So we are back from Utah and (somewhat) readjusted to being back to work. I'll post a skiing recap this weekend for sure but first, I didn't do my weigh-in post yesterday!
Yesterday's weight was 131.2 and todays was 130.4 so I think it is safe to say that I didn't really gain on vacation! I was about 133 when we got back on Sunday so I feel like things are just recalibrating to my normal level of eating/activity. Hopefully I'll be back in the 120's soon!!
After my failed 20 miler before we left on our trip, I decided to take a few days off of running to let me knees (and my pride!) recover. Somehow that turned into 10 days since I also didn't run while we were in Utah, although I got plenty of exercise skiing. After we got back I was pretty tired/sore from skiing for three days so I didn't run until Tuesday. Taking that time off was definitely a help physically, but it has been a struggle mentally - more so that I expected.
I didn't realize until I started thinking about it, but ten days is probably the longest I have gone without running in the past 18 months (I guess that officially makes me a runner?!). And especially over the past several months I have put so much mental effort into planning my runs, actually running, and tracking the results that 10 days off was just really weird for lack of a better word. I know that my body is physically ready and the time off helped it to recover, but I feel like I've lost a bit of my 'mental momentum' after not focusing on running for a over a week. So now I am just trying to pump myself back up and finish strong with my preparation because the marathon is only 17 days away!!
This weekend I will probably try to do 12-13 miles, and hopefully no knee pain! That would be a nice confidence booster for sure!!
Thursday, January 31
Wednesday, January 23
Wednesday Weigh-In
Today's post will be a short one because we are at the airport about to board our plane to Utah! And because I am typing this on my phone haha.
My weigh in the morning was a total surprise - my lowest weight since I started this whole weight loss journey! I have been counting calories for a few weeks jut with the goal of maintaining my weight so it was great to see a loss - seems like I had been stuck at 130.something for awhile. Hopefully the 120s stick around!
My weigh in the morning was a total surprise - my lowest weight since I started this whole weight loss journey! I have been counting calories for a few weeks jut with the goal of maintaining my weight so it was great to see a loss - seems like I had been stuck at 130.something for awhile. Hopefully the 120s stick around!
Monday, January 21
Weekend Recap
I guess I've been on a bit of a blogging hiatus! After my weirdly bad run on Wednesday, I took Thursday and Friday off to rest before my 20 miler on Saturday. I wanted to run Saturday so that I would have a day to recover and then get a good run in today and tomorrow before we leave for Utah to go skiing (woohoo!).
But before all of that, we had some serious business to attend to on Friday night - and 80s themed 30th birthday party for our friend Daniel. About half of the party goers dressed up, and you know we were among them! We had a really fun time and ate too much candy and danced the night away to 80s music! Sam's jacket had a big pouch in front and he kept carrying around his snacks and a water bottle in it, it was pretty hilarious.
So then, Saturday morning we got up to conquer our run. From the start things weren't going great - my left knee hurt for the first two miles, but luckily it went away after 3 miles or so. We did about 10 miles at a 9:30 pace but after about mile 12 my legs started feeling pretty heavy and my right knee started hurting. We had to take a couple of breaks and I was kind of worried that my knee was going to give out because it felt so weak. Finally at mile 16 I literally couldn't run anymore, which was unfortunate because we were 4 miles from the car. Sam ran back to get the car and pick me up and I just kept walking until he picked me up.
I was really upset about having to stop because I wanted my last long run to be a good one! But I had a nice long walk to clear my head because Sam had to run the whole way back before he could come get me, and I decided to just be okay with having a crappy run. I've put a lot of training in and since my goal is just to finish the marathon, I think I am definitely prepared to do that! I think my body has been telling me that it is exhausted recently, so it will be good to give myself a break and make sure I am back in top health for the marathon. I didn't run today because my knees and legs are still sore and I probably won't before we leave for Utah - I think I will get plenty of exercise this week skiing anyway!
But before all of that, we had some serious business to attend to on Friday night - and 80s themed 30th birthday party for our friend Daniel. About half of the party goers dressed up, and you know we were among them! We had a really fun time and ate too much candy and danced the night away to 80s music! Sam's jacket had a big pouch in front and he kept carrying around his snacks and a water bottle in it, it was pretty hilarious.
So then, Saturday morning we got up to conquer our run. From the start things weren't going great - my left knee hurt for the first two miles, but luckily it went away after 3 miles or so. We did about 10 miles at a 9:30 pace but after about mile 12 my legs started feeling pretty heavy and my right knee started hurting. We had to take a couple of breaks and I was kind of worried that my knee was going to give out because it felt so weak. Finally at mile 16 I literally couldn't run anymore, which was unfortunate because we were 4 miles from the car. Sam ran back to get the car and pick me up and I just kept walking until he picked me up.
