I Just Wanted To Be Athletic - And Now, I Am! (comments welcome)

[mom2faith]

Glad to see you are moving again!! Congrats!!

Culvers sounds sinful!! (Kind of like my French Vanilla Smoothie!!) I do not know how you can go and not eat, but what a great idea to just "share" with the kids. Those small changes are going to make all of thie difference.

As for our weather discussion. I am in Saskatchewan, the middle of Canada. It is flat, prairie life here. And, in winter it gets COLD!!! Today is is -10C which is 14F, but in January we get average -25C which is -13F. We will have one bad week or so of -40C which is also -40F. We do finally have snow, but just a little. Roads are icy though.

Well, once again congrats on the great progress you are making!!

Amy

 

[corinnak]

Amy, your "average" is our "freezing our socks off." I remember one cold snap down at -25, and I had a terrible time buckling my son's car seat that day. You're cracking me up with your "We do finally have snow." It's the second week in November! We've had a bit of snow as well, but it doesn't usually start accumulating down here until at least the end of the month.

Believe me, I would rather just steer entirely clear of Culver's, but it seems to be a favorite with the boys, so I take them occasionally. Finishing the kids' food is definitely one of my DANGER signs, so I feel a little dubious about doing it, even in a kind of intentional way.

Man, weekends are hard. And I am still not quite right after the concussion. I am just not logging things as dedicatedly as I had been. And yesterday was a totally crazy day. There were snacks after church and then bookclub snacks. Which I hadn't intended to eat at, but ended up eating a whole largish cookie among other things. I made up for it, sort of, with lower point meals and never felt "stuffed" yesterday, but I didn't put anything into the tracker, either.

But look, I tell myself now, at least I did better than I used to. At least I didn't eat a bunch at coffee hour and then have a big lunch and then lots of snacks and candy at book club followed by a big dinner. I can not eat like that every day, nor do I want to. I do feel badly that I didn't journal it. I don't think I can recreate it now, even, but maybe I should try?

 

[kimwim8]

Finishing the kids' food is definitely one of my DANGER signs, so I feel a little dubious about doing it, even in a kind of intentional way.

That is something I do a LOT....and miss deeply when I do restrict my eating. So I totally know where you're coming from. If you're doing it intentionally though, to try to get just a taste and stop yourself from eating a whole (whatever) by yourself....then I see that as a success!!

Keep it up girl....you've got me motivated!!!

 

[postesf]

Hey there! Sorry to hear you couldn't get in your 7 miler. I think you are right to heal your brain first. Did you mention how long it can take for these concusions to get better? or the effects from them? A few weeks? A month? more? Just curious.

From the 7 miler we go back down to 4, then up to 8. Maybe by the time it's time's for the 8 miler, you will be better. I'm glad you are back moving and handling that ok though.

Any idea if it's better to walk than run w/ these type of injuries? You could always try to walk it and take running breaks and maybe that would be better for your brain? Just throwing out ideas here...

Hope all is better soon!!!
Stacie

 

[corinnak]

Kim- Are you really feeling motivated over there? I feel like all I'm doing lately is owning up to having a hard time a lot of the time.

Stacie - I don't know if I did mention how long it takes. The answer is that it's really variable, I think. They say between 1 and 3 weeks, or even longer, depending on the severity, age, and previous brain trauma. I've had a couple of other brain traumas over the years, unfortunately, which could be slowing my progress.

I am feeling generally better, but still a little befuddled. And sometimes tired. I definitely hope to be better in time for the 8 miler, but it's hard to imagine jumping straight from 6 to 8. I can maybe do it with some walking, though. Walking is definitely easier on the brain than jogging, I think, and I imagine I'm going to need to do some run/walk or walk/run in this process. I don't think I'm going to be ready to add in running for a while, though. I'm going to go on with walking on my treadmill for now. And maybe some yoga.

 

[kimwim8]

Kim- Are you really feeling motivated over there? I feel like all I'm doing lately is owning up to having a hard time a lot of the time.

YES!! I am! And it's because of you! I know you're having a hard time, but it's because of an injury. And I totally understand. But you, still wanting to train with a brain injury....that's completely inspiring!!!

 

[corinnak]

Well, when you put it that way, I sound kind of hard-core crazy!

 

[kimwim8]

Well, when you put it that way, I sound kind of hard-core crazy!

Well, yes, but in a sane sort of way.

 

[corinnak]

Another treadmill before bed night. I feel like I did at least as well as last night. 3.5 miles in 80 minutes compared with 3 miles in 75 last time. Sounds a little faster anyhow, right? I also used the elevation so a lot of it was walking up hills. I even threw a slow little jog in there for a few minutes. Then it felt kind of jostley, so I walked some more. We watched the new Biggest Loser while I was on the TM, which worked out great. What an episode, eh?

