Is this realistic?

[StayCool]

I'm able to do it on my phone - down at the bottom click on track and then activities and it should bring up a list of them. It looks different then it did because they have upgraded the app since I last used it but it's still there.

That's what I did last time but I don't have activities listed anymore.

 

[dizzyr]

Dizzy, come on now. We need to get in gear. The momentum has been lost. We need to get back in gear ladies. Holidays are coming and this is when most people fall off the wagon. WE DO NOT WANT TO BE SOME PEOPLE, RIGHT????? We are talking about marathons, Dopey, 1/2 marathons, etc.... These are not activities of the ordinary person. We need to walk the walk and set an example.

You know what? You are totally correct. I have still been very active - I did three aquafit classes this week and walked 4 of the 5 days which is great but it's not enough - not nearly enough if I really want to do this. This is a MARATHON and I need to start wrapping my head around the sheer magnitude of the goal I have set and start taking it seriously. I think I mentioned this before but I work at a residential drug and alcohol treatment facility. Once a month we have a graduation ceremony and every once in a while I sit in on one and I did today. It's incredibly inspiring and listening to their stories makes me realize over and over again how lucky I am and if they can come from the world they come from and overcome their addiction then I can do this too. It's time to get it in gear!

That being said I need you to do something for me The lack of activity isn't the problem the lack of running is. I'm finding it almost impossible to get in any runs especially with it getting dark so early now and me trying to get my daughter involved. Well the reality is I need to run way more than she does so one run with her on the weekends should be enough for her right now but I NEED to get in my other two so I decided I'll do them at lunch. Here's where you come in - I need you to nag me!! It will annoy the crap out of me and force me to get out there. Once I've done it a couple of times it will be a habit but right now it's often raining and it's easier to sit in the lunch room and read a book or surf the net. If I'm really going to do this then I better get used to running in crappy weather because the marathon weekend is in January and my leading up to it training months will all be rain. I have a work lunch on Monday so I can't start until Wednesday. I'm already dreading having to say I didn't run so just the thought of potential nagging is motivating me!

Then I was up all night, literally. I have been up since yesterday at 4:45 and I had training all day. It is hard to stay away during training on a good day. It was brutal. I came across some texts where my wife had some not so nice things to say about me. I won't bore you with the details but I suspected a few things and they were confirmed. So, things are coming to a boil way sooner than I hoped. I really wanted to end this peacefully for the kids sake but she seems dead set against that. Anyway, no workout for me today, I am tired.

Hoping to get to bed early enough to wake up and do my workout tomorrow. Hard to fall asleep in the same house with someone who says they hate you and want bad things to happen to you though.

OK, no feeling bad for me though. Everything will be good. In the past this would have devastated me. Today I shook it off and realize I am so much better off. I just need a few more checks before I can begin to take care of the kids on my own. One good thing that came out of it is I found out she went to an atty and he told her I will get the kids, child support, and alimony. VERY unusual in this state. Now I just need to get the job rolling and things are great.

OK, thanks for letting me vent. Hope I didn't bore you much.

I hope you find a way to get out of that situation soon, it's not healthy for you but it's great you've been able to turn it around and become a much better stronger person - I bet that's pissing her off

Oh and stop saying you think you bored us - we want to hear what you have to say. If I hear you say that again I'm gonna give you heck!!!

 

[Chiomaca]

As for the relationship issues. I really try not to discuss it much here but this one caught me off guard. I am afraid you are right. It is going to get nasty despite my pleading with her to do what's right for the kids. She apparently is hoping for some bad things to happen to me.

So, I have placed a call to a lawyer. I didn't want it to go there but if I don't do it then I only have myself to blame if something happens.

I still appreciate the support from you all.

You definitely need a good lawyer. It sounds like she's not going to be willing to hammer things out like a reasonable person, so you need to protect yourself. Sad that she's not giving more consideration to the kids.

I hope you get in your training run. I can't wait to hear about the Avengers. I gotta say, that theme does nothing for me. I would still run the race because its a Disney race but the theme is just blah for me. I don't even know much about those characters. Avengers is in Disneyland, right?

Yup, Disneyland. I was already going to be there for that weekend, so when they announced the race, it was pretty much a no-brainer. And, I am a long-standing Geek. Star Wars, Star Trek, superhero comics, you name it. I only got rid of my comic book collection a couple of years ago. I still miss it, though. This will be the first race that I am planning an actual costume, so I'll let you know how running 13.1 miles in fishnets works out.

Today has not been good. Rough day at work, and I'm torn between being thankful that I have an acro class tonight and wanting to just skip it and drown my sorrows in a jar of Nutella. But my reward for an hour standing on my hands will be a good meal at the end, so that should balance the desire for Nutella.

 

[dizzyr]

I know I need to start working in some core exercises and start squats and stuff. I'm working on getting everything together and trying to come up with a realistic schedule I can keep up with.

This is me too - I really need to figure out how to fit it all in. As it is I'm at the pool two nights a week and miss dinner so I'm reluctant to miss another night but if I don't do it right after work it's too dark and I'm less likely to leave the house so I need to come up with something else. If I add in the run on my lunch my regular "activity" schedule will look like this

Mon - walk 2k in am - run at lunch - aquafit in evening
Tues - aquafit in am - walk 5k after work getting the kids to/from places
Wed - walk 2k in am - run at lunch - aquafit in evening
Thur - aquafit in am - may have a run with dd in evening
Fri - walk 2k in am - be lazy butt the rest of the day!
Sat - run with dd
Sun - swim

It's hard to figure out how to add in anything else but with the exception of the lunch time runs that's already my schedule and it's not cutting it so I need to add in more. I may try the wii fit on Mon/Wed/Fri mornings before leaving for work.

 

[dizzyr]

It's not so much an issue of motivation for me as it is time available in the day. I'm not and have never been a couch potato. My problem is the opposite, I'm scheduled like a high school junior trying to pad her college application at the last minute. It all fits together like a jigsaw puzzle, and when one piece shifts, so do the others.

