New Year, New Goals

Truth is, I have never made a New Year's Resolution. I have made resolutions, or decisions, or commitments to myself, whatever you'd like to call them, just never on December 31st.

But I like the idea of the New Year's Resolution. I like the psychological mind trick of an official "start date." I like the gravity of what seems like such an important promise. I like the aspect of making a public declaration of your intentions.

I also think that all of those things just mentioned can make it all too big. Too overwhelming. Too all or nothing. Too easy to give up on because, hey, no one sticks to their New Year's Resolution, right?

So here's my advice if you think you want to, or need to, make a commitment to get healthier in 2013.

1. Make it about being healthier, not about being skinnier. Skinnier will happen as a byproduct of healthier. And being healthy sounds like a more attainable goal. It means any steps you take toward better eating or more movement "count" and you get a check in the win column, fueling your desire to continue. If, conversely, you want to get skinnier and don't lose anything in the first two weeks or lose very few, your head starts doubting and that spells disaster.

2. Make small, achieveable goals. You are highly unlikely to go from no working out to a two-hour session, seven days a week. But would 30 minutes three times a week seem more doable? Would parking in the farthest spot in the parking lot be OK? Would 10 minutes of butt lifts fit in during 30 minutes of sitcom watching? I think so. Would two days a week of healthier meals with reasonable portions work? Would cutting out fast food for one week feel possible? Would saving sweets for weekend be feasible? It just sounds easier.

3. Write it down. Or share it with someone. Better yet, find someone to be your partner in crime. Declare it here in the comments section! It's not quite as real if it lives only in your head.

4. Understand that there will be ups and downs. You will fall off the proverbial horse. Prepare yourself for WHAT YOU DO NEXT, because that's what counts. Tell yourself now that you are going to climb right back in the saddle and do it. The shorter the distance between the fall and the back on your feet, the greater the chance you have of succeeding.

5. Do more of what makes you feel good, REALLY GOOD, and less of what makes you feel bad. Eating a cookie every now and again feels good because you know it's a treat, you've earned it, and it's not hurting you. Eating cookies every day makes you feel like you failed and it leads to you beating yourself up. You know the difference. Getting up at 5 a.m. to take a walk can sort of suck because who doesn't want to stay in bed? But two hours later, that early rise and activity will make you feel 10 times better than the flipping, flopping and regret that comes with the extra 30 minutes of sleep.

My resolutions are in the comments. Feel free to add yours. We won't tell a soul if you don't want us to, but we'll support you all the way there.

Happy New Year!!!!

Simple Chip Dip

We're having some people over today and I needed some munchie stuff to go along with the main-event pizza. The credit for this one goes to my sister. Again. I've adapted it a bit, but the core idea is hers.

She whipped it out at a lovely graduation picnic for a certain Venezuelan friend years ago and I had almost forgotten about it until I was standing in front of my fridge this morning, scanning its contents, hoping for inspiration.

This is easy, fast, yummy and not so horrible for you.  

Jalapeno Dip

1 8 oz. package of reduced fat cream cheese (Neufisoithghagal or however they spell that), at room temperature

1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced

2 or 3 big spoonfuls of light sour cream

1t-ish garlic powder

Mix. Eat. Of course you can use full fat or 0 fat cream cheese and sour cream. You can serve it warm in one of those little crock pot things, but I like it at room temp. You can skip the sour cream altogether, but I like it because it loosens up the mixture a little and doesn't break a Jay's chip when you dunk it. Serve with straight up potato chips or pretzels or raw veg, if you like. 

Mexi-Side Chopped Salad

Those of you who know me or have been to my house know my fall-back meal for entertaining, particularly for a crowd, is some sort of Mexican taco bar. Sometimes it's straight-up American-style tacos, sometimes it's Tinga and one of these days I'm going to tackle carnitas.

And while I love the ease, convenience and deliciousness of Mexican food, I struggle sometimes with what to serve WITH it. Yeah, I made guac and salsa. And there's always rice and beans. But that's all so heavy and not-so-good for you. As such, I'm always looking for a veg-based side that "matches" the Mexican idea. (My resident Mexican expert says vegetable side dishes aren't as prevalent in her mother-in-law's kitchen as they are in typical meat-starch-veg American meals, complicating the mission.)

So when I ran across this recipe, I marked it. Then made some tweaks. I made it yesterday and like it. Better for summer than winter, to be sure, but still good.

Mexi-Veg with Lime Cilantro Vinaigrette

Salad:
2c corn kernels
1c chopped jicama
3/4 to 1c chopped red onion
1c chopped red (or yellow or green) pepper
1/2 c black olives, chopped
1c crumbled queso fresco
1 jalapeno, seeded, finely chopped
1 avocado, chopped


Dressing:
1/8c freshly squeezed lime juice
Zest of 1 lime
1/8c rice wine vinegar
1/4 to 1/2c canola oil (Classic oil to vinegar ratio for a simple dressing is 3:1, but I think it's too heavy for this dressing. So this is a 1:1 or 2:1. But you know what you like ... adjust to your personal tastes.)
1 to 2T minced garlic
1 to 2T minced cilantro
1t salt
1t sugar

Dump all the chopped salad stuff in a big bowl. Add other veg if you like them or take away what you don't like. Celery or even water chestnuts would be a good swap for the jicama, but I prefer the jicama. I keep an old salsa jar and mix the dressing in that. Shake, shake, shake to mix. Adjust the salt and sugar to taste. I don't always need all of the dressing ... but if you make the salad a day ahead, having a little extra dressing on hand is good because sometimes you need to add it before serving.

Holiday Carrots

I made these for the first time Tuesday and really liked them. They're a little more special than everyday glazed carrots and would be good, I think, for Thanksgiving/Christmas or Easter holidays.

Orange Ginger Maple Glazed Carrots
1 lb. baby carrots
1/2 cup fresh orange juice (though I'm sure regular orange juice from concentrate or a bottle would work) ... this worked out to 1.5 naval oranges for me, BTW
Zest from 1 orange
1 T (or a big spoonful) of grated ginger (I keep a jar of prepared stuff in my fridge ... it's sold by the chopped garlic in a jar in my grocery store)
2-ish T of real maple syrup
1-2T butter
Salt to taste

In a large, shallow skillet, dump carrots and cover them with water. Bring to boil and let them bubble away until they're done to the texture you like. I like mine with a little snap in them. My mom likes hers mushy. Drain. In the same pan, add juice, ginger, syrup and butter. Let it bubble away and reduce. As it reduces, the liquid gets more syrup-y and glazes the carrots. Add the zest about halfway through. Before serving, add some chopped fresh parsley to make it pretty.

Tired of Eating

It really is a good thing the holidays come but once a year.

As Jim and I were cleaning up the remnants of our big family meal last night ... after all the company had left, after all the leftovers had been tossed, frozen or repackaged, after all the dishes were done ... I asked him what he wanted me to bundle up for his lunches.

His response?

"Nothing. I'm tired of eating."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

The fridge is stuffed to overflowing, as is the freezer. There are still cookies in Tupperware in the garage. And none of it even sounds good anymore.

Today was a welcomed day of clean eating. Had to get it in before the weekend fires up with more merriment. It just feels good to feed your body the stuff it needs. It helps put your head in the right spot ...

Feeling good about what you did today makes tomorrow easier.

Merry Christmas, CC Readers!

I hope your stockings were full of the things that matter: love, family, friendship, laughter, hope and faith.

And I hope your bellies were full of the wonderful, delicious things that come around once a year (and should be enjoyed as such).

Like gingerbread. And red wine. Yum.

(They both tend to make all that family and love stuff even more bearable. KIDDING, family and loves! KIDDING.)

Muscle, Man

Confession: I have changed my early morning TV habits. I used to watch Charlotte and Starbuck on the CBS early morning show. But when I'm on my bike, I have to put the closed caption on and read the dialogue and it loses some of its charm that way. So I discovered The Nate Berkus Show, Rachel Ray and Oprah reruns on OWN, beginning at 5 a.m.

What does this mean to you?

Unfortunately it means that I see more of Dr. Oz than is probably healthy. He' s a frequent guest on Rachel and Oprah.And he's full of tidbits that may or may not be horribly helpful ... but they're occasionally interesting. Which means I have snippets of information to regurgitate to you.

Feel free to groan.

Here's something I learned yesterday.

The question was posed, "Why do men lose weight more easily than women? Why does it seem like they can lose it faster? Is it a myth or is it true?"

First, Dr. Oz says it's true. Men do lose weight faster and easier. And it happens because they have more muscles. Muscles "burn" more calories than fat.

In other words, if there's a muscle-y person and a fat person, sitting still, side by side, DOING NOTHING AT ALL, the muscle-y person will burn more calories while just sitting there than the person with a higher percentage of body fat.

So you're following, right? Men have more muscles than women do. Therefore, they burn more calories doing absolutely nothing than we do.

The lucky bastards.

The good doctor also went on to say that lifting weights is so important for women of a certain age. (Like, say, mid 40s, ahem.) That's when your metabolism starts slowing down, when you stop making as much testosterone. More exercise and eating right can't compensate for that slowdown, which is why it's so hard to lose weight after 40. But strength training can help offset the slowdown.

So, I'm upping my strength training. I'm choosing to view it as "extra credit" ... something that works for me after I've quite working out. More reps. More weight. More days per week.



(And for the record, lifting weights will NOT make you look like this. Steroids and complete obsession makes you look like this. Or worse ... Google female body builders images sometime. Downright freaky, IMHO.)

Internet Diagnosis

I love the World Wide Web. You can learn so much. Tonight I set out in search of the cause of my knee pain.

