First Run

Today was another good day.  I made good food choices all day and I got a couple compliments on how trim I'm getting, which is always nice.  After work I headed to the gym.  I decided to go ahead and do a short run on the treadmill in the new shoes to see how it felt.  After my warmup walk I started running and almost immediately my left calf starts aching.  You might remember I said I was walking funny on my left foot when I wore the shoes on Tuesday.  I don't know if I was walking funny because my calf was acting up or my calf acted up because I was walking funny.  Either way, it started to ache but I decided to keep running and see how it did.  As I ran it got better and better, not completely going away but almost.  The difference in the shoes definitely made things feel different, but not necessarily bad.  I'd planned to run a mile but kept going until I hit 15 minutes.  I definitely felt like I could keep running but I didn't want to push it in case my calves were sore later (they're not - good sign!).  The running felt good and now I'm looking forward to getting these guys out on the road!

After the run I hopped on the bike for 10 minutes to total 25 minutes of cardio.  Then I started in with back/biceps/core work.  The physical therapist asked me not to do anything that aggravates my shoulders for now.  But I didn't listen.  I know, I suck.  I just didn't feel right skipping the assisted pullups altogether.  So I did them - but at our next appointment I'll ask for an alternative and do that instead.  I want to do real pullups one day so I know I need to follow the PTs advice.

I had a great workout today!  I actually remembered to have an AccelGel about 15 minutes beforehand so I think that's part of it.  I don't want to eat them before every workout but on those days when I didn't have a substantial afternoon snack, or none at all, they really help.  Oh, and weigh-in tomorrow morning.  Thinking positive scale thoughts.

That's it for me, It's 10:06 and I'm headed to bed.  Only 6 minutes behind schedule.  Oh, and we had a nearly drama free bedtime from the little man tonight.  We've been buckling down on the bedtime so I hope this means we're turning a corner!

Just Go To Sleep!

In my last post I was headed to bed, with a plan to be snoozing by 10pm.  But our son had other plans and he kept us up until 11:30pm fighting bedtime!  OMG, I was SO tired.  That left me dragging my feet all day Tuesday.  My day started with an early physical therapy appointment.  I started again to address my shoulder issue.  I'd started PT just before getting pregnant and sort of dropped the ball when the pregnancy sidelined me from exercise.  So I had the first visit Tuesday and I'm going back tomorrow for some exercises and stretches.  I don't know that I'll go twice a week for 4-6 weeks like they recommend, that's just too many appointments, but I'm looking forward to getting some tips on how I can help my shoulders.  They're starting to ache throughout the day and that's getting old.  Of course, she told me to lay off any exercises that irritate it, which is basically the assisted pullups.  I'm not sorry to see those go, at least for a while.

Despite being tired I went to the gym after work because I'm committed like that [note kudos to self].  I had a 2-3 mile run on the agenda but I wasn't sure about running in these new shoes just yet.  When I got my clothes out to change I realized I'd forgotten my sports bra.  I have a backup I keep in my bag but it has almost no support and there's no way I could run in it.  My breasts would be flying all around, it wouldn't be pretty and might actually hurt.  So good, that settles the run question.  I did the elliptical instead, 25 minutes, level 7, and got another opportunity to wear the shoes.  I think I'm doing something weird with my left foot when I walk in them, walking on the side almost.  These shoes are going to take a little more getting used to than I anticipated.  I'm getting kind of scared at the thought of running in them.  My calves are already so touchy as it is.   Anyway, after the elliptical I did chest/triceps/core stuff.  It all felt pretty good.

Marek did a bit better last night at bedtime.  I started his routine (reading books, etc) at 7:40pm.  By 8:10 he was in bed.  Some screaming, crying, pleading and whining ensued but this time I had him quiet by 8:50pm so that was a big improvement.  But then, like a child myself, I sat up watching TV and reading the news online until 10pm!  WTF?!  It had gotten so late I was getting hungry again and started thinking about having a bowl of cereal.  So I started nagging myself to go to bed and I hit the sack around 10:30pm, without eating a bowl of cereal. Sleep is the third wheel of weight loss I think.  Diet, exercise, and sleep - that's what you need.

Today is a day off from the gym.  I'm home with the kids and having a pretty good day.  It was maybe supposed to rain today but so far it's been dry.  My neighbor friend Karen brought over Chipotle for lunch (Yummy, thanks Karen!) so we had a good time chatting while the kids played.  I get the kids taco kit - it's the perfect amount of food.   Miguel and I are going out to dinner tonight.  We have some financial decisions to make and need some quiet time alone to talk and think.  My mom is watching the kids.  So now I just need to pick a restaurant where we can talk and where I can get some healthy food.