I'm very familiar with this feeling!!

 

[dizzyr]

That's what I did last time but I don't have activities listed anymore.

Well that's just not right!!! Maybe try uninstalling the app and reinstalling it?

 

[dizzyr]

Yup, Disneyland. I was already going to be there for that weekend, so when they announced the race, it was pretty much a no-brainer. And, I am a long-standing Geek. Star Wars, Star Trek, superhero comics, you name it. I only got rid of my comic book collection a couple of years ago. I still miss it, though. This will be the first race that I am planning an actual costume, so I'll let you know how running 13.1 miles in fishnets works out.

Today has not been good. Rough day at work, and I'm torn between being thankful that I have an acro class tonight and wanting to just skip it and drown my sorrows in a jar of Nutella. But my reward for an hour standing on my hands will be a good meal at the end, so that should balance the desire for Nutella.

If it wasn't for the fact that it's at Disneyland the Avengers would be one of my first choices!

Sorry you had a rough day - hope it got better. ummm what the heck are you standing on your hands for??????

 

[StayCool]

This is me too - I really need to figure out how to fit it all in. As it is I'm at the pool two nights a week and miss dinner so I'm reluctant to miss another night but if I don't do it right after work it's too dark and I'm less likely to leave the house so I need to come up with something else. If I add in the run on my lunch my regular "activity" schedule will look like this

Mon - walk 2k in am - run at lunch - aquafit in evening
Tues - aquafit in am - walk 5k after work getting the kids to/from places
Wed - walk 2k in am - run at lunch - aquafit in evening
Thur - aquafit in am - may have a run with dd in evening
Fri - walk 2k in am - be lazy butt the rest of the day!
Sat - run with dd
Sun - swim

It's hard to figure out how to add in anything else but with the exception of the lunch time runs that's already my schedule and it's not cutting it so I need to add in more. I may try the wii fit on Mon/Wed/Fri mornings before leaving for work.

That's a pretty good schedule imo! I would struggle to add more in and I think that anyone would!!

Well that's just not right!!! Maybe try uninstalling the app and reinstalling it?

I figured out why it is not on there anymore. It is because I linked it to my Jawbone band. So what ended up happening is it didn't credit the points until the end of the day. The other thing is that I was getting 7 activity points for an hour of Zumba and I only got 3 points from the Jawbone. So my thoughts on this are; where are my other 4 points? and I like instant gratification so waiting until the day is over sucks. I like the sense of accomplishment of seeing that I earned points. So I don't know... I will probably disconnect it.

Tonight is glow Zumba so 2 hours of dance and fun with my friends.

I am looking into the paleo diet. I am seriously a carb addict. I no longer drink soda and really don't eat bread very often anymore. I used to eat ice cream every night... seriously! I've stopped that. But chocolate, that is a problem. I am thinking of trying to cut out all sweets until Thanksgiving and again until Christmas. Does anyone have any experience with this way of eating?

 

[dizzyr]

That's a pretty good schedule imo! I would struggle to add more in and I think that anyone would!! I figured out why it is not on there anymore. It is because I linked it to my Jawbone band. So what ended up happening is it didn't credit the points until the end of the day. The other thing is that I was getting 7 activity points for an hour of Zumba and I only got 3 points from the Jawbone. So my thoughts on this are; where are my other 4 points? and I like instant gratification so waiting until the day is over sucks. I like the sense of accomplishment of seeing that I earned points. So I don't know... I will probably disconnect it. Tonight is glow Zumba so 2 hours of dance and fun with my friends. I am looking into the paleo diet. I am seriously a carb addict. I no longer drink soda and really don't eat bread very often anymore. I used to eat ice cream every night... seriously! I've stopped that. But chocolate, that is a problem. I am thinking of trying to cut out all sweets until Thanksgiving and again until Christmas. Does anyone have any experience with this way of eating?

It is a good schedule but I'm not losing weight (and it's been my schedule on and off for the last year - more on than off). I'm hoping the addition of the runs will be enough.

What's the jawbone band? Is it like the Fitbit? I ordered one this week and it will be here next week. I can't wait.

I did the whole life challenge last year which is a food/activity/health type challenge and it very closely resembled the paleo diet. For the most part I was able to stick with it but I found that sometimes I was making bad choices just to be in compliance. In the challenge you lost points when you ate anything off the list so I would eat something on the list to not loose points but what I really wanted may have been the better choice. As long as you don't get caught up in eating only certain things it isn't bad.

 

[Waiting2goback]

You know what? You are totally correct. I have still been very active - I did three aquafit classes this week and walked 4 of the 5 days which is great but it's not enough - not nearly enough if I really want to do this. This is a MARATHON and I need to start wrapping my head around the sheer magnitude of the goal I have set and start taking it seriously. I think I mentioned this before but I work at a residential drug and alcohol treatment facility. Once a month we have a graduation ceremony and every once in a while I sit in on one and I did today. It's incredibly inspiring and listening to their stories makes me realize over and over again how lucky I am and if they can come from the world they come from and overcome their addiction then I can do this too. It's time to get it in gear!

That being said I need you to do something for me The lack of activity isn't the problem the lack of running is. I'm finding it almost impossible to get in any runs especially with it getting dark so early now and me trying to get my daughter involved. Well the reality is I need to run way more than she does so one run with her on the weekends should be enough for her right now but I NEED to get in my other two so I decided I'll do them at lunch. Here's where you come in - I need you to nag me!! It will annoy the crap out of me and force me to get out there. Once I've done it a couple of times it will be a habit but right now it's often raining and it's easier to sit in the lunch room and read a book or surf the net. If I'm really going to do this then I better get used to running in crappy weather because the marathon weekend is in January and my leading up to it training months will all be rain. I have a work lunch on Monday so I can't start until Wednesday. I'm already dreading having to say I didn't run so just the thought of potential nagging is motivating me!

