OK, so I got off to a good start with that Jillian workout. But I basically fell off a cliff into a binge yesterday. It started with a little overindulgence at dinner Saturday night with Cute Man. But it pretty much snowballed yesterday. I can blame PMS all I want but it won’t change the result.
So now I’ve ‘fessed up and feel better :) There’s no use dwelling on what was wrong with this past weekend. I’m ready to get myself back together starting NOW. Having the routine of the workweek certainly helps. My goal for today is to just eat the food I’ve pre-planned and just relax with it. There’s no sense of punishing myself for “bad” behavior, rather it makes more sense just to get back at it. So here I am :)
Tonight is my circuit training class so I feel good that I have some serious exercise planned. It always gives my confidence a boost. So what’s your motivation for today? Please share in the comments.
Showing posts with label Weekend. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Weekend. Show all posts
Monday, April 27, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Jillian Michaels is the Devil or Day 1 of the 10 Day Challenge
Day 1 is off to a good start. I have gotten in a good (though punishing) workout. My trainer is out of town so I had to improvise today. I took advantage of my Comcast on Demand and loaded up Jillian's newest workout aimed at boosting metabolism. There was a lot of cardio in there to keep my heart pumping for the almost full hour workout. The cool thing was that it didn't require any equipment, just body weight resistance. It did the trick, I can tell you!
As for my food intake, I am doing OK so far. I'm having a "hungry" day so I had both a substantial breakfast (an egg plus english muffin with jam) and lunch (a buffalo burger on a whole wheat bun with a salad). I am fine with eating at the top of my range today as long as I stay accountable and keep track. Participating in this challenge is a good way to combat the head in the sand temptation.
I'll soon be off to a movie with Cute Man so challenges will abound. Since I just ate, I should be OK for awhile and should be able to make some good choices, even if we wind up eating out for dinner. I'll through a luna bar in my bag just in case I "have to have something" at the movie. I'll check in later or tomorrow morning. I hope you're all enjoying the weekend!
As for my food intake, I am doing OK so far. I'm having a "hungry" day so I had both a substantial breakfast (an egg plus english muffin with jam) and lunch (a buffalo burger on a whole wheat bun with a salad). I am fine with eating at the top of my range today as long as I stay accountable and keep track. Participating in this challenge is a good way to combat the head in the sand temptation.
I'll soon be off to a movie with Cute Man so challenges will abound. Since I just ate, I should be OK for awhile and should be able to make some good choices, even if we wind up eating out for dinner. I'll through a luna bar in my bag just in case I "have to have something" at the movie. I'll check in later or tomorrow morning. I hope you're all enjoying the weekend!
Friday, April 10, 2009
How Exercise Affects Weight Loss
In today’s Hungry Girl Email, she explains how some fitness efforts can actually backfire, if you’re not careful:
I have noticed this myself – big time. I started working out again in earnest last November. I joined the circuit training class with my trainer, Scott. I was exercising at least 3 times a week, but my eating was out of control. I was starting to feel better physically, but it wasn’t until January that I started to lose weight. What changed? I started tracking calories with FitDay so I was clear about the calorie restriction I was creating.
I loved seeing my calories burned per day go up so I thought, hey – why don’t I start exercising MORE? I was already doing the circuit training 3 times per week plus yoga 2 times per week. How about adding 3 or more extra cardio sessions to burn more calories? I started hitting the cardio machines (elliptical and/or treadmill) for 30-60 minutes BEFORE going to Scott’s class. I felt like I was so hardcore. The problem? I was ravenous!!! I was still tracking calories but I just couldn’t restrict myself down below 1650 per day. And often, I was reaching 1900-2000 calories eaten. That’s not horrible, and it was understandable considering how much I was working out. But what was the net effect? Not a whole lot. My rate of weight loss was about the same, if not a tad slower.
So, I came to the realization that I was wearing myself out needlessly. I was struggling to get through Scott’s workouts because I was already tired from a whole day of work plus an hour on the cardio machines. I was choosing quantity over quality and not really getting where I wanted to go. That led me to take a step back and reassess. Right now I’m sticking to the 3 training and 2 yoga sessions per week, for the most part, and filling in with cardio only when one of those things can’t happen – like when yoga was canceled on Tuesday, I did 45 minutes on the treadmill instead. I’ll also do the same today, Friday, because nothing else is scheduled and I feel like doing it (I know, who is this and what did she do with Amelia?) If I didn’t, I would take today off, too. Sunday is my mandatory rest day to let my muscles recover. I think that 5-6 times a week a just fine, thank you very much!
