The Chubby Runner

It's been a while...

2011-10-23T21:18:00.000-04:00

After a few months of struggling with reoccurring injuries, I finally gave my hips and legs a rest. My weight was not coming down and my symptoms of my injuries were getting worse. I needed a new approach...

Calorie counting - as tedious as it was, I spent 3 months journaling every little thing i put in my mouth. after two weeks i realized that even though i was eating healthy i was eating just as many calories as i was expending. And, you don't loose weight if you don't lose calories.

The next step I was dreading but I knew I had to do was to cut out one of my daily snacks. It took a good a full two weeks to adjust to not having a snack mid morning but it saved me 300 calories a day. That, coupled with dedicating 1 hour a day to walking while at work, gave me a calorie loss of 500 calories per day. Theoretically, I was supposed to be losing 1 lb a week. this wasn't always the case but after 2 months of these daily changes, the weight started to drop.

Last weight in: 141.8 lbs

My work has transitioned again just recently. now i am back sitting at a desk most of the day. this is a new challenge. my goal is to continue to lose weight while I am recovering and trying to figure out my reoccurring injuries. Long-term, i hope to start running again. I will have to start from scratch but I know from previous accomplishments that i can do it. I expect to see my pace to faster and my endurance to be longer with my new weight.

My new exercise regimen consists of walking 30-60 min a day along with 30 min of yoga.

If Its a Life Change, There is No Cheating - Only Treats

2011-01-31T22:40:00.002-05:00

So - last week was a set back but I recovered quickly. My last post said I weighed in after my PMS showing a .6 lb gain (152). I guess I don't know how to do basic math...When I realized it was a 2 lb increase, I was shocked but mostly perplexed. I couldn't believe it. So, I went for a run, drank some water, got back on track with my eating and weighed again the next day. I was back down to 150.8 lbs and I was relieved.

So what was this 1.2 lbs that was hanging around? And why? Was this left over from my PMS? hormonal? or was it simply just water weight? All I know is that I am glad that my little "Treats" I had didn't really pack on 2 lbs as the scale said that morning!

I thought about the title to this blog when I was contemplating what to write tonight. I reviewed the last two weeks in my mind and decided that - once again - I took a step back. But, I don't see it as "Cheating" or "Failing" or "falling off the wagon".

So -I had to ask myself, "Self, are you sure you are not in denial? Are you sure you are just being to lenient on yourself? Are you making excuses?"

Honestly, I am not 100% sure.

However, For the first time I don't see what I am doing as something that is holding me down, keeping me in line or preventing me from acting a certain way - I see it as something that I am becoming. My fitness is a choice. I choose to eat better and exercise more. I see what I am doing as something I am gaining every time I choose a piece of fruit instead of a cookie. I feel like I am gaining something every time I go to the gym - even if it takes every ounce of energy I have to make myself go.

My fitness and health is not something I have been scared or guilted in to doing.

My fitness and health is something that is not temporary or has an end (unlike what the word "Diet" seems to mean to me).

So - there is no end to my fitness. I can ALWAYS get back on track. I can ALWAYS do better. I can always take it easy. I can always do less.

My biggest struggle and my biggest challenge is to be more consistent with my fitness. And the longer I go with out eating crap and with getting consistent exercise, the worse I feel when I fall short. Still, with my predicted setbacks, I am beginning to feel my fitness evolve and it is very exciting.

Last work out: Saturday

4 miles jogging (new distance record!)
+ core stregthing

My Fitness and my PMS :/

2011-01-26T21:49:00.000-05:00

Its been two weeks to the day since I have written AT ALL...

I felt really good going in to my new fitness plan and I thought that, by taking advantage of the best two weeks of the month for me, it would give me time to get my momentum up enough so that it would carry me through my two weeks of pms hell. I thought wrong.

My eating did not suffer much. I traveled which lead me to have a cookie...a piece of cake and I ate out... once...which are things I might have done anyway. For a two week period that doesn't seem so bad I guess.

