Thursday, June 10, 2010

A Stubborn Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste

OK, so I am very excited! My darling husband went and told some kind folks about my little venture and I am soooooo happy to have read their comments. I even have a couple of followers. I just don't know what to think about that.

Thank you all.

Well, on to today. I have to tell you that this week has been a struggle, I hit a few bumps in the road you could say. These bumps tried to throw me off course and I'll admit that they made me swerve a bit but somehow I have managed to stay in control of the wheel.

Today I could not get myself in gear. I got up at 6:12 and thought, Hey I'm 3 minutes ahead of yesterday. Well apparently that was the go ahead to move like a slug. So out the door I go at 6:39, not enough time to do 2 miles at this point (it takes me about 34 minutes) as I have to be back by 7:00 to cool off and get ready for work. I briefly considered walking only a mile and then my brain woke up and I remembered I had a bike. I managed to do the whole 5K loop and get back just before 7:00. Yea!

I had to be creative this week and it worked out so now, I have a better plan in place for next week. No more of this getting up at 6:something, I will get up at 5:30 when my husband gets up. I can be out the door by 6:00 and will have an hour to workout. Also, I have been doing some reading this week and I am going to try some interval training too. Who knows, maybe I'll be able to run, not walk, that 10K. Well, the jury's still out on that one.

I have also been doing a lot more thinking about the whole proper diet thing too. I am going to take the weekend to get the kitchen set up with the right foods (and get rid of the wrong ones). I've decided to listen to the doc and go South Beach for 3 or 4 days to reset my insulin levels and get off of the sugar train. I am going to take the same attitude with which I have been approaching exercise and not allow myself to put harmful foods in my body while at work. It's going to be tricky. I can do it. Once I make up my mind, that's that. I just have to prevent anyone or anything from changing my mind...sometimes that is easier said than done.

So here we are with another revelation, diet must be part of the equation. OK, it's not a revelation, we've all been told that for years. But you see I have had this little quirk since I was a kid, I will not do something until I make up my mind to do it. All evidence would point to the fact that I still haven't outgrown this unfortunate trait. Hey, I'm only human. I have made up my mind and after all it's always our minds that stand in our way. If we allowed our bodies to make the food choices, they would choose the foods they needed. Our bodies are very complex with mechanisms built in to lead us to the right fuels. Our memories lead us to foods like birthday cake, cookies Mom baked and gave us piping hot and right out of the oven, pizza parties, I could go on. (Where did all that come from?) The point is, I am ready for this and I will do it.

This weekend I have some more biking/walking planned but nothing tomorrow, it's Friday, got to get up at 5:00 to be at work by 6:30. (In case I haven't mentioned, it takes me nearly 30 minutes to get to work.) Actually, I might get on the Wii Fit again after dinner. There it is, no excuses, nothing but the truth so...

Don't Pity the Fat Girl.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

The Truth Does Hurt but Sometimes It's Just What the Doctor Ordered

It's been a long couple of days...we'll start at the beginning.

Monday: I normally will have a rest day on Mondays after my long workouts. However, I knew I would not be able to walk on Tuesday as I would be going to the doctor. So, with tired muscles, I set out for an easy walk, just to keep going but not to hurt myself. I walked 1 1/2 miles at a nice easy pace finishing in about 30 minutes.

Now the doctor I was seeing on Tuesday was my Endocrinologist (for PCOS). She is a great doctor. She listens, advises and when I need it, she gives me a good "talkin' to" sparing no feelings just getting straight to the point. That being said, I frequently get "the fat talk", at least that's how I refer to it. Now, as I just said she gives it to me straight when I need to hear it and for the last couple of years I have needed it.

I was concerned, as usual, about the appointment because I'm never sure where my blood sugar level will be. The highest it has ever been is 109. Not good. And, depending on who you talk to, it falls in the pre-diabetic range. So, as I usually do right before the visit, I panicked and decided that I needed to refrain from eating any sugar. Well.............that didn't last long. I had a snack cake in the afternoon and then a large serving of fries with dinner.

Well there I was Monday night left to wonder how things would turn out and then I decided that it was a good thing. You see, instead of getting a possible false result, I would get the truth, bad though it may be.


Tuesday: No walking today. I got right up, hit the showers, got ready and headed straight to the Doc. There was no way I was going to try to take a walk on an empty stomach knowing that I wouldn't be able to eat anything until 11:30 at the earliest.

