| Author | Post |
|---|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 9 January 2012 06:07 am |
|
Weight: 166.6
The days are still crazy busy, and all the things I try to get done on the weekends remain on the to do list for another week. The hubby says if I didn't sleep in then I could get more stuff done. Yesterday I slept in until 9am. Today I was up at 6:30 am. I love him, but sometimes I want to smack him when he says things like that to me.
This weekend was mostly spent on the kids. Junior Chamber Orchestra for the girl and history projects for both the boy and the girl. Those stupid school projects take so much time, nearly as much time for the parents as it does the kids: driving them to museums, libraries and other sources of information, buying craft supplies for the presentation board, showing them how to do research online, checking their work, making sure they stay on schedule, making appointments with the parents of the other kids they're working with... I really hate these projects. I'll be glad when it's done and we're back to the usual hectic schedule instead of the insanely hectic schedule.
At least I got some me time in the form of some workouts. Yesterday was a lovely 90 minute trail run. After living in my neighborhood for over 8 years, I just found out last week that I've got over 20 miles of trails practically in my backyard. The trails are pretty well maintained and super hilly, which I love. Maybe it was too hilly though, because my knee started to hurt from all the rough terrain. I ended up cutting my planned 2.5 hour run down to 1.5 hours to be on the safe side.
Today I did a 1.5 hours ride. I had to make some adjustments to today's workout too, moving from a hilly ride in the canyon to a flat trail ride because of a high wind advisory. The trail was a little calmer, but the winds were still high at 10-20 mph so I had to cut the ride short as well.
It's been a bad day of eating. Yesterday wasn't too bad, but today was awful. I had donut for breakfast before my ride, thinking that I'd do at least 2 hours to burn it off. But then I also had a giant milkshake for a snack (to deal with the stress of carting around a bunch of screaming, giggling girls) and pizza for dinner.
I do still want to get back on track. I guess I just don't have the energy to deal with it right now. I really need to count my calories, but I haven't even had time to log my workouts. I'm trying to at least stick to the journaling as a record of what I eat. Somewhere in there I would also like to work in at least 8 hours of sleep
Exercise: 90 min bike
Breakfast: nonfat cappuccino, old fashioned glaze donut
Snack: large chocolate chip milkshake
Lunch: ham and swiss on multigrain with mayonnaise
Dinner: 2 slices of combo pizzaLast edited on 9 January 2012 06:12 am by mchen01
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 10 January 2012 12:27 am |
|
Weight: 168.8
Yikes!! The weight increase is getting scary! My clothes are getting too tight. I'm already at the point where some of my jeans no longer fit. I've been on prescription anti-inflammatory drugs for the past couple days and am hoping that most of the reason of the weight gain is from that. I'd stop taking it, but I promised the physical therapist I'd stay on it for 10 days to see if it would help the shoulder pain.
Anyway, no more excuses. I'm doing better about snacking after dinner, so now the new goal is to cut back pastries to maybe once a month. That means no more donuts, or cake, or pie unless it's a special occasion AND I burn it off with some extra exercise.
I'm still working on an updated training schedule. So far, I'm only sure of what I'm doing this week. The total workout time for the week is 10:20 with cardio taking up 7:20 and strength/yoga taking up 3 hours. I've decided to remove my scheduled rest day since I tend to take so many unscheduled rest days. Instead, I'll use one of my yoga days as an active rest day, where the only exercise is an easy routine of yoga. Also, with all the kids' activities, I'm going to have to start doing some of my workouts in the morning. Blah! I dread having to get up around 4-5 am.
Today had some bad moments of eating. I got stuck in traffic due to a really bad accident. I've never seen so much blood on the ground. While I was sitting in traffic, my stomach started to hurt from the NSAID I had taken, without food. I ate some chocolate covered raisins I keep stashed in the car for long bike rides. I also ate some Smarties after lunch to try to counter my sweet tooth. It's not great, but it's only 25 calories.
Exercise:
Breakfast: coffee with chocolate creamer, 2 packs of chocolate covered raisins
Snack: 5 rolls of Smarties
Lunch: 1.5 cups of ham and bean soup, 2 cups spinach with honey mustard, fresh fruit (apple, pineapple, blueberries, mango), fresh fruit juice
Dinner: 2.5 cups white rice, 4 oz fried pork chop, stir fried green beans, pickled chinese vegetables
Last edited on 10 January 2012 04:39 am by mchen01
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 11 January 2012 12:27 am |
|
Weight: 170.0
So I know the weight gain has to be water and I shouldn't panic. But... darn it!
I didn't run yesterday. I stayed late at work and then got lazy when I got home. So, tonight is my makeup day and I plan to do a run after work. I want to get on the track and do some fast intervals. I need to stress my body and see if physical therapy is working. That means opening up my stride and seeing if the knee holds out, as well as noticing how the shoulder and back feel.
I am also eating poorly again today. It seems I have not brought enough healthy food with me and am still hungry. I'm snacking on Smarties again. I screwed up with breakfast too. I had brought a banana with me to eat in the car, but I left it in the back seat. I couldn't reach it and didn't want to get off the highway to get it. I had to eat because the NSAID pills were making my stomach burn. So, I ate 3 butter cookies that happened to be sitting on the seat next to me.
I don't know why dieting is so hard right now or why I'm so hungry these days. Something to think about during my run, which I'm off to now. Maybe I'll be able to come up with some answers later tonight.
Exercise: 45 min yoga
Breakfast: coffee with chocolate creamer, 3 butter cookies
Snack: 6 rolls of Smarties
Lunch: 1.5 cups of ham and bean soup, 2 cups spinach with honey mustard, fresh fruit (apple, pineapple, blueberries, kiwi), fresh fruit juice, banana
Dinner: rice with black beans, broccoli, chicken, muschroom and red pepper stir fry
Last edited on 11 January 2012 08:21 pm by mchen01
|
Hiker
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 11 January 2012 12:38 am |
|
| Michelle, sorry to hear you are stuggling right now. Wish I had an answer, all I know is I have been were you are, sometimes it is so hard to get back on track. I know for me pastries and that sort of thing have to be only a very occasional thing but you are so much more active you can probably get away with a little more. Just need to find that balance again. I know you will get back on track, you are on top of it, that's the first step I think.
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 12 January 2012 12:23 am |
|
Thanks Hiker! I will definitely keep trying to get back on track.
Weight: 168.0
At least the weight is not going up anymore. I swear my stomach is like a whiny child. When it's hungry, I can't get it to shut up. Most of that time the hunger is just boredom too. You'd think the cure would be to do something so that I'm not bored, but these days, I like being bored. After so much thinking and planning and driving and stressing, I like kicking back and doing nothing but playing a game or watching television. But, "hanging out" is when I feel the need to eat. Ugh! I know what to do. I just don't want to. I need an attitude adjustment bad.
I didn't run yesterday, again. I got stuck at work, doing I-don't-know-what. I'm feeling tired and frustrated with work. Maybe I'll apply for some research funds. I have a few ideas, but nothing solid enough to write a proposal. Maybe that's part of my funk. I have the equivalent of writer's block.
Oh well. On to some good stuff. I got in a nice ride during lunch today. I got stuck at work and was afraid I would miss my riding buddies and have to ride alone. But, when I got there, there was one person still waiting for me (not too many available to ride these days for various reasons). We had a fast ride. I like that he pushed the pace. It got my blood pumping and my excitement for the ride took over. I rode with him for a while until he got tired, and then I took off to finish sprinting the final mile. I love feeling the burn in my legs.
Tonight, I'm going back to the gym to finally get a run done. It's dark and foggy and I'll have to get on the treadmill. That's ok though, because I got a nook for Christmas and am eager to see how easy it is to read while running. I can make the font bigger so it'll be easier than the magazines I usually try to read. The book I'm reading is really fun and interesting too. It's called Physics of the Impossible and relates science fiction to actual physics principles. I just finished the section on force fields and am now on magnetic levitation (hovercrafts).
I just looked at nutrition info for dinner. The worst was the sweet potato fries with over 20g of fat.
Exercise: 40 min bike
Breakfast: coffee with chocolate creamer, banana
Snack: 2 rolls of Smarties
Lunch: 1.5 cups of ham and bean soup, 2 cups spinach with honey mustard, fresh fruit (apple, pineapple, blueberries, kiwi), fresh fruit juice
Dinner: El Pollo Loco chicken, flour tortillas and sweet potato fries
Last edited on 12 January 2012 10:07 pm by mchen01
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 12 January 2012 09:57 pm |
|
Weight: 166.8
I'm happy to see the weight coming back down. Whew! Now if I can just get it back below the 160s.
I'm still having some difficult times with the diet and exercise. Yesterday I missed my run for the 3rd time. I also ate like 5 servings of butter cookies while I sat in rush hour traffic that should not have been rush hour. How can 7:30 pm still be rush hour?
I missed my run because I forgot that I was supposed to take a traffic test to finish off traffic school that I took for a speeding ticket. I admit that I drive fast, but usually not that fast (85 mph). I think I zoned out and went into automatic training mode where I like to ride fast and pass people. Anyway, I got the test notarized and faxed in. I called this morning to make sure that I passed the test - I did but got one question wrong. Part of me wanted to know which question I missed and part of me said never mind since the whole class was a painful process that I'd like to forget about. The part that said forget about it won instantly.
