Daily Workout Thread Monday, May 1

[monarch64]

Hey where the heck is everyone???

I walked 16 miles with my team this weekend--it was manageable but now that we''re walking such long distances it''s starting to suck--it takes so long!!! We started at 7:45 Saturday a.m. and finished around 2 p.m. Plenty of stops to rest and stretch, and once to eat lunch.

I''ve lost another 1-2 pounds (depending on time of day, lol). Today I put on a pair of tailored black slacks I haven''t worn in ages! I''m definitely halfway to my goal weight and it feels really good. All this walking and watching what I eat (with the occasional cheat ha ha) is paying off.

Hope everyone is doing well today. I may or may not work out tonight--my husband just got back in town yesterday and I''d like to spend a relaxing evening with him after we make dinner together... Have a good Monday everyone!!

 

[Mara]

yay monarch!! congrats on your success. i do have to say that while i LOVE walking, i hate how long it takes to do my required mileage. i wish that it was just a bit faster!!! i get bored after about 45 minutes even listening to great music.

i walked on friday 2.5m and then on saturday did another ~2m with portia at a different park while greg ran.

ate alot all weekend, tee hee.

i'm trying to be really good this week to counteract all the effects of the yummy fatty food we will be having in texas this weekend!

 

[akw94]

Monarch,
Ummm, did you ask about training for my previous walk?? Well...was I supposed to train?

I had been working w/a personal trainer during that time and was working out about 2-4 times/wk. I didn''t do anything other than that though. Silly me thought that would be sufficient. I think I was so sore b/c the walking aggravated my back injury. I also walked w/my brother and bf and had to walk pretty fast to keep up w/them. So don''t use me as a way to determine your soreness! How long is your walk? I think mine was either 3 or 5 miles. Is a 5k 3 miles? Or a 3k 5 miles?

I can''t remember but i''m sure I did whichever is shorter of the two. From the fact that you are walking 16 miles to prepare, I have a feeling your walk will be a bit longer than mine. I am sooo impressed that you walked that much! Wow!! And congrats on the weight loss!

Mara, that''s great that you got some workouts in this weekend.

I didn''t workout this weekend but only plan to if I didn''t get my 5 days in. I probably should''ve b/c my eating wasn''t great this weekend. I''m having a hard time resisting temptation but still working on it. I weighed myself and no progress but i''m not giving up. My eating is starting off fine this week as I had a bowl of cereal w/raspberries this morning and a yogurt for lunch. I am hungry right now and ready for dinner! But not until after I workout. I think i''ll have a turkey sub from somewhere. I''m going to continue w/the running program and keep on the 1st phase this week. I also bought myself a nice magazine to browse through. I get so tired when I don''t have something to read.

Good job ladies!

 

[Mara]

one other random comment but i find after i have eaten a large meal aka out somewhere, it totally helps if i walk for about 10 minutes just around the park outside before just parking it on the couch. it just makes me feel much better...and seems like i am not quite so ''stuffed full'' after.

dixieamy..a 5k is basically 3.5 miles! so you were close. hehee. i love walking those whenever i can, greg runs 5k and 10k''s with my dad so doing something like that is a good way to get out on a morning and HAVE to put in some effort...hehee. though i like to lay around on saturdays and sundays typically!

 

[monarch64]

Amy, the walk I''m doing is about 39 miles over two days. The first day we do 26.2 miles, the second 13 miles. So that''s why we''re doing all this training, to get our bodies accustomed to walking long distances. It will be pretty intense, but they really encourage you to pay attention to your body and you always have the option of stopping if you feel like you can''t complete the whole marathon. I think I''ll be able to handle it, though. I really wanted to prove to myself I could do something like this!

As far as weight loss--have you tried keeping a food journal for a few weeks, and writing everything you eat down? That helped jump-start my weight loss a couple months ago. I found that by writing everything down, I could see patterns of how my moods affected my eating, how much water I was actually drinking, etc. Then I was able to make changes in my diet and stick to them pretty closely (always allow for the "cheats!") Also, I''ve been working on eating smaller meals more frequently. You mentioned in your post that you''ve had two meals today and are hungry but are going to wait to eat until after your workout--that can really screw up your blood sugar and metabolism. Remember you have to fuel the fire to keep it burning (metabolism). Think about eating some fruit or something before your workout, you will have more energy and then when you eat dinner your body will want to keep burning calories rather than store them because it''s afraid you''re starving it.