And I have diagnosed myself with Chodromalacia or patello femoral pain syndrome or runner's knee. I believe the ligaments aren't moving properly over my kneecap, causing pain. The pain is worse when I'm sitting with my knees bent or lying down with my legs curled up, and honestly not that bad when I'm actually running.

Treatment? Rest, ibuprofen and quad strengthening exercises. The good news is that you can't really hurt it more by running.

So that's that. I ran 4 miles this morning, the farthest I've gone for a few weeks. And it felt so good. I'm paying for it now, but them's the breaks. Who needs kidneys? There are people at the Advil factory that are very happy to have my support.

Southwest Turkey Meatloaf and Mexican Fried Rice

We snuggled in today; watched it snow. Also made the mistake of making the Caramel (Crack) Chex Mix and frosted some cut-out cookies.

After a day of eating sugar, it seemed like a healthy spin on a wholesome comfort food was in order for   dinner.

Here's what I came up with. Best of all, Jim loved it. "I haven't eaten anything since breakfast, you know," he grinned by way of explaining why he went back for seconds.

Southwest Turkey Meatloaf
1 lb. ground turkey
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1/2 can drained black beans
Cumin, Tajin, salt to taste
Taco or enchilada sauce

Mix everything except for the taco sauce together and put it in a small loaf pan or just make a pile on a cookie sheet. Spread the taco or enchilada sauce on top (as you would ketchup on regular meatloaf.) Bake at 350 degrees until internal temp reaches 165 degrees. You could add an egg and whole wheat bread crumbs if you wanted. But I didn't.

Mexican Fried Rice
Olive oil
1/4-ish cup diced onion
1t minced garlic
1t to 1T diced jalapeno
Leftover rice (brown preferably)
1/2 can black beans
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
1 small tomato, chopped
Leftover Taco sauce thinned with water
Pepperjack or queso fresco

This is a chop and drop. Olive oil in pan, onions in first until translucent. Then add the garlic and pepper. Season with salt to taste. Add the rice and let it heat through. Put enough of the taco sauce in to make it a little juicy. (I used store bought taco sauce and don't like all the salt in it. So I use just a little and then add some water to help it along.) Add the beans and corn, letting it heat through before you add the tomatoes. I also tossed in a smidge of pepperjack in at the end, but you don't need the cheese at all.

Jealous ... and Ridiculous

My lovely neighbor is having knee surgery tomorrow. Arthroscopic, to repair or remove torn cartilege in her knee. She hurt herself at work a couple of weeks ago and will be off for six more for recovery.

Knee surgery sucks. Recovery sucks. (And to be honest, it couldn't come at a worse time with the snow they're predicting for tonight.)

But I have to admit to being a little bit jealous.

She's going to get "fixed."

How ridiculous is that?

New Year's Diet Plan

I have a full-proof system for not overeating on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day!

After breaking a corner off a lower molar last week, I went to the dentist today. It might take a filling to fix. Or it might take a root canal. And the sooner we can get it taken care of the better.

The earliest available appointment? Yup ... 8 a.m. New Year's Eve.

Guess that will prevent over-snacking.

It's Been a While Favorite Things

1. Gingerbread men, from UBakeIt, frosted with melted white chocolate.
2. Pointy toe cowboy boots
3. Venison landjaegers from County E Locker, Albany WI
4. Ruby Red grapefruit
5. Extra-Strength Advil

I'm Tired of Being Hurt

I must be doing something wrong.

I finished my half last spring and felt pretty good. Training wasn't as tough as I thought it would be. I took a week off and thought I'd hit it again.

And life hasn't been the same since.

I spent the summer battling freaking bursitis. I waited too long to go to the doctor thinking the pain would go away with rest. Once I finally did go, I followed doctor's orders and tried PT first. By the time I got the cortisone shot, the summer was over. But it worked. My hip felt good.

The biking and swimming I was doing to give my joints a break seemed like a good idea. But they just were not as enjoyable or as effective as running. They helped me burn calories and stay sane, but they didn't make me happy in the way running did.

So I started slowly, gradually building my miles up. I was trying to be smart. I didn't want to risk not running again. I made sure my form was good. I made sure I only added 10% a week. I was faithful to my PT exercises. I continued swimming and biking to give my joints a rest.

And I felt really good by the time we went on vacation in November. I ran a lot. Six miles a day. By mid-week, my knees started to hurt. So I backed off again. My "bad" knee, the left one, responded well and was ready to go. The right one, however, had other plans. It was killing me. It was wake-me-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night pain. FML.

So I took last week off from running. I medicated with inflammation reducing OTC meds. I stretched. I slept. And by Friday, I felt really good. No pain when I stood up. So I walked 3.5 miles on the treadmill.

And, yup. Pain is back.

I'm so pissed I can't tell you.

Am I being a wuss? Is my head playing tricks on me because I don't "want" to exercise? Should I just suck it up? I don't go to the doctor. Ever. And I've been there more in the past year than I have in the past decade.

Am I going to be able to do this long term? Do I have to give up running? Am I being dramatic? How do you know when it's a "real" issue? I hate feeling like I'm not strong enough to grin and bear the pain. I hate feeling like a complainer. I hate limping to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

Every single person I know who runs says their knees hurt. How do you know if what you feel is a real problem or one you just have to tough out?

Out of Control

I'm eating.

A lot.

There are times I feel positively possessed. Like I simply can't stop myself from feeding my face. As I'm shoveling it in, my logical brain is thinking about how I shouldn't be doing it. But there's some other part that keeps my hand moving to my mouth.

I like eating. I like everything about eating. I like the process of it ... making it, serving it, moving every bite to my tongue. I like the taste of it ... sweet, salty, spicy. I like the feel of it ... crunchy, smooth, hot, cold.

My defense against this behavior is exercise. As long as I'm moving my ass, I feel almost justified in consuming vast quantities of calories.

This morning I didn't work out. And today, I'm having an eating attack. Not a great combination.

As I eat, I feel such a mix of emotion. Shame, guilt, fear. They consume me.

I know it's an addiction. I know what I'm supposed to do to change the course. I also know how much I hate it. I hate that I have to deal with it. All. The. Damn. Time.

I want this to be easier.

Look Out, Eric Heiden!

OK, my pants are too tight. But I have a theory.

If I'm biking more, a lot more, really, my thighs could be getting bigger for good reasons, right? Do you remember Olympic speed skater Eric Heiden?

Yeah. I'm going to go with that for now.

Though you and I both know it's totally not true.

Eric Heiden's Thighs

Passed by a Goat (Sort of) Again!

If you have been sort of terminally bored and, as such, accidentally wandered into the deep, dark archives of this blog, you might have stumbled upon this post: We Just Got Passed by a Goat.

(Carsick Caravan was originally started to narrate a one-week trip in a big rig. Hence the name.)

In it, we were sitting in traffic on the interstate and a perky little goat scampered past us.

We should have been rolling along at 70 mph. The goat should have had a top speed of 15 mph or so. And yet, there it was. Leaving us in the dust.

I felt that way tonight.

I know you're probably getting tired of me whining about how slow I am in the pool. But tonight I got passed by a guy walking.

WALKING.

With shoes on. In the pool. I'm not making this up.

The shoes were black with neon green stripes on the sides. The guy was doing laps, taking big steps and ...

... moving faster than I could swim. I could not keep up.

He got out of the pool before I did. I half expected to look up and see a goat in the lane he vacated.

Protein

I'm thinking a lot about protein. Here's why:

1. I talked to a guy at a party this weekend who lost 45 pounds in 50 days on an intense diet plan. Eating 1000 calories a day, less than 35 grams of fat and 28 grams of carbs a day. No extra exercise. 
2. I checked out this site: Ripped Planet Eating Plan. A R.I.P.P.E.D. class is coming to the fitness center at work on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The workout sounds like a "The Biggest Loser"-made famous cross-training type. But the nutrition part interested me. 
3. I heard somewhere that eating four walnuts a day will make you smarter. 

Now, I'm not sure any of the above are "good" or right. Here's my take on them:

1. I can't imagine eating only 1000 calories a day and essentially no carbs for three days, let alone seven or eight weeks. And, seriously, who wouldn't lose weight on that little food? I'm sure pounds come off, but those extreme and nutritionally unbalanced plans give me pause. You just can't eat like that forever, so do the pounds come back if you don't learn how to eat properly?
2. This plan says eat something BEFORE you workout in the morning, which I never do. Should I? And it says eat every few hours. I like that. I wonder if the time you eat and the order in which you eat matters? This, too, is heavier on protein that I eat now. I wonder if just switching up my eating schedule could have a positive effect, even if I didn't change the actual food that much? 
3. There's a bowl of walnuts on my counter now. Just in case this one is true. 

So I think I'm going to up my protein a little. And do my darndest to cut back on the carbs, but I find that very difficult. 

Have you experimented with eating like this? What's your protein plan? 

A Red Headed Whore ...

That, and a bottle of whiskey, is what it would have taken to raise a ruckus at the pool today. (This is a favorite saying of my father-in-law. I mean no offense to redheads, whores or whiskey.) There was NO ONE there. Well, except me.

Note to self: Monday at 4 p.m. is prime swimming time.

And yes, I'm off schedule. Monday is supposed to be a rest day. But I have some holiday festivities to attend later in the week, which necessitated a little calendar shuffle.

Seven Eating Events to Go

Today is my extended family's Christmas celebration. One of the approximately 12 Eating Events of my holiday season.

(Ironic, right? But I counted and that's where it ended up.)

After today, I'll have six more to go. You know what I'm talking about ... parties, get-togethers ... sometimes an actual meal and sometimes just a few hours of nibbling and drinking.

