Susan

Not this Time

Every year about this time, my weight goes up and my fitness level takes a precipitous turn downward. You see, I have this seasonal job in which the big kahuna event of the year occurs in mid-July. So usually around mid-to-late May, I start cutting back on workouts. I tell my trainer I am too busy to make appointments, and until this year, I never worked out unless I was with him. I was seeing him twice a week, so in May I’d cut back to once, and in June, I’d stop altogether. I’d be massively stressed, working long hours, with no endorphins. The stress eating would ratchet up. Then during the event itself in July, I would eat like there’s no tomorrow. Most people attending this event are horrified at the carb-laden, institutional food (think high school cafeteria) but for me, it kept me literally grounded so I didn’t spin off into space. Sloppy Joes, mac and cheese, pizza: BRING IT ON. Then I would eat for a week or two after the event, and by the end of summer I would be a total walrus. I’d slink back to my trainer in September, overweight and embarrassed, and we’d start at square one. Again.

Well, it’s June. My event is about five weeks away and I am determined that this is not going to happen. Not this year.

I HAVE A PLAN.

First, I’ve decided to switch to some evening workouts. I have not worked out in the evening very much since.. when? Since I was single? Twenty-five years ago? It’s really hard to wrench oneself out of the house when there are little kid betimes, bath, story and the like. But my kids can bathe themselves now, and they go to bed later than I do. Normally I see my trainer on Wednesday afternoons, which means leaving my work in mid-afternoon. During most of the year this is fine – it’s a part-time job, but in June it just doesn’t work. But instead of cancelling Monday workouts, I am switching to 6pm kickboxing class! YEAH!!!!!! (thanks for all the votes, kickboxing people!)

I’m going to continue to work out every day if possible, either running, going to a classs, going to the gym, SOMETHING. Even when I am AT MY EVENT. I am going to continue to eat as mindfully as possible, ESPECIALLY at the event. (we have switched locations and I am happy to report that the new place has a big giant salad and soup bar, and fresh fruit, and definitely healthier fare) I am not going to get into this summer stress-and-fatness cycle again.

I am excited!

And tonight I’m going to cardio kickboxing class. I didn’t have time to exercise today because I had to take various family members to medical appointments today. Normally if I do not get a workout before afternoon, it just isn’t gonna happen. But I realize I feel really bad if I do not workout now. My friend A just called and said she would come with me! Yeah! (I put an announcement on Facebook and invited everyone I know to come with me and I think she is the only taker)

Another plus-side to exercising in the evening is that it will hopefully keep me from overeating at dinner. I’m just having a tiny pre-workout snack, and then leftovers when I get home.

Can I say it again? I am excited! I’m changing a pattern I’ve had for the last five years, which I always felt was inevitable. Well guess what? It’s not!

June 4, 2009 10

Mixing Up the Exercise

I went to the gym this morning and worked out on the elliptical because my calf is just not loving the running right now. It was in major pain during and after my 5k, and I think I need to rest it for a while. Until I can find a way to rehab it and fix things so that it isn’t hurt when I run, I need to do other stuff.

I actually love the elliptical machine. It feels so… swingy, and almost relaxing, even though it is hard work. I was amazed that I did a 5k today and it felt 100x easier than RUNNING that 5k on Saturday. ANyway, while I was at the gym I realized that there are classes going on there ALL the time – free! (well, NOT free, but classes that I pay for every month and never utilize!) So I decided I’d make a goal out of trying at least one new class during the month of June.

Zumba sounds intriguing. But I also think it might be high time for me to get over my extreme aversion to yoga and Pilates. Should I challenge myself and try something completely new, or do something that sounds fun, or..? Hm. What class do you think I should try?

June 2, 2009 15

Today’s Giveaway: CLOTHES!

The decluttering continues! Today I decided to give away 3 items of too-large clothing. I thought I would have tons of these, but actually most of my big clothes are more fit for Goodwill than to giving to anyone I care about. But I do have 3 pretty nice things I would like to pass on.

