Simply Filling Technique

Things are looking up around here, and hopefully for more than just a couple days.  I got some great feedback and support from my readers - thank you.  It was nice to hear that maybe this up/down insanity is part of having two toddlers in addition to what was already a pretty full life.  But I know I can do some things to make it better.  I've been going to bed by 10pm for several nights in a row, taking my vitamins and thinking positive thoughts.

On Tuesday, when I wrote my last post I was clearly in a negative space.  I was in such a bad mood that I ended up skipping my planned run, which just throws fuel on the fire.  As the evening rolled in I started to think it would be good if I could make up my run on Wednesday morning since my mom was over to stay the night.  But I wasn't sure I'd have enough motivation to get up and do it.  But I decided to be optimistic and laid my running clothes out before I went to bed.

Wednesday morning came and I went back and forth in my head about the run.  Good won and I got up and dressed and hit the road.  And I had a great run.  I wanted to run 5 miles but left the door open for 4 in case I was struggling.  I think my pace was in the 10:30 range, which got me to thinking my goal pace for the 1/2 marathon might be 11:00 minute miles, which would mean a time of 2 hours, 24 minutes.  Anyway, back to the present - I was so happy to have a good 5 mile run and came home feeling ready to turn my frown upside down.  Oh, and I was wheezing after the run so I used the inhaler.

Yesterday, Thursday, I had my follow-up doctor appointment in the morning.  The new plan is to try Zyrtec for a week and see if I get any wheezing.  And use the inhaler whenever I'm wheezing.  She said *not* using it when wheezing can, in the long run, lead to scarring.  Scarring = bad.  And she said using it even daily will not lessen its effectiveness.  I started the Zyrtec.

After work I went to the gym and rode the upright bike for 25 minutes.  And O.M.G. I was sweating like crazy!  I soaked almost my whole shirt, which I never even come close to normally.  I wondered if the Zyrtec could be doing this.  My heart rate was normal and I felt mostly normal except for the streams of sweat dripping from my chin.  After the bike I did back/biceps/core for strength training.  And guess what?  I can do two, TWO pull ups!  We're talking the palms facing in, "neutral" grip, which is quite a bit more manageable than the typical pull up.  But I don't care, I did it...twice!!!!!!  And not using a stitch of momentum, I just grabbed the bars and pulled myself all the way up.  Talk about feeling strong.  I loved it.  I'm going to work my way up to three sets of 8.  Might take me a year, but I know I'll get there eventually.

Today I hopped on the scale with a heart full of hope.  Hope that I will be under 150 pounds.  I didn't really go into my weight last week but it was 150.6.  I very much did NOT like seeing that 5 so I really wanted to be in the 149.9 and under range.  Well, lo and behold, 147 pounds.  What the heck?!  Sometimes I think I've got this whole scale/weight thing figured out and then it does something crazy like this.  I guess some of that weight gain last week was water retention?  Yes, Kristy, I know...duh!

So you KNOW that number put a pep in my step.  I have a strong desire to hold on to that weight for this week. I have a strong desire to get. to. friggin'. goal.  This feels like it's been dragging on for.ever.  Well, it has been 5+ years and I know when I try to rush things, well, it just doesn't go well.  But I do plan to try something new this week.

WW has an option called the Simply Filling Technique.  In summary, they give you a list of "power foods" and you can eat those without tracking them.  For anything that's not a power food you track them.  So instead of getting daily points you just get your weekly "extras".  Since my tracking has been abysmal of late and since I do a pretty good job (most times) of eating healthy meals to satisfaction, I figured it makes sense to try it.  But with my Michelle tweaks of course.  I plan to deem my morning cereal a power food, even though it's not on the list.  I also plan to consider all low fat dairy options to be the same as fat free.  I generally don't overeat those things and I believe the fat is helpful with satiation and vitamin absorption.  I will probably make more of my own rules as time goes on and in general, I think that's a good thing.  Gotta make it work for ME.

I had my first SFT lunch today - grilled tilapia (on the foreman grill), quinoa, broccoli and avocado.  The only thing I had to track was the avocado.  If you are a regular reader of this blog with a good memory you might remember my fight with WW over avocados.  For now I'll count them as an "extra" point but I am reserving the right to deem the a power food and be done with it.  As a wise friend once told me, "It's green for goodness sakes & grows on a tree!"

At the gym today I ran three miles on the treadmill and again, I sweat like crazy.  It must be the Zyrtec.  I'm on a trial of it for a week and then she's having me switch to another allergy med for a week to see which is better.  I hope this sweating thing dies down by week's end because I didn't wheeze today at all, which is good.  After the treadmill I did legs/shoulders/core.  I had a great strength training session!  Yippee, the roller coaster is rolling and I'm enjoying the ride!!

