Perhaps it's just getting over the hump, finally making it off the plateau, but I'm down finally, off the weight I seemed to be stagnating at for what seemed like forever. So onward and downward!
Sunday: off to my 3 mile run; we'll see if it happens!--I ran three miles, 10 min mile, 11 min mile, 10 min mile, then walked two more miles, 14 min each. It's amazing traveling over miles that are actually flat--makes a big difference!
Monday: Yoga (I think; having trouble remembering the day!)
Tuesday: Ran 30 min+ with the run/walk suggestion of 1/2 marathon training schedule: walk about 8 min; run 6 walk 2 repeat x 4.75 ;)
Wed: off
Th: 30 minute run (schedule); 30 min fast walk--run felt really good, faster than usual, I think. Early felt good, too.
Fri: walk with Mic and Lisa
Sat: upper body/arm/shoulder exercises
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Sunday, July 22, 2012
New Week
Sunday: 1 hr walk/run. Tired again! I am not drinking as much fluids as I have the last few days and I wonder if I am really dehydrated usually and need to watch my fluid intake. It could be what I'm eating; I am back to having some oats in the a.m. and some (though not a lot of) dairy--cottage cheese and yogurt so far.
Monday: 1/2 hr balance ball legs; 1/2 hr yoga legs and butt
Tuesday: 1/2 hr + pilates (more reps of movements on 1/2 hr tape)
Wednesday: 7 min walk / 32 min run / 4 min walk = 43 min (trying to see if I can't ease into the 1/2 marathon schedule)
Friday: 25 min run (according to 1/2 marathon schedule); 40 min walk; arm exercises.
Saturday: 1/2 hr. cardio yoga--sun salutations--who knew saying good morning to the sun would be so tough! Trying to keep today low key as tomorrow is my "long" run (3 miles, so not bad, but Sundays will build according to the 1/2 marathon schedule).
Reminder to self: January 2011 I was 16 pounds heavier than I am now and thinking I looked old and bloated. I'm looking strong, lean, and confident. I still have a ways to go, but it's much better than it was then. I feel I'm definitely more muscle than I have been in a long while. I am (as the instructor on one of my exercise tapes says), beautiful, confident, wonderful, amazing. And getting better every day ;) And to think this makes me cry to say it shows how far I still have to go to really, truly embrace this idea.
Monday: 1/2 hr balance ball legs; 1/2 hr yoga legs and butt
Tuesday: 1/2 hr + pilates (more reps of movements on 1/2 hr tape)
Wednesday: 7 min walk / 32 min run / 4 min walk = 43 min (trying to see if I can't ease into the 1/2 marathon schedule)
Friday: 25 min run (according to 1/2 marathon schedule); 40 min walk; arm exercises.
Saturday: 1/2 hr. cardio yoga--sun salutations--who knew saying good morning to the sun would be so tough! Trying to keep today low key as tomorrow is my "long" run (3 miles, so not bad, but Sundays will build according to the 1/2 marathon schedule).
Reminder to self: January 2011 I was 16 pounds heavier than I am now and thinking I looked old and bloated. I'm looking strong, lean, and confident. I still have a ways to go, but it's much better than it was then. I feel I'm definitely more muscle than I have been in a long while. I am (as the instructor on one of my exercise tapes says), beautiful, confident, wonderful, amazing. And getting better every day ;) And to think this makes me cry to say it shows how far I still have to go to really, truly embrace this idea.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
The Fast
It wasn't a long one, but it was useful. Tuesday started with light fresh foods--veggies and fruits and smoothies and broths. Wednesday was a full fast day with only liquids. Thursday was mostly that with a very light lunch of veggie and a small piece of omelet. Friday was another small bit of omelet and cooked turnip greens for lunch, fresh fruit for dinner. Saturday (today) will be three meals, but light and small, emphasizing fresh foods. Have included oatmeal for breakfast.
Some changes over the fast days: down 7 pounds--what is that?? It's got to be water weight, for one: I feel less bloated but have had at least about 128 oz of fluid each day, which means I've been doing a good job flushing stuff out of my system. I have not had any caffeine since Tuesday morning except for a few glasses (total) of watered down green tea. Today I've had my first full-strength cup of green tea.
Things I like:
I haven't been especially hungry. I would drink more when I did get hungry, mainly herbal teas or homemade potassium/veggie broth that I will make again--it was good!
I had up and down energy, but enough to do my work and get in exercise every day except one when I did a lot of house cleaning instead. I've been getting up early-ish, sleeping a solid 8 hours, and waking refreshed and relatively alert--more so than before.
