I know this sounds crazy. It is crazy to me too. After all the shin pain, foot pain, leg pain, butt pain, hip pain, and knee pain.....I have to admit......I now.........drum roll........... like running. I think I can even say that I love running. Now that I've worked through all the pain and it doesn't hurt so bad when I run. And I have my breathing under control. Running is kinda fun.
I love running!
I would NEVER have believed anyone 3 months ago that told me I would love it. Hey, wait.... Sarah did tell me I would love it and I didn't believe her. She was right after all. Sorry Sarah. You were right.
I love the feeling of the fresh air. I love the exhilaration. I love the calorie burn. I love the high I feel after. I love how good my legs feel after a good run. I love listening to my music when I run. I love feeling the hot sun or cool wind when I run outside. I love the glistening sweat that rolls off my body cleaning toxins out of me.
I was waiting for this day. I've been forcing myself to run for the past several weeks. My mantra has been, "I hate running". I was convinced that I was going to keep doing it until I could do it successfully. I don't think I ever thought I would actually really like it. I just wanted to be able to do it without feeling like I was dying. I've surpassed that goal!
I drink a ton of water while exercising. My 3Day Walk training has taught me to stay hydrated so this idea of running and not having access to water bottles easily was very challenging for me at first. I've even gotten past that. I can now hydrate before my runs and go without water, at least for a 2-3 mile run in reasonable temperatures. So even my burning desire and what I thought was a desperate need has stopped. I drink before and after my runs and it's ok now.
Now don't get me wrong.......I'm not a fast runner. My jog is still my run. My goal isn't to be fast. At least not yet it isn't. I'm slow and proud! I've been running 25 - 50 minute runs lately. And this new found love of running is very new. I can only say the past 4 or 5 runs have I actually said I enjoyed. I hope that I can say that about many more to come though. I think I see a 10k in my near future. And who knows....maybe next a half marathon. As long as the race crew doesn't mind having a slowbie out there, I might even one day be game to try a marathon but I have time before I'm at that level. For now, I think I'll just keep working on my runners high as often as I can work it into my schedule.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 2010
NEVER GOING BACK!!!!!
Okay world......I have been a workaholic this week. I had some projects and deadlines that took me back to the pre-healthy and fit me. The me that hurt and ached every single day. I put in far too many hours at work this week and that was after returning from Vegas on Tuesday afternoon! I SAT at my desk Thursday for 20 hours!!!! Ok, I ran out and grabbed food and went to the bathroom a couple times. But really, I SAT all day without any exercise. I hurt so bad when I got home. I was angry. I was miserable. I HATED the way I felt. But I had deadlines that were fast approaching and work to be done.
I worked 12 -16 hour days the other days. At least Wednesday I went to boot camp class that night and I took a 30 min run during the day. Friday, I sat again all day with a short walk around the parking lot in the late afternoon. But I had no cardio and no weights and after another long day following Thursday I was again MISERABLE!
This morning I went to Zumba. After two days of not exercising, I was hurting at Zumba in my left leg and hip. I could not do some of the things in class today which never happens in Zumba. I was very frustrated with my legs that weren't cooperating. It hurt. They didn't want to move. My brain was telling them to do one thing but I was really struggling to make it work. It was an eye opener for me in how I ended up where I was a few months ago where the pain prevented me from doing things, so I didn't. Work took precedence and it was common for me to be there until all hours of the night sitting at my desk for 12, 14, 16,, and 18 hours if needed. And when one is working those stupid hours, there is something else that comes with the territory......it's EATING!
I mean if one is sitting for that long.......what better way to pacify oneself during the time than to eat. If I can't exercise....just eat...right? Well.........I didn't eat out of control, but I gotta say it was not my normal eating this week. Portion sizes were larger than normal. I was eating when not hungry. I didn't plan and prepare like usual. It didn't help that I was in Vegas for 3 days on a business trip. It was definitely an off week.
