Becoming Lean, Mean, Endurace Event Machines in 2008

[getnthinr]

You guys are crankin' over here! I'm still seeing my nutritionist and I have to say, she's always got something else for me to try. This week she'd like for me to focus on the hunger awareness scale -- She recommends it because it's something I can do even if I find myself in a situation where the healthiest food isn't available. The idea is that if you slow down and only eat to satisfy hunger -- not hurt, or boredom, or anxiety, or anything else -- that you can get a grip on portion size and lose weight without weighing and measuring. It's also a good "getting back on track" step for me because it seems lack of time is always an issue -- time to plan meals, time to weigh and measure, time to record everything I eat, time to shop for produce, and time to get my exercise in -- those times are tough to squeeze in while mothering on-the-go teens and working at a demanding job.

So that's my contribution for this week! It's good to have you guys to inspire me!

 

[deekaypee]

Good evening, Lean Meaners! I'm running behind schedule tonight & need to get to bed soon or there will be another snack in my near future.

Maria: Sugarvore! Hah!

Texa: Thanks for the info. I use SP for tracking and I still fall short on protein. blame grains (and my sweet tooth).

Tracey: 17 oz/15%, really? I knew there was a reason I should drink more! Why didn't I learn this stuff in school?

Kim: Welcome! 30-40 pounds is totally doable. When I first lost my 50 pounds, I did it in 6 months. Of course, I did say "the first time..." Some of it found me again!

Vic: While I'm glad you're feeling better, I'm sure the triple Ds would feel better if you spent one more day in recovery--just to be sure.

Wendy: Thanks for the info on the hunger awareness scale. The problem with me is that I'm much more attuned to my boredom, anxiety, etc., scales than my hunger ones! I completely understand the time issue, too. If we could only squeeze out more time in a day, like juice out of a lemon!

As for me: Right now, I'm experiencing diet fatigue. I'm not tired of being on a restricted amount of calories, I'm just bored with my diet. Meh. I'm a pretty horrible cook (but a great baker, and therein lies part my problem). Connie, if given an opportunity I will eat the same thing every meal--and I do. I eat tons of soups, for instance. Establishing and sticking with variety is one of the holy grails of my overall lifestyle change. You'd think diet fatigue would kill my appetitite, but noooooo. It just makes me pay less attention to what I'm eating.

 

[julia & nicks mom]

You guys are all doing so awesome!!

The weather sucks right now...rain, more rain oh and how about a little more...it has left me unmotivated and crabby!!!

something great happened today though...the doctor told me in October that my DD need to even out her height and weight a little bit - she doesn't look heavy and he was surprised to see how unmatched they were - I wish I could hide my fat like she does anyway - we weighed her tonight and I did a check of her ratio and it is more in balance!!! I refused to put her on a diet so we have been focusing on what is healthy and what is not...she has done really well with cutting back on her snacking and sugar intake -

it also reminded me of why I really need to be healthy - I want to be a good example for my kids and up until now I have been a good example of what not to do!!

 

[postesf]

Hi ya guys!!! We're back from WDW now and work has been sooo hectic!! I'm not doing too good on my weight loss. Gained 2 lbs at Disney so I was up for the Biggest Loser weigh-in... ugh! I have a chart where I am tracking my weight. I have two lines. One for the current, weekly weight and one is the "glide-path"--where I should be to stay on track of 1lb per week until the Minnie. I am currently 2.4lbs above plan. I am just sooo hungry this week too. All I want is JUNK! I've got to get focused!

Hope you guys are doing better than me!!! Keep up the good work!

Vic--Glad you're feeling better!

Stacie

 

[JustSmile]

it also reminded me of why I really need to be healthy - I want to be a good example for my kids

Absolutely!!! So wonderful for your kiddo. We all know it's not easy.
There was an awesome article in Runners World a few months back. It was titled "Pretty Strong". A mom wrote that she runs to show her girls that she is strong and proud of her accomplishments. She writes that she is more beautiful red, sweaty, and crossing the finish line than she ever was standing on the side-lines cheering people in (make-up on). I keep it on my fridge as a good reminder. April will be the first time that I run in a 5k with my son---it will also be the first time that I'm not there to cheer him in (he's an amazing front of the packer ). I told him last night that I was a little sad about that---he told me, that he will be proud to cheer me in. Tears in my eyes......that's why I'm doing what I'm doing.