But what did suffer was my workouts. It has also been two weeks since I worked out ( I am not counting my walks with the dogs).

I did weigh in yesterday morning at 152...meaning i gained .6 lbs or so.

I am not really sure what did it. I am assuming it was a little bit of everything: traveling, water weight, no exercise and of course the sweets. But it is best that I do not spend too much time on the weight I have gained. It will only discourage me and make me want to give up.

Instead, I went to the gym today. I told myself I would revert back to my last level of Chi Running in order to complete my work out and feel good about the time I spent in the gym - to give myself a little encouragement.

This was my work out:

10 min warm up - fast pace walking
42 min run/walk - 5 min run with 1.5 min walk (repeated 6 times)
5 min cool down
15 min stretching
upper body weights - bench press, arm curls, overhead press, bench dips

I barely made it to my Chir run/walk goal which just reinforced that two weeks of not using it...definately means losing it. Its good I didnt let it go longer. I felt good about my work out over all. I am exhausted and sore already!

One thing I did notice today when running was my heart rate. It concerns me but hopefully I have no reason to be concerned. During my running intervals I was careful not to go too fast yet my heart rate at the end of my intervals was at 175+ ... I must to some research on where my heart rate should be when I consider myself to only putting in medium to medium-hard effort.

WEIGH-IN DAY!

2011-01-09T10:25:00.000-05:00

SUNDAY, JAN. 9, 2011

Weight: 150 lbs
Total Loss: 2.8 lbs

17.2 out of 20 lbs to go!!

This week has been a busy one. I made a meal last weekend but it only last through Wednesday. I have learned my lesson. The rest of the week was very challenging.

(2) Successes:

Maintained a positive attitude all week.
Lost another 1.4 lbs

(3) Failures:

Ate pizza at a lunch meeting on Friday.
Ate low fat but very salty Chex Mix for a snack on Thursday AND Friday.
Did not workout for 4 days in a row!

Overall, I feel I am lucky that I still reached my goal. Yesterday I slept in late, ate breakfast, weighed in at 151.4, went to the gym, went grocery shopping, cooked 1 of 2 meals for the week, snuggled up in bed and watch the Daily Show with my love, then went to sleep.

I didn't eat much yesterday and my workout helped me lose the little water weight I had in my legs. I am guessing this is what helped me to weigh in at 150 lbs this morning.

I am cooking two meals for the week so I don't run out this time!

Baby Steps to Getting Healthy - Ideas for getting started

2011-01-09T09:53:00.000-05:00

BACKGROUND:
My mother was a dietitian. She had her own business. But, as you can imagine, a single parent of 3, can't survive on the income of subjects who want to lose weight. Losing weight isn't easy and staying on track is even harder. The average person was my mother's client. And from the people I know, being an average person means a 30/70 chance of staying on your diet. Meaning a 30/70 chance of my mother getting and keeping her clients. I saw at a young age how common it was for people to give up on their health goals. Even my mother struggled with her weight and this was her business.

HOW IT IMPACTED MY LIFE:
So at a young age I was taught that going on a diet was only temporary. People would get on their health kick, lose some weight and maybe exercise then give up from exhaustion. Do you think athletes wake up one day and say, "Today, I am going to run a marathon!", then go and do it? If they don't quit, they will collapse from exhaustion or whatever else it takes for their mind to tell their body to stop the foolishness.

FOR ME, IT HAS TAKEN BABY STEPS:

1. The very first thing I did (and the only thing) was back in 1998. I signed myself up for a swimming class in college. It was three days a week for two hours. I dropped 20 lbs with out even thinking about it. This encouraged me to change my diet a little - remember, baby steps - this isn't a reality TV show, this isn't The Biggest Loser. We all have real jobs and real lives. We are not in a state of the art facility with personal trainers and chefs.

2. I cut back on what I could handle cutting back on. For me I was eating high fat foods. I knew I could cut back on my fat and still enjoy good food but not feel like I was starving. My favorite fat was CHEESE :) so I cut out all cheese from my diet. That was all. I lost another 10 lbs.