They're hard to navigate for me. I want to sample a little of everything and my control isn't very good, so a sample is never just that.

My plan for this day is to avoid as many carbs as possible. Wish me luck.

The Skinny on Skinny Jeans

I tried to go Christmas shopping tonight.

I was by myself. Had a list. And the intent was to start checking things off with great efficiency and  speed.

I ended up getting MYSELF three sweaters, one shirt and I tried on approximately 832 pair of skinny jeans.

Have to be honest. I'm not sure I "get" the skinny jean.

They're tight. Really tight. And the tight doesn't get better as you go up sizes. The waist gets bigger, but the calves and thighs do not. Which means they make you look sort of like a sausage, no matter how big or little you are, and they are super hard to take off. They end up inside out every time.

Now, for my money, if something is going to fit like leggings or running tights, I want it to be soft. Jeans aren't soft. They're stiff. Crunchy, almost, by comparison.

Once they're on, they look like  you'd expect them to ... super tight jeans.

I'm pretty sure I'm too old to dress this way. So I left them at the store.

Along with my good Christmas shopping list intentions.

There's Floaties in the Water

All of a sudden, the pool is grossing me out.

The water is just warm enough to encourage bacterial growth and I see floaties in it. The locker room is carpeted, harboring heaven knows what. You aren't allowed to wear shoes and have to traipse a flight of stairs to get to the pool.

Oh, and snot comes out of my nose when I'm swimming; so I imagine it works that way for others, too. Which is only really gross when you consider that water inevitably goes in and out of your mouth when you're taking a breath.

It doesn't help that the PA at work just told me the itchy, flaky patch on my swollen eyelid was due to a fungus.

Wonder where that could have come from?

Feel free to tell me I'm being ridiculous. Or I may never go back again.

'Scuse Me While I Fartlek

(While it's true that I have had brussel sprouts for the past two evenings, that's not what I'm talking about. Man, I LOVE brussel sprouts! I can't tell you how much I adore them. I buy them frozen, cover them with plastic wrap in a microwaveable bowl and nuke/steam. Add a little butter and a little salt and pepper. So good.)

Fartlek means "speed play" in Swedish. And it's a style of interval training that helps you increase aerobic and anaerobic fitness.

You know what I mean by interval, right? Let's say you're running down the road. You pick a mailbox and that's the starting point for running faster. Then you pick another mailbox and that's the end of running faster and you slow back down to regular pace.

Apparently, you burn more calories this way because 1) you're simply going faster and 2) your body doesn't get accustomed to a speed or a distance, so you keep it guessing and it has to keep adjusting.

The key is that the intervals are random. They don't occur at the same mailbox every day, in our example. Your interval can be distance (mailbox to mailbox) or time (60 seconds of fast, three minutes of fast, etc.).

I've started using this method in my swimming and bike riding, too. In the pool, I pick a random five or ten lengths and go hard. On my bike, I pedal like hell during commercials as I'm watching TV.

And, I gotta tell you. Those AARP and Colonial Penn reverse mortgage ads between 5-7 a.m. are LONG ones.

Do you fartlek? With or without brussel sprouts?

Go Gore-Tex!

Think it gets too cold in Wisconsin to run outside in winter? 

You're right ... there are a few days that are just too windy and too chilly. But in my opinion, as long as the sun is out, the wind is light, the snow is plowed and the temperature is above about 28 or 29 degrees, it's warm enough. 

Long tights, sometimes two pair. Layers of shirts in wicking fabrics. A windbreaker-type coat. A hat. Gloves. 

I can keep everything warm except my toes. 

My Brooks Ghost running shoes are meshy (yes, that's a word ... well, it is now) and the wind just howls through them. Occasionally I actually put plastic Baggie-brand bags over my socks in an attempt to keep the heat in and the cold out. 

It's an old trick I learned from my mom. Anyone else remember bread bags and winter boots or ice skates?

The smart people at Brooks were a step ahead of me on this one. Who knew that they made shoes specifically for winter/wet running? 

I'm now the proud owner of a bad ass pair of Gore-Tex Ghosts: 

So they aren't insulated or anything, but they keep water out, which means they should also keep wind out and keep heat in. I'm so excited to try them! Also think they look tough as hell. 

I'm not actually wishing for low temperatures and snow, but if it happened sometime soon, I wouldn't be disappointed. 

I'm Out of Pretzels

Oh, the horror!

You're well aware of my addiction to pretzels by now. I simply can't help it. Well, that's not true. I could. But I choose not to. 

Because I LOVE them. 

In an effort to curb my carbs, I did not buy any this last grocery trip. 

And I'm paying for it now. I need something crunchy and there's not a crunch-producing snack in sight. I have already made -- and ate -- pita chips. I have made it through one wax paper package of graham crackers. And what was left of one box of shredded wheat. 

I even ate leftover taco shells. 

(Not all in one day! But I have eaten all these things since the decision to not buy pretzels.)

It's ridiculous. 

What's your obsession food? 

How Many Horsepower Am I?

Apparently more than three.

You never know what you're going to find in my little town. On my run this morning, there seemed to be an overabundance of pick-up trucks with trailers. And boats.

But I digress.

As I neared mile three of my intended six, I came up on the following grouping on the other side of the road:

• Two girls
• Three horses
• One dog

Each girl was on horseback. The third horse was all tacked up and being ponied off of the lead horse. (Ponied means loosely tied to another horse ... as if to learn how to ride along.) The Australian Shepherd was wearing a hi-viz orange "vest" and just moseying along the side of the road with its posse.

I passed 'em all.

But I bet they'd beat me in quarter-mile sprint by quite a bit.

Read. The. Labels.

Friday night and you know what that means for a wild, crazy, fun girl like me, right?

Yup. Friday night fish fry with my mother and a trip to the grocery store!

Wooo hooo! Did you hear Bret Michaels and the Rock of Love bus just screech to a halt, turn around and peel out on its way back to my house?

In the ongoing saga of peanut butter with no hydogenated oil, I stopped in front of the Pick n' Save PB&J section for a little investigation. The hubs hunkered down, knowing we might be there a while.

I found a few new things, among them these:


See how that second jar proclaims "1/3 Less Sodium and Sugar"? Sounds good, right?

Both were all natural. Both had short ingredients lists and neither contained hydrogenated oils. Both contained 17 grams of fat per serving.

The difference?

The lower sodium/less sugar peanut butter had 210 calories while the "regular" stuff had only 180. The lower sodium/less sugar version did have 75 grams of sodium vs. the 125 grams in the other stuff, but the difference between the two in your daily allowance of sodium is equal to only 2% ... so that's not a swaying factor for me. Both had 6 grams total carbs.

Just because it says it's better for you doesn't mean it really is. At best, these two are a push.

Read. The. Labels.

The Importance of a Schedule

As much as I want to be a hippy-peace-and-love-no-stress-fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants-throw-caution-to-the-wind-devil-may-care-rainbow-and-unicorns kind of girl ...

I'm not.

While I hate the confines of strict rules and unwavering requirements in all aspects of my life, I gotta admit I'm better with a deadline.

On the one hand, I hate Army-like regimentation. On the other, I need a little structure.

And, I think, that's what's been lacking in my exercise routine for the past few months. Part of what may have led up to this extra 10 (7.5 as of this morning) pounds. Part of what could have caused the shifting of the blubber into my butt and thighs.

My rest days vary too much. My long cardio workouts are hit and miss. I'm just not holding myself accountable.

So I'm giving some time to creating a new workout schedule, incorporating what I learned from the first go-round and from the injuries I suffered from this summer.

My new schedule, with the possibility of some tweaks to come, is going to look like this:

Monday: Rest day
Tuesday: Hip PT and run 3 or 4 miles in the a.m., swim 1 mile in the p.m.
Wednesday: Upper body strength workout and bike 1 hour in the a.m., swim 1 mile in the p.m.
Thursday: Run 4 miles in the a.m.
Friday:  Lift and choice of cardio or no cardio
Saturday: Long run
Sunday: Lift and bike 1 hour in the a.m.

CC Confessional

As a card-carrying Lutheran, I've never actually been in a Confessional. (I'm resisting the urge to say "confessional booth" because I think that's redundant?) But I view this post as the psychological equivalent.

I tried on three pair of pants from last winter season this morning and none of them fit.

None. Zero. Zip.

Nada.

I could tell you about the fear and the shame that engulfed me. (It did.) Or I could tell you about the pity party I had for myself all day. (It was spectacular.) Or I could tell you how pissed off I am at myself for letting this happen. (You have no idea.)

But I'm not sure any of that matters.

Instead I'm going to tell you what I chose to do about it.

I rode my bike this morning. I ate responsibly. I stole a Peppermint Patty from the HR guy's office. I swam this afternoon. I drank too much Coke Zero. And I told someone I trust about a new fitness goal, so he can help me get there AND hold me to it.

And, I told you the truth. Big surprise. Life isn't always sunshine, rainbows and unicorns.

I'm not sure what the exercise equivalent is of "Hail Mary," but if you want to prescribe some sort of penance for me, go ahead.

Nut Butter Project

My love of Reduced Fat Crunchy Skippy Peanut Butter is not a secret. I've been fairly honest with you about my obsession. I have told you about my trials and tribulations to find it in grocery stores. It's been the best part of my morning for more than two years.

I love this stuff.

Until Dr. Oz and Oprah ruined it for me, that is.

I happened to catch an old episode of Oprah during an early morning workout session (OWN network, 7 a.m.) in which Ms. O had Dr. Oz as a a guest. Dr. Oz was wearing scrubs. I'm not sure why. It's not like he had surgery immediately before or after the taping, I suspect. But I digress.