Today I went to yoga class and sweated my tuckus off. It was tough today. There were lots of poses in lunge mode and my quads were screaming. I saw one of my workout buddies in class, and he invited me on a 12 mile run this evening. Yay! It's so nice to have workout buddies who push you when you're feeling lazy. I'm lucky enough to have another buddy who has invited me on a 100+ mile ride this weekend. Double yay! That should help bring down the weight.
Exercise: 45 min yoga, 111 min run
Breakfast: coffee with chocolate creamer, banana
Snack: 1 mini Payday
Lunch: 1.5 cups of ham and bean soup, 2 cups spinach with honey mustard, fresh fruit (apple, pineapple, blueberries, mango), fresh fruit juice
Dinner: 3 cups rice, chicken stir fry with mushrooms and snow peasLast edited on 16 January 2012 10:24 pm by mchen01
|
Hiker
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 12 January 2012 10:58 pm |
|
I love to drive fast too. That's one of the advantages of being an old lady...the police tend to look the other way. 
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 12 January 2012 11:32 pm |
|
hahahaha! you are one cool old lady hiker!!
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 16 January 2012 10:50 pm |
|
Weight: 166.8
This weekend I went on a 100+ mile ride. It was beautiful and scenic. I had a great time. We started in Orange and rode through La Jolla, Corona, Lake Elsinor, Temecula and ended in Oceanside. We stopped at Tom's Farms for a light sandwich and potty break. Tom's Farms is one of those wonderful roadside stands with fresh produce and kiddie rides. It was really cute and I'll have to go back with the family.
There was a lot of climbing through the mountains and it was cold and overcast. We barely made it in time to catch the train back, but there was just enough time to grab a margarita and cerviche and chicken taco. We downed the margaritas and ate on the train while we watched the sunset over the ocean. I loved this ride. The only thing is that I wish my riding partner was a little faster, but he's nearly 20 years older than me and does pretty well considering he does about 5 double centuries a year.
After such a long ride I figured I could treat myself to a burger and fries the next day. I was good for dinner though and had a cobb salad. After riding for about 8 hours, I would have thought I would have a little bit of a weight loss but no luck. The ride alone should have burned about 4500-5000 calories. At some point before the ride I was down to 166.0, but now I'm back up. Where's my 1 lb loss? So sad.
To make it worse, I now have an awful cold. My chest feels so heavy. There's no chance of working out for a while now. I'm so bummed. I was on a roll. I felt so good after the ride. My bottom was only a little sore (now I know that all those blisters from my other bike were because of a bad saddle). I didn't feel tired and my leg still had a lot of energy in them. But 30 minutes after we finished the ride, my nose started running and I started sneezing my head off. The next day I woke up miserable and had to nix my long run.
I'm taking today off from work and am trying to get some sleep, but every time I lie down flat it gets hard to breath. I'm sure the meds will start to take affect soon though and I'll be happily dozing within the hour. Zzzzzzzzz.
Exercise:
Breakfast: 1.5 cups lentil soup
Snack: 10 pretzels
Lunch:
Dinner: Last edited on 16 January 2012 10:51 pm by mchen01
|
Hiker
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 17 January 2012 10:14 pm |
|
| Wow, Michelle, that is some ride. It sounds challenging but also absolutley beautiful at the same time. I think I am amazing if I do a 20 mile bike ride so I have to give you a lot of credit. How long does that take you?
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 18 January 2012 08:01 pm |
|
Thanks Hiker! I think a 100 mile ride is probably the equivalent of walking/running 20 miles, so you're probably closer to the challenge than you think. I think the hardest part to cycling is getting the tuckus to get used to sitting for so long. This ride took about 8 hours including a stop for lunch, several potty breaks, and some slow, long climbing over the mountains.
Weight: 166.6
I'm back at work today, not feeling great but better than before. My sinuses are really congested, making my ear hurt when I swallow. I also have to chew with my mouth open - eww.
My weight dropped down to 165.6 yesterday, but I didn't count it because I was in bed most of the day and hadn't eaten much. After a dinner of spicy chili and lots of hot tea, my weight came back up. BTW, I like to use a lot of black pepper when I'm sick. It helps me feel better and is supposed to be great for sinus and breathing ailments.
I've decided to add more fresh ginger to my diet. As a child, my mother used to try to force it down my throat when I was sick. I hated it, but maybe that was because the ginger tea was always boiling hot, very strong and had zero sweetener. Today, my mom throws it in a juicer with lemon, celery root and carrot. I tried it out. It was still very strong but not as awful as I remembered. I've decided to go a milder route and throw a slice of ginger and lemon in my green tea.
Since we go through so much ginger, I've decided to grow some in our yard, probably in a pot. It's great that you can use the stuff that you get from the grocery store. This weekend might be a great time to go do some gardening shopping anyway. I've got a Lowe's gift card burning a hole in my pocket(book). While I'm at it, I think I'll try growing some pineapple too. We go through a lot of that as well.
Well, no exercise until I'm feeling better. I don't want to risk getting sicker. I might try doing some light yoga. I'm still a bit light-headed so my balance is off. Yesterday, the girl showed me how she can now do the extended hand-to-big-toe pose. I was so jealous. Ah, the flexibility of youth.
Exercise:
Breakfast: 1 slice of multigrain toast (dry)
Snack: 3 smarties, lemonheads
Lunch: 1.5 cups lentil soup, 2 cups spinach, 1 tbsp honey mustard, fresh fruit (apple, blueberries, pineapple, kiwi), fresh fruit juice
Dinner: 3 cups white rice, beef & broccoli stir fry
Last edited on 19 January 2012 05:45 pm by mchen01
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 20 January 2012 01:01 am |
|
Weight: 166.0
It's good to see the weight coming back down. My appetite is still high, so I'm not sure what is going on. Yesterday I had a major sweet tooth and dug into the hubby's supply of lemonheads. I've also had a huge craving for white rice. I can't believe how much rice I've been eating. I'm going to try to resist the craving and eat less.
My whole right side has been hurting, from my neck down to my hips. It might be the physical therapy. She has been really aggressive in trying to release the muscles around my shoulder and the adhesion in my abdomen. I think my body is rebelling at the treatment. I keep "The Stick" at work to help massage my quads but now I'm using it on my neck, back and pectoral. Massaging my pec looks weird so I try to do it when no one is walking around my cube. I wish I could say that yoga helped, but my muscles just won't release no matter how much stretching I do.
Last night the boy had his honor orchestra audition. Tonight is the girl's. They have both been working very hard, getting up by 6:30 AM to practice before school, so I hope they get good chairs. I told the girl that if she got concert master or even second chair that I would buy her a new violin for advanced musicians. I'll probably buy it for her anyway, but not so soon. Right now she is using the boy's new violin since he hasn't really grown into it yet. I guess I'll have to sell or donate her old violin.
Exercise: 45 min yoga
Breakfast: 1.5 cups lentil soup
Snack: 1 can coca-cola, 1 svg peanut butter pretzels
Lunch: 1 hard boiled egg, 2 cups spinach, 1 tbsp honey mustard, fresh fruit (apple, blueberries, pineapple, kiwi), fresh fruit juice
Dinner:
|
Hiker
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 20 January 2012 09:13 am |
|
Hey Michelle, I don't know if this is the case with you but if you check out my diary from yesterday I made a huge discovery as far as my appittie goes. For me sweets, really set my appitite off and it is always carbs I crave. Maybe this is going on with you too?
Your kids sure sound talented, it's great they have the chance to explore it. I am sure if you want to sell or donate the old violin there will be a kid out there who wouldn't have one otherwise.
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 23 January 2012 09:09 pm |
|
Thanks Hiker! Yes, I think carbs cause cravings too. I'll have to experiment to see what I need to sustain my workout levels as they change during the year.
Weight: 166.4
Ok, yesterday my weight dropped to below 165. Now, I'm back up. The excitement and joy was very short lived. I guess I shouldn't have celebrated with that Five Guys burger and fries. I guess I should have gone running instead of taking a nap. Blah! Finding motivation is very hard these days. At least I didn't buy the pastries or pie that I've been drooling over at the grocery store. Yummmm, pie.
Today I read that Arizona is banning any teaching or reference to the Bible in public schools. I swear the silliness never ends. We go from one extreme to the other, and neither are right. Teaching and preaching are completely different principles. We can surely teach something without the preaching. Shame on the adults who don't know the difference and are depriving our youth of a full and unbiased education.
No exercise over the weekend. I'm still not feeling recovered from my cold, or whatever it was. Breathing is still a bit rough, and I feel so tired. Plus, my whole right side has been in pain. The pain is now radiating into my fingers, so bad that I can't open a jar with that hand. I have physical therapy tomorrow and will see what the therapist thinks.
Both of the kids did well for auditions. The boy got 1st violin, 9th chair, and the girl got 1st violin, 5th chair. I'm so proud of them. They've really improved with the new teacher, and they've only been with her for about 8 months.
I'm going to increase the ginger in my diet. My mom is juicing about a tablespoon into my fruit juice. It's still a bit strong, but I think I'll get used to the bite over time. Mom has been drinking fresh ginger juice for about 7 years now. The arthritic swelling in her fingers has noticeably declined. She also uses celery root, but I'll just stick to the ginger for now.