One is my beloved Big White Shirt. This shirt was always oversized for me. I just checked the size and realized it is a size 3x! Um… I had no idea! When I bought that top I just loved it so much because it made me feel tiny. Of course. But at this point it just makes me look stupid. It’s super comfy, great to wear over anything, and perfect for summer. You can see it in my Photos, in the “before” from October 2008.

Two: a pair of wide-legged black croppped pants from J. Jill that I never wore, not even once. (well, once, to try on in the store) They are a sized Medium, but they are elastic waisted and J. Jill tends to run on the larger size. So I’d say they are equivalent to Large in most other brands. They’re soft, elegant and nice. They’re so wide and swingy they actually look like a skirt. On me, they fall to about mid-calf. (I’m 5’4″) They look sort of like this, but they’re shorter. (UPDATE: TAKEN!!)

Three: a sort of faux wool jacket-sweater, zippered, with pockets. It’s gray-black, textured and kind of nubbly. It isn’t super thick but nice for cool spring or fall days. It’s nice to have pockets. It’s standard size Large.

Again, send me an email with your snail mail address if you want one of these items. First come, first get!

June 2, 2009 0

Getting Rid of Stuff: Want Some?

I have been battling the war on Clutter for as long as, or maybe longer, than I have been battling with my weight and food issues. This morning I saw a great and inspiring post by MizFit about her own Clutter challenge. (watch the video!!) And because maybe One Challenge Is Not Enough For Me Right now (AM I INSANE??) I am jumping in to this one too. But you know, MizFit is giving away 30 things in 30 days. If I gave away 30 things, it would not even make the slightest dent in my house. So I am going to go for TEN GIVEAWAYS per DAY!! I will do some of these giveaways via Freecyle.org, and a few of them via this blog. Only a few because I’m going to pay for shipping fees, and if I do Freecyle, there’s no cost.

So: today I am giving away, via this blog, THREE ITEMS.

If you want one of them, send me an email with your snail mail address. Tell me which item you want. In the interest of time management, I will not be asking for any fancy challenges, and I will not be doing any random choosery. I will just be sending each item to the FIRST PERSON who jumps in and asks for it, along with their address. I will also NOT be responding individually to people and saying, “You are not the first person.” I will announce the First People in tomorrow’s giveaway, and better luck tomorrow!

Today’s three items: (note: these are all beneficial items, but they are redundant to things I already own)

1. Weight Watchers Complete Food Companion: points values for over 17,500 food items! (UPDATE: TAKEN!)

2. Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program that Works! by Evelyn Tribole (looks really good but I think I officially binged out on intuitive/mindful eating books! I have way more than I need) (UPDATE: TAKEN!)

3. Making The Cut by Jillian Michaels (Jillian rocks. but we have two of these books in our house, and I sure don’t need more than one!) (UPDATE: TAKEN!)
OK? Ready set, GET THESE OUT OF MY HOUSE PLEASE!! Only one per customer, please. Let the decluttering begin!!

June 1, 2009 5

Day 3: (catching up) Goals and Celebrations

Oh gosh. TOO much to say! This is going to have to be a speed blog.

Yesterday, day 3 of the challenge, went well. I ate all my fruits and vegies. I went to WW and am now officially 1 lb away from 30 lbs lost, AND my stated goal. I am really thinking about this whole “goal weight” thing. When I first started this journey in January, I truly did not think that a 30 lb loss was even remotely possible in this lifetime. I was hoping for maybe 10. Maybe 15, tops. I have not weighed this weight in almost twenty years, and while it is great, it is also a little freaky. I am not used to it. It’s a little bit strange.

Also, when I began this blog, I had very negative feelings about people who dieted while in their healthy range. I am now in my healthy range. But I really do not think I am dieting anymore. (was I ever?? That is up for debate) I am making choices every moment of every day. If those choices lead to further weight loss, then good (I think). If they keep me exactly where I am now, then fantastic. If those choices make me gain weight, I will make changes.

Like I said, I did not think I would ever reach this weight. So now that I am here, I am looking around and thinking, well?? Now what? I am aware that MANY people who are at my current weight and height feel very unhappy with themselves. They feel fat and want to lose 20 lbs. more. Me? I am far from “skinny.” I still have a pooch of a belly, and still have padding around my hips. I’m not svelte by any means, although much svelter than I was. Part of me is pleading with myself to STOP NOW. Part of me is curious about how much weight I could or will lose if I keep on going.