Dr. Oz was working with an Oprah viewer who was 50 lbs. overweight and sleeping 18 hours a day. As part of the intervention/makeover/life change, Dr. Oz and a medical pal went to this woman's house to get her fridge and pantry in shape. They made two piles: stuff that could stay and stuff that had to go. In the stay pile? The usual suspects. Real food. Nothing processed or full of chemicals. If the label listed a form of sugar (high fructose corn syrup, etc.), salt, partially hydrogenated anything, salt in the first five ingredients, it got tossed.

They pulled out a tub of Country Crock spread and read the list. Up top was partially hydrogenated something. The good doctor explained that this was fake food. Not really food at all. It was lab created and our bodies don't know how to process it. And because our bodies don't know how to process it, it clogs our arteries.

Our bodies have been ingesting and processing butter for thousands of years. Our plumbing/wiring/mechanical systems know what to do with butter. The lesson? A little butter is better than any fake food.

They moved on to peanut butter. Jif, to be exact. You guessed it. Partially hydrogenated.

So I was compelled to read my label. It wasn't good. Sugar. Hydrogenated oil. Lots of chemicals.

Crapola.

Now I'm on a mission to find something better. In my fridge right now I have a sunflower nut butter and an unsalted cashew butter. I like the first better than the second, but neither is as good as Skippy.

But I'm determined. The first step is to mix 1/2 Skippy with 1/2 of sunflower butter. It's not great, but I'm going to give my taste buds some time to adjust to the decreased sweetness and saltiness.

Oh, and I'm adding a nibble of Nutella, too. A spoonful of sugar, as they say.

All Out of Whack

Time for some honesty. 

I'm struggling. 

I have put on some pounds. I'm eating like a crazy person. My exercise routine is anything but ... hit or miss at best. 

And it's messing with my head. 

The more out of whack I get, the harder it is to get back in a groove. I know I need to make a schedule and stick to it. I know I need to eat on program and stop nibbling all the damn time. I know it's up to me and only me to make these things happen ... and when I do, I will feel so much better about everything. 

I'm still battling injury ... the hip injection worked, but then my knees started in. So I've been trying to run/walk only every other day. I've started riding my bike in the basement, but I don't have a great routine down yet and I'm not sure if I'm pushing myself hard enough. I have been swimming twice a week minimum,  but I'm not sure that's enough. I've stopped weighing myself every day. I'm afraid to because the news isn't always good. I hear this voice in my head that says it's OK to buy a small bag of M&Ms and I listen.

(You can't out exercise bad eating. No matter how hard you try.) 

How do you start exercising like you're supposed to? You just start. How do you stop eating? You just stop. How do you quit worrying about it all? You do the right things so there's nothing to worry about. 

My point is that we all go through this. This is a decision we make every day. It's normal. What you're feeling, like what I'm feeling, is normal. And it's beatable. Overcome-able. Survivable. 

One step at a time. 

I Fed 'em Doughnuts and Fast Food

I spend a lot of time thinking about food. I am constantly evaluating why I think what I think. When I think it. How I think it. I try to find the deep psychosomatic reasons I eat ... constantly  (As in, I think about it constantly and I seem to eat constantly.) I have heard the term "relationship with food" and hate it. But, let's face it. I probably like food more than I like Jim, so it makes sense. Though I'm not entirely sure what it means.

So it's only natural that I'm observing and obsessing over everyone else's "relationship with food" too. How can Jim NOT require breakfast within an hour of waking and how can he eat the same ham sandwich every day for lunch and not care? How does my mom eat her piece of fruit and dry toast every morning and NEVER make an egg? How can a friend "forget to eat"? How do some kids who grow up eating only chicken nuggets and apple juice turn into young adults that like to experiment with food?

My gut tells me that our relationship with food starts to develop really early. I know we should NOT let the kids be the boss and choose what they eat. We should expose them to many different things, requiring at least a try, and then provide good nutrition before all else.

My nieces were here for a sleepover last night. Two girls, two very different approaches to food in spite of being raised in the exact same household. One could care less if we ate at all, as long as there was a gas station with a bag of chips coming in the next 8 hours or so. Her repertoire is not broad, nor deep and tends to focus in on crunch, salt and sugar.

The other is always hungry. Her menu choices are more varied and she likes a bit more of her dad's Mexican cuisine. And she loves waffles and cereal. In fact, for years, she smelled yummy like syrup all the time.

I suspect they eat much like many or most kids. Neither are terrified to try things ... some they try willingly, some require a little coaxing. Nearly always, the try is met with a "Yuk," and that's OK.

At my house, we spend a lot of time talking about eating healthy. And exercising. I try to involve them in what I'm doing and explain the choices I make as I make them.

And my intentions are good.

So why did we eat Chinese buffet last night for supper, Dunkin Donuts for breakfast and Subway for one/Taco Bell for the other at lunch?

Because I'm a bad, bad woman. There is no reason to give a kid four doughnuts for breakfast. No matter how much they love them. I'm not teaching them to eat right and I send them home with bellies full of crap, ruining the work their mom tries to do.

I don't want to be responsible for a lack of restraint. Or for a deep-seeded association of "love = food." Or for making food some sort of a battlefield.

From here on out, it's banana before doughnuts and there's a new limit of two.

Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes, Part 2

"Bring something healthy," is not as easy as it sounds. Number one, no one wants to actually eat anything healthy when there's mashed potatoes and gravy, buttery-and-crispy-on-top stuffing, those delicious cranberries right out of the can. (Yes, I'm one of those people. I love that jelly!)

Number two, no one wants to eat raw veg, which is the obvious choice.

So, armed with a Better Homes and Gardens magazine, I picked a fall salad that was colorful, crunchy and different. Yes, I brought some home. But I also had a single request to package some up for a fan.

I also took a healthy dip and some homemade pita chips. What I like about both recipes is that they can sit out for a while and there's no worrying about spoiling or melting or whatever ... so they'd be good for summer, too.

Harvest Slaw
(I'm going to give you Better Homes and Gardens version first, then tell you how I modified.)
4C red cabbage, sliced in thin ribbons
2 med to large apples (I used Cameo) sliced thin
Big handful of toasted pecans
Big handful of dried cranberries
Chopped cilantro

For dressing: Put 3T olive oil in a saute pan, add 2 cloves garlic, 2t ground caraway seeds, 1T honey. Heat through. Add 1/4C cider vinegar. Pour dressing over ingredients above, stir and serve.

I either had too much cabbage or the dressing just wasn't enough. I could have easily doubled it, I think. The recipe also did not call for salt and I think it needed some. I used a seasoned salt.

Red Pepper Spread
(http://www.ivillage.com/red-pepper-and-walnut-dip/3-r-312268)
1 onion, sliced thin
4 red peppers, seeded and sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Juice and zest of one lemon
1C chopped toasted walnuts (I used pecans, because it's what I had)
Salt

Saute the onion in ample amount of olive oil. When it starts to soften, add red peppers. Cook until the whole mix is soft. Add garlic at the end. Let it all heat through.

Put mixture in food processor. Add walnuts, lemon zest and lemon juice. Pulse to relish-like consistency. Serve room temp with raw veg or homemade pita chips.

Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes, Part 1

I told you I was tasked to bring a chocolate pie and "something healthy." I actually ended up making two pies, both with modifications that made them healthier, but clearly still pie. And then I tried a new recipe for a salad and for a pre-dinner snack.

Here's the pie how-tos first.

Base "Fixins"
Brownie mix, prepared according to package instructions. Can substitute applesauce for veg oil and Egg Beaters for whole eggs if you desire.
2 8-oz bricks of light cream cheese (1/3 fat Neu;fgh7ight#jgal or however you spell that.)
Approx 1C powdered sugar
1 big and 1 little box of sugar-free chocolate instant pudding, prepared according to package directions with skim milk
1/2C or so reduced fat peanut butter
Optional: Chocolate chips or shaved chocolate; Reese's peanut butter cups

Prepare brownie mix and split batter between two pie plates. Bake according to package directions. Let cool completely.

Let cream cheese come to room temp or nuke it for a couple of minutes. Mix powdered sugar in, tasting as you go. I didn't measure ... you want it sweet, but not too sweet. Mix one half of that mixture with peanut butter until fully incorporated. If it's too thick, stir in a few scoops of Cool Whip. Reserve other half for the next step.

Make pudding according to package instructions. Stick it in the fridge and let it set up for 15 minutes. Put 2 or 3 cups of pudding in with reserved cream cheese mixture and beat until fully incorporated

OK, so now you're ready to assemble. The idea is to make layers and make it pretty. You might have too much pudding. There's no law for how to mix and layer this. Mix and match anything from above and it will taste good. Or you could get all crazy and add nuts or crumbled up cookies or whatever.

Chocolate Pie
On top of brownies, spread pudding/cream cheese layer first. Then add a layer of pudding only. Then top with Cool Whip. You can sprinkle choc chips on top ... or if you're feeling crazy, mix them in with any layer you want. Or in the brownies themselves, I guess. It's your pie. Do it how you want.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
On top of brownies, spread peanut butter/cream cheese layer first. Then add the pudding layer. (Or pudding mixed with cool whip ... or pudding mixed with cream cheese if you have any left over.) Then spread Cool Whip on top. Sprinkle chopped up Reese's if you have them. I didn't have any, so I cut up a  chocolate/peanut butter Fiber One bar! It was pretty.

