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Goals for July

It's July 1st, which means it's time to reflect on the month of June and the progress I made on my goals as well as set new goals for this month!

June's Goals

1. Get into the 180's

2. 15 runs in June

3. 90 oz water per day

4. Track w/integrity EVERY DAY!!

I'm happy to report on each of these goals!! WOOHOO!

Get into the 180's

I'm happy to report that as of this morning I'm fluctuating between 189 lbs and 188.4 lbs!  I recorded the higher of the two for HappyScale!  This means I met my milestone 4 and can start work on Milestone 5!  Slow and steady wins the race!

15 Runs in June

I'm counting this one done -- on a technicality... technically my "Month of June" started mid-week, So I'm counting all the runs that week instead of just the calendar mark.  Training calendar trumps actual calendar, right?

90 oz Water Per Day

This one is a bit tricky -- I didn't necessarily track the water I drank... I just made sure to drink a LOT especially after a hot run or after being in the humidity for a while.

My Go-To mug is a 32 oz double wall insulated deal that I refill multiple times per day.  I also fill it to the brim with ice at each refill, so the actual water content may be significantly less than the 32 ounce mark.

Moving forward, I'm just going to keep pushing water...

The silver lining is that I haven't had pop (or soda if you're southern) in a long time.  Well over a month -- so this pushing water focus is helping in that arena.  I'm a long time diet coke addict, but realized it was slowly killing me so I've since reformed.  I now obsess over coffee, tea, and water.

Track with Integrity every day!

I nailed this goal -- and I can honestly say that it's so much easier when I'm doing the 21 day fix meal plan.  I usually can bust through all my portions for the day and still have points leftover.  Cooking at home helps with this too -- as it gives me more control over what I add to the food, how my meals are prepared, and how big my portions are.

I'm trying to fall into a rhythm with eating that goes something like this:

• Breakfast - eggs or a smoothie
• Snack - Protein shake if I workout in the AM, coffee + fruit if I workout later that day.
• Lunch - Leftovers, a Big salad with lots of veg + protein, or avocado toast w/egg
• Snack - Fruit usually, or I skip it if my lunch was sufficiently large.  My go to around this time if I'm starving is an apple with almond butter.... mmmm
• Dinner - Protein + veg + carb,  I like to designate a carb to this meal time.  Something about having a carb at dinner helps me feel full and satisfied, even if it's just a half cup of rice.
• Dessert/Snack - Date Rolls (homemade), Greek yogurt w/ honey & nuts, or skip if I'm full.

Goals for July

1. Crush my Runs!!  (As planned)
2. Be active every day!! (Workout, run, or active recovery - yoga, pilates, foam rolling, stretching)
3. Drink up!!  (Water, water, water, unsweetened tea, water, water, coffee...)
4. Hit Milestone #5 -- 180!

I've got this!

What are you goals for this month?

Did you crush your June Goals?

What's your rhythm for meals throughout the day?

Mental Game & Ear pain

For this week, I thought I'd dive deeper into the issue of mental toughness when training and also fill you in on my ear situation...

Mind Over Matter

After a quick second of research, I stumbled across an article from Runner's World online discussing exactly what I struggled with on Monday's run - the mental aspect of running.

Noakes suggests, “If you want to be competitive, you have to learn how to deal with the discomfort. A lot of the heavy, good physical training is about training the brain to cope with discomfort.”

Coping with discomfort is an idea that I'm interested in.  Most behavioral scientists will tell you that humans tend to exert more energy to avoid discomfort that to gain pleasures.  Someone who's starving will work harder to get anything to eat that someone who's already full will work towards dessert.  This makes sense from a biological standpoint -- one doesn't need dessert, but needs a proper meal.

Apparently, the brain has its own type of governor - a mechanism that doesn't really allow you to work to the point of complete exhaustion.  You'll feel like you're giving the full 100%, but it's probably closer to 70%.  This is a survival tactic for the body and the brain.  After all, if you were able to push to the full level of complete and utter exhaustion every time you hit the gym, your ambulance bill would be sky high!

For each person, this is different - of course -- and with training you can push yourself to use up more and more of your energy.  One does this by essentially ignoring the body's "stop it" signals and pushing even more.  Ignoring the pain, cramping, or negative talks is easier said (typed) than done.  See the brain is smart (duh) and knows ways of making you quit, so it takes serious mental fortitude to make this happen.  It also takes lots and lots of practice.