Exercise:
Breakfast: coffee with chocolate creamer
Snack: chocolate caramel nut cluster, chocolate truffle, 2 smarties
Lunch: 1.5 cups lentil soup, 2 cups spinach, 1 tbsp honey mustard, fresh fruit (apple, blueberries, pineapple, kiwi), fresh fruit juice
Dinner: 3/4 cup white rice, chicken curry, 1.5 cups cheerios, 3/4 cup low fat milk
Last edited on 24 January 2012 06:40 pm by mchen01
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 24 January 2012 11:25 pm |
|
Weight: 166.0
I woke up very stiff and sore this morning. The pain in my right side feels worse. The physical therapist really dug into my back, shoulder and pec, and then she taped my shoulder. By the time she was done I felt much better. At least the constant pain had subsided. Unfortunately, after sitting at my desk all day, I'm starting to feel stiff and sore again. I've been too busy to get up and stretch but a couple times today, and I completely missed my lunchtime yoga. Boo! To make up for it, I'm definitely getting to the gym after work to do some stretching and a run.
I was very mindful of dinner last night and cut back on the rice. I was still hungry though. I decided to fill up on cheerios which are lower in calories and carbs. I felt better going to bed not hungry and I didn't overdo on the calories.
There is a book I plan on ordering called "Racing Weight: How to Get Lean for Peak Performance". It specializes on diets for endurance athletes, so it takes into account appetite issues, training phases, workout nutrition and so on. It should help motivate me with my diet as well with anecdotes and stories of other athletes.
I'm also thinking of going back to Livestrong. I've been using Sparkpeople, but I think it was easier to count calories on Livestrong. As for my training log, or lack thereof, I'm still not sure what I want to do there. I want to do more strength training but am worried about the stress on my shoulder and back. I guess I can start out easy and just plan week to week for now.
Exercise: 45 min run
Breakfast: coffee with chocolate creamer
Snack: 4 Twix minis
Lunch: ham &swiss on wheat sandwich thin, 2 cups spinach, 1/2 tbsp honey mustard, fresh fruit (apple, blueberries, pineapple, kiwi), fresh fruit juice
Dinner: 2 cups pasta, 1/3 cup pasta sauce with mushrooms, 1 cup broccoli
Last edited on 25 January 2012 05:35 pm by mchen01
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 25 January 2012 05:53 pm |
|
Weight: 165.6
The shoulder is feeling much better. When I woke up this morning I didn't notice any pain at all. I've been back on the prescription NSAID for the past couple days. Maybe that's helping a little too.
Last night I ended up running with a friend. His workout called for a 5 mile tempo run so that's what I did too. Unfortunately, my asthma kicked in for the last 2 miles. I kept pushing for as long as I could and did pretty well. I finally had to slow down about 1/2 mile from the car. On the other hand, my knee is feeling great. I'm able to open up my stride without pain, and there was very little pain afterward. There is still one spot where the drain was that still stings, but I assume that's more scar tissue tearing away.
Today is a bike ride during lunch. I unfortunately have a meeting scheduled, but I plan to leave the meeting early. I have someone new joining the group and I promised to be there.
My diet is slowly getting back on track. Except for the current bouts of chocolate intake, I've been watching my portions and am mindful of hunger vs. craving. Last night I had a craving for sweets after dinner, but it felt like hunger. I waited it out and eventually forgot about it. Gotta love the small victories.
Exercise: 50 minute bike
Breakfast: coffee with chocolate creamer
Snack: pretzels, 12 oz gatorade
Lunch: 1.5 cups lentil soup, 2 cups spinach, 1/2 tbsp honey mustard, fresh fruit (apple, blueberries, pineapple, kiwi, grapes), fresh fruit juice
Dinner: 2 chicken tamales, 1 pork and bean burrito
Last edited on 26 January 2012 08:18 pm by mchen01
|
artistjohn
Moderator
|
Posted: 26 January 2012 09:43 am |
|
Hi Michelle
I find that eating sufficient amounts of the healthy stuff seems to turn off the craving for sugary stuff.
I also find that I cannot have have a bit of sweet stuff, it's all or nothing.
I have oats (porrige) mashed banana before bed, which sees me thru the night.
One weird saitiating snack is avocado and boiled egg.
A bowl of fresh or frozen mixed berries hits the spot as well mixed with yoghurt.
Good luck and I am so jealous of your physical achievements.
Well done again.
|
Hiker
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 26 January 2012 11:12 am |
|
| MIchelle, you are doing great on the exercise, I am so glad you are recovering from both the knee and shoulder injuires. You are so dedicated to the exercise, I hope to be half that dedicated some day. Your diet looks pretty good and the fact that you waitied it out on the sweets craving. I am like ArtistJohn when it comes to sweets I really have to stay away, but if you can indulge once in awhile why not as long as you can get it back under control and it looks like you can.
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 26 January 2012 09:46 pm |
|
Hey John - I admire you for sticking with the paleo diet. It's the only diet that has appealed to me as well, but I know I will not be able to strickly adhere to all of the requirements. I like a lot of the foods you mention, especially the egg and avocado since it's what I usually eat for lunch. With the cold winter months though, I like to switch to hot soups. I'm glad you mentioned the yogurt. I forgot that I have yogurt in the fridge. I like to eat mine with honey. Yummy.
Hi Hiker - I wish I could be as dedicated as you and John, but I'm a bad dieter. I haven't given up though. I still want to do better and eat less sweets. Too bad we can't send each other our dedications to even ourselves out. Haha.
Weight: 167.8
The weight - oh my!
I missed a strength workout yesterday. I was truly going to go, but I got a call that road bike was ready to pick up from having a tune up and that I needed to bring my tri bike to install a part I had ordered. Since it takes me over an hour in rush hour traffic, I had no choice but to skip my workout and go to the shop before they closed.
More on the confessions - dinner was bad last night. Did I need to eat that extra tamale? Did I need to eat the tamales at all? Come to think of it, why did I even buy those darn things? I remember that at least it didn't exceed my fat content rule of less than 10g per serving. Still, I shouldn't have had that second tamale. I wasn't that hungry. It just tasted too good.
Another eating habit that I'd like to change is my lack of breakfast. I want to eat breakfast, but I'm usually not hungry at that time. I wonder if I can slowly train my body to be hungry in the mornings and less hungry in the evenings.
Yoga felt really good today, especially on the shoulder. I can lift my arm up with less pain. There still some nerve impingement and when it happens, the zing of pain is still pretty intense. It always happens when I need to twist my arm. I was hoping to be back in the pool next week, but I may postpone that a bit longer. Tonight will be a 30-45 min easy run.
Exercise: 45 min yoga
Breakfast: coffee with chocolate creamer
Snack: 2 york peppermint patties mini, 1 tootsie pop
Lunch: ham and swiss on wheat sandwich thin, 2 cups spinach, 3 cherry tomatoes, 1/2 tbsp honey mustard, 2 tbsp pasta salad, fresh fruit (apple, blueberries, pineapple, kiwi), fresh fruit juice
Dinner: 6 oz pork chops, green beans
Last edited on 27 January 2012 05:48 pm by mchen01
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 27 January 2012 06:54 pm |
|
Weight: 168.6
Why does it seem like the weight goes up so easily and quickly but comes down ever so slowly?
No run yesterday. Just as I was getting ready to shutdown my computer and leave work, I got a call from an analyst who needed help trouble shooting a bug. I had to stay until 7:30pm while we traced the problem. It's ok though. I like working with good people and am glad that I was able to help out. He's an interesting person, having done adventure races and at one point was signed up for the Eco-challenge. It's too bad one of his teammates dropped out at the last minute and they were unable to go.
Since I stayed at work so late, I got hungry and only had some candy available. I tried to eat only enough to keep my tummy from screaming at me. But, once I got home I was starving. I ate 2 pork chops and a mess of green beans, which would explain the big weight gain this morning.
I switched some of my lunch to breakfast. I'm hoping that eating more in the morning will help ease my appetite in the evening.
Oh no, a bad trend is starting here. I missed my lunchtime workout because I had to talk to a repairman. Our hot water heater died last night. The hubby called a repairman, but wasn't available when the repairman finished. Looks like we have to buy a new hot water heater. Ouch! He thinks our broken heater was installed poorly. That sucks because the installer and dealer were the same. Of course, they're no longer in business. Such is life.
More unexpected junk. Three accidents on the highways. It took almost 2 hours to get home. No time to run. Bummer.
Exercise:
Breakfast: coffee with chocolate creamer, lentil soup, fresh fruit juice
Snack: 2 smarties
Lunch: 2 cups spinach, 3 cherry tomatoes, 1/2 tbsp honey mustard, fresh fruit (apple, blueberries, pineapple, kiwi)
Dinner: stir fried chicken breast with red pepper, onion and mushroom, 3/4 cup white rice
Last edited on 30 January 2012 05:22 am by mchen01
|
mollymoo24
Distinguished Member
| Joined: | 30 December 2007 |
| Location: | Chicago, USA |
| Posts: | 6271 |
|
Posted: 29 January 2012 08:05 pm |
|
Hi Michelle, I read several of your posts and what jumps out is that you have sugary foods (candies, cookies) and lots of fruit (natural sugars) in your diet. From my own experience, sugar makes me feel hungry and want to eat again much faster. Since I switched to veggies instead of fruits and added more lean protein to my diet, I don't generally feel "hungry" in my tummy. [if I overeat, its because I'm being emotional.] I eat protein at both breakfast and lunch and keep the carbs down, and it holds me through the day without getting hungry. Just wanted to share my experience because it is amazing what switching things around did for me.
