Leaving my comfort zone… one mile at a time.
Leaving my comfort zone ... one mile at a time.
I have a friend who has rejoined WW and is a nursing mom, who is allotted 43 points plus a day. I only get 29 so I cannot really advise her on how to best use that many points. Can anyone share some of their own food logs or advise?
As I sit here on the 11th day of September, I cannot believe I am 1/3 way through my first-ever attempt at a #30daychip. Read here about my September challenge! I am already feeling healthier. I ended August on such a downer note that I am happy September is not starting the same way! As everyone has been writing about, it is on one hand really great that summer is ending. The temptations to go out to eat, sit out and have a beer, etc start to decrease just like the temperature. I am using this time to start over ... to get back to the basics (just like last week's Weight Watchers topic).
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When I started Weight Watchers back in November 2009, I did not really adhere to the Healthy Guidelines. I knew they were there, but I was really focused on staying within my points total (this was before Points Plus by the way). But, about a year ago, I decided it was time to check out the Healthy Guidelines more seriously, especially the healthy oils. I didn't even know what healthy oils were let alone how to get them to fit within my points total for the day. I thought I could get by by taking 2 fish oil tablets per day, nope! That was me trying to take the easy way out and it was quickly shot down by my WW leader.
My WW leader then told a little story about a woman who had made lifetime and hit her healthy oils every day. She did so by saving enough points for the 2 tsps of Olive Oil and a piece of nice bread. She would dip the bread in the oil every night. It filled the Guideline and made her feel like she had a little treat at the end of the day.
This seemed like an awesome idea ... so I borrowed it ... and modified it :) I will now, on almost a daily basis, have a Healthy Life Wheat Muffin (2 pts), toast it and then drizzle 1 tsp of Olive Oil on each side. Yum yum yum!! It is delicious and gives me the little smiley face on the WW iPhone app for filling that Guideline. I highly recommend this little goody. I will either use it as part of breakfast or lunch. It is pretty filling and only costs 4 pts for the whole thing.
I also faced a new challenge in August when I realized I was lactose intolerant again and had to give up on my yogurts for awhile. So now, I fill 1/2 my milk requirement by drinking 1 cup of Silk Light Soy Milk (vanilla flavored). It is yummy and I just feel happier drinking a glass (8 oz) of milk a day, which I probably haven't done since I was little!
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I really think the PlankADay program is helping my core. I already feel stronger and I am only a couple weeks in (I started this prior to September 1). I have been able to hold a plank every day this week for 75 seconds. Starting tomorrow I will up that to 80 seconds per plank. They say some people do increments of 10 seconds per week, but I don't want to push my back too much so I will stick with 5 second increments for now.
Hopefully there will be a time when I can do more than one plank a day ... I will keep working hard to get there!
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What do you all have planned for September? Are you working on a #7daychip or #30daychip? Have you tried the PlankADay program yet?
I have been meaning to write this post for awhile, but kept forgetting. It came back to my mind when I posted my Before and After pic earlier today. If I had one piece of advice for people on their weight loss journey, I recommend documenting the journey with ... PICTURES!
Okay okay, I know. Most people looking to lose weight dodge the camera. I know! I am right there with you. But at this point in time, I totally regret not having more images of my transformation. I wish I could go back in time and start over. I don't mean you have to take a pic every week, but at least at big milestones.
I think back to when I lost the first 10 lbs and wish I could see the smile on my face and the sense of accomplishment. I wish I had documentation of my journey. I would love to look back and see how my body changed during the past year and a half. I wish I had myself in the same pose over and over. I could see it as one amazing flip book of shrinking. ;)
Thankfully, I am more comfortable with my body now and can document there here and now. I am no longer shying away from the camera. Okay, I still work on the perfect pose with my signature "skinny arm" move. But, I am getting better. :P
Say Cheese!
