the last day of 2011

I remember when New Year's Eve was such a big event.... now, it is different.

I have found it interesting to meet people (of quality) here in my new home. I know a lot of people.... and they know me (by sight). I have been spending a great deal of time living between two places, and am now in a position to be committed to my new home.

IN that, I am looking forward to a quiet evening.... home. With a movie or a good book, or both.

Tomorrow, I am going on a hike on gooseberry neck island. It is a tour along the coast. They suggest binoculars.... I have none. I am bringing my camera.

The rest of today.... I am cleaning, sorting and preparing for 2012.... and doing my last training session of the year.

Feeling Human Again...

Merry Christmas! ..... a little late.

And I am feeling human again. I spent the weekend fighting the flu and a cold, combined.... And so, my training was put on a temporary hold....

I am feeling human again, so I am trusting I can do something today and definitely tomorrow.

The challenge when returning from an illness, is to not to overdo it and set myself back for a relapse. I have the hyannis half-marathon on 26 February, I am concerned about getting the training in. Not that I would rush a return, but I am seeking a fun race. One that I can finish with ease, and build from over the course of the year.

But is great to be feeling human again.

Also, b/c of this.... I have lost 6#.... I know I will see some of the weight return as 'normal' eating returns. I am trusting that it will balance out.

And the next rule.....

Eat Consciously, Eat slower and Enjoy Every Mouthful.

This is a challenge when I am multi-tasking when I should be eating..... ie: eating in front of the television. When the focus is not on the task at hand, things get ugly.

It is the mindless eating that leads to overeating.

It is the mindless eating that causes problems.

And so.... I eat at my dinner table (most of the time). If I am away from home, I try not to eat on the fly, and sit and focus on the food, as opposed to the newspaper, the magazine or something else. I am conscious of my food and my chewing and the tastes and sensations I experience when I eat. And when I am satisfied, I stop eating.

It is easy to eat too much. I am diligent so I do not.

And day three is underway.....

'Love yourself enough to do whatever it takes to be the BEST you can be.'

This was my quote on the calendar this morning. This thought is ringing true as I am doing what I need to do to become the fat-burning machine and be the best athlete I can be.

I am feeling great since I have eliminated grains. Not that I ate a lot of these to begin with, I feel extraordinary now. I am craving fruits and vegetables. And I am satisfied with eating less, and I don't feel heavy after I eat.

This morning I taught spin class. One of my goals is to ride the whole class with the group, without compromising safety. And I ran an easy 40 minute tempo. The sun was shining, the sky was blue and it was an amazing warm winter day!!!

Day Two: How Am I doing?

I woke with the sniffles. I feel like I might be fighting a cold. JOY.

The sketchy weather, and my diet changes, and increased exercise volume.... I think I might be cleansing and fighting.

I am not worried. I just don't like feeling less than 100%.

Today..... my day started with yogurt and pineapple. And I trained, and then a bowl of butter lettuce, with blue cheese sprinkled on it (the blue cheese is a natural penicillin). And I am looking forward to broccoli and acorn squash and some chicken later.

I am going to go on a run in about an hour. If the rain is not friendly, I might go to the YMCA and do the elliptical for 3 (never the treadmill) or something similar. Otherwise, it will a run in the rain.... fortunately, it is warm.

I am adjusting to winter in new england.

Day Two.... is a success.

Day ONE: Gluten Free

Today, eating was easy. I didn't miss the grains or the gluten. I felt satisfied with the food I ate, and not overbearingly hungry-- feed me NOW-- feeling that comes when the blood sugar drops.

I ran 3 miles and did my training session. I felt good. The 30/30s kicked my butt.... and the cold air didn't help much. Breathing was a challenge. I feel good now!

And I am home on a Tuesday night. The first since the school term is over.

I am looking forward to tomorrow. (Day Two.... bring it on!)

That wonderful muscle feeling.....

You know the feeling of.... not quite an ow.... the feeling of I feel good. I trained yesterday.