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 30 January 2012 05:49 am |
|
Molly - thanks for your honest assessment of my diet. I think I finally get the message that everyone here is trying to tell me. I have to admit that I got a little upset and went into automatic denial. I didn't think I ate that much sweets. But, I read back over my journal and was surprised to see that every entry has candy or soda in it. The thought of giving up sweets makes me nervous. I don't know if I can do it, but I'm going to try.
Weight: 165.6
Ok, I was wrong. Apparently the weight can come off as quickly as it comes on.
I finally had a great week of workouts. Yesterday was a 2:18 run on hilly trails. It was supposed to be 2.5 hours, but I it turn out to be a difficult run. I overestimated how tough it would be to run hills for that long, and my calves started to cramp after an hour. The hills are very steep. It was also unseasonably warm at 80 degrees, and I didn't bring enough water with me. So, I cut my run short by 12 minutes which is no biggie.
Today I went on a hilly ride with a friend. It was fairly relaxed, and we had a great time. It was another gorgeous day with temperatures in the 70s. We were having such fun that we hung out afterward at a coffee shop. My friend was good and got only a latte. I was bad, getting a java chip frappucino.
All the hills have really hurt my calves, so I'm back on the foam roller. Hopefully I can ease out the damage from the cramps by Sunday when I have a half marathon to run.
Today was the girl's birthday. We got her a new watch that shows the tides. I hope it motivates her to surf more. She only went out yesterday and skipped today to play Wii games. I should have made her go out today too. Anyway, I should have also stayed away from the birthday cake.
I didn't eat that much today or yesterday. I skipped lunch today and last night I skipped dinner. I don't know what happened. I felt hungry at times but got so busy that I missed my chance to eat and then forgot about being hungry. I guess my appetite was just low this weekend, not that I'm complaining. I just wish I knew what caused it so I could repeat it.
Exercise: 1.5 hour bike
Breakfast: iced coffee, fresh fruit juice
Snack: cheese cube, 1/4 tuna sandwich
Lunch:
Dinner: 3/4 cup brown rice, steamed tilapia, stir fried cabbage, birthday cake
Last edited on 31 January 2012 12:13 am by mchen01
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 30 January 2012 11:48 pm |
|
Weight: 167.6
Feeling a bit stuck in the pipes today. I must be dehydrated after all the weekend time spent outdoors and not enough water intake. Drinking enough water is another one of my shortcomings.
I thought about doing a strength routine today, but I'm feeling pretty sore. My calves are still hurting and my shoulder is bothering me. I think I'll just do an extended stretching routine.
I haven't eaten any candy today. It's hurting me too. I really, really want a piece of chocolate. Just one little piece. I tried chewing a piece of gum, but it didn't help much. I'll keep trying though. I hope I can make it through today.
I switched my fruit to breakfast in the hopes that the timing of what I eat will help. I find that I'm hungrier than usual at this time. I think I'll add another cup of spinach to my lunch. Maybe I need more vegetable bulk to help fill me up. In the meantime, I have some soy nuts that I'm snacking on. I'm keeping it to just one ounce since they're pretty heavy in calories.
I finally had time to do some calorie counting today. It looks like I'm at about 1100 calories so far. That means I can only eat about 400-500 calories for dinner. That isn't much. This dieting thing is hard!
Exercise:
Breakfast: coffee with chocolate creamer, fresh fruit (blueberries, apple, grapes, pineapple)
Snack: 1/4 cup soy nuts
Lunch: ham and swiss on wheat sandwich thin, 2 cups spinach, cherry tomatoes, 1 tbsp honey mustard, 2 tbsp pasta salad, 1 cup fresh fruit juice
Dinner: 5 oz roast pork, 1 cup cooked spinach, 1 cup corn, 1 cup yogurt, 1 tbsp honey, 1/2 cup granola
Total Intake: 1813 cal
Total Exercise: 0
Net: 1813 cal
Last edited on 31 January 2012 05:47 pm by mchen01
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 31 January 2012 09:01 pm |
|
Weight: 167.6
Two days without a BM. Ouch. It's all my fault. I know I'm supposed to drink more water. Don't know why that's so hard for me to do though.
I made it through yesterday without candy. Yay! I was still craving sweets, and I remembered my yogurt with honey this time. So that's what I had for dessert. The granola helped give it enough bulk to help me feel satisfied. I think I ate pretty healthy yesterday. Sadly, I still went over my calorie goal by 200 cal.
I'm being very cautious with my weight loss goal. I set my goal for a 1/3 lb loss per week. I know it's not much, but I have such a difficult time with dieting that I didn't want to sabotage myself through frustration at never meeting my goal. Plus, I'm a patient person and don't mind losing slowly. As long as the weight loss becomes permanent, I'm happy.
I am already over 1100 cal and will only be able to eat about 450 cal for dinner. Hopefully I won't want any dessert this time. I at least got in some yoga already. The plan is to also add in a run after work. With that I should be ok for the day as well as make up for the overage yesterday.
Exercise: 45 min yoga, 30 min run
Breakfast: coffee with chocolate creamer, 3 fried eggs, 1 slice sourdough
Snack: fresh fruit (apple, pineapple, blueberries, grapes)
Lunch: 1.5 cups lentil soup, 1 hard boiled egg, 2 cups spinach, 3 cherry tomatoes, 1.5 cups fresh fruit juice
Dinner: 2 cups pasta, 1/2 cup marinara with mushrooms, 2 cups steamed broccoli
Total Intake: 1808
Total Exercise: 488
Net: 1320 cal
Last edited on 2 February 2012 01:48 am by mchen01
|
mollymoo24
Distinguished Member
| Joined: | 30 December 2007 |
| Location: | Chicago, USA |
| Posts: | 6271 |
|
Posted: 31 January 2012 11:43 pm |
|
Congrats on getting through a day with no candy! Keep it up! Regarding vegetable bulk, yeah, I fill up on that - you can pretty much eat all you want of vegetables and not go over your calorie goal. You def don't need to be "hungry" but your body will "want" sugar until you phase it out. I am not surprised you felt you were hungrier than usual after having fruit (natural sugars) for breakfast..your body is telling you something... 
|
artistjohn
Moderator
|
Posted: 1 February 2012 05:01 pm |
|
Hi Michelle
I feel guilty pointing out your sugar intake sometimes and find Molly has chipped in as well.
Ok more pain for you. Cutting out the candy is great.
But and a big but. There are sugars in many things which equal candy. for instance your last recorded intake;
Breakfast: coffee with chocolate creamer, 3 fried eggs, 1 slice sourdough
Snack: fresh fruit (apple, pineapple, blueberries, grapes)
Lunch: 1.5 cups lentil soup, 1 hard boiled egg, 2 cups spinach, 3 cherry tomatoes, 1.5 cups fresh fruit juice
take the above chocolate creamer = sugar
apple =sugar
pineapple=sugar
grapes=sugar
fresh fruit juice= sugar.
These are not bad things but they are fructrose which is sugar and can only be stored as fat unless you consume them and immediately work out and burn them off.
You as an athlete would be better off consuming eggs and other proteins to build and repair muscle and eating green vegetables and non starchy stuff till you get lean.
You can eat loads of mixed berries fresh or frozen mixed with yoghurt, for a low sugar low calorie snack.
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 2 February 2012 01:46 am |
|
Molly and John - Ok, you two are making me laugh and cry at the same time. Yes, you got me on the fruit thing - it's still sugar. But, I'm just now trying to wean myself off the candy - have mercy on me. Haha. Seriously though, I'm in a bit of a dilemma about the fruit. There are the obvious health benefits, but there is also the added carb requirement for me as an endurance athlete. Maybe, for appetite control and immediate energy needs, I should only eat fruit right before a cardio workout? That way I have the energy to get through my training and am able to burn it off before it triggers a spike in my appetite. What do you all think?
Weight: 165.0
Looks like the weight is starting to drop. Whew, that's very nice to see.
No candy again! It felt a little easier to let go of the candy today, but I did have a couple pieces of gum to ease the stress.
It's another busy day. I only had time for a lunchtime bike ride, no strength workout (I will try and do at least one set tonight at home). I'm glad I made the most out of the ride. I did a couple sprints where I could but generally had to hold back so everyone could stay together. We have a new guy in our group, so I made sure to wait for him to catch up. The new guy has done several half ironmans, so we have a lot to talk about during our rides.
I still feel weaker than I was before my crash. I'm about 1 mph slower on the sprints. I definitely need to work on that. Oh, that reminds me. Now that it's February 1st, my month long hiatus from data collecting is over and it's time to get back to real training mode. Today I wore my garmin for the first time since Christmas.
I have 4 races this month too. One is a half marathon this Sunday, then a 5 mile trail run and 5k road race next weekend, and then another 5k trail run the following weekend. Somewhere in there I plan on doing another 100 mile ride. I'm hoping to do a century ride every month to keep up my ironman fitness.
