Countdown to 2011...Day Two

Yesterday went rather well, I think. I drank my water, worked out, ate on plan, and didn't even suffer in the process! :D Only catch? I was started to get sick, and I knew it. I couldn't stop sneezing and my sinuses were doing that nasty postnasal drip thingy that I hate so much. In hopes of staving off whatever was threatening, I implemented my usual immuno-boosting emergency plan: I used my neti pot, took therapeutic levels of vitamin C, drank that NASTY Wellness Formula stuff that usually helps, and gargled with salt water. 

This morning I woke up miserably sick and took my first afternoon off in two years. Amazing. Looks like I caught the virus Little Brother was down with last week...while he was staying with me over the holiday. Brilliant. My whole face hurts, I'm terribly congested, and I'm running a decent temperature. Grand. At least I'm not sneezing anymore, right? Right.

 So here I am, sitting at home working on the computer, drinking tea and eating tomato soup, and all I can think about is how much I DONT want to skip my run. Blah. If I weren't running fever, I would still go, I think, but the fever thing combined with strenuous exercise scares me. :(

No run today!! AGH!! I sincerely hope my fever breaks before tomorrow so that I can go back to work AND make up my missed run in the morning. Humbug. Upside, I'm not struggling at all to keep my calories reasonable on this completely sedentary day. Silver linings...

Countdown to 2011...Day One

Gotta make this snappy, as I'm already behind on my work this morning (Mondays SUCK).


In looking back over the past month, the one thing that really sticks out to me is the food thing. Reading my entries from the first week, I can see that I did really well for about six days before falling off a cliff. I binged for the first time since June. Yikes. What made that difference? I'm not entirely sure, but I think it might have to do with counting calories. BAH! I hate that something that realllllly helps in losing weight triggers a behavior that interferes with that same goal! BAH, again. I need to be more aware from here on out.


In terms of exercise, I did pretty well. Even with all the craziness related to my family and the holiday festivities, I managed to keep up with my running. But that's it. Three runs a week. Not NEARLY enough exercise for this old bird, no siree. ESPECIALLY when I'm eating whatever is convenient and semi-tasty. Definitely room for improvement here, as well.


So while ONE POUND lost is not much, when I look back over my choices, I feel pretty fortunate to have moved in the right direction at all. As for those CRAZY inches lost, well, Jesus loves me. :D


My plan for this upcoming month-and-change is to end this year in style:


*Finish the C25K program and begin the Gateway to 8k routine
*Go to bed by 10pm every night, no matter what
*Add digestive enzymes and Cal/Mag to my supplements
*Continue keeping protein levels high
*Add a brief yoga routine following my regular runs
*Implement that weight training program that I DIDN'T do last month
*Complete the Two Hundred Sit-Ups challenge
*Weigh once a week instead of once a month
*Drink copious amounts of water and herbal tea

Onward and Downward!!

Day 28 of 28

Judgment Day.


Weight lost: 1 pound. ONE. Don't even get me started.


Inches lost:

Neck: -0.25"
Bust: -1.5"
Upper Arms: -1.25" EACH!!!
Waist: -1.5" BOOOYAAAAH!!!
Hips: -1"
Thighs: -0.5" each
Calves: -0.5" each

Total: 8.75"


So, I don't really understand how ONE POUND lost can translate into almost NINE INCHES off my body, but I'll take it.

I honestly want the scale to move. I admit this wholeheartedly. However, I bought jeans two sizes smaller than the last pair I purchased at the end of summer. TWO SIZES!! That's a NSV I can really enjoy! :D So...I don't know. I know I could have done much better with food this month. I was definitely on autopilot for nearly 3/4 of the month...there, I said it. The changes in my body are probably largely due to increased protein combined with continued running. It wouldn't be fair for me to rage against my body at this point, since I KNOW how I ate, and it wasn't in a very controlled manner. My choices, my responsibility, and the numbers show it.

Theoretically, my body SHOULD be primed for dropping pounds now, after a month of muscle building and plenteous calories, as my metabolism should be running high. Right? Right...

Day 23 of 28

Well...it's been a while, yeah? Don't worry, just because I've fallen off the blogging wagon doesn't mean everything has gone to rot. Not EVERYTHING, hehe.

So, yep. It's been an interesting couple of weeks. I've kept up with my C25K routine, which I'm really very proud of. I ran for 25 min straight this morning AND had gas left in the tank! I'm so freaking excited!! I can't wait to finish C25K and move on the the 8k training. Woohoo!


Also, the urge to weigh in every day has waned significantly. Thank goodness, right? Right. Part of that waning might be due to the knowledge that I've not been completely following my own food plan. I mean, don't get me wrong, I've been eating good food and largely sticking to the high protein, high fiber foods I had planned on consuming, but with all the craziness with family DRAMA, I've not been eating at home as much as I had expected, and that makes things a bit more challenging. All in all, I'm pleased with how I've handled this month so far, even while realizing that my loss will not be what it would have been had things turned out differently food-wise.

