check-in

I'm gonna copy-cat and do bad news first:

- I haven't worked out since last Friday, because I've got a stupid de-motivating cold
- Coincidentally, the days that I haven't worked out I also ate like crap, mostly with sugary stuffs.
- I'm right at the point, weight wise, that I always get to and don't cross.

good news:
- I'm down 4 lbs since last week. (this won't happen every week, and I don't want it to, I think alot is just reduced bloat by eating slightly more streamlined and avoiding food after 7pm)
- I did workout four days last week, and if I get my butt in gear I can do better this week.
- I did a pretty good job of avoiding breads. If you discount pie day yesterday and the 2 slices of cheesecake I ate over the weekend, I did a great job.
- I'm got 4-6 daily servings of veggies and fruit, consistantly.

Goals for next week: work out every day between now and next Tuesday. Do at least one day of juice-fasting. Continue to eat tons of fruits and veggies and avoid bread.

Week 1 Check In

I'm a "give me the bad news first" kind of gal. That said, here's what DIDN'T go well last week:

1. While I'm not Adkins-y by any means, my attempts at staying lower carb were foiled by: bananas, hummus, and ONE MINI RED VELVET CUPCAKE. I mean, it was my birthday. But it's amazing how quickly you can delve into starches as soon as you eat anything other than a vegetable.

2. I didn't workout yesterday. I woke up too sore to walk, let alone jog. Though a round with warm water + Epsom solved that, I was too tight on time the rest of the day to work out later. Luckily my job involved heavy lifting and stairs, so at least I wasn't sedentary.

3. I faced off with the tape measure, and the tape measure won. The numbers are toooooooo sad + surprising to include here. When they change at the end, maybe I'll include the starting point to help savor my victory. But man. Really?

BUT, a lot of things went well!

1. 2 a day workouts were incredibly successful. I felt an endorphin rush for the first time on Thursday, and finally understood why on earth people enjoyed working out. I was able to jog on wooded trails, swim, do yoga, hike, box, elliptical, weight train, sauna, bike. It was a great jump start.

2. I avoided all of my staple starches. No pasta, no bread, no sweet treats other than a touch of dark chocolate and the above referenced mini cupcake. I averaged about 1,300 calories a day, which is [I'm guessing] way better than where I was at, given the discipline required to stay at that number.

3. I lost three pounds!

Goals for next week -

1. Continue to reduce carbohydrate intake. Aim for 1,200 calories/day.

2. Continue enthusiasm for workouts while switching to 1 a day workouts. I'm such an addictive person, it is much easier for me to do things while OVERdoing them. I'm hoping that I can continue good habits with some moderation in their frequency.

3. Having said that, I'd still like to increase the INTENSITY of my workouts. I want to sweat. Maybe even cry. Just a little. No pain, no gain. Or, errr, loss.

So where y'all at? I love you guys, and it has been SO HELPFUL having a community, workout buddies, fellow calorie commiseraters.

17 weeks to go, zomg.

Intermission

I'm pretty sure that sitting + watching the Biggest Loser while eating truffles is NOT the way to go about my stated goals. It is, however, my plan for the next hour. Eeep. Back to business in the a.m.

all about metabolisms

So this weekend I learned extensively about Metabolic Typing with the help of my Biofeedback guru Mrs. Kate Poole. I had my first session of biofeedback and all I can say to you is that it blew my mind. Yes really. Call it New Age-y crap if you will, but it was the most emotional and releasing session I have had in years for pain and anxiety.



I have a wonderful book listed online on metabolic typing: http://books.google.com/books?id=PDwP_OJPhyEC&pg=PA116&lpg=PA116&dq=type+II+metabolic+type+high-oxidizer&source=web&ots=1bibIO_euW&sig=LRtP7yemRcAmtSW_eWLSHkg5HIo&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=9&ct=result#PPP1,M1

This book, along with Mrs. Poole's session, helped me to figure out which type I am to help myself with this weightloss goal. I'm a fast oxidizer:



'Fast oxidizers burn carbohydrates too quickly to obtain efficient fuel from them. They usually have insulin resistance, and the result is hunger soon after eating carbohydrates and a strong craving for bread. There will usually be some weight gain from a diet too high in carbohydrates. Richer, fatty foods are metabolized well, and are actually the best source of energy. Paradoxically, fatty foods are essential for weight loss in fast oxidizers!'



I'm really enjoying the idea of eating lots of protein and fatty foods! Mwahahahaha. Well, anyway, I am going to try it out and see if it gets me leaner any quicker. I'll keep you posted.

It's not check-in day yet but..

Okay. So weekends are my bane. This isn't news, but somehow it also is news. It's the thing I forget and the relearn everytime I make an attempt at health. This past weekend was especially tough - I was away at camp Friday night and all day Saturday. It was us, a small church leadership group, and Over-eaters Anonymous. Friday night they had us eat after OA was done with their dinner, and put our desserts on a table right next to us. It didn't stop a couple of OA folks from wandering in and honing in on the pumpkin pie. You'd think it was a special reminder for me to keep myself under control whilst away from home and total control of my food. Instead I had two pieces of cheesecake.

That being said - I weighed in with a 4lb loss this morning, proof that one screw up doesn't wreck everything. Two more pounds and I'll have passed my first marker, and be below 150 for the first time in at least two years.

It's pie day at work today. So...wish me strength and luck!

Epsom salt + Ibuprofen

I may have overshot the mark yesterday. Not enough that I couldn't go swimming this morning, but enough that I'm reminded of my workout with every step. Luckily, there is ibuprofen. And I'm learning all about why Epsom salt is beneficial! I had always thought it helped you pull water out, presumably along with the ache-inducing lactic acid. Instead your body absorbs the magnesium + sulfates through the skin, helping to detoxify.

Extensive stretching is also saving my, errr, butt. Or at least my ability to lift it off the floor. I stretch not only after the workout, but a couple hours later do a quick warmup and another round of stretching. Stretching followed by LOTS of water.

More on how I've managed to be so damn sore in my recap on Tuesday.

OMFG

I just ran a mile. Thank you, Peaches + puppets: