Wow

I am looking over my week and I am blow away! I followed my points for a full week, truthfully I can't remember the last time that happened. I have never tracked exactly how many days in a row I have followed so that may be why I am so blown away.  

* 

I am including one cheat night a week.  These are essential to your diet so that you can get your cravings out.  I also love following my points but knowing that I get a date night or a dinner with friends coming up is enough motivation when needed.  Last night was my cheat night, we picked up sushi and ice cream for desert.

*

I would guess that I am about 15 pounds away from my goal.  If I would just stick to my points and working out I could be there in two months.

Jeans or sweats?

I asked you the other day if you stay in your clothes from the day or if you switch into sweat/pj's right away when you get home.  So far 18 of you have answered and all most all of you have given some form of you switch almost immediately.

 I figured/hoped this would be the case since it is exactly what I do as well.

*

I started to think back on this habit and when it started.  For me it started in college when I started to gain weight, yes the dreaded freshman 15.  

I realize that it is just so much more comfortable to be able to come home and put on something comfortable and forget your day.  I think though that as we start to unwind so does our motivation and awareness of our bodies.  We no longer feel uncomfortable in our clothes that may be a little to tight and that extra few end of the day points look so good.

*

The day that I asked this question I got home and actually stayed in my jeans that I had worn that day.  It was SO hard not to rush to my room and change.  Something in my mind switched though by not changing.  I wanted to eat something but since my jeans were still on I was so much more aware that my stomach was already full.  I was eating out of habit not because I truly needed it.  I waited till my stomach felt better before I ate dinner.  I am thinking that by waiting to change I will hopefully become more aware of what my body needs and not just eat to eat.

*

How many of us have great days then go way over our points in the evening.

  Would waiting to change help this at all?

4 days

This may be a bit random, sorry.

Today is the 4th day in a row that I have been able to follow my points! I am not really sure the last time I was able to do that but I am so excited that I can look at my calender now and see that I have stayed on track four days in a row.

*

Here is a picture of my calender for this week.  Each color represents a different category.

I can uncheck any category I don't want to show and just look at how I have done on my WW.

In the green on the top I plug in how many points I ate each day and the red is for what activity I did and how many calories I burned.  

A notebook works just as well for this don't forget.

*

Looking back the first three days were pretty easy and temptation free (I think working out makes it easier) today was hard though.  I am not sure exactly what I was craving but I was hungry.  I then realized I hadn't had anything with substantial fiber so I ate some broccoli with a piece of WW American cheese melted on top, so yummy and only 1 point for one cup. I also made sure I drank a big glass of water to help fill me up. I was able to stick to my one planned glass of wine tonight at my work meeting even though they had amazing food they had brought in.

*

    I wasn't able to get any miles in the past two days but it is better to follow your points and not get in activity that to eat whatever you want and get in a mere half an hour of working out. 

I had this visualization this week that helped me.  

I knew by using my heart rate monitor that I burned the calories equivalent to one party pizza in one workout of walking 5 miles.  It wouldn't take long or really be that hard to eat a whole pizza but it took me over an hour and a lot of effort to burn the same amount of calories.  This made the pizza not worth the effort it would take to burn the calories.

*

Also I will post about my question from yesterday hopefully tomorrow before bed for all of you who are wondering why I asked such a random question.

I want to know...

Do you girls switch out of your jeans and into sweats almost immediately when you get home or do you stay in your day clothes till bed time?

getting back on track

Are we all back on track after the long Memorial Day weekend?

I know that Saturday I had way too many parties (a baby shower, 3 graduation parties, a 60th birthday party and my husband's birthday) to be able to follow my points.  I did however fit in 3 miles before all the celebrations! I informed my husband that I NEEDED to follow my points Sunday and Monday, it may sound silly but I need to let him know that I couldn't give in to any temptation.  I find that my husband is the biggest reason my day gets thrown off points wise.

He can be my biggest supporter or my biggest weakness and I need to let him know how he can support me best.  

*

I followed my points as I had planned and I was able to get in 13 miles over the three day weekend! I also started tracking my miles and how many points I eat for the day in my calender on my computer.  Apple has a great Calender where with a few clicks I am able to only see what I have designated my weight watchers calender and my mileage calender.  I am hoping that I can see how successful the month has been and hopefully why I have not been able to follow my points for the day (hopefully only because of an eventful like Saturday). Seeing that I have had a great week hopefully will keep me motivated to stay on track.  I am also hoping seeing the opposite will also help motivated me to work out or follow my points.

Cut it out

Does my title today make you think of Full House and Uncle Joey?

I have made the decision that I have been adding way too much salt to my foods.  I have become quite dependant on it and I have slowly added more over time.  I have already noticed that I can tell when there is already salt added and that things are tasting better already.  Most diet foods are so packed with salt I really want to cut out any extra salt and see how my body reacts.

*

Along the same lines I am cutting out ib profin.  I did this a while ago and I found I was less dependant on it.  When I really was in pain it worked so much better because my tolerance had gone down.

*

Since I started running my shoulders feel so much better. They use to cause me terrible pain everyday, the result of too many car accidents (I was a passenger every time) and years of  diving.  I think the added blood flow helps them.

Running with Hubby

It is a rainy weekend here in Colorado but I don't really mind because I can get my miles in and not worry about it being to hot.  Nothing zaps a run like a super hot day.  Yesterday my husband lovingly came with me! I use to beg him to come with me and would get mad when he wouldn't.  Now that he is coming I realize that I don't do as well when he is there.  I still love having him with me but I realize that his pace is much faster than mine and I can't pace myself with him next to me.  Pace is everything when you are running and the biggest thing I am working on to get my endurance up.

*

Yesterday we started on the trail the exact same time that another family with a dog started, my dog went nuts and was trying to get them till we passed them.  I increased my pace to pass them and burned myself out so we went back to walking, they passed us then half a mile later.  Since I didn't get any substantial running in for the day I wanted to increase from 4 miles to 5 for the day.  We passed the two mile marker where we would normally turn around and just kept going without discussing it.  He finally tells me he wanted to go 5 miles as well. We got a little running in between walking but nothing amazing.  We hit the last mile and I decided to run again.  I instructed my husband to stay two steps behind me and started out slow.  I figured at best I would make it half a mile and that only if I was lucky.  When we got to half a mile Hubby asked "when are you going to stop?" I pointed to the half mile marker but felt so good when I got there that I just kept on going.  Hubby caught up to be a few time in my last half a mile but every time he was running next to me it ruined my pace and I could feel myself tiring super quickly. I would ask my husband to slow down and I kept on going!  Remember keeping a slow pace is the key to getting in any distance. I got to the mile marker that signified the end of my 5 miles and kept on going the last couple hundred yards to our car.  I couldn't believe how great the end of my run went.  I could have kept going if my husband hadn't been waiting for me to finish.  We also finished at the perfect time, a few minutes after we got home we received a huge downpour. 

*

I have only run one mile straight in the two months since I started training and yesterday was so different than last time.  Last time I was pushing myself just to finish the mile, yesterday I was on such a high ran past my mile end point.  My legs didn't feel like dead weight and my breathing wasn't labored.  I can't tell you how accomplished and proud I feel.  I even went to bed dreaming of my next run.  

*

I realized that the reason my husband was ruining my run was because I was listening to his footsteps and it was making me speed up.  This is the reason I love to listen to audio books when I run rather than music. Books let you keep your own pace not the pace of the music.  The perfect running mix is great but how many times can you listen to the same music and how hard is it to find?  I can't wait to hit the trail and hear more of my book, it really keeps me coming back.

I get my books on tape from the library and just upload them to my shuffle.  I find that people forget about books on tape and you can get the most popular books sooner than the actual book.

Brown Eyed Girl asked me a great question today! She asked how I know the points of what I am eating. 

 I know the points of everything I bring home because I have been doing it for so long now and I buy pretty much the same food every time.  When I started out though I would bring home tons of new different foods I would figure out the points for each item and write it on the box so that I knew exactly how much each item was without having to look it up.

*

I love getting questions! Keep them coming!

What?

I keep track of my past weights in my phone so I can always look at them if I want to.  It can be really motivating to see how much you weighed a year ago and how far you have come.

I realized today that I was lighter by over a pounds after the holidays than I currently am. This wouldn't be a big deal if I was trying to maintain but I am still trying to loose. I obviously need to make a few adjustments.

  I have been trying to figure out what was different and I really think I have lost my muscle that I had then.  I can't stress how great muscle looks and how many more calories you burn. I have also read that increasing muscle can help my running and prevent injuries.

*

I did have a guy friend ask me tonight if I had lost more weight recently!

 I think the running has really changed my face and make it leaner. 

An honest question

Since we have all obviously struggled with our weight I am assuming there has been someone some where along the way who has made us feel bad about our weight.

 Do you find satisfaction and motivation when you see that a skinny friend has gained weight?

*

I know that I am happy to know that they are now struggling with their weight as well as terrible as that is.  I try to be very conscious about others weight and never say anything that would hurt anyone else.  Facebook has made it so easy though to check up on people and see exactly what everyone is up to and how they currently look.

a great week ahead

I can not tell you how excited I am today.  I have had a very busy past three days where following my points really hasn't been an option.  As a result of eating differently I have been feeling sluggish and have had a ton less energy than normal.

Here is the list of things I am excited for this week

*
Nothing in my schedule that will get in the way of my points this week

 (things will come up I am sure, if you plan ahead and stay firm you can still follow you points)

*
Weight watchers American cheese for scrambled eggs, the two stores I visited this week didn't have it but luckily the third store did!
*

The 16th is just a few days away, I try and shop only twice a month since just running into a store to pick one thing up results in multiple other things being purchased. Nothing is more motivating than a house full of low point foods you love.

*

Great weather and running! I can tell my dog is missing her daily runs since I have been to busy to go.

Another tip

I have another great tip today that I read in my beloved running book.  I posted a photo of it last month if you are interested.  

*

If you are having a rough day but had planned on running just focus on getting out there.  If you aren't able to do your planned run then at least you know that you tried.   Most of the time though it is just a matter of showing up.

*

I have had a few days already where I barely made it to the trail but once I got there I was so happy that I showed up.  My last run I hadn't properly fueled for the day and it was a hot bright day.  I only made it 2 out of the planned 4 miles but I was glad that I had at least tried.

a few more tips

I have a few more running tips for you that my friend shared with me when I was starting...

Make sure you don't swing your arms across your body when you run or walk. Move them the same direction as your legs.  I have read to mimic the movement of leg with your opposite arm.  I can't focus on that though when I run. I am sure I do it but I really don't want to focus that hard, I know it works for some though.

*

When you are having a hard time breathing or developing a cramp, breath in once through your mouth so that you get enough air and breath out two breaths before inhaling again. This sounds silly but it really helps.

*

I also want to make sure I was clear about somethings on my last post... 

Push yourself and always try to make some progress.  Pick a point ahead and try to make it to that spot.  

Not everyone is lucky enough to live near such a great trail.  Find something else you love about running.  I find that even a new sports bra from Target gets me out on the trails some days.

Your kidding me right

I had a conversation today that I figured I would share so that you could all get a good laugh! A friend who has been trying different fad diets since December is now on the no sugar kick.  Hopefully if you are following Weight Watchers you have already figured out the only way to lose weight is to count calories.  It doesn't matter so much what you eat as much as how much you eat.

*

The fad dieter refused strawberries because they had too much sugar in them but chowed down on potatoes chips instead. She also passed on the ketchup because of the sugar in it even though it is a mere 15 calories.  She also told another friend that she canceled out any vegetables in her veggie burger because she added ketchup. 