I have been training for my half-marathon (26 February), for a week now. This is week two. I added a strength component, which is actually an overall program... includes remedial, high-intensity, some aerobic, core and overall wellness.

Yesterday, I began this six-week program. And this morning.... I feel good. My muscles have that little ache where they are reminding me they trained.... but I am not sore. That is a very good thing!!!

We should feel like we accomplished something. But we need to remember that recovery is an essential part of training. If I am so sore that I cannot move the next day or for several days afterwards, there is a serious problem. I did too much.

I am looking forward to today...... Running 30/30s and I am doing 7 x 400s at 5k pace.

The 30/30s are part of the training today. The 400s are my half-mary training.

Later this week, or next..... I am going to add the cycling and swimming. I enjoy both, and I do not want these to take away from my running, but I also have several tris planned for 2012.

Rule Number One

It is pretty simple.

When you are hungry, EAT.

When you aren't hungry, Don't EAT.

Pretty simple.... yet sometimes, the most challenging thing to do.

Conventional Wisdom -- you know the peeps that created the Standard American Diet, and some of the nutrition gurus who insist that you eat six or more meals per day -- dictates that we have multiple meals per day. This wisdom forgets about hunger and being in tune with your body. This wisdom negates the hunger experience.... this wisdom eats a predominantly sugar diet.

(Ok.... you can breath now. Yes, these are the peeps that can be fitness peeps. They promote grains in just about every meal consumed. Grains equal sugar).

I am converting my body back into the fat-burning machine it is supposed to be.

For me this means, NO GRAINS!!

Yes, I said it. Yes, I am an endurance athlete. Yes, I need carbs (and fat) to run, swim and bike.

The truth of the matter-- when I eat grains, I feel sluggish, slow, heavy and bloated. And then I crave more grains (regardless of the quality) b/c my body is like..... ooooooh sugar.

The truth of the matter is I feel better when my carbohydrate sources are fruits and veggies.

It seems I do best on a paleo lifestyle....

meat, fish, fowl, eggs, veggies, fruit, nuts and seeds.

And it seems I do better when I eat lots of veggies, fruits and add the meats as the garnish.

And it seems I excel when I eat like a warrior.... meaning I eat my heavier meals in the evening.

I keep learning this. And yet, I wander to the stuff that makes me feel yucky. I need to learn from my body.... and leave that stuff alone.

I am commencing a 21-day transformation. In this time period, I am eliminating grains from my diet and life. I am focusing on the fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds.... and using those for my energy. And I am going to experience what my body does, and how it feels.

Down 4.4

This morning brought the total weight loss over the last two weeks to 4.4#.

It is pretty amazing how the body lets go, when you are doing it right. The body clings to stuff when it isn't getting the nutrients/calories it needs.

And there was an interesting report by Dr John Berardi, a nutritionist. He recently did a self-experiment on intermittent fasting. It is funny to hear people chatter about this.....

we all fast at night, generally for about 12 hours when we are sleeping, and then we break fast with the first meal of the day. And then you hear people who need to eat every 3 hours.... i always raise an eyebrow... b/c this is what the 'industry' wants people to believe is 'healthy'.... and i just think ok. I always wonder how someone can eat to satisfaction and then be hungry in three hours, what is wrong with their blood sugar levels. It sounds like addiction, not hunger. *True hunger, BTW, is experienced in the throat.* And then I wonder how much fruits and veggies they are eating, compared to the protein sources.... and what are the protein sources. *Yes, when I follow a controlled fast with fruits during the day, I am 'hungry' more frequently.... b/c it takes less to satisfy, and then it needs to be replenished. I have also found this to be true, when eating processed food-- can't get enough.... part of the way the food is made, creating addicts. And then when I eat lots of lean meats.... the protein takes longer to process but as it is digested, b/c of the lack of fiber content, creates an emptiness in the gut....

And all of this reminds us to eat balanced. I eat when I am hungry. And most of the time this is in the form of three meals a day..... sometimes less.

Most importantly: I am eating.