I was really upset about having to stop because I wanted my last long run to be a good one! But I had a nice long walk to clear my head because Sam had to run the whole way back before he could come get me, and I decided to just be okay with having a crappy run. I've put a lot of training in and since my goal is just to finish the marathon, I think I am definitely prepared to do that! I think my body has been telling me that it is exhausted recently, so it will be good to give myself a break and make sure I am back in top health for the marathon. I didn't run today because my knees and legs are still sore and I probably won't before we leave for Utah - I think I will get plenty of exercise this week skiing anyway!
Wednesday, January 16
Wednesday Weigh-In
I almost forgot that I am doing weigh ins on Wednesday now! Today's weight was 130.8lbs, so I am down a little bit from last week. I've been counting calories again since the start of the year, but I set my calorie target to just maintain my weight and so far it seems to be working. I definitely would love to maintain my weight just below 130 - it would be nice to see the 120s again! But I need to make sure I am eating enough to support my running, so I'm perfectly happy with where I am at for the time being.
Speaking of the calorie counting, I have been shocked by how much food I am able to eat with the higher calorie target! Last year when I was counting calories, my daily target was 1200, and if I 'earned extra calories' by exercising I didn't use them except for maybe 100-200 extra on long run days. Now my base calorie target is 1610 and I'm allowing myself to each more based on how much I burn when running. It's like I can eat all day on run days and still not hit my calorie max, which is awesome! It is also because I am eating smaller meals and healthy snacks (I could kill 1600 cals of cookies in no time!), but its nice to feel like I can have a snack whenever I want.
For example, here's my food long from yesterday. Have I mentioned how much I love the My Fitness Pal app?
Speaking of the calorie counting, I have been shocked by how much food I am able to eat with the higher calorie target! Last year when I was counting calories, my daily target was 1200, and if I 'earned extra calories' by exercising I didn't use them except for maybe 100-200 extra on long run days. Now my base calorie target is 1610 and I'm allowing myself to each more based on how much I burn when running. It's like I can eat all day on run days and still not hit my calorie max, which is awesome! It is also because I am eating smaller meals and healthy snacks (I could kill 1600 cals of cookies in no time!), but its nice to feel like I can have a snack whenever I want.
For example, here's my food long from yesterday. Have I mentioned how much I love the My Fitness Pal app?
You can't see all of the dinner ingredients, but the total was 534, which is a pretty large meal for me (Chicken Parmesan + a salad) and I had 715 calories of snacks throughout the day and I still had 275 calories I didn't even use! It's just crazy after being used only 1200 when I'm counting calories. I'm not super proud of my breakfast choice with the Peanut Butter Crunch, but I have a weakness for that stuff. It definitely does not keep me full though, so I've mostly been doing greek yogurt + a banana.
On a side note, I know I'm late to the party but greek yogurt is awesome. People always told me how much they liked it and then conditioned it with "but its kind of thick" and "you have to get used to it" etc. etc. And so I thought why would I want to try that? I liked my regular yogurt perfectly fine. But they were handing out free 6oz containers at the expo for the race in Dallas and I discovered that it's only slightly thicker than regular yogurt and basically wasn't an adjustment at all haha. And it comes in awesome flavors. So if you've been scared of greek yogurt because of all the conditions on the recommendations, don't be! Side note finished.
Anyway, my 8 mile run did not go as planned tonight. As in, it was only a 3 mile run. For some reason I just did not feel right - the first two miles were great and then all of a sudden my legs felt like jello and I felt slightly dizzy and completely out of energy. So I just went home. It's not very often at all that I feel that bad on a run and it just wasn't worth it to me to keep going. I'm not sure what went wrong, if I was just to cold (it was chilly out and I probably could have dressed warmer) or if my lunch was too big or too small or what. But I'm learning to be better about listening to my body - sometimes there are aches and pains but usually I still feel strong and today was not like that at all! Plus the most important thing is that I get my long run in this weekend so I don't mind a little setback this week. So I guess my last mid-week 8 miler was last week, who knew? I just hope I'm not getting sick with all of this flu mess going around.
Oh and speaking of bright running clothes from this post, today's outfit definitely fit the bill. Too bad I didn't get enough miles in to blind half of Beaumont with my neon shirt. Better safe than sorry!
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| It's wayyy brighter in person, I promise :) |
Also, I apparently need to stop putting my hair behind my ear only on one side - my hair cut looks so lopsided in that picture! Haha oh well. Anyway, I'm off to stretch and then do something mindless before bed!
