Alysa's Post Baby 2006 Marathon Journal (Comments welcome)

[Alysa]

Okay, So here I am 25 pounds heavier than before my DD was born TWO YEARS AGO! Time to lose the baby fat. I am going to exercise a little every day on my ellipse and cut down on my carbohydrates. (As a vegatarian, I can't cut them out altogether - sort of going to do an altered Atkins I guess.) My goal is to lose 25 by December 14th - our trip to Disney!Are there any vegetarians out there with any advice? Or any new mums? I look forward to posting again soon with my first five pounds lost (and with the Valentines Day challenge met!)

 

[kayeandjim00]

Hi Alysa! Just wanted to welcome you to the WISH Journal Board! Your plan sounds great and very attainable. I'm not a vegetarian or a new mom but hopefully someone else will be by soon who can give you some help on that end!

 

[Princess Michelle]

Hi Alysa! I'm not a new mom or a vegetarian but I wanted to welcome you and wish you all the best in reaching your goal!

 

[Alysa]

Thanks to both of you! Does it seem like whenever you start watching what you eat that you start to feel like you are starving?! I am afraid I am off to a poor start. Last night I got up at 2am and ate a piece of 12 grain bread (so much for not eating at bedtime!) and then today at my morning meeting (don't worry - I own my own business so I am on my own clock right now - GET BACK TO WORK ALYSA!) they had SCONES! Can you believe it?! With blueberries in them - blueberries are healthy, right? Right? So I am off now to give my dog a quick run before my next meeting at 10:30 - one step at a time right? And it gets easier, right? Right?

Thanks!

 

[Alysa]

So I used the ellipse on the highest setting for twenty minutes and gained a pound. But tomorrow will be better! I think it was because I ate a bit too much cheese, yogurt and peanut butter so that I wouldn't eat bread and pasta and scones. I'll get used to it though. I also took a photo of me - front side and close up so that when I get to my goal I can take a look! One last exciting development - I am going to do the marathon and DH is doing it with me!!!!! I am so excited. I bought a pedometer which doesn't work at all - I will exchange it tomorrow - but it said I did .7 km for 20 minutes - not bad - I only have almost an hour a mile to shave off my time.
(It's inaccurate I swear - I know I did much better than that!!!)
Anyway - goodnight!

 

[Alysa]

Well,
I have been reading Marathoning for Mortals tonight. It was strangely hard but I did what he suggested and took a day off of exercise to just rest. It says in his books that to do a full you should have been active for a year but I am still going to perservere and see how I do. He gives 5 months of training for the Run/Walk marathon so I still have 6 months to get into better shape (20 miles a week). Must get a heart monitor though. After three days of no loss I am afraid to look at the scale. I want to give myself a few more days to let things take effect. I already feel better and am really enjoying the running so that must count for something! Oh yes, I also ate a SMALL piece of brownie at coffee out with friends tonight. Dime sized. Does anyone know if peanut butter is bad for a low carb diet? Pretty sure about the brownie! How about ketchup? I know, I know, my DH thinks ketchup on any food is gross - I can't help it - I really do like it...
Thanks!

 

[Alysa]

This posting every day is strangely theraputic and I swear it keeps me honest! Today I was so amazed to find that John Birmingham was actually right - after a day of rest I went double the distance I did Wednesday in the same amount of time! And I lost 5 pounds - 6 if you count the one I gained!! (I was also bad and ate two bowls of low-fat, sugar-free chocolate pudding - just because it's low fat doesn't mean I should eat like a pig! Oi!) Couple lessons learned:
1. Don't go on the scales every day.
2. Rest after every few days for the body to heal and adjust.
3. Don't eat ANYTHING in front of the computer!
One final thing, I signed up with the Arthritis Society and am going to run the marathon in memory of my Grandmother and if I complete a lot of fundraising they will sponsor me in the run! She was so dear to me and she was crazy about Disney. She was one of the most enthusiastic people I have ever known and even today when it was cold as anything I thought of her and how proud she would be of me and it was easy to "get my skates on" and get out that door for my run. I can just see her at the side of the road, cheering me on in her Tigger sweater and her mouse ears from our last trip together.
"Thanks Grandma - I miss you so."

 

[sarahsmom73]

Hey Alysa! Sorry I haven't been here to welcome you sooner.. I think I have had a touch of the flu this week! SO..... WELCOME!!!

My dd is 3 1/2 and when she turned 2 I decided I need to get it in gear and lose the baby fat! I did and then some!!!I actually managed to lose 74 pounds from my last pregnancy check up before birth... Granted I started out 30 lbs heavier than I am now and then gained 38lbs with the pregnancy...

Now, when I look back at pictures I can see how heavy I was and it really does keep me motivated!

You've taken a great step! The journals are life savers! Cna't wait to get to know you!

 

[Alysa]

Hi Jen, thanks very much! 74 pounds - that's wonderful!! Thanks for the kind words! I think when DD turned two a light came on and I had to stop kidding myself. I can't wait until the photo I just took becomes a before picture!

As for me, today was a not so great day - I had to rush out the door this morning at 7:30 to take care of my aunts 2 boys last moment and they unfortunately have no Atkins friendly food in the house. I had a few bites of applesauce for breakfast (not good - I like my oatmeal in the morning to wake up my metabolism and as my only real carbohydrate) and then some baby carrots and an egg for lunch - snack was an apple and then dinner it all fell apart and I had two slices of pizza - I couldn't help myself - I was STARVING!! I also just got home and put my bunny to bed so as soon as I have written this it is off to the ellipse because I promised you all I would. I am not really in the mood (You know when you mess up you just want to give up on the day all together? Not good!) but it is okay beacause I borrowed "Fun and Fancy Free" from my aunt "for DD - oh yeah, right! - and I haven't seen it since I was little so that will be my treat will I work. Anyway, goodnight!

