The Best Stress Relief

I am hugely tempted to skip my workout today. I am feeling totally stressed with my job. Pulling out my hair, screaming at the top of my lungs, pounding on the keyboard.

For me, stress equals Pity Parties.

And, like any party, Pity Parties require certain items:

• Tasty food: Yummy munchies is the cornerstone of any decent party. And I'm not going to serve up fresh veggies. Instead, I indulge with foods like pizza, French fries and popcorn. Cake is optional.
• Entertainment: Forget the clown and the juggler. When I throw a Pity Party, the entertainment is always TV or movies. There's nothing more enjoyable than a night of inertia on the sofa.
• Beverages: This is not a child's birthday party! You won't see a 2-liter of soda on the table. Instead, there will be plenty of alcoholic beverages... most notably a bottle of wine.
• Guests: No one likes to party alone! I'll make sure I call up some friends and invite them to join my fun. If no one is available, I'll at least drag my hubby to the party. He's easily tempted by the lure of pizza and French fries.

So that's my normal stress scenario. Skip the workout. Load up my plate. Flop on the sofa.

But today I might try and break that habit. I might skip the party, and instead stick with my workout plan. I've got a leg strength training program scheduled for today.

And I'll bet I get a lot more stress relief from exercise than any party could offer.

February Health Goals

Those involved in the 12 Month Health Challenge have already been discussing their February challenge goals. I've been bouncing around a few ideas in my head--I always have lots of goals. Here are my final decisions:

Primary Goal
(Receives top priority in terms of my focus, willpower and energy)

• Wake up early and exercise in AM before work. This is something I've always wanted to do. Unfortunately, I'm a night owl by nature. But I'm dedicated to changing it! Studies show that morning exercisers tend to stick with their programs. And my life is getting busier these days, too. I gotta start working out in the morning or, pretty soon, I'm going to end up cutting short--or skipping--my workouts.

Secondary Goals
(Things I'd like to accomplish--at least part of the time--this month, but less important than Primary Goal)

• Limit restaurant meals to one per week. Currently, hubby and I eat out at least 3 times per week. That's way too much cash--and calories! I'd like to limit our restaurant meals, including take-out, to just once per week.
• Begin attending martial arts classes again. After months and months of skipping Tae Kwon Do classes, I've decided it's time to "fish or cut bait." I initially stopped going to class because of family obligations--my mom got sick and my life got stressful. But, for the past few months, I've mostly avoided class because of laziness. So, in February, I'd like to start going back, even if it's only one class per week.
  

So that's it! My February goals.

Good luck to all February Challengers, and anyone else who may be trying to change their lives--for the better!--right now.

Thinking Ahead...

Jeannie at Points and Pounds has already (technically) started her February challenge. I think this illustrates an important lesson: There's no time like the present to get started. And "thinking ahead" is a great way to stay on track. Aim high. Set goals. Look forward to the future.

I, too, am thinking ahead to the future. For me, late May of this year--about 4 months away--is my scheduled "group" vacation. Me and some close friends try to take a little trip together every year.

This year's vacation: The beach.

Bikinis. Little shirts and mini skirts. Tiny tee-shirts.

It's enough to send me into a panic.

And here's the kicker: This group of close friends--the ones with which I'll be sharing a cottage on the beach--consists only of myself, my hubby and three single guys.

I am madly in love with my husband, and I don't have my eye on any of these single guys (we've all been friends for years).

But no matter how platonic my feelings for my guy friends, there's something about prancing around in front of men--wearing nothing but a bikini--that strikes fear in my heart.

'Cause no one wants to think that her friends are secretly thinking, "Geez.... Midnight sure has some extra junk in her trunk."

So, yes... I am already looking ahead to the future.

And hopefully it'll help keep me motivated to stay on track during the next few months.

But Exercise Is Important, Too...

Ok... so I said "bodies are made in the kitchen." And in terms of physique, I believe it's true.

However, I also believe that just diet--without exercise--will only improve health to a certain point. To reach optimum levels of healthy living, exercise is vital.

Exercise...

• Builds muscle
• Burns calories
• Improves cardiovascular fitness
• Helps lower cholesterol
• Reduces the risk of heart disease
• Helps lower blood pressure
• Decreases the risk of diabetes
• Boosts bone density
• Reduces stress and anxiety
• Strengthens the respiratory system
• Eases some pains and aches
• Enhances quality of sleep

So I guess the message is that both diet and exercise are important--both for shaping our bodies and improving our health.

That's why, despite the bitter cold, I plan on completing my long run tomorrow.

Bodies Are Made In The Kitchen

It's the mantra of many fitness competitors, and it's so true.