Mara, my husband mentioned getting me an IPOD--right now I don''t listen to anything while I walk, unless I''m at the gym where I can plug my headphones into the t.v. on the treadmill, lol! I get SO bored! I think he''s waiting for my b-day this month, but I''m going to encourage him to just give me an early present, ha ha!

 

[Mara]

oh and can i just vent here for 5 minutes, that i am sooo irritated with how lazy my body seems to be about things like losing weight? not like i have really much to go, i could stand to lose maybe another 5 lbs, i look fine but i want to see how much 'better' i could look of course....especially in the bikini!!

but it's sooo discouraging sometimes when i feel like i eat SO WELL and then don't see differences! i know i still have fat on my body, plenty of it unfortunately, and why isn't it going away!!

like for example, my day during the week is almost always like this:

breakfast: high fiber cereal, banana in cereal, 1% milk and cup of coffee with milk and sugar (yes the sugar sucks)
lunch: pack of fresh tuna and avocado sushi from whole foods (7 rolls) OR tuna sandwich made at home with whole grain bread and 1 tblspoon of mayo OR whole foods salad with blue cheese, walnuts, lots of lettuces and vinaigrette OR sometimes just sliced plain turkey breast and a banana etc (you get the picture, nothing huge)
snack: whatever fruit is my insane craving, lately it's been a fuji apple since they are SO SWEET and crisp, but today i picked up in-season mangos at WF
dinner: grilled fish with veggies (aka tonite is corvina seabass with mango teriyaki sauce and grilled asparagus); grilled chicken with salad; stuffed chicken breast with wild rice, etc. pretty substantial dinner but nothing insane.

so 5 days of that and then 2 days of 'more free' eating but i don't go CRAZY, aka same breakfast on saturday, a snack is apple and then a big mexican dinner; then sunday is typically big breakfast at home with all the trimmings, no lunch and then we grill at home or something.

oh and drinks? i don't drink hardly any alcohol, if i do it's one or two guava margaritas on saturday or sangria at dinner on the weekend, but basically 1 day a week i have maybe 2 glasses of something. i don't drinks sodas or juices or anything, all i drink is water and lots of it!

as for exercise, one day of kickboxing (used to be two til i hurt the arm) and then i walk about 10 miles a week outside. nothing huge or startling, but i can feel myself getting STRONGER, but not thinner, though i have seen improvement in how my bottom half looks big time but i don't feel like i lost 'weight' necessarily.

so overall i am very healthy, we don't eat fast food (aka once every 6 months!), we don't eat alot of processed stuff at all, most of it is whole grain or fresh etc etc...so why am i not twig-girl? not like i want to really be TWIG GIRL necessarily, but what is the deal!! you think i'd be alot thinner than i am! WAH! come on body, work with me here!!!

okay, tantrum and vent over. back to drinking my water and eating my apple.

i should also stress that i feel kind of like a whiner because i look FINE to everyone i am sure, but i feel like with everything i am doing i should see more in terms of results? like i could use a little bit more of a tighter belly and my arms need a little more toning, my bottom half is fine, but i feel like im doing the right things, hello?!

 

[monarch64]

Yikes, Mara, I know! It is really hard to know you''re doing all the right things and see differences so slowly. We are such an instant gratification society, lol! The only way to really LOSE weight (like your last 5 pounds) is to take a cold, hard look at exactly how many calories you''re consuming on a daily basis (ediets has a daily nutrition thing where you can plug in exactly what you ate and it will break down your calories, fat, and nutritional content--especially good for foods that don''t come in boxes with labels ha ha!). Then you have to figure out your BMI and how much of a calorie deficit you need to create a week to lose 1-2 pounds a week. For me, I was eating upwards of 1800 calories a day (I''m 5''10") and when I joined ediets they had me cut down to 1300-1400 and start exercising because I had been pretty sedentary as far as working out for the last year.

They say the last few pounds are the hardest to lose. Your body gets used to a certain calorie intake and activity level, and adjusts itself to hold onto that extra stuff "just in case."

I read a book recently called "The 7 Day Detox." It''s not only a weight-loss tool, it is supposed to aid the body in cleansing itself of some of the chemical crap we ingest that stays in our system and can make us feel lethargic or unwell. Basically you do a two-day water or juice fast, then the next five days eat unlimited quantities of fresh vegetables, fruits, and brown rice. It''s just going back to a very basic diet--no dairy, no animal proteins, etc. Kind of like a raw food diet.

