Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth We.... Oh shoot it's Thursday

My days have become long as of late. Yet, the number of hours in the day haven't changed, so it's been leaving me a bit spent. I've started the cleansing process known as packing. It's hard to do, but soooo worth it. Work has had a few curve balls for me this week as well which has had me working extra hours. But! I have had an awesome time this week reconnecting with some old friends.

My new found level of fitness has opened up a new world to me. Whether it's the chance to bike with friends or sign up for a triathalon (which I did today!) it's a great feeling knowing that I'll be able to do it.

I have been fighting a battle with the chocolate gods. Somedays I win, somedays they do. I'm not supposed to let them, but it's becoming increasingly harder.. especially now that I'm closer to goal. You would think that I'd be able to ward off the cravings. Well I guess the worst part of it is that I bought the chocolate in the first place. That's no good. Hey it IS dark chocolate... so antioxidants! Woo hoo! But seriously, self-sabotage. It's a problem that alot of us can have. Doing so well that you think at some point you're bound to fail, so you fail on purpose. You know, looking at it in writing, makes it sound all that much worse. So here's to STOPPING IT!

Altos y Bajos

High: I have two again. I just have been having really good weeks! Well the first has to be the 100lbs! I really can't believe it. I held a 30lb. weight the other day and then thought to myself, I carried around 3 of these, plus 10. Crazy! No wonder I had health problems. The second is soccer. It was another emotional boost to be able to do something that I could never have done before.

Low: See paragraph on chocolate gods. :P

This week: 149.5. -2.4 from last week. I think I have even surprised myself on this one.

Tipper Gore Tuesday

It just so happens that yesterday, I made it to 100lbs. lost! I think I'm a little in denial of how much that actually is. We did squats with weights today, and one of them was 30lbs. I was like, I used to carry around three of these. No wonder I couldn't move well. Or that I was out of breath simply walking up two flights of stairs. I feel like a different person :) There's that little girl at church, that I believe I mentioned before... who insists that I am not Becky. I am Becky's friend. LOL. So funny!

I also had the wonderful opportunity to play some indoor soccer. I haven't done that since high school. For 4+ years I played goalie... mostly because I was too large to run around and do anything else. But this time, I was able to play offense... running and sprinting back and forth. I was definitely wiped by the end :) Oh I and I forgot to stretch soooo I was walking around like I had ridden a horse for hours the day before. Oh man, good times.

So this week's tip doesn't involve an exercise, but rather an admonition to do something you may have let go (or not started), that you wish to do. For me, it was soccer. Thankfully someone thought of me and asked me, but maybe there's that volleyball team at the local Y that you've always wanted to join. Or taking an art class (no not everything has to involve fitness :)

Do something that makes you happy :) ... unless it's gorging yourself on an ice cream sundae... that my friends is counterproductive!

Easter Candy

Now I love Easter... being that it makes up the crux of my beliefs. But I really wish that it did not come with so much candy! For those of you with kids that may have gotten a ton of it, bring it to the office, or better yet, bring it to the homeless shelter. I mean first off it's hard limiting yourself on that day, but it's even worse when you're trying to avoid the tall solid chocolate bunny when he calls your name on Monday, Tuesday (I would say Wednesday, but you've probably bitten off his head by then) I know I would have :)

So for those of you who feel guilty throwing it out and wasting someone else's (or your... which you shouldn't have bought it in the first place) money, don't. There are several alternatives. Or you could help you get started on your fitness goals. For instance, if you wished to have a jelly bean or two, you could do 5 sit-ups for every one you ate. (Not that you want to start a workout-reward trend... no good)

You could also make goodie bags for kids in the hospital. Possibilities are endless!

Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth Wednesday

It seems as though this week went by really slowly. I'm not sure why... Maybe it's just me. Well anyway, this week I learned that people listen to the things you say, and don't always tell you they're listening. For instance, I have had people say that they started eating the protein bars that I eat because they saw me doing it. I'm thankful, and frankly a little humbled, that people want to do that. Then again, I always try to remind people, my plan, is not their plan. :) So there's the flip side of that. Do people allow themselves eat junk because I do? I highly doubt it, but it's just something that crossed my mind.