I hope you find a way to get out of that situation soon, it's not healthy for you but it's great you've been able to turn it around and become a much better stronger person - I bet that's pissing her off

Oh and stop saying you think you bored us - we want to hear what you have to say. If I hear you say that again I'm gonna give you heck!!!

First thing. I am happy to see so much activity here in the last couple of days. That's a great sign.

I am always afraid to nag people. Now that you have given me the permission I will nag the crap out of you if that is what it takes to help you.

I wouldn't worry so much about the amount of exercise you are doing. I would worry about the QUALITY of the exercise you do. I'll give you an example but before I do I am not saying any of these forms of exercise are bad. But, if you walk 10 times a week at a pretty slow pace that barely raises your heart rate it will not be as effective as doing 5 workouts where you push yourself hard and feel beat afterward. They are both exercise but one is more efficient than the other. More results in less time.

One reason I think I went from 13-14 minute miles down to 9 min/miles in just 2 months was because when I ran I used a heart rate monitor and I always tried to get my HR up to the highest level. It was hard work but it gave me results faster. You'll be tired at the end of the workout and end of the day but you won't have to workout as many times to get the same results. Just a thought.

Have you decided what you are doing for your Disney race yet? Are you doing Dopey? I can't remember if you decided yet. Yes, you do need to focus if you want to do this. And yes, you need to get used to running in the dark and the rain. If you do the 2016 WDW Marathon you will be doing your longest runs at this time next year. So, you need to get used to it. You need to decide if this is something you want bad enough to run in less than ideal conditions. Because guess what, what if you train in perfect conditions for the next year and it rains on race day. Then you are in trouble. If you want the most enjoyable race day then but yourself through the ringer during training. Then if the worst happens on race day, no big deal. It will also give you more satisfaction and pride as you cross the finish line because you will know what you went through to get ready.

As for my situation. It took a lot out of me this week. I still have not caught up on sleep from the night I was up all night. Hoping to get a good night sleep tonight and back on schedule for workouts this week. No EXCUSES.

I finally called a lawyer this week which I think I mentioned. Didn't get to talk to him yet as I am in training all week and he must have been at lunch all week when I was. But he left me a message and gave me his email. I talked to the wife last night and plead my case one more time to try to end this peacefully for the sake of the kids. She said it doesn't seem possible as very few divorces end nicely. I said, can't we be the people who do and set the example? Very few people run marathons either but I did and I am encouraging others around me to finally get in shape. We can't do the mature thing at the age of 41 and 40 for the sake of our 4 kids who didn't chose to be born? She said she would think about it and let me know. I said the other option is we hire attorneys. We give them a ton of our money, which takes it away from the kids, and if we get lawyers I am pursuing full custody, child support, and alimony. So, you want to risk that I will win given your attorney told you I would?

So, we shall see. I said we were best friends for years and now your so angry that you not only didn't bring the kids to see me cross the finish line at my first MARATHON but you were actually mad at me for running it????? I told her I will be running several races next year so if she has a problem with it she needs to begin accepting it now. She claims she will bring the kids to at least some of my races next year. Not holding my breath though.

OK, so back on track now. With the exception of a few pieces of Halloween candy I have been eating really well at least.

You definitely need a good lawyer. It sounds like she's not going to be willing to hammer things out like a reasonable person, so you need to protect yourself. Sad that she's not giving more consideration to the kids.

Yup, Disneyland. I was already going to be there for that weekend, so when they announced the race, it was pretty much a no-brainer. And, I am a long-standing Geek. Star Wars, Star Trek, superhero comics, you name it. I only got rid of my comic book collection a couple of years ago. I still miss it, though. This will be the first race that I am planning an actual costume, so I'll let you know how running 13.1 miles in fishnets works out.

Today has not been good. Rough day at work, and I'm torn between being thankful that I have an acro class tonight and wanting to just skip it and drown my sorrows in a jar of Nutella. But my reward for an hour standing on my hands will be a good meal at the end, so that should balance the desire for Nutella.

I hope you have a great race. Can't wait to hear about it. I'm a bit jealous though. I have never been to DL and I kinda want to go. I'm nervous to go there though as I am not as familiar with it so it makes me anxious.

Tonight is glow Zumba so 2 hours of dance and fun with my friends.

I am looking into the paleo diet. I am seriously a carb addict. I no longer drink soda and really don't eat bread very often anymore. I used to eat ice cream every night... seriously! I've stopped that. But chocolate, that is a problem. I am thinking of trying to cut out all sweets until Thanksgiving and again until Christmas. Does anyone have any experience with this way of eating?

Hopefully you had a great time at your Zumba marathon.

I have not done Paleo but I heard it is very difficult to follow. Why are you considering this type of diet out of curiosity?


My thought of the day, which I might just use everyday. I just came up with it now but I like it.

"If you don't want to be ordinary you need to do something extraordinary everyday!"

 

[StayCool]

It is a good schedule but I'm not losing weight (and it's been my schedule on and off for the last year - more on than off). I'm hoping the addition of the runs will be enough.

What's the jawbone band? Is it like the Fitbit? I ordered one this week and it will be here next week. I can't wait.

I did the whole life challenge last year which is a food/activity/health type challenge and it very closely resembled the paleo diet. For the most part I was able to stick with it but I found that sometimes I was making bad choices just to be in compliance. In the challenge you lost points when you ate anything off the list so I would eat something on the list to not loose points but what I really wanted may have been the better choice. As long as you don't get caught up in eating only certain things it isn't bad.

Since you have had the same schedule for so long it is likely that your body is just used to that activity so you need to shake it up. That does not necessarily mean adding stuff in, but maybe missing an aquafit class and replacing it with something else once a week. The Jawbone is like the Fitbit but I like it is little better. It tracks steps, food and sleep. They actually have a new one coming out that monitors heart rate as well. It helps show me how active I am even though I may think that I've been more active. Kind of a reality check.

