Catching up in Raleigh

Alright - we'll I've been in Raleigh almost a month now - not quite - but I wanted to give an update.
This month has been hard. I eat out a lot, I am busy so I don't have as much time to exercise, and I'm just not pleasing my Lord as much in the area of food and taking care of my body. I've been tired and my back has been hurting more (probably because I'm not exercising as much so my abs are getting weak). Living with a roommate has in some ways been different than I thought in the area of food - eating with people is more of a detriment to my diet than eating alone. Trying to make wise but cheap decisions when eating out but also not getting a salad every time is always a challenge. Like this week: all three burrito places in 3 days.
The weather has been great, but since my nights are getting busier I've not been getting home till late so I just pop in a Jillian video. Days off (like today) I'll do a lake a couple of times then walk it tonight with my roommate for our first roommate night (followed by 25 cent DQ). Best laid plans don't always work - but you can at least have a plan.
Last weekend I was supposed to the do Spring Saunter in Durham - but I was not prepared for it physically, spiritually, or mentally. I was probably most ready for it physically - but that doesnt' always help.
I need to keep working - I'm always a work in progress. I think the beginning of my weeks will be harder to have outdoor exercise, and the end of the week will be full of it. Kinda opposite the food intake. So, we shall see.

February Goals

I like making mini-goals! It helps in losing weight, in cleaning your home, or cooking a large meals. You have to break things down - instead of looking at the long term.
So, what am I going to do in February that will make more more healthy:
1. If it is up to me, eat salads for dinner. This gets me a lot of green in and doesn't weigh me down at night. Now, there are times when I'll have dinner with others - but then I can just eat sensibly - or if going out, I can have a salad. I know of one exception - Sonny's with Sloan.
2. Start back training for a 5k. That means running more intentionally. Started week 5 of Couch to 5k again today. Got most of it done - but a sweet friend I hadn't seen in a while was there so I stopped and talked to her then ran out of time. My first 5k of 2010 is the first wknd of March. Bring on the Anthem!
3. Continue with yoga or Bob's boot camp. The first 3 weeks of the month will be dedicated to our friend Bob Harper. He makes me work. My quads and hams and inner/outer thighs actually hurt right now between the 2 DVDs and running.
4. Feb 24 - bring on round 2 of Jillian's 30 Day Shred. That will have me 30 days out of last day of my current job - so I want to look stellar. I really feel like I toned up and looked sleeker the last time I did it (before the holidays set in), so I want to do it again.

New things:
1. Taking a semi-private yoga lesson with a friend this weekend. I am very excited about that!
2. Hiking both Berea pinnacles later this month with Sloan. I've done it once before, but I'm doing it with Sloan this time.
3. Antibiotics. Taking augmenten right now for a sinus infection from last week. It is helping, but is sometimes not sitting well with my stomach and is making me thirsty - so I'm drinking tons of fluids!

How are you sticking with your NYRs? How are you keeping motivated in the cold month of February? What are your mini-goals? What new things are you trying this month?

Crud and Weight

Well, folks, over a week later and I still have crud. That's about how I describe it and how I feel. Life must go on though. I am going to the clinic on campus today after speaking with my friend, the nurse, this morning.
I've been doing yoga all week in my house. That has been good. 2 days I only did 20 minutes, 2 days I did the whole 45. Feel much stronger and lean after doing a full yoga session!
And...I have finally lost all the holiday and birthday weight! Now, I can concentrate on losing the last 5-10% I have to go!
Keep up all the New Year's resolutions everyone!

Workouts while sick?

I am sick. I hate being sick. The whole body hurts, sore throats, ears. Life must go on right?

So, I had finally gotten back into a track interval/yoga workouts and then this. But, it just hurts to do anything - mainly keeping my head up!

So, what do you do when you are feeling sick?