Last Mid-Week 8 Miler
So today I have my last 8 mile weekday run on the schedule! Granted next week it only drops to 7miles, but it still feels nice to be headed in the other direction. I thought that the long weekend runs would be the worst part of the marathon training because the runs take 2-3 hours, but in reality I have plenty of time on the weekends to schedule it in. Turns out these longer weekday runs are more of a nuisance since they have to be done on a workday so I'll be glad to be done with them!
Speaking of long runs, I have my longest training run scheduled for this weekend - 20 miles! I may even try to do 22 miles if I'm not dying by the end. I can't believe I'm even talking about running that long, but I've done 19 miles already, so I guess 20 won't be too much farther. That's one thing that I didn't really appreciate about training for the marathon - not only does each run make me physically stronger and more prepared for the race, but it prepares me mentally too! I never would have thought I could run a marathon, but each week when I run just a bit farther it builds my confidence. Everyone says that in a marathon, the first 20 miles are all about your fitness and the last 6 are all about your mind, so hopefully all of this training will pay off and I can stay positive throughout the whole race!
It was the same when I first started running - every milestone is important and builds more confidence! I used to run ~1/10 of a mile before I had to stop to walk and I remember even getting to 1/4 of a mile was a huge accomplishment, then a mile, then several. You have to celebrate every bit of progress along the way because it is significant and it keeps you motivated to do more.
After this weekend, I start to taper for the marathon, which basically means my mileage will be cut back for the next 4 weeks to make sure I'm not totally worn out before the race. Typically a 3 week taper is recommended, but we are actually going skiing in Utah next weekend, so I decided to move my 20 miler up to this weekend since I likely won't be able to fit it in next weekend. Hopefully I don't break a leg skiing or anything! I haven't been in 5 years and I was never very good to begin with, but it is always fun anyway :)
I can't believe the marathon is almost here! I've really enjoyed training for it and seeing my progress over the last few months, but I will also be glad when it is over. Right now my activities every day revolve around how it will impact my running days. I'll be glad when I have a little more freedom in terms of planning my exercise. I'd like to get some more strength training in (nothing hardcore, just a Jillian Michaels' workout video or two) and get back to biking some when the weather warms up. I'm toying with the idea of training for a triathlon in August or September, but I'm undecided because there are so few pools to train in here and the memberships are expensive! So we'll see. But overall, I'm excited for the marathon and excited for it to be done too!!
Sorry for the long ramblings and no pictures today! Here's a funny picture of Ruby sitting like a human to satisfy you picture loving folks. She loves having her belly scratched and apparently this is how she thinks she can make it happen....
What a stinker. Happy Wednesday everyone!
Speaking of long runs, I have my longest training run scheduled for this weekend - 20 miles! I may even try to do 22 miles if I'm not dying by the end. I can't believe I'm even talking about running that long, but I've done 19 miles already, so I guess 20 won't be too much farther. That's one thing that I didn't really appreciate about training for the marathon - not only does each run make me physically stronger and more prepared for the race, but it prepares me mentally too! I never would have thought I could run a marathon, but each week when I run just a bit farther it builds my confidence. Everyone says that in a marathon, the first 20 miles are all about your fitness and the last 6 are all about your mind, so hopefully all of this training will pay off and I can stay positive throughout the whole race!
It was the same when I first started running - every milestone is important and builds more confidence! I used to run ~1/10 of a mile before I had to stop to walk and I remember even getting to 1/4 of a mile was a huge accomplishment, then a mile, then several. You have to celebrate every bit of progress along the way because it is significant and it keeps you motivated to do more.
After this weekend, I start to taper for the marathon, which basically means my mileage will be cut back for the next 4 weeks to make sure I'm not totally worn out before the race. Typically a 3 week taper is recommended, but we are actually going skiing in Utah next weekend, so I decided to move my 20 miler up to this weekend since I likely won't be able to fit it in next weekend. Hopefully I don't break a leg skiing or anything! I haven't been in 5 years and I was never very good to begin with, but it is always fun anyway :)
I can't believe the marathon is almost here! I've really enjoyed training for it and seeing my progress over the last few months, but I will also be glad when it is over. Right now my activities every day revolve around how it will impact my running days. I'll be glad when I have a little more freedom in terms of planning my exercise. I'd like to get some more strength training in (nothing hardcore, just a Jillian Michaels' workout video or two) and get back to biking some when the weather warms up. I'm toying with the idea of training for a triathlon in August or September, but I'm undecided because there are so few pools to train in here and the memberships are expensive! So we'll see. But overall, I'm excited for the marathon and excited for it to be done too!!