Just quickly checking back in! Did it!

 

[myhandd]

Hey Alysa,

You can have some peanut butter on Atkins. I often have a spoonful when my mouth craves something non meat!lol

If you have any Atkins questions, let me know, I've lost 55+ lbs. in the last year (probably close to 100 if you count the weight I've gained and relost!lol)

Glad to meet you, come see me sometime!

The incredible shrinking one!

Dax

 

[Alysa]

Thanks for the info about the peanut butter Dax!

Don't think it will help me today though. Had another bad evening - went to my grandfathers for dinner, he served pancakes with syrup and cappuccino gelato. How the man is not a diabetic I have no idea. That is not a dinner, it is not even a food group - it is just sugar! Ugghhh! I feel like all my hard work has gone to waste. I can't figure out how to avoid this in future. I almost want to skip visiting family for a bit... any suggestions?
I did swim for twenty minutes but I just have this awful lump in my stomach, I feel like it was all for nothing. Oh well, tomorrow is running (yeah!) and another day and then Tuesday is the start of a new week...

 

[sarahsmom73]

Hey! Don't beat yourself up! You ate it, it's done and today is a new day! You are doing great!!! Keep your eyes forward!

 

[Alysa]

Guess I'll have to post twice today - I missed yesterday as I feel asleep in my clothes with DD when I put her to bed and next thing I knew it was 5:30 am - ugh!
Went much better yesterday - everything is good as long as I am not eating at my family's - I ran for 1/2 hour and ate very well - no cheating.

Can anyone tell me - when you started running, how were you doing in miles per minute and did it take long to improve? I feel so slow knowing where I need to be this time next year! I am too embarrased to tell you how slow I am - I know I'll get better, I just need patience which I do not possess in abundance - I just would love to hear from others who have been there (ie: slow like me!).

Thanks!

 

[Alysa]

Today was better but I gained two pounds! That's it - no more scale for a while - at least a week! I swam and used the ellipse and had 1/2 an oatmeal cookie (I swear I was just testing it for DD to make sure it was not too hot! ) The old me would have eaten 6 by now! The new me has now had 2 yogurts and a banana (neat I finally get to use this!) and waaaayyyyy to many cashews but hey - they will be out of the house to daycare and DH's work by tomorrow morning - only 8 hours to go!
BUT I REALLY WANT ONE NOW!!!!!

I think I am addicted to smilies...

 

[geetey]

Alysa, Don't worry about your time right now. Slowly, as you train, you will get faster and faster. What plan are you following?

When I started training, I was doing a 22 minute mile, and I worked up to a 16 minute mile. (I could do a 15 minute mile for 6+ miles.) Be sure to do the speed drills included in your training plan. They make a huge difference! If you don't have speed training included, just post and I will post the plan I used.

 

[Alysa]

Oh dear! I am so good at home - guess what I ate yesterday?
Lunch: Cheese sandwich and a cookie – where? Friends house.
Dinner: Chinese food and a handfull of cheddar cheese rice cakes – where? Sister's house.
I clearly have issues and need help. The only thing I can think of to do is up my exercise per night considerably to blast those days out of the water. Can anyone give me some suggestions? I did do the ellipse for 25 minutes becuase it was too late to run when I got back but I know it wasn't enough.

Geetey, I am adding 5 minutes of exercise to my time every week and I am running one day, cross training with the ellipse or swimming the next on and off for 6 days with a rest on the 7th...I am just trying to get my numbers up enough to be able to follow the run/walk plan in the marathoning for mortals in 5 months. I have five months to be doing 15 to 20 miles a week and right now I am doing 6 (1 mile in 22 minutes). Thanks for the encouragement. I would love to see your plan as I don't really have one right now except for getting up to 6 miles per run as quickly as possible.

When I was so discouraged the other day I told my DH and he went out and re-measured the route and I had been doing 4.4 km not 2.2 like I had thought! I was sooo depressed before he did that and I was soooo happy afterwards!

 

[Alysa]

I haven't posted in two days but I have been good:
Thursday: ellipse and only a couple of spoonfuls of my DD's macaroni (I am addicted to the real stuff - naughty - why did I even make it?)
Friday: running - seemed easier somehow and nothing naughty at all! As long as peanut butter on two apples is okay?

DH still says he is going to do this with me but has yet to exercise for a minute. I know he will though - and it gives me a chance to get my time up - I know if he started today I would be lagging way behind him if we ran together...

Have a great weekend everyone!

 

[toystoryduo]

Hi Alysa,

It sounds like you are doing a great job with your exercise! Keep up the good work!

I know what you mean about not staying OP when at someone else's house. That is a challenge for me sometimes too. Maybe, just eating the food in moderation is the key. Maybe you could fill up on a salad before going to your friend's or sister's house and then eat a small portion of what they offer you to eat.

Have a great day today!

 

[sarahsmom73]

Happy Sunday! Hope you have a great day!

 

[Alysa]

Thanks Sarahsmom (Jen)! That is especially nice of you - it is my birthday today! Yesterday was quite bad (worst day yet as I had only lost 4 pounds after almost 2 weeks so I ate 5 small birthday cookies that were sent to me). I also had to work so I wouldn't have to today and so I didn't work out either. Today does not promise to be a great exercise/good eating day either (I still have lots of work to do, then I am going to see La Boheme and then a birthday dinner at my parents) but I will try to keep it in line and at least do some ellipse work when I get home tonight.