I guess only time will tell. The thing is, at WW you must state a “goal weight” much like declaring one’s major. I sort of arbitrarily put my goal weight down as 30 lbs. It’s in the healthy range. So it’s possible that I could get there in the next few weeks. (I’m less than one pound away) I am not sure it is a good idea or realistic to make it much lower. But… I don’t know. It’s weird.

I’m going to just see what happens. My goal has always been to “be healthy” and I feel healthy right now. Really healthy. So now I feel like any additional weight loss would be primarily for aesthetic reasons, which I have been rather vehemently opposed to. I supposed I COULD get healthiER. But what does that mean?? It’s something to mull over.

———–

Last night we went out to dinner to celebrate my daughter’s 15th birthday. We went to a great Italian place that serves family-style. We ordered lots of amazing and great food and I enjoyed every single bite. But I think the key word is bite: I only had about 2-3 bites or forkfuls of every item. Bread with olive oil dip, fried calamari (!!) with aioli, caprese salad (tomato and mozzarella), eggplant rollatini (breaded eggplant with ricotta/marinara), cracked crab, penne Carbonara (yes, with cream and pancetta! bacon!), and gnocchi pesto. Then we came home and had CHEESECAKE.

This meal made me so happy – so very happy – because I enjoyed it with absolutely no regrets. I didn’t feel guilty. I loved every single bite, savored every bite. I was a tad nervous when I got on the scale today but told myself that even a couple of pounds would be worth it. But guess what: I weighed exactly the same as yesterday.

Yay.

June 1, 2009 10

Day Two: Second 5k Race!

Now that I’m on the SECOND day of this challenge, I am seeing that every day will be different (profound realization, huh?). I can already tell you that yesterday was the day I didn’t hit the mark on the water, and today is the day I am not going to hit the mark on the fruits and vegies. I had about 8 blueberries in a little cup o yogurt they handed out after the race, and that is going to be it for today. Such is life.

So today was the See Jane Run 5k! This was a whole different experience because I was there with both of my daughters, two of my friends and also had a Twitter meetup with Twitter friend @pubsgal!

We got up early to get a spot in the parking lot. This race was right along the shoreline, so was both very beautiful and very COLD. The fog was in, and it was chilly. (still foggy even now in the afternoon) Then we stood in line for the bathroom (looooong line). They had a stage set up and after the half-marathoners took off (which gave me chills) they did a ten minute warmup with some goofy teachers in leg warmers and 70’s gear. Very cute. It did warm me up, but it was kind of distracting and it was not the same as doing a brisk walk/run warmup like I did last time. So we went over to the starting line, and one of my daughters ran into a friend, and with all the socializing, it just STARTED and I did not feel quite prepared.

I felt like this race was going much more quickly than the last one. Was it me? Was it the crowd? I don’t know, but in the first mile I felt like I was really struggling. I was really labored in my breathing, and I just felt like.. wow, I was going too fast or something. But I didn’t know how to slow down. (does that sound dumb?) It felt like everyone on the course was passing me. I felt a little panicked. I had told my friend M, whom I always run with, that I couldn’t talk during this race and I was going to use my iPod music to pace with (which I never do when I run with her). She was cool with that.

After passing the one mile mark I started feeling a little bit better. I wasn’t aching or hurting, and I didn’t feel like it was such a struggle. The turnaround point was about a mile and a half. Then we started seeing the first people coming back toward us. That was pretty cool, and inspiring. I saw my friend K, who is DAMN FAST. A little bit later, I saw my older girl. She looked great. I felt the best around the turnaround, and for the last 3/4 mile before we got to the finish. When the finish line was in sight, I started flagging (again). My friend M wanted to sprint to the end. I tried. We ran fast for about 50 yards? and then she took off right at the finish. I was… wow, I was pooped. As I ran past my mom I heard her say to my husband, “She’s limping.” Was I? My left calf was pretty sore.