Sorry for the long ramblings and no pictures today! Here's a funny picture of Ruby sitting like a human to satisfy you picture loving folks. She loves having her belly scratched and apparently this is how she thinks she can make it happen....
What a stinker. Happy Wednesday everyone!
Monday, January 14
Eating Out in Moderation
I think I've posted a few times about eating out while trying to lose weight, but Sam & I went to Pei Wei on Friday night, and it reminded me of some of my favorite strategies.
First, if you are counting calories, try to go out to eat at places that post nutrition facts online, or at least have a "500 cals or less" menu or something of the sort. This way, you can take out the guess work. Since we were craving Pei Wei, we were able to go online and check the nutrition facts. My calorie counting app probably has Pei Wei food in the database, but it's kind of hard to browse the menu that way, so the restaurant website is the way to go. Since I wasn't totally sure what I wanted, I made a short list of options and took it with my on a note card. I ended up getting the Thai Coconut Curry Chicken, which is what I always get so I'm not sure why I thought I needed options!
One of my other favorite strategies is to plan for leftovers! Most restaurant meals have wayyy more calories than I should really be eating in one sitting, but only eating half is usually perfect. For me though, especially if we are out to eat with a group, it can be easy to mindlessly eat more than half. So, ask for your to-go box in advance! At Pei Wei, you can just grab boxes from the drink station, so I boxed up half of my meal before I even started eating - no temptation to eat too much and no accidentally eating to much!
Other than going out on Friday, we didn't do too much this weekend. A bit of shopping on Saturday and then we watched football pretty much for the rest of the weekend. Sadly, the Packers, Texans and Seahawks all lost. But I'm on the Ray Lewis bandwagon, and I do like Matt Ryan and the Falcons, so I'll keep paying attention. Sam may or may not have written the whole thing off after this weekend - not much left to root for!
Oh and we watched the Golden Globes. Apparently Hollywood was impressed with Jodie Foster's speech - we were just confused and muted her halfway through. But the people on the Today show loved it and said it got good responses from Hollywood so maybe we missed something good in the second half? Anyone else think she was just rambling?
Yesterday I waited out the rain and I was able to do my run outside. Within the first mile I came across two large dogs that were not in a fence and they looked like they might want to chase/follow me. I was kind of worried but luckily a nice lady picked me up and drove me a ways down the street - she was worried about me too! After than I ran 10 more miles before my phone died and since I couldn't listen to the Seattle-Atlanta game without it, obviously that run was over! Priorities, right? I ran a couple more miles on the treadmill when I got home to hit 13 total. My plan was to run somewhere between 12-15, so not too bad!
First, if you are counting calories, try to go out to eat at places that post nutrition facts online, or at least have a "500 cals or less" menu or something of the sort. This way, you can take out the guess work. Since we were craving Pei Wei, we were able to go online and check the nutrition facts. My calorie counting app probably has Pei Wei food in the database, but it's kind of hard to browse the menu that way, so the restaurant website is the way to go. Since I wasn't totally sure what I wanted, I made a short list of options and took it with my on a note card. I ended up getting the Thai Coconut Curry Chicken, which is what I always get so I'm not sure why I thought I needed options!
One of my other favorite strategies is to plan for leftovers! Most restaurant meals have wayyy more calories than I should really be eating in one sitting, but only eating half is usually perfect. For me though, especially if we are out to eat with a group, it can be easy to mindlessly eat more than half. So, ask for your to-go box in advance! At Pei Wei, you can just grab boxes from the drink station, so I boxed up half of my meal before I even started eating - no temptation to eat too much and no accidentally eating to much!
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| Still plenty left with half in the box! |
Oh and we watched the Golden Globes. Apparently Hollywood was impressed with Jodie Foster's speech - we were just confused and muted her halfway through. But the people on the Today show loved it and said it got good responses from Hollywood so maybe we missed something good in the second half? Anyone else think she was just rambling?
Yesterday I waited out the rain and I was able to do my run outside. Within the first mile I came across two large dogs that were not in a fence and they looked like they might want to chase/follow me. I was kind of worried but luckily a nice lady picked me up and drove me a ways down the street - she was worried about me too! After than I ran 10 more miles before my phone died and since I couldn't listen to the Seattle-Atlanta game without it, obviously that run was over! Priorities, right? I ran a couple more miles on the treadmill when I got home to hit 13 total. My plan was to run somewhere between 12-15, so not too bad!
