So, I was doing a little cleaning yesterday in the junk room, and came across a couple of books and guides that I had picked up for weight loss years ago. One of them was the "Slim in 6" program. I flipped through the 6 day express for jump-starting your diet and decided to try it out this week. This morning I was going through it a little more while eating breakfast and came across my "Before Stats" from when I bought the program in 2004. Around 5 years ago (documented 8/9/04), here were my stats:
Weight: 127 lbs
Chest: 35"
Waist: 28"
Hips: 40"
Mid-Thighs: 20" (each)
Upper Arm (flexed, peak of bicep): 11" (each)
Today, my measurements are (after lunch AND bloated since I'm about to start my period)..
Weight: 128 lbs
Chest: 35"
Waist: 26"
Hips: 39"
Mid-Thighs: 18.5" (each)
Upper Arm (flexed, peak of bicep): 10" (each)
I guess this is my affirmation that the scale is not always the best indicator of your success. While my weight is pretty much the exact same as it was 5 years ago, I am in much better shape and am definitely smaller than I was. However, because of my muscle gain, my weight isn't lower. I've been getting very frustrated with the scale, but this just proves that I need to have more patience and just continue working as I have been.
I think that aiming for high protein has been a nice kick for my diet, too. I can't maintain that, especially over the weekends, so it's nowhere near a long-term thing. But, trying to keep it through the week with my carby days being over the weekend, keeps my metabolism guessing; I think. Tomorrow is the 1st, and will make about 2 weeks I've been trying to do this. I plan to take some progress pics this weekend. Hopefully, I won't be disappointed! :)
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
Some days are harder than others...
I've been doing my best to maintain high protein, low fat and low carb. It's not always perfect, but I think I've gotten the hang of it. My lowest in the last week and a half was 126.4lbs. I am back up around 127-128, but I think some of that is the sodium from the soup & crackers Wednesday (I was sick), and so I've been trying to drink lots of water. I'm also going to start my period after this weekend, so that's probably not helping. :P
One thing, though, I can definitely see a difference in my body, even though the weight has pretty much stayed the same. So yay for that. I really wish the scale would go down though. lol
I plan on taking some progress pictures soon. I thought about this weekend, but I'm about to start. Maybe next weekend. It's just one of those weeks....blah.
One awesome thing - I received a notice in the mail from GNC. They're going to be doing "Buy 1 Get 1 50% off" for the first 10 days of September. PLUS, I will still get to use my 20% member card on top of that. I'm definitely going to stock up on my protein and vitamins! :)
One thing, though, I can definitely see a difference in my body, even though the weight has pretty much stayed the same. So yay for that. I really wish the scale would go down though. lol
I plan on taking some progress pictures soon. I thought about this weekend, but I'm about to start. Maybe next weekend. It's just one of those weeks....blah.
One awesome thing - I received a notice in the mail from GNC. They're going to be doing "Buy 1 Get 1 50% off" for the first 10 days of September. PLUS, I will still get to use my 20% member card on top of that. I'm definitely going to stock up on my protein and vitamins! :)
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Routines & Proteins; Breakfast & Sleep
This blog is kind of a 2-parter..