 

[deekaypee]

Kate: for your daughter! It already sounds like you're setting a good example for her eating without reinforcing that diet mindset. That's so important, IMO, especially for young girls growing up in our media culture. And you're making healthy choices for you, too, so pat yourself on the back!

Stacie: Welcome back! I hope you enjoyed WDW. (As if ) I'm sure you can get back on track with the Minnie as a goal! Is your work hectic AND stressful? I often find that when I'm pressed for time and stressed out, I automatically reach for the junk. And eating junnk food just makes me want to eat more junk food. Odd, that. Anyway, I hope you're having a Lean Meaner day!

Tracey: What a wonderful story! Your son is a real sweetheart. And he sounds like he's got a great mom. I just know you'll enjoy your 5K with such support!

As for me: Tonight I made some No Pudge brownies for my DH, my compromise to my usual double-fudge brownies. I'm taking no chances--if I fall to temptation, I want to at least be eating something under 200 calories. So far, though, I've avoided licking the bowl. Tonight is spinach quiche, which I'm hoping will fill me out. But darn it all, the house smells like chocolate!

 

[Minnie]

Wendy - The hunger scale was interesting as I know I can be an emotional eater and a habit eater.

julia & nicks mom - Congrats to you and your daughter

postesf - Welcome back!!!! The one place I never consider what I eat is WDW. It is time for fun

JustSmile - I bet your son is going to get tons of encouragement out of knowing that is mom is somewhere out on the course running "with" him!!!

deekaypee - You must have tons of will power to not lick that bowl I can't have that stuff in the house or utttt ohhhh

Vic - How are you feeling??? Hopefully much better

As for me - Today marks 3 weeks of being back on the healthy eating wagon. I know I could be doing better, but I could and have been before doing much worse I've also been motivated by the miles/hours challenges and managed to hit the dreadmill most days this week

WISHing you all an on plan weekend

 

[Steffwalks]

deekaypee quote:Connie, if given an opportunity I will eat the same thing every meal--and I do. I eat tons of soups, for instance. Establishing and sticking with variety is one of the holy grails of my overall lifestyle change. You'd think diet fatigue would kill my appetitite, but noooooo. It just makes me pay less attention to what I'm eating.

I love to cook. And I can make anything! And I can make anything better for me/you as the case may be. But I would still rather live on soup and sandwiches! I love sandwiches with EVERYTHING on them: onions, tomatoes, pickles, peppers, Spinach, lettuce, olives, and everything else,too! And I can make soup to die for! But then there are times when I cook all day just trying out new recipes and new ways to make things! Fortunately for me, cooking (not tasting) helps kill my appetite, but let me have someone else's and..........Yum, yum!

Maria! Sugarvore!

Everyone who is setting good examples for your children! I get really aggravated when I hear (usually women) say that they have to keep junk food in the house for their kids....like the kids need it in order to survive or something. I generally say to the parent, your child needs even better nutrition than you! They are still growing! ( and I wonder why some people don't like me???)

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Good Morning!

Even though I really didn't want to by the time I got to it, I did my hour on the TM last night. I enjoyed being there, I just hated starting so late. Anyway, this is the first week in a long time where I did all my scheduled workouts, even adding weights. I owe it all to Dave's challenge, I don't want to let my team down, and I didn't have a good excuse, so I did my workouts!

My eating this week has been a little scary, I'm still adjusting to working out more. Next week will be better overall as I get the eating in line with the exercise. It's hard for me to get everything right at once, so I'm just going to focus on the workouts, and I know the food will come.

Connie -- dh was just saying to me that all the other kids in ds's class have money to buy junk at lunch every day. We give him $1 once or twice a week, and I think that's plenty. He always has a treat in his lunch, I don't think he needs to buy extra candy every day.

Minnie -- It sounds like you are doing great!

Debra -- You are a font of willpower, there's no way I could bake brownies and not eat one!

JustSmile -- What a great activity for your family! It's so great you can get out there and do it, too!

Stacie -- Welcome Back! I hope your trip was magical!