As mentioned, I don't feel as bloated, especially in my tummy. I can move more easily--my joints don't feel as weighed down. I've been continuing to exercise and today was able to do some push ups from the balance ball and another exercise that requires arm strength better than I could before. My muscle strength does not feel impaired at all.
Things I didn't like: not much, except having to pee so often!
I would like to keep up the lean feeling and not get started again with large meals. This helped last summer when I lost as much weight as I did. I also have not been drinking alcohol and would like to continue that as well. I also want to eat my last meal by 7 and only have broth or herbal tea after that.
Things to watch out for:
Salt. I really think I am especially sensitive to salt--I had Chinese food earlier this summer and was up 4 pounds the next day. That means making my own broth or buying no salt or very low salt broth. I need to watch sodium everywhere--good thing I'm not eating much processed food and will increase that avoidance.
Making my own food to take for lunch once I return to classes. That means I need to get back to making a pot of something on Sunday and using it for the week. According to a diet guide I'm going to try to follow for some meals, leftovers are not a good idea, but I don't know how I can find the time or inclination not to use them. All their recipes result in 4 servings. What do they expect a single person to do? Divide an egg in 4? So . . . . I will ignore that advice, but also try to make as much fresh as I can and be sure to have some fresh food every day, such as salads and fruits.
Eating out: that can interrupt good eating habits. I need to stay with small portions and fresh foods; avoid alcohol.
Exercise: I still don't know how much to do. I don't want to do so much that my body expects 1.5 hours a day when I return to school--I just won't be able to keep up that pace. So I think I'll vary between 1/2 hour and 1 hour, perhaps with an additional short walk each day.
Some changes over the fast days: down 7 pounds--what is that?? It's got to be water weight, for one: I feel less bloated but have had at least about 128 oz of fluid each day, which means I've been doing a good job flushing stuff out of my system. I have not had any caffeine since Tuesday morning except for a few glasses (total) of watered down green tea. Today I've had my first full-strength cup of green tea.
Things I like:
I haven't been especially hungry. I would drink more when I did get hungry, mainly herbal teas or homemade potassium/veggie broth that I will make again--it was good!
I had up and down energy, but enough to do my work and get in exercise every day except one when I did a lot of house cleaning instead. I've been getting up early-ish, sleeping a solid 8 hours, and waking refreshed and relatively alert--more so than before.
As mentioned, I don't feel as bloated, especially in my tummy. I can move more easily--my joints don't feel as weighed down. I've been continuing to exercise and today was able to do some push ups from the balance ball and another exercise that requires arm strength better than I could before. My muscle strength does not feel impaired at all.
Things I didn't like: not much, except having to pee so often!
I would like to keep up the lean feeling and not get started again with large meals. This helped last summer when I lost as much weight as I did. I also have not been drinking alcohol and would like to continue that as well. I also want to eat my last meal by 7 and only have broth or herbal tea after that.
Things to watch out for:
Salt. I really think I am especially sensitive to salt--I had Chinese food earlier this summer and was up 4 pounds the next day. That means making my own broth or buying no salt or very low salt broth. I need to watch sodium everywhere--good thing I'm not eating much processed food and will increase that avoidance.
Making my own food to take for lunch once I return to classes. That means I need to get back to making a pot of something on Sunday and using it for the week. According to a diet guide I'm going to try to follow for some meals, leftovers are not a good idea, but I don't know how I can find the time or inclination not to use them. All their recipes result in 4 servings. What do they expect a single person to do? Divide an egg in 4? So . . . . I will ignore that advice, but also try to make as much fresh as I can and be sure to have some fresh food every day, such as salads and fruits.
Eating out: that can interrupt good eating habits. I need to stay with small portions and fresh foods; avoid alcohol.
Exercise: I still don't know how much to do. I don't want to do so much that my body expects 1.5 hours a day when I return to school--I just won't be able to keep up that pace. So I think I'll vary between 1/2 hour and 1 hour, perhaps with an additional short walk each day.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
A challenge a day
I'm not sure about this title as I hate for my weeks ahead to sound too competitive, except that the only person I'm competing with is myself: to better myself, to better my attitude, to better my body and soul. With that in mind, I am gently pushing myself to ask "why not?" Why not go a little further, or pump a little more iron, or eat something different, or avoid something noxious, or try a little of this or a little of that. Go ahead! You'll like it!
And so, with that in mind, yesterday was upping my weights. I really felt it--and felt challenged, and as though I couldn't do it, but I did, and . . . that feels great!