3. After I made a B in my swimming class (embarrassing - I skipped a few classes) and the semester was over, I was so proud of myself that it encouraged me to continue working out. I didn't know what I was doing but I new I had to keep moving. I tried walking everywhere I could, Riding my bike, and going to the gym two times a week. I continued to lose weight.

4. My mother got mad at me for not eating enough protein. I added protein to my diet and started drinking more water. I found that I had more energy for working out. Working out was beginning to be something I enjoyed.

These baby steps add up! Some people think its all or nothing - Cold turkey - cut out the crap and go run a mile. Not for me! If, you do that to me, my body will rebel and it wont be fun. You have to ease into it. Let your body and mind there is a change coming. Get your body addicted to those glasses of water, the fruit snacks, and the increase in activity. Then, add another new task. Add something positive first for a while - a week or two. Then take away something unhealthy - focus on one day at a time with a one week goal. You can do anything for one week, right? Your body might go through withdrawals if its a significant change - expect and prepare for this.

MY EXERCISE IDEAS:

*Sign up for a REAL kickboxing class - not only is it exciting but it costs money. I find that if I invest in my health financially, I tend to make sure I use what I pay for. Prepay for 6 weeks or so.

*Try the Spinning class offered at your gym - don't go in there like a hero if you have never done it before. Go early, talk to the person leading the class, tell them you are new and are not so sure about it, and then take it easy during your first class. Don't be discouraged if you don't like it. This is part of learning about yourself.

*Walking or running - It doesn't cost a thing. Use time or distance as your motivator. Tell yourself , "All I have to do is walk 2 miles" or "All I have to do is walk for 30 min. Then you can build on this. Just be sure that what ever you start with, learn from it. To easy? Kick it up a notch next time. Too hard, slow down or reduce your distance or time, then build back up. once a week at a little something to your walk.

*Used to play sports in college or high school? Join a city league!

*Never been one to exercise? Try Yoga or Pilates. Most gyms offer it as a part of your membership. You can also buy a class. Once again - prepay for 6 weeks or so. BUT DON'T BE FOOLED! These are really exercises and you will definitely feel it the next day but this is a low impact activity if everything else is not your speed.

Remember, you don't HAVE TO do anything. Yet, ANYTHING is better than nothing. None of the above sounds right for you? Change it up a bit. What ever goals or types of activity will get you going, do it!

MY EATING IDEAS:

*Drink a glass of water before every meal.
*Stock up on fruit. They may not be what you are craving but its amazing how they will deplete your cravings for cookies or sweets once you start eating them. Have them everywhere! on your desk at work, at home, and in the car.
*Leave the box of Twix or cookies or bag of chips in the pantry. Let them serve as a reminder to you. Every time you open the fridge or the pantry, you have a choice. Take a second to think about it. What are your options today?
*Hard boiled eggs. Easy to make for the week. Easy to carry. Easy to eat. Good source of protein. Have one or two with fruit as a snack.
* Do not allow yourself to get starving. For me, this spells disaster. Always try and plan ahead. Have a plan B. If you forgot your lunch at home, what is your safety net at work other than the fruit on your desk? Maybe something frozen that will keep for a long time? A lean cuisine?

The Next Level of Healthy

2011-01-09T08:36:00.017-05:00

LESSONS LEARNED:
It wasn't a hard lesson, just a long one. I don't know why it took so long to register that I have put myself at a disadvantage when it comes to my health and fitness. I used to always look at it the wrong way. I used to always think that me being overweight and unfit gave me the excuse that I was at a disadvantage to people who had a good metabolism, who have always played sports, who are taller, who have athlete's as parents or as siblings, who had more sport opportunities in the school they went to...the list goes on. I did this to myself and if I don't own it, I will always make excuses.