Saturday, January 12
Motivation & Accountability
Happy NFL Playoff Divisional Weekend! For those who don't know, we're pretty into the NFL around here - I'm not really sure what I am going to do with my weekends once it's over! (Maybe actually get something done around the house?) Annnnnd Go NC State! I didn't watch the game today since we don't have cable, but we kept the phones on autoupdate while we were running errands. If I was a good fan, I would have gone somewhere to watch it... but 5 seasons of not being able to see many NC State games will take a little of the devotion out of you I guess.
Anyway, the last few days have been pretty typical. After my post on Wednesday, I wasn't able to do my 8 mile run because it never stopped raining. Usually I would run on the treadmill since I don't like to get off my schedule, but 8 miles on the treadmill just didn't sound good. I should have though, because it looks like it is going to be raining all day tomorrow, and I couldn't do my long run today because I did 8 miles Thursday and a fast 3 last night and my legs were super sore. So it could be 12 miles on the treadmill tomorrow - oh well! Netflix will help me make it through.
It can definitely be easy to put off exercising on a rainy day, or just a long day at work, etc, etc. I'm sure you guys struggle with this too. One of the ways I hold myself accountable is similar to what I did with weight loss - planning everything in advance! Recently, this has meant that I've been following a specific training plan for my races. Way back in June, I put together a weekly training plan through the marathon in February. But, you don't have to make a plan that spans months and months (especially if you aren't targeting a specific race or distance). Making a weekly plan (like I do with meal planning) can be just as effective. Some things to consider:
For example, since I am currently training for the marathon, my goal is to run 4 times a week, with distances prescribed by a training plan I found online. I don't have many standing commitments on the weekdays, so any day is good for me - but I definitely need to do my workouts in the evenings because I am not a morning person. Since my training plan has fairly long runs on Wednesday, Sam typically cooks Wednesday so I am not totally crunched for time. I always plan a rest day after my long weekend run, and usually the day before also. So my weekly schedule is to run Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. If I have a conflict on one of the weekdays, I'll slide Friday in instead.
Knowing my weekly schedule means I'm mentally prepared for what is coming up, and I think that make me less likely to skip out or do less. It's important to think of it as a commitment and not an optional activity - your health should be a priority!
Another thing that helps is to make your workouts fun whenever possible! Work out with a friend, put upbeat playlists on your iPod or find a podcast that you like and only listen to it when you workout. One thing that works for me is having bright colored workout clothes! Sounds silly, but it's a lot of fun to get to wear ridiculous colors all together. I used to only wear black/gray since supposedly it is more slimming, but that is definitely less fun! Bright colored running shoes are everywhere these days, and I like to wear bright clothes too. If getting dressed to exercise is fun, the exercising gets to be too, right?
The best advice I can give is that you have to figure out what works for you. But if you never start, you will never know! For me, I have to treat exercise like a requirement and then find ways to make it more bearable. It's taken me more than three years to get to the point where I enjoy running. And to be honest, it really doesn't matter if you like it - just find the type of exercise that you either hate the least or that fits your schedule/budget the best and do it! The best motivation is knowing that you are doing something good for your health. And it is good for you whether you like it or not, although hopefully you eventually grow to enjoy it too!
How do you guys get/stay motivated?
(Also, Go Packers!)
Anyway, the last few days have been pretty typical. After my post on Wednesday, I wasn't able to do my 8 mile run because it never stopped raining. Usually I would run on the treadmill since I don't like to get off my schedule, but 8 miles on the treadmill just didn't sound good. I should have though, because it looks like it is going to be raining all day tomorrow, and I couldn't do my long run today because I did 8 miles Thursday and a fast 3 last night and my legs were super sore. So it could be 12 miles on the treadmill tomorrow - oh well! Netflix will help me make it through.
It can definitely be easy to put off exercising on a rainy day, or just a long day at work, etc, etc. I'm sure you guys struggle with this too. One of the ways I hold myself accountable is similar to what I did with weight loss - planning everything in advance! Recently, this has meant that I've been following a specific training plan for my races. Way back in June, I put together a weekly training plan through the marathon in February. But, you don't have to make a plan that spans months and months (especially if you aren't targeting a specific race or distance). Making a weekly plan (like I do with meal planning) can be just as effective. Some things to consider:
- What are your goals for exercising? (i.e. calories burned, minutes spent exercising, etc.)
- What days will exercise best fit into your schedule? What time of day?
- What other things can you move around or reschedule to make it easier to fit the exercise in?
- Do you need to include any rest days?
- Is there anything specific about this week that needs special consideration vs. previous weeks?
For example, since I am currently training for the marathon, my goal is to run 4 times a week, with distances prescribed by a training plan I found online. I don't have many standing commitments on the weekdays, so any day is good for me - but I definitely need to do my workouts in the evenings because I am not a morning person. Since my training plan has fairly long runs on Wednesday, Sam typically cooks Wednesday so I am not totally crunched for time. I always plan a rest day after my long weekend run, and usually the day before also. So my weekly schedule is to run Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. If I have a conflict on one of the weekdays, I'll slide Friday in instead.