Once back in the room the nurse did the usual check: any new meds, need any refills, check BP, etc. Then it was time. Out came the meter and the mean little finger prick thing. Why does that always hurt worse than when they actually stick the big needle in to draw blood? Anyway, the meter read 103. Not horrible but not good either. A little relief washed over me, it was not the 115-120 I was anticipating, thank goodness. So I did get a brief reprieve.

Well, the Dr came in and we began the usual talk. "What's new?" "I'm exercising." "Great! What are you doing?" Blah, blah, blah. That part was easy...then came the food/weight issues. I didn't get "the fat talk" but, we did talk very candidly about what the issue really is, quantity. I eat a lot. I know this. I even know this so well that a week or two ago I made my husband buy some new, smaller plates. I figured if I had a smaller plate then I would by default reduce my calorie intake. It all came down to this, I have to go to a dietitian and add the other piece to the puzzle so I can see some success. Apparently at my size, currently a size (Oh how I hate to admit this!) 24, it can't just be about exercise. I have to get my weight down. This will of course benefit my overall health and make it easier to exercise, a positive cycle for a change. She tells me that it will also be reinforcing in that I will see a physical result to the work that I am putting in. I have to agree.


Wednesday: They were calling for rain this morning and I had my husband on the lookout for it. I woke at 6:03, just before he came back to wake me. It was not raining then. By the time I rolled out of bed (6:15! I have got to start this process about 15 minutes earlier.), got ready and went out the door, it was raining. Disappointing. I came back inside and my husband had a great idea, get on the Wii Fit for a while. Ok, I have an alternative. I had breakfast first, tummy was roaring. Then I got out the Wii Fit. Now I admit, I hadn't used it in quite sometime but I thought that the rechargeable battery pack had been hooked up to the computer and would have some sort of charge. Wrong! They were dead, dead, dead. Then I remembered we just bought some AA batteries. It took me 15 minutes to find them and everything else that I needed. I thought about giving up. Just scrap the day and start fresh again tomorrow, it was all I could think of.

Then something amazing happened. A little thought crept into the back of my mind, like a little voice getting louder and louder, a phenomenon I have rarely experienced. It went something like this: "You lazy, fat girl! Are you going to let a little bad weather and lack of preparation get in the way? Why have you been getting up so early? Why have you been so determined only to stop now? Just do what you can with the time you have left! Anything is better than nothing!" So, I was able to get in 15 minutes on the Wii. Another small victory.

Tomorrow: I will be back up bright and early and, weather permitting, will be walking 2 miles. Or, weather not permitting, I will be on the Wii for at least 30 maybe 45 minutes.

You see, I really believe that I have found a new resolve. I have what every expert says you need, a short term, achievable goal (10K) and a long term goal (true health). You better believe that I am going to continue to fight myself every step of the way and I hope that soon it will not be a fight.

As I close this tonight I am watching Julie and Julia, a delightful movie and I have to say, part of my inspiration to start blogging. I gives me hope that someday I will have someone reading what I am writing. Someone that I hope can gain some inspiration or perhaps learn a lesson from my triumphs and mistakes.

Just dreams now, hopefully one day reality. So, where ever you are, make up your mind to do something, take on that mountain that you have wanted to climb (figuratively or literally). Stick to it and no matter what...

Don't Pity the Fat Girl.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff, Celebrate It.

It's nearly 9:00 pm and I have to be out of bed by 6:00 am and I'm tired from the day's activity (you'll soon understand) so I'll be brief.

I didn't set the alarm last night but I did plan to roll out of bed and put on my running shoes as soon as I woke, the first time that I woke. And I did. I got up at 7:45 am, jumped out of bed, put on my gear, kissed my Honey and started walking.

The goal today, as Sunday will always be the big walking/running day, was to complete a 5K in under 55 minutes. I managed to finish the 5K in 52:44, 1 minute and 10 seconds faster than I finished the official 5K a few weeks ago. Victory is mine! I felt so good about it that I didn't stop there.

I came in the house, got another bottle of grape Propel, went to the shed and took out my bike. Then, still glowing from my earlier triumph, I climbed on the bike and pedaled my way to another 5K. I had my own mini biathalon (is that a word?).

Now I'll be honest, my legs felt like Jello when I climbed off of the bike but it was a good feeling. I pushed hard today, tested myself and came out of it stronger physically and mentally. I now know how far I can push myself at this point in the game and I think I'm doing well. Next I have to work on putting the right fuel into my body and that's going to be a harder change for me. You'll see, I'll figure it out. Stayed tuned and...

Don't Pity the Fat Girl.