I'm feeling a LOT better today. Just more coherent. More capable than I have since I fell. I cooked tonight and felt equal to managing the dog and the kids this afternoon, too. Hopefully I'll feel just as good tomorrow. Or even better.

 

[mom2faith]

YEAH!! You are feeling better!!

I am glad to hear you are using elevation on the treadmill. Do you watch Biggest Loser? One of the trainer tips stated that adding elevation can increase your workout by some crazy percentage - I cannot remember exactly what it was, but it was crazy.

Keep taking it slow. You never know what is going on up in that noggin ofter a bump like that.

How is your weight loss going? I don't recall a recent update on that? You are doing WW right? (Sorry I cannot remember).

Well, talk to you soon!!

Amy

 

[corinnak]

Amy, Yes, I definitely watch The Biggest Loser. I had forgotten that trainer's tip, but it makes sense. I have to play with the elevation a lot on the TM, or my leg and feet muscles get bored or something and start to get uncomfortable. It's probably a personal failing.

Boy, this season of Biggest Loser is a doozy, isn't it? I was SO glad that Amy voted the way she did last night.

Yes, my weight loss. It is not as spectacular as that of the Biggest Losers, but it continues on in it's slow, gradual, sometimes even standing still kind of way. Oh, except I was up .2 last Saturday. Not the sort of thing you get excited about and run to post, I guess! I'm not too worried about it, though. It's been tough with the concussion and travel and then getting back into things, and then I ran out of soup, and I can't run. etc. etc. I'm just working for a loss this Saturday. Yes, I am doing WW online. I love those eTools. I have done WW off and on for the past, ugh, 7 or 8 years? It used to be paper journaling, which I did not enjoy. The thing about WW is that I know it always works. It's not dramatic, but if I'm following the program and writing things down, I can lose very well over the longer term. The problem has always been sticking with it over the longer term. And beyond that, maintaining forever.

I did hop on the Wii Fit board today and did 30 minutes on there. It does not really feel like a work-out. And of course, I can just choose not to do the harder stuff. I unlocked the free-step feature today, though, so that was nice. And I was down 4 lbs since last time I was on....51 days ago or something!!! My fat Mii is no longer "obese" and is merely extensively "overweight. I set another goal, but I forget what it was now. The numbers still are not always sticking in my head. But that's nothing really new. I think it's a 2 month goal and I set it for 12 lbs. So that should be doable.

 

[corinnak]

I definitely felt like posting my DANGER list has been helpful to me in being honest about things that cause trouble in my quest for a healthy weight.

Of course lack of negative does not equal positive, so in the spirit of positivity and the Law of Attraction, I am putting my list of things, in no particular order, that help me in my quest for a healthy weight, as well.


Things that Help:

1. Hot, decaf Green Tea instead of snacking.

2. Reading Health or Weight Loss articles on a daily basis. (just one or two)

3. Keeping baked goods out of the house. And failing that, hiding them (Thanks Kim!)

4. Admitting that I have a problem controlling myself in certain situations and planning ahead for those situations.

5. Posting journal entires here.

6. Weighing in only on weigh-in day.

7. Planning and cooking meals at home.

8. Having healthy soup on hand for easy lunches.

9. Reasonable, concrete goals for the short, medium and long term, ideally connected to a trip or event.

10. Logging everything I eat or drink.

 

[mom2faith]

Amy, Yes, I definitely watch The Biggest Loser. I had forgotten that trainer's tip, but it makes sense. I have to play with the elevation a lot on the TM, or my leg and feet muscles get bored or something and start to get uncomfortable. It's probably a personal failing.

Boy, this season of Biggest Loser is a doozy, isn't it? I was SO glad that Amy voted the way she did last night.

GRR!!! I cannot hardly watch it. I liked it because it was motivating and a "feel good" show, but with these two (and you know who I mean) it loses something. I mean, it is hard to want 2 people to fail and I do - I want those 2 to fail!! We should all be happy with the result and motivated to do it ourselves. I think what makes me mad is 1. NBC is buying into the "drama sells" and becoming just another reality show and 2. There are hundreds of contestants out there who would love to be there not for the game and not for the money, but for the life lessons and the chance to be a better person.