So add together lack of sleep, high stress, poor eating, no exercise and sitting at a computer/desk for 12 + hours was a reminder to the life I am NOT going back to!!!! I don't know how I'll fix these stressful or busier work times but I will find the balance. I MUST find the balance. I was so angry when I didn't get to exercise. I hurt horrible from not exercising. I felt crabby and mean. I was depressed. I was stressed out. I hated everything about this week and what it did to me. It hit home this morning at Zumba when my legs wouldn't work. I really realized at that moment the toll this week took on me mentally and physically. I won't go back to where I was last November!
I need my sleep. I need to eat healthy and portion sizes that are reasonable. I MUST exercise EVERY day! I will make sure I am squeezing in some sort of exercise so that I don't feel like I'm going to rip someone's head off or my own, and especially my family's. I need to drink water when I'm stressed, not more coffee to work longer and sleep less!
Tomorrow is a new day. I'm smarter. I'm going to try this again. I'm still stressed. I'm still behind at work. I still have a lot on my plate right now at work but I WILL find balance. I am determined. I will do everything I can to stay focussed and manage my time, work hard, work smart, and LIVE smart. I am never going back to where I let myself land the past several years. I am a machine living a healthy life now and forever. Thank you to everyone in my life who supports this decision and stands by me as I make decisions to live this lifestyle!
I worked 12 -16 hour days the other days. At least Wednesday I went to boot camp class that night and I took a 30 min run during the day. Friday, I sat again all day with a short walk around the parking lot in the late afternoon. But I had no cardio and no weights and after another long day following Thursday I was again MISERABLE!
This morning I went to Zumba. After two days of not exercising, I was hurting at Zumba in my left leg and hip. I could not do some of the things in class today which never happens in Zumba. I was very frustrated with my legs that weren't cooperating. It hurt. They didn't want to move. My brain was telling them to do one thing but I was really struggling to make it work. It was an eye opener for me in how I ended up where I was a few months ago where the pain prevented me from doing things, so I didn't. Work took precedence and it was common for me to be there until all hours of the night sitting at my desk for 12, 14, 16,, and 18 hours if needed. And when one is working those stupid hours, there is something else that comes with the territory......it's EATING!
I mean if one is sitting for that long.......what better way to pacify oneself during the time than to eat. If I can't exercise....just eat...right? Well.........I didn't eat out of control, but I gotta say it was not my normal eating this week. Portion sizes were larger than normal. I was eating when not hungry. I didn't plan and prepare like usual. It didn't help that I was in Vegas for 3 days on a business trip. It was definitely an off week.
So add together lack of sleep, high stress, poor eating, no exercise and sitting at a computer/desk for 12 + hours was a reminder to the life I am NOT going back to!!!! I don't know how I'll fix these stressful or busier work times but I will find the balance. I MUST find the balance. I was so angry when I didn't get to exercise. I hurt horrible from not exercising. I felt crabby and mean. I was depressed. I was stressed out. I hated everything about this week and what it did to me. It hit home this morning at Zumba when my legs wouldn't work. I really realized at that moment the toll this week took on me mentally and physically. I won't go back to where I was last November!
I need my sleep. I need to eat healthy and portion sizes that are reasonable. I MUST exercise EVERY day! I will make sure I am squeezing in some sort of exercise so that I don't feel like I'm going to rip someone's head off or my own, and especially my family's. I need to drink water when I'm stressed, not more coffee to work longer and sleep less!
Tomorrow is a new day. I'm smarter. I'm going to try this again. I'm still stressed. I'm still behind at work. I still have a lot on my plate right now at work but I WILL find balance. I am determined. I will do everything I can to stay focussed and manage my time, work hard, work smart, and LIVE smart. I am never going back to where I let myself land the past several years. I am a machine living a healthy life now and forever. Thank you to everyone in my life who supports this decision and stands by me as I make decisions to live this lifestyle!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Rules while I hover at 83 lb loss
I'm not going to let a little hovering get me down. I think I've been at this 83 pound loss now for a couple weeks. Work has been very stressful and busy lately. It is going to stay that way for the next few months. I'm going to need to be creative to force pockets of time to get my workouts in. I can do that. Working summers at the school allows me to wear my workout clothes to work so I can take breaks and go for a run or whatever. Forcing myself to get up and do it when I'm in the middle of projects is a different story though!