The issue is really about balance. Exercise was making me feel so great so would more just be even better? No, not so much. I’m back in a more realistic groove and the proof is in the results. I’ve found it much easier to stick with closer to 1500 calories each day and I’m not exhausted. Win-win. And if that wasn’t enough, the scale is showing me love, too. As of this morning, I’m down to 228.2 for a grand total of 15.5 lbs lost!
I am coming up on a pretty challenging weekend. I’m going to NJ to seeing my family. Between a nice dinner out with my Dad and Stepmother and the Passover Seder with my Mom and Grandmother, I’ll be surely tested. But like I found with exercise, balance is important. I have been 99% on point this week so I plan to loosen up a little over the weekend. I’ll use some WW shorthand in the manner of Points to track my intake – shooting for more of maintenance level of 2000 calories per day on Sat and Sun.
“…research shows that people grossly overestimate how many calories they burn during exercise. Not only that, but physical activity often makes people hungry. And since we tend to think we've burned more calories than we really have, we can end up consuming MORE calories than we've burned.”
I have noticed this myself – big time. I started working out again in earnest last November. I joined the circuit training class with my trainer, Scott. I was exercising at least 3 times a week, but my eating was out of control. I was starting to feel better physically, but it wasn’t until January that I started to lose weight. What changed? I started tracking calories with FitDay so I was clear about the calorie restriction I was creating.
I loved seeing my calories burned per day go up so I thought, hey – why don’t I start exercising MORE? I was already doing the circuit training 3 times per week plus yoga 2 times per week. How about adding 3 or more extra cardio sessions to burn more calories? I started hitting the cardio machines (elliptical and/or treadmill) for 30-60 minutes BEFORE going to Scott’s class. I felt like I was so hardcore. The problem? I was ravenous!!! I was still tracking calories but I just couldn’t restrict myself down below 1650 per day. And often, I was reaching 1900-2000 calories eaten. That’s not horrible, and it was understandable considering how much I was working out. But what was the net effect? Not a whole lot. My rate of weight loss was about the same, if not a tad slower.
So, I came to the realization that I was wearing myself out needlessly. I was struggling to get through Scott’s workouts because I was already tired from a whole day of work plus an hour on the cardio machines. I was choosing quantity over quality and not really getting where I wanted to go. That led me to take a step back and reassess. Right now I’m sticking to the 3 training and 2 yoga sessions per week, for the most part, and filling in with cardio only when one of those things can’t happen – like when yoga was canceled on Tuesday, I did 45 minutes on the treadmill instead. I’ll also do the same today, Friday, because nothing else is scheduled and I feel like doing it (I know, who is this and what did she do with Amelia?) If I didn’t, I would take today off, too. Sunday is my mandatory rest day to let my muscles recover. I think that 5-6 times a week a just fine, thank you very much!
The issue is really about balance. Exercise was making me feel so great so would more just be even better? No, not so much. I’m back in a more realistic groove and the proof is in the results. I’ve found it much easier to stick with closer to 1500 calories each day and I’m not exhausted. Win-win. And if that wasn’t enough, the scale is showing me love, too. As of this morning, I’m down to 228.2 for a grand total of 15.5 lbs lost!
I am coming up on a pretty challenging weekend. I’m going to NJ to seeing my family. Between a nice dinner out with my Dad and Stepmother and the Passover Seder with my Mom and Grandmother, I’ll be surely tested. But like I found with exercise, balance is important. I have been 99% on point this week so I plan to loosen up a little over the weekend. I’ll use some WW shorthand in the manner of Points to track my intake – shooting for more of maintenance level of 2000 calories per day on Sat and Sun.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Week One Update
I’ve been back from VA Beach for almost a week and even though it’s not a full week since I restarted my routine, I am doing a check-in. I like to do that on Mondays – it just makes sense to me for some reason. I did get on the scale and it was down 2.5lbs. Thank goodness. It just reinforces the idea that I know what to do – it’s the “doing it” part that is the kicker. I now just have to keep going. I am motivated! I am sick of feeling crappy.