I've found that when I'm distracted (by music, a book on tape, or my own thoughts) the runs go by easier and with less noteable exertion.  It's when my head's all over the place that I really feel I have to force each step.

Runner's World magazine recommend various tactics to occupy your thoughts while running including; replaying your favorite movie in your head or listening to it play on your ipod and imagine the scenes, do math!!, make up a story, play the alphabet game (or any road trip game really, especially if you don't run alone), making a to-do list, organizing your day/week/month, or even try meditation -- allowing the thoughts to come and go as they please without forcing the issue.

Ear Pain

Randomly, I woke up this morning with ear pain and a sore throat -- but all on my left side.  There are no other signs or symptoms, nor have I had any symptoms in previous days.  I'm concerned that it's an ear infection or something sinister, so I'm up and ready to call my Primary Care physician to hopefully swing by today.  I really don't like this feeling!  It is definitely worse when I lay down, so I tossed and turned most of the night away.  

I was scheduled to run today, but I definitely feel my body could use an active recovery day (pilates and stretching later) since I'm upping my mileage.  This will allow my ear and throat to recover too.  I was WIPED OUT yesterday after the 4 mile training run (in the 85 degree heat and 95% humidity), so I'm glad to recover!

For today, I will be happily recovering and hydrating while nursing my sore ear and throat :(

How do you handle the mental aspect of running/training?

Do you ever have a negative inner voice?  How does it affect you?  How do you handle it?

What makes you keep going?

Let me know in the comments below ^_^

Weigh in Wednesday #9

It's that time of the week again!  Where we run to the bathroom four or five times, strip down to nothing, and hold our breath on the scale...  Nah just teasing -- I only do two of those three things... ^-^

Goals from Last week

• Eat single ingredient foods with every meal.
  • This went pretty well -- there were only a few meals (mostly when we ate out) where I wasn't super sure how the foods were prepared... I'm going to keep practicing this, and become more and more aware of how I'm fueling my body.
• Workout out every day!
  • This definitely happened -- As my mileage increases, I'm feeling the mental fight starting where I feel like I shouldn't run and workout on the same day -- but strength training means I'll grow stronger!  This has to be a part of my routine!
• Be Grateful each day
  • While I'm definitely grateful, this goal needs more practice as well.  I am blessed each day with so many thing - my husband, my job, my family, and my health - I'll have to incorporate a ritual to make this more of a focus.

Results from Happy Scale

Last week, my moving average was 190.9 and my 10-day-best was 189.6

This week, my moving average is 190.6 and my 10-day-best is 189.6... not much of a change, but I'm THANKFUL that it didn't MOVE UP!

  

This means my moving average is .3bs less than last week's!  It's also worth noting that my 10 day best weigh in (189.6) happened again this morning!  (Post run, so I'm sure I'm closer to 190.6 right now...)

 

I have to remember, when I feel discouraged or rushed, that these changes are for the rest of my life.  Health and nutrition are a top priority to me, because many of my long & short term goals require it.  There's no way around it.

The rate at which I'm losing weight and gaining strength don't matter as much as the rate at which my mindset has changed.

Points Breakdown

GOAL/ACTUAL/+ACTIVITY

Monday - 30/23/+6

Tuesday -30/38/+3

Wednesday -30/33/+7

Thursday - 30/40/+5

Friday - 30/33/+3

Saturday -30/46/+8

Sunday - 30/39/+0

Totals:  Goal - 210, Actual - 252, Activity - 32, Weeklies - 49

This means I ended the week with 39 leftover points!!!  Compared to last week's 22, this feels like I'm moving in the right direction!  Essentially, I only used 42 of my weeklies and no activity points -- so I think I'm at a place where I don't need to swap my activity points for food.

Somewhere on social media or youtube or somewhere, I heard someone remark about how they don't, "train for treats" -- because they aren't a dog!  I had never heard it put like this before!  They were arguing that the mindset of having to earn calories by working out crazily created a dangerous mindset where food had more power over you than it should.  

Instead, this person argued, the focus should be on giving the body what it needs when it needs it (carbs after exercise to replenish glycogen stores, protein to build muscles, etc...).  The idea was that treats or cheat meals are earned by living a life that is otherwise healthy and nutritious.  This is like when all those nutritionists say that certain treats can be a one in a blue moon occurrence in an otherwise "healthy diet".