Prevent Defense

If you'd ever watched a Green Bay Packer football game with my dad, you would have heard a couple "complaints" oft repeated:

1. Green Bay can't #"*% tackle! You can't grab them around the @#$^ shoulders! You gotta get'em at the @#$^%^ knees!
2. That @#$*&* PREEEE-vent DEEEE-fense (pronounced just this way) is a crock of @(^%^$! They're gonna let'em march right down the &$#$ @&*# field.

For those not in the know, yes, my dad had colorful language and a prevent defense is where the defense hangs back, letting the offense (or OH-fense if you pronounce it like my radio play-by-play man dad) "have" short-yardage gains in an effort to force them to burn time off the clock and prevent a spectacular, big yardage play that winds up with someone in the end zone.

It seems to me that smart eaters treat the day before Thanksgiving like prevent defense. Make some concessions today so that tomorrow doesn't end up knocking your whole program out of whack.

Here's my playbook:
1. Ate normally today, focusing on vegetables. Small portions. Salad for dinner. You get the drift.
2. Exercised a bit more today. Did a 3-mile run this morning and a 1.5 mile swim this afternoon.
3. Going to run tomorrow morning before the big event. And lift a few weights.

Those three things will allow me to enjoy all there is to offer on my favorite day of the year.

Hope you and yours have a wonderful one.

Conundrum

It wasn't the biggest problem I had today. It wasn't even close really.

But it stumped me.

I had no idea how to do it. I could imagine the obvious ways to attack it, but neither of the most logical two seemed significantly better than the other and neither seemed right.

It felt like there should be a "trick" to doing it right.

I just didn't know what that might be. And doing it wrong could cause irreversible damage, right?

So I called an expert for advice.

"Deb? It's me. How do I put on a swim cap? Hair wet or hair dry?"


Steps for Putting On a Swim Cap
Hair Dry: Harder to get on, more secure once on. Hair wet: Easier to get on, less secure once on.
1. Bend over at the waist.
2. Put your hands inside the cap and spread them out.
3. Secure the front of the swim cap first, getting it placed properly on your forehead first.
4. Stretch the cap over the rest of your head.
5. Tuck stray hair in.
6. Ears in or out, your choice.

P.S. With my competition suit, goggles and swim cap, I look like a real pool bad ass.

Thanksgiving Potluck Metaphor

Lucky me ... I don't have to host Thanksgiving this year! (Though I believe my turn in the rotation comes up next year.)

Our family Thanksgiving is "potluck-ish" in that everyone pitches in and brings something so the host and hostess aren't burdened by all that 20+ diners require. Actually, it could be closer to 30 diners if all show. That's a LOT of mashed potatoes, if you get my drift.

The host family usually supplies the bird, the stuffing, the potatoes and gravy. Guests bring the rest.

What was I asked to bring? A chocolate pie and something healthy. I really like the ying and yang of that. It's sort of the perfect metaphor for my approach to this whole thing. Remember what Dr. Kidd said, waaaaaay back in the beginning of this?

"You gotta live a little." Dr. Kidd and the Clever Mediterraneans

So I plan on making a totally decadent chocolate pie and a healthier slaw-style salad. If either (or both) of them turn out OK, I'll post recipes.

And we both know which dish will require me to bring it home because it won't all get eaten, right?

Proof That I'm the Slowest ...

I spent the weekend with a state-qualified high school swimmer, her mom/club coach, her aunt/former high school swimmer and two other lovely ladies who swam on club and high school teams.

With all that talent, I had to ask for swimming advice, right? I had my ass handed to me again on Wednesday by two people who, when standing on the side of the pool, looked like people I thought I'd smoke.

I asked a lot of questions. They gave a lot of great advice.

And then I learned this ...

State-qualifying 500m-free swimmers complete that distance in 5 minutes. I assume lesser talents clock in at 6 minutes.

That means it would take them between 17-22 minutes to swim the distance I'm swimming in 45 minutes. Sometimes 50 minutes.

Umm, yeah. Told you I was slow.

But now that I have a shiny new swim cap, a pocketful of great advice and a new challenge, I'm gonna change all that.

P.S. I was fortunate enough to have a long weekend with my girls. You know the group ... girlfriends you've knows since before you were really you. The crew that's there on every best day in your life and, more importantly, there beside you on every worst day. They are the ones who helped you figure out who you were going to be and they are the ones that know all the bad stuff about you and like you anyway. I love and admire these women more than they know. And I'm grateful they are in my life.

Stuffed

Tell me if you do this, too.

In the spring, when the weather starts to warm up, I stop wearing pants.

Well, I don't stop wearing them altogether, but I put away my "winter pants" and break out the lighter-weight fabrics, the capris, the shorts, the skirts and dresses.

As such, there comes a day in fall when the mercury starts to drop, that I have to dig in the back of the closet and pull those babies back out again. Today was that day.

I find myself holding my breath as I slide them on, hoping they still fit. For two years, I've found the breath-holding to be unnecessary.

Today was a different story.

The pair of basic black dress slacks that has fit for two years, the pair that has always made me feel skinny, the pair that has at times been on the verge of too big ... was a tight squeeze.

They were uncomfortably snug in my thighs, hip and rear. Wearable. But not cute.

While my weight isn't vastly different ... 10 pounds from my average low ... it has apparently settled in some familiar and typical places.

What a crappy way to start the day.

But guess what? I'm the only person who can change this. I'm the one who will decide what I put in my mouth and how much I work out. I already know it's a simple math problem ... I have to burn more calories than I take in.

These pants will fit and feel like I remember. Before the winter is up.

Men are Funny

When I got to the pool today, there was one swimmer in it. As I stretched and headed toward the ladder to get in, he had finished his laps and was at the ladder, climbing out.

It took him a minute to move up the three steps. His legs were wobbly.

"That ladder is tough on bad knees and hips, isn't it?" I ask with my biggest, friendliest smile. (Look at me, making conversation with strangers!) "I have trouble with it, too!"

I notice then that he's quite a bit older than me. Looks sort of like Burt Reynolds. The Burt with a dark mustache, curly dark chest hair and just a little pooch.

"Oh alk dlkfejla aldkflakdfdj! Ha ha ha ha ha!" he says. (I don't hear that well and noise echos in a pool, so I have no earthly idea what he said. But he was cheerful about it.)

He continued, with the volume greatly increased, "Oh, yes! That's A MILE AND A HALF DONE! Now if I could just stop eating so much, I'd be in good shape!"

As he says this, he's all but silent movie, over-exaggerated-ly winking at me. Had his mustache been of the handlebar variety and had there been a big, thick, gold shark's tooth on a Figaro chain, it would have been picture perfect.

And since he now knew that the lifeguard and I both knew just how far he swam, he turned on his heel and left.

I only went about a mile and an eighth, good sir. You won.

And, better yet, I've made sure others know of your outstanding feat, too. Because I'm pretty sure the more people who know, the better, from your vantage point.

26 Minutes!

What can you do in 26 minutes?

More importantly, what can you do FOR 26 consecutive minutes?

One of our CC family chicks can run for 26 minutes. In a row. Considering how long her legs are and how long she's been training, I'm saying that's 2 miles easy, and probably halfway to three. Hell, it could be three.

This is the girl to decided to "just add one minute" every time out.

And minute by minute by minute, 26 is here before you know it.

That's how we do this. Small steps in the right direction. Every day.

But you can't make progress until you start.

What are you waiting for?

It All Comes Crashing Back

This is a photo of me and my 10-year-old niece. We're watching the sun go down on our last night in Florida. The whole family was out on our balcony. We were laughing and talking and loving the togetherness of the moment.

And this one single photo has all but erased all of the golden glow mojo of a truly wonderful bit of history.

Why? Because when I look at this photo, all I see is how enormous my upper arm looks. And how the roll of my gut is accentuated by this pose. And how that shoulder seam looks positively taxed.

Now, my logical brain says:
1. Of course your arm looks big next to the girl we call Flaca (skinny) ... the girl who is rarely at or above the 5th percentile on height/weight charts. It's an unfair compare. And, you are squeezing her, so your arm is flattened out. And you already know you have gobs of extra skin hanging from your upper arms. But we've all decided that extra skin is better than extra fat.
2. The roll of your gut is being accentuated by the way you're slouching in that weird lawn furniture. And again, you know you have extra skin there. It shows up in situations like this. You are still wearing the shorts you've worn for the past two years ... comfortably. Don't panic.
3. That shirt has elastic on the sleeve. It's stuck in an unflattering place, to be sure, but it's not too tight. It doesn't leave a mark when you wear it.

But my emotional brain only sees the stuff that makes me feel bad about me.

After all this time, I'm still a bit surprised at how quickly I can become that scared, unsure, unhappy girl.

Part of the reason is that I know I'm still over the weight I want to be. I have not been successful at taking those 7 or 8 pounds off that I put on over the summer. I feel bigger. My clothes feel tighter. I've gotten much, much to lax with my eating.

And I'm terrified that I won't be able to do it again.

Best Part of the End of Vacation

Woke up this morning in my own bed. That's the good part of the end of vacation. Maybe the best part of the end of vacation. 

Unfortunately, I woke up because my knees were throbbing. 

Which means I overdid it on the running this week. The 10-ish miles I was putting in each day, coupled with the extra walking that sightseeing brings, was just too much. 

And while I thought running on sand would soften the literal and figurative blows, I think I was wrong. The sand does seem like it would provide a squishier surface than the road, but the constant changing of the sand might have offset the benefits. 

For the past two days, the tide was higher, forcing me to run through deeper, more uneven footing. In some spots, I was on a steep sideways incline. 

Then, like an idiot, I also walked to the grocery store in flip flops and carried home two liter bottles of soda and a 6-pack of beer. And my two "rest" days weren't really rest days. They included three miles of walking. Duh. 