I got through the finish line and was happy that my time was somewhere around 37 minutes, which was at least two and a half minutes faster than the first race I did a month ago. It might have been a few seconds less or more.

The thing is, if you keep running FASTER every time, it never feels any easier. I guess I am glad I beat my time by so much. But it wasn’t easy.

Next time I am going to be sure to do a BIG walking/running warmup before the race starts. I realize I really need that, and that it just feels bad to start out cold.

ANyway, it was cool to get a medal, and a champagne glass, and chocolate. I got an ice pack for my leg. We had some yogurt and blueberries and granola. It was nice to walk around with @Pubsgal.

Since I’ve been home though, my stomach has been kind of upset and delicate. I’m totally wiped out (AGAIN). I had to get up to drive one of my daughters to a friend’s house, and it just about did me in. I’m in bed again. And I can’t deal with the idea of eating any fruits or vegies. No fiber, please! I’m going to try out this allegedly very low carb Dreamfields pasta for dinner tonight. Linguine with clam sauce. I don’t think I can cope with salad though.

It surprises me that a 36 minute run should affect me so intensely. It really knocked me out. I don’t know if it is the diabetes, just general conditioning, pushing harder than usual, adrenaline or WHAT, but I feel pretty much flattened. I am very very happy I did it, and it was fun, but the aftermath is kinda rough.

May 30, 2009 23

Day One of Healthy Challenge: How’s It Going?

I’m so excited! Today is day one of the Fabfatties’ Healthy Challenge! And I’m really excited because I know that I personally recruited many people to join in. I was surprised that a few people that I asked really hesitated, saying it was too much of a commitment, or too much time, or something. My feeling about that is that there’s no rule that says you have to do every single thing on the challenge. Even if you make ONE change, and get some points for that, it’s a great step in the right direction.

It’s so funny how our minds work, isn’t it? Now this challenge contains so many things that are already a part of WW or other plans, and yet for some reason they feel brand new because it’s a new and different context, and people are all excited about it, and Tweeting it, and it’s like, WOW, drinking water! Food journal! when it’s stuff that is certainly not new to me.

I am really eager to know how everyone is doing with this so far. Which parts of the challenge are super easy? (for me, it’s not drinking soda- I don’t anyway- but I know that others are really grappling with this big time) Which ones are hard?

Please check in here and let’s give each other support, suggestions, tips and kudos!

I knew right off what my hardest points would be: drinking water, and eating a healthy breakfast. In fact, I just ate my breakfast a few minutes ago. It’s 11:30am. Does that count as breakfast? Or did I skip breakfast and just eat breakfast food for an early lunch? (ha) I did get some points for the fruit/vegi category. My “breakfast” was some nonfat Fage yogurt with big fat blueberries, some walnuts and a drizzle of agave syrup. VERY YUM.

I exercised for 90 minutes today. Since I have my 5k race tomorrow morning, my trainer wanted to take it easy so we did no cardio- just a lot of strengthening and stretching. My right hip is giving me issues. I had to roll it out on a hard basketball, then a tennis balll, for quite a bit, and it really hurt. But I think I loosened it up a bit.

I drank 8 oz of water after my workout. I know this water thing is going to be challenging, partly because I don’t believe in it. I just read this last week in Mindful Eating and it made me laugh but I also agree with it:

In the last decade, there has been an epidemic of mind-induced thirst. ….Modern Americans feel compelled to carry around a water bottle at all times and sip from it frequently, much like a baby bottle, no matter where they are. This fetish began with a medical report stating that humans should drink 8-12 glasses of water a day. Tea and coffee didn’t count since they are diuretics. Your cells were crying out for water. Fearing death by dehydration (HA!) Americans began carrying glasses of water around. Product development departments noted, and responded quickly, spawning two huge new industries: bottled water and water bottles.

People now bring personal water bottles (everywhere), including into meditation halls. Apparently they are unable to endure various bodily sensations that they interpret as “dehydration” and cannot sit for sixty minutes without a drink. All the liquid that goes in must come out. People pop up and down to the bathroom like grasshoppers (LOL).