A friend of mine quoted it back to me last night. A few months ago, he lost quite a few pounds by eating clean and exercising. (He eventually stopped doing both, and has now regained the weight.) He was talking about his love for food... and how difficult it was for him to eat healthy. I mentioned that, a few months ago, he had been eating very healthy--packing his lunch, watching his fats and unhealthy starches, eating more veggies...

He responded: "That's because you told me, Midnight, that 80% of our body is based on what we eat, and only 20% is based on exercise. So I ate healthy because I wanted to change my body."

It was like the heavens opened up and a choir of angels floated over my head. Hallelujah! Someone had listened to my preaching!

Unfortunately, I belong firmly in the camp of "Do what I say, not what I do."

A few months ago--around mid-November--I finally started exercising again after a 5-month hiatus. Since that time, I've significantly increased my physical activity. And, in fact, am training for a Half Marathon.

My diet, however, is only slightly better than it was during that 5-month break. Sure, I eat more clean meals now, and I'm a little more conscious about portion sizes. But for the most part, my diet hasn't changed dramatically.

And my weight? My weight has stayed exactly the same (within 2-3 pounds).

So all that extra exercise--which amounts to at least an hour per day, 5-6 days per week--hasn't helped me drop any of my extra fat. Indeed, my pants fit just a snugly as they did in the past.

The lesson: Bodies really are made in the kitchen. And if I hope to really drop this weight around my middle, I'm going to have to kick it up a notch when it comes to my diet.

Other Accomplishments

Julie, the fun blogger at Flip This Body, declares Thursday to be "NSV Day." (NSV = Non Scale Victories.) She uses Thursdays as a time to update us about victories in her life that are unrelated to weight loss, such as personal finance accomplishments and compliments about her hair.

So, although In Pursuit of Fitness is pretty much for the purpose of documenting my diet, fitness and health (especially for readers of Refrigerator Raid)... I've decided to digress for one post and report some other accomplishments in my life:

• I finished my third book! Finally! It is done! After writing three novels (although the second is more of a novella, really), I am starting to feel confident enough to think about sending them somewhere. This third one may actually attempt to find life by traveling through the mail in search of an agent, editor or publisher. Whether it goes into a drawer or into the mailbox... at least it's finished!

• I have more responsibilities at work! Ok... I didn't get a promotion or a raise, and this is currently a "temporary" assignment. But I'm hoping it becomes permanent (and includes a hefty raise). Proving I can handle the responsibility during the next few weeks is vital.

• I'm learning to say "no." I've cut back on my freelance work and I've resigned from my position on the Board of Directors of a writer's organization. I was becoming overwhelmed and annoyed with everything on my plate. It was time to cut back. I have other, more important, priorities that need my focus right now.

Odds and Ends

• My knee pain is down to a small twinge, and today is a short run. So I'm going for it. I need it, because...

• I'm stressed! I've had more work piled on me at my job, and my personal life has become non-existent. As a result...

• I'm making poor food choices. "Free meals" have become "all-you-can-eat" festivals. But I feel sluggish and icky, so...

• I'm re-focusing my diet on clean eating. Sure, it ain't fun. But it's going to help me reach my goal.
  

Knee Pain

My Sunday "long run" was forced indoors because of snow. Treadmills and me, however, do not agree. I don't know if it's biomechanics or what, but heavy treadmill use often equals injury for me.

The result: By Sunday evening, I had serious knee and ankle pain.

So I skipped my Monday workout.

And now it's Tuesday, and my knees still hurt.

But I can't bring myself to skip another workout. I just can't!

This, of course, is the siren song of the "Former Runner." The "Former Runner" was once a running enthusiast, unable to imagine herself missing a run or rescheduling a jog. She ran through the pain, even if the pain was the result of a minor injury. And because she refused to rest, her minor injury turned into a major injury. The doctor forced her to take a break from running--four whole months! So she did. And in a very short amount of time, the sofa became more appealing than the road. The TV was more interesting than the treadmill. And she went from "Runner" to "Former Runner" (aka "Couch Potato").

I, however, have options other than running. Since my knees are still hurting, I will concentrate my workout on everything above the waist. That means an upper body strength training routine, and some martial arts/boxing drills on the heavy bag if I feel like some cardio.

And don't tell me a heavy bag can't lead to a good workout. Just watch a Rocky training montage if you don't believe me.

Summary of the Wheat-Free Week

The basics:

I ate a wheat-free diet for one week. The diet was NOT gluten-free (I ate oatmeal). I mostly eliminated bread, pasta and wheat cereal.

The results:

I felt less bloated after meals. Around mid-week I felt super-skinny. And the scale even showed a pound loss. However, I gained that pound back in the last two days of my wheat-free week.