Last night's dinner was a disappointment. I shouldn't have had so much pasta. I will do better tonight and control my portions.
Exercise: 55 min bike
Breakfast: coffee with chocolate creamer, fresh fruit (blueberries, apple, grapes, pineapple)
Snack: 1/4 cup soy nuts
Lunch: 1.5 cups lentil soup, 2 cups spinach, cherry tomatoes, 1 tbsp honey mustard, 1.5 cup fresh fruit juice
Dinner: 1 cup white rice, beef and broccoli, 1.5 svg tortilla chips, pico de gallo, 1/2 cup yogurt, 1/4 cup granola
Total Intake: 1857
Total Exercise: 678
Net: 1179 cal
Last edited on 2 February 2012 05:05 pm by mchen01
|
artistjohn
Moderator
|
Posted: 2 February 2012 10:40 am |
|
Didn't mean to make you cry I prefer the laughing much more.
Presuming you would love to be a lean mean fighting machine (something I am not yet!!) with a bmi of 21 @ 140lbs.
Yes you have to eat carbs for energy to fuel your training.
I found this link for you.
http://www.trainingbible.com/pdf/Paleo_for_Athletes_Cliff_Notes.pdf
I don't mean to criticise but to help, I think you know that.
I remain an admirer
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 2 February 2012 05:01 pm |
|
Thanks John! That is a great link! It helps a lot. I've been meaning to buy this book, now I want it even more. Keep the advice coming - I very much appreciate it from everyone. Sometimes it's a little hard to swallow, but I take every criticism seriously as it helps me face the issues I tend to avoid.
Weight: 165.2
No strength workout at all last night. I didn't get home until 9:30 after being stuck at work all day.
Unfortunately, getting home so late does make me very hungry. I couldn't help myself and ate a cup of white rice with my dinner. I was still hungry 15 minutes after my meal so I had some tortilla chips with homemade pico de gallo. Still hungry. A half cup of yogurt with 1/4 cup granola and I was finally full.
I'm feeling a little tired and stiff this morning. Good thing it's yoga day. I really need some stretching and the little 5 minute nap afterward does wonders. If I'm lucky I will also get in a short run after work. I'm expecting a call from an analyst later today but am not sure when. I hope it's not late.
Thanks goodness for workout buddies. I have a co-worker who runs after work and sometimes asks me to come along. He caught me today, which is great, because I might not have run otherwise. I got stuck doing a proposal and would have stayed to finish. Having someone push me out the door was nice, because in the end, the proposal could wait another day.
As for the calculated calories for workouts, I don't believe those numbers at all. I'm probably more at 1/2 - 2/3 of the calculated expenditure. I've got a lot of endurance built up and my heart rate runs pretty low, so it makes sense that I burn fewer calories than the average person.
Exercise: 45 min yoga, 45 min run
Breakfast: coffee with chocolate creamer, 1.5 cups lentil soup
Snack: fresh fruit (apple, pineapple, blueberries, grapes)
Lunch: 1 hard boiled egg, 2 cups spinach, cherry tomatoes, 1 tbsp honey mustard, 1.5 cup fresh fruit juice, 1 svg peanut butter pretzels
Dinner: 4 oz pork chop, 1.5 cups green beans, 3/4 cup couscous
Total Intake: 1748
Total Exercise: 881
Net: 867 cal
Last edited on 3 February 2012 10:11 pm by mchen01
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 3 February 2012 10:15 pm |
|
Weight: 164.4
Yahoo! Look at that weight drop!
I had a big lunch today and no fruit. I ran out of the house really early this morning and didn't have time from my usual lunch. Now that it's the end of the day, I'm starting to crave sweets and am feeling a little hungry. It's time to go home.
Today is very busy - what else is new. I had PT in the morning, picked up a co-worker for carpool, finished my proposal, prepped another teammate for a new task, and just finished picking up my race bib for this weekend's race. Luckily, the hubby made it home early so I don't have to take the kids to violin lessons.
Workouts for today are optional, although I should do a bit of strength training. Tomorrow I'm going to try to fit in a short ride.
Oh, and I did end up ordering those diet for endurance athlete books. I can't wait to read them.
Exercise:
Breakfast: coffee with chocolate creamer, trail mix bar
Snack:
Lunch: 4 oz fried pork chop, wheat sandwich thin, 2 cups spinach, cherry tomatoes, 1 tbsp honey mustard
Dinner:
Total Intake:
Total Exercise:
Net: Last edited on 3 February 2012 11:53 pm by mchen01
|
artistjohn
Moderator
|
Posted: 4 February 2012 10:34 am |
|
Hay great stuff
I think the book will help you greatly. It's a fine line with the amount of training you do and fuelling those works outs and not storing the carbs as fat.
This is a link to a paleo site and a blog for athletes on that site;
I read this site daily and post here, please don't leave us
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/thread40723-2.html
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 6 February 2012 01:51 am |
|
Thanks John! I'm looking forward to the books. The whole dieting thing is very confusing for me. I think the books will help me too.
Today won't be my usual post. I'm really tired from today's race, so I'm going to take a little nap. Then I have to pack and get some work done for a business trip.
I just wanted to write about something that happened at the race today. It's happened once before, and I never thought I would personally see it happen again. A young, female racer collapsed at the finish line. She wasn't moving. The medics immediately surrounded her and started giving her CPR. It took about 10 minutes, but they were able to bring her back. It was very scary to watch (normally I don't like to stand around and watch because it feels disrespectful, but I was waiting for the hubby). I was so happy that she was alive. The man I had seen collapse at my first marathon was not so lucky.
Today's race was hard because it got too warm, but I remember just enjoying the sunshine and feeling thankful for my health and being able to do what I do. Seeing that poor woman today made me realize just how lucky I am to have a strong, healthy body despite the abuse I put it through from obesity.
The young woman looked to be in her 20s and was probably about 30-40 lb overweight. Much too young to have a heart attack. Her weight may have been a factor, but I also ran when I was this overweight. Still, if she had some congenital defect, I'm sure the weight didn't help. I wish her well and hope she is able to return to running, because frankly, she almost beat me. With her kind of spirit, she deserves a chance at a healthy life full of many sunny miles.
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 13 February 2012 09:38 pm |
|
Weight: 167.6
The weight is back up. It's been a very hectic week. I got sent on a last minute business trip. On top of that I also received a priority project that had me working through the night. I had no choice but to eat catered food and room service, and the choices were not even close to healthy. The salads were soaked in dressing, and everything else seemed to be dripping in butter or grease or extra sauce.
I've been working on this project overtime and haven't had very much sleep. I'm exhausted. But, I did get a chance to run this weekend only because I had a couple of races to attend.
The first race was a 5 mile trail race that I ran with the boy. It was his first distance over 5k. He did very well, placing 3rd in this division and beating me by over 10 minutes. It was a very tough course with the first 2 miles going straight up at grades of 5% to 24%. The boy and I ate chili and compared thoughts and experiences on the race. I'm so proud of him. He seems to be taking a liking to the running and racing, and I can't wait to see what he can do as he reaches his potential. In the meantime, this old lady is going to have to work harder to keep up with him.
The second race is one of our regulars, the LA Chinatown Firecracker 5k. The race has lots of great freebies and entertainment. There's a lion and dragon dance at the beginning and then the lighting of 100,000 firecrackers. Along the route to Dodger Stadium is a group of taiko drummers and then there's the all day festival at the finish. Below is a picture of the start with firecrackers waiting to be lit.
I got the diet books I ordered. I haven't had a chance to read much, but what I've glanced at looks interesting. The advice that pertains to me most is:
1. I can eat whatever I crave if I'm training 20 hours a week, because then my body really is telling me what I need. If I'm only training for 6 hours a week, then I need to ignore the cravings (yeah, I know - no candy and less sugar and fat ).
2. Most people tend to lose weight and eat well on the weekdays. Then they sabotage it all on the weekends. I need to eat on the weekends the same food I would eat on the weekdays.
Makes sense. These will be my first 2 goals.
Exercise:
Breakfast: coffee with chocolate creamer
Snack: 1/4 cup soy nuts
Lunch: 2 oz turkey, 1/3 avocado, wheat sandwich thin, 3 cups spinach, cherry tomatoes, 1 tbsp honey mustard, hard boiled egg, fresh fruit
Dinner: bowl of creamy bean and vegetable soup, 3/4 white rice, 1.5 cups chicken curry
Total Intake: 1939
Total Exercise: 0
Net: 1939 cal Attached Image (viewed 229 times):
 Last edited on 14 February 2012 08:48 pm by mchen01
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 14 February 2012 09:35 pm |
|
Weight: 167.2
Ah, back in yoga class. I've stiffened up quite a bit in the 1.5 weeks that I missed class. I'm not good enough at yoga to make up my own routine. What I do on my own never seems to work as well as the routine in class.
I've been so busy I've hardly "seen" the hubby. We were together almost all day Sunday, but with the kids and mom our attentions are constantly diverted to them. This morning he called me to wish me a Happy Valentine's Day, and I thought it was the best gift he could give me today. Taking just those few minutes to stop and exchange goofy kissy noises over the phone and act like silly teenagers is all the romance I need. He makes me laugh over the dumbest things, and I fall in love with him all over again.