My trainer reminded me of something last night (due to the fact that I had a Jr. Frosty from Wendy's) All the stuff that tastes really good, is probably really bad for you. So I'm going to try to keep that in mind as I strive not to sabotage myself.

High's and Low's

High: I was able to run 30.7 miles over 7 days. I was able to run 6 of those miles at 6.5mph, completing them in 54min. My fastest time yet! And no, I am NOT interested in doing a marathon. :)

Low: The Jr. Frosty. In retrospect, was it a huge blunder? No, not really. And in fact I felt so guilty that I did end up running on my "day off." It made the low because I'm so close to the 100lb. mark and I let it (and a few other small pieces of dark (anti-oxidant rich) chocolate) get in the way.

154.7.... last week's number. This week: 151.9. -2.8lbs... 1.9 left to go.

Tippecanoe Tuesday

This week's tip: lower back/abs exercise. Now when I first started on my journey, I had a really hard time with this one, but over time, was able to get a handle on it as my muscles developed. So if you can't do it, don't worry! Try it every once in a while, and see where you get. I like to call it the 30/45/90 or double-leg lift.

Start by laying on the floor flat on your back. Lay your arms next to you, plams down. Keeping your legs straight and together, you're going to lift them about 30 degrees off the floor, then 45 degrees, then 90 degrees. To lift them you are going to really want to concentrate on using your abs. Do not put your hands under your bottom to aid lifting your legs. You can actually hurt yourself by trying to do more than your body can handle. Then on the way down, stop at 45 then 30 then down. Repeat 15 to 20 times.

Since that one has a bit of difficulty to it, we won't add any more to your plate this week :)

Let them eat cake! Orrr not.

I thought that tonight I would share a little bit about food. I promise I won't go on a rant about it's awfulness, but rather give you a list of things to pick from. I would tell you what I eat, but that's a secret... ok, maybe not, but regardless... my food is for me. My plan is not your plan. Just like we are all individuals, each of our bodies have different needs. But here are some general guidelines.

Protein: Lean meats like chicken breast (no skin), turkey, pork tenderloin, tuna, haddock, shrimp (most fish is good), egg whites, plain unsalted nuts like almonds and cashews, whey protein shakes, protein bars that are low in high fructose corn syrup...

Grains/Starches: Whole grains! Brown rice, whole wheat breads (preferably ones that are carb. conscious), wheat pita, whole wheat pasta (again, watch carbs) sweet potatoes, plain rice cakes

Fruits: Fruits are great! However, you have to be careful because some have more sugar than others... For instance, pineapple is delicious... but has one of the highest sugar contents. Also apples have a lot of carbs (something I recently found out) Also, something to note... be careful of pesticides on fruits and veggies. It's best to go organic.

Veggies: The more green and fibrous, the better :) Fresh is good, but the frozen steamer veggies are just as good.

Salads are good, just watch the dressings. Oil and vinegar is best. I am a fan of Newman's Organic Light Balsamic Vinaigrette. You have to be careful with vinaigrettes because they can have alot of sugar in them.

What constitutes low carb? Well, it's best to keep it under 28 net carbs. Net carbs is the entire carbs, minus the fiber. So if you have a protein bar that has 30 carbs and 5 grams of fiber, there is 25 net carbs.

Well I hope that helps! Time to get some sleep!

Whole Truth and Nothing But The Truth

Exhaustion reigns supreme. I have been doing what's called "burning the candle at both ends". Staying up late, getting up early. In case you do this too, the combination is not good. So tonight's gonna be brief, so I can GET TO BED! :)

High: Running 8.6 miles. (well about .75 of that was walking)... due to lack of water, heat, and not knowing how many miles I was doing.

Low: The food choices I made on Easter. Still realizing that food and emotions are tied together quite "nicely".

This week's weight, due to Easter and a little festivities the day after... 154.7. So all in all, only up a minuscule amount... So this means... 4.7 to the century club. And I WILL get there, maybe not next week, but definitely the week after. Definitely.

