8K sign up

The Warrior Dash was almost a MONTH ago. Know how many times I've worked out since the race? 5. FIVE TIMES at the gym. Granted, I've gone running/jogging a few times too, but nothing like how I was training in the past. I've come to the realization that, with workouts, I'm not a good "follow through" person. I mean, I train, I do the race, I win! then, I fail. I just forget everything and go back to my bad habits because I feel like I deserve a reward. My reward is sitting on my ass, watching Mad Men, eating ice cream and mozzarella-stuffed bread sticks. Not good.

So, I took a leap today. I registered for the Playmaker's Autumn Classic, an 8K race.  That's 4.9 miles for those keeping track. I've never done more than a 5K, but it's time to start working on distance. Matt has been trying to convince me that I should be working on endurance, not speed. He's probably right-- the time it takes to run the 8K, while important, is nothing compared to actually DOING the full 8K.

I'm a little freaked out. I feel like I want to vomit after most 5K races-- what in the hell am I going to feel like after this race?

As of today, I have 1 month to train. One can accomplish a lot in a month, right? My brain (which is in a doughnut-induced sugary haze right now) says to start training on Monday because, let's be honest, I don't do crap on the weekends. But, I KNOW I have to do something today. I was going to go to the gym at lunch, but that's not going to happen anymore. The new plan is to strap on the gym shoes and go for a run with the dog after work. Saves me a trip to the dog park too, I guess.

We're going running now? RIGHT NOW? OK! GO! 

I need to vent about the "running with the dog" thing. I love Daisy. I do. But running with her is disheartening, since she just trots while I run, sweat, cuss and try to concentrate.  It's like she is mocking me. "Come on, lady. Why are you not running? I don't understand why you're moving so slow. WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?!" But running without her is even worse- I get the guilt trip eyes, the whimpering as I put on the running shoes.. it's like I'm breaking her little beagle-sized heart.

My plan of attack for the month: If, by some miracle, I can make it to the gym over lunch- great! I'll do weights and my Warrior Dash workout routine. However, since that has become harder to do (and September really looks sucky schedule-wise), I will aim to run at LEAST 3x/week after work, whether it be outside or at the Y. I am allowed to do both the gym and the run on the same day if required/able.

I can do this. I will do this. Maybe I will buy myself a Beyonce if I survive the race. A big metal chicken is a better reward than mint oreo ice cream... right?

Done with the Dash!

Good news: I completed the Warrior Dash!
Bad news: I am HORRIBLE at updating this thing. My bad.And, my weight hasn't really changed, but I have some muscle definition happening.

I somehow contracted bronchitis and an ear infection 2 weeks before the race- that knocked my training back about a week.I was lucky it was only 1 week, as the doctor said it would take about 2 to totally clear up (and yes, I'm still occasionally coughing). Once I could breathe for more than 10 minutes at at time without coughing, I got back outside to run. I bought new running shoes (side story: the employee at Playmakers said, "Oh hon. You should have bought new shoes about a year ago- these are all broken down! And, don't take this the wrong way- but the more impact and weight you put on your shoes, the more frequently you'll need to replace them." Ouch.), got some new running clothes, and started running. For the week prior to my illness, the roommate, the nugget and I ran about a mile before work each morning (ok, like 3 mornings). That felt GREAT, but I found that without the roommate to run with me, I will just fall back asleep. After the bronchitis, I started taking the nugget for runs over my lunch hour. I still did my trainer workout on alternating days, but it was so nice out that it didn't seem fair to keep the dog cooped up in the house. And, it was HOT outside - I had to prepare myself for running in the heat for the race!

Then, the race. It happened. I conquored it- kind of. The obstacles were absolutely ridiculous and fun, but there were two that I physically could not do. I tried them both, and failed. The first failure was the rope wall- you use a rope to help climb up a 20 foot wall (with small ledges to stand on). I couldn't get my bearings to do it, and after 3 attempts, I went around the obstacle. While I should have a time penalty, my 3 tries took longer than each of my friend's actually completing the obstacle. The second obstacle was another 20 foot wall- this time, you rock climbed to the top and had to come down on a knotted rope. I made it up- and panicked and couldn't make it down. I had to come down the side of the wall on the side, where there were small-ass wooden steps that were about 3" apart. Again, me coming down this obstacle took longer than it took for the other 3 to complete the entire obstacle. So, time penalty my ass.

Post-race, awards 'round our dirty necks!

I "officially" crossed the finish line with a time of 1:06:56.25 - placing #669 out of 869 in my age group. I'll take it :-)

The run was great- I didn't walk too much, stayed with Matt (who set an awesome pace), and crossed the finish line first :-) Yes, we were supposed to cross it together, but I saw Eric ahead of me, and I took off- if we were going to cross separately, I was as sure as hell going to beat Eric! The run didn't seem bad- probably because the obstacles took up a LOT of the running course, and it took your focus off of the run itself.

Covered in mud, we made it back to the car to get our gear- and I found that I had the nastiest blister I have ever seen on my foot. To top it off, the blister split somewhere during the race and I got mud all up in it and under the remaining skin. I had to rinse it out, cut the skin around it (to fully  clean it) and bandage the bad boy up. 3 days later, I'm still antibioticing and bandaiding the hell out of it, and it still hurts.

I'm not a scary warrior, even with the helmet.

But hey, if that's the only injury, then I'll consider myself lucky. Someone at the race dove head-first into the mud pit and is now paralyzed. The roomie sprained her ankle coming down off of one of the obstacles. And I had a blister. That's nothing. 

Registration has already opened up for next year's Warrior Dash... goal: climb the damn rope wall and finish the race in under 1 hour.

Day off? Not so much...

