the recipes.But before I made it to the recipes, there was an informative introduction on "how to eat like a runner," which is something I am still trying to understand. Especially with what to eat when trying to heal, refuel or grow stronger.

The cookbook is a collection of 150 recipes covering breakfast, soups, pizza, burgers, desserts and so much more. There is also a color-coded Recipe Key at the top of each recipe letting you know if the recipe meets certain training goals (prerun, recovery) or dietary needs (vegan, low-calorie, etc).

Choosing our first recipe to make was a tough decision, but after a little game of paper, rock, scissors (the adult way to make a decision) we chose...

... and it was delicious!! Worth every Weight Watcher Point for sure.

The recipe was created by cookbook writer and runner Patricia Wells, who recommended it for either the night before a long run or a post-run recovery with it carbs goodness.

The Soba Noodles recipe is designed for post-run recovery and fast, which meant it could be prepared in 30 minutes or less.

We had a little journey finding the Soba noodles, but thankfully there is a great Asian market near our house that had them in stock.

Most of the ingredients went into a bowl to create the sauce, while the sesame seeds, peanuts and cilantro went in a separate bowl as the garnish (pictured below). The cooked chicken and soba noodles were separate.

Once the soba noodles cooked (which took about 5 minutes), you mixed in the sauce to make sure the noodles were all coated then added in the chicken.

Only then was it time to add the finishing touch ... the garnish.

Doesn't this look delicious? I hope so because it was.

Our dish did end up having a lot more sesame seeds than we saw in the cookbook picture, but we weren't complaining.

I was impressed with how quickly the recipe came together and the flavors were great. I would definitely enjoy having something like this the night before a long training run or after a marathon.

Normally I want to take carbo-loading the wrong way (aka allow myself to order pizza and french fries), but I think this cookbook will allow me to really explore the different avenues of true carbo-loading.

As I continue with Dopey Challenge training and start Boston Marathon training, I think this cookbook will serve as a great tool to properly fueling my body this winter. It has the "comfort foods" I am looking for in pizza and pasta, but with a healthier, more nutritious twist.

If you are someone who is wondering what to eat while training for a half marathon or marathon, I really recommend this book. It covers breakfast, lunch and dinner, while adding in smoothies and desserts. One cookbook will cover your entire training.

Now what to cook next?

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book by Rodale, but all opinions of the Cookbook are my own!

FBC Autumn Trail Race - 11/3

When you decide to visit your best friend for a weekend do you always schedule a race while your there? Oh is that just us?

Let me also say it wasn't MY idea to sign up for the race, but hers. Well, that will happen when your BFF is a born runner and actually was on your college track team. :P

My best friend moved away from Boston earlier this year to Bar Harbor, Maine for Med School. Bar Harbor is a 5-hour drive from Boston so you can expect we don't make it up there as often as I'd like.

The wife and I decided to head up there the first weekend in November and there just happen to be a Frenchman Bay Conservancy Trail Run near her place. Sweet!

We embarked on our 5-ish hour drive early Saturday morning (November 2) and had to take a stop when we saw this awesome rest stop sight.

We must be in Maine. ;)

It is a gorgeous drive from Boston to Bar Harbor so we really took in the scenery ... and the lack of traffic. Adios tourists! :P

We pull into Bar Harbor, do a brief catch up and Sarah and I are out the door for a run. Like we do.

I was still sick so we had to slow it down so I could actually talk and hear her as we ran. Since we are in Maine, we were able to do a little baby trail run to get myself ready for the next day.

And when someone is your BFF, they understand why you need to end the run on an odd distance resulting in running past the house to hit the mileage because you need to round out your total miles for the year. ;)

After our run it was relaxation time baby. We took a lovely walk around downtown Bar Harbor, seeing all the places that are only open during the summer, hit up the grocery store and it was time to head back to their place for dinner.

It was the needed break that both Tori and I needed. It was relaxing and awesome to see this little face.

My little Joanna is getting sooo big. I miss seeing this face every week.

The race didn't start til 11am (score!) so we were able to get a nice breakfast in before taking the 40-45 minute drive to the Start. The race was actually taking place at Sarah's high school.

Oh the other great news. We thought the race was 7 miles and it ended up being 4. So I enjoyed more breakfast than I normally would have. :P Priorities right. Mmmm bacon.

We arrived at the high school and headed to pick up our bibs and gift bag.

It was coooold that morning. The day before we were basking in mid 60s while race morning was mid 30s with real feel of 20s. Yay! Not! But it was time to break out the Under Armour and tights!

 

The race began on the field next to the school and looked to be an intimate crowd of about 100 people. I was nervous with my breathing, the cold weather and the impending elevation, but was ready to give it all I had.

It was not a chipped timed race so I made sure to start my Garmin when the horn went off.

Immediately I felt it hard to breathe and was nervous from the get go. I decided to slow it on down to make sure oxygen was making it through my body which would be necessary to run. :P

It is tough to have people pass you from the get go, but I knew there were many trail runners along the course and I wasn't at 100%.

We hit the top of the first elevation and I had to stop and take pictures.

I couldn't pass up catching that view. Beautiful.

Sarah was waay ahead of me, but was nice enough to hang back with me so we could enjoy the run together ... and thank goodness she did.

Why was I really so glad she was there?

Well as we were going through the hills I was bobbing and weaving through the rocks and other such things you find on a trail. Doing my best to keep my footing. Boy I could feel it in my ankles and knew I would the next day as well.

As I was descending down one hill. I was losing my footing and reached out to grab the tree in front of me, which was at my eye level...

... and BAM!

Blood everywhere!! I had hit the tree at such an angle with my hand that one of the little branches went through the palm of my hand. OUCH!