We have started our kitchen renovation. Today our stove was unhooked and the sink torn out. Trying to cook is going to be difficult. We won't have our new appliances installed until late Feb/early March. That means about 2-3 weeks of mostly takeout. It will be a challenge to eat healthy and within my calorie goal. I'll probably buy a hotplate this weekend but cooking for 5 on a hotplate is going to get irritating fast. Plus, washing the dishes in the bathroom sink/tub just feels yucky.
Exercise: 45 min yoga
Breakfast: coffee with chocolate creamer
Snack: 1/4 cup soy nuts, 2 svg peanut butter pretzel
Lunch: 1.5 cups creamy potato and white bean soup, 3 cups spinach, cherry tomatoes, 1/3 avocado, hard boiled egg, fresh fruit
Dinner: McDonald's 2 cheeseburger meal (regular size)
Total Intake: 1940
Total Exercise: 223
Net: 1717 cal
Last edited on 16 February 2012 08:59 pm by mchen01
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 16 February 2012 10:02 pm |
|
Weight: 166.2
The past 2 days have been rough in terms of diet. Without the ability to cook, and being on the go constantly, I've had to resort to fast food that I can eat in the car while I drive. Both nights have been a burger and fries. A friend from work offered to let me borrow his hot plates, but he forgot to bring them in. The hubby is opposed to using hot plates because he thinks they're a fire hazard. I think he's being paranoid. The stove is also a fire hazard. What are we to do? Never cook at all for the sake of safety? I'm going to go buy one tonight. I'm not going to survive the next few weeks if I can't have homecooked meals.
I have also not had much chance to exercise. I got home late after meeting with the designer and then picking up 5 kids from Honors Orchestra, taking 3 of them to their homes and bringing my 2 back with me. I did get in a nice bike ride yesterday despite the approaching storm. I was lucky enough to miss the rain and only had to deal with some very wet roads. The great thing was the strong winds which ended up pushing at my back for my sprint distance, and I was able to reach 33 mph on the flats! What a rush! Today was a not-so-relaxing yoga session that had my abs on fire most of the time. I fell asleep during savasana.
The plumbing and electricity are mostly done and we will have drywall up tomorrow. If the weather stays dry, then the hubby and I will be able to prime the drywall and the cabinets should be going in next week. It will be nice to get a glimmer of how the new kitchen is going to look. I'm so excited to have enough storage space that we can stop storing our food in the garage where the mice can get at it. I was pretty mad when I found out that a mouse had gotten into my oats and raisins and pooped all over everything else. I threw out a lot of food, and the mouse got away (again).
Exercise: 45 min yoga
Breakfast: coffee with chocolate creamer
Snack: 1/4 cup soy nuts
Lunch: 2 oz ham, slice swiss cheese, wheat sandwich thin, 3 cups spinach, cherry tomatoes, 1/3 avocado, hard boiled egg, fresh fruit, 1 tbs honey mustard dressing
Dinner: McDonald's 2 cheeseburger meal
Total Intake:
Total Exercise:
Net:
Last edited on 18 February 2012 03:35 pm by mchen01
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 18 February 2012 03:43 pm |
|
Weight: 165.8
Just a quick update as it's still very busy and I have to run to do some errands soon.
I'm surprised with the dropping given all the fast food I've had for dinner. I wish I had time to eat something better, but right now every minute counts so drive thru saves me a lot of time. As it is, I barely make it to my next destination in time.
I'm thinking that the lost weight is due to fading muscles. I haven't been able to workout much these past few weeks because of work and the renovation. It's a bummer, but really can't be helped. I just finished one major project, and I wish I could say that things will calm down, but I'll be doing some more traveling in a couple of weeks. Still, I'm going to try and do the early morning thing again in order to get my workouts done.
I need to note my breakdown yesterday since I didn't record anything yesterday (I wouldn't want to cheat myself by not confessing). I finally broke down and dug into the candy. I couldn't seem to stop myself either. I'm pretty bummed at my lack of self control and am starting to doubt that I will ever reach my dream weight.
Last edited on 20 February 2012 05:32 pm by mchen01
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 20 February 2012 06:00 pm |
|
Weight: 164.4
I had a good weekend. I made myself order something light and healthy while we were out. Instead of the pasta or fried dishes, I got a grilled tilapia with mashed potatoes and grilled zucchini. The rest of the weekend, I didn't eat much at all, not by choice but because I just didn't feel like eating.
I'm not sure why, but I had little energy this past weekend. Saturday, I ran a bunch of errands and then took the family out. Our house is packed with boxes (our new cabinets), and it's hard to move around. Sunday, I had a 5k trail race. It was a very small race, and I was lucky enough to get 3rd in my division (out of a mere 5) and 10th female overal (I think there were maybe a little over 30 females). I wanted to run a bit more after the race, but a couple of rocks in my shoes gave me some painful blisters. I maybe did another mile with the hubby and boy after the race. No one seemed to be in the mood to run, so we went home and I crashed. I slept for 4 hours and still felt exhausted.
So, my weight is back to where it was at the beginning of the month. I'm going to have to keep myself from going back up again. I always feel that little victory gives me a reason to slide, but all I end up doing is totally sabotaging my diet. I'm going to be strong this week and not give up on the diet. Celebration will be fitting back into my size 8 pants.
Exercise:
Breakfast: coffee with chocolate creamer, instant oatmeal (1 original, 1 maple)
Snack: med Diary Queen blizzard, med movie popcorn
Lunch: 2 oz turkey, slice swiss cheese, 2 cups spinach, fresh fruit (apple, pineapple, blueberries, kiwi)
Dinner: 4 oz pork & bean chili, 1 svg tortilla chips
Last edited on 21 February 2012 08:19 pm by mchen01
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 21 February 2012 08:58 pm |
|
Weight: 165.4
Yesterday ended badly. I got home early and decided to take the family out to the movies. We had some extra time so we went out for ice cream. That's bad #1. Then we had popcorn at the movies. That's bad #2. Then we had a refill on the popcorn. That's bad #3. And, I failed to do any exercise. That's bad #4.
Today is not starting out any better. My lunch got interrupted by a call from an analyst about a bug. Turns out it was not my fault, but I spent over an hour with him fixing it real time and missing my lunchtime yoga to boot.
So, to make up for yesterday, I'm going to eat a lot lighter. That means no snacks and proper portions for dinner. I'm also going to make time for a short run and hopefully do a yoga video at home.
Oh, and the movie we saw was Hiyoa Miyazaki's new movie, The Secret World of Arrietty. It was beautifully animated, as all of Miyazaki's movies are, but the story seemed slow and not as developed as his past stories. I think I would have rather had stayed home and watched My Neighbor Totoro on DVD than pay for Secret World of Arrietty at the theater. Kudos though to Carol Burnett, who played wacky Hara and whose voice brought back fond memories of her variety show.
"I'm so glad we had this time together, just to have a laugh or sing a song, seems we just get started and before you know it, comes the time we have to say, 'So long.'"
Exercise:
Breakfast: coffee with chocolate creamer, multigrain english muffin with pat butter
Snack:
Lunch: 2 oz turkey, 1 slice swiss cheese, 2 cups spinach, 1/3 avocado, 1 sweet pepper, fresh fruit
Dinner:
Total Intake:
Total Exercise:
Net:
Last edited on 21 February 2012 09:25 pm by mchen01
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 19 March 2012 09:02 pm |
|
Weight: 170.4
Yesterday was the Los Angeles Marathon. What was supposed to be a rainy day turned into a nearly perfect day for running. The clouds eased up and the sun came out here and there. The morning started out very cold though. I was up at 2:30 AM to get to the shuttle buses that would take everyone to the start at Dodger Stadium. After a 70 mile drive, I got ready in the car and then headed to the bus at 4:50. I got on a comfy tour bus and was able to take a nap on the 25 minute ride to the start. After a short walk, I found a spot along the wall in Dodger Stadium where I could lean back and close my eyes for a bit. It was too cold to really fall asleep, but I had a nice spot to people watch. Sitting down, I had a good view of people's feet, so I was assessing all the different types of footwear, from heavy stability shoes to lighter neutral shoes, to no shoes at all. I even saw one woman with running socks!
Since I hate dropping off a gear bag, I decided to get some cheap clothes at Walmart that I could toss at the start line. (It's common practice to throw away clothes and blankets at the start which are later picked up by the race organizers, washed and then donated.) I had a pair of $7 pants and a $12 jacket. I went a little more expensive on the jacket since I wanted something that was waterproof just in case it rained. At the start, the weather was looking more and more favorable, so I tossed both the pants and the jacket. I got a little giggle when a spectator gasped as I took off my pants. She thought I was going to flash my bare bottom at her. I'm sure she was quite relieved to see the tights and running skirt under the pants.
The race is packed with about 24,000 registered runners. There is no wave start - we all take off en masse. I'd say the first 5 miles is spent weaving through slower runners and walkers, so a lot of wasted energy there.
The course is full of sights. From Dodger Stadium we head down to Chinatown and on to Sunset Blvd in Hollywood. Once past Grauman's Chinese Theater, we head to Beverly Hills and the posh shopping area of Rodeo Drive. We end the race by running through the Veteran's Administration and down to Santa Monica Pier. It's a net downhill race, but you can't tell with all the rolling hills. I took full advantage of the downhills, bending my knees more, dropping my center of gravity and letting myself fly. I'd ease up on the uphills, trying to keep my heartrate down.