Workout: Trainer Workout
Days Til Dash: 28

While I *wanted* to take a day off and not work out today, the scale-- and my baby sister-- told me otherwise. The scale showed that somehow, I gained 2lbs overnight. I don't think I ate THAT poorly at Mongolian last night... and I ran! I ran A LOT yesterday! And (for good news), my sister is going to be induced tonight, meaning my first niece will be here sometime tomorrow! That alone was reason enough to get the workout in tomorrow- I want to spend as much time as possible with my sister, her husband, and the nugget :-)

The knee hurts, but nothing that an ice pack, some Advil, and a cute snuggly baby can't fix.

Endurance Building Success!

Friday: Trainer Routine
Saturday: 24 minute run- 2.01 miles at an average pace of 5.0
Days til Dash: 29

It's hot. I'm exhausted. But I was able to run for an extra 6 minutes before the vomit feeling took over AND make it to the 2 mile mark. WIN.

I'm going to soak in a bathtub of ice cubes now...the knee hurts and it's just too damn hot to do anything else.

Dont Dairy and Dash

Tuesday's Workout: Run- 1.59 miles in 19 minutes
Wednesday's Workout: Trainer Program
Days til Dash: 30

There was frozen yogurt. And toppings. And not enough water. I nearly puked on my run on Tuesday. I shouldn't be doing dairy anyway, but HELLO sundae bar at work. Like I'm going to turn that down. I made sure to eat very little/light during the day so I could thoroughly enjoy the sundae bar. And I did. The mistake was going to the gym 2 hours afterward and running.I had to stop the treadmill at one point to make sure I wouldn't vomit all over the gym floor.

Working out today, I tweaked my knee - again. This time, my trainer was around. I asked him if I was doing the lunges incorrectly, and he said no-- and that I probably strained my patellar tendon, which connects the knee cap to the shin. I've been banned from the gym for 24 hours to rest and instructed to ice my knee every so often in 10 minute increments.

My concern-- I won't have the motivation to go back to the gym on Friday. I've been on a roll- but to be forced to stop this momentum... it's tough. So Friday, after work, before I go to do anything else, I must work out. I HAVE TO.

Nibble it, Scribble It.

Sunday: Family party! No working out for me.
Today: Trainer Routine

I'm trying something new. Well, kind of new. I've always done well with Weight Watchers- making smart choices and recording what you eat are critical elements to any weight loss plan. Seriously. Have you ever sat down and wrote down every bite you've taken over a day? It's shocking how many little nibbles or splashes we have throughout the day- and every little bit counts. Even fat free coffee creamer, which gets me every damn day. Under the new program, calories aren't a factor. In a previous blog post, I talked about the new program and how it worked- and how my friend, Dana, disagreed about the calories not being taken into consideration. While I was on the new program, I lost and gained the same 12 lbs. No calories counted- it was straight fat, fiber, protein and carbs.

This week, I'm going to log my food with the WW points, but also write the calorie amounts next to it. My goal is to stay within my points AND within my calorie allotment. I'm not sure if this is possible, but why not try? I've been back on track for a solid 10 days, and while I'm down 5lbs already (YAY water weight!), I'm still not at goal.

According to calorie counters online, a woman of my.... um... stature should be eating about 2096 calories a day to successfully lose 1.5lbs a week (the general rule of thumb with calories and weight loss is to slash your calorie intake by 250-500 calories/day, meaning to maintain my weight, I should eat 2596 calories a day). This will make me achieve my 30 lb goal by December 10, 2011. This calorie count assumes that I am moderately active- I stay somewhat mobile during the work day and I work out at least 3x a week. The next option, "Extremely Active," was just downright scary and not accurate at all.

If, by chance, I'm "Extremely Active" one day- like on Dash Day- I will add those extra burned calories to my daily maintenance total (2556) and subtract 500. For example (hey, this is for me, not you "math people" who can do this in your head), I do the trainer workout AND run one night (which will hopefully start happening), earning an extra 270 calories (wait, that's IT?! I CALL SHENANIGANS!). I will then have 2826 calories to maintain, and 2326 calories to consume and still lose weight. Make sense? It does to me... kind of.

Can't I just work out, eat healthy, and lose weight? Why do I have to battle with not eating enough or eating too much!?

Broken.

Friday: Day Off
Saturday Workout: Trainer Program

Yesterday was the first day in 5 days that I didn't make it to the gym. Everyone needs a break, right?

Of course, I felt like I was being punished today. During my lunges, I wobbled and tweaked my (right) knee. THAT made the rest of the workout fun. As I was doing my arm push-outs (or, as I call them, my "Heil Hitlers"), my left arm started shaking and I cracked the handle (with 10 lbs of weight behind it) onto my nose. No blood and nothing broken, but I swear there's a nice black and red line across the bridge.

When I got home, I tried making "Ranger Cookies" - it's a Betty Crocker recipe that is supposed to have extra protein and fiber in it to make them "healthy" cookies. I needed chocolate, I wanted to bake, so I tried them out. Somehow, the dough was too runny- or I had too many dried cherries in there- and it became a soggy cookie bar-like substance. It tasted great, but it wouldn't hold a shape. And, let's be honest, nothing in Betty Crocker's world is remotely healthy. I ate the "taste" one and tossed the rest of the pan. Sigh. At least I know what I'm making for 4th of July (with something that will keep the cookie together-- maybe another phone call to Trish is in order!).

Spontaneous Run

Run: 1.51 miles in 16:57, average pace 5.3
Days til Dash: 38

It was a trainer workout day, but I blew off the workout (I've been to the gym 5 days in a row! Lay off!) and went to lunch with some friends. When I got home, however, I felt guilty and all worked up due to my impending work evaluation. I needed to get out and run.