I''d love to try a raw-food diet. I know it would really contribute to weight loss, but I don''t know if I could give up "cooked" food, ha ha! I have a hard enough time trying to go from vegetarian to vegan...I can''t seem to give up dairy!

 

[Mara]

i know monarch there are just some things i CANNOT do. one of them is doing a fast on juices or things like that. i would literally DIE. i am sooo food oriented. sure i can eat apples for 3 days in a row, but i can't just drink liquids. also once i get really hungry, i get SUPER cranky. oh if you think you have ever seen me be bitchy on here before....woooooooo you haven't until you have seen me get really hungry! hehee. i can't even concentrate on anything else when i am hungry. i would never make it on a 2 day fast thing unfortunately.

i know what you mean re: calorie intake, i could definitely cut back a little more here and there...aka no sugar in coffee (ew!), no mayo in the tuna...but it's just so irritating when you feel like DAMN i am doing all the right things, why do i have to cut back even more to get just a little more. and then really it comes down to, well is it really worth it? i mean if i lose the last 5 lbs or the stomach is a little tighter or whatever, does it really MATTER? do i look any different REALLY?

justification is a beautiful thing!! hehee.

 

[monarch64]

Ha ha Mara, you are too funny! I know about those blood sugar related mood swings, believe me! And I would never call you bitchy, maybe snarky, but not bitchy, lol!

It''s funny how we notice those last silly pounds but no one else does. I was looking at some people''s goal weights this morning who were as tall or taller than me, but had like 50+ pounds to lose. All their goal weights were where I''m at right now! It was so strange--I thought, "jeez maybe I''m fine the way I am," but I know damn well there is no way I''m wearing a bikini right now! So I know what you''re saying. It''s hard to look in the mirror now knowing that your body was better a couple years ago or whatever, and not think "if I could just look like that again!"

 

[akw94]

Mara, that''s a good idea to go for a short walk after eating a big meal. I saw some commercial about being more active where the family all went for a walk and the kids were rollerblading. I just have to remember to do that. I''m generally so tired in the evenings that I don''t even think about exercise, in any form!
I had a somewhat fatty dinner Saturday and didn''t like the way I felt after so that also helps me stay away from foods that aren''t as great for you (I had a turkey burger and sweet potato fries). I almost never eat burgers so I thought it would be a nice treat and I LOVE french fries but try to have them very, very rarely. But it all felt so greasy that I know it will be a good, long while before I eat that stuff again.

Thanks for helping me w/my 3k confusion. I knew it was around there somewhere! Actually, some Saturdays, my bf will go running while I just lay in bed.. I think I will make myself go w/him the next time I happen to stay over on a Friday night. Maybe...

Monarch, I can''t even *imagine* what it would be like to walk 39 miles. That is an amazing accomplishment and great that you''re so dedicated to the training. By the time the walk happens, will you have practiced walking 26 miles? Really, I am so impressed!
I''ve never really kept a food journal. I''ve thought about it, if that counts.

Maybe i''ll try again. Bally''s has the phone counseling thing that I have thought about joining. I figure they''ll have me do that sort of thing.
Good idea about eating something small before working out. Actually, I do usually have a snack but sometimes I don''t b/c I tend to want to eat too much. Since I am hungry, it''s hard to only eat something small and stick w/something hungry. It definitely helps though when I stay conscious of my goals. So saying that, it makes me realize that a food journal would be helpful b/c at least i''ll always have my eating in mind.

Mara, you can vent anytime! I get annoyed a bit too sometimes. When I started making major changes like cutting out pop and fried foods, I was able to lose quite a bit of weight fairly quick. Now, i''m working out all the time, eating pretty good and it''s sooo hard to lose. It gets frustrating! For me though, I know I could still stand to make some changes in my eating. That is my biggest problem these days. From what i''ve also heard, sometimes your body just takes a break. Losing weight doesn''t seem to be a very consistent thing, but you have to be able to stick w/it regardless. YUCK! And as you said, you are getting stronger so sometimes the improvements from your body come in different ways. You''re doing all the right things though so keep up the hard work!

Off to workout...