Miguel and I are going out for a date night tonight.  I plan to eat something that once lived in water and some healthy grains.  And probably a salad.  If I see a decent desert, something relatively healthy, I might get that too.  Or I might skip it, don't want to mess with my mojo.

p.s.  At my meeting today I got a star for going over 85 pounds lost. A woman on her third week came up after the meeting and admitted she'd been wondering why I was there, "What's up with the skinny chick, what's she doing here?". She congratulated me on my progress so far and so I showed her my "before" picture, "wow, I never would have guessed."  Maintenance, sister, it's all about maintenance.

Something's Gotta Give

Ho hum...things are at a low point around here these days.  And I realized I'm experiencing this up/down cycle on an almost weekly basis.  Since I'm going to rule out Bipolar disorder right off the top, I have to take a look at what else has me on this "I'm doing great!", "I hate life." roller coaster because I really want it to stop.  Here are the possibilities:

1.  My eating.  As someone recently told me, good food = good mood, bad food = bad mood.  I've been eating a lot of "bad" food lately.  And wine.  I had a ton of social things last week and ate/drank more than usual.  Sunday = wine/desert with a friend, Tuesday = wine/munchies/desert at a mom's get together, Wednesday = desert at book club, Friday = wine/lots of food/desert/other junk out to dinner with friends, Saturday = wine/food/desert during wine tasting limo day followed by dinner at a neighbor's house.  All those "off plan" (if you will) meals and all that alcohol combined for not only weight gain but also a crabby mood.  After all, alcohol is a depressant.  I'm considering doing a "clean" eating week in which I would plan out my eating for the week and then stick to that with no flexibility.  No deprivation or anything, just plenty of healthy, whole foods and no alcohol.  Anyway, I'm in the midst of digging myself out of said weight gain and crabby mood, but I'm not there yet. 

2.  Exercise.  Maybe I'm exercising too much.  Truth is, I hate even considering this possibility.  I mean, come on, I exercise 5 days a week for barely more than an hour on most days.  How can that be too much?!  It irritates me to no end that anyone would suggest I'm exercising too much because I already feel like I sacrifice a lot in this area because of lack of time.  But Miguel suggested as much last night and he's at least the third person to bring up this possibility.  I'm considering cutting back to 4 days a week.  But I don't know where to cut.  I'm in 1/2 marathon training so I don't want to cut a run.  I want to keep some biking endurance up so I don't want to drop a bike day.  And I am not going down to less than weight training 3x a week.  Can you hear my defiance?  I'll keep pondering this one for a bit.  I'm not yet ready to cut back on something that brings me so much satisfaction.

3.  Sleep.  I need more of it.  Miguel thinks if I get a full 8 hours sleep for at least three days in a row I'm going to feel revitalized.  In practice I tend to downplay the importance of sleep, all the while talking up (and knowing) how important it is.  I went to bed at 9pm last night.  I'm going to bed no later than 9:30pm tonight and tomorrow night.  I say this kind of thing a lot and then never do it but this time I'm for real.  I need to get my body and mind back into a good place and I know sleep is a big part of that.

4.  The other parts of my life.  I schedule too many activities.  Again, an area where my defenses can get triggered - I like to be active, I like to be involved and social.  I am happy with less downtime because downtime often equals the couch and I don't know about yours but my couch emits bad mood chemicals after about 30 minutes. But while I like to keep busy and active I also acknowledge that keeping too busy leaves me feeling frazzled and forgetting how to be in the moment, enjoying myself.  I guess I'm spread too thin.  I already know of at least one thing I'm going to drop.

5.  Crap, I need a happy point in this list.  Things that are going well and keeping me going are...Family:  I am so grateful for my healthy, happy kids and my very supportive husband.  We all have our moments but if I can slow down on the scheduled activities, get my eating back in line and thereby improve this crappy mood I think we'll have more happy moments than not.  Happy mom = happy family, right?   Vitamins:  I'm taking a multi, a B complex and chondroitin and I think I'm noticing a difference.  Asthma:  This is a mixed bag, I'm peeved that I have to deal with this but hopeful I can figure out a treatment protocol that might help my fitness efforts.  Muscles:  I can see and feel the muscles in my body and I love that.  And my clothes fit pretty well too. 

That's a lot already for one post but I'll just do a quick run-down of my exercise and weight. 

Friday:  Up nearly two pounds at weigh-in. Ugh.  Went to the gym, 25 minutes on the bike followed by back/biceps/core for strength training. 
Saturday:  Day off from exercise.
Sunday:  Long run, 10 miles.  Silly me ran in the heat of the day, probably didn't have enough water.  The last mile of the run was downright grueling.  Averaged 5.3mph.  But I did it. 
Monday:  Gym, 25 minutes on the bike followed by chest/triceps/core for strength training.  If I could live at the gym for a week or two I probably would.  That place just makes me feel good.

I have to close with a picture that makes me smile.  On Sunday we did a family photo exchange with another family.  I'm so happy with how they all turned out.  I'm saving the family shot for our Holiday cards but I'll share one of my little bear and I.