Before I got going, I jumped on MapMyRun.com and mapped out my route. My usual route is 1.1 miles. I walk that at least once a day with the dog. But, since my last gym run was 1.31 miles in 17 minutes, I wanted more distance. So, I set a route, got Daisy all harnessed up, strapped on the iPod and tackled outdoor running again.

It was fairly cool out- about 68 degrees. No sun, since it's about to pour. And downtown is DEAD after 5pm, so there was little body jiggling embarassment. The run was a success- until I realized I forgot to start the Nike iPod adapter to tell me my official time. Oops.

I went back through the songs I listened to, added their times together, added a few 2-second gaps for the song transitions, and still ended up around 17 minutes. Now, I know I should be adding time- and I probably would have, if I was paying attention. But I at least added distance- AND picked up my pace!

Just like Bon Jovi. Half way there and Livin' on a Prayer.

I'm half way there- I can do a half a 5K. Of course, this puts me at finishing with a time around 34 minutes... still better than some, but my best time was a 32 minute run last summer. I can do it, no sweat.

Speaking of which, even with the cooler temps outside, I'm still dripping with sweat and the dog just knocked back a bowl of water like a slob. Yuck. Time to cool off and shower.

Version 30.5

Workout: Running- 17 minutes, 1.42 miles @ average pace of 5.0
Days til Dash: 39


Today is my half birthday. 

I know, it sounds ridiculous, but as a kid, I liked the idea of the half birthday. Being that I was a Christmas baby,  I got lumped in with the Christmas/ holiday parties (except when it comes to my family and very close friends- they were always awesome about distinguishing between Christmas and my birthday. Then, a friend created "Lizmas", an in-between date where we celebrated both... you get the picture). It kind of stinks. So, when June 22 rolls around, I get excited.

I mentioned the half birthday to my friend/ co-worker, Amy, on our way out of the building this afternoon- she was moving her car and I was headed to the gym for a run. She said, "Does that mean you're half way to your goal, then?" I said some kind of profanity laced comment and sat down in my car. I didn't even think about that before Amy mentioned it - I should be half way done with my goal. 15 lbs down.

Not so fast.

I think I'm about where I was when I *first* started this 30 lb quest, thanks to all of the setbacks. But that's ok. I'm focused on my immediate goal- the Warrior Dash. The question becomes, what happens after the race? Then what? What's my motivation after I get the horned helmet? How do I accomplish this 30 lb goal in 6 months, when in the last 6 months, I've done nothing by waiver??

I need a plan.

I got on the treadmill angry this afternoon. I mean, there's been little to no weight loss in 6 months. That's ridiculous! But, as I ran  my 17 minutes- slowly adding a minute to each run to work on the endurance- I realized that I still accomplished a lot. I've dropped another clothing size- or am back to where I was 2 months ago. I'm more active. My mood is generally better. Regardless of the scale, my health has improved. And that's a success worth noting.

Speaking of the treadmill, let's talk about why I am still at a 5.0 pace, yet added a good amount of distance by only adding 1 minute. Andrea and my trainer suggested adding a minute onto each run- focus on the time, not the distance, for endurance. So far, I like it- mentally, I can say "ok, one more minute, you've got this" and knock that extra minute out. But, my pace is still somewhat ... slow. 5.0 is a jog, not a lot more than a speed walker. Plus, I had to keep stopping for 90 second intervals, because my heart rate was getting way too high (like 189- too high).  I'm hoping that, with the added time, will come added speed.

When I got off the treadmill, I almost heaved. It's too freaking hot and humid- all of you outdoors runners, what is WRONG with you?! I could barely do 17 minutes in an air-conditioned gym! On a treadmill with a fan! And with a water bottle! Between the humidity, the lack of food in my system (I ate an English muffin with 2 tb peanut butter- and had 2 cups of coffee), and the lack of fluids in my system (again, 2 cups of coffee and no water), I'm surprised I even made it that long running.

I know better. I'll *be* better- next time.

Trainer Workout!

Workout: Trainer Routine (see below)
Race Countdown: 40

I met with a personal trainer a few weeks ago at the YMCA to upgrade my workout routine. I've met with Jon (the trainer at the Downtown YMCA) before, and he's been great at designing unique workouts for me to help achieve whatever goal I had in mind at that time. When I went in to see him this time, however, I had a new challenge for him-  I wanted a workout program to prepare me for the Warrior Dash that will take me no more than 30 minutes to complete. I get workout ADD by the 31 minute mark, and my workouts fall apart. It's not productive. Jon took on this challenge with one caveat- the program is 30 minutes a day, 3x a week- but I still need to come to the gym at least 5x a week, with running being my "in-between" workout.

I emailed Jon the link to the Warrior Dash before my meeting with him so he could understand what I wanted to accomplished. He was so amused with the race, he's now signed up to run it, too. He said my biggest weakness was my endurance (no kidding)- so a good part of my workouts is to improve my endurance and strengthen my hamstrings, so I can survive the run and obstacles. My concern was (and still is) the upper arm strength required for some of the obstacles. Hey, I can walk a 5K if absolutely necessary- and running is something I can train for on my own. But, the obstacles are starting to scare the crap out of me. There's a 12' rope wall that you have to hoist yourself over (with foot ledges, thankfully), there are 2- 4' walls you have to hurdle yourself over, and there are logs floating in waist-deep water you have to climb over. Crap.

The other concern I'm having is running outside. Holy hell, it's completely different than running on a treadmill. The impact on my body is excruciatingly different. I did one 1.1 mile run outside (with Daisy), and I hurt like hell the next day. But, that's something I can do on my own. With my strengthening exercises, and practice, I should be able to handle the impact.