How to Survive the Holidays

Note, I didn't put how to survive Christmas - because holiday means any holiday - and I think it applies to everything. But, especially during the holiday season that falls in November through the middle of January for me - because birthday and football season ending is party of the holiday season :)
I have stayed the same weight so far - which is better than I normally do during these three months of the year. I was thinking of some tips that I could share - here they are. I hope these help:
1. Eat before you go to a party. Never go to a party hungry because you will be more tempted to eat anything and everything in sight.
2. See if there is any fruit or veggies there (and a light dip, like hummus or salsa, not ranch or cream based dips). Most people will now will bring that. Fill your plate up with those - and then you won't have room for the sweet or fried stuff.
3. Always have a glass of water in your hand. Or a diet drink. If you are a drinker - pick one light drink for the night and stick with that. If I have water in my hand I again have less hands to hold a plate.
4. Don't hover around the snack table. Move conversations away from the main table of food. Then you won't be tempted to reach to the yummy stuff.
5. Take pictures. Bring your camera and snap photos of the festivities. If you are snapping pictures, you are probably going to be moving around and you'll have your hands full with the camera and not with a plate.
6. Eat a fun holiday treat. Don't eat something that you can eat year round. If you are going to eat something decadent, make sure that it is something that is special to that time of year. Like candy cane fudge instead oreos. Eggnog cheesecake instead of chocolate cake. That way, if you have it only once a year, it will make you more appreciative of it - and you may be less likely to eat such a big piece!
7. Always exercise. Parties are a huge time filler. You have to get ready, go somewhere, hang out for just the right amount of time, and come home, unwind, etc. I find even going to the gym to run 30 minutes takes a lot of stress away, burns about 200 calories, and lets me breathe and think about something else besides the stress of everyday life this time of year.
8. If you get a chance to bring something to a party, make something healthy. That way you know you'll have something you can eat and not feel guilty about. Healthy doesn't have to be raw veggies. Last night I brought multigrain wheat thins and roasted red pepper hummus. Yum.
9. Drink plenty of water during the day. That way if you do eat more, you'll still be flushing your system, and you won't retain all that water. Between stress, too much eating, not enough exercising, your clothes may feel tighter just because you are retaining water.
10. Remember, this too shall pass and life is fleeting anyway. You can take that either way you want. You can a) know that life is fleeting and eat everything you want and eat drink and be merry or b) you can realize that there will be another party, you don't have to stuff yourself tonight, and that is that extra oreo or handful of chex mix going to make your life so much better?

Enjoy. Do you have any holiday eating/exercising/staying healthy tips?

Healthy Thoughts and Readings.

Wow - I've been thinking a lot lately on what I put in my mouth. It started this weekend with som yummy eats that weren't necessarily "healthy" = low fat, low calorie, etc, but it was totally fresh food with many good things for me and my body (and my mental health and physical activity). Also, I was reading a magazine this morning on the plane from my local health food store in the Ville - Rainbow Blossom. Very interesting articles and I learn every time I read from different sources. I am also wanting to take nutrition/health classes just to learn more and be more educated about what I put in my body. God made my body for a reason (for His glory) and I want to take care of it the best I can.
So, here are some things that I am learning:
1. I do not run well (running, as in physical activity) after eating protein. I've tried it a couple of times (like an egg white omelette on greens) and I just am not propelled as I am when I eat carbs before running.
2. I want to eat as much "natural" stuff as possible. I think I am growing fond of being a locavore when it comes to fresh ingredients. Not necessarily all local ingredients, but definitely all fresh ingredients. I would love to live in a place where I could just go to a daily farmers market and pick out my stuff for the day.
3. I like to eat/graze every 2-3 hours. I don't get starved, I don't get stressed. Now, I just need to eat less when I do and continue to make healthy choices (like homemade hummus and carrots, or carrots and mustard, or a small whole grain homemade oats muffin- yum, fruit, etc).
4. Vitamin K helps with slowing the aging process - and other good things for us. Now, I do take a multi-vitamin (a chewable so I don't have to swallow a horse pill), but I want to get my vitamins naturally - from a whole source. So, a good source of Vitamin K (because as I age I definitely want to look younger) is leafy green veggies and oils like canola and olive. Also, you can find some in meats and fermented foods like cheese and natto (fermented soy beans, a Japanese meal usually served for breakfast). May have to try that - round out my world travels for breakfast (I've been eating a very meditteranean breakfast of couscous and yogurt).
5. Spices help with e-coli - cleaning and the whatnot. Cloves are particularly helpful (and most everyone has that in their kitchen right now), and essential oils do as well.
6. Ah, sugar or natural sweeteners. I am a fan of sugar. I do use honey and maple syrup and different fruits, but I don't use fake sugar. Will i try these new natural sugars? Who knows? I am under the opinion that I would rather go with normal stuff and eat less of it (what I bake) then eat more chemicals when I eat a larger portion of the stuff made with fake stuff. Now with natural sugars - like Agave, I just haven't tried it. anyone have suggestions?
7. Green tea is so good for you. I think the benefits of it are much better than coffee. I have a ton of teas at my house - I just need to use them more. Usually my mornings are not stress free, so I don't have time to sit down to a slow cuppa - maybe in the future.
8. Did you know that prunes are a super super food? I have some in my pantry right now. I need to start eating them. More potassium than a banana. low GI numbers, high in fiber and ranked in the top for its antioxidant powers (and you know how everyone is all about that right now).
9. My chiropractor - whom I get to see today - tells me "if you stop moving, you die." I like that. I just want to be more active, always doing things, not just sitting and letting my body rot or waste away. I want to be healthy from the inside out. I want to eat off the land that God has given me and us. That means I don't eat a lot at fast food places anymore - and if I do, I get salads. Ah, the joys and complexities of wanting to eat healthier and be healthier.
10. How does this work when I bake all the time? I usually am not baking for me. I taste a bit of it - then I give it away. I love to bake and use usually full fat full calorie ingredients when I do. If I eat it, I eat a small portion of it. But, I have learned that indulgences can be allowed - just not every day!

