Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Weekly weigh-in: -52

Yes, oh observant ones, that *is* up a pound from last week. (I knew this accountability business would come back to bite me in the posterior....)

"Okay," I thought to myself. "Monthly measure is here! Let's get a little non-scale victory dancing going on!" Hmmm...1.5 inches off "the girls," but waist and hips were exactly the same as last month.

Well, yes, in fact, that DOES suck. But what messages from the universe have I been getting lately? Mr. Deepak Chopra was saying something just the other day in the CD I was listening to about detachment: be deeply involved in the actions, but let go of the outcome. And that we don't always get what we want right away. Which means, to me, do the right things and trust that the best result will happen in time. I think part of the message, too, was in Lynn Haraldson-Bering's article "The Dichotomy of Snow and Maintenance" over on Refuse to Regain the other day. Weird as it is to think about, I might be nostalgic about this process someday. Even when the process is looking right now something like the Tibetan Plateau. (My, my, my: talk about a coincidence that feels contrived! I had no idea when I Googled "world's largest plateau" that THAT would be the result! ;-)

So: sticking to the plan....

The plan looks like doing strength training at least 2 days per week. I hadn't done any for an entire week and didn't feel like doing any last night...but I did it. I'm still doing at least a half hour of running in the morning, and getting at least 2 lunch walks in per week. I wish it all didn't feel like such a forced march lately, though. As they say in the Dr. Seuss classic "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish":
Here are some
who like to run.
They run for fun
in the hot, hot sun.
Well, it's been really, really dark when I'm running. And damp. And cold. Maybe that cuts into the fun factor a bit. I also need to sign up for another race; this might be post-race letdown. (Seabreeze, is that a myth, or does it really happen?)

On the food front, I need to keep the following in mind: Just because it's good for me, and doesn't spike me, doesn't mean I need to eat a whole bunch. As Lyn said today over on Escape from Obesity, every bite counts. So...Almonds? Pistachios? Other salty seed/nut kindred? Yeah, that's right, I'm talkin' to YOU! You're NOT goin' DOWN! (The hatch, that is...at least not as often. I got some plain walnuts, which don't seem to trigger.)

The plan also looks like is more broth when I'm craving something salty or want to munch after dinner. I love the Better than Bouillon stuff--I just tried the vegan chicken base today and it was really tasty! (No, not affiliated, just love the stuff. Any good broth or bouillon will do. Homemade is easy...maybe this weekend, it's supposed to rain.) Or maybe some pickles. It seems like I really have been craving strong flavors lately...anyone else eat tiny bits of salt-free seasoning straight from the jar? Or dip veggies in wasabi+soy sauce, like I did at lunch today? (Now there was a non-scale victory today: passing hot food bar and lots of yummy-looking and -smelling stuff over at Whole Foods today and getting sashimi and mixed raw veggies to eat with my hummus packet.)

I didn't have a problem meeting my goal of three non-meat, not-saturated-fat meals and two fish meals last week. Same goal this week, and I'm halfway there already (thanks, in-store sushi bar!).

So I guess it's not more new changes, but re-embracing the old changes. I'd love some ideas for helping get the workouts fun again, though. Any "watch instantly" Netflix workout videos you like? Alternative ideas? I'm going to look into horseback riding at this place I've been dreaming of but was always over the weight limit for until recently...Mr. Handsome and Handy (and Frugal) actually suggested it, too, when I swooned over some people riding past our backyard on horseback the other day.

7 comments:

SeaBreeze said...

There is definetly a post-race let down. You trained for something, you experienced it, and now you're like so why am I still running? I used it as an opportunity to do some alternative cross training a few days a week, but I've found a new race so I am back at the running again. I'd recommend finding something 1-3 months out (1 month if its a distance you can do reliably now)

Also, on the broth idea. I love that concept. I have pumpkin seeds that I roasted off from carving earlier this week and they're meeting my salt cravings. I tend eat vegetable based soup EVERY M-F morning for breakfast with a bun. This lets me get in my 2 servings of vegetables a day without putting much thought into it and only works out to be like 300 calories for the whole "meal."

Weight training? Great idea to get it in twice a week. I have no attraction to it either, but I have found it "fun" to pick one muscle group a month to "focus on." I do overall toning but I put extra emphasis on one area and end up seeing some great definition and can then do maintenace after that month is over, but generally keep lifting the heavier weights. This month was biceps and triceps.

Sorry for the long story ;)

Anonymous said...

LOVELOVELOVED your poem yesterday, Woman.

YOU
TALENTED.

love,
Miz who is determined to get you to love the iron as she does ;)

Pubsgal said...

Seabreeze: Thanks! I'm glad to get your perspective on this. I think that explains my recent workout lethargy. Lack of sleep might have done so, too. I've taken the last two mornings "off" of running and done other things, like my lunchtime walks, arms & abs strength training, and a tap dance DVD which didn't turn out to be much of a workout but was a good warm up for the stength training. (And don't be sorry! Great comments are never too long! :-)

Miz: Glad you liked the poem! All that talk of chocolate martinis at MizFitOnline yesterday made me silly...heaven knows what the real thing would do! Sometimes writing comments is more fun than writing stuff for my own blog. ;-)

Pubsgal said...

p.s. Aw, I don't hate the iron, I think I just do it at the wrong time of day...the end of it, which seems to run later and later all the time, on top of super-early mornings. I might've been overdoing it. I wasn't able to get in all of my usual routine of it last night--a spontaneous family dance party broke out last night--so I finished the rest this morning and felt pretty good about it.

Juice said...

I'm sorry you are feeling frustrated! Wish I had some words of wisdom for you. Maybe a new short-term exercise class? People seem to really like that zumba and bodypump stuff..

debby said...

OOh,I am jealous of your idea to ride horseback. That issomething that has been on my goallistfor quite a while. But time/money has prevented it so far.

Lyn said...

Yeah, what is it about salted nuts that drives women wild? Hmmm...

But you're right, the unsalted ones don't trigger. I eat cinnamon dusted almonds and I can eat just 6. But salt some cashews, omg, look out!