So I'm going to pay. Good thing the Y is open. 

Chips, Pop and Beer

Vacation is drawing to a close. Which means vacation eating is drawing to a close.

Thankfully.

I have made no fewer than four trips to the grocery store for the title of this post.

It's sad, but I think that's the basis of our diet. Or, at least, it's what we seem to ingest most of, requiring the most replenishment.

Don't call social services. The 8- and 10-year-old will not win any Nutrition Contests on this trip. (Oh, and for the record, they aren't drinking any beer. We are from Wisconsin and everything, but even we have some boundaries.)

Getting back in the groove is going to be hard.

Tale of Two Walkers

So, every morning on this beautiful stretch of beach, I head out to get my six miles in. I go from condo to pier to bridge and back. On alternating days, condo to bridge to pier and back. (I'm crazy unpredictably spontaneous like that.)

When I'm done, I pick up my mom and we do another three miles walking. If you know my mom, she's a no-nonsense, quick-stepping, movin' and groovin' lady. As such, our three-mile jaunt doesn't take very long.

If you've ever seen me haulin' ass in an airport, you'd know immediately that I take after her.

Today we were joined by my hubs and Ms. Kati. It's the first time in history the four of us have ever walked together and it was obvious from the get-go that it simply wasn't going to work.

My mom and I don't really chat a whole lot. We're more about getting the task at hand done. This is exercise, dammit, and breaking a small sweat is fine. In fact, with the cooler temperatures the past two mornings, breaking a sweat is a much sought-after outcome and not easy to accomplish. We both stare mostly at our feet ... heads down, looking only far enough ahead to plot our course between tide pools, flat sand and vast deposits of shells.

Hubs and Ms. K? They are on a treasure hunt. Examining every piece of sponge and coral washed on shore by yesterday's winds. They meander, talking, laughing, punching. Walk 10 steps and stop to examine a crab's claw. Then walk for 60 more seconds and find what appears to be one-legged bird. They pick up shells. Lots of shells.

In other words, it takes them FOREVER to get to the pier, our 1.5-mile away turnaround point.

Both teams realize the difference in our approach. And we try to even things out on the way back. But I'm pretty sure there's no group exercise plan on the agenda tomorrow.

Which is perfectly OK with all of us.

Which kind of walker are you?

Florida Inspriations

Do you have any idea how many "old" people here work out?

Today, I ran with an old man who was barely shuffling along, but moving nonetheless. And on the same course, a tall, thin, blond woman who race walks with these cross-country-like walking poles.

In addition to the dozens of men, women, couples cruising up and down the beach at any given hour, we also saw a blue-hair roller-blading today on the sidewalk.

It makes me think.

These people know how valuable MOVING is. They know it makes their lives longer and they know it makes them better.

It's a good lesson.

Eating is Better Together

Nothing tastes better than a dinner shared with those you love most.

Leftovers, schmestovers.

Through the Fog

(This is a metaphor for clear goals. And achievable challenges. And courage. I am telling you this just in case the words don't come out right.)

Today, my morning run was along a beach. It was a beach I'd run on before. I roughly knew the landmarks. However, this morning, I couldn't see any of them. It was foggy. Really foggy. So foggy, it was hard to see the condos from the hard-packed sand at the water's edge.

Fog is nice on the one hand. It keeps the hot sun off of you. On the other hand, it make those landmarks hard to see. You end up running into the abyss ... not sure how far you've gone and not sure how far you've yet to go to get to your destination.


It occurred to me that the process of getting healthy can be a lot like running into the fog every once in awhile.

When I was bigger. I knew where I wanted to go. I just had no way to "see" how to get there. But I had to keep putting one foot in front of the other because the only thing I knew for sure was that I wouldn't find it by staying still. I wouldn't find it by staying where I was and doing what I was doing.

What I learned through this process was that when you're on sort of unfamiliar territory, those little landmarks on the way to your goal are important. They help you know you are on track. On pace. Accomplishing those smaller goals along the way give you the courage and strength and belief in yourself that you CAN do this.

The truth is, today's run felt farther than it really was because I couldn't see where I was going. I couldn't see the ice cream shop. Or the house with the elephant tusk entryway. Or the pier that is my turnaround until I was right on top of them. I didn't get the satisfaction of seeing that I was getting closer.

But I kept running anyway. Because I knew they were up ahead, regardless of what was in my viewfinder.

I had to trust that I was on the right path. And I had to accept that it's OK to run into the fog a little because I knew I would find sunshine ahead of me.

And I did.

(Forgot the sunscreen, too, and I'll pay for that tomorrow when I'm in the shade.)

What to Do When You Can't Sleep?

My internal clock (worry meter, really) went off at 3:48 this morning. What do you do in the dark at 3:48 a.m.?

You try to sleep until it becomes very clear that there's no going back to sleep. This occurred at 4:19 a.m.

Then you get up. And take care of a few loose ends. Throw in a load of laundry. Let the dog out. When all that's done, you put your workout clothes on, find a headband, lace up your shoes ...

And hit the treadmill with the early morning news featuring Pam Jahnke, the fabulous farm babe.

Oh, you also run one additional mile and throw a walking one in, too.

After all, you have time.

Head First

(To mimic what the cool kids say these days ...)

Truth is: I think I'm starting to enjoy swimming.

That's right. I think I kind of like it. Look forward to it, even. Me ... the slowest girl in the pool. Can you believe it?

What happened, you ask?

Well, mostly I think I just started to feel like I know what I'm doing. I got comfortable with the Y. I got comfortable with the routine I developed in the water.

And most of all, I started to feel like I COULD do it. Like I knew what the hell I was doing.

It reminded me of how I felt when I figured out how the gears on my bike worked. Or when I ran three miles in a row the first time.

It's the feeling of, "Yeah, I got this."

My point, of course, is that sometimes it takes a while to decide what you like. You probably tell your kids a version of this concept when you're making them try new vegetables. It just takes a little time to find your groove.

Any new habit takes a little time to take root. So give a new exercise time. Give yourself a chance to form a complete, well-rounded opinion.

You just might surprise yourself.

P.S. If I'm being totally honest, one of my favorite parts of going to the pool is the fact that it's WARM in there! I spend my days in the meat locker that is my office and it's just nice to get heated all the way through. I mentioned the hot tub, right?

Secret Weapons

Ever have one of those days where you just want to eat? And you want to eat something besides a raw vegetable?

Yeah. Me too. 

That's when I look for foods that 1) take a long time to actually eat, 2) don't match with much of anything so it's hard to eat something AFTER eating them and 3) give me volume or chewing or fullness so that I feel like I have actually consumed a great deal more than I have. 

Things like:

• Bread and Butter Pickles: Delicious, sweet, sour, crunchy ... and nothing really "goes with" them. So once you eat them, you're done. And if you eat a lot of them, you feel sort of sick to your stomach, so you don't eat more. 
• Tootsie Roll Mini Midgees: (The teeny ones you get in a mix bag of Halloween candy ... skinnier than the normal size ones.) You have to unwrap them. And they take a long time to chew. And eating three or four of the little ones makes you feel like you're eating a lot, but you're eating fewer calories than if you'd eaten the regular size ones. 130 calories for 12 pieces.
• Sugar-Free Mint Gum: I like Mentos. Mint gum makes my mouth feel clean and prevents me from stuffing something else in it. And I get to CHEW.
• Ginger Chews/Swedish Fish/JuJuBees: See CHEW above. Again, it just takes a while to consume these and then pick the remnants out of your teeth. Sure, they are totally empty calories. But if you buy them in the single serving packs, you can control portion a bit better. 
• Light Chocolate Soy Milk: At 80 or 90 calories per glass, this feels totally decadent. Smooth, rich, creamy ... chocolaty! Sometimes I save this and consume it like dessert. And at least you're getting some nutrition for your money. Plus, it makes me feel full for a while. The wonders of protein. 
• Mini Multi-Grain Rice Cakes: Made by Quaker, they come in Wild Blueberry and Blackberry Pomegranate flavors. Sweet enough to feel like a treat, but it arrives with some value. (Not much, let's be clear. This is processed crap with preservatives.) It delivers good crunch and if you screw up and eat the whole bag, it's better than a whole bag of potato chips. 

Tonight I have already eaten pickles and am now chewing gum. Trying desperately to not pay attention to the chocolate soy milk song playing in my head right now ...

Chicken Tomatillo Chili

Another example of a recipe that's not really a recipe. Measurements are merely suggestions.

Chicken Tomatillo Chili
(This makes a crockpot full.) 

6 chicken breast halves, thawed (one big package or two small packages)
Fajita seasoning
3 or 4 ribs of celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 large jalapeno, finely diced
1 Tb diced garlic
1/2 pound tomatillos (7 or 8 medium size tomatillos)
3 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 box chicken broth
Three squirts tubed cilantro
Cumin, fajita seasoning, Tajin seasoning, fresh squeezed lime juice, Siracha hot sauce
Tortilla chips, crumbled queso fresco, and any other chili toppings you like

Spray a baking dish with olive oil. Season both sides of chicken breasts with fajita seasoning and bake off in 350-degree oven. Let cool and cube or shred. In big skillet with olive oil, sautee celery, onion, jalapenos until they start to soften and get translucent. Add garlic and tomatillos and cook until tender. Add chicken, beans and broth. Add cilantro, spices and hot sauce until it tastes good to you.

Serve with crushed up chips, cheese and other chili fixin's. It's better the second day.