I'm not thinking 100% strict paleo, but I need to do something different. I haven't lost much weight although I have lost inches. So obviously my diet is not good enough.

I finally called a lawyer this week which I think I mentioned. Didn't get to talk to him yet as I am in training all week and he must have been at lunch all week when I was. But he left me a message and gave me his email. I talked to the wife last night and plead my case one more time to try to end this peacefully for the sake of the kids. She said it doesn't seem possible as very few divorces end nicely. I said, can't we be the people who do and set the example? Very few people run marathons either but I did and I am encouraging others around me to finally get in shape. We can't do the mature thing at the age of 41 and 40 for the sake of our 4 kids who didn't chose to be born? She said she would think about it and let me know. I said the other option is we hire attorneys. We give them a ton of our money, which takes it away from the kids, and if we get lawyers I am pursuing full custody, child support, and alimony. So, you want to risk that I will win given your attorney told you I would?

So, we shall see. I said we were best friends for years and now your so angry that you not only didn't bring the kids to see me cross the finish line at my first MARATHON but you were actually mad at me for running it????? I told her I will be running several races next year so if she has a problem with it she needs to begin accepting it now. She claims she will bring the kids to at least some of my races next year. Not holding my breath though.

Hopefully you had a great time at your Zumba marathon.

I have not done Paleo but I heard it is very difficult to follow. Why are you considering this type of diet out of curiosity?

Good luck with the wife. I would believe her when she says she does not think this can be friendly. IMO that comes later... like 2 years after all is settled. :/ You will be ok though. Just keep moving.

My Zumbathon was a ton of fun. 2 hours of busting my butt and it finally felt good!!! Whew. Now to just get back into the routine. I have a few new recipes to try and we are really working to eat healthier on a daily basis. Paleo is an idea for several reasons. I do have GERD and feel bloated a lot, especially lately. I am a carb junkie so I am kind of looking at it a way to do a sugar detox. I want to start cutting out more things from my diet and this is kind of a tool for me to work with.

Hope everyone has a great Sunday!

 

[Chiomaca]

Dizzy, I stand on my hands because I'm a recreational acrobat, so I'm often either holding someone else standing or sitting in my hands, or else standing on my own hands. Circus workouts are some of the most incredible upper body and core workouts. I mostly do trapeze, high flying and static, but I dabble in hand balancing, too. I'm not good, but I have fun and have made some great friends in the process. Running is my cross training to build endurance.

StayCool, I'm so glad you felt great for the Zumbathon! Maybe you just needed something intense like that to kick start yourself? I know sometimes I need that sort of forcing function to move me from a plateau.

I'm not a big fan of the Paleo diet, mainly because it seems very cult-like to me. I also doubt the science behind it and it's impossible to say how our ancestors ate without giving a nod to the fact that our coastal ancestors had to have eaten far different from those in the mountains or fertile valleys. I do think it's got some good points - like the preference for pastured/free-range meats and complex carbs, but I'm not a fan of cutting out all of any food group. I would also be careful about cutting out carbs while you're doing heavy workouts. I did Phase I of South Beach once and by the middle of the second week I couldn't run and I got dizzy even lifting weights. It did help me get control over my sweet tooth, but I wouldn't do it again while I am running regularly. I liked WW because it gave me control and responsibility while not shoving me into processed food, same thing with the later phases of South Beach. I never end up following anything for long, but I am a fan of Michael Pollan's Food Rules. I think if you could follow Paleo principles without being slavish to the more extreme elements, you'd do fine.

If you're losing inches though, then the diet you're on is working. You have to remember that all the exercise you're doing is building muscle, which is heavier than the fat you're shedding. I struggle with that, too - I think about how well I'm eating and how much I'm exercising and get frustrated that the scale hasn't budged. I've stopped weighing myself and I just base things on my clothing and my strength.

Waiting2goback - Disneyland is easier than WDW. It's smaller and easier to navigate. Three hotels on property but much less expensive ones within walking distance of the parks. I'm a Northern Californian, so DL has been an annual trip for most of my life. My mom went the year it opened, when she was 10! I've only been to WDW three times - the first time I was a kid and there was no Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom and the last time was a race weekend, so the only park we did anything other than running in was Epcot for meals. I'd like to explore there a little more but it never feels like I have the time.

Hope you're caught up on sleep. How much longer is your training?

 

[Waiting2goback]

Since you have had the same schedule for so long it is likely that your body is just used to that activity so you need to shake it up. That does not necessarily mean adding stuff in, but maybe missing an aquafit class and replacing it with something else once a week. The Jawbone is like the Fitbit but I like it is little better. It tracks steps, food and sleep. They actually have a new one coming out that monitors heart rate as well. It helps show me how active I am even though I may think that I've been more active. Kind of a reality check.

Good luck with the wife. I would believe her when she says she does not think this can be friendly. IMO that comes later... like 2 years after all is settled. :/ You will be ok though. Just keep moving.

My Zumbathon was a ton of fun. 2 hours of busting my butt and it finally felt good!!! Whew. Now to just get back into the routine. I have a few new recipes to try and we are really working to eat healthier on a daily basis. Paleo is an idea for several reasons. I do have GERD and feel bloated a lot, especially lately. I am a carb junkie so I am kind of looking at it a way to do a sugar detox. I want to start cutting out more things from my diet and this is kind of a tool for me to work with.

Hope everyone has a great Sunday!

Dizzy, I agree with StayCool. I think what you need is to change it up. I could have probably said that yesterday as opposed to going into detail about working harder as opposed to more. If you know anything about P90X it is all about muscle confusion, that's how you get results in just 90 days. I'm not suggesting you do P90X, although that might be just what you need, but you might need to change things up. You might start seeing results if you "shock" your body with something new. Maybe it is pushing yourself harder for shorter workouts like I suggested yesterday. Or maybe it is something else.