 

[Mara]

dixie it's so true re: feeling crappy after eating heavily, i totally feel the same way and that is why i think also walking a bit after helps me ... not just digestive wise but mentally too. if the food feels more settled and then i drink 8 oz of water at least i know i am doing the right things to help my body process the food even if i went a little overboard with the nachos at dinner or something.

monarch, so true re: weight and people's ideal or goals compared to what you are now. i told a friend recently what i weighed and she was like 'that's a good weight!'...'that's where you should be for your height' and i was like NO WAY!!! she thought i was insane for trying to 'lose' any more weight. but i guess i look at it like well i could always be BETTER at it right? eating just a little bit better, looking just a little bit better. perfectionism.

so anyway yes part of it is that we are much harder on ourselves than others are on us i think, we see and perceive ourselves in different manners. i do feel great for doing what i am doing and having made it a lifestyle change and not just a 'i want to lose weight' thing for the short-term, but i wish our bodies were not so 'famine' oriented, aka hang onto the last bit of fat .... damn you body!

of course it doesn't help that my sis is 16 and beautiful and rail thin just like typical active teens are...i looked like that at her age i guess ... we look almost like twins (except i am double her age!) and so i look at her and think wow that could be me if i was oh..a TWIG...and i am like DAMN that just sucks.

getting older is a drag.

 

[Blenheim]

Hey, I just got back from walking almost two miles! It''s another gorgeous day in Virginia, and it feels so good to be active, even if I can''t run yet.

Monarch, I can''t believe that you walked so far over the weekend. That''s awesome!

I was getting pretty discouraged this weekend. Three girls I know ran a half marathon over the weekend. While I know I should be happy for them that they were able to complete it and that all their training paid off, I was just frustrated that I couldn''t run.

By the way, 5 km is 3.107 miles, and 3 km is 1.864 miles. In case you''re ever interested in more conversions, google has a relatively new feature in which it will make conversions for you. You can type things like "5 kilometers in miles" or "1 cup in teaspoons." It''s awesome.

Mara, I recently cut out the sugar from my coffee. I didn''t do it all at once though. I gradually reduced the amount of sugar until I couldn''t taste it much at all, at which point I realized there was no point in adding any. I think it was probably a lot easier to do it that way than to just cut it all out at once.

 

[monarch64]

Amy, yeah, we will have "practice walked" probably 22 miles two weeks before the event. The week before is supposed to be a "rest" week, so we''ll be doing about 10 miles that Saturday, and on our own we will be logging about 16 miles during the week. Right now we''re upping the Saturday miles as much as possible and logging 25-30 miles on our own during the week. I have a hard time finding time to do all that, but I''m doing what I can...I also have to find time to solicit donations (we each have to raise at least $1800), and I''m only at 23% of my goal 33 days out--getting down to the nitty gritty here! So this walk is pretty much my life besides work and my DH the next month! It will be an incredible sense of accomplishment, though. If I am still living after it''s over, I hope to start training to run a half marathon in Chicago--care to join me, lol! Seriously, though...I would love to have you as a partner if you''d ever be willing!

Mara, so true that our bodies just start refusing to conform after our teens and early twenties. Here''s a story for you: I have a friend who is an event planner in Chicago. She has had epilepsy since her teens and two years ago she fell off a golf cart and hit her head really hard. Since then she''s lost her senses of taste and smell completely. She went from a size 16 (5''2" tall) to a size 0 in a matter of months. While the rest of my friends and I are sometimes disgusted about this, we realize she may never regain her senses and be able to enjoy food again. She just eats to survive when she feels hungry, but really gets no pleasure out of it. I don''t think there''s a fat cell left on her body, but not for lack of trying. She''s half hispanic, half filipino, and misses her big old booty, lol! The other bad thing about it is she''s always worried she won''t be able to smell smoke and will possibly not wake up in the event of a fire. Her story always inspires me to be thankful that I''m pretty much normal and in control of my weight--she is not...she doesn''t really have choices when it comes to food because she lacks the senses to enjoy it. I think she''d trade the weight loss in a heartbeat to regain her senses.

Blenheim, thanks for the compliment! I couldn''t believe it either! I actually came home exhausted but decided to clean the whole house this Saturday because my DH had been out of town and I wanted it to be nice for him upon his arrival home. I also knew if I even thought about laying down for a nap I''d be out for the next 24 hours, lol! Don''t feel bad about not being able to work out. You''ve got to give your body time to completely recover, otherwise you run the risk of screwing your back up further, and we don''t want that! I still think about you and hope your recovery is speedy!

 

[Mara]

monarch if you set something up on paypal i bet some PS''ers would donate!!

 

[monarch64]

Mara any direction you could steer me would be much appreciated. I hate soliciting, but it is for the good of boobs everywhere...lol!