So here's what Jon is having me do. Note that this is a workout specifically designed for me and my weak-ass arms and hamstrings. I highly suggest that everyone who works out meet with a trainer at least once- it's totally worth the money (Jon is only $65 for a one-hour session, and you turn in weekly progress reports to him. He adjusts the workouts as needed, and he's ALWAYS around the gym for help or support). The first and fifth activity are cardio-intensive, but other than that, I don't do any other cardio that day (besides the walking I do at work, and walking the dog).

1) Side Slams- 3 sets of 14 slams on each side of the body. Take a 4 lb medicine ball and hold it over your head. The weight isn't important of the ball- but the 4 lb one at my gym is the one that bounces. Bouncing ability is key. Stand with feet hip-length apart. Take ball and slam into the ground on one side of the body, with your upper torso rotating. Swing ball back over your head and slam down on same side. Repeat until you hit 14. Then, switch to the other side. Slam as hard as you can (while still being able to catch the ball). Now, this doesn't sound like much of a sweat builder, but holy hell you feel it in your arms and, yes, you will be sweating afterwards. I don't rest between sets, though you can.

2) Lunges- 3 sets of 20 lunges, or 3 trips (back and forth) across the workout floor. Take that 4 lb medicine ball and hold it over your head. Stand with one foot forward about a foot. As you slowly lower yourself to the ground, letting your front foot become parallel to the ground, lower the medicine ball to your knee. Raise up and switch feet (walk/lunge across the floor!). I definitely rest between these sets.


3) Step Jumps- 11 steps (and increasing...): Start in standing position on the bottom step of a flight of stairs. Watch for pedestrians, because they come out of nowhere with their iPods blaring and sweaty towels waving. Crouch down and leap like a frog; when you land on the next step, deepen the bend in your knees, like you're preparing to spring. Then, jump to the next step. Repeat until you've hit 11 steps or have fallen backwards down the stairs (did that my first day- it was embarrassing). Each week, add another step.

4) Lying Straight Arm Pullover- Kettle Bell- 3 sets of 15: Lay flat on your back on a workout bench, with your head at the very edge. With both hands, hold the kettle bell (I use a 15 lb one) over your head. Gently and slowly lower it over your head towards the floor. Raise the bell back to its starting position. Repeat and feel the arm fat melt away. It's amazing how much you feel this in your lower core, too. My entire body starts shaking from the strain by the last set. And, 15 lbs doesn't sound like a lot, but really, who works out that under-arm muscle?! I never did. 15 lbs is plenty to start with. It's the reps that count here, not so much the weight.

5) Seated Leg Press on Incline- 3 sets of 15 (my starting weight here was 180, it's now 205): Sit on inclined bench. Push. Repeat. That's it. I alternate this one with #4, so a set is done when *both* of these are done once. Plus, your arms are resting when you're leg pressing, and your legs are resting when you're arm pullover-ing. It works, minimizes the workout time, and keeps the heart rate up.

6) Boxing- 3 minutes, 1 minute intervals: This is just plain FUN. Though, I would bring your own boxing gloves, or as Andrea suggested, wear your weight lifting gloves while using the boxing gloves. The community ones at the YMCA smell of other people's sweat. I do 2 jabs with the left hand and one hard-ass punch with the right, then repeat. When I started a few weeks ago, I couldn't make it past 2 minutes. Now, I'm FINALLY at 3 minutes, with a 60 second break between sets. I hurt, but man, after a bad day, it's the best stress relief- and you pour sweat when boxing. Win!

7) Sit Up- Glue Hams- 3 sets of 10: I feel like an idiot doing this one. The machine looks like it's going to kill you. You sit on these huge roller pads and put your feet on a plate that have roller cushions "locking" your foot in. You lean back and do sit-ups, over air, with no support. Your feet apparently won't slip, but I don't trust the machine. It still scares me (my comment the first time doing this was, "Big girls don't fit on this machine! We slide right off!"), but it works.

8) Standing Incline Chest Press- 3 sets of 25: Again, I feel like an idiot here. You set the weights on the Bowflex looking machine at 10lbs/side. Then, you punch the air- on an upward angle- so each arm punches 25 times. Stop. Repeat 3 times. I looked at myself today in the mirror while doing it, and I looked like a fish out of water, flopping around.

That's it. 30 minutes (unless you take unusually long breaks between sets), and when the ADD kicks in, you're done! It's a great feeling.

It's been awhile

Weight: I don't want to talk about it.
Training: Ran 1.3 miles in 15 minutes, average pace = 5.0 MPH
Race Countdown: 41 days
 
I fell off the wagon again. Honestly, after my big "Game On!" pledge at the beginning of May, it fell to the wayside. Why? More stress. Not enough time in the day to do what I wanted to do. No car until the END of May. It was a hot mess- and my body was worn out. I put on about 11 lbs of what I previously lost and lost most of my motivation. I even went back to my trainer and set up a workout plan-- but it took me until about 2 weeks ago to put it to good use.

Again, all excuses.

I "hit bottom" when I went to the doctor last week for my allergies. This doctor (or PA, whatever) is amazing. She's the one who got me running the Muddy Buddy last year and is an extremely encouraging woman. I'm so glad I found her. Anyway, when I went to the doctor, I had to stand on the scale. There were the numbers I didn't want to see. I was ok, then my doctor walked in. She looked at my chart and said, "Oh hon, what happened?" and I nearly cried. I told her how the last 6 weeks of my life were so extraordinary stressful, and how I knew working out/eating better would help my mood, but all I wanted to do was hole up in my house (or at a friend's house) and eat Sugar Shack. She talked me down and made me look at my chart over the last 2 years. My weight has consistently gone down- until this visit. This was the first time in 2 years I gained between appointments. And I was pissed. Here's this woman who is pushing me to do wonderful things, who is proud of me, and I felt like I was letting her down. My doctor. How weird is that?