Three Random, Unrelated Things

1. Roundy's brand Greek yogurt is really good. In fact, I might prefer it over Oikos.
2. I tried out my new bike on Friday and it was cool!
3. There should be a rule that goes something like this: "When I am taking off my pants in the YMCA locker room, you, Dear Cleaning Lady, should not strike up a conversation with me." I can tell you are very cheerful and probaby very friendly. And should we meet in the produce department or run into each other at the bank, I might like to make small talk. (OK, we both know that's a lie. I don't like to make small talk with anyone, ever ... no reflection on you.) But since I don't know you, I'm really not comfortable chatting with you as I peel off my underthings and get into my swimming suit.

How Do You Know When You're Tired?

There are days I feel as if I can run forever. Or bike. Or swim. Or whatever.

And then there are days every tenth of a mile is a struggle. Every breath seems so hard. Every muscle screams.

What is the difference?

Sure, what you eat and how you sleep the day/days before matter. But sometimes it seems like all things are equal and this particular workout is harder somehow.

Getting "tired" makes you want to stop. Slow down. Turn around and go home. Even when you know you shouldn't.

When it happens to me, these are my defensive moves:

1. Immediately start talking myself OUT of the fact that I'm tired. "You ate well, you slept well, you are completely capable of this distance. Knock it off, sabotaging brain. Keep moving."
2. Start to dissect what exactly is making me feel "tired" in the first place. I check my breathing ... am I REALLY gasping or do I only think I am? (More often than not, I just think I am.) How do my lungs feel ... are they REALLY burning? (Usually they are not.) I think about my knees, hips and quads ... do they REALLY feel wobbly or just a little tight? (Normally, they're just fine.) My last check is my gut or core. If I'm really pushing it, I notice it here. And unless I'm on the verge of puking, I know it's all OK.
3. Force myself to relax. This means starting at the top of my head and working to the tips of my toes, consciously telling each and every muscle group to release whatever tight tension they're holding.
4. Tuck my chin in. I'm not sure why this works for me. When I get feeling out of breath on a run or swim, I notice that my chin is frequently jutting out ... like I'm leaning forward too much. It's a "stressful" body posture position in that it makes my chest tighten up and seems to restrict my airway. (Try it ... just your chin out and clench your teeth, then try to take a deep breath.) When I tuck my chin back into my body, I force a more relaxed position and the breathing gets easier.
5. Concentrate on one foot in front of the other. Pick a new marker (a telephone pole in the not-so-far distance or a lap number somewhere between the one you're on and the one that's your goal) and make that your short-term goal. When you get there, find another one. 

And by the time I have thought all the way through those steps, I'm a mile farther along the road than I thought I could be. THAT positive affirmation proves the point that I am strong enough to keep going.

Your brain will sink you if you let it. Learn to listen to what your body FEELS, not what your brain says your body is doing.

There is a difference.

Holy Holiday Hysteria

It's here. 

The "Every-Social-Gathering-(of Which There Will Be Many)-Involves-Food" time of year. 

It's basically a pork-fest from now until Baby New Year arrives. Sigh. How did it get here so quickly? 

I have a week of vacation planned before Thanksgiving. And we all know that turkey day is the start of the water slide that flies through Christmas, college football bowl parties and the Super Bowl. 

It started at my house last night with a work team bonfire and Hallo-Weenie pigs in blankets. And pumpkin bread. And witches brooms made out of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and pretzel sticks. 

The best offense is a good defense, they say, so I'm spending some time in my head trying to get ready for the season. I need to wrap my head around my schedule and the events in it. I need to recommit to my workout schedule and find ways to ramp it up when appropriate. I need to find the determination inside to eat properly even when the temptations over-floweth. 

Take control of you. Pounds don't happen by accident. But sometimes they happen by apathy. 

Sweet Potatoes 1 : Beets 0

Part of learning to eat better, for me, was trying different foods. When we cut out much of the boxed/pre-packaged/artificial-colors-and-sweetener stuff, our overall selection of food got smaller. Since I am someone who can't eat the same things day after day, I got bored quickly. I knew I needed to add some new foods to my repertoire to keep my taste buds interested.

The solution? Eating "seasonally." It helps keep costs down, because produce is cheapest in season, down and it provides variety in your menu.

Now that fall is officially here, I've been craving those flavors and textures.

Right now, I'm happy with butternut squash for soup, spaghetti squash to be used in place of pasta or stir-fried with other veg, sweet potatoes for oven-baked fries or simple roasters. These are foods I never ate prior to this little adventure.

I'm still buying spinach, but opting to saute it or toss it in soups and stews instead of eating it cold in a salad. And while I nosh on raw cauliflower and broccoli all summer long, now I want it steamed and simply seasoned with a little butter, salt and pepper. Or, maybe with a dusting of Parmesan.

But beets?

I've tried. I have really tried. From a can, on a salad, roasted in a little olive oil. And try as I might, I can't say I like them.

I can eat them. (Whereas I cannot eat a banana to save my soul. Instant gag reflex. Bleah!) And I do sometimes just because I know they're good for me.

But that's as far as I'll go.

Always Have a Plan (And a Plan B)

I have a rough idea of what my workout schedule is like by week. It varies with the season, injuries, training for a specific event. But I try to have a plan for "right now" so that I have something to hold myself to, if that makes sense.

Right now it looks like this:

Saturday and Sunday: Long road runs, preferably outdoors. 5 miles minimum. I do these as early in the morning as I can, so they don't interfere with my actual weekend.
Monday: Rest day. Rest day means REST day. It's good for my body and my brain. I like it on Monday because sleeping in a little on a Monday morning feels decadent.
Tuesday/Thursday: Run 3-4 miles indoors in the morning. Swim 1 mile after work.
Wednesday: Run 4 miles. Strength workout.
Friday: Run or swim or walk or bike or something. Strength workout.

I'm trying to work in at least three days of hip exercises.

What happens on which day can shift around a little, depending on my schedule. Last week, I swam Thursday and Friday, for instance. And today I didn't make it to the pool as planned due to an appointment that ran longer than I thought it would. So I'm moving to Plan B ... swimming on Wednesday and Thursday instead.

For me, making sure I get something done in the morning is critical ... because I never know what work will throw my way later in the day. If I get up and get it done early, I don't have to worry about something getting in the way.

I'm also excited to have my bike and trainer set up, because it gives me another alternative for aerobic activity when it's early/dark or when the weather outside is crappy.

What's your schedule?

Just a Little Bit More ... Or Less

"My new goal," she said, "is to run one minute farther today than I did yesterday. Then add a minute every day."

I love this idea. I love this idea so much I can't even tell you how much I love it.

She has been doing interval running. She has been battling some injuries. She has been trying to get over the psychological hurdle of being "able" to run X number of miles. She was stuck. She was not making the progress she wanted to make.

But she decided to take a new approach.

Just add one minute today. She knows she can keep going for one minute more. What's one little, tiny, short minute?

This concept is so clean and understandable. And it works for eating (one side of the equation) and exercise (the other side).

Go one minute more. Eat one thing less.

I think much of the success in any weight loss story is making small changes that are sustainable. I also think one of the biggest reasons for weight loss failure is trying to make too many big changes that are NOT sustainable.

I've told you before that in my adult life, I had really, truly, honestly tried to lose weight one other time before this one. That first time, I chose to exercise like a lunatic. Two hours per day minimum. The problem was I didn't really learn to eat properly. And when I stopped exercising, because it was simply unsustainable long-term, I put the weight back on.

This time, I chose a more balanced effort. I started making small changes to my diet. I started walking. Then walking faster. Then walking farther. I threw out all of the processed, prepackaged, full-of-chemicals crap in my pantry. I started running. Then running faster. Then running farther. Then I hopped on my bike. Rode faster. Rode farther. And then I started swimming.

And so on, and so on, and so on.

You get the idea.

Find something you CAN do instead of thinking of the 100 things you can't do ... or don't want to do.

Then do it. A little bit at a time. Before you know it, those little bits will add up to a whole bunch.

Survivor Mode

Yesterday was a milestone run for me. At 6.39 miles, it was my longest run since "the hip incident" and I did it in an hour.

Now, I am not going to get in Guinness for a pace like that, but it's fast for me right now. I'd like to say I set out to run fast, but the truth is it was COLD and I needed to keep moving to stay warm.

I was feeling pretty good about the whole thing. Proud of myself. Stronger.

When my husband climbed into bed last night and pushed on my good hip (Not for the reasons you're thinking, perverts! To move my already half-asleep butt out of his "half" ...), I yelped.

"Do that again!" I demanded.

He started poking at my bursa-area. (LOL. That sounds sort of dirty, too, doesn't it?)

Hell's bells. It was sore. So I flipped over and gave yet another order. (This is where you make a joke in your head about how bossy I am in bed.)

"Poke on this side!"

He did. Sure enough, it hurt worse on the bad hip.

I hadn't noticed it during the day. But there it was.

I decided to run again this morning. Only 5 miles. Slowly. And right now I'm all kinds of stiff and sore everywhere.

Curses!

Last weekend, my long runs were on my treadmill. Yes, the distance was a bit farther yesterday. But I think the main difference was running on the pavement vs. a cushier, shock-absorbing belt.

I have never noticed this before. Probably because I broke up with my treadmill to run outdoors last fall and never "mixed" the two during half marathon training. Me and the road were in an exclusive relationship, if you will.

I'm increasing my Advil and my hip strengthening exercises. I'm vowing to only run hard two days in a row max, and if it's two long days, one must be indoors ... at least until I can get this figured out.

Outwit. Outplay. Outlast.

Stalking Update

Turns out, my fears were unfounded.

I went to swim Friday after work and I checked at the reception desk for my ID. It was there.