Knowing my weekly schedule means I'm mentally prepared for what is coming up, and I think that make me less likely to skip out or do less. It's important to think of it as a commitment and not an optional activity - your health should be a priority!
Another thing that helps is to make your workouts fun whenever possible! Work out with a friend, put upbeat playlists on your iPod or find a podcast that you like and only listen to it when you workout. One thing that works for me is having bright colored workout clothes! Sounds silly, but it's a lot of fun to get to wear ridiculous colors all together. I used to only wear black/gray since supposedly it is more slimming, but that is definitely less fun! Bright colored running shoes are everywhere these days, and I like to wear bright clothes too. If getting dressed to exercise is fun, the exercising gets to be too, right?
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| Sam calls this my creamsicle shirt - with teal shorts! |
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| Headband that Sam picked out for me at the expo in Dallas |
The best advice I can give is that you have to figure out what works for you. But if you never start, you will never know! For me, I have to treat exercise like a requirement and then find ways to make it more bearable. It's taken me more than three years to get to the point where I enjoy running. And to be honest, it really doesn't matter if you like it - just find the type of exercise that you either hate the least or that fits your schedule/budget the best and do it! The best motivation is knowing that you are doing something good for your health. And it is good for you whether you like it or not, although hopefully you eventually grow to enjoy it too!
How do you guys get/stay motivated?
(Also, Go Packers!)
Wednesday, January 9
Wednesday Weigh In & Baby Bok Choy
So I've decided I should start doing my weekly weigh-ins on Wednesday, since Monday's are a little skewed after my long runs on Sunday. So today's weigh in was 131.4lbs. I can't complain about that at all after a couple of months around 134, but I was hoping to be a little closer to 130! Maybe next week. I did kind of pig out last night on a few extra snacks!
Dinner tonight is going to be a bit creative.... my parents bought Sam a wok for Christmas and he is testing it out for the first time tonight. So not only are we having stir fry, but Sam is also using tofu! I was a bit skeptical about tofu, but we've had it once before and I didn't mind it. It basically just absorbs the flavor of whatever sauce you are using, so it just depends if you like the texture or not. Here's the chef at work...
Apparently baby bok choy is also involved in this stir fry, further adding to the adventure. I'm not sure I've ever had bok choy before, but it doesn't look too intimidating!
Its definitely good to keep healthy eating fun by trying new things. Sam is much better about that than I am and I appreciate it! Here's the final product - about 350 cals:
Wednesday's are also my longest weekday run, and today I am scheduled to run 8 miles but it is still really rainy so I am waiting it out and running after dinner instead. Hopefully that won't weigh me down too bad!
Dinner tonight is going to be a bit creative.... my parents bought Sam a wok for Christmas and he is testing it out for the first time tonight. So not only are we having stir fry, but Sam is also using tofu! I was a bit skeptical about tofu, but we've had it once before and I didn't mind it. It basically just absorbs the flavor of whatever sauce you are using, so it just depends if you like the texture or not. Here's the chef at work...
Apparently baby bok choy is also involved in this stir fry, further adding to the adventure. I'm not sure I've ever had bok choy before, but it doesn't look too intimidating!
Its definitely good to keep healthy eating fun by trying new things. Sam is much better about that than I am and I appreciate it! Here's the final product - about 350 cals:
Wednesday's are also my longest weekday run, and today I am scheduled to run 8 miles but it is still really rainy so I am waiting it out and running after dinner instead. Hopefully that won't weigh me down too bad!
Tuesday, January 8
Rainy Tuesday
Today's weather was gross here - rainy all day and I was dreading having to run on the treadmill. Luckily it was only light rain by the time I got home from work so I was able to do my 5 mile run outside without getting too wet!
At work, they started a "Culture of Health" program last year, which although a bit cheesy, is also awesome. I actually used their meal planning program to get started last year, and we get small incentives to complete health assessments, etc. throughout the year. For the holidays, they did a "Maintain, Don't Gain" program, where we weighed in at the beginning of November and were challenged to maintain our weight within one pound (or lose weight) through the holidays. Anyway, I was worried I wouldn't make it since I had put on some weight in November, but luckily I weighed in a pound below my starting weight, so yay for a free $25 gift card!
I'm really thankful that they are starting to promote health programs a little more - maybe they'll start subsidizing race entry fees soon? Probably wishful thinking :) Although our employee network does do a bit of that for the local Beaumont marathon/half/5k in March, so that's better than nothing!