StayCool, I had the same problem with you. Even when I was eating right I felt bloated. I felt like I was going to explode. I didn't understand it. Then I read the book, Blood Sugar Solution by Dr. Mark Hyman. I may have mentioned it before, not sure. In the book he discussed two major causes of inflammation, dairy and gluten. So, I stopped all extra sugar. I got my sugar in fruits in stuff but no more candy, cookies, etc... I stopped dairy and gluten. In the first 2 months I lost 20 lbs. I no longer have the bloated feeling. I eat lots of fruits and veggies. I eat gluten free pasta when I do have it and the kind I bought tastes no different. I eat virtually no bread or dairy. I say virtually because I had to have some at Disney and I paid the price for it as I felt sick the day I left and for about 3 days after I got home until I cleaned my system out again. I, like you, used to have a huge bowl of ice cream every night, bowls of cereal in the morning, etc... It was a lot of dairy. It seems hard at first but now it is no big deal at all. According to the book the inflammation caused by those two can not only prevent weight loss but can make you gain weight even when eating well.

I am glad you had fun with your Zumbathon. You may be sore, or maybe not. I like soreness, not sure if you do. It reminds me that I did something good for myself and reminds me to keep doing it.

As for my wife. I have accepted that it will get nasty. I hate it but oh well. It is what it is and after I am done here I am emailing the lawyer to see about moving forward. Time to look out for me and the kids. No idea how I will afford to support me and 4 kids on top of paying for the lawyer since I have only gotten 2 paychecks now but oh well. I put myself in this position and I need to move forward the best I can. Thanks for the support though. It does help believe it or not.

Dizzy, I stand on my hands because I'm a recreational acrobat, so I'm often either holding someone else standing or sitting in my hands, or else standing on my own hands. Circus workouts are some of the most incredible upper body and core workouts. I mostly do trapeze, high flying and static, but I dabble in hand balancing, too. I'm not good, but I have fun and have made some great friends in the process. Running is my cross training to build endurance.

StayCool, I'm so glad you felt great for the Zumbathon! Maybe you just needed something intense like that to kick start yourself? I know sometimes I need that sort of forcing function to move me from a plateau.

I'm not a big fan of the Paleo diet, mainly because it seems very cult-like to me. I also doubt the science behind it and it's impossible to say how our ancestors ate without giving a nod to the fact that our coastal ancestors had to have eaten far different from those in the mountains or fertile valleys. I do think it's got some good points - like the preference for pastured/free-range meats and complex carbs, but I'm not a fan of cutting out all of any food group. I would also be careful about cutting out carbs while you're doing heavy workouts. I did Phase I of South Beach once and by the middle of the second week I couldn't run and I got dizzy even lifting weights. It did help me get control over my sweet tooth, but I wouldn't do it again while I am running regularly. I liked WW because it gave me control and responsibility while not shoving me into processed food, same thing with the later phases of South Beach. I never end up following anything for long, but I am a fan of Michael Pollan's Food Rules. I think if you could follow Paleo principles without being slavish to the more extreme elements, you'd do fine.

If you're losing inches though, then the diet you're on is working. You have to remember that all the exercise you're doing is building muscle, which is heavier than the fat you're shedding. I struggle with that, too - I think about how well I'm eating and how much I'm exercising and get frustrated that the scale hasn't budged. I've stopped weighing myself and I just base things on my clothing and my strength.

Waiting2goback - Disneyland is easier than WDW. It's smaller and easier to navigate. Three hotels on property but much less expensive ones within walking distance of the parks. I'm a Northern Californian, so DL has been an annual trip for most of my life. My mom went the year it opened, when she was 10! I've only been to WDW three times - the first time I was a kid and there was no Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom and the last time was a race weekend, so the only park we did anything other than running in was Epcot for meals. I'd like to explore there a little more but it never feels like I have the time.

Hope you're caught up on sleep. How much longer is your training?

You have me intrigued. I need to learn more about you. Each time you reveal a little more info I want to know more.

It may be easier. I have heard it is much easier to get around the parks and stuff. The Disney hotels seem very pricey out there and I just like staying at Disney hotels when I go. I just feel safer, like I am at home. But, given my situation now it doesn't look like I'll be going anywhere for a long time. I'll be living vicariously through everyone else.

I'm still beat. No workout again today. Lots of candy. I need someone to come here and slap me in the face to wake me up and get me back on track. I know, it sounds harsh, but I need to get straightened up.

As for training. I'm assuming you mean for work? I have 2 more weeks of work training.

OK, off to email the lawyer and hopefully get to bed early so I can wake up and workout. That's the plan anyway. Thank you everyone. Have a great night. Before I got though. Dizzy, don't forget to get that next workout in. I will be asking about it tomorrow night. I would yell at you like Jillian Michaels but it would just wake the kids up and you wouldn't hear me anyway.

 

[Chiomaca]

I'm in my mid-40s (43 on Tuesday), and while I don't have a lot of weight to lose, I do have a motivation issue. I never had to work hard to stay slim until I hit my 30s and suddenly I couldn't eat everything in sight and stay underweight. I gained 20+ pounds and while I needed ten of them, I really didn't need the others. I'm still trying to lose those.

I never enjoyed formal exercise even though the Navy tests me twice a year. It wasn't until I discovered circus about five years ago that I found something to do that kept my attention and made me work really hard. In the last five years I've gone from being hopeless to teaching 5th graders life lessons through circus. My circus friends are incredible and supportive and some of the best people I've ever known. (In fact, they supported me through my rough weekend in a day long drinking binge yesterday...noon to midnight...it reached college levels of epic without the college levels of stupidity. )

I started running last year, thanks to another friend. She's struggled with her weight and has been pretty limited exercise-wise thanks to damaged lungs. She started running and I went from "A half-marathon, are you nuts?" to "Okay, I'll run with you." That's when I realized that I love the longer runs, or at least the way I feel after the longer runs. From there I started running marathons and on the way discovered the Disney runs from a former shipmate whose wife works for All Ears. This year I ran Tink and Princess, and will run Avengers next weekend. Goofy in January and Tink in May as a Mother's Day run with my mom. I need to stop though - circus already takes most of my disposable income, Disney doesn't need the rest.

