threadwalker (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
threadwalker) wrote2006-12-13 05:52 pm
threadwalker) wrote2006-12-13 05:52 pm
Health Blah-g
I haven't done one of these in a while. But I've been reassessing my life style and, as promised, I have made my health a priority since passing on Collegium.
I need to jot this down so I can compare in a month and I need something to help me stay motivated through the holidays.
10 weeks ago (10/9): 183 lb (it was wobbling between 180-184 over the summer)
Today: 170.0 at 1pm.
Blood Sugar count: unchanged since last January (borderline diabetic)
Fitness:
I've gone from "zero is my hero" to "3x a week; minimum of 30 min on elliptical with weights on the nights I'm not delayed in getting in".
10 weeks ago, I struggled to make my heart rate go over 133. Last night, on the elliptical, I was jamming to my tunes and during periodic checks, HR was 150-163. I have to say, having music really helps. Also, I'm not holding onto the handrails for dear life; I'm pumping my arms in tune to the music.
Dietary changes: extreme
Then: My diet then had almost no vegetable in it. I ate fruit. I ate sweets. I ate pastas and carbs. Well, I'm a carb-a-holic, so once I get started, it's very hard to stop even after I am full. Drive through Caffino at least 1x/week - maybe more if the stress was sufficient.
Now:
Specific changes in eating practices (not sure if they are habits yet):
First - these practices evolved. It wasn't overnight and each element was added one at a time.
In general, avoid white carbs: sugar, flour. They are bad for the blood sugar and they lure me into eating more. bad bad bad This evolved - it wasn't cold turkey - and I'm struggling to maintain some sort of balance so I don't feel like I'd denying myself something.
No sweets except in super-moderation. Like last night I had 6 bitter sweet chocolate chips. That was it. I have to own that I love sweets and they trigger my binging. My lapse becomes a collapse if I have something and I have to just face it. After I had the chips I started to crave more, so I had 1oz piece of cheese and a bite of left-over turkey to kill it. And it did.
No drive-thru coffee joints. No frou-frou coffee beverages. No pastries. Period. None. Get over it, it will kill you.
I eat A LOT of vegetable now. Nowhere near being a vegetarian (I love meat), but I have adopted an outlook where casual snacking is done with vegetables and I keep a supply in the fridge at home and in a lunch box in the fridge at work. Grape tomatoes have become my munch-a-bunch. I still hate carrots, but I eat them to kill hunger. I look like I'm sucking on a lemon when I do (I'm told), but I'll eat them. I examine each one for a flaw (and excuse to NOT eat it) and then I carefully crunch it into total destruction. I think I might be channeling some life frustration into the carrots. LOL.
New eating practices, for Example:
Sunday lunch time:
Sunday, at the kid party, they served Papa Murphy's pizza and "bag o'salad". Pizza - well, that's a no brainer. Keeping in mind, I can't stop once I'm started, it makes more sense for me to just not start. sigh. It smelled so fucking good, too. And the bowls of chips w/ onion dip ... My stomach went "RAWR! Feed me some 'o dat stuff!" But I maintained a physcial distance and it helps that I'm not really a chip fan. I did have about 10 pistachios, which is okay. The salad was pretty uninteresting; what do you expect from bag salad? But there was a good selection of dressings and (drum roll) grape tomatoes. hahaha! I got my salad and a few tomatoes. After everyone was served, I sort of sereptitiously shared the rest of the tomatoes with another T-fan. LOL. I left satisfied and I made my Saving Throw agains carbs.
For example, daily eating like today:
Breakfast: Smoothie yogurt drink and hard boiled egg;
morning snack: 1 cup of grape tomatoes, 1 orange
Lunch: 1/2 chicken breast (broiled) and slice of cheese
Afternoon snack: banana
Dinner varies: 1 cup of carrots while I am walking to the car pondering dinner options. The carrots are intended to beat back the ravenous wolf within me. Tonight I will probably hit the Market Square (or whatever it's called) in Emeryville and get some nigiri since I have nothing on hand. Otherwise, I might have a chicken breast or hardboiled egg followed by a piece of fruit.
Motivation Changes: Extreme
I just want it. I want to hit 150 lb. My doc wants me to reach 140-145, but I'm not sure I have that in me. I was 140-145 when I met the spouse, but I was 20 yrs old, doing 3+ hrs of athletics a day, and less than 10% body fat. Where I am in my life, I don't have more than an hour of gym time a day, I'm older and my body has changed. If I can reach 150, I'll do a cart-wheel (or rent a day in Jump-it-Up! and invite all my friends to help me celebrate with a few hours of leaping and jumping... oh yeah! that would be cool!)
So there it is. Hold on tight - the holidays are roaring in with saucey dishes and awesome desserts.
I need to jot this down so I can compare in a month and I need something to help me stay motivated through the holidays.
10 weeks ago (10/9): 183 lb (it was wobbling between 180-184 over the summer)
Today: 170.0 at 1pm.
Blood Sugar count: unchanged since last January (borderline diabetic)
Fitness:
I've gone from "zero is my hero" to "3x a week; minimum of 30 min on elliptical with weights on the nights I'm not delayed in getting in".