A few years ago a corrective report came out, announcing that people had misinterpreted the first report. Humans do need a total of 64 ounces of liquid a day, but it does not have to be drunk from a glass. It actually could ALL COME FROM FOOD, and tea and coffee counted! Studies showed that caffeinated beverages did not deplete the body’s liquids after all.

Why, in the midst of this epidemic of grownups toting and nursing from water bottles has no one asked how our grandparents, and the entire human race for tens of thousands of years escaped mass annihilation by dehydration? Our modern minds believed what magazines told us and overrode the wisdom in our bodies.

In other words, you don’t need to drink extra water unless you are THIRSTY. The only times I am actually thirsty are: 1) right after I exercise; and 2) when I eat very spicy food. Other than that, I do not really ever feel the need to drink. So this 64 oz. thing is sort of annoying me but I am going to give it a shot and see what happens.

Other than that, things are going okay so far. I’ve checked off exercise, breakfast (even though it’s late). I’m tracking my food. Trying to come up with a good deed.

May 29, 2009 18

Feeling Healthily Competitive? Join Me In This Challenge!

Wow. The FabFatties have done it again – they’ve set up a HUGE challenge for the next two weeks. It involves doing many, many great things to boost one’s health. I was so excited when I saw this because truly, that is what has done it for me these past months, doing LOTS of different things, all which benefit my health and weight loss efforts. One of the ways to win points in this challenge is to recruit others to do it too, so that is what I am doing right now – I am asking all of my readers to join me!! Come on, come on, I get a whopping 25 points for every recruit!!

These are the things that we are being challenged to do: (the intials afterward are my own abbreviations for the challenge, which I’ve used in my handy-dandy Challenge Worksheet –if you join up I will email you one!)

*Eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily- 5 points (F/V)
*Drink 8 glasses of water a day- 8 points (8W)
*Exercise- 1 point per minute (EX)
*Do a random good deed- 5 points (GD)
*Stop drinking soda pop for a day- 1 point (NS)
*Actually read someone else’s blog post and leave a comment- 1 point (RB)
* Answer Fab Fatties random bonus questions about us- 5 points (FF)-Bonus questions will be posted daily on our blog.
* Recommend 2 fabulous friends from twitter and tell us why we should follow them- 2 points (TW)
* Eat a healthy breakfast-1 point (HB)
* Lose weight- 1 point per pound (LW)
* Keep a food journal for the day- 5 points per day (FJ)
* Take a walk during your lunch break- 5 points (WK)
* Have a friend join this challenge- 25 points per friend-make sure your friend tells us you recruited them! (RF)

So as I said, I’ve made up a handy-dandy tracking worksheet so you can track all of your points each day. I am gunning to do EVERY SINGLE challenge point, every day. (except maybe the lose-weight one, not sure I can (or should) do that every day.)

In order to sign up, you must email the FabFatties here, on or before 12:00 a.m. MST Thursday May 28^th 2009. You must send them your name, Twitter name if applicable, and your blog or website URL (if applicable; it’s not necessary). Also, tell them that Foodie McBody sent you!!!!! So I can get credit! 🙂

And LET ME KNOW (in comments on this post) if you are doing it. Also send ME your email address if you want the unofficial FabFatties Challenge Tracking Worksheet! It will help you keep track of all the amazing things you are doing for your health.

Here’s to some HEALTHY COMPETITION! Let the challenge begin!!!!!!!!!

May 26, 2009 19

And the Winners are…!

The day has finally arrived and I am announcing the winners to my Laptop Bag Giveaway Contest! This was a wonderful contest to read and I really enjoyed and appreciated everyone’s answers. These were the five that really shone for me. I chose five semi-finalists and then could really not pick ONE from there, so I went to the Random Thingy Chooser (yes, that is really the name of it!) Read down to the bottom to see whom it chose.

But the four semi-finalists will all receive a prize: this incredibly cool and perfect “Foodie” jewelry charm (can be either a charm or necklace) made by the artistic father of Mara, the blogger at I Made Dinner!! (Mara is going to get her own Special Prize for helping out with this) Is that not PERFECT? (the crossed utensils over the laptop keyboard??)

So….. drum roll please!! Here are my five finalists. You can see their complete posts here, but here are some excerpts.