 

[StayCool]

StayCool, I'm so glad you felt great for the Zumbathon! Maybe you just needed something intense like that to kick start yourself? I know sometimes I need that sort of forcing function to move me from a plateau.

I'm not a big fan of the Paleo diet, mainly because it seems very cult-like to me. I would also be careful about cutting out carbs while you're doing heavy workouts. I did Phase I of South Beach once and by the middle of the second week I couldn't run and I got dizzy even lifting weights. It did help me get control over my sweet tooth, but I wouldn't do it again while I am running regularly. I liked WW because it gave me control and responsibility while not shoving me into processed food, same thing with the later phases of South Beach. I never end up following anything for long, but I am a fan of Michael Pollan's Food Rules. I think if you could follow Paleo principles without being slavish to the more extreme elements, you'd do fine.

If you're losing inches though, then the diet you're on is working. You have to remember that all the exercise you're doing is building muscle, which is heavier than the fat you're shedding. I struggle with that, too - I think about how well I'm eating and how much I'm exercising and get frustrated that the scale hasn't budged. I've stopped weighing myself and I just base things on my clothing and my strength.

The Zumbathon went really well and I felt good. I thought I would get tired, but I held up just fine. I did about 9000 steps in the 2 hours.

I wasn't too concerned about the why of the Paleo diet. I agree that the "this is what our ancestors ate" part is likely just crap. I was more thinking of using it as a springboard to eat better and help me stop eating sweets. I do use the flexibility of WW to my advantage when I need to. I probably should just suck it up and muster up the willpower to stop eating sweets. Like any other withdrawal, just push through and move on. I didn't think about how cutting out carbs would effect my workout, but again I was thinking more sweets. Hmm.

I know that the general rule is that women do not gain muscle as quickly as men. However I feel like I have always gained muscle quickly and the actual weight loss is painfully slow... Logically I know I should just ride it out but it is frustrating to have been working at it for 8-9 months and only have lost around 10 lbs. I feel like I should lose more weight as well as inches in the much time. So that thought is what led me to thinking paleo.

StayCool, I had the same problem with you. Even when I was eating right I felt bloated. I felt like I was going to explode. I didn't understand it. Then I read the book, Blood Sugar Solution by Dr. Mark Hyman. I may have mentioned it before, not sure. In the book he discussed two major causes of inflammation, dairy and gluten. So, I stopped all extra sugar. I got my sugar in fruits in stuff but no more candy, cookies, etc... I stopped dairy and gluten. In the first 2 months I lost 20 lbs. I no longer have the bloated feeling. I eat lots of fruits and veggies. I eat gluten free pasta when I do have it and the kind I bought tastes no different. I eat virtually no bread or dairy. I say virtually because I had to have some at Disney and I paid the price for it as I felt sick the day I left and for about 3 days after I got home until I cleaned my system out again. I, like you, used to have a huge bowl of ice cream every night, bowls of cereal in the morning, etc... It was a lot of dairy. It seems hard at first but now it is no big deal at all. According to the book the inflammation caused by those two can not only prevent weight loss but can make you gain weight even when eating well.

I am glad you had fun with your Zumbathon. You may be sore, or maybe not. I like soreness, not sure if you do. It reminds me that I did something good for myself and reminds me to keep doing it.

I'm not sure that I buy into the whole gluten free thing. I believe that it is real for some people, but studies have shown that for most people there truly is no sensitivity or intolerance. I'm not lumping you in with them, I am just saying for me personally, I am just not in a hurry to try that. I do try to restrict the amounts of them that I eat though.

No soreness with Zumba although I was expecting it! Guess I need to start adding in more stuff. I do like the feeling of mild soreness. Then I know that I did something. lol

I never enjoyed formal exercise even though the Navy tests me twice a year.

Thank you for your service!

 

[dizzyr]

I agree with everyone that I need to change it up a bit and I would like to but the reason it's been the same for so long is it fits into everyone else's schedule - for example the walks in the morning are because I walk my dd to before school care and that can't be changed (and I can only go as fast as she can). The Sunday swim is because the girls have lessons and I'm already at the pool waiting with them. That's why I need to figure out a way to add in a workout or two - just enough to kickstart the rest if that makes sense. I have Zumba for the wii and also wii fit so I think I am going to start with them because then I don't have to be out of the house.

Staycool glad to here you had fun at the zumbathon! The girls do Zumba at school and love it. I agree with you too about the gluten - if you don't have a sensitivity to it I don't think it should be cut out. Every food group is important but some just need to be in more moderation than the others.

Waitingtogoback yup it will probably get nasty because you are both coming at it from a place of pain, hurt and fear. Also by definition you are on opposite sides - staycool is right the amicable part comes later. Hang in there though and vent away when you need to.

Chiomaca that sounds awesome!! My girls have done a tiny bit of circus arts and one of my secret fantasies is to be able to do the silk ropes. Glad you had company in your epic drinking day! It's been a very long time since I've done that but oh the memories lol.

 

[Chiomaca]

I wasn't too concerned about the why of the Paleo diet. I agree that the "this is what our ancestors ate" part is likely just crap. I was more thinking of using it as a springboard to eat better and help me stop eating sweets. I do use the flexibility of WW to my advantage when I need to. I probably should just suck it up and muster up the willpower to stop eating sweets. Like any other withdrawal, just push through and move on. I didn't think about how cutting out carbs would effect my workout, but again I was thinking more sweets. Hmm.

I know that the general rule is that women do not gain muscle as quickly as men. However I feel like I have always gained muscle quickly and the actual weight loss is painfully slow... Logically I know I should just ride it out but it is frustrating to have been working at it for 8-9 months and only have lost around 10 lbs. I feel like I should lose more weight as well as inches in the much time. So that thought is what led me to thinking paleo.