Yes, my weight loss. It is not as spectacular as that of the Biggest Losers, but it continues on in it's slow, gradual, sometimes even standing still kind of way. Oh, except I was up .2 last Saturday. Not the sort of thing you get excited about and run to post, I guess! I'm not too worried about it, though. It's been tough with the concussion and travel and then getting back into things, and then I ran out of soup, and I can't run. etc. etc. I'm just working for a loss this Saturday. Yes, I am doing WW online. I love those eTools. I have done WW off and on for the past, ugh, 7 or 8 years? It used to be paper journaling, which I did not enjoy. The thing about WW is that I know it always works. It's not dramatic, but if I'm following the program and writing things down, I can lose very well over the longer term. The problem has always been sticking with it over the longer term. And beyond that, maintaining forever.

Do not worry about the small "up" - your body has been through a lot these last few days and you do not know how it is going to react. You are doing a great job (and you are motivating me too - so that is another great job!!)

I did hop on the Wii Fit board today and did 30 minutes on there. It does not really feel like a work-out. And of course, I can just choose not to do the harder stuff. I unlocked the free-step feature today, though, so that was nice. And I was down 4 lbs since last time I was on....51 days ago or something!!! My fat Mii is no longer "obese" and is merely extensively "overweight. I set another goal, but I forget what it was now. The numbers still are not always sticking in my head. But that's nothing really new. I think it's a 2 month goal and I set it for 12 lbs. So that should be doable.

YEAH!! Congrats on getting out of the "obese" Mii - Boy I need to get me one of those!! I keep telling DH that after Christmas when they are not in such high demand and the prices are a bit lower we need to consider one of these. I think I would stick to it as it sounds like a lot of fun.

I definitely felt like posting my DANGER list has been helpful to me in being honest about things that cause trouble in my quest for a healthy weight.

Of course lack of negative does not equal positive, so in the spirit of positivity and the Law of Attraction, I am putting my list of things, in no particular order, that help me in my quest for a healthy weight, as well.


Things that Help:

1. Hot, decaf Green Tea instead of snacking.

2. Reading Health or Weight Loss articles on a daily basis. (just one or two)

3. Keeping baked goods out of the house. And failing that, hiding them (Thanks Kim!)

4. Admitting that I have a problem controlling myself in certain situations and planning ahead for those situations.

5. Posting journal entires here.

6. Weighing in only on weigh-in day.

7. Planning and cooking meals at home.

8. Having healthy soup on hand for easy lunches.

9. Reasonable, concrete goals for the short, medium and long term, ideally connected to a trip or event.

10. Logging everything I eat or drink.

Love the list!! I am going to copy this idea on my journal (if you don't mind). You are so good at coming up with these small ways to motivate yourself. Another excellent idea (and again, you have motivated me)!!

Talk to you soon,

Amy

 

[corinnak]

GRR!!! I cannot hardly watch it. I liked it because it was motivating and a "feel good" show, but with these two (and you know who I mean) it loses something. I mean, it is hard to want 2 people to fail and I do - I want those 2 to fail!! We should all be happy with the result and motivated to do it ourselves. I think what makes me mad is 1. NBC is buying into the "drama sells" and becoming just another reality show and 2. There are hundreds of contestants out there who would love to be there not for the game and not for the money, but for the life lessons and the chance to be a better person.

Oh, I know who you mean. I do not wish them any harm, but I would like to see both of them go home, preferably Lady Macbeth first. I have two problems with the way they are doing Biggest Loser, though in general, I have enjoyed the show a great deal.

1. They lose weight so fast on that show that even if it is safe and reasonable in that environment, the fact that they get upset over a 2 or 3 pound loss really sets us mere mortals up for feeling like our slow, sensible healthy loss at home does not measure up.

and

2. The fact that they are using the eliminations to create drama. It seems to me that it could still be a very interesting show without this constant threat of being sent home. I guess maybe it wouldn't bring out the worst in people then. I agree, it is becoming no better than Survivor or Big Brother, as far as the plotting, scheming and backstabbing goes. And that's not what I watch BL for, frankly. In fact, I don't watch Survivor or Big Brother precicely because I don't enjoy that dynamic.

Do not worry about the small "up" - your body has been through a lot these last few days and you do not know how it is going to react. You are doing a great job (and you are motivating me too - so that is another great job!!)

Thanks - I am just trying to take the long view and I figure at least I'm not any worse off than before. I'm glad you're finding a little motivation boost as well. I'm just kind of struggling to keep myself going, but striving together is definitely better than striving alone!

YEAH!! Congrats on getting out of the "obese" Mii - Boy I need to get me one of those!! I keep telling DH that after Christmas when they are not in such high demand and the prices are a bit lower we need to consider one of these. I think I would stick to it as it sounds like a lot of fun.