I'm still proud of the 83 pounds but I have to admit it is getting harder and the weight loss is slowing down. I'm eating well but still not tracking what I eat. My daily eating rules kinda follow the basic principals that listed below. All of which I use to keep in mind that I am fueling my body for energy and health.
Drink lots of water.
No processed anything.
One cup of coffee.
Skip the bread.
Lots of good carbs (esp before workouts) from fruits and vegetables.
Protein with every meal, and esp after workouts. Lots of protein.
Daily salad.
Daily omega 3 (flax, salmon, cod liver oil).
Include good fats (coconut oil, avocados, olive oil).
Banana every day.
Wild caught fish, not farmed.
Eat organic as often as possible.
Eat grass fed beef/ bison.
Eat organic free range eggs only.
Portion control.
Eat when hungry and don't get overly hungry.
Chew thoroughly, eat slow and don't over eat.
Always carry food on hand. (almonds, protein powder, raisins, fruit)
Pretty simple rules. I do eat dairy; full fat dairy as I'm on the side of the fence that believes that there is no nutritional value in the low fat varieties. However I try to keep it as organic as often as I can. I eat meat. I try to focus on lean quality (again organic) meats. I eat lots of fruits and vegetables. I don't eat much pasta, rice, bread, potatoes or corn. But I don't cut out the complex carbs completely. I will indulge on a tasty treat of dark chocolate or peppermint patty or something similar but keep it under portion control. I never deprive myself because it leads to binging.
Another rule I live by is to try my hardest to always get my sleep! It's getting harder to this right now but I know how important sleep is so I will continue to make this a priority and be sure I am getting the most sleep bang for my time that I can. I need those growth hormones that help promote weight loss that are generated during sleep!
I think I'm getting hungry now that I'm talking about all this food. Off to eat and work.
I'm still proud of the 83 pounds but I have to admit it is getting harder and the weight loss is slowing down. I'm eating well but still not tracking what I eat. My daily eating rules kinda follow the basic principals that listed below. All of which I use to keep in mind that I am fueling my body for energy and health.
Drink lots of water.
No processed anything.
One cup of coffee.
Skip the bread.
Lots of good carbs (esp before workouts) from fruits and vegetables.
Protein with every meal, and esp after workouts. Lots of protein.
Daily salad.
Daily omega 3 (flax, salmon, cod liver oil).
Include good fats (coconut oil, avocados, olive oil).
Banana every day.
Wild caught fish, not farmed.
Eat organic as often as possible.
Eat grass fed beef/ bison.
Eat organic free range eggs only.
Portion control.
Eat when hungry and don't get overly hungry.
Chew thoroughly, eat slow and don't over eat.
Always carry food on hand. (almonds, protein powder, raisins, fruit)
Pretty simple rules. I do eat dairy; full fat dairy as I'm on the side of the fence that believes that there is no nutritional value in the low fat varieties. However I try to keep it as organic as often as I can. I eat meat. I try to focus on lean quality (again organic) meats. I eat lots of fruits and vegetables. I don't eat much pasta, rice, bread, potatoes or corn. But I don't cut out the complex carbs completely. I will indulge on a tasty treat of dark chocolate or peppermint patty or something similar but keep it under portion control. I never deprive myself because it leads to binging.
Another rule I live by is to try my hardest to always get my sleep! It's getting harder to this right now but I know how important sleep is so I will continue to make this a priority and be sure I am getting the most sleep bang for my time that I can. I need those growth hormones that help promote weight loss that are generated during sleep!
I think I'm getting hungry now that I'm talking about all this food. Off to eat and work.
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