ITS NEVER EASY:
Losing weight and getting healthy is never easy. Let's get that straight. Even worse, its not easy to stay that way either. It seems it does get easier when looking at my progress and how I feel now compared to 2 years ago. And I think I have just this week I felt a new feeling of addiction to exercise that I have never felt in these last two years. This addiction is like any other addiction - when I am walking down the street or driving in my car, I suddenly have an urge to go running and think of all the ways I can make sure that I get my run in. I have replaced my food addiction with a much healthier one but it has been painful. It has taken YEARS.

Let's take Fitprosarah (Sarah Ripple, BS, CPT) for an example. Sarah is a highly educated fitness professional, life time friend, and triathlete. If you put the two of us on a track and asked us to run as fast as we could for 1 mile, it would be unanimous guess on who would win. But who is it harder for? Who feels more pain when pushing themselves to their limits?

I used to think I knew the answer. Two years ago I would tell you that there was no way Sarah would feel more pain than I did. But since I started running and talking to people who are avid runners, I have found that some of them believe that the feeling would be the same for the both of us. Sarah's all out effort may result in a faster time but she will still feel pain. She will still be huffing and puffing at the end of the mile...just like me. Sarah puts just as much effort (if not more) into her workouts. Think about this next time you think the fitness pros got it easy. They have push themselves to higher and harder levels for a long time. Everyone that is trying to reach a new level - either to run their first mile or to run their 1st marathon - all feel the resistance that our bodies gives us when we are doing something that is new.

This is why I am so amazed by the athletes that I know. They have endured it all for so much longer than I have. They have pushed themselves past new levels over and over again. When I think about this, it reminds me that 30-40 minutes out of my day for exercise, may be painful, but its a small price to pay to get to the next level of healthy.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
I now realize that the question I should have been asking is, "Who is it harder ON?". I have learned that losing weight is only half of being healthy. It takes eating healthy to support your physical fitness. I may lose a ton of weight but if I can't sit up straight or run a mile with out feeling fatigued, I am still not healthy.

I have spent the majority of my life destroying my body. I really never knew what being overweight really has done to me physically until now. That one mile run that I was speaking of earlier may feel just as painful as it does to Sarah because we are both pushing ourselves to an extreme effort. However, my body will have no idea what I am trying to do. It will go into protection mode. My brain will do everything to tell me to stop running. My legs, feet, knees and back will punish me for trying such a trick.

BUT - If you start today and take that first step (whatever it may be) you will be one day into your more healthy life...

This is why being fit as soon as possible for as long as possible has become so important to me. I can't reverse the harm I have done to my body. I can't take away my planters faciatis that I developed when I weighed almost 200 pounds. My foot will always be vulnerable to that type of injury. But, I can lose the weight that makes me more prone to the pain it causes. I can stretch and I can run to strengthen my feet, ankles and legs. I can feed my body healthy amounts and types of protein, carbs, and fats. And I can teach my body and my mind, one lap at a time, that one mile at my fastest pace is going to be OK.

Yesterday's Workout:

At the track...
Chi Running 5 min run/2min walk
Total distance 3.5 miles
Total time 42 min.

Food & Fitness Planner: Track Your Daily Calorie Intake and Calories Burned

2011-01-02T11:49:00.000-05:00

Food & Fitness Planner: Track Your Daily Calorie Intake and Calories Burned

I wanted to share this with everyone...out of many that I have tried to use to track my eating and exercise, this was seems to be the most user friendly. It offers more options to tailor your plan to what is best for you and your schedule.

Weigh-In Day: Fruit and My Health

2011-01-01T20:12:00.004-05:00

Today is the last day of my first week of eating differently to achieve a greater level of fitness for myself. My long term goal is to be able to run more efficiently and increase my speed.

Last Saturday I weighed in at 152.8
Today I weighed in at 151.4
Total loss for this last week = 1.4 lbs

18.6 out of 20 lbs to go...

Workout Today:
Warm up
5 min running using my new Chi Running Form
2 min walking at a fast pace
Repeated 6x
Stretched

Total distance =3.5 miles
Total time = 40 min

My Best Accomplishment This Week: Fruit

http://www.thefruitpages.com/

When I was growing up one of the things that frustrated me most was when I told my mom I was hungry and she would respond, "Eat a piece of fruit." Even better was when she told me, "Drink a glass of water."