Thankfully, I have a good support system that I can lean on when needed (like now). 2 more of my friends signed up for the Warrior Dash, and now that there's a group of us, I refuse to be the weakest link. I wrote a countdown on my desk calendar to the race, and scheduled workout appointments for myself through the race date. I'm refocused on my healthy foods- the roommate has helped keep me in check with that one.

I have the support- I just have to be ok asking for the help.

So, if you see me, ask me about my last workout. Or what I had for breakfast/lunch. Keep me accountable. And, if you see me at Sugar Shack, ask how I'm budgeting it into my training plan.

Stress Eating

These last 2 weeks have been stressful. I mean, STRESSFUL. I was on a site visit for work over 3 days on the west side of the state, which involves leaving extra early in the AM and arriving home late in the PM. I ate semi-reasonably at the site visit. I would have much rather have gone to Wendy's or something cheaper, but I guess if I'm getting reimbursed... but I had no prep time for the menus. I tried to play it safe...! And, of course, I had no time to go to the gym. And, I missed my Weight Watchers meeting that week. Bad idea.

Poor lil car! 2 days after the accident, with tear down started

On day 2 of the site visit, I also had a concert to attend in Detroit. I left the site visit early, made it to an appointment back home, then headed to the show. My friend who was supposed to go with me got *really* sick and couldn't go, so I convinced my pregnant sister that baby needs to learn to rock out- and she came with me. After the show, driving back home, I hit a deer. I take that back. I *obliterated* the deer. My car was quite damaged, but thankfully, I'm alright. The car is now in the shop and won't be done until May 12th at the earliest. My insurance company made me jump through so many hoops when filing the claim, I feel like a trained seal. I was tired. And sore. And now car-less again, for the 2nd time this year.

Have you ever been without a car for a couple of days? It throws your schedule off horribly- instead of going to the gym before going out for the evening, I stayed home. The weather was always "bad", and I wasn't going to bike to the gym in a monsoon. Plus, I was exhausted and had to do my daily work on top of the site visit.

Then it was Easter. I didn't get to visit with the family (no car, remember?) so I sat at home with 2 dogs, felt a little sad since I as alone on a holiday, watched tv, and ate. Instead of the healthy meals I could have cooked, I had macaroni and cheese and some turkey kielbasa. And jelly beans- lots of jelly beans. I don't think my body saw a vegetable at all that day.

I came up with every excuse possible to skip the workouts, stay home, relax - and eat- over the last few weeks. I was crabby, stressed, tired, sore, etc. So I ate. And didn't stop. It was so bad, I was eating chocolate chips from my baking cupboard. I found mini marshmallows- and ate them by the handful. Almonds? Great! Lets mix them in with the marshmallows and chocolate chips. Let's throw some of the mixture on top of the 2 Weight Watchers frozen sundaes I combined as one large dessert. Bet some jelly beans would taste great on there too...

You see how it went.

Last week, I made it to my Wednesday meeting - and discovered I gained 2 lbs. OK, that's manageable. I was only .6 away from my next 5% goal (WOO!), but now I'm 2.6 lbs. You think that would have whooped me into shape and put me back on program. Nope.

I was then dealing with more work stuff, my sister's baby shower, my dog acting like it was the end of the world because we couldn't go to the park (she jumped in friend's cars when they came to visit, thinking she would get to go to the park), being at everyone's driving schedules... so I ate some more. I did go to the gym twice, though, so that's a positive step...?

Trish had this amazing idea to make homemade peanut butter eggs (recipe at Confessions of a Cookbook Queen) and Cadbury eggs. Great idea in theory, but now I have 2 huge containers of chocolately awesomeness. I mean, the recipes were *dead on.* When I bit into a half of a peanut butter egg last night while watching the Wings game, after having Wendy's for dinner (chicken nuggets and fries), and after having 2 pieces of cake at the baby shower (each kind was different! I had to try both!) I almost vomited. My heart was racing, I think I was sweating, and I felt horrible. That was the last straw.

While the chocolate eggs are still in my fridge, they will be brought with me to trivia tonight and to the boy's house tomorrow night. Then to work. The Robin's Eggs I got from the baby shower are in the work break room. I have fruit and healthy food all over the place again in my house. And, to make it all better- I get my (free) rental car today. I've mapped out my week in terms of healthy meals and workouts, so there won't be any large surprises.

I've got this 2.6 lbs -- well, more like 3.5 lbs, I'm sure-- but I can do this! As long as you pick yourself back up and put yourself back on the wagon... the past is the past. Time to look forward. Long story short, GAME ON.

Jump Start- Stop- Fail.

  Weekly Weigh- In: April 6th (I was home sick!) -2.4 lbs, April 13th -.6 lbs. Total: -17.2 lbs!

The Lansing Area YMCA offers what is called a "Jump Start" program. It's a  "free opportunity to meet with a Wellness Coach to discuss your goals and jump start your quest for a healthy mind, body and spirit. You will meet with your Coach for three separate sessions, an initial health assessment, an equipment orientation, and a 45 minute seminar on exercise." I did this about 3 years ago, and I got my trusty (XXL) t-shirt that I work out in. The nice part is that, once you finish the Jump Start session, you can keep coming back to do the health assessment, called a "fit test." Over the last 2 years, I've done 2 other fit tests with the YMCA. When cleaning my room last weekend, I found my results. I called the Y and scheduled a fit test, thinking, "heck yeah I've improved. I *got* this!"

                                                                  Boy, was I wrong.

The fit test measures a bunch of things- your BMI, your blood pressure, stretching ability, strength, balance, hip-to-waist ratio, resting heart rate, and a vOx test (tests the oxygen levels in your blood- makes sure you are getting enough Oxygen while working out). Now, not all of it is accurate-- for those kind of results, you would have to go to a doctor's office. But this was a general assessment. Either way, I've been feeling great, dropping more weight and wanted something on paper to prove that I'm kicking some ass.