To me, treats aren't earned in the gym -- they are a part of my training plan and mental health.  Where's the fun in eating well and exercising if that means I can't indulge once in a while?  :-P

Goals for this week

1. Eating - 21 day fix + WWSP tracking.  I decided that this week will be a SmartPoints week to see how I do with smartpoints.  I won't be trading in my activity points, but I'll still track them.  I'll also be saving most of my weeklies for my cheat meal - though I'm not entirely sure what it will be yet... we'll see.
2. Exercise every day - I am currently running 4 days a week and will incorporate strength training, yoga, and pilates.  Becoming a ninja is hard work -- but worth it!
3. List what I'm grateful for each day - I have a hobonichi planner, which if you're unfamiliar is a cross between a planner and a journal.  In it's pages for the next week, I will write what I'm grateful and be thankful to have the opportunity.

How did your weigh in go this week?

How did you strike a balance between nutrition and treats?

How do you stay mindful of all your blessings?

Let me know in the comments below ^_^

Tuesday's Treats

It's grey and drizzly out -- which means I'm working from the comfort of my bed!  I'm in complete denial about having to wake up, get up, and get moving -- so I'm counting this morning's lazy as my first treat!

Later today, I'll squeeze in an upper body workout and (maybe) a total body workout in the evening.  I have a few errands to run - groceries and such - so somehow, I'll need to get out of this bed.  But not yet.

Lazy Walrus

Have you ever had a lazy day?  Have you ever felt guilty about being lazy all day?  

I always feel bad about being lazy -- which means I don't really enjoy my down time.  I usually feel like I need to be doing something productive.

Since it's my summer, I don't have as much work to do as I do in the fall and winter -- so I have that nagging sense of "I'm forgetting something".  Normally, I'd distract myself from this feeling and my guilty conscience with some sunshine and summer fun, but today I'm stuck in the house.  I have nothing pressing to do (besides my workouts and errands) and I have very little motivation...

So instead of finding something to do around the house (cleaning, etc...) which doesn't need to be done (read: I just cleaned it yesterday), I've decided to treat myself!  My treat will be  a little laziness today.

I am the lazy walrus! 

Maybe not so lazy

Even as I sit in bed typing these words, I know that I still have a short list of errands I'd like to run and work I'd like to do.

Typing this post does count as doing something, right?

So maybe I'll just allow myself a few other treats as well... like a bath, or an at home facial, or even a yummy meal out.

How are you treating yourself today?

Do you ever feel guilty for "down days"?

How do you handle relaxing?

Let me know in the comments below!! ^_^

Marathon Monday #9

Good Morning -- As I'm writing this, I'm recovering from this morning's run; the first run of week 9.  I'm red, I'm sweaty, and I'm beat!!

Planned/Actual

Planned:

Monday - Run 25 mins, Total Body Cardio w/ weights

Tuesday - No run, Upper Body Strength

Wednesday - Run 30 mins, Lower Body Strength

Thursday - Run 25 mins, Pilates & Ab Workout

Friday - No Run, Cardio without weights (Plyo)

Saturday - Run 40 mins, Total Body Strength

Sunday - No Run, Yoga + Active Recovery & Foam rolling (if needed).

 

Actual:

Monday - Ran 25 mins, Total Body Cardio w/ weights

Tuesday - No Run, Upper Body Strength

Wednesday - Ran 30 mins, Lower Body Strength

Thursday - Ran 25 mins, Pilates & Ab Workout

Friday - No Run, Cardio without weights (Plyo)

Saturday -  Ran 40 mins, Total Body Strength

Sunday - No Run - Recovery Day (*No yoga due to tummy bloat issues*)

How'd it feel?

I keep feeling stronger and stronger each week.  I did a handstand with hubby's assist again (because my negative self doubted I ever did it in the first place... showed that B**** what's what!).

On some of the workout days (arms, lets, Dirty 30) -- I upped my weights to challenge myself!  Strong legs, strong arms, strong lady!!

This week's Plan

This week is the "big switch" in my training.  I'm switching from running for time to running for distance.  This is not a problem 0_0 -- only it messes with my head.  Today's run is done, but it was a total mental fight to get out there and get it done... but now that it's done, I feel great!  I could've kept going, so physically I'm ready.  I just have to sharpen my mental game!