The Black Hole that was Monday and Tip Tuesday

Monday was awful. I had the worst sugar crash. The gym was awful. The mental game was on full force... and I lost. Well comparatively... I mean I did run 4 walk 1, but it wasn't the 6 I was supposed to do. I was hungrier because of my massive food consumption, sluggish from the sugar, and depressed that I blew it so bad. So yes, I can have my days too :)

And now it's Tip Tuesday. We've talked about abs, we've talked about legs, now I figured I would address the arms. It is best to get some weights... if you're a beginner I would start with 3 - 5 lbs. Intermediate 8-10 lbs. Expert, well you probably don't need my help if you're an expert ;) If you don't have weights, try cans of soup! Here are two exercises you can do for your arms.

1. Bicep Curl. Stand with your arms at your sides. Turn your arms so that your palms are facing frontward. With the weights in your hands, bend your arms at the elbows and bring them 180 degrees. Then bring all the way back down to your sides. Repeat. (This can be done one arm at a time, or together)

2. Lateral Raise. Using those same weights, stand with your arms at your sides. Palms facing your legs. Keeping your arms straight, bring them up to form a T with your body. Then bring them back down. Both arms should be done simultaneously.

Of course, there's always push-ups. :)

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

I apologize for not posting yesterday. Completely forgot. You know, life has a way of just moving on if you're not intentional about it. So today, I am being intentional and making an entry. :)

First off, Happy Easter to you all!

There was a key word that I was supposed to follow today. Any guesses? (waits...) The word is... moderation. I may have talked about this before, but today was my turn to put it into practice. And I failed miserably. I pretty much re-enacted the Hindenburg. But hey, go big or go home right? (No, that is never right). I had ham, cake, potatoes, pie, candy, bread, lamb... to name a few. And how did I feel? Like crap! Not only did the food make my stomach feel like it was twice it's usual size (which was probably true) I felt guilty for my lack of restraint. It was as if the rules were lifted and I ate like I would never get to eat a potato again. I felt embarrassed (on the inside) that I couldn't stop myself. Then I had a flash of worry that I hadn't "learned my lesson" so to speak. It was a flashback to the old habits. (Granted I wasn't running 6 miles then but still) So where do I go from here?

I was reminded of a saying tonight... "You only fail if you refuse to try again." So I'm gonna set the alarm, get my butt out of bed, run, and forget about it. You should too.

Consumption

Now I'm gonna say a word that many of you have different attachments to or perceptions of. Some of you may think of this word and cringe, others may feel lost, and yet still others may be elated. The word? FOOD.

As human beings, we tend to have several different relationships with food. (and maybe that's the problem) The first and most used relationship: comfort. You hear the term "comfort food" all the time. Things like home-made macaroni & cheese, chicken pot pie (one of my personal favs.), and chocolate chip cookies (we won't mention how I feel about those). Today was a fairly stressful day for me. And when the "Easter Bunny" came around with that chocolate, you better believe I had some. Did it make me feel better? Well you could argue that it increased the dopamine in my brain and therefore technically made me happier, but that sugar high (which later resulted in a sugar crash) is temporary.

The second relationship: fun. These are things like nachos, pizza, the seven-layer dip your mom brings to the next cookout. Or it can be the beverage side: Mudslides, Martini's, Daquiri's... you get the point. Food is fun because it generally brings people together. Put a bowl of chips and salsa in the kitchen, you'll have company. Put a bowl of chips and salsa in the livingroom, the company will be there. Maybe it's because it's something to do besides talk? I don't know, I'll leave that speculation to you.

The third relationship: speed. I'm sure at some point in your life, you have said, "Let's go for a quick bite to eat." While this in itself isn't wrong, in these days, a quick bite to eat generally means, McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, and for you out of the box thinkers, Taco Bell. While good choices can be made at those "restaurants" (and I use that term loosely) generally, they are not.

As I have said before, food is fuel.

We have all had our fair share of bad relationships... whether it be friends, ex's, etc. The relationship with food should be one that gives back lasting results. (and I'm not talking about heartburn) Food is meant to sustain this thing called life and is to help us thrive.

How would you like it if you gave your friend a really cool expensive gift, and in turn they gave you a cow patty? (poo for those of you who may not know what that is) That is what you're doing when you consistently choose comfort, fun, or speed. Notice I said consistently. There is a key word here... moderation. With Easter coming, I will be partaking in the comfort relationship, but it's okay because I know that the day after, I'm choosing the fuel relationship again. I hope you'll join me.

Tired.

Today has been about resting. So, in honor of that, I will not be blogging today. :) (sorry to disappoint)