My towel was not.

Eh. A towel is a small price to pay to know some crazy swimmer is probably not stalking me.

(OH! Guess what else I learned? There's a hot tub at the Y. Who knew? No one gave me a tour when I joined, so I didn't know. I might have to drive into town one crisp, cold morning, start my run from the Y and then end it in the hot tub. That sounds nice, right?)

My Road Crew

How many people get their new road bike custom fitted... in their own house, by a Trek expert? Not many, that's for sure. The dude in the green is my adorable hubs. (He's very proud of his gift-giving triumph and now wants to be called Mr. Good Stuff. Feel free to play along if you want to.) The guy on the right is my brother-in-law and personal bike authority. The two of them got my bike adjusted perfectly and then took it and the trainer to my workout room so I can pedal to my heart's content all winter long.

Which is a good thing, since my gift also included those fancy clip shoes/pedals and I need to learn how to use them. I think it's wise to figure out how to do this when the bike -- and therefore me -- can't fall over.

Look at Ms. Lexa in her new home:

(One of these days, I'm going to use my real camera and not my phone so the quality of these photos is a bit better. For reference, the walls in this room are really sort of an apple green, bright, but not obnoxious. And that beautiful bike is blue and white. Jim is still working on getting the doors hung and the trim up ... so there's nothing on the walls ... but I plunked that sign down in front of the treadmill JUST FOR YOU!) 

Swimmer, Thief or Stalker?

I was back in the pool today after a two-week, schedule-driven hiatus. I had limited time, so my plan was to get 2/3 of a mile in, using as close to 30 minutes as possible.

When I got to the pool, there was already someone in there. A young man, swimming in a very enthusiastic, but discombobulated way.

He'd go like hell for a couple of laps, then stop and catch his breath for a while, then go like hell again. Sometimes it was freestyle, sometimes it was a weird mostly underwater version of the breaststroke.

Me? I was in my normal routine. The first two lengths are fast, with very few breaths taken, because I'm not tired yet. On the next four lengths, I breathe with every other pull of my right arm. The next four, I am breathing on every pull of my right arm ... because I'm tired and gasping for air. With the first 10 lengths complete, I settle into a new pattern. Breathing every second pull on the way down and breathing on every pull on the way back. After about 30 total lengths, I get into a rhythm where I can stop breathing on every right pull, switching back to every other. I usually keep that up until whatever is my big finish. If I'm doing 100 lengths, the big finish is the final 20, for instance. And I go as fast and as hard as I can for as long as I can.

It's not scientific. I didn't research anything. It's just what I do. I change it up when it becomes "doable." I make it a little harder somehow.

At a turnaround near lap 30, I heard weird swimmer dude talking to me. So I stopped and stood up.

"I'm new to swimming. What is the right way to breathe?" he asked.

"I have no idea," I replied. "I am no expert. Right now I'm breathing every other stroke one way and every stroke the other way. I just try to stay consistent."

"Well, it sure looks like you know what you're doing," he said.

Ha! I chose to bask in the glow of this almost compliment, knowing full well I'm always the slowest  one in the pool.

We both started swimming again.

The pool filled up. A rainy day might cause that? And as the lanes got crowded, I noticed that he got out of the pool. Shortly afterward, I, too, finished up my laps and climbed out.

And ... my towel was gone. Along with my YMCA photo ID. Weird swimmer dude must have grabbed it accidentally. I had to borrow a towel from the lifeguards and get them to let me back in the locker room.

All I can think about? Weird swimmer dude now knows my name. And he has my photo. (And my crappy blue towel ... which I'm not so worried about.)

This freaks me out a little. I'm thoroughly convinced he's going to stalk me and kill me because he's pissed off that I can swim faster than him.

That's irrational, right?

Cuppins!

My treat day today at work. I'm lucky in that most of the people I work with don't mind a little healthy. In fact, I think they prefer the not-so-terrible-for-you stuff.

So in an effort to make something yummy but not cellulite producing, I borrowed a recipe from the Hungry Girl blog with a few modifications.

I call them Cuppins ... a cross between a cupcake and a muffin. The texture is a bit more dense than a true cupcake. Since I'm a fan of dense and moist when it comes to baked goods, it works for me.

*** Please also note that Cuppin is a combination of the words Cupcake and Muffin. Like Bennifer or Brangelina. The alternative, Muffcake, is decidedly less appetizing.***

Spice Cuppins
1 box spice cake mix
1 can puree pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie mix)
Big handful of chopped pecans
Big handful of coconut
(Raisins would be good, too, but I didn't put any in)
1 container ready-made cream cheese frosting

Mix pumpkin with cake mix. Batter will be thick. Toss in pecans and coconut. Scoop into lined tins. I do NOT fill them all the way to the top. Remember, we're still trying to save calories here. Bake according to box instructions. Let cool completely. Frost.  (You could make your own cream cheese frosting with a mixture of low-fat/fat-free cream cheese, but, really ... why? There's no law that says you have to glop frosting on there ... just don't use as much. I frosted 20 cupcakes with a half of a tub.)

They also taste pretty good with Nutella frosting. I sampled one last night.

Ride On!

I like to think that my journey to healthier is sort of a solo effort. I've never been a joiner and it's no accident that running and working out in my basement are my exercises of choice.

I don't consider myself outgoing, nor cheerful, nor particularly friendly. So group exercise has always been something I've stayed away from. I like to depend on me. I like to be the one in control. I like to prove to myself I can do it.

But my more lonely approach has disadvantages. Without a group, or a workout buddy, I miss out on the support they provide. The camaraderie. The motivation. The "I'll-do-it-for-you-and-you'll-hold-me-to-it" attitude.

My treadmill and my shoes don't really give me that cosmic hug.

I know and believe in the importance of that support. In my opinion, it's vital to the long-term success of the changes we have to make.

So where do I find it?

I find it in this blog. I find it in you guys. And I'm lucky enough to find it in sort of unlikely place.

My husband.

Now, he doesn't run with me. He's never been to the YMCA one time to swim or lift weights (though I'm paying for him to go, mind you ... and it only bothers me a little). He very rarely agrees to a 3-mile walk.

But he supports and encourages with the best of them. He understands how important this is to me and he helps me make it a priority. He gets up early and stands in the rain on race day. He listens to me bitch about my injuries and scheduling conflicts. He patiently waits for me to wake up, run, shower and get ready on weekend mornings, when he'd much rather already be at breakfast or knocking off errands.

He puts the clip back on the chip bag to keep me from eating more of them, for goodness sake.

And yesterday he surprised me with a road bike. Because I entered ONE bike event this summer and mildly complained that my bike wasn't as fast or fancy as others.

If you don't have this support system, find it. It's critical to your success. Use the people who read this blog as your sounding board. Use me ... I'm happy to help. Trust someone with your fears and your struggles and your triumphs. It matters. It will make your journey easier. And trust me, I know it's not always easy to bare your soul about something that hurts so much.

Believe in yourself first. And then let someone else believe in you, too.

I'd let you borrow my set-up, but I want to keep him all to myself.

Hip Finale

Quick, knock on something wooden.

OK, with that preventative action complete, I'm going to let you know that I have closed what will forever be known as the "The Hip That Ate My Summer" chapter.

At six weeks out from the cortisone shot, I had my final follow-up appointment last Friday. Though it took a couple of weeks for the pain to stop being noticeable, I have been pain-free for the better part of three or four weeks.

I have also been careful about my workout schedule. I'm running a maximum of three days in a row. And when I do run three days in a row, they are not three hard days ... two longer distances and one short.

As such, my sports med doc gave me my final "clearance" with a stern reminder.

"Running itself will NOT make the muscles you need to run strong. You have to continue to do the therapy to make those hip muscles strong."

So I'm doing my clamshells and leg lifts three times a week, too. And trying to remember to shuffle around the house with that big rubberband on my ankles. Prevention is the name of the game, here.

God bless cortisone!

It's Easier to Keep Going

Determined to make the most of this wet, dreary weekend, I hit my treadmill again this morning with another 5-mile run/1-mile walk goal. It was a mile more than I did last week and I was also committed to turning up the speed and incline just a bit.

I had a good night's sleep under my belt, a reasonably healthy eating day ... all systems were go.

By mile marker 3.5ish, I started to feel the burn. I wasn't sure I could get to the end. I let my head get in the way and I slowed the pace down for .15 miles at a slow walk around 3.85 miles.

And then I decided to kick it in the rear and finish what I set out to do.

But boy ... firing back up is hard. It's easier, I think, to just keep going.

Starting over, with good eating, a regular exercise schedule, a solid sleep routine is harder than if you just keep going in the first place.

Your body is capable. Your mind will try to talk you out of it. Trust me, gaining five pounds and then having to lose it again is harder than just keeping it off.

Just keep going. Find the routine, the schedule, the zone and keep going.

Bloat, Part 2

I lost 3.8 pounds between yesterday and today!

OK, we both know that didn't really happen. But that's what the scale said. My ring is still tighter than normal, but after a solid 8 hours of good sleep, a 5-mile run, plus a 1-mile walk, a digestive tract back in standard operating mode and lots of water, things are looking up.

The point of this is you can't always trust the number on the scale. You fluctuate a lot depending on circumstances ... what you eat, how you sleep, if you're working out ... and yes, if you're pooping regularly. So don't get freaked out. Stick to the plan and do what you know is right.

Do the right things often enough and good things happen.

And as GAF so wisely advised, drink a lot of water. It keeps everything a bit more balanced.

(Sorry for the poop comment. I know it's gross. But it's true. Your body is a system with intakes and waste removal and the whole thing has to be working for you to be working.)