Which reminds me about another race coming up in the next few months - the Texas Independence Relay. After my marathon in February, the TIR will be at the end of March, where I'll be part of a 10-12 person team running a 200 mile relay from Gonzales, TX to Baytown (near Houston).
We're having a team meeting tomorrow to work out all of the details, but basically we will all run 3-4 legs of the race, which will all be various lengths (3-8 miles). The relay starts Saturday and you run all through the night and then finish Sunday afternoon (the team van follows you along the way). It will definitely be a different type of experience and I think it will be really fun!
Time to do the dishes, watch some Netflix and get to bed. Anyone liking the new blog layout/design? I'm not sure if I love it, but the previous one was pretty lame, so it's an upgrade!
At work, they started a "Culture of Health" program last year, which although a bit cheesy, is also awesome. I actually used their meal planning program to get started last year, and we get small incentives to complete health assessments, etc. throughout the year. For the holidays, they did a "Maintain, Don't Gain" program, where we weighed in at the beginning of November and were challenged to maintain our weight within one pound (or lose weight) through the holidays. Anyway, I was worried I wouldn't make it since I had put on some weight in November, but luckily I weighed in a pound below my starting weight, so yay for a free $25 gift card!
I'm really thankful that they are starting to promote health programs a little more - maybe they'll start subsidizing race entry fees soon? Probably wishful thinking :) Although our employee network does do a bit of that for the local Beaumont marathon/half/5k in March, so that's better than nothing!
Which reminds me about another race coming up in the next few months - the Texas Independence Relay. After my marathon in February, the TIR will be at the end of March, where I'll be part of a 10-12 person team running a 200 mile relay from Gonzales, TX to Baytown (near Houston).
We're having a team meeting tomorrow to work out all of the details, but basically we will all run 3-4 legs of the race, which will all be various lengths (3-8 miles). The relay starts Saturday and you run all through the night and then finish Sunday afternoon (the team van follows you along the way). It will definitely be a different type of experience and I think it will be really fun!
Time to do the dishes, watch some Netflix and get to bed. Anyone liking the new blog layout/design? I'm not sure if I love it, but the previous one was pretty lame, so it's an upgrade!
Monday, January 7
Finally: Before & Afters!
So yesterday I realized that I never posted any before & after pictures after hitting my 130lb goal back in September - so here they are! I halfway typed up this post months ago - maybe I'll post a few more recent "after" pictures soon :)
One of my biggest regrets with weight loss is not taking any 'official' before pictures or measurements. Although of course I knew my starting weight (170lbs), it would have been smart to have taken measurements to keep me motivated during those plateaus where my weight wasn't changing, but my measurements probably were. And now, I would love to have specific 'before' pics to compare to. But at the beginning, I really didn't think this would work, so I guess I didn't want to commit to a before pic since I wasn't confident there would be an after. If you feel this way too, I would encourage your to do it anyway, and use it as motivation!
So, I figured the next best thing is a few pictures from the last half of 2011 to remind us all or where I started out. I'm pretty sure all of my blog readers have known me in real life, but a lot of you may not have seen me in person for several years. I graduated college in 2008 at ~150lbs. I think my highest weight after college was ~180 in early 2009, but for several years now I've been around 170, including in the pictures below.
The first picture is from Nov 2011, on our trip to Wisconsin where I met Sam's parents for the first time. This was one of the first pictures where I was really disgusted with myself - it definitely gave me some motivation to lose weight! I wore a lot of outfits that did a better job of hiding my weight, but this was not one of them! Compare to more recent picture of us in NC last summer:
As far as weight maintenance goes, I'm happy to say that I am currently around 131. I gained back some weight through November and got up to around 136, but I lost a few pounds in December and miraculously didn't gain any over Christmas (I definitely didn't hold back on the eating!).
Sam and I have been tracking everything we eat/counting calories since we got back from NC last Monday, and I am hoping that writing down everything I eat will help keep the pounds from creeping back on like they did in October & November. I'll write some more thoughts on weight maintenance later, but it's definitely a challenge to stay vigilant!! Hope you all had a good Monday!
One of my biggest regrets with weight loss is not taking any 'official' before pictures or measurements. Although of course I knew my starting weight (170lbs), it would have been smart to have taken measurements to keep me motivated during those plateaus where my weight wasn't changing, but my measurements probably were. And now, I would love to have specific 'before' pics to compare to. But at the beginning, I really didn't think this would work, so I guess I didn't want to commit to a before pic since I wasn't confident there would be an after. If you feel this way too, I would encourage your to do it anyway, and use it as motivation!