I've done 5 marathons, my last one was almost 4 years ago (not counting the Ironman). When I ran my last marathon I was about 195 lb. I think my finish time was just under 6 hours. I wasn't sure what I would be capable of for this marathon. I hadn't trained very hard. My longest training run was 16 miles. Some weeks I only did one run. Still, I thought I could at least finish at 4 hours 30 minutes.
I've heard a lot of people say that in a marathon, the real race starts in the final 10k. I never understood that until now. In my previous races, I never cared about my finish time and always gave in to walking the final miles. This time was different.
I felt pretty good for the first 20 miles, but then I realized I had miscalculated my pace. I thought I had caught up on some time, but it wasn't enough as I had run an extra quarter mile weaving through the crowd. If I wanted that 4:30 time then I had to pick up the pace a little without stopping the rest of the way. However, by that time my legs were starting to feel sore and crampy, and it was starting to get hot, making water stops more of a priority. So, with the last 10k to go, I stopped sight-seeing and focused on my pace. I set my eyes on the road just in front of my feet and concentrated on keeping each step light and fast.
With 3 miles to go it was starting to look bad. I needed to pick up the pace even more. I decided to end the water stops and push a bit harder to a sub-10 pace. At times, a strong gust of wind would almost stop my forward progress, but I wasn't going to let that bother me. When I came to the last mile, I pushed the pace even more. I was hurting and breathing harder, but I really wanted to meet my goal. I was so happy when I could see the ocean in the the horizon. I was so close to the finish. When I came to the 26 mile marker I looked at my watch and saw 4:30. With 0.2 miles left to go, I wasn't going to make it. Still, I didn't give up and gave it my all to the very last step.
After I crossed the finish line I felt like I had nothing left in me. It's the first time I've ever had to stop because I felt like I was going to fall on my face. I bent over and stretched my wobbly legs. I must have stayed like that too long because I could see an official heading in my direction. I stood up and waved that I was ok and started hobbling out of the finish area. At times I felt like crying because of the effort I had put in and my failure to meet my goal. But then, I reprimanded myself for the lack of training, gave myself a mental slap and told myself to stop being a whiny baby. I responded with an oh yeah, you're right, and immediately felt better. Maybe I was PMSing, but then maybe I was just so tired that I was having a mental breakdown.
Either way, I'm fairly happy with the outcome of my race because I finally learned what it's like to reach down deep and survive that level of effort.
Clock Time
04:45:16
Chip Time
04:32:33
Overall Place
5753 / 18817
Gender Place
1387 / 7354
Division Place
121 / 603
Age Grade
55.1%
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 20 March 2012 11:23 pm |
|
Weight 171.0
One of these days I will get organized again and start to record my diet and exercise. Right now I'm trying to manage on eating a known calorie lunch and breakfast and trying to watch my protions for dinner and weekends. Most of my workouts are stored in my watch, and I plan to record them when I get some time later. What's not stored is lost but no biggie.
My legs are still very sore. Last night I discovered that my left ankle was swollen. I'm not sure what happened. My achilles feels tender, but it didn't hurt during the marathon and I don't have pain when I put my foot down in the morning. My therapist worked on a tight calf muscle this morning and thinks the swelling is temporary and is just due to how hard I ran. She thinks part of the problem stems from my bike crash last year. Even though my knee feels fine now, my muscles are still imbalanced.
I've added more raw foods to my lunch, including another cup of spinach and carrots. I was hoping the extra food would help keep me full until dinner time. I think I went too far though. My stomach has been hurting after every lunch. I'm hoping that my body will adjust soon. I could back off on some of the veggies, but I bought a lot and if I don't eat it quickly it's going to rot. I really hate wasting food. I'd rather suffer the pain for now.
So, my weight is up quite a bit. I guess I should explain what probably happened. I had to go on a business trip to San Francisco for a week. Being with coworkers who like to eat well and having such a difficult time sleeping when away from my family, I ended up eating way too much as well as drinking way too much. And, I still wasn't able to sleep more than 3-4 hours a night. I was able to run the first couple of days there, but quickly gave in to exhaustion after that. Hopefully I will get back on track this week and start losing the weight again.
Oh yeah, good news! I did a 5k race a week ago and just found out that I got 2nd (out of 21) in my age group! Woohoo! Overall, I was 85th out of 444 with a pace of 8:19. The boy (11 yrs old) was 63rd with a pace of 7:53. Very proud of him.
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 21 March 2012 05:10 pm |
|
Weight: 170.2
I ate way too much dinner again. I also had some cookies after dinner. My sweet tooth is back with a vengeance, and it's going to be a tough battle getting it back under control. Plus, I'm feeling very tired, and even though I'm getting more sleep, it still doesn't feel like it's enough. Maybe it's just this week and the result of running the marathon on Sunday.
My ankle is feeling better this morning. There is a lot less pain in the achilles although the ankle is still swollen. I was going to switch to pool running, but I think I'll be ok to get back on the road. I'll wait until tomorrow. Today is my lunchtime bike ride.
Work is very, very busy. My research project proposal got approved at the same time another project went up in scope. I'm going to have to put in some of my own time to try and get things done. Part of me is stressed out but the other part is excited about the work.
So, a lot is going on, but I need to try and maintain focus on my diet and exercise. I'm already running out of clothes that fit. I can't afford to gain any more weight. I refuse to buy fat clothes.
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 30 March 2012 12:56 am |
|
Weight: 166.8
I tried running last evening and found that my ankle is not doing too well. My achilles pain flared up and is not going away, so I will definitely be back in the pool to do my running. My next race is April 14. It's the last of the 5 mile trail race series that I did with the boy. I'm going to have to be pretty diligent with the foam roller and rehab if I want to be able to race this one.
I got a cortisone shot in my shoulder finally. The pain got to be so bad that it was waking me up. I feel noticably better. The shoulder still hurts, but the intensity has been taken down, and I actually have better movement and flexibility. I still can't swim without the intense shooting pains in my shoulder, but I can do pushups. So part of the problem is fixed for now.
My stomach has calmed down and gotten used to the extra raw veggies in my diet. That's great because now I can graze on carrots instead of the other calorie-dense snacks that never seem to fill me up. Now if I could only fix all the other eating issues I have.
Exercise: 45 min yoga
Breakfast: coffee with chocolate creamer, hard boiled egg, banana
Snack: 2.5 svg dark chocolate truffles
Lunch: 2 oz tuna, 1/3 avocado, sweet pepper, 1/2 cup carrots, 2 cups spinach, fresh fruit (apple, pineapple, blueberries, kiwi), fresh fruit juice
Dinner: 1 cup steamed brown rice/whole grains, 1.5 cups beef and broccoli, chinese flour noodle cake, 8 oz Izze
Last edited on 30 March 2012 06:41 pm by mchen01
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 30 March 2012 06:32 pm |
|
Weight ?
I forgot to weigh in today. I overslept and had to rush out to make a physical therapy appointment. I'm happy to report though, that my shoulder is even better than it was yesterday. I can now make the proper swimming motions without the intense shooting pain. There is still a tiny bit of locking in the shoulder, but it no longer stops my forward motion like it used to. My shoulder is still very sore, but at least it moves. The cortisone shot really helped.
The goal is to go swimming this weekend and give it a try. I'm going to be very conservative and will definitely stick to under 800 yd the first time out. I'm thinking I'll do 4x50 yd kick, 3x100 yd breast, 4x50 yd free, 100 yd breast. After the swim it'll be time for a pool run, probably about an hour.
Last night I made sure to do the foam roller on my calf before bed. I'm also using the stick at work whenever I can. The ankle is already feeling better, but I'm not going to take any chances by hitting the road too soon.
Yesterday I binged on some dark chocolate truffles, and I mean binged. I had over 2 servings. I'm feeling really bad about it. Not only did it cost me a lot in progress, but it's also a mental crush. This constant losing to my cravings makes me feel like I will never be able to conquer my diet and reach my goal. Why is this so hard? I'm able to succeed in my career and make progress as an athlete. Why am I such a failure with something so lame as food?
Rats! I forgot my lunch today. I ended going out for lunch with a friend from work.
Exercise: rest day
Breakfast: coffee with chocolate creamer, multigrain muffin with 1.5 tbsp peanut butter
Snack:
Lunch: 1 cup Thai veggie soup, 1 cup yellow curry chicken, 1 cup white rice, 1 cup salad with 1 tbsp Thai peanut dressing, fried wonton strips with honey
Dinner: 2 cups pork chili, 3 svg tortilla chips, 2.5 oz creamed corn bread, 8 oz Izze
Last edited on 31 March 2012 04:45 pm by mchen01
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 31 March 2012 04:53 pm |
|
Weight 168.2
I don't usually post on the weekends, but I'm going to make an effort to no longer sabotage myself with weekend binges. Besides the weight is not looking good.
Today is going to be a busy day. I've got errands to run, a big floor to sweep and mop, mounds of laundry and the girl's chamber orchestra performance. Somewhere in there I need to hop on my bike trainer for a couple of hours. No road riding for me as my achilles still hurts and I need to stick with "flat road" riding.