10 weeks ago, I struggled to make my heart rate go over 133. Last night, on the elliptical, I was jamming to my tunes and during periodic checks, HR was 150-163. I have to say, having music really helps. Also, I'm not holding onto the handrails for dear life; I'm pumping my arms in tune to the music.
Dietary changes: extreme
Then: My diet then had almost no vegetable in it. I ate fruit. I ate sweets. I ate pastas and carbs. Well, I'm a carb-a-holic, so once I get started, it's very hard to stop even after I am full. Drive through Caffino at least 1x/week - maybe more if the stress was sufficient.
Now:
Specific changes in eating practices (not sure if they are habits yet):
First - these practices evolved. It wasn't overnight and each element was added one at a time.
In general, avoid white carbs: sugar, flour. They are bad for the blood sugar and they lure me into eating more. bad bad bad This evolved - it wasn't cold turkey - and I'm struggling to maintain some sort of balance so I don't feel like I'd denying myself something.
No sweets except in super-moderation. Like last night I had 6 bitter sweet chocolate chips. That was it. I have to own that I love sweets and they trigger my binging. My lapse becomes a collapse if I have something and I have to just face it. After I had the chips I started to crave more, so I had 1oz piece of cheese and a bite of left-over turkey to kill it. And it did.
No drive-thru coffee joints. No frou-frou coffee beverages. No pastries. Period. None. Get over it, it will kill you.
I eat A LOT of vegetable now. Nowhere near being a vegetarian (I love meat), but I have adopted an outlook where casual snacking is done with vegetables and I keep a supply in the fridge at home and in a lunch box in the fridge at work. Grape tomatoes have become my munch-a-bunch. I still hate carrots, but I eat them to kill hunger. I look like I'm sucking on a lemon when I do (I'm told), but I'll eat them. I examine each one for a flaw (and excuse to NOT eat it) and then I carefully crunch it into total destruction. I think I might be channeling some life frustration into the carrots. LOL.
New eating practices, for Example:
Sunday lunch time:
Sunday, at the kid party, they served Papa Murphy's pizza and "bag o'salad". Pizza - well, that's a no brainer. Keeping in mind, I can't stop once I'm started, it makes more sense for me to just not start. sigh. It smelled so fucking good, too. And the bowls of chips w/ onion dip ... My stomach went "RAWR! Feed me some 'o dat stuff!" But I maintained a physcial distance and it helps that I'm not really a chip fan. I did have about 10 pistachios, which is okay. The salad was pretty uninteresting; what do you expect from bag salad? But there was a good selection of dressings and (drum roll) grape tomatoes. hahaha! I got my salad and a few tomatoes. After everyone was served, I sort of sereptitiously shared the rest of the tomatoes with another T-fan. LOL. I left satisfied and I made my Saving Throw agains carbs.
For example, daily eating like today:
Breakfast: Smoothie yogurt drink and hard boiled egg;
morning snack: 1 cup of grape tomatoes, 1 orange
Lunch: 1/2 chicken breast (broiled) and slice of cheese
Afternoon snack: banana
Dinner varies: 1 cup of carrots while I am walking to the car pondering dinner options. The carrots are intended to beat back the ravenous wolf within me. Tonight I will probably hit the Market Square (or whatever it's called) in Emeryville and get some nigiri since I have nothing on hand. Otherwise, I might have a chicken breast or hardboiled egg followed by a piece of fruit.
Motivation Changes: Extreme
I just want it. I want to hit 150 lb. My doc wants me to reach 140-145, but I'm not sure I have that in me. I was 140-145 when I met the spouse, but I was 20 yrs old, doing 3+ hrs of athletics a day, and less than 10% body fat. Where I am in my life, I don't have more than an hour of gym time a day, I'm older and my body has changed. If I can reach 150, I'll do a cart-wheel (or rent a day in Jump-it-Up! and invite all my friends to help me celebrate with a few hours of leaping and jumping... oh yeah! that would be cool!)
So there it is. Hold on tight - the holidays are roaring in with saucey dishes and awesome desserts.
no subject
FYI--we have an SCA (An Tir and West)/LJ community/support group of folks all struggling with the same issue. It's called "thin_lovelies"--would you like me to set you up as a member?
no subject
no subject
Sounds like you're making some great changes!! I shall do a happy dance for you now!! It's hard to overhaul on your lifestyle and you're working on it the healthy way! don't forget I'm cheering you on too! I know it gets frustrating to make these changes and holidays are tough too! Ugh!
My Mom is being great, she asked what diabetic friendly foods to have at the house. This will be a great support when we go to visit. I used to have a HUGE sweet tooth as well..Have done pretty well cutting those out. There are some great sugar free ice creams and bars out there that I sometimes treat myself too. Now it's the other carbs i'm still hooked on that are giving me trouble lol.
Maybe we should start a support group?
Keep up the great work!! It pays off!!
no subject
Support group sounds great.
no subject
Yes support group sounds great I think..It's tough doing this alone !
no subject