And just for fun, here's what I ate yesterday:  29 points altogether, 3 over my daily 26 but I used activity points for the extra.

Breakfast

1  serving(s) Coffee Mate Natural Vanilla Low Fat, 1 Tbsp             

1/2 cup(s) low-fat milk  

Cereal - Special K Protein, 1 serving, 29 grams    

Lunch

2.5 eggs scrambled with diced tomatoes and diced bell peppers

2/3 cup Steamed broccoli

1  tsp vegetable oil         

1  cup(s) Lentil vegetable soup  

Dinner

1/4 cup bottled pasta sauce  

4-5   ounces cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast(s)               

1  tsp olive oil    

1 cup cooked pasta   

1 cup greens for salad

½ cup kale for salad

Sliced cucumber and tomato in salad

6  grams sunflower seeds            

2 Tbsp Newman’s Light dressing

Anytime Snacks

1  small fresh apple   

1/3 of clif bar     

1 banana

Omph, Myra is crying, naptime is over.  Until next time!

New Shoes, New Book, Old Gym

A quick post and then I am headed to bed!  I stayed up later than I planned last night and I think a nice, long night sleep will do me some good.  So, three quick bits of news...

1.  I got new running shoes!  And not just any running shoes, but Brooks Pureflow. 

I chose these shoes for two reasons.  First, because at the Marin 10k there was a treadmill with a camera hooked up to it.  They filmed you running and then told you about your foot strike and what type of shoe might be good for you.  Mine was pretty normal but the guy said I should try these.  Next, they were a big hit with runners in the Runner's World shoe review.  The testers loved them.  And they're not bad looking either.  Here's what Brooks has to say about them:

Neutral to Guidance runners can experience a run for the senses without losing the comfort of dynamic cushioning. The PureFlow brings a little more shoe and a whole lot of technology to a slick aesthetic. With a wider Nav Band coming up the lateral side and grabbing the midsole, the foot receives arch support without the bulkiness of underfoot materials. A center strike pod provides guidance in finding the natural landing zone, and modern air mesh wraps the foot for an incredibly comfortable fit.

Since they only have a 4mm heel-to-toe offset (my old shoes, like most, are 8mm), your foot is more flat on the ground, instead of having the heel raised up a bit.  They're like an intro into minimalist (barefoot) running.  But I'm not going there, this is about as minimal as I'll get.  I wore them today, though not to run.  I hear your calves will need some adjusting and my calves are already sensitive so I want to ease into the transition.  Tomorrow is a run day.  I might go for a shorter run to avoid my calves getting too sore.

2.  I broke down and purchased another new book.

The End of Overeating by David Kessler.  Dr. Kessler spoke recently at my work and I have been meaning to buy the book ever since.  I don't think it's so much about dieting per se, it's more about the food that's available today and how we are wired to go overboard on it.  At least that's what I got from his talk. Here's how the publishers describe it:

Most of us know what it feels like to fall under the spell of food when one slice of pizza turns into half a pie, or a handful of chips leads to an empty bag. But it s harder to understand why we can't seem to stop eating even when we know better. When we want so badly to say "no," why do we continue to reach for food?  Dr. Kessler met with top scientists, physicians, and food industry insiders. The End of Overeating uncovers the shocking facts about how we lost control over our eating habits and how we can get it back. Dr. Kessler presents groundbreaking research, along with what is sure to be a controversial view inside the industry that continues to feed a nation of overeaters from popular brand manufacturers to advertisers, chain restaurants, and fast food franchises.

I'm still reading the Beck book too, though not being a very good student.  I haven't been reading my reasons for wanting to lose/maintain my weight twice a day.  Haven't been making response cards.  Haven't been patting myself on the back nearly enough.  But I have been eating sitting down more so that's progress.  Good job Michelle.  Actually, I wrote something similar in my workout log today so I am doing a little patting.  Anyway, I am hoping to glean some kernels of information from the Kessler book.  Not that lack of information is what causes me to get out of control with the food sometimes, but I think gaining more knowledge helps - it can help with the guilt/shame crap that sometimes surfaces after I binge. 

3.  And finally, I went to the gym after work today.  This update isn't new and exciting like the previous two but it's always good to log a gym day.  Started with the bike, 25 minutes on the upright, level 7.  My legs are STILL getting hammered by level 7.  It's going to be a good long while, if ever, before I move up to level 8.  And after that I had legs/shoulders/core work to do.  Leg day is definitely a challenge but I try to tackle it with a positive attitude.  I remembered my AccelGel and I know that helped because my afternoon snack was zilch! Which is a good thing as I made homemade pizza for dinner and the points added up quick!