I just started a facebook page for the blog, check us out :) But, I needed a profile pic for the site so I had the wife put together a before and after for me. Wow! I cannot even believe the difference. I don't even recognize the person I was. The pic on the left is from October 31, 2009 - it is the pic that got me to walk into the Weight Watchers meeting on November 2, 2009.
Check it out...
... Soda/Diet Coke! I cannot believe I have made it nine months without soda/Diet Coke.
I am an admitted Diet Coke addict. I can't even remember when I first tried a Diet Coke, but I assume it was starting at a young age as my whole family is a Diet Coke crew (well Tab back in the day, but then when that was phased out it moved to Diet Coke). The addiction generally grew worse over the years. I would have at least 2 20 oz Diet Coke bottles a day, if not more. Especially when I started working the hours I do now, I needed it to stay awake.
But, around the time in 2009 when I made the decision to start Weight Watchers, I had a realization that I needed to put the Diet Coke down. I know it is 0 pts, but there really isn't any health benefits to it. (Note: At no time did WW tell me I neede to give it up - it was all my decision)
I also read an article that scared the living you know what out of me about what Diet Coke did to you body. So from that point on November 2, 2009 - I put the Diet Coke down and stepped away. I went cold turkey - drank one Medium Dunkin Donuts French Vanilla Iced Coffee (with skim milk & 3 equal) a day and water. This obviously doesn't have any relevance to the adult beverage portion of my life. :)
I made it four months before I succumbed to the seductiveness of Diet Coke. At first, I just had one can a day, but gradually the intake increased to more and more a day. I drank it throughout 2010 until I started feeling bloated all the time. I was plateauing with my weight loss. And generally just got fed up with it. So on December 7, 2010, I started again.
Since then, I have felt the cravings, but they have passed thankfully. I usually get the craving then pound a glass of water and the craving goes away.
I feel healthier, lighter and overall better without the soda. I am not one of those people that can completely get off the caffeine, but I feel in control with my one coffee in the morning and water the rest of the day. People have been suggesting I add something to my water to get over the "ugh all i drink is water" feeling I sometimes get. So I might give Mio or Crystal Light a try. If I do, I will be sure to let you all know!
So, I raise my glass of H2O and cheers myself - "Happy Nine Months"! :)
When I started running in 2005, I really wanted to lose weight quicker. I just saw people rack up more calories burned in a quicker time than I was on the ol elliptical machine. Now, I preface this by saying, I have NEVER liked running, like never. I was a catcher in softball because I was lazy and didn’t want to run. I was a defensive player in lacrosse so I didn’t have to run down the field. I never had a fleeting thought of joining soccer for the sheer amount of running up and down t he field. I instead played volleyball – not too much running there. But, in 2005, everything changed. I started with 0.5 mile week one then bumped it up 0.5 mile per week until I ran my first 5k in March 2005. I finished that sucker in a grueling 36 minutes with my dad.
From that point on I was addicted. By February 2006, I ran my first Half Marathon and September 2006, I completed a Full Marathon (never again folks, never again).
But I digress…
My dad was my running partner the entire time I was training/running inBoston. He was awesome. He paid for the races/t-shirts because he was so proud I was out being active and it was something we would do together. As I continue running races here inChicago, I am noticing a major difference betweenBostonraces andChicagoraces…
BEER!
Every Boston road race I participated in would have loads of free beer and snacks at the end of the run. I mean, we earned it. Right? But, it was a great way for people to relax and socialize after the run. Especially during the awesome “Summer Run” series that hosted 1 themed 4 mile run every month of the summer (Reggae, Jazz, etc), but each ended with a huge band, party and … beer. The beer was great too: Harpoon, Sam Adams, etc. Real Beer.
So far, I am seeing a really different theme here in Chicago. You run then you maybe get one ticket for a beer or a piece of pizza, but that is about. I am kind of shocked at that. I would thinkChicagopost-race parties would be on par, if not crazier, thanBoston’s. But, I guess I was wrong. Following the “Terrapin 5k,” we got a voucher for one beer and one tiny slice of pizza. Following the “Rock ‘n Roll Half Marathon,” you could apparently wait in line to get a wristband to then wait in line to get two free MGD 64s. Really?