I hear you on the sweet tooth. Phase One of South Beach helped me with that, and now there are lots of things I just don't eat any more, like milk chocolate or flavored yogurts because they're too sweet for me. I also try to limit my simple carbs and anything that's overly processed. That sounds to me like what you're trying to do - good, simple food without added stuff. It's amazing how much sugar is in foods we think of as every day staples. And then add sweets on top, and our consumption is crazy. One trick I learned from a friend is to have an apple around all the time - if I'm hungry enough to want the apple, then I'm really hungry. If I look at the apple but I'd rather pass it up to go for chocolate or something else, then I'm not really hungry. I do that during the weekday (sometimes with a little peanut butter for protein) and then allow myself something sweet at night.

I also hear you on adding muscle, I seem to add a lot more quickly than most of the women I know.

Chiomaca that sounds awesome!! My girls have done a tiny bit of circus arts and one of my secret fantasies is to be able to do the silk ropes. Glad you had company in your epic drinking day! It's been a very long time since I've done that but I the memories lol.

It looks to me like Vancouver has a good circus scene, including CircusWest and Vancouver Circus School, which teach introductory classes. I like silks, but I picked up on trapeze more quickly and the timing for classes is better for me. But talk about changing things up - you'll never find a better upper body or core workout.

Maybe switch out your morning Aquafit for something else? Strength training or biking will both help. Some resistance bands or weights/kettle bells with the Wii Fit, maybe.

The good news for me is that I did get a run in - I needed to test out my top for Avengers (drafted the pattern and made the top, so it was a complete unknown), so I ran home from work today. It was a very early end to the day because the city is shutting down for the big Veteran's Day concert and I live five blocks from where the stage is being set up. The plan for the rest of the week is: flying trapeze tomorrow am, static trapeze Weds, Navy PT test Thursday, fly to CA on Friday, Avengers Half on Sunday.

 

[Waiting2goback]

I'm in my mid-40s (43 on Tuesday), and while I don't have a lot of weight to lose, I do have a motivation issue. I never had to work hard to stay slim until I hit my 30s and suddenly I couldn't eat everything in sight and stay underweight. I gained 20+ pounds and while I needed ten of them, I really didn't need the others. I'm still trying to lose those.

I never enjoyed formal exercise even though the Navy tests me twice a year. It wasn't until I discovered circus about five years ago that I found something to do that kept my attention and made me work really hard. In the last five years I've gone from being hopeless to teaching 5th graders life lessons through circus. My circus friends are incredible and supportive and some of the best people I've ever known. (In fact, they supported me through my rough weekend in a day long drinking binge yesterday...noon to midnight...it reached college levels of epic without the college levels of stupidity. )

I started running last year, thanks to another friend. She's struggled with her weight and has been pretty limited exercise-wise thanks to damaged lungs. She started running and I went from "A half-marathon, are you nuts?" to "Okay, I'll run with you." That's when I realized that I love the longer runs, or at least the way I feel after the longer runs. From there I started running marathons and on the way discovered the Disney runs from a former shipmate whose wife works for All Ears. This year I ran Tink and Princess, and will run Avengers next weekend. Goofy in January and Tink in May as a Mother's Day run with my mom. I need to stop though - circus already takes most of my disposable income, Disney doesn't need the rest.

Very interesting. I have to second StayCool and thank you for your service. But I loved reading your info.

The Zumbathon went really well and I felt good. I thought I would get tired, but I held up just fine. I did about 9000 steps in the 2 hours.

I wasn't too concerned about the why of the Paleo diet. I agree that the "this is what our ancestors ate" part is likely just crap. I was more thinking of using it as a springboard to eat better and help me stop eating sweets. I do use the flexibility of WW to my advantage when I need to. I probably should just suck it up and muster up the willpower to stop eating sweets. Like any other withdrawal, just push through and move on. I didn't think about how cutting out carbs would effect my workout, but again I was thinking more sweets. Hmm.

I know that the general rule is that women do not gain muscle as quickly as men. However I feel like I have always gained muscle quickly and the actual weight loss is painfully slow... Logically I know I should just ride it out but it is frustrating to have been working at it for 8-9 months and only have lost around 10 lbs. I feel like I should lose more weight as well as inches in the much time. So that thought is what led me to thinking paleo.

I'm not sure that I buy into the whole gluten free thing. I believe that it is real for some people, but studies have shown that for most people there truly is no sensitivity or intolerance. I'm not lumping you in with them, I am just saying for me personally, I am just not in a hurry to try that. I do try to restrict the amounts of them that I eat though.

No soreness with Zumba although I was expecting it! Guess I need to start adding in more stuff. I do like the feeling of mild soreness. Then I know that I did something. lol

StayCool, you are focusing too much on the weight. If you are losing inches but not much weight at least you are making progress. I think I suggested taking pics of yourself in the past, right? Did you? Seeing the changes has way more impact than the scale, IMO. Plus, haven't you told me not to worry about the scale several times?

I agree with everyone that I need to change it up a bit and I would like to but the reason it's been the same for so long is it fits into everyone else's schedule - for example the walks in the morning are because I walk my dd to before school care and that can't be changed (and I can only go as fast as she can). The Sunday swim is because the girls have lessons and I'm already at the pool waiting with them. That's why I need to figure out a way to add in a workout or two - just enough to kickstart the rest if that makes sense. I have Zumba for the wii and also wii fit so I think I am going to start with them because then I don't have to be out of the house.

Waitingtogoback yup it will probably get nasty because you are both coming at it from a place of pain, hurt and fear. Also by definition you are on opposite sides - staycool is right the amicable part comes later. Hang in there though and vent away when you need to.