Do you have any crazy diets that you or your friends tried?

How I started running

I was never a runner naturally. I ran for sports growing up but could never complete runs in PE in middle school because I would get terrible side cramps, this continued on in high school even though I was a size 0. I guess I mention my size because everyone assumes that because a person is skinny they are a runner or have no problems with it. I remember coming in dead last when we had to run a timed mile. The teacher was so disappointed in the fact that I couldn't run the entire thing. I have now learned that I was starting out way to fast and I wasn't pacing myself.
When my husband and I were dating we would occasionally go to the gym together and work out and run a lap or two but I would quickly become too tired to go any further because I was keeping my husband's pace. I did notice that my endurance was slowly building and it gave me a small glimpse that made me start to know I could run
*.
Fast forward four years of no running I started asking runners how to start and the best advise I got was to start out slow. I headed to the gym with my husband and said I am going to see if I can run a mile on the track (10 laps) today. I went very slow and kept my heart rate down, my run was very awkward and almost straight up and down so that I could control my speed. The minute I started going too fast my run would suffer and I felt like I couldn't continue. I made it a full mile that day and I was so happy with myself!
*
I began to run on a local trail occasionally with a friend who had some background running. She was faster than I was but she hadn't run a ton since she had her little girl so she agreed to go slow with me. The biggest key for me was figuring out what heart rate level my body wasn't comfortable going above, for me it was in the 140's at the time. I am able to keep track of my heart rate with my heart rate monitor, please click here for more info. Other than
proper shoes (get fitted at a running store, click here for my experience buying shoes) this has been the biggest key to my success. As hard as it was I had to keep my pace painfully slow I had to so that I could run more than a few steps. Once my heart rate got to 145 I was completely out of steam and would have to walk again. We continued for about a month but I don't think it was really constant. I did get all the way to running 1.5 miles straight at least once. It was great to have her along with me but I always felt like I was holding her back. I also think we had different mindsets, I wanted to try and run as far as I could but also get in four miles of distance total with walking. She would often want to turn around 1 or 1.5 miles in. She also found out that summer that she was pregnant again and they moved out of our neighborhood so our time on the trail stopped. I ran occasionally at the gym on the treadmill and I think that it has helped get my endurance up. I didn't stick with it though because I didn't love it.
*
I started again outside on my favorite trail this March. I wasn't constant at first and I started out walking a 16 minute mile for 4 miles but slowly I am building up again. In the running book I am reading it says that you have to love something about running to keep you coming back. I love the trail that I am running on! I have decided it is my favorite place to spend an hour almost everyday. Even though I have been running the same 4 miles it changes everyday. I love actually noticing spring and how the plants change everyday. I love knowing every bend in the trail and what is coming up next. It is always great to know when a half mile marker is just ahead so that you can press on just a little farther.
*
Now that my endurance is getting better I am able to go a little faster (no longer painfully slow) and get my heart rate up to 84% comfortably (about 166). I actually know my body well enough now to know when it is at 74% (the spot where I slow down to before I start to run again) and 84% without looking at my watch. I also know that I want to stop when my heart rate hits 69%, no idea why though.
*
I never have the same goals in mind two days in a row. One day it will be to run every other half mile others it will be to keep my heart rate between the two points no matter how long or short that may be. On days were I am just lucky to have made it out of bed it may be to add a mile but walk the entire way.
*
Yesterday I ran the first half a mile and walked on and off the next bit, mostly walking. I was determined to push myself and run the entire last mile though. I hadn't done this yet since I started again and I knew I was up for it but it maybe rough at the end. I did it though on a day that I was just happy that I made it out in the nasty weather. It ended up lightly raining on me the last mile and a half. It was after this four miles that I officially decided I am a runner!
*
If this left you feeling encouraged to start running just remember to go slow. If you are running where others are notice how they are going slow and pacing themselves. It may be weird at first but you will quickly see that you will be able to go farther.