(Obvious Chicago exception will be the Hot Chocolate run in November, which has the best post-race snack around - chocolate fondue!)
I am not saying please give me all the beer I want after a run. I am really just noting how each race decides to host the “post-race” wind down. It's interesting.
What do the races in your area do for the “post-race” party?
I fought the demon today: The Scale. I almost didn't weigh-in. I was "off the wagon" for the last 2 weeks and was scared to see the number coming looking back at me. I weighed in on my home scale this morning and saw I was up 1.8 lbs from 2 weeks ago. Wow! That was WAAAYYYY better than I expected. I ended up weighing in at my meeting (especially since it was possibly our last WW at work meeting) and... I gained 2 lbs. Well, that at least gived me assurance that our at home scale is pretty accurate. Here are the updated numbers:
Starting Weight: 217.4
Today’s Weight: 170.2
Total Lost: 47.2
Pounds From Lowest: 4.0
Pounds From Goal: 6.2
I am proud of myself for facing the scale. I could've hid from it, but if I don't hold myself accountable - who will? I need to accept whatever was on the scale. I was on the road and allowed myself to slip.
Now, I have slipped before - most of us have. But, as I walked to work yesterday morning. I felt like those people (okay I have been there too) that after a night of drinking say "I am never drinnking again" then go out to the bar that day. Well, I don't want to be one of those people that slips up. I wish I could eat healthy all the time, but there is something in me that can't make the commitment. I just like french fries too much. But, I am proud of myself for getting back "on the wagon." I could let those slip-ups linger on for months, but instead they last maybe 7-14 days then I am back.
I honestly can't handle the way my body feels without fruits/veggies/the Healthy Guidelines.
I am happy to put August behind me. I knew it would be a tough month. I just checked the Weight Tracker on Weight Watchers and it looks like in the month of August I only gained 0.5 lbs. Well, it felt like alot more. I guess I would say that July/August were rough. But, I digress.
Either way, I know I am currently 2.8 lbs from being back to 50 lost (until I hit that I will be leaving my 50 lbs charm at home - I don't deserve it right now), 4 lbs from my lowest on WW and 6.2 lbs from goal.
THOSE are the things I am focusing on. I am focusing on the positive. Today is a new day. This is a new week. I am ready to get back to tracking and get kick butt ... especially my butt because I have a lot of it to get rid of ;)
How did your Truth Tuesday go?
PS. It looks like we may actually be able to keep our WW at Work meeting!! :) YAY! We just need one more person to join and I think they are about 95% sure they are resigning! Keep fingers crossed for us. Especially since my old meeting is apparently shutting down in 2 weeks.
Well all, this morning I gave it my all. I really wanted to run about 5-6 miles. But, my back had a different plan. I should've known from when I woke up that the run was not going to go well, but I had to try. I got to the Lakefront and did my normal stretching routine, etc. I started out feeling good, but felt a twinge in my back. I thought okay - run 5 for minutes then re-evaluate. I made it 26 minutes (2.5 miles) and had to give in. My back (both sides of my surgery spot) and my left foot were done. Instead of stopping completely, I decided to turn around and walk the rest of the way back to complete the 5 miles. I ended up running for 26 min (2.5 miles) and walking for about 50 minutes (3.1 miles - kept the tracker going the whole way home). Felt good overall. I am glad that I got out there and did it, but mad at myself for not being able to run the whole thing. I am happy that I listened to my body and didn't try to push it and really do damage.
Official Half training will not start until November so this is really the month to let my back rest/heal before the full-press training starts then.