If you can't change the activity because of schedule you can change the intensity on some of them, can't you? If you are walking your daughter to school and you can only go as fast as she can couldn't you put on some ankle weights to make it harder or something? There IS ALWAYS A WAY. You need to adopt a "can do" attitude and find the solution.

We have 4 kids who deserve our best. We should be able to get along for their sake and make it a pleasant divorce if we love our kids as much as we say. Maybe it's fairytale but it just seems like common sense to me. I told her if she forces me to get a lawyer than all bets are off. I am going for everything I am entitled to and she will receive no help from me after the divorce. I will not read the things I read about her wanting bad things to happen to me, making fun of me because I couldn't even get a job at McDonald's after I supported her while she got her career established, she called me every name in the book, she is bad mouthing me to my kid's teachers, etc... And now she is forcing me to get a lawyer because she can't be mature enough to do it right? With friends like that, who needs enemies.

The good news for me is that I did get a run in - I needed to test out my top for Avengers (drafted the pattern and made the top, so it was a complete unknown), so I ran home from work today. It was a very early end to the day because the city is shutting down for the big Veteran's Day concert and I live five blocks from where the stage is being set up. The plan for the rest of the week is: flying trapeze tomorrow am, static trapeze Weds, Navy PT test Thursday, fly to CA on Friday, Avengers Half on Sunday.

Busy week. Hope you have a good week, stay injury free for your run on Sunday, and report back about the race.

As for the sweet tooth. The book I mentioned about blood sugar is also a good read for that. It explains how you become addicted to sugar and how to stop it. It helped me. When I learned how it impacted my body and brain it made it easier to fight the cravings. I actually ate a lot of nuts and seeds when trying to break the cycle because they help keep your blood sugar level. Now the damn Halloween candy and my stress is getting me back into bad habits.

I did get up and workout this morning. I thought about getting the extra hour of sleep but I thought about what I preach on here so I had to get up and go do it. I was so tired all day though. Usually I am not when I work out in the morning, it wakes me up and gets me energized for the day. Not today. But, I did it.

 

[StayCool]

I agree with everyone that I need to change it up a bit and I would like to but the reason it's been the same for so long is it fits into everyone else's schedule. I have Zumba for the wii and also wii fit so I think I am going to start with them because then I don't have to be out of the house.

Staycool glad to here you had fun at the zumbathon! The girls do Zumba at school and love it. I agree with you too about the gluten - if you don't have a sensitivity to it I don't think it should be cut out. Every food group is important but some just need to be in more moderation than the others.

It completely makes sense since you fit everything in like that. Good luck switching it up a little. I love Zumba although I feel foolish. It gets everything moving and doesn't feel so much like work. lol

I hear you on the sweet tooth. Phase One of South Beach helped me with that, and now there are lots of things I just don't eat any more, like milk chocolate or flavored yogurts because they're too sweet for me. I also try to limit my simple carbs and anything that's overly processed. That sounds to me like what you're trying to do - good, simple food without added stuff. It's amazing how much sugar is in foods we think of as every day staples. And then add sweets on top, and our consumption is crazy. One trick I learned from a friend is to have an apple around all the time - if I'm hungry enough to want the apple, then I'm really hungry. If I look at the apple but I'd rather pass it up to go for chocolate or something else, then I'm not really hungry. I do that during the weekday (sometimes with a little peanut butter for protein) and then allow myself something sweet at night.

I also hear you on adding muscle, I seem to add a lot more quickly than most of the women I know.

Avengers Half on Sunday.

Sweets are the bane of my existence. I swear I am addicted to them. I just don't know where to start in order to stop. It seems like so much of everything I do/celebrate is centered around food. And then with it getting colder it is more difficult for me to get moving.

Good luck at the Avengers half!

StayCool, you are focusing too much on the weight. If you are losing inches but not much weight at least you are making progress. I think I suggested taking pics of yourself in the past, right? Did you? Seeing the changes has way more impact than the scale, IMO. Plus, haven't you told me not to worry about the scale several times?

We have 4 kids who deserve our best. We should be able to get along for their sake and make it a pleasant divorce if we love our kids as much as we say. Maybe it's fairytale but it just seems like common sense to me. I told her if she forces me to get a lawyer than all bets are off. I am going for everything I am entitled to and she will receive no help from me after the divorce. I will not read the things I read about her wanting bad things to happen to me, making fun of me because I couldn't even get a job at McDonald's after I supported her while she got her career established, she called me every name in the book, she is bad mouthing me to my kid's teachers, etc... And now she is forcing me to get a lawyer because she can't be mature enough to do it right? With friends like that, who needs enemies.


As for the sweet tooth. The book I mentioned about blood sugar is also a good read for that. It explains how you become addicted to sugar and how to stop it. It helped me. When I learned how it impacted my body and brain it made it easier to fight the cravings. I actually ate a lot of nuts and seeds when trying to break the cycle because they help keep your blood sugar level. Now the damn Halloween candy and my stress is getting me back into bad habits.

I did get up and workout this morning. I thought about getting the extra hour of sleep but I thought about what I preach on here so I had to get up and go do it. I was so tired all day though. Usually I am not when I work out in the morning, it wakes me up and gets me energized for the day. Not today. But, I did it.

I did have my husband take pictures of me the other day and will continue to take them at the beginning of every month so I can have the visual. I know that I shouldn't focus 100% on the scale, but at the same time, I have lost more weight than this in the past. So it comes back to my eating habits.

As far as what happens with you and your wife, you can't control what is going to happen. I know you want to make it as good as it can be but she's warning you that that is not going to happen. Just keep moving, physically and emotionally, and keep your head up. You are going to experience a gamut of emotions and most of them will suck. BUT there will come a time when you are happy again. And it will all be worth not living in a crappy environment forever.

Today is WW weigh in for me. Up 2.2 lbs. Ugh. I did do a 20 minute express Zumba workout this morning before work. I'm trying.

 

[dizzyr]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHIOMACA!!!!!

Hope your day was awesome!