Ok - those are some of my thoughts for now. Have a great day. Be God's today - body, mind, soul.

Now thoughts...

Just wanted to post a few thoughts tonight:
1. I've been training again - run.intervaling.jogging.speed walking 2.4 - 3.6 miles most days of the week in order to get ready for a 5k in Lakeland after Thanksgiving. It is making me hungry. It is also making my legs stronger. And it is making me see how far I've come. I can do 2.4 - anyway I went - in 29-30 minutes. That is right on tap for a 36 minute 5k.
2. I already feel like I'm losing some of the toning from Jillian. I know that's crazy. My last day was Sunday, I did level 2 tonight. I've done kettlebells each night since. Probably just some water retention.
3. Comfort eating. Some people eat when they are sad - I eat when I want to be warm or comforted. Today - it was warm. I had been cold most of the afternoon so when I got home from work I just wanted food. So I had a little bit of everything it seemed. Why - no reason. No rational. I just kept rationalizing it for every reason under the sun. But, finally - I just stopped, prayed that I would quit eating, there was no reason, this was wrong. Thankful to the Holy Spirit for the cravings of comfort food to stop - immediately. Thank you promised Holy Spirit.
4. Sin is never ending. Just when I think I've got it beat - I don't. Pride comes before a fall.
5. Tomorrow is my November weigh in. I should have lost some more from October, but definitely not as much. It is slowing down. But that is ok. It is still going down. With traveling every weekend this month, Thanksgiving, eating out, and also good amount of working out - I don't know what December's weight is going to be.

Runners World: "Running and Glutton" by David Willey

There are certain words that grab my attention right now. Two of those are running and gluttony. I only took up running in January. I got a subscription to Runner's World, signed up for races, and put runs in my calendar for the week. I also learned that you must keep running to keep being good at it. I now don't run that much - I love variety in my work outs. But, I just signed up for a 5k in my hometown over Thanksgiving so I need to get working at it again (can't let my Dad beat me!) The other one is gluttony. I'm writing some things on this, so the key word is there again. As a believer in Christ - I think any time a "sin" word comes up in conversation or writing - it catches my attention, helps me be on guard.
I sat down to read this month's Runner's World and the Editor's Letter was titled: Running and Gluttony. I immediately tore it out, read it, and am now blogging on it. I usually like what David Willey has to say, and he looks like a young Rob Lowe - so how can he be bad. I didn't disagree with everything - here are some points:
1. Quoting the PC guy (the dude on the computer commercials, John Hodgman): "The problem with nutritionists is that they only care about nutrients." I hate it when people think the healthy food has to be yucky tasting. One of my friends recently wrote on her facebook status something to the effect of - 'gotta get back on my diet, goodbye all the good tasting foods'. I definitely have to disagree. I think a lot of healthy things are very good tasting as well. I love to cook. And nutrients are good for you. Green beans fresh from the field have more nutrients and taste better than canned ones that have been sitting on a shelf for 2 years. If we want to be a healthier America, and healthier individuals, we must change our attitude and stop thinking of healthy as gross or handcuffed just out of reach of yummy morsels. And nutrients propel you to do better running, have better PRs, finish higher in races, etc.
2. "One of my favorite things about being a runner is the freedom to eat both halves of a Dagwood-sized corned-beef Reuben or to say, 'Sure, I'll have another beer' without a moment's hesitation or a trace of regret." Two things wrong with this statement. Do we need to eat both halves of the sandwich - or is one plenty serving and will fill us up? 2. We shouldn't use exercise as a motivation just to eat more. A person related to me once said this about someone else: he exercises because he likes to eat more. How screwed up a view of our bodies is that? Yes, I fail in this many times - eating more because I know I'm going to do a Jillian Michael's DVD later and will need fuel and will work it off. Your body does need more fuel if you are going to go run 26.2 miles. But, we use this excuse way too often - and our bodies are usually unhealthier because of it.
3. "The key to indulgence, as any nutritionist will tell you, is moderation." Yes, I agree. But then are we relegating indulgence just to a type of food and not to the amount of food. I see them as both and.
4. (In light of a burger topped with peanut butter and bacon) "What was decidedly bad was my six-miler along the Charles (River) the next morning. I felt...well, like you'd expect to feel after fueling up on three flavors of fat (with a side of fries)." Then why do it - they all went back later and had more. I know how horrible I feel if I eat too much. But, does that stop me from doing it the next time - not usually. There are commercials with digestion help tablets that joke about how much American's eat for Thanksgiving or Super Bowl or other heavy-feasting days. Why do we do it? We feel horrible. I ate late one night before a race - I could tell it in my running the next morning.
5. "The next days' run was even worse (after eating more PBB). I actually felt remorse. But, I'll probably have another PB&B burger in April. Not just because its delicious but because it offers something by the book nutrients often lack: fun." There's something healthy about that, too." Oh, from the Christian stand point.... Sin is fun. Indulging in things that aren't good for us may be fun - yet we are like dogs returning to vomit - creatures of habit. I don't want to chained to bad food anymore - or good food for that matter. I want to make healthier choices for many reasons: Obedience to God, it makes me feel better, it fuels my body better, and it tastes so good! And you know what - I can have a small cheeseburger on occasion - but I NEVER need a whole Royal Red Robin Burger ever again.
Thanks David Willey for offering me food for thought and fuel for my run.