So, I figured the next best thing is a few pictures from the last half of 2011 to remind us all or where I started out. I'm pretty sure all of my blog readers have known me in real life, but a lot of you may not have seen me in person for several years. I graduated college in 2008 at ~150lbs. I think my highest weight after college was ~180 in early 2009, but for several years now I've been around 170, including in the pictures below.
The first picture is from Nov 2011, on our trip to Wisconsin where I met Sam's parents for the first time. This was one of the first pictures where I was really disgusted with myself - it definitely gave me some motivation to lose weight! I wore a lot of outfits that did a better job of hiding my weight, but this was not one of them! Compare to more recent picture of us in NC last summer:
 |
| Before - November 2011 |
 |
| After - July 2012 |
This next picture is from Thanksgiving at my Mema's house. As I was losing weight, people always told me they could see it a lot in my face, which I had never really noticed as much (I guess because I see my face every day?) - looking back at this picture I can definitely tell the difference!
 |
| Before - November 2011 |
 |
| After - October 2012 (also a better hair day!) |
Sam and I have been tracking everything we eat/counting calories since we got back from NC last Monday, and I am hoping that writing down everything I eat will help keep the pounds from creeping back on like they did in October & November. I'll write some more thoughts on weight maintenance later, but it's definitely a challenge to stay vigilant!! Hope you all had a good Monday!
Sunday, January 6
Nineteen Miles
New year, new commitment to blogging? It seems like every year is the same - I am the most productive in the first three months of the year, and then it goes steadily downhill until Nov/Dec when I can't seem to get anything done at all! Including blogging. But so many friends & family mentioned my blogging hiatus over the holidays and it reminded me that you guys actually do read this little blog! So I'm back, and my plan is to update (almost) daily, with shorter, more real time updates on my life. I'll probably post a link on facebook one or twice a week, so be sure to bookmark the blog if you want more frequent updates!
With all that being said, there's a bit of catching up to do before I get back to day-to-day blogging! The big events of the last few months (other than the holidays, of course) have mainly been running related. Sam and I ran the Dallas Half Marathon on Dec 9th, and I was thrilled to meet my goal of finishing under 2 hours! It was a warm and muggy day - not ideal at all for running - so I was really pleased. I've also continued to make progress on getting faster in general... I haven't tested my 5k record in awhile, but I've reset my 10k record several times.
And today, I did my longest run yet - 19 miles! Why, you might ask? Well that's the other big news, which some of you know already - I am planning to run the FULL marathon (26.2 miles) in Austin on Feb 17th. I actually decided a long time ago (June!) that I wanted to do it, but I was scared to commit or to tell anyone until I had some more training under my belt! After half marathon training was going well, I started telling people about the full around November. Once the word gets out, there's no turning back thanks to all of you holding me accountable! Sam is going to run the full also, although he's a seasoned marathoner compared to me (this will be his 4th). Right now, my main goal is just to finish(!) hopefully without any walking, but I would be very excited if I could finish under a 10:00min/mile pace.
Here's my current records from the Garmin website (my watch is seriously my favorite gadget ever):
With all that being said, there's a bit of catching up to do before I get back to day-to-day blogging! The big events of the last few months (other than the holidays, of course) have mainly been running related. Sam and I ran the Dallas Half Marathon on Dec 9th, and I was thrilled to meet my goal of finishing under 2 hours! It was a warm and muggy day - not ideal at all for running - so I was really pleased. I've also continued to make progress on getting faster in general... I haven't tested my 5k record in awhile, but I've reset my 10k record several times.
And today, I did my longest run yet - 19 miles! Why, you might ask? Well that's the other big news, which some of you know already - I am planning to run the FULL marathon (26.2 miles) in Austin on Feb 17th. I actually decided a long time ago (June!) that I wanted to do it, but I was scared to commit or to tell anyone until I had some more training under my belt! After half marathon training was going well, I started telling people about the full around November. Once the word gets out, there's no turning back thanks to all of you holding me accountable! Sam is going to run the full also, although he's a seasoned marathoner compared to me (this will be his 4th). Right now, my main goal is just to finish(!) hopefully without any walking, but I would be very excited if I could finish under a 10:00min/mile pace.
Here's my current records from the Garmin website (my watch is seriously my favorite gadget ever):
As you can see, I'm a bit behind schedule on my 1200 mile goal, but I'm confident I can catch up with all the long runs I have coming up for marathon training.
Well that's it for now, I've got to get back to some serious NFL play off watching. Even the dogs are excited (or not....).
I'll sprinkle in updates on weight maintenance and life over the past few months as I blog this week. Thanks for reading!
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