This week I traded those frustrating memories into positive lessons. Tuesday I found myself just sitting at my desk staring at my apple - it was 10:30 am - too early for lunch but I was so hungry. The apple had been on my desk since the prior Friday and I was worried it was too ripe and too soft (I cant stand it when they get grainy). My thoughts would shift from the apple to the the chocolate in my drawer. It sounds so dramatic but when I am hungry, all sorts of craziness develops in my mind. I didn't want the apple AT ALL - but I was hungry! Then I realized I was thinking way too much about the damn apple! Just eat it!!! I grabbed the apple off my desk. As soon as I bit into it and tasted how sweet it was, my whole mood changed. It was perfect. I didn't even want the chocolate anymore. I enjoyed every bite.

Listening to My Body

2010-12-30T20:42:00.000-05:00

Today I had a GOOD eating day and a BETTER running day!

I followed my menu with no treats today; Although I did eye the left over pizza at the office. But all I had to do was think about how hard and painful it was the last time I ran (two days ago).

I think my two days off did the trick. My legs were not swollen today and they felt really rested. I was ready to go. My gut told me that this time I was ready to run.

No body knows your body like you do. If you are just starting training or running or some new exercise, your biggest learning curve will be learing about your body and how and when to listen to it. This will be your biggest asset in sticking with your health plan. It also has ended up being the hardest thing to do in my plan.

I think this might just be a mind set. When I am working out everyday and get in to the groove, I want to keep the momentum. So, when my body starts to tell me to rest, I resist it. Then my body reminds me who is really knows best. It might be sore hamstrings, heavy legs, water retention(like earlier this week), or something as simple as feeling exhausted.

But this doesn't always mean that you need to rest. It might mean you need to stretch, ice, try a different exercise, check your form, or eat foods with less sodium. Everyone is different and there are soooo many variables to different people doing different workouts. I have to learn how I respond to my workouts and my meals. Everytime I alter something as minor as the time of day I work out, I might see a difference in my performance. I truely believe this is the same for every human.

Today's Workout:
I decided to drop back and repeat week 2 of Chi-Running. I needed to set a goal for myself today that I knew I could reach. After my last run, I needed a good workout and needed a psychological boost. I needed to feel the satisfaction of reaching my goal:

1 mile warm up walking at a moderate to fast pace with dogs.
Dropped off dogs.
3 min run, 1 min walk (repeated 8 times)

I covered a total of 3.5 miles and worked out for over 40 minutes (this includes warm up with dogs, walk/run, cool down, and stretching).

My favorite crutches this week:
Bananas
All Natural Apple Sauce
Hard boiled eggs (whites only - dont care for the yolk).

There was Pizza at work :/

2010-12-29T19:28:00.000-05:00

I've missed a couple of days writing about my health progress. But I will get you all caught up ;)

Monday was a good day eating. Due to the snow I got to work from home. I found that working in a more relaxed and controlled environment helped me to make better food choices. I ate all my planned meals with a little exception ... Starbucks!

But before my Starbucks trip I wanted to run a little. My gut told me it was going to be a dificult run but I didn't know why. Determined not to give myself any excuses, I leashed up the dogs telling myself I would at least go and give it a try. It was cold - about 28 degrees out and VERY windy. I walked the first mile hoping to warm up and get my body going. Then I thought that dropping off the dogs would help. So I parked them at home, set my watch for 5 min run then 2 min walks. I was to repeat this 6 times. But I still wasn't feeling it at all.

The terrain is rarely flat in my neighborhood. I'm usually running up hill or down hill. I started my first 5 min running going down hill... After 1 minute I started an incline. I talked myself through it... Minute 2 was painful. Minute 3 I found myself walking until I reached the top of the hill. The 5th minute I was running down hill. I felt like I had cheated. I was discouraged and my face was frozen in place from the wind.

I decided I should compromise my work out. I had to regroup. I was now in the middle of my 2 min of walking. I stopped my watch intervals and began to revise my plan.