My blood pressure was "optimal"- how that happened, I will never know (seeing that I came right from work to do the test). My resting heart rate was a little high, but my Wellness Coach attributed that to the fact that I walked to the gym from work instead of driving the half mile. My upper body strength was average for a woman of my age (shut it...). My BMI has gone down- I've gone from a "Grade 4" Obesity level (in 2008) to "Overweight." I'm happy... there's measurable progress being made!

Then... the measuring tape comes out. My hip-to-waist ratio was never good. I carry most of my weight around my midsection. It's no secret that I have a perma-muffin top. My ratio has actually gotten *worse* over the last 3 years. I start deep breathing to calm down- how am I wearing smaller pants but my ratio is sucking?? The Wellness Coach explained that my body is losing fat in other areas and the fat that is left wants to "hang on"- best place to hang on in a woman's body is in her midsection. She told me that my ratio will probably get even *worse* before I get to my optimal weight. Awesome. Something to look forward to.

Then, we go to the treadmill to do the vOx test. The test can be done on one of two treadmills- on one, the (walking) test is 12 minutes long, starting at a level 1 incline. You go up to level 12. If your heart rate gets too high (based on your age and weight), the test stops. On the other treadmill, the test is 5 minutes long. You start at level 3, and go up to level 9. The test does not stop- it assumes you're ok and keeps running the track. Of course, I get to use the 12 minute test machine. 5:17 into the test, the machine decides that my heart rate is too high (it's at 150- but I'm not even breaking a sweat) and says "FIT TEST FAILED" in big bold red letters. That's a self-esteem booster.

Dejected, I talk to the Wellness Coach and she assures me that I have made improvement and to keep at it. I don't see it after this test, so I go and stop by Wendy's work (54A baby!) to vent- it was either that, or I was going to buy french fries. She talks me down, gives me a lean "cookie" protein bar and sends me on my  way. I went to the gym that night and tried the fit test on the 5-minute machine. I complete the test, but find that my vOx is still in the 30th percentile. Not great, but at least I didn't make the test stop...? I felt a little crappy, but Wendy was a huge help in reassuring me that I did a great job and  that the improvement in my body and my health hasn't gone unnoticed. "Screw the machines- you look awesome!" or something like that was uttered.

I was angry. So, I ran. I ran for 15 minutes (2 minutes running at 5.6/ 1 minute walking at 3.6) instead of my normal 10. My legs felt like lead when I was done - and I still had weights to do. And I was yawning. How does someone yawn while working out? I don't get it. On my way out of the gym, I asked another Wellness Coach about the yawning. She said that there have been studies done showing that there is nothing in your body really triggering the yawn as people exercise, but that some people just look exhausted and audibly yawn while exerting themselves.

There has to be a reason.

Runners World's and other online exercise forums mention possible reasons for yawning is:
1) not enough oxygen getting into the system (which makes sense),
2) being dehydrated (I could use more water),
3) it's a natural way for your body to cool down (when you yawn, you're tired- when you're tired, you sleep. When you sleep, your body temp drops)
4) Your muscles are stretching: "When you stretch, muscles contract, squeeze and replace blood in veins with new oxygenated blood. Your body has an increased need for oxygen when you exercise, and yawning might be a way if giving your body what it needs by stretching."
5) Could indicate a heart problem (vasovagal- heart rate and blood pressure issues).

All of these, of course, are theories. There is no hard evidence either way why people yawn when exercising. Either way, it's something I'm going to have to deal with... and I wonder if anyone else has had this issue too..?

On the grillz

Yesterday was a *gorgeous* Michigan day. Mother Nature decided to give us a reprieve and send us temperatures in the low 80's-- a rare April treat. Of course, everyone and their mother is "grilling out" today. It's time to dust off the grill tongs, hide the tarp, and get cooking. I *love* grilled food. It keeps so much of the food's natural flavor while giving it a ..crunchy exterior. 

When I grill, it usually involves a burger of some sort. I like grilled chicken and LOVE grilled shrimp, but nothing- absolutely nothing- beats a burger fresh off the grill. Turkey burger, veggie burger, traditional beef burger-- doesn't matter to me, just get it in my belly! I have a crap ton of turkey in the freezer- I keep thinking I'm out, and *surprise!* I'm not-- so I wanted to make a turkey burger. The problem is, what do you eat with burgers? Fries. YES. Crispy, oily, fatty fries. I don't have those at home, and the budget says hell no to me running out to the store and picking up a bag of Ore Ida fries or tots.

I run through the week's grocery store visit in my head- I have red skinned potatoes! Foil covered red skinned potatoes are a staple in my parent's home during the summer. Every meal that starts with the propane tank turning involves red skins and pita bread (flavored with some garlic infused oil/sauce stuff). I dice the potatoes up, add some garlic (2 cloves), a little onion, some fake butter, and wrap them in foil. In 60 minutes time, I have soft red skinned potatoes, beautifully flavored. *Much* better than fries.

Used the foil, and still got desired crispiness!

Then I get crafty. I realize that I picked up asparagus this week while it was on sale. Can I grill asparagus? In the vein of trying new things, I gave it a whirl. Cooks.com says you add some olive oil, some salt and pepper, and grill for 2-3 minutes.  I can handle that. I spritz on the oil, dash the Crazy Jane's Mixed Up Salt...presto! Tasty asparagus. It was awesome. So awesome, in fact, I asked my mom when she called to brag about her dinner at Xochimilco's in Detroit why we never had when I was a kid. Her response? "You never ate asparagus. Your dad and I had it all of the time." Oops.  Cooks.com also say you can put it right on the grill, but I don't see that until after I split the asparagus in half. I put some foil down on the grill and put the asparagus on top, and it worked just fine.