If you don't remember from earlier, Sarah is in Maine for med school so she quickly went into work mode. We applied pressure to the hand, used my sleeve to catch some of the blood and quickly moved out of the way of the other racers. I don't even know how long we were standing there, but it then became a look out for a volunteer.

And we weren't even 2 miles into the race yet. There goes any semblance of a pace if I was looking to have one. ;)

We finally found the volunteer nurse/EMT person at the water stop and Sarah went into action of getting a band aid on my hand and using some tape to get it to stick since the band aid wasn't adhering to all the blood on my hand. We put her glove over the hand, I elevated my hand and we were back off.

I was on a mission to Finish strong. Again still having trouble breathing, but I knew I could make it through.

We made friends with other folks on the course since it is a single lane you have to make an effort to pass someone. With the injury break, we ended up near a group where we took turns passing each other it seemed like. But I loved the positivity. Every time you passed someone or someone passed you there was a "Great job," "Keeping going" or "Looking strong!"

I can tell you that 4 miles feels a lot longer on a trail than on the road.

Finally we saw the trail we entered on and were out of the woods and back at the field. It was a great sight as I was ready to get my hand cleaned up.

Thanks FBC for this shot!

As Sarah and I approached the Finish Line, we decided to cross holding hands and were able to get this awesome shot.

Thanks FBC for this shot!

It is my new favorite photo!!

My Garmin put the total mileage at 4.16 miles and we finished in 1:00:26 (64 out of 98 overall). Respectable time with all the stops along the way.

Despite the hand injury, which just threw me off a little mentally more than anything else...

... it was a great race. I owe a big thanks to all the volunteers along the course and the organizers for doing a great job marking the course with blue flags.

As I've said before I need to practice more on the trails, but it is truly a great entire body workout and a good compliment to road racing.

So if you are in the Bar Harbor, Maine area, check out these trail runs. The course was beautiful and well-organized. Plus for just $15 you got the race, a t-shirt and post-race food. Yay snacks! ;)

***

Do you trail run? Ever race in Maine?

Weight: A Sensitive Topic

"If you lose some more weight..." How many of us have heard that comment before?

<<Darts both arms up into the air>>

Obviously weight and weight-related issues are prevalent in my mind since I write about them. ;)

But why am I talking about it now?

Let me take you back to yesterday's visit to the doctor.

On Tuesday November 12 (my wedding anniversary), I headed to the doctor to get my foot checked out since I have been rocking some dull foot pain for a good 6 weeks now. Probably time to get it checked out, right? ;)

I sat on the ever so comfortable doctor's table/chair situation with that fancy sheet of paper fabric on it. The doctor came in - who I haven't seen since 2005 - came in to chat about my problems. I explained the foot pain, she checked out my feet, sat down, looked at me and said:

"If you lost some weight it would be better for your foot. Less pressure on it."

<<insert shocked face here>>

Inner monologue: But I weigh in the 150s which is in the middle of the healthy weight range for my height.

<<insert punch to the gut feeling here>>

Inner monologue: Do I not look as fit and healthy as I feel?

<<insert tiny emotional breakdown>>

Inner monologue: So I should start losing more weight ASAP.

Yes insert all that in about a 20 second period before I could respond: "Well I have shed 80 lbs."

She looks up at me over the rim of her glasses and says: "Well that is a good start."

<<insert open mouth shocked face>>

Inner monologue: Doesn't this lady understand how HUGE that is?

<<insert bigger punch to the gut feeling>>

I tried to focus on what she said about my foot and diagnosing me with metatarsalgia (overuse of my foot) and sending me to a podiatrist.

Since my mind was still on the weight comment, I calmly asked her to go back in my weight record since hey I went to this doctor's office since I was a little kiddie.

As we looked at the weight graph, I pointed out how she could see that I hadn't been in the 150s since 1995 ... when I was in 7th grade.

Her response: "Ahhh good job."

Ummm where's that bedside manner Doc?

I quickly gathered my things, grabbed my prescription and burst out the door.

What did I do next?

Had a mental fight with myself about what to do next: go eat a ton of food then throw it up, not eat anything for the rest of the day or go work out as much as possible since clearly I look much heavier than I thought.

But instead of doing all that, I went to my support: social media.

Thankfully between friends, family and social media, I was talked off the ledge about taking this doctor's comments so hard.

But, it really got me thinking, weight and weight issues are SUCH a sensitive subject that some people are completely oblivious to.

Wording ... delivery ... context.

Discussing weight with a stranger is one of the most sensitive topics I can imagine.

Since embarking on my own weight loss journey, I have become more aware of how discussing weight can impact a person.

I remember - before starting my weight loss journey - going to the gym and seeing the really fit/tiny girls on the treadmill and thinking: "They are so skinny. They don't have to be here" and really judging the people around me. I'll be honest - I did it.

Since starting the journey, I now look at that same person at the gym and wonder: "Have they always been fit? Do they have a story to share?"

No matter the person whether they have always been a healthy weight or they have been underweight or overweight - every person has a story.

Now when the topic of weight comes up in any context of my life, I try to be as careful as possible when figuring out how to word any comment I may want to make. Especially since I am a Weight Watchers Leader and part of so many people's journeys.

Because you really have NO idea what that person has gone through.

Looking at me now, people wouldn't know that I have fought to shed 80 pounds.

A stranger looking at me wouldn't know that I still work to recover from two eating disorders.

While lifting 3 lb weights at the gym, a fellow gym goer would be oblivious to the fact that I was in a car accident in the early 2000s that took a lot of strength from my left side.

So the next time the topic of weight comes up in your everyday life, just take a moment to think and choose words carefully.

Did I say anything to that doctor? No and I regret it. I wish I could've told her how much her words hurt and how instantaneously my mind went to a dark place.

Next time!