What was my goal for that day? It was kind of to start my 3rd week of Chi Running intervals but my body was not agreeing with it. So what was plan B? I didn't have one...

I decided that it was important for me to know how it felt for me to run 5 min nonstop using my new Chi Running form. I walked to a road that I had never run on before because it looked a little flatter than my usual route. I started my music, started my watch and started my run. It seemed like the longest 5 min of my life.

I was frustrated with my body. I kept thinking about the stories I have read by other runners. I have heard several times that even the most fit athletes have bad days. I tried to remind myself that I am not exempt from that. I also started searching for something positive about my workout so I wouldn't take this disappointment with me for the rest of the day. I thought of how I walked a mile at a good pace, I ran for 5 min using my new Chi running form, and I didn't have any pain in the areas of injury.

When I got home to take a shower I went to take off my shoes. My legs were swollen. Maybe I was retaining water? Maybe water weight gain caused my workout to be a bummer?

*Monday's Treat: Starbucks Fat Free Peppermint Mocha Latte

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Tuesday I decided I needed a rest day. After Monday's bad run I thought maybe my body was telling me to rest. I went to work and had a good breakfast. It was a busy day and I had planned on eating a lean cuisine for lunch. I know lean cuisine is a far cry from a perfect meal but sometimes it's my best effort on really busy and challenging days.

One of my meetings ended right at lunch. I walked into the kitchen at work to find pizza. I was going in to heat my lean cuisine. The next thing I knew, I was eating a slice of cheese pizza at my desk. I didn't even feel guilty. Then I went for a second slice. I told myself as I devoured my pizza that I had to give myself a free meal once a week and that this was it. Then, after lunch, there were chocolates (2 mini chocolates). I figured since I was on a roll I could have chocolates too. But I also made a promise to myself that the next day I would need to have a good clean day of healthy eating... Which brings me to today :)
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Today - Wednesday:

I originally thought of this blog as a way to journal my daily habits and progress. I thought that if I would write everything down, I would learn a lot more about my habits.

It's working!

Habit - an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary (Marium-Webster dictionary)

I was just reviewing my last few days. What I have seen so far that concerns me is that 2 out of the last 6 days, I have given myself an "out". I have found myself treating myself on a whim. What I am afriad of is that this might be my habit that I haven't recognized all this time. Maybe this is something I do on a regular basis? Maybe this is why my 20 pounds have been so hard to lose?

Lots of questions today and not many answers. At least by writing this all down I will think twice next time when I think I deserve a treat! I will start tracking when I treated my self last in order to avoid this becoming a daily occurance.

So, today has been another rest day. Day 2 of rest. My diet is what I promised myself it would be. No treats! Pleanty of protient, low/healthy fats, whole grains and water.

Tomorrow we are expecting warmer weather and I have a half day at work. I am looking forward to stopping at the track on my way home to try my Week 3 Chi Running (5 min run/2 min walk intervals). This time on a level surface! This time no wind! This time the temp will be above 40 :D

DIETS :P

2010-12-26T20:21:00.000-05:00

I have never been a "dieter". I have jumped on the bandwagon a couple of times long enough to remind myself why they don't work. The key to losing weight for me is by making food compromises with my body type and staying active.

Body type? I dont mean anything scientific by this. I simply mean what I crave and what I need to feel healthy is rarely the same thing. Counting carbs is very popular. If I reduce my caloric intake the way most carb counting diets suggest - I feel dizzy, weak, hungry, moody and fatigued. I dont even think clearly. But I can certainly can cut out the cookies, change to fat free milk, cut out the cheeses and eat more fruits and veggies and feel fine. This tends to be more of a low fat diet and it works a lot better for me.