Lavagal made me laugh out loud with her post. Weight Watchers has taught me that journaling is the most honest you can be with yourself. As a result, I blog about my WW progress (lavagal.wordpress.com). For every day that I work out at 24Hour Fitness I tweet my calories, strides, miles, and minutes along with two photos: the first at the start of my workout, the second at the end…Believe me. I eat like a cow so I have to work like an ass, LOL! I love to cook and eat, but I also like to paddle out on my surfboard and wait my turn in the lineup. I’m 50. I still have plenty of waves to catch. Rather than look like a manatee in the lineup, I want to be the chick who’s still hip!

Bwjen is another bookworm and English teacher, and she created the inspiring TweetWalker Clubhouse for the benefit of walkers and runners. I have been using twitter and blogging to stay motivated and accountable. I tweet constantly with fellow walkers. I came up with the virtual walking club The TweetWalker ClubHouse where currently me and 15 other walkers blog about our walks. We are a source of inspiration, motivation, support and encouragement for each other. We have each set goals and are walking away our extra pounds.

JaimeH is also using blogging, twittering and online communities to help her with her diabetes. I found tudiabetes.com, twitter and started journaling once again. I’ve always known about diabetic communities online but not until I fully engaged in the DOC (diabetic online community) did I realize how much I really needed them. Through writing and connecting with these fabulous people I started to put myself back on my priority list. Out of the 12yrs with diabetes I always took it very seriously and kept my #’s pretty much where they should be…that year I stopped caring was the worst A1c I’ve ever had. These people I started communicating with made me feel like I was not alone in my battle. Not only diabetics but other people on twitter that are living a healthy lifestyle. Even through the internet you could feel their kindness and they are always there to cheer me on when I need it the most. Since then I have become an online admin for tudiabetes & the socal ambassador.

ShariMacD is a writer/editor who has found a more personal (and healthy) way to use writing. I’m an editor and writer, but I’ve resisted personal journal writing for years – thinking that it was a waste of writing time because I wasn’t producing something for public consumption. I recently started journaling as a way to help deal with some personal issues, and that has serendipitously coincided with my beginning a new phase of healthy eating/healthy living. Where I’d failed hundreds (thousands?) of times before at weight loss and healthy living attempts, this time around I’m finding it much easier to eat well and get my body moving. I believe this is because I’m journaling, which I’ve found to be a tremendously powerful form of self-care. By journaling, I’m allowing myself to feel what I feel, on the page. To process my life via words, instead of running from it by comforting myself with food. When I’m upset or stressed now, the first thing I think of is grabbing my journal, not grabbing a package of mini chocolate donuts.

knk had the most quoteable quote of all. blogging helps me get out what food helps me stuff in. emotions, thoughts, issues, concerns, dreams, fears. and the daily struggle to balance child, career, home, and me– that stuff only gets done by writing/blogging. otherwise, it sits, festers, infects me– takes over my subconscious until i’m doing things i don’t want to do. writing is a way to cleanse my soul, process my emotions, and find the energy to clear a path to a healthier happier life, even if its obscured. it bring me clarity and serves as a conscience. the words bear witness and keep me honest. they provide solace and comfort. writing allows me to listen without responding and gives me time and space to clear away the layers until i am sure of myself again and can face the challenges of weight loss, food demons, and personal growth.

So…. the moment is here! and the Random Thingy Chooser has chosen… JaimeH!

Congratulations, Jaime! You have won the laptop bag! Please email me your snail-mail address, and I will send it out this week! Keep doing that great work for diabetics everywhere. You have already helped me so much, so thank you!

Congratulations, Shari, knk, lavagal and bwjen! You have all won the foodie charms! Please send YOUR snail-mail addresses to Mara here, and she will send you your choice of either a necklace or cell-phone charm or zipper pull.

And thanks to Mara for sending out these prizes! Mara, I have something special for you, so please send ME your snail mail.

Thanks everyone who participated, I truly loved EVERY answer. I hope you will keep writing for health!! And guess what? I have another contest/giveaway in the works! Write about your favorite vegetable, and another fabulous prize might be yours!

May 25, 2009 4

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eat, move, think, feel

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