So today it's moving into a more veggie/raw food diet. I'm not one for extremes, so I'm not going there in total, but I am beginning to eat more lightly today and tomorrow (Sun and Mon) in anticipation of a three day fast (Tu, Wed, Th) with only fruit and vegetable drinks, herbal and green teas, and water. I have fasted before and found it exciting and mind cleansing, along with being body cleansing.
And so, instead of the traditional exercise each day (though that's part of my daily routine), I'm also note the challenge of the day, big or small. I hope to continue this for the rest of the summer until it's a habit I continue even throughout the year.
Saturday: 1 hr strength training using higher weights for arm exercises (need to find higher ankle weights, too)
Sunday: Beginning detox with emphasis on eating only liquids or soup or raw veggies. Exercise: pilates early (30 min) and run/walk for 40 (later).
Monday: busy day around campus and cleaning at home
Tuesday: 45 min run/walk--hot! Also: day 1 of purifying raw food and mostly liquids; 2-4 is the juice fast ; then 5 is back to light raw foods. I'm not hungry at all and can't imagine on all the fluids I'm supposed to take in (128 oz) of which I've already consumed almost 90.
Wed: First day of fast. I can tell this is going to be hard to do this for three days. Too much drinking which leads to having to use the bathroom frequently. We'll see . . . . .
Th: Second fast day, broken for lunch with Andrew and Rachel--had one pie slice of watermelon and one wedge of an omelet, both chewed very slowly and well so that they were more or less mush by the time they headed down my stomach. Of course, that means I've gotten away from only veggies and fruit, but I'm back on the liquids since and will try the same tomorrow with a break at lunch again. I think that's not a bad way to ease back to regular eating! Had enough energy to do an hour of yoga!
Fri: mostly fluids except for a small plate of the remains of an omelet and cooked turnip greens for lunch, and a bowl of half an apple and some cut celery, and a teeny-tiny slice of watermelon for dinner. 1/2 hr pilates in a.m.; 1/2 hr of walk/run
Sat: 1/2 hr upper body balance ball; 1/2 hr arms and abs yoga; Eating meals; small bowl of steel cut oatmeal and 1/4 grapefruit for breakfast; small salad and veggie broth for lunch. Filling! In between, water or herbal tea or green tea. So far, no more caffeine than that, and I'm feeling awake and alert!
And so, with that in mind, yesterday was upping my weights. I really felt it--and felt challenged, and as though I couldn't do it, but I did, and . . . that feels great!
So today it's moving into a more veggie/raw food diet. I'm not one for extremes, so I'm not going there in total, but I am beginning to eat more lightly today and tomorrow (Sun and Mon) in anticipation of a three day fast (Tu, Wed, Th) with only fruit and vegetable drinks, herbal and green teas, and water. I have fasted before and found it exciting and mind cleansing, along with being body cleansing.
And so, instead of the traditional exercise each day (though that's part of my daily routine), I'm also note the challenge of the day, big or small. I hope to continue this for the rest of the summer until it's a habit I continue even throughout the year.
Saturday: 1 hr strength training using higher weights for arm exercises (need to find higher ankle weights, too)
Sunday: Beginning detox with emphasis on eating only liquids or soup or raw veggies. Exercise: pilates early (30 min) and run/walk for 40 (later).
Monday: busy day around campus and cleaning at home
Tuesday: 45 min run/walk--hot! Also: day 1 of purifying raw food and mostly liquids; 2-4 is the juice fast ; then 5 is back to light raw foods. I'm not hungry at all and can't imagine on all the fluids I'm supposed to take in (128 oz) of which I've already consumed almost 90.
Wed: First day of fast. I can tell this is going to be hard to do this for three days. Too much drinking which leads to having to use the bathroom frequently. We'll see . . . . .
Th: Second fast day, broken for lunch with Andrew and Rachel--had one pie slice of watermelon and one wedge of an omelet, both chewed very slowly and well so that they were more or less mush by the time they headed down my stomach. Of course, that means I've gotten away from only veggies and fruit, but I'm back on the liquids since and will try the same tomorrow with a break at lunch again. I think that's not a bad way to ease back to regular eating! Had enough energy to do an hour of yoga!
Fri: mostly fluids except for a small plate of the remains of an omelet and cooked turnip greens for lunch, and a bowl of half an apple and some cut celery, and a teeny-tiny slice of watermelon for dinner. 1/2 hr pilates in a.m.; 1/2 hr of walk/run
Sat: 1/2 hr upper body balance ball; 1/2 hr arms and abs yoga; Eating meals; small bowl of steel cut oatmeal and 1/4 grapefruit for breakfast; small salad and veggie broth for lunch. Filling! In between, water or herbal tea or green tea. So far, no more caffeine than that, and I'm feeling awake and alert!