My Little Tricks:
Its not easy to reverse direction if you have always had trouble with your weight. It takes time - and a lot of it. This isnt just in food preparation this is in thought as well. The one time you dont want to think is when you are hungry. At least this is what I have learned about myself. The trick for me is to plan way ahead. Have those "go-to" snacks (see my banana vice below) already waiting for you. There have been times when I am waiting for my chicken to cook and I am so hungry that I am about to knaw off your arm. This is dangerous for me. No doubt I will suddenly find myself inhaling oreos while watching my chicken breast cook in the oven.

Carrots are another good crutch for me as well as:
Pretzels
Apples
Bananas
Low Fat trail mix
Yogurt

Why and How I Gained some of my weight back over the last few years:

Once again - time. Life gets away from you. You have life changes - wether you are stressed at home or at work or both...moving...super busy...It was a combination of things for me.

The biggest change in my life was going from being incredibly active at work (carpenter) to switching to a desk job (engineering). I started back on some bad eating habits when I was a carpenter - I could physically afford it at that time. My muscle mass had doubled in a year and I was able to work for 10 hours constantly moving, climbing ladders, lifting materials, lifting tools, etc. But when I stopped doing carpentry, I continued to eat the same way.

I packed on 20 pounds very quickly. I moved during this time...twice. I went to school. I had a new relationship, a new puppy, AND a new job. My activity plummited and my energy depleated. I failed to plan meals and revise my eating habits to suit my new life.

Now I am over 30 and I am determine to get those 20 pounds back off. I work out and run regularly but unfortunately this is not enough. Eating clean and lean is the only way to do it for me.
_______________________________________________________

Today's Breakfast:
Yogurt (about 1 cup - FF) with Granola (about 1/4 -1/2 cup)
Coffee (with 2% milk and a teaspoon of sugar)

This starts my day with carbs and sugar but also with omega 3s and protien. This lasts until 11ish... then I need a "crutch" to get me through until lunch.

Lunch:
I started with a banana and a glass of water. I had just started to get hungry and I knew I wanted some carbs which my sandwich was not going to offer. Since there are potato chips and oreos in the house, I thought a banana would help curve my cravings.

Homemade Sandwhich - 1 whole wheat flat bread, 1 tbsp of humus, lettuce, tomato, red onion, 2 tbsp of avocado, lean chicken breast - grilled on a George Forman - I only ate half.

2nd glass of water

I was full after half of my sandwich! The water and the banana helped. I followed it all with a piece of gum - once again hoping to forget about the chips and the oreos in the pantry. Bananas are sweet and fill my belly very well.

Dinner:
I started with an Apple while my sandwich was heating up
Finished my left over sandwich from lunch
Glass of water with crystal light "to-go" limon lime flavoring

Evening time is the hardest time:
This is where it is the toughest for me. I ate dinner, I worked out, and now I have time to kill and I want just a little something to top off with. Oreo's are calling my name. Its getting late (after 8pm). I shouldn't have anything. This is when I should start thinking about what I could have that will tide me over and not ruin my healthy day. Maybe I will have some herbal tea...
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Daily Exercise:
I had planned on running until I took the dogs to the park and realized it was in the 20's out. With the gusts of wind I knew that trying to run outside was going to be way more painful than healthy. Then it started snowing - running in the snow is asking for an injury.

I substituted my running with about 45 minutes on the XBOX playing Fighters Uncaged again. I graduated to a new boxing level, got my heart rate up, sweated and got a good full body conditioning work out.

It was a good day.

I did OK for a Holiday

2010-12-25T20:06:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas!
My day consisted of the following:

1. Slept in late (8:30)
2. Made breakfast (I had FF yogurt with granola and a cup of coffee)
3. Opened gifts
4. Started to read my new book from Santa: Running Anatomy
5. Feel asleep reading
6. Had all natural apple sauce and a banana in attempt not to overeat at the Xmas Party
7. Went to Xmas party
8. Ate well if you don’t count the triple layer chocolate cake :(
9. Came home
10. Today's workout: Total Time 1hr 15min

• Warmed up - 30 min: by playing XBOX 360 Kinect, Game: Fighters Uncaged This is a mixed martial arts game. I played it for about 30 minutes. It was the first time I played it so these 30 minutes consisted of me training. I learned how to throw several types of punches as well as kicks. This was not very aerobic but it got my muscles nice and warm and definitely helped with working on my balance as well as stretched my lower body.