That's all I got.  It's 9:15pm and I'm headed to bed to read a bit.  Hopefully I'll be snoozing by 10!

Downs, Up, and a Trail Run

I had some serious mojo going on Friday but something happened to it.  Yesterday (Saturday) ended in a food meltdown.  Or, to say it more accurately - I binged.  Saturday was a day off from the gym.  The day started off good.  I took the kids to help clean up a local park as part of Earth Day and then over to a friend's house for playgroup.  I didn't follow my plan to pack a sandwich for lunch and found myself munching like crazy on the kid snacks.  I ate pudding, crackers, fruit, more pudding, more crackers.  After playgroup I took the kids to Whole Foods for frozen yogurt.  They'd given out gift certificates for Whole Foods frozen yogurt at the park clean-up so after playgroup I took the kids.  Another not-so-great decision.  The kids were getting tired and I sure as heck didn't need frozen yogurt after all that munchie food.

In the afternoon I went shopping while Miguel was home with the napping kids.  I walked around a lot, which I figured had to help balance the food intake.  I had a plan to eat a sandwich with an apple for dinner for more balancing.  And I did.  But I started feeling bingy about an hour after dinner. I say bingy because I wasn't feeling hungry - I just wanted to be eating.  I won't give you the blow-by-blow but within the next few hours I'd eaten 2 bowls of Cheerios, 1 bowl of Frosted Flakes, a handful of crackers, some whipped cream (out of the can!) and 1.5 one-ounce chocolate bunnies.  I wasn't hungry at any time during all this eating.  And I was asking myself repeatedly, Why are you doing this?  But I didn't have an answer and I couldn't seem to stop.  I finally went to bed, which is what I should have done in the first place because I was quite tired.

I got up this morning and started thinking about exercise.  I had the brilliant idea to go on a longer run and then think of my binge the night before as carb loading!  I have to be careful though, exercise is not punishment.  Exercise is mostly for all positive stuff I get out of it and because I like it.  If I force myself to exercise more when I make food mistakes then it becomes something negative, something punitive.  But I didn't feel like that was happening here.  This felt more like, "I made a mistake but if I do this I'll feel a lot better about it."  I still think this is the thinking that eating disorders are made of but I'm not worried just yet that that's where I'm headed.  Besides, I'm sure you'll let me know if I start sounding like I've gone off the deep end that way.

I started the day with a mom's club breakfast meeting.  I had an egg white omelet with no cheese and fruit on the side.  Good.  For lunch I had leftover salsa chicken with rice (chicken, black beans, salsa verde) and a salad.  More very healthy choices.  Miguel got home from his soccer game I headed out for my run.  It was hot as heck outside so I went for a trail run in a shady area.  You know, this might be my first trail run.  If I've done this before I don't remember.  Anyway, I did this loop that included a couple good sized hills.  The first time around the loop I was able to run the whole way but the second time I had to walk the hills.  Here's an elevation profile to give you an idea:

I don't know what those little spikes are after mile 2, I wasn't tossing my Garmin in the air.  Anyway, after the second loop I decided to run the rest of the way on the fire road to give myself a break.  I ran for an hour, covering 4.69 miles.  Man, that's slow.  But trails and hills will do that I suppose.  Oh and my average heart rate was 160 with a peak of 173.  Damn!  I was working hard out there.  But it gave me some time to think about last night.  I realized one of the thoughts I had while doing all that eating was, "this isn't going to work."  Well, if it is going to work (and work doing what? by the way), then why was I doing it?  No better alternative?  Habit?  Not trusting that there could be an alternative?  I have to try something else.  I can't just keep behaving like these random (usually pms related, though not this time) binges are outside of my control. 

Anyway, after the run I took the short drive to my gym and did back, biceps, core work.  Fortunately I'd taken an AccelGel before my run or I'm not sure I would have made it.  I felt much better about my weekend after my exercise.

I came home to find my husband and kids at a neighbor's house and we ended up having dinner over there (Thanks Karen and Nestor!).  I had salmon, some grilled chicken, cous cous, beans, salad - it was all very good, and healthy.  I was going to have wine but in the end decided to skip it.  I needed today to be all about healthy. 

Well, there you have it.  A low moment but otherwise a good weekend.  And now I'm headed to bed for some much needed rest.  I hope my calves don't hurt too much tomorrow!  Oh, and a quick Thank You to my facebook peeps for the pep talk yesterday, I am so lucky to have your support!