For dessert, I go a little crazy and go with strawberry shortcake- fresh strawberries, lightly dusted with Splenda... add a little dessert shell, some fat free whipped cream, and presto! Low point dessert! Of course, I was so stuffed after dinner that I had to wait 3 hours to have dessert... oh, the prices you pay while at a cookout.

Couldn't finish the 2nd "mini" burger... Too full of awesomeness!

Yes, this food was all for me. I invited some of my friends over to join in the fun- actually 3 of them- and NONE of them showed up. In fact, 2 of them didn't even respond to the invite (meanies!)- though I did get an apology this morning. The other one... yeah. He got distracted by a movie. I'm ok with this though- because I have plenty of leftovers for tonight's meal :-)

Hungry Girl has some other BBQ ideas that I want to try- Like the grilled pineapple with dip, and the "I cant believe it's not potato salad." So, when's the next cookout...?

Being Cultured

Why not go out on a limb?  Isn't that where the fruit is?  ~Frank Scully

Weekly Weigh In = +.2 lbs (total = -14.2 lbs)

My friend Trish, who has finally re-emerged from the evil world of auditors and work, suggested awhile back that I try new food and "review" it. I've been thinking about it over the last 2-3 weeks-- what would I try? I've tried almost every fruit and vegetable Horrocks has to offer. I've tried tofu. I've tried soy. We're trying dark chocolate-bacon-jalapeno candy bars this weekend (yeah... that's another story). There doesn't seem like there is a lot left *to* try.

Here's what I came up with to try: different fish (I've had tilapia and salmon, but I know there is more out there), kale (I have a recipe for kale chips), baby bok choy- or just bok choy in general, rhubarb that is not put inside a chicken schwarma sandwich... and that's all I've got so far. 

Today, I'm trying Greek yogurt for the first time. Now, I know I shouldn't be having too much dairy, but I figured in this small amount, I would be ok. Especially since I've really limited the amount of dairy I've had over the last few weeks. I know Greek yogurt isn't a new food for most people (I can hear you laughing!), but I've always steered clear of it. I've heard its thicker than regular yogurt, that it's fat free and "flavor free," and... good lord, it's expensive! What do they put in there, flecks of gold!?

Here I sit, with my little container of Yoplait Greek- Honey Vanilla yogurt, and a little side container of fruit. I Google the ingrediants and nutritional information since Yoplait doesn't put the nutrition information on each individual container... and WHAT? This isn't real "Greek" yogurt?! Oh come on.

Greek yogurt is strained to remove much of the watery whey.  This concentrates the milk solids and results in a thick yogurt that is packed with protein.Traditional Greek yogurt is made with whole (fat) milk, so it usually has a higher fat content, however, companies such as Fage have been able to make a Greek yogurt with low and no fat milk while allegedly keeping true to the Greek yogurt method.

Yoplait has as their ingredients: Cultured Pasteurized Grade A Nonfat Milk, Milk Protein Concentrate. Contains less than 1% of: kosher gelatin, Vitamin A acetate, Vitamin D3. As one blogger puts it, it's just "plain old Yoplait yogurt with added protein powder and thickener."

Real Greek yogurt (Fage) has as its ingredients: Grade A Pasteurized Skimmed Milk, Live Active Yogurt Cultures (L. Bulgaricus, S. Thermophilus). That's IT. 2 ingredients.

Hestia, Greek Goddess of the hearth and home

First attempt at trying a new food-- semi-fail. I'm still new to this kind of Yoplait, but now I know it's not real Greek yogurt. So...what is it? It's not worth the $1.09 I spent on it (it was $2.09, but I had a $1 off coupon). I bought the Honey Vanilla flavor, thinking it would taste like... honey and vanilla. It tastes like "expiration date" vanilla yogurt, and a substitute sweetener after taste. And the thickness that everyone talks about- I didn't mind it too much. I added some fruit and it was tolerable, but it's nothing I will eat by itself again. I can see how it would be great to add to a smoothie (extra protein!), but just to eat it plain...? Nope. Never again. And, for the entire container, it's 3 points. I guess that's ok, assuming it actually keeps me full, but only time will tell...

I made one of my law clerks, Nicole, try it with me. This morning, she bought a 0% fat Chibani Greek yogurt from our cafe. She loves the stuff. Granted, it's $2 a container (for 7 oz), but she buys it most mornings. I wanted her to try the Yoplait stuff to compare the "fake" Greek yogurt to the "real" stuff. She took one taste of the Yoplait and said, "yup, get the stuff downstairs."

A disappointing breakfast and a pimple to boot. Here's to trying new things...!

Oil Spill

Restaurant dining has always been a struggle for me.I used to see it as a treat, that I would not order anything that I could make at home (read: salads). The more calories, the better. I mean, you shouldn't be dining out all of the time, right? It's a special occasion to go out to dinner! Get the Monte Cristo!

My lifestyle now has me dining out a LOT more than I would like. I'm out at least 4x a week for dinner, maybe even once or twice for lunch. I had to revamp my thinking- that I can still enjoy the restaurant outing while eating healthy-- and staying within my budget.

However... it seems as though restaurants are still out to sabotage me and all dieters. For example: yesterday, I had the pleasure of having lunch with ALL of my younger sisters and my mom. It was great- we have so much fun together. Mom, sister #1 and sister #3 drove to my place, and we all drove together to see sister #2, who is at Central Michigan University.  We went to lunch at the Italian Oven- a decent, Olive Garden like restaurant. I tried to order healthy- I did!- but oh... the warm bread... with the olive oil and dipping spices put on the table... I ate a few good chunks of bread, a few (3) pieces of bruchetta... and for pasta, I ordered "healthy." I had whole wheat pasta with 7 vegetables (they encourage you to test their servers on which vegetables are in the pasta) and chicken. It was flavored with "a light olive oil and garlic drizzle." I'll take it!