The new recipes I tried (see last post) so far are great. The Teriyaki Chicken with Sesame Seeds was a yummy high protein snack/lunch yesterday. The Mushroom Barley Risotto was fab (even though Cute Man hated it, it was GOOD, in my opinion). It’s my lunch today. Yum! I didn’t get a chance to make the Balsamic Chicken but I’ll give it a shot this week. I really want to make the Mac and Cheese recipe (I keep thinking about it) but have yet to come across the needed frozen pureed winter squash. Hmmm…
I plan to walk for 45-60 minutes again at lunch today. I’m actually looking forward to it. Go figure… I do like listening to my free books on tape that I download from the DC public library (you have to have a non-i-Pod MP3 player, which Cute Man got me). It’s a little inconvenient in the way it breaks up the book, etc. but free is free! And it makes the time go MUCH faster. There’s only so much doom and gloom on CNN I can take (it plays incessantly in my work’s gym). “The economy is in the toilet!” “Hurricane X has moved 6 centimeters since we talked about it last!” Sheesh… Books on tape win hands down.
So that’s it. Hard work = results. It’s a newsflash worthy of CNN for sure…
The new recipes I tried (see last post) so far are great. The Teriyaki Chicken with Sesame Seeds was a yummy high protein snack/lunch yesterday. The Mushroom Barley Risotto was fab (even though Cute Man hated it, it was GOOD, in my opinion). It’s my lunch today. Yum! I didn’t get a chance to make the Balsamic Chicken but I’ll give it a shot this week. I really want to make the Mac and Cheese recipe (I keep thinking about it) but have yet to come across the needed frozen pureed winter squash. Hmmm…
I plan to walk for 45-60 minutes again at lunch today. I’m actually looking forward to it. Go figure… I do like listening to my free books on tape that I download from the DC public library (you have to have a non-i-Pod MP3 player, which Cute Man got me). It’s a little inconvenient in the way it breaks up the book, etc. but free is free! And it makes the time go MUCH faster. There’s only so much doom and gloom on CNN I can take (it plays incessantly in my work’s gym). “The economy is in the toilet!” “Hurricane X has moved 6 centimeters since we talked about it last!” Sheesh… Books on tape win hands down.
So that’s it. Hard work = results. It’s a newsflash worthy of CNN for sure…
Monday, May 5, 2008
Four Miles
Four miles doesn’t sound like much, especially when you know you’ve done more than 20 previously (in another life, it seems). But getting those 4 miles done on Saturday felt like a huge accomplishment to me. Last week I did the 3 miles at a walk due to being the Caboose. That combined with a spotty running schedule made me very wary of those 4 miles.
I decided to take them on at a run 1/walk 1 pace to go along with the comfort level of a few people in my Blue ARRC group. It felt terrific and very comfortable. It took pretty much 1 hour on the nose and I’m happy with that 15 min/mile (4 mile/hour) average. I think I must have been jogging faster than I normally do when I’m trying to get through 3 or 5 minutes at a time. That average was particularly good considering we walked the first 5 minutes out and the last back. I also walked up the huge incline up from K St to M St.
I really liked the variety of it. I didn’t have very long to go before I knew a break was coming. In fact, it was like I was constantly on the verge of a break so I didn’t have much opportunity to get tired. I may stick with this for a bit and see how it goes. I loved feeling good when I was done – I felt like I got a good workout but I wasn’t zapped completely.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Weekend-itis
I have it. Bad. I made the mistake of not leaving the building for lunch on this beautiful 80 degree day and paid the price is some serious restlessness by 3:30. So, I got up to go to the bathroom and strolled right on out of the building! I went over to Union Station and into Lucy. Not 2 minutes later, I walked out with not one, but TWO handbags. Um, what? This IS a personal finance blog – you are still in the right place. Does it help that both were on sale and less than $40 combined? Or that one is tiny tiny and really more like a wallet that will be used in conjunction with the bigger one? In any case, I feel MUCH better now. Sometimes even the most prudent and frugal of us need a little retail therapy!