It's been 2 1/2 weeks since the Tri, and I've been trying to figure out where to go now. Do I want to go back to the old Spin/Body Pump routine? Do I want to restart NROLFW? How about doing more Tri training for the next race (whenever that will be)? Honestly, I dabbled in all three areas. I've done a few Spin/Body Pump sessions together, started riding my bike 12-15 miles with a 2-3 mile jog afterwards, swam laps a couple of times...I just haven't felt a spark with any of them. I did the first workout in Stage 2 last night. My shoulders are super sore today (yay!). I guess I'm just still not sure what to focus on. I know it's good to keep your body guessing, so I really could just do it all...But, I like to have a routine. It helps keep me focused. I do know that I want to finish Stage 2 now that I've started. It's only 8 workouts, so those will be done in like 2 weeks. I need something to go with it though. It's easier to do something at the gym if I'm already there, instead of trying to come and bike, for example. But, at the same time, I don't want to lose out of any Tri training. I don't know when the next race will be, but I don't want to find one and then have lost precious training time. This first one I did gave me the tools I needed to get myself in competition mode. For Rocketchix, I just wanted to finish. Now, I want to place and win. :)
In addition to re-thinking my workout, I've been looking at my diet more. I've gotten perfect at maintaining. At this point, I can eat whatever I want and not gain weight because I've gotten so good at portion control and knowing what will make me full (on top of just staying active). I don't need or crave as many calories during the day as I used to. However, I want to shed those last few pounds of fat. I don't know a lot of technical stuff for diet and exercise, but I know what has worked for me. So, I'm trying to keep my protein percentage at 40-50% during the week, and around 30-40% on the weekends. That's a high count for my weekends, especially with the family time on Sundays that is ALWAYS filled with yummy "soul food". :) I doubt I will make it even most of the time, but I want to consciously aim for it.
So, I've played around with higher protein for the last couple of weeks, but this week I started cracking down on it. I didn't feel well on Monday (not as high as I wanted for protein, but kept my calories low), so I started hardcore yesterday (Tuesday). I ended my day with 58% protein, 22% carbs and 20% fat. Perfect! I could have eaten more carbs, but I have found that the stricter I keep myself at the beginning, the easier it is for me down the road. So far today, I am 58% protein, 7% carbs and 35% fat. The fat is mostly from the 2 eggs this morning, and will level out as the day goes on. I have noticed a definite increase in cravings though. I'm also trying to cut down on my sodium, and now salt is all I crave! In the recent past, I would give in a little because I could afford to. However, I'm trying to cut now, so I need to get back to fighting even the smallest craving. I really want to have a solid handle on this higher protein diet by September 1st. I want it to be second nature with little to no cravings by then.
On to breakfast and sleep... On Livestrong, I took a dare to get more sleep. My sleep patterns are very erratic, and I know that having a more steady, solid sleep pattern will help with my diet and exercise efforts. Michael and I agreed to start getting to bed by 11pm everynight, but it has been far from perfect. I guess we are having a hard time getting into that habit. We're just not sleepy by then, but I think that if we make ourselves get in bed by that time, we will eventually get used to it. It's just a pain right now. :( Our vacation time didn't help like we thought it would. We ended up running the roads everyday and staying out late every night - not what we expected. At-home vacation may not have been the best idea. Next time, we'll definitely be somewhere far away so that we won't be bothered! lol
I am also doing my best to get breakfast in me within an hour of waking. I am not a morning person, so I'm usually in a rush to get to work as soon as I wake up. This falls in with the sleep part because if I get to bed at a decent hour, then I will wake up more refreshed (and possibly earlier) than I do now. I have, however, made an effort to cook and eat breakfast before leaving the house this week (I've gotten damn good and making my egg & fat free cheese omelet while getting dressed!). My problem is that it's made me late for work a couple of days. I've also found that taking more time to get up, get ready, eat breakfast and play with Koopa makes my day noticably better. So, I am doing my damnedest to get better at the whole sleep and breakfast thing. :)
I guess that's it for now. We'll see where I'm at in a week or so! :P
It's been 2 1/2 weeks since the Tri, and I've been trying to figure out where to go now. Do I want to go back to the old Spin/Body Pump routine? Do I want to restart NROLFW? How about doing more Tri training for the next race (whenever that will be)? Honestly, I dabbled in all three areas. I've done a few Spin/Body Pump sessions together, started riding my bike 12-15 miles with a 2-3 mile jog afterwards, swam laps a couple of times...I just haven't felt a spark with any of them. I did the first workout in Stage 2 last night. My shoulders are super sore today (yay!). I guess I'm just still not sure what to focus on. I know it's good to keep your body guessing, so I really could just do it all...But, I like to have a routine. It helps keep me focused. I do know that I want to finish Stage 2 now that I've started. It's only 8 workouts, so those will be done in like 2 weeks. I need something to go with it though. It's easier to do something at the gym if I'm already there, instead of trying to come and bike, for example. But, at the same time, I don't want to lose out of any Tri training. I don't know when the next race will be, but I don't want to find one and then have lost precious training time. This first one I did gave me the tools I needed to get myself in competition mode. For Rocketchix, I just wanted to finish. Now, I want to place and win. :)
In addition to re-thinking my workout, I've been looking at my diet more. I've gotten perfect at maintaining. At this point, I can eat whatever I want and not gain weight because I've gotten so good at portion control and knowing what will make me full (on top of just staying active). I don't need or crave as many calories during the day as I used to. However, I want to shed those last few pounds of fat. I don't know a lot of technical stuff for diet and exercise, but I know what has worked for me. So, I'm trying to keep my protein percentage at 40-50% during the week, and around 30-40% on the weekends. That's a high count for my weekends, especially with the family time on Sundays that is ALWAYS filled with yummy "soul food". :) I doubt I will make it even most of the time, but I want to consciously aim for it.