One major bonus related to not weighing in is I've been paying much closer attention to my body and the changes that are taking place. For instance, my legs are looking really different, especially around my knees. I have new dips and straight places around my knees that I've not seen, like...ever. The muscles in my calves are pretty freaking sweet, too. My forearms look smaller, and I've noticed changes in the upper part of my stomach, right under where my bra sits. I have a dip there now and it just seems more..receded? lol. And all of the fat on my stomach is softer--kind of looser, I guess--which is usually a sign that my body composition is changing. Yay!


I'm nervous about my weigh in this weekend, but I'm trying to throw that emotional energy into my workouts every day until then. EEK!!


 Whew.

Day 9 of 28

I binged last night...for the first time in almost six months. I just don't get my psychological issues sometimes. I know a lot of it is emotional, but I've not even THOUGHT about bingeing since I went vegan. I think it might have been a combination of all the emotions flying around my family this weekend and the fact that I'm counting calories for this month. I don't usually do well with the whole counting thing. Makes me go extreme one way or the other. Oh, well. Today is a new day.


Update: drank tea all morning because I just couldn't eat with all that food still in my system, then went for my run on my lunch break. Felt sluggish, but made it through. :) Week Six, baby!!

Food was much better today. I still ate "off plan" some at supper, as my calories were way low for the day due to my tea morning, but I made good choices.

I am NOT going to allow a couple of rough days to define me. I am stronger and more determined than that! My goal for now is to finish this week strong and gain some momentum going into the weekend. I don't think I'll take a high-cal day again...I'm thinking that might have been part of what set me off last weekend. Live, learn, adapt, yeah? :)

Day 8 of 28

*sigh*
Total food hangover this morning. Sluggish mentally and physically and emotionally. Feeling out of touch with my body.

Worked out for an hour, but my heart wasn't in it. *sigh*

Day 7 of 28

25% finished and 100% frustrated. Today was horrible, and all because of my own stupid "choices." See, a whole BOATLOAD of family drama went down today, so my eating schedule was completely disrupted, and I found myself at various people's houses far away from my pre-made meals or protein shakes.

And honestly, if I had paid attention to how I was feeling about everything, I think I would have been fine. Instead, I was entirely focused on everyone else and pretty much just ate whatever was available at mealtimes, regardless of what it was (as long as it didn't contain meat, obviously).

So, my stomach hurts. BAD. And I'm angry/frustrated/depressed. Why does food EVER win? It should never win...*sigh*

Day 6 of 28

Am I there, yet?! I RREEEEAAAALLLLY wanted to check the scale this morning. Saturday mornings have been my weekly weigh-in day since junior high...even though I usually checked every day, only Saturday's number counted. I wanted to peek so much! I just KNOW all this protein and running is already making a difference. I swear I can feel it. I even think I can see it a little bit. *sigh* Three more weeks.


I FREAKING DID IT!!! I FINISHED THE ENTIRE 20 MINUTE RUN!!! AAAAAHHHH!!!! I am so very very VERY proud of myself for finishing that run. My legs and my lungs felt strong even at the very end. However--it took just about every ounce of mental strength I had to keep going today because of some unexpected pain.

In Thursday's run, I felt a hint of what I can only describe as menstrual cramping (and I am just past midway, fyi) toward the end of both my 8min intervals. I honestly forgot all about that discomfort until about 8min into my run today when the cramping returned. It continued and increased in severity throughout the rest of my run, making it impossible for me to really find my groove and zone out. I was determined to finish, and I did, but it was really hard. The pain continued until the very end of my cool down walk.

As soon as I got inside, I went online and did some research. As it turns out, this kind of pain is fairly common for women, especially in the two weeks between ovulation and menstruation. Weird, huh? According to gynecologists, changes in fluid retention and/or normal swelling caused by hormone shifts are the primary culprits. Sometimes the discomfort can be traced to a tipped uterus, sometimes not, but in no cases could I find causes that would mean I should be concerned. Whew! I'm glad to know, but at my next exam I'm definitely going to bring it up.


Other than that bit of drama, today was a good day! Saturdays are my high cal days for the week (did I mention that before? I don't think I did...ooops!), so I enjoyed some vegan pizza. :D Not very high protein, but I managed to meet my minimum levels anyway.

Tomorrow marks 25% completion!! Woo hoo!! I'm excited to try some new recipes this week, as things got just a TOUCH tedious around Thursday, hehe. Oh, well!

Day 5 of 28

Well....hmmm. Today was interesting. And by interesting I mean frustrating. :D

I didn't have to work this morning, so I slept in a little before having lunch with Mum. I had a bad headache again this morning, complete with severe nausea, so I skipped my workout again. That's TWICE this week! If I had health insurance, I definitely would see a doctor about these headaches. I hesitate to label them as migraines, since I haven't been diagnosed with such, but I do have a Mum who has always gotten migraines (diagnosed and treated with a prescription) at the same time in her menstrual cycle that I get them. I'm sure it's the same thing, so I need to find something that works for the pain, because I can't keep missing workouts! It's not fair!