The plan is to have a boiled egg and fruit juice for breakfast, tuna sandwich and spinach salad for lunch, and either a salad or smaller portions of whatever we're having for dinner. I'm not sure, but I think we're going out for dinner after the concert, a potential goal breaker.
Exercise: none
Breakfast: none
Snack: none
Lunch: boiled egg, tuna sandwich, spinach salad, spinach noodle soup, fresh fruit juice
Dinner: sushi buffet
Last edited on 2 April 2012 07:42 pm by mchen01
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 2 April 2012 08:24 pm |
|
Weight: ?
Forgot to weigh in again. I was in a rush this morning since I had to pick up the car from the mechanic. While there, I gave in to the stack of bagels and cream cheese. After going to bed hungry, I couldn't stand it anymore.
Last night I had a big dinner of baked cod, rice and spinach. (I eat a LOT of spinach). At least dinner was healthy. That's good because earlier I had potato chips. I had a small breakfast and lunch, but really filled up on the fish for dinner. I don't know why I was still hungry last night, but my stomach was burning like it was empty.
I did get in about an hour and 20 minutes of exercise. I went to the pool and tried out the shoulder. It was sore and the shoulder is still not moving smoothly, but I could at least get the arm to move through a full rotation and keep my shoulder from dropping. I was only able to swim 50 yd at a time for the crawl. I spent most of the time doing the breast stroke so I didn't stress the shoulder. Still, I was pretty sore last night.
The swim only took about 20 minutes. Another hour was spent pool running. I couldn't find my waterproof iPod case, so no music. Luckily the kids came with me and kept me company. It was funny watching them try to run in the pool. The boy sank right away and the girl gave up after 10 seconds. The finally got some floaties. We whiled away the time by thinking up words for the acronym M.O.M. My favorites were Master of Meat and Man of Meatballs (obviously someone was stuck on meat).
I hope my appetite is not too big tonight and I can stay on track with dinner.
Exercise: rest day
Breakfast: coffee w/chocolate creamer, half bagel w/cream cheese
Snack:
Lunch: boiled egg, tuna sandwich w/avocado, spinach salad, fresh fruit, fresh fruit juice
Dinner: BBQ pork loin, spinach, baked sweet potatoLast edited on 4 April 2012 09:41 pm by mchen01
|
Hiker
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 2 April 2012 10:08 pm |
|
| Michelle, glad to hear the corisone seems to be helping. Bet that girl and boy of yours are learning, they have one tough mom to reckon with .
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 4 April 2012 10:09 pm |
|
Hey Hiker! Thanks for the compliment.
Weight: 168.4
Yesterday was a sweaty yoga session (I really worked on tightening the muscles and keeping a strong pose). I gave the crow pose another try - I can only hold it for maybe 2 seconds. The instructor says its mostly a "man" pose. I can see why because it definitely requires a lot of upper body strength. I was breathing pretty hard at the end of it.
Today was a lunchtime bike ride. I was riding in front of the group with a friend, going about 20-21 mph, when a lady decided to drive out of a shopping center right in front of us. We both hit our brakes hard, my friend skidding his rear tire in the process, and barely missed slamming into the side of her car. What's worse about this near collision is that we made eye contact with the lady before she pulled out of the parking lot, so I know she saw us. Despite the cautions you take, some drivers never learn to share the road with bikes.
I have not been following my workout plan. It's been a bit difficult though, as most of it has to be done in a pool. My ankle is still not feeling well enough to run on the road yet. Still, that's no excuse for not doing my strength routine or getting on my bike trainer in the morning. Tonight I'm supposed to do another 20 minute swim workout and then a 45 minute pool run. No excuses! I will definitely get my butt to the Y and get in that darn pool.
Exercise: 55 min bike
Breakfast: white tea, pickled cucumbers
Snack:
Lunch: pork sandwich w/avocado, spinach salad, quinoa, fresh fruit, fresh fruit juice
Dinner: 2 baked chicken quarters, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob
Last edited on 5 April 2012 08:54 pm by mchen01
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 5 April 2012 09:31 pm |
|
Weight: 170.0
Well, here I am, back up to 170. I guess I need to reassess what I'm doing. I think I have my diet under control so it must be the workouts, or lack thereof. I'm missing the cardio. I've got to get organized and back on track. Granted it's hard to do these days. I didn't get home until 8pm, so no time to get to the pool before closing. And then there were problems with the renovation. We didn't like the way the plumber installed the kitchen faucet and the dishwasher was leaking into the cabinet beneath the sink. I was pretty bummed. We haven't had a dishwasher for about 7 years. Those precious time-saving minutes of using a dishwasher are sorely missed. Anyway, after we finished cleaning up the mess and talking, we didn't go to bed until midnight.
I did do some stretching and light balance exercises last night. And, my schedule will allow me to make up the swim and pool run tonight. So, all is not completely lost. If I'm really lucky, the girl and I will be able to try the new olympic size pool near our neighborhood.
Lunch is really blah today. I forgot salad dressing so I have to eat my raw spinach as is. I wish I had known earlier, then I could have saved the pickled cucumbers to eat with the spinach. I'm loving my tea though. I bought some blooming flower teas. They taste wonderful and can be rebrewed a lot without getting bitter. Plus, just having something so pretty to look at makes me want to keep drinking and rebrewing the tea. Maybe this will replace the coffee?
Exercise: 45 min yoga
Breakfast: white tea, fresh fruit
Snack: dark chocolate truffle ice cream
Lunch: 2 oz pork sandwich w/avocado, raw spinach, 2 tbs quinoa, 1/2 cup pickled cucumbers, fresh fruit juice
Dinner: 3 oz roast beef, corn on the cob, green beans
Last edited on 6 April 2012 05:29 pm by mchen01
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 6 April 2012 06:10 pm |
|
Weight: 168.4
I tried to get to the pool last night. Really. But, right as I was getting home, I got stuck in traffic due to an accident. The traffic jam was also on the route to the pool. I thought I could go home and grab a quick something to eat while traffic cleared a bit, but then the boy came to me with the great news that he got into the gifted program. Finally! I was so excited for him that I decided to stay home with him and celebrate.
He has been testing for the gifted program for the past 3 years and never passed. I finally realized that he wasn't passing because he was taking too much time on each question before he moved on. Once I gave him some test strategy ideas, he was able to get through the entire test. He's so relieved that he won't have to worry anymore about being kicked out of the advanced classes to make room for the gifted kids. The last time he got kicked out of an advanced class, he got stuck in a class with a bully who teased him about being a nerd, stole his pencils and broke them and tried to cheat off his tests. My boy is so quiet that he never complained. When I found out, I told him to ask the teacher to move him to another desk away from the bully. She did and things got much better. Still, he missed his friends from the other class and he was pretty miserably bored with the slow pace.
Today I'm going to get to the gym during lunch. I'm very frustrated with missing my evening workouts and then being too tired to get up for an early morning workout. Since I missed my pool run last night, I'm going to try to do a very slow run on the road. I was told by one therapist/athletic trainer that it was ok for me to run on the road as long as I reduced the effort and duration of the run. It's a little riskier, but I don't have too many options left. So, today will be a 25 minute jog and a 20 minute strength routine on the TRX.
The pinching pain is already coming back in my shoulder. The next swim attempt will be this weekend. I'm going to do a lot more stretching, maybe pop a few ibuprofen, and keep my fingers crossed.
Exercise: 23 min run, 20 min strength
Breakfast: instant coffee packet, fresh fruit
Snack:
Lunch: 2 oz pork sandwich w/avocado, spinach, 2 tbs quinoa, 1/2 cup pickled cucumbers, fresh fruit juice
Dinner: pasta with meatballs
Last edited on 9 April 2012 10:11 pm by mchen01
|
mchen01
Distinguished Member
|
Posted: 9 April 2012 11:13 pm |
|
Weight: 173.6
I really did not want to log in today and post my weight. Even with being bloated, I don't think I should have gone up this high. It's time to really buckle down and lose the weight.
Friday started off well with a 23 minute, super easy run. Then I did a 20 minute, not-so-easy strength routine. Unfortunately, my shoulder and ankle did not like the workout. At least I now know what aggravated my injuries and can adjust my workouts.
This weekend I went on a 60 mile bike ride. It took 4 hours at 14.4 mph. I wish I could say it was easy, but the wind was against us most of the way (the wind turns around mid-day). My legs were pretty beat by the end of the ride. So much for maintaining my Ironman fitness.
What's worse is it really spiked my appetite and I was unable to control myself. I had a huge craving for salt and fat. Over the weekend I ate about a dozen slices of bacon, some chicken fingers, cheeseburger, salted french fries, several slices of baked ham and a hot dog.
I think I'll take a look at the Eat To Live diet. The web book is only $7.
Exercise: nothing
Breakfast: white tea, hard boiled egg, pickled cucumbers
Snack:
Lunch: 2 oz tuna sandwich w/avocado, spinach w/ 2 tsp dressing, 2 tbs quinoa, 2 oz carrots, fresh fruit, fresh fruit juice
Dinner: 4 oz tuna steak, 6 oz pasta with olive oil, tomatoes and cucumbers
Last edited on 10 April 2012 06:01 pm by mchen01
|
|
|
|
|