Kate -- I'm so glad to hear your daughter is doing well! You are right,we have to take care of ourselves so our kids can do as we say and we do!

Connie -- Wait, you want me to stop and think before I eat?! Excellent advice!

Vic -- DS also thinks church should be in the afternoons, so it doesn't interfere with his cartoons...but we can't have church during football games, the pews would be empty!

Beth -- I always seem to gain when I start to train, and then I lose, and then I just stay the same. I'm sure it has to do with my poor nutrition, so I've got to get that in order

Ok, Lean Meaners, Let's Go!
Maria

 

[Creativebeth]

Good morning Lean Meaners!!

How's it going with everyone? I am doing well. I am now officially down 10.2 pounds for the year, and very happy with that. The best part is that I feel good, in a groove, and have (((((temporarily, of course))))) overcome the 'hunger' monster. Low carb is good for that! It took awhile though, but I actually forgot to eat breakfast yesterday b/c I really wasn't hungry! That made me feel good that food didn't manipulize my thoughts for every second of the day!

I also got a good five miles in yesterday on the dreadmill, and didn't feel like road kill! Yeah! I did push it at the end to get all five miles in for the 60 minutes.

Connie: I actually have been pretty proud of ds #1 for school lunches. He was going through alot of money, so we had to get a print out of what he is eating. I was pretty sure it would be snacks and ice cream, but it turned out it WATER! It's not included with lunch, so he would get a bottle everyday, and it added up! But, that's ok with me......I was proud that it wasn't a bunch of crappy food!

Debra: Good job with the will power! I am using it right now too......I had to make a batch of cookies for my sister! Boy, do they smell good!

Vic: I am glad you seem to be feeling better......now, back to the regularily scheduled exercise!

Beth

 

[jeanneg]

Beth: congrats on the weight loss! Over 10 pounds is quite significant....WTG, girl!

Debra (and Beth): great job on the willpower. It's so hard to resist something when the aroma is all around you. But you did it, so be proud!

Vic: glad you're feeling better

Maria: Good job for exercising when you really didn't want to. That says alot for your determination. (So glad you're on my team!)

And oh gosh, there are so many other people doing well and making good choices....congrats to you all! Keep up the good work.

I think I may have finally found my grove this week. I worked out really hard and didn't want to blow it so I have been really good about eating right. I finally have all the bad stuff out of my house so it should be a little easier to resist temptation. It seems like after the marathon, I just kept rewarding myself for doing well, but it wasn't a very healthy reward! That's all old stuff now, so it's time to get back on track.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

 

[Big Vic]

Good morning Lean Meaners!

Hoping everyone is having a great Saturday.

Nothing significant to report from me. However, I did get a new pair of running shoes (Asics 2130). I’ll christen them tomorrow.

Wendy – Hey!

Debra – I hear you about being bored with your diet as I eat pretty much the same thing everyday too.

Kate – Congrats to your DD, and to you!

Stacie – Welcome back! Gaining weight at WDW is authorized.

Tracey – Hey!

Minnie – Feeling pretty good, thanks! Keep it up with your healthy eating.

Connie – What time is dinner?

Maria – WTG with the TM workout. A youngun has to have his priorities.

Beth – WTG with the weight loss and the 5 miler!

Jeanneg – WTG with the workouts and staying on track with the diet.

Bill - Where you?

 

[Creativebeth]

Good morning! It's cold, with snow flakes here and there so I kept the exercise indoors on the dreadmill (again.... ) I was much braver last winter.....I was outdoors no matter what, cold, rain, snow etc......This year I seem to be a whimp. But, I did get 5 miles in under 60:00! Yipee for that!

Jeanne: I know all about that 'reward' system with food. I tend to do that too, hence the 25 pound weight gain during marathon training. It's hard to shake that mentality. I always felt that I 'deserved' it! It didn't lead me down a good road. Good for you that you are back on track!

Vic: I love having new shoes.....have a good time 'breaking' them in!

To everyone else......keep steady and watch your diet!!!