So, I've played around with higher protein for the last couple of weeks, but this week I started cracking down on it. I didn't feel well on Monday (not as high as I wanted for protein, but kept my calories low), so I started hardcore yesterday (Tuesday). I ended my day with 58% protein, 22% carbs and 20% fat. Perfect! I could have eaten more carbs, but I have found that the stricter I keep myself at the beginning, the easier it is for me down the road. So far today, I am 58% protein, 7% carbs and 35% fat. The fat is mostly from the 2 eggs this morning, and will level out as the day goes on. I have noticed a definite increase in cravings though. I'm also trying to cut down on my sodium, and now salt is all I crave! In the recent past, I would give in a little because I could afford to. However, I'm trying to cut now, so I need to get back to fighting even the smallest craving. I really want to have a solid handle on this higher protein diet by September 1st. I want it to be second nature with little to no cravings by then.
On to breakfast and sleep... On Livestrong, I took a dare to get more sleep. My sleep patterns are very erratic, and I know that having a more steady, solid sleep pattern will help with my diet and exercise efforts. Michael and I agreed to start getting to bed by 11pm everynight, but it has been far from perfect. I guess we are having a hard time getting into that habit. We're just not sleepy by then, but I think that if we make ourselves get in bed by that time, we will eventually get used to it. It's just a pain right now. :( Our vacation time didn't help like we thought it would. We ended up running the roads everyday and staying out late every night - not what we expected. At-home vacation may not have been the best idea. Next time, we'll definitely be somewhere far away so that we won't be bothered! lol
I am also doing my best to get breakfast in me within an hour of waking. I am not a morning person, so I'm usually in a rush to get to work as soon as I wake up. This falls in with the sleep part because if I get to bed at a decent hour, then I will wake up more refreshed (and possibly earlier) than I do now. I have, however, made an effort to cook and eat breakfast before leaving the house this week (I've gotten damn good and making my egg & fat free cheese omelet while getting dressed!). My problem is that it's made me late for work a couple of days. I've also found that taking more time to get up, get ready, eat breakfast and play with Koopa makes my day noticably better. So, I am doing my damnedest to get better at the whole sleep and breakfast thing. :)
I guess that's it for now. We'll see where I'm at in a week or so! :P
Monday, August 3, 2009
My 1st Triathalon
Ok, first off let me say, I have a whole new respect for athletes who participate in these types of activities. It put the Ironman series in a whole new light!!!
Ok, so Saturday was my first triathalon. It was actually more like a mini one (not quite a true half). It was an intense and totally rewarding experience. I showed me that I have a LONG way to go, but that it's do-able. :) I'll just go through the day...