I'm not sure they're ever going to go down in price or be not so much in demand. I'm convinced that for some weird reason, Nintendo is still just dribbling these things into the market slowly. I would think they'd want people to get the systems and then make their money on the games, but what do I know? The Wii Fit is OK - I have to admit, I don't actually love the workout, but you know, I'm sure plenty of people do! It's a kind of fun way to keep track of weight progress, though. And I am glad to be out of the obese Mii category again.

Love the list!! I am going to copy this idea on my journal (if you don't mind). You are so good at coming up with these small ways to motivate yourself. Another excellent idea (and again, you have motivated me)!!

I am just doing things to try to help myself. If it ever seems like the same thing would be helpful to you as well, go for it. You don't even need to ask!

 

[corinnak]

Well, today is a bit of a bummer of a day. I have both kids home from school, am not feeling the most put-together myself and am coming to the realization that the half-marathon in 2009 may just not be happening. I seem to have something called post-concussion syndrome that is impairing some of my cognitive abilities. I am better than I was, but worse than I would like to be.

Realistically speaking, even if I am OK to run by January, when am I going to be able to resume training? They say you should be symptom free for 1 week before resuming, and I wouldn't say I'm symptom-free even now.

It's another gray day here, and I'm sure that's not helping either.

Food is still seemingly on-track. I am going to weigh in tomorrow.

 

[corinnak]

Oh, and it is Kung Fu night tomorrow, which means a rehearsal tonight and a show tomorrow night. If the kids are even well enough to perform/compete. Which I have not decided yet at all.

As for myself, I have benched myself for the rest of this class session. It doesn't start again until sometime in January. Did I mention that already? I just don't remember....

 

[corinnak]

Today was weigh in day. I was down 0.6 pounds! Woo hoo!


Just kidding - it's fine but probably not actually THAT exciting! Every little bit helps, but it is never as fun to go down by half a pound at a time, you know? My goal for losing 10 by Thanksgiving break is, well, dependent on where I start counting from. If I count from the highest weight I ever saw in this last bounce upward, I only have 2 pounds to go. If I go by the time I actually started WW again in earnest, though, I still have 5 to go. And truthfully, that 10 pound goal was hatched at the time that I restarted the counting.

I hate when I get all bogged down in technicalities for numbers based on a deadline. I always think that saying ! 10 pounds by BLANK is setting oneself up for disappointment if you can't or don't lose that quickly. Which is setting oneself up for feelings of being a "failure" or of being on a weight loss scheme which is a "failure." I do think time-specific goals are important because it means you can't go on putting it off. However, I also think that they can be kind of demoralizing.

I do think I might have had a better chance at it if I had been able to put in the miles I was supposed to have put in over the past several weeks. But there's nothing to be done about that now. I'm just going to accept what I've got as being better than where I started, and most importantly, I'm going to keep on going from here.

 

[kimwim8]

I just want to say CONGRATS on your loss. With all you've been dealing with lately, I really commend you on your perseverance.

I know how badly you wanted to do the 1/2...and I know it's not completely "out" yet...but in the long term - I really think the smart thing is to go with whatever will help you recover from this injury.

 

[corinnak]

So here's the situation. I have better days, I have worser days. On Saturday, people were telling me I seemed LOTS better. I thought it might be from the B vitamins or time or who knows. I was fine yesterday. Today - whammo - not as good again. I think maybe I didn't get as much sleep last night as I should have. It's hard to say for sure. But tonight, I am just having the same old problems. I can only sequence one thing at a time that I need to do. I forget what's next. I am having trouble with numbers. Flipping things around in my head.

I got an email from the travel agent I booked my room for January with. She told me that the balance was due. And I thought - wait, it's a room only, but it turns out because of their special discount group, it's a 45 day window for cancellations and we're there this week. I told her to cancel the room. I may still see if I can book something else on a passholder discount or in a moderate or value, in case I am up to it by that point. A room-only through CRO has a 5 day cancellation policy. I think that might be a better option at this point. My registration is paid, plane tickets are purchased. I'd like to go if it doesn't seem utterly unwise.

In other news, we went out to the Pizza Buffet on Sunday night and I ate too much Pizza Buffet. However, I put it all in the WW counter and it burned through a chunk of Flex points. But I counted it and it is still, technically on program. So, that's kind of cool!

I had been thinking I was going to walk tonight on the treadmill, but now I'm thinking: no.

I was at the grocery store today and they had bags upon bags of fresh cranberries and I thought "Wow -they're really getting those out there early." And then I thought, "No, that's next week!!!"

 

[kimwim8]

I'm just seeing this since I was away...and life has been crazy ever since I got back. I know you're still experiencing concussion after-effects...or during-effects. Hang in there, girlie. You're listening to your body and adjusting accordingly. That's all you can do right now.