First, let's talk about serving sizes. A serving size of pasta is 2 ounces. Measure it out- its SMALL. Yet, with veggies, it can be really filling. And, a lot of whole wheat pasta is now fortified with protein- so really, 2 oz is a pretty substantial meal. I had-- I kid you not- at least 6 servings of pasta handed to me.

That is 4 NAPKINS worth of oil blotting! In JUST that bowl of pasta!

Secondly, "drizzle." Drizzle is defined as "to let fall in fine drops or particles, to rain gently in fine, mistlike drops." So - why did Snoop Dogg carry an umbrella? Fo' drizzle. It's light, it's fine, it's NOT a downpour. Apparently the cooks at Italian Oven knocked over the bottle of olive oil and mopped it all up into my bowl. The olive oil was *dripping* off of the noodles. When I nuked the leftovers (see below), I removed the noodles and veggies from the bowl with a slotted spoon, and *still* blotted off the excess oil.

MUCH better!

Third- the leftovers. While my remaining  servings of pasta were wrapped up in a cute foil swan, it was like 6 servings. I took it out and weighed it - remember, 2 oz is one serving of pasta. That's about 1 cup. The dish weighed in at 12 oz. I took out as many of the veggies and chicken chunks that I could, and ended up having the pasta weigh in at 8 oz. 4 servings of pasta came home. 

I ended up dumping some of the pasta, added some more veggies (like diced tomatoes- it added flavor, volume, AND some juice, seeing that I dumped as much of the olive oil out that I could), and ate up. I still ate 2 servings of the pasta plus the veggies, and I was full. I could have had more left overs, but honestly... I did so much doctoring to this dish, it wasn't worth it. That, and the pasta was soggy. Nobody likes a soggy noodle. 

Some restaurants are getting good at the diet thing- they're placing healthier options on the menu, allowing for substitutions... but they're still not perfect. You're still served a huge amount (we, as Americans, think that more is always better- you should get your money back in quantity, not quality). Restaurants still use a lot of oil and cheese to cover up the diet smell.

Lesson? I need to ask more questions before ordering, and I can't- I won't - be afraid to ask for modifications. And, the bread basket needs to stay in the kitchen.

Happy Pants Dance - Part 1

Weekly Weigh- In = -.2 (total = -14.4 lbs)

This week's lesson at Weight Watchers was about using our past (failures included) to shape our future. All of those little mistakes we make as we continue on our weight loss journey can be viewed in two lenses- one of "well, I screwed up- might as well go for that triple chocolate cake" or "Well, I screwed up. That plate of nachos wasn't the best idea. If I want them again, I need to make better choices through the day and get a good workout in first." As we talked about how to learn from our past and make better choices, the conversation turned to how we should learn to celebrate non-scale victories as well as celebrating when the scale goes down.


Now, we do this every week in our meetings- we highlight member's "Bravo Worthy" moments after we cheer on those who lost weight during the week (speaking of which, Amy, my WW buddy, hit her 5% GOAL this week! 15 lbs down! WooT!). This week, my hand shot up.

"My friend, who is like 5'5" and started at 180 lbs has been losing weight. She gave me a pink spring coat, telling me that it was too big for her. I looked at her like she was nuts- she's MUCH smaller than I am, and it's pink. I don't do pink. It didn't fit across the chest, but I kept the coat in my closet for the last month. Yesterday, I put it on to go outside in the rain- and it fit. It ZIPPED. And, people are complimenting me on the coat because I look GOOD in it!" It was a great moment for me. I'm pretty vocal in my meetings to begin with- when you've been doing the program (on and off) for so long, you have a lot to contribute. But this was different. I hadn't been this excited since the day I realized I can cross my legs (plus-size girls, you know what I'm talking about!).  -.2 lbs be damned, the THE COAT FIT.

I got home, and pulled out the box of clothes that my roommate gave me from her weight loss (side note- I like being the "bigger" friend to these two, because it's not by much, and I get their clothes- for FREE! Between the weight loss and the budget, free clothes rock!) to see if this one pair of pants fit. These pants aren't anything particularly special- they are dark blue with very subtle light blue pinstriping. They're some kind of weird softish fabric. I loved them- but when I got them 4-5 months ago, they wouldn't even go over my thighs. I tried them on about 6 weeks ago, and they wouldn't button.

This morning, I opened my closet and saw the unopened box of clothes and pulled it out. The pants were on top (naturally). I gently lifted them out of the box and set them on my bed. Daisy came over to inspect the pants, and she laid down next to them, giving the pants her approval. I gingerly put one foot into the leg hole... then the other foot. I pulled the pants up. I stood up straight and fastened the button and zipped the zipper. THE PANTS FIT! WITH room to spare! I was so excited, I started dancing, which got my dog barking. And-- the zipper broke. NOOO! I took them off, realigned the zipper, and put them back on. Apparently, the zipper isn't lined up properly, but if you take your time zipping them, the pants work without fail.

At our work weigh- in, the scale showed that I was UP a pound. I'm kind of used to this scale at work now- it never agrees with the Weight Watchers one. That's fine- I go by the Weight Watchers number, especially since the work competition ends next week. I'm still in great spirits- the pants fit. That's all I need.

I'm calling this "Part 1" because another friend of mine said that there is a pair of jeans that she has been hanging onto for awhile that are too big for her, yet too small for me (I don't think this friend has ever BEEN this particular size - I think she just had a "fat" day when she bought them). If I can get down that far, she said the pants are mine. Depending on what label I'm looking at, that's only 1-2 sizes away...