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Exercise
I have been forgetting to log exercise possibly because I haven't been consistently exercising ;)
Exercised yesterday with random exercises while watching Lesley Howard, Bette Davis, and Humphrey Bogart in a 1934 movie that Bogart was so grateful Howard had gotten him in on that he named one of his daughters Leslie. Howard's (civilian) plane was shot down by the Germans in the 1940's--it was thought he might have been gathering information for the Allies.
Exercised today by running/walking about 50 min or approx. 3.5 miles. Started strong and faded fast.
Feeling sluggish, "thick," my joints hurt, and a bit pissed at not being at my goal. I've plateaued and back slided without really understanding why and how. Granted, I haven't been exercising daily as I was, but I would think at most I would then stop losing rather than gaining back a few pounds as I have.
So, as I seem to be doing a lot of lately, to begin again, again. . . . .
Have lots of veggies in the frig and, honestly, not a huge appetite. (See "feeling sluggish" above.) A bit depressed, perhaps? Or depressed because not feeling well? Or . . . . Ah, the human mind and body; its owner is as clueless as anyone as to how it works and what to do to change it . . . .
Exercised yesterday with random exercises while watching Lesley Howard, Bette Davis, and Humphrey Bogart in a 1934 movie that Bogart was so grateful Howard had gotten him in on that he named one of his daughters Leslie. Howard's (civilian) plane was shot down by the Germans in the 1940's--it was thought he might have been gathering information for the Allies.
Exercised today by running/walking about 50 min or approx. 3.5 miles. Started strong and faded fast.
Feeling sluggish, "thick," my joints hurt, and a bit pissed at not being at my goal. I've plateaued and back slided without really understanding why and how. Granted, I haven't been exercising daily as I was, but I would think at most I would then stop losing rather than gaining back a few pounds as I have.
So, as I seem to be doing a lot of lately, to begin again, again. . . . .
Have lots of veggies in the frig and, honestly, not a huge appetite. (See "feeling sluggish" above.) A bit depressed, perhaps? Or depressed because not feeling well? Or . . . . Ah, the human mind and body; its owner is as clueless as anyone as to how it works and what to do to change it . . . .
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
A New Beginning
4th of July. It's a Wednesday that feels like a Sunday. I almost thought it was a day to weigh in. It's also a day that has followed several of little to no exercise and no thoughts about recording anything. Not sure why the days seem so scattered; feeling tired--staying up late and sleeping in.
Since I can also see both the end of this class AND the end of summer and beginning of classes, I am starting a new regime of exercise and diet. Less than 8 weeks to the beginning of classes, and yet I have more than 10 pounds to lose. 9 weeks to the law reunion. Criminy!
Wednesday: LONG walk/run around the lake and down the parcourse trail and up the gorge trail. I think it was around 5 miles.
Thursday: out all day--back at 10 p.m.!
Friday: 1.5 hr walk with Lisa and Mic.
I'd like to drink more green tea; I've been getting away from that and think it's good for my metabolism and generally filling.
Diet: breakfast: oatmeal, latte, small oj
snack: veggies; green tea
Lunch: salad with some protein (tuna, chicken, fish), coffee or tea
snack: fruit; green tea
Dinner: protein, veggie, small beans/grain
snack (if necessary): veggie or fruit
A few "no's": no wine/drinks during the week if I'm home. No eating after 7 p.m. unless it's one helping of veggie or fruit.
Since I can also see both the end of this class AND the end of summer and beginning of classes, I am starting a new regime of exercise and diet. Less than 8 weeks to the beginning of classes, and yet I have more than 10 pounds to lose. 9 weeks to the law reunion. Criminy!
Wednesday: LONG walk/run around the lake and down the parcourse trail and up the gorge trail. I think it was around 5 miles.
Thursday: out all day--back at 10 p.m.!
Friday: 1.5 hr walk with Lisa and Mic.
I'd like to drink more green tea; I've been getting away from that and think it's good for my metabolism and generally filling.
Diet: breakfast: oatmeal, latte, small oj
snack: veggies; green tea
Lunch: salad with some protein (tuna, chicken, fish), coffee or tea
snack: fruit; green tea
Dinner: protein, veggie, small beans/grain
snack (if necessary): veggie or fruit
A few "no's": no wine/drinks during the week if I'm home. No eating after 7 p.m. unless it's one helping of veggie or fruit.
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