I was also completely frustrated with my Nathan Sports Running Belt. It would not sit still. It kept riding up and twisting around my body. Now, it may be partly because I didn't pin it down. But, I also changed the type of running shirt I wore since it is starting to actually feel like Fall here in Chicago. I wore a long-sleeved shirt from one of my old road races and it is more like a performance shirt than the cotton-style Lululemon running tanks I wore over the summer.
Anyone offer any guidance on how to fix my belt as the wardrobe changes with the colder weather?
August was a tough month for me, but I knew it would be. I had a lot of social gatherings planned, including visitors, as well as, travel for work. I just wanted to make it through August without gaining weight - maintaining if you will. Thankfully yesterday was August 31 and that month could end. :P I enter September hopeful. I have some goals I want to hit this month.
1) I want to complete my first #30daychip. My goal is to complete the five food/liquid healthy guidelines from Weight Watchers. They are: 8 8 oz of Liquid (but I will do water); 2 servings of milk/dairy; 5 servings of fruits/veggies; 1 vitamin & 2 tsps of healthy oils. I think I can do it. No, I know I can do it.
I feel healthier overall when I complete these checks, plus I love seeing the little smiley faces on the Weight Watchers app on my iPhone when one of them is met. :)
2) I will complete the #plankaday program. Read more about the program here: http://www.fudiet.com/plank-a-day-revolution/
I have done this for the last week and really enjoy the challenge. I also think it will help my core, which will thus help my back! :)
3) Hit my goal weight. I am not going to be hard on myself on this. If it doesn't happen, I will not freak out/get depressed, but I think setting that goal may help me refocus my fitness and eating habits.
4) Set up a Half Marathon training regiment and stick to it. I reached out to people on twitter today and everyone is directing me to Hal Higdon so I am going to check that out tonight.
I just realized tonight that my Half Marathon is on the 1 year anniversary of my back surgery. I think that will be the perfect way to celebrate! :)
5) Get back to doing my back exercises! I need to do these at least 4-5 times a week!
6) Spend as much time as possible with the wife and pups ... especially on our back deck before it turns cold!
That is all I have for now, but I will be sure to update if I think of anything else. For now, I am off to do my plank for today!
Since I am out of town, there is no Truth Tuesday today so I have filled it in with a Half Marathon update instead :) I am back in my old stopping grounds of San Francisco for work and wanted to head to my favorite spot in the city - Dolores Park. But it is kind of a process to get there on the train, etc from our hotel so I decided I would run there instead. I Google mapped the course and it was about 2.3 miles from the hotel so 4.6 miles round trip - I was in!
The weather in San Francisco has been nice and cool (think overcast/foggy and 60s) - perfect running conditions. It made me think of a nice Fall morning in Boston. I basically ran straight down the main street in SF - Market St. But, with my luck, I hit every red light. Most of the run there was a complete stop and go. Also, since I was running in the city, my Runkeeper GPS stopped working about 5 minutes into the run. Thankfully, I just keeped using it for the timer and music (like during the Rock 'n Roll Half).
I got to Dolores in about 22-23 minutes and made sure to pause the Runkeeper and just take it all in. The park is one of my favorite views of SF and just overall great place to sit and reflect. I really needed that after the last few weeks. It was great. I chilled there for about 15 minutes before I headed out to complete the run and get back to the hotel. The run back was much better than the run there. I had better luck at the stop lights and just overall felt great. I took in my surroundings and just enjoyed my feet hitting the pavement. I lost myself in the run and it was amazing.
So I ran about 4.6 miles in 45 minutes. Pretty normal pace for me, but it is just so much better to run outside than on a treadmill. I can't wait to take my Half Marathon training into the Fall :)
Well, I should share with you my happy place and the reason I did this run in the first place:
My name is Dani and I am blogging out of the Boston Area. I started this blog in May of 2011 after suffering a back injury and subsequent back surgery in December 2011-January 2011. This space was to serve as a way for me to release the inner feelings I was carrying around and maybe help some other people going through similar situations: eating disorders, depression, weight loss and more.