Update and one more summer race

Hello!
Well, just signed up for another 5k in late July in Pekin, IN. This race really combines two loves: running and missions. How cool is that. 100% of the profits is going to the above children's home in Zimbabwe.
Vegetarian eating is going good. I am liking it, but think I will need to get back to eating healthier proteins (meat: chicken, turkey) in September. Legumes and Lentils don't do a whole lot for me.
Kettlebells are good. I call mine Mr. Blue Bell (and because I like ice cream, and the kettlebell is blue).
Weight is staying below 165, but not working really hard at watching what I eat right now with traveling - it makes it harder. And going out. This is a lifestyle and I have to be able to live. I can't eat egg white omelettes every meal!

Ups and Downs (literally)

This week has been good (!/?)
I've been doing a 20 minute yoga video each night before I've gone to bed which is good.
Been running the block and campus of where I live once it cools off in the evening - that's been good - taking less walking breaks.
Last night I did interval training (running, core, bleachers) and I thought I would die.
This wknd getting two longer run/walks in.
It is so funny how some days your body can seem really strong and other days you feel like you haven't done anything in the last 5 months.
Lost almost 2 more lbs this week (which is big for me, I usually lose less).
So, all in all - I think I'll stick with it. Some progress is better than none!

Binge Eating and grace

Well, last night I was completely exhausted. Both physically and mentally. I had two days in a row of hard work-outs (BL Cardio Max and 30 minutes of walking followed by 45 minutes of walking and a pilates class on Tuesday). My body was sore, my muscles hurt. My upper back is in pain and my chiro appt isn't until next Friday in Raleigh (PTL) so that tires me even more. So, when I got home I just decided to eat.
I ate some sushi and fried rice at a friend's house. I had some rotisserie chicken, some baked chips, some granola, some pecans, a low-fat ice cream sandwich, some popcorn. Why? Was I hungry - NO. Was I going to go exercise so I needed to fuel my body? NO. I was just tired so I ate.
This is how I justified it: I have flex points. I'm doing Weight Watchers and I have 35 points each week to spend however I want. I've often thought that just tends to make us sin more. Well, last night - that is exactly what it did.
Almost finished with the bowl of popcorn - I sat it down far away from me and said, Kim, stop eating. This isn't right and prayed for forgiveness and grace right then.
God is so good to me. I gained a pound this morning. But, that is in my past. I must step forward in grace today. Eating right, eating to fuel, eating to be pleasing to my God in my choices for what goes in my mouth - and how much.
I have to learn why I eat the way I eat and how God is so much bigger than that reason!

The Journey

So, why another blog. I have a life blog, a food blog, and now a healthy living blog.
1. This will keep me motivated. I have lost 34 and still have at least another 25 to go - and to keep off!
2. This will help me keep learning. This blog will have guest bloggers of people I know to talk about training, exercising, healthy eating, healthy body tips, etc. So, as you learn - I learn.
3. This will help you. I see so many people where I used to be (and can easily be again). I want to be more healthy and I want you to be healthier too!
So, if you ideas you want covered - let me know. Happy Living Healthy!