• Walk/Run 2 Miles: After I was nice and warm I leashed up the dogs to head out for my run. I have been working on my running form. I have had a re-occurring injury that I have not been able to shake. I thought that my form had something to do with it. I started the Chi Running program about 2 weeks ago and it has improved my ability to run longer distances without pain in my Hip Flexor. Part of ensuring I perform Chi Running properly requires me to start running from the beginning; Focusing on form and graduating into longer runs over 8 weeks. Today I finished Week 2 which had me focus on engaging my core and running 3 minutes then walking 1 minute (repeating 8 times). Each time I stopped to walk I was to check my form. I ended up having to break this up in to two miles. The first mile with the dogs - then dropping them off at home and continuing on for my second mile free from doggie shenanigans.

• Cool Down and Stretched - 15 min.

11. Took shower - by this time it was about 7 pm. I wasn't very hungry but I knew that in two hours I would be and it would be too late to eat. I compromised by eating a cup of yogurt with granola. This was light enough to make up for the chocolate cake I had at lunch. :)

Over all I feel good about today. I wish I could take back the cake but considering it’s a holiday I feel I should give myself a little slack. If I don’t give in a little bit every once in a while, I tend to give in too much in a less controlled manner at a later date. Does that make sense???

Over and out...

"CHUBBY"

2010-12-24T19:57:00.000-05:00

Merriam-Webster defines Chubby as: "Plump"

I have to admit this definition actually made me feel better. I think it’s because it left out the word "fat"...

Me and My Fitness:

Some ancient graphs show that I should weigh anywhere from 105 to 115. And I assume that this is possible ... IF I had no muscle mass what so ever!

I teeter between 150 and 155 lbs.
I am 5'2"
I am 34 years old.

105-115 sounds grossly underweight for me. I don’t want to be skin and bones. Matter of fact, I would rather have a little extra than none at all.

My weakness? COOKIES.
When am I at my weakest? During PMS.

Yes, folks. I am using this excuse.

You see, my hormones rage so out of control, sometimes I think I have some sort of rare disease that no one cares to know about other than myself...

I have tried it all. Herbs, exercise, weight loss, dairy free, more fruit, more veggies, no meat, birth control, anti depressants, ice, heat, extra sleep, and magic potions.

Why is this so important that I am sharing it with you? Because it plays a huge roll in my failed attempts to stabilize my diet and my exercise for more than 20 consecutive days. Like people must do in running to break through to the next level, I have to ignore what my brain is telling me during these two weeks and push through it with out allowing my hormones to throw me off track...

Running:

I have been running now for a little over a year. I think it is now a lifelong habit - although at times I worry I will just stop one day due to my lack of improvement and the discouragement this causes.

I like to see improvement when I run. And for the first 6 months I saw A LOT of improvement. Then I got my first injury :( It was really tough. I am still careful of pushing myself to far in fear of re-injury.

My Weight:

Most of all, the excess weight I have had since I was 6 years old, has affected my fitness today more than I ever thought it would. My joints have been weekend and abused. My heart has been strained. My tendons and posture have been tortured.

I didn’t realize this back in 1998 when I was 200 lbs (75 lbs overweight). But I had finally decided to do something about my weight. I signed up for a college course in swimming. I cut out most fat from my diet. I allowed myself 20 grams of fat a day. It worked. I lost 70 lbs and got down to 125 lbs in about a year. I was going to the gym and I was feeling great. But I never REALLY challenged myself physically. Not until my running stopped improving and not until I had my first injury 6 months ago.

Conclusion:

This is my first blog. I currently weight 152.8 (as of this morning). My goal is to lose 20 lbs but in a lot healthier way this time. I would like to lose 1 lb per week. This puts my goal date at May 1st, 2011.

Follow along to see how I do. I will try and post my progress every day - weighing in only once a week - Saturday mornings.