Beth

 

[deekaypee]

Minnie, Maria, Beth, Jeanne: Yeah, about those No-Pudge Brownies and the wilpower....um, yeah. That's why I made the lo-cal version, because I don't have any! It helps minimize the damage. Usually I made the goodies & DH carts them off to work so I can't be tempted. I made the mistake of making them for the weekend, so I can't say I haven't had one. I have, and a content. But I'm not nearly as strong-willed as you all encourage me to be! Thanks, though, for sending positive thoughts my way; it made them easier to resist overall & helped me limit myself.

Minnie: Congrats on 3 weeks. That's quite an accomplishment, esp. when you add your work on the dreadmill to that.

Connie: I'm coming over to your house for samples! I envy good cooks who can make even tried-and-true recipes taste like new. That would help my diet fatigue. I get that talent in theory--as I said, I love to bake--but in practice....I see cooking as a very mysterious art, baking as a science. I'm no artist. I'll just keep paying attention to what you're making & if it's vegetarian and easy, bug you for the recipe, okay?

Maria: I'm so proud of you, doing your time on the TM so late at night. I'm glad you felt better for having done it, too, but just know you could never let your team down! Eating is what I struggle with all the time; I just find it easier (given my schedule and all) to add more workout time and avoid addressing the food/nutrition issues. Meh.

Beth: Over 10 pounds! And you've not battling the hunger monster. Whoo-hoo! So you're saying this banana doesn't tempt you? You're stronger with your cookies than I ended up being with the brownies. Good for you! And a great job with the 5 miles on the TM--I have to admit that the TM hasn't been as appealing to me since the marathon, but it's the reliable option right now because of this wonky weather.

Jeanne: Good job with getting into the groove. WTG! Only problem is that I know have that song "Shake Your Groove Thing" stuck in my head. Maybe I'll do a little dance in your honor!

Vic: I'm glad you're feeling well enough to christen your new shoes! That means you're getting back on track! Yea!

Bill: Where are you, man? We miss you!

As for me: Despite the mishap with the brownie, I've been keeping a pretty tight watch on the food. I've not tamed my hunger monster yet, but she's whimpering now more than roaring.

I've also just read Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food, which makes some really thoughtful claims about nutrionism--has anyone read it. Anyway, I'm trying to process his claims in light of how I eat. To some extent it reminds me of what some of you have said about eating clean. I'm not sure exactly what I'll do yet, and want to do so more reading, but at least the book has me closely reading food labels. (I'm appalled at what's in my yogurt!)

 

[Steffwalks]

You are all invited to dinner!

 

[JustSmile]

(I'm appalled at what's in my yogurt!)

Oh no!!! Debra, what's in my yogurt? I am such a yogurt freak. Should I be worried, or cutting back? The No-Pudge brownies sound yummy, they're a mix right? I made a gooey-butter cake at the request of my kiddos. I thought I could resist. I couldn't , but that's okay. I sat with my little piece of cake and said, "Yum" after every single bite. Congratulations to all of you on your strong will-power.
Wow, you guys are all doing fantastic on keeping up with your goals and keeping up on the treadmill. I'm surprised at how much I love running outside. It gets a little dreary for me on the treadmill in the basement. Yesterday, it was 54 degrees here in the morning and by evening it had dropped to 13! Thank goodness I got outside for 3 miles in the morning. Tomorrow it's back on the treadmill. I took a true rest day today it was awesome. Take care all and stay strong.

 

[Creativebeth]

I am still hanging in there! I did just have a chocolate craving, so I made myself some low carb hot chocolate and it worked for me!

I got 10 miles in total for the weekend. All done on the dreadmill though..... . Better than nothing!

I hope to stay with it for the coming week.....things are going to well to mess it up!

Beth

 

[Creativebeth]

How's everyone doing today? Check in and let the whole team know!

Beth

 

[princessrunner]

Beth: This is my trick for chocolate craving. In the afternoon when I pick the kids up from school, I make myself a treat for the drive...half low sugar hot chocolate and half coffee. It is just enough chocolate kick with the caffeine that I feel like I am cheating. This is also a better choice if you are on the go (i.e. shopping) and get that craving too. Either that, or a Ghiradelli dark chocolate square. Hey, might as well go for the best if you are going to give in...right???

 

[Hockeychic]

Hey guys, sorry I checked in then disappeared. Been fighting a horrible cough that still hasn't gone away but I think good enough I can resume workingout.

Hope you are all having a awesome day!!!

Kim