Now I’m off to play with my new purchases…
Friday, April 25, 2008
I am the Caboose
Caboose is a funny word. At least to me. It makes me laugh just saying it. Caboose (Amelia rolls on floor clutching side). How fun that I get to be one! Arlington Road Runners starts up again for the Spring/Summer training season tomorrow and I will be helping out again as a mentor. I was not going to do so this season because I was a pretty crap one over the winter, to be honest, and I wanted to switch gears to running (I was the slow poke walking mentor). But as it turns out, the leadership didn’t process that I had quit in a February email so there I was on the schedule to be the Caboose – aka Sweeper. That’s the last person who makes sure no one is left stranded, etc.
For one day, that’s totally fine. I WAS a bit bummed that I wouldn’t be able to run with Dina and maybe Jim (Laura and Dave will probably be faster). But I will have all summer to do so if our paces wind up staying comfortable so it’s not the end of the world. I am psyched that Mama Duck will most probably join me in my walk since she’s cleared only for walking right now. When June rolls around she’ll be smokin’ us all with her speedy pace.
So we’ll see about the whole mentoring thing. I let them know that I can do it if I can decide on my level after next Sat’s run (when I actually do my intervals). I would probably join the Blue group since that’s about my pace level and they only have one mentor so far. I really don’t care as long as I get to train at an appropriate pace for me while being a mentor for the group. It was just a little awkward last time b/c I had my own goals but they didn’t jibe with the group I was supposed to stick with. As long as that’s not a problem, it’s cool. AND I get to be the Caboose for a day…
For one day, that’s totally fine. I WAS a bit bummed that I wouldn’t be able to run with Dina and maybe Jim (Laura and Dave will probably be faster). But I will have all summer to do so if our paces wind up staying comfortable so it’s not the end of the world. I am psyched that Mama Duck will most probably join me in my walk since she’s cleared only for walking right now. When June rolls around she’ll be smokin’ us all with her speedy pace.
So we’ll see about the whole mentoring thing. I let them know that I can do it if I can decide on my level after next Sat’s run (when I actually do my intervals). I would probably join the Blue group since that’s about my pace level and they only have one mentor so far. I really don’t care as long as I get to train at an appropriate pace for me while being a mentor for the group. It was just a little awkward last time b/c I had my own goals but they didn’t jibe with the group I was supposed to stick with. As long as that’s not a problem, it’s cool. AND I get to be the Caboose for a day…
Friday, March 28, 2008
In Other News
The idea of a Veggie Week fell somewhat flat. I guess it doesn’t have to be all or nothing, of course. I HAVE eaten way more fresh fruits and veggies than I normally do. Score one point! This has helped me stay well within my Points so far this week so I’m in good shape going into the weekend. I have a good chunk of Weekly Points to play with and I certainly will! I plan to head to Trader Joe’s again – I am totally addicted for sure. Otherwise, not too much on tap. I look forward to a great deal of relaxing over the next couple days. I am super tired for some reason.
So what are the big plans for the weekend? Are the DC folks all headed to the Cherry Blossom Festival?
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Sunday Night Thoughts
I have to say that keeping tabs on things through this blog is definitely helping with my mindfulness in terms of eating. The Friday night stir-fry was a success and kept me on track. I handled a bit of a challenge at brunch Saturday by ordering French toast and sausage. I got a really terrific treat and managed to stay on plan the rest of the day. I resisted the movie food even though I was dumb enough to go into the movies without eating dinner first. Big no-no and I know better. I was at least armed with a 100 calorie pack and a bottle of water so I came through it with flying colors. Which brings me to my big epiphany of the weekend...
Some might find this hard to believe, but I made my first trip to Trader Joe's yesterday. I now know the joys of that delightful store. I got a Zip car for the occasion and Cute Man joined me on the expedition, being kind and good as I oohed and ahed and generally took forever. I went a little nuts, not to mention over budget -- seduced by the lovely array of affordable staples and yummy looking prepared foods. A worthy sacrifice of some of my miscellaneous spending money!
So, that brings me to last night, post movie. Instead of going out to eat (which could be tough on the budget, not to mention our mid-sections), we opted to go home and try out some of our TJ finds. I made a stir fry concoction from a frozen bag -- are we detecting a theme here? I DO enjoy a good stir fry! Well, it was GOOD. Very similar to what I made Friday, in a good way. Although I must report that the gelato Cute Man was so excited about was a bit "off". I only had a small bit but it wasn't that great. So not Points-worthy! Well, I guess you can't win them all but today's dinner of extra lean sirloin and asparagus was simple and delicious. The only thing about TJ's was that I had to make a wee stop at Safeway this morning to get some plastic storage bags and a few other things. No big deal, though, and I WILL be back there, I'm sure, in a couple weeks.