Monday - Run 25 mins, Total Body Cardio w/ weights

Tuesday - Recover, Upper Body Strength

Wednesday - Run 30 mins, Lower Body Strength

Thursday - Run 25 mins, Pilates & Ab Workout

Friday - Recover, Cardio without weights (Plyo)

Saturday -  Run 40 mins, Total Body Strength

Sunday - Recover, Yoga

As far as eating, I'm battling the need to switch things up.  I didn't see huge jumps in the scale, like I was hoping for, but it dawned on me (mid run, when I have most of my epiphanies) that I just need to stay the course.  The last few years have been a constant switch from one thing to the next to chase weight loss.  That part of my life is over.  I'm chasing strength now.  

I want to be a NINJA!  I want to show how strong I am; to prove it to myself and to anyone who's ever doubted me.  

Instead of changing this up or quitting, I'm digging my heels in.  I will stick with the 21 day fix + weight watchers combo, but to satisfy the "change" without steering off course, I'm going to do Smart Points instead of Points Plus -- This means no trading in activity points (since I train for strength, not food - cuz I'm not a dog) and this also means that treats will cost me. 

This is fine with me.  A fit lifestyle for life means 6 days eating on point with one cheat meal on the 7th day.  I plan to save those weeklies for an awesome cheat meal... more on this on Wednesday...

How did you do this week?  

What are you training for? To be a ninja like me?  

How do you sharpen your mental game?

Thursday's Thoughts & Things

This week, my mind has been on MOVIES!!!  It's super hot outside, which means I'm happy inside with my AC... and NETFLIX, AMAZON, and YOUTUBE!

Sugar!

I watched That Sugar Film -- which is essentially a documentary a kin to SuperSize Me only the narrator eats 40 teaspoons of sugar per day instead of binging on McDonald's.

Damon is the star of the film as well as the sole participant in this one man experiment.  He and his wife live off of "clean" foods -- a somewhat Paleo diet that's focused around lean proteins, healthy fats, and fresh produce.  This starting point, so the movie claims, will be a stark juxtaposition to what a "normal" diet would consist of.

The rules were simple, he's supposed to consume no more than 40 teaspoons of sugar per day while consuming only "healthy" foods; things labeled as low fat or a healthier option.  He stayed away from "junk" foods; milkshakes, candies, etc... and focused on "hidden sugars" or sugars that you wouldn't suspect a food to contain.  Foods like pasta sauce and crackers are full of these hidden sugars, but so are lowfat yogurt options.

Apparently, as foods are lowered in fat they are also raised in sugar to keep them palatable.

In one scene, the first breakfast of the experiment, Damon reached 20 teaspoons of sugar in one meal.  This breakfast consisted of cereal, a glass of orange juice, and lowfat yogurt.  It shocked me to think that this is a "normal" breakfast for so many.  To start the day with so much sugar, but very few nutrients, is dizzying.

The film is set in Australia, but travels to the US for portions of the film.  One portion of the film discusses the plight of the aborigines as they struggle on the "Standard" Australian Diet.  As they were living completely off the land less than  100 years ago, their rapidly declining health is attributed almost solely to the shift in diet from whole foods to sodas, chips, and crackers.

I would definitely recommend this as a watch for anyone focused on fully nourishing their bodies... it'll start a habit of checking labels on foods & eating single ingredient foods with sunshine in them!

Ex Machina

This one was a recommendation from a friend and is a sci-fi meets thriller that'll leave you thinking.

Hubby and I discussed this during and after the film. 

Basically, this movie discusses Artificial Intelligence and how one computer might pass the Turing Test -- a way to gauge whether a computer has consciousness or not.

Caleb, a young coder, wins his company's contest to spend a week with the boss at his massive and very high tech estate.  The boss, a la Steve Jobs, is a weird and intense and slightly off dude with lots to share. 

At this estate/research facility, Caleb meets Ava -- the AI prototype developed and in need of testing.

Very intense... but super engaging

I recommend watching -- but maybe with your spouse or your friends, so you'll have someone to discuss it with!

Movies I'd like to see

Free State of Jones

Suicide Squad

Star Trek Beyond

Ghostbusters

Miss Peregrines School for Peculiar children

Doctor Strange

Rogue One

**Note, most of these will not come out until later this year -- but I'M SO READY TO SEE THEM!!   :-D

What movies are you watching this summer?  

Do you have a favorite film that keeps you thinking?

 What's your favorite movie genre?

Let me know in the comments below ^_^