Friday, I went to bed around 8:30-9ish. I had a difficult time sleeping, partly because it was earlier than I was used to and partly because I was so nervous. I got up around 4:45am and finished packing my gear. I took some electrolyte waters with me and ate a peach for breakfast. Michael drove me out there and was my personal cheerleader. :) On the way, I drank a RTD EAS protein drink (I should have done better on my breakfast). I got there and was totally mind-f*cked at first. Since I picked up my packet Friday, I already knew my numbers. So, I got marked, had my bike checked and then put everything up in the transition area. I think normally it's a first-come, first-serve basis on getting the best bike rack spot, but they had ours marked for us. I guess it made it a little easier and less confusing. I ended up in a sports bra, my race suit from HS, and shorts for the swim. I figured I could just throw my tank top on for the bike and then swap into longer shorts for the run. I made the mistake of pinning my number onto my shirt (race belt = new best friend). Once I got everything set up, I went and got my timing chip ankle bracelet. We had a meeting where they didn't give any more info than they already had, and then it was time to head to the pool.
For the swim, they had us (all 400 & something of us!) line up according to our swim times. Everyone was supposed to time themselves for a 50 meter swim and then use a chart they supplied a few weeks ago to figure where your time is. I gave myself extra time, so I stood in the 11 minute line. About 10 minutes into waiting, I realized from the conversations around me that I needed to move up in the line to my actual 9 minute time. So, I slipped on up. The line was really more like a group until you got close to the start, so no one noticed. :) When I got up to the front, I stepped on the mat to start my timing chip and made the mistake of jumping in instead of sliding in. See, the pool was like 8 feet deep, so I had to wait until I surfaced again before I could push off and start (there was no diving allowed). That didn't help my time, but no biggie. The swim was definitely harder than I anticipated. It also didn't help that a girl in front of my obviously misjudged her time and started taking up the entire lane at one point. There was a nice little cluster-f*ck at one point. I ended up doing right over 9min 50 sec on my swim. This is where I earned a battle wound. The volunteers were pulling people out of the pool when they got to the latter. Well, they didn't give me time to get my footing and my shin slammed against the edge of the pool. OUCH. >:( (BTW, I should have realized that when the first girl in the pool was wearing an LSU swim cap AND finished 2 laps ahead of the person behind her that this was no joke! lol).
So, I jog out to my bike (everything was slippery and wet) and start throwing on my shoes. As I go to put on my tank top, my number rips. Great. I'm still soaking wet, mind you. So I get my top on and re-pin my numbers. I realized after I was on my bike that my chin strap on my helmet was way too tight. Something I had plenty of time to check before the race and never thought to. So, once I finally get situated, I'm off and coasting. I maintained about 15-16 mph on the 12 mile trip. The roads were horrible though - lots of bumps, cracks and a few potholes. I started to get discouraged because even though I passed like 5 people, I had about 15 pass me. I finally realized that they were all road bikes that were passing me. I need to get one of those. I had no idea that the difference between those and a mountain bike was that big. So, I make it back to the transition area, and I pretty much feel like I'm about to die and that there is NO WAY IN HELL I could possibly run 2 miles after the swim and bike. I wanted to cry, but told myself I was just going to suck it up, and even if I had to walk I was going to finish. I got my bike back to the rack and as soon as I put it up, I knock the girl next to me's bike off the rack. Of course, I had to stop and put it back. Then I swapped out my shorts because I was definitely not running in booty shorts (wardrobe will be better planned next time). That all took way too much time. I finally got out on the running course. It sucked. OMG, it sucked. I ran/jogged as much as I could, but with the heat and my heart rate going berserk, I had to slow down a few times. However, when I saw that finish line, I definitely picked it up. Crossing that finish line was one of the best feelings in the world (you know, OMG IT'S FINALLY OVER!!!!! lol). I got my Finisher medal and a fresh bottle of water. It was time to sit down! :)
My final time was 1:29:41, and my overall place was 94 (out of 399 actual finishers). I was 24th in my class. I'm not ashamed of my times, but I know now that I have so much more in me. I think I did well for my first time though. I can't wait to do another one, but I'm still very intimidated. I realize that I need a lot of training before then!
Ok, so Saturday was my first triathalon. It was actually more like a mini one (not quite a true half). It was an intense and totally rewarding experience. I showed me that I have a LONG way to go, but that it's do-able. :) I'll just go through the day...