I had a VERY encouraging sneak peak this morning on the scale but will wait for tomorrow for the official number to report. I hope everyone had a good weekend. What was your biggest challenge and how did you handle it?
Some might find this hard to believe, but I made my first trip to Trader Joe's yesterday. I now know the joys of that delightful store. I got a Zip car for the occasion and Cute Man joined me on the expedition, being kind and good as I oohed and ahed and generally took forever. I went a little nuts, not to mention over budget -- seduced by the lovely array of affordable staples and yummy looking prepared foods. A worthy sacrifice of some of my miscellaneous spending money!
So, that brings me to last night, post movie. Instead of going out to eat (which could be tough on the budget, not to mention our mid-sections), we opted to go home and try out some of our TJ finds. I made a stir fry concoction from a frozen bag -- are we detecting a theme here? I DO enjoy a good stir fry! Well, it was GOOD. Very similar to what I made Friday, in a good way. Although I must report that the gelato Cute Man was so excited about was a bit "off". I only had a small bit but it wasn't that great. So not Points-worthy! Well, I guess you can't win them all but today's dinner of extra lean sirloin and asparagus was simple and delicious. The only thing about TJ's was that I had to make a wee stop at Safeway this morning to get some plastic storage bags and a few other things. No big deal, though, and I WILL be back there, I'm sure, in a couple weeks.
I had a VERY encouraging sneak peak this morning on the scale but will wait for tomorrow for the official number to report. I hope everyone had a good weekend. What was your biggest challenge and how did you handle it?
Friday, March 14, 2008
Ready, Set, Weekend!
It's Friday evening and I'm psyched that the weekend is here. Cute Man is on a plane back from some training in FL so all is well. But the weekend means a break from the regular weekday routines and inevitably brings its own set of obstacles -- both financial and health-related.
This particular week, I'm going into tonight with a shortage of Points. I decided to have a treat earlier today: a package of peanut M & Ms straight out of the vending machine at work. I'm usually not really tempted by that hulking machine o' junk, but today, I just wanted those M & Ms. All 10 Points of them are now neatly accounted for in my tracker. It happens and I don't feel the slightest bit bad about it. That's where the flexibility comes in. It means tonight's dinner's going to be a light one.
Enter Sweet and Sour Shrimp with Vegtables, a Cook's Illustrated recipe I found over at Cheap Healthy Good. I'm going to modify and make it with chicken for an end result of 5 Points per serving. Perfect. I'll skip the rice to avoid adding any more calories and have tons of veggies. Yum and problem solved. I'll dip into some weekly Points today, but that's what they're here for.
Tomorrow poses a new challenge of brunch with my friend DS, but I plan on using my same flexibility to have something I like without going crazy. I'll let you know how it goes.
How are YOU planning to deal with the more lax routine that comes with the weekend? Please feel free to comment and have a fabulous weekend!
This particular week, I'm going into tonight with a shortage of Points. I decided to have a treat earlier today: a package of peanut M & Ms straight out of the vending machine at work. I'm usually not really tempted by that hulking machine o' junk, but today, I just wanted those M & Ms. All 10 Points of them are now neatly accounted for in my tracker. It happens and I don't feel the slightest bit bad about it. That's where the flexibility comes in. It means tonight's dinner's going to be a light one.
Enter Sweet and Sour Shrimp with Vegtables, a Cook's Illustrated recipe I found over at Cheap Healthy Good. I'm going to modify and make it with chicken for an end result of 5 Points per serving. Perfect. I'll skip the rice to avoid adding any more calories and have tons of veggies. Yum and problem solved. I'll dip into some weekly Points today, but that's what they're here for.
Tomorrow poses a new challenge of brunch with my friend DS, but I plan on using my same flexibility to have something I like without going crazy. I'll let you know how it goes.
How are YOU planning to deal with the more lax routine that comes with the weekend? Please feel free to comment and have a fabulous weekend!
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