My energy levels declined throughout the week. By mid-week I started to feel sluggish. By the end of the week I felt totally exhausted.

My opinion:

Although I felt less bloated, I think it had less to do with the wheat and more to do with the fact that I stopped eating huge meals. I have a tendency to over-indulge in pasta and bread--I can't eat just one serving. By eliminating my "trigger" foods, I also eliminated binges. This resulted in me feeling slimmer and less bloated.

My lagging energy may have been more a result of over-exercise than my diet. However, it's possible I was lacking carbohydrates, which then led to feelings of fatigue (especially after exercise).

Current thoughts:

I added wheat back into my diet with a sandwich. It didn't make me feel any more or less bloated. I don't think wheat is a problem for me (except that I tend to eat too much of it). I think, in the future, I won't avoid wheat. I will, however, try to be conscious about moderating my portions of wheat foods.

Fatigue & Wheat

I don't know if it's overtraining, under-motivation, or overall fatigue.

But whatever it is, I feel soooooooo tired. Not sleepy-tired, but physical-tired. Like it takes a lot of energy just to move my appendages and phalanges.

Today's my "Workout of Choice" day. I can either cross-train, run, walk, or do it all. Due to my fatigue, I think I'm gonna take it easy. Maybe some pushups, some ab work, and a very short walk/run.

On another note, my "wheat-free" week is going swimmingly. I thought I'd have a bigger problem with it--bread and pasta is like oxygen to me--but so far it's been relatively easy. I had originally thought I'd celebrate the end of the week with a pasta dinner, but now I'm thinking that I should just ease wheat back into my diet gradually. We'll see.

I'm happy it's Friday. I live for weekends.

"Cheat Meals" or "Free Days"

Some diets--such as Body for Life--include a "Cheat Meal" or "Free" Day as part of the plan. Although it varies from program to program, the general rules for a Free Day are this:

• Any food is permitted.
• No exercise is required.

The principle? By enjoying the occasional treat food, you avoid feelings of deprivation (which can lead to binging). Looking forward to a Free Day also gives you extra motivation during the week. (You think: I'll make a smart, healthy choice now, because I can eat whatever I want on my Free Day.) Moreover, a Free Day also helps prevent your body from going into "starvation mode," which some experts believe can happen after an extended period of calorie restriction.

Proponents of the Free Day usually recommend that we try to keep our treats and cheats down to moderate portions. Basically, don't eat the entire pizza. But it's ok to have two or even three slices if you want them.

My opinion: Cheat Meals and Free Days are absolutely necessary.

For me, consistent calorie restriction will eventually fail. I enjoy big plates of spaghetti and baskets of tortilla chips with guacamole way too much to give them up forever. Cheat Meals and Free Days give me a chance to mentally and physically relax. I can enjoy a few favorites guilt-free, without totally busting my diet.

Moreover, Cheat Meals help me break free from the "all or nothing" mentality. I no longer binge because "I blew my diet, so I might as well eat what I want for the rest of the day." Instead, when I eat something that's not part of my plan, I say to myself, "Well, I'll just count that as one of this week's Cheat Meals." Then I get right back in my program.

It's different for everyone. Some people can get by without any Cheat Meals at all. Others need an entire Free Day. For me, it's best to space out my "cheats" over time. Rather than one Free Day, I prefer to have two or three Cheat Meals during the week.

And, of course, a day of total rest from exercise is a necessity for me, too. My body can't handle a 7-day-a-week workout program (although some people can do it without a problem).

So what works for you? Do you incorporate Cheat Meals or Free Days into your plan?

Resisting Temptation... Halfway

Friends may say that I do too many things in a half-assed manner. But hell... I believe half-assed is actually the smart approach (sometimes).

Last night I felt the need to relax. Kick back. Enjoy a little time with my hubby.

My first instinct was to throw caution to the wind, drive out to our favorite restaurant, and indulge in lots of yummy food (all washed down with a bottle of wine). This is typically the way we spend quality time together.

But after I went for my run, I realized that foolishness of my plan. Dinner at a restaurant (plus drinks) would mean:

1. More calories than I needed.
2. Probably consuming wheat (which I vowed to give up this week).
3. Spending money we should save.

So, instead, we went to the store and bought a bottle of wine. We shared it at home, enjoyed some homemade veggie sushi, and then cuddled on the sofa.

Half the cost. Half the calories.

Sometimes it's impossible to completely resist temptation. And, in fact, sometimes we shouldn't resist it. Hubby and I had a very relaxing and enjoyable evening--just what we needed to recharge our batteries.

Sometimes, giving into temptation halfway is enough to satisfy ourselves without