In terms of food, things were off today. Eating out at the Chinese buffet went fine; I ate only what I had planned for and calculated calories for earlier in the day. That said, food from restaurants must have something added to it that makes it act differently in your body, because I was craving sugar SOOOOO badly all afternoon. I never crave sugar like that. I wanted to eat a TRUCKLOAD of candy bars...and I can't even remember the last time I ate a candy bar. It was pure silliness, and of course I didn't eat anything off plan, but still! Not fun to spend an afternoon at work with a bad headache and visions of sugary evil dancing in your head! ;D


All in all, today was difficult, and I'm really looking forward to my weekend. I need to get back into my eating routine and take care of my body a little bit. I've gotten lots of sleep this week, but it'll be good to slow down enough to nurture myself some. Also, tomorrow is my 20min run and I am so very extremely horrible crazily mind-numbingly nervous about it!!! AGH!!

Can I do it?

Day 4 of 28

AGH!!! Not weighing myself is making me NUTSO!! I had no idea how hooked I was on seeing a number every day to "gauge my progress." Seriously...It's been less than a week, and I'm already going straight up bonkers.


Okay, about today's events. Ummm...I finished w5d2!! I felt really strong through both 8min running intervals. I'm not ready to say I'm CONFIDENT about Saturday's 20min run, but I'm determined to give it my best. :D Only a couple more days, and I'll know for sure whether I'm up to the task or not.


In terms of food, today was my first attempt at eating out while on this different eating pattern/plan. Everything went very smoothly, and while my supper wasn't as high in protein as I would have liked, I stayed at the 300cal mark...no small feat when dining at a restaurant, no? I'm pretty proud of myself. Now to do it again when out to lunch with Mum tomorrow... at a Chinese buffet!! Hmmmm... :)


On to Day 5!!

Day 3 of 28

Boy! Today was tough.


I woke up this morning with a migraine. I hate it when that happens, because most medicine for migraines leaves me groggy and slightly disoriented, hehe. A big no-no for heading off to work OR a workout involving lifting heavy weights over my head. Yeah. So I took some milder medicine and crawled back under my covers, planning to give the drugs a few minutes to kick in before heading out for my workout and then getting ready for work.

Yeah, that didn't happen.

 I fell asleep. Like, super duper asleep. I woke up with barely enough time to scrape myself together and get to work. Great.

I already had plans in place for this evening, so I couldn't make up my workout, which is disappointing to say the least. I did, however, cut my post-workout shake (since I didn't workout, bah!), so in terms of calories I should be fine.

The headache has returned with a vengeance this evening, so I'm off to take my stronger medicine, soak in a warm bubble bath, and call it an early night. Hopefully tomorrow will be better, but I can't count on it: IT's THURSDAY!! EEK!!

:D

Day 2 of 28

Whew! I made it!

My schedule was a bit unusual this morning, what with going out to vote and all, but I managed to get in all 5 of my mini-meals anyway! :)

I complete W5D2 of c25k and it felt EASY. I can't believe it, really, but it's truuuueee!! :) I'm dreading D3 less and less...I'm actually very close to looking forward to that crazy 20 minute run! I think I'm going crazier...

In other news, my water intake wasn't quite as high as I would like, especially with so much more protein and fiber in my diet, so I'll be looking to improve that for tomorrow.

I'm feeling pretty good so far this week. Not weighing in is TOUGH, though. I'm enjoying not feeling hungry all the time, for sure! This afternoon as work my tummy sent me a rather dramatic signal for food (ROAWR!!!), and when I glanced at the clock I realized it was time to eat again, hehe. Instant gratification is niiiiiiice.

I tried a couple new recipes for my protein shakes today and liked both of them very well. Whew! Yesterday's protein shake debacles had me worried that I was in for an entire month of liquid misery, but adding ice has pretty much eliminated the "grit" issue I was having, and I now know that adding frozen blackberries to a smoothie results in a landslide of seeds that makes finishing a shake next to impossible. Yeah, no more blackberries, thanks.

Also, I continue to see positive changes in my legs. VERY exciting, obviously, but I'd reeeeaaallly like to see some changes in my middle, thanks.

Day 1 of 28

*yawn* I'm fading fast tonight, so this entry will be a brief one.

Today went well, all things considered. I managed to eat 5 small meals, each one roughly 300 calories. I'm not wild about the protein shake recipes I used today, but I've got a few ideas for improvements starting tomorrow. Worst case scenario, I can deal with a little pea grit. Did I mention my protein-increasing plan involves protein shakes made from pea powder? Yellow split peas, to be precise. True story.

I tried a new workout today, too. I turned my normal heavy bag routine into a circuit training workout by adding weight lifting sets in between boxing rounds. It was pretty intense, but the time went by super fast. I'm prepared to experience some muscle soreness tomorrow and will NOT let it put me off my run. :)


Eating this way, especially with such frequency, takes time and preparation that will require some getting used to, not to mention all the protein and fiber I'm now taking in.

Also, not checking the scale every morning is ALREADY a challenge! My hope is that after a few days of not weighing in, I will get used to the new routine and stop worrying about the number so much. Hope.


Well, it's off to bed with me: sleep is knocking at my eyelids.