Friday, I went to bed around 8:30-9ish. I had a difficult time sleeping, partly because it was earlier than I was used to and partly because I was so nervous. I got up around 4:45am and finished packing my gear. I took some electrolyte waters with me and ate a peach for breakfast. Michael drove me out there and was my personal cheerleader. :) On the way, I drank a RTD EAS protein drink (I should have done better on my breakfast). I got there and was totally mind-f*cked at first. Since I picked up my packet Friday, I already knew my numbers. So, I got marked, had my bike checked and then put everything up in the transition area. I think normally it's a first-come, first-serve basis on getting the best bike rack spot, but they had ours marked for us. I guess it made it a little easier and less confusing. I ended up in a sports bra, my race suit from HS, and shorts for the swim. I figured I could just throw my tank top on for the bike and then swap into longer shorts for the run. I made the mistake of pinning my number onto my shirt (race belt = new best friend). Once I got everything set up, I went and got my timing chip ankle bracelet. We had a meeting where they didn't give any more info than they already had, and then it was time to head to the pool.
For the swim, they had us (all 400 & something of us!) line up according to our swim times. Everyone was supposed to time themselves for a 50 meter swim and then use a chart they supplied a few weeks ago to figure where your time is. I gave myself extra time, so I stood in the 11 minute line. About 10 minutes into waiting, I realized from the conversations around me that I needed to move up in the line to my actual 9 minute time. So, I slipped on up. The line was really more like a group until you got close to the start, so no one noticed. :) When I got up to the front, I stepped on the mat to start my timing chip and made the mistake of jumping in instead of sliding in. See, the pool was like 8 feet deep, so I had to wait until I surfaced again before I could push off and start (there was no diving allowed). That didn't help my time, but no biggie. The swim was definitely harder than I anticipated. It also didn't help that a girl in front of my obviously misjudged her time and started taking up the entire lane at one point. There was a nice little cluster-f*ck at one point. I ended up doing right over 9min 50 sec on my swim. This is where I earned a battle wound. The volunteers were pulling people out of the pool when they got to the latter. Well, they didn't give me time to get my footing and my shin slammed against the edge of the pool. OUCH. >:( (BTW, I should have realized that when the first girl in the pool was wearing an LSU swim cap AND finished 2 laps ahead of the person behind her that this was no joke! lol).
So, I jog out to my bike (everything was slippery and wet) and start throwing on my shoes. As I go to put on my tank top, my number rips. Great. I'm still soaking wet, mind you. So I get my top on and re-pin my numbers. I realized after I was on my bike that my chin strap on my helmet was way too tight. Something I had plenty of time to check before the race and never thought to. So, once I finally get situated, I'm off and coasting. I maintained about 15-16 mph on the 12 mile trip. The roads were horrible though - lots of bumps, cracks and a few potholes. I started to get discouraged because even though I passed like 5 people, I had about 15 pass me. I finally realized that they were all road bikes that were passing me. I need to get one of those. I had no idea that the difference between those and a mountain bike was that big. So, I make it back to the transition area, and I pretty much feel like I'm about to die and that there is NO WAY IN HELL I could possibly run 2 miles after the swim and bike. I wanted to cry, but told myself I was just going to suck it up, and even if I had to walk I was going to finish. I got my bike back to the rack and as soon as I put it up, I knock the girl next to me's bike off the rack. Of course, I had to stop and put it back. Then I swapped out my shorts because I was definitely not running in booty shorts (wardrobe will be better planned next time). That all took way too much time. I finally got out on the running course. It sucked. OMG, it sucked. I ran/jogged as much as I could, but with the heat and my heart rate going berserk, I had to slow down a few times. However, when I saw that finish line, I definitely picked it up. Crossing that finish line was one of the best feelings in the world (you know, OMG IT'S FINALLY OVER!!!!! lol). I got my Finisher medal and a fresh bottle of water. It was time to sit down! :)
My final time was 1:29:41, and my overall place was 94 (out of 399 actual finishers). I was 24th in my class. I'm not ashamed of my times, but I know now that I have so much more in me. I think I did well for my first time though. I can't wait to do another one, but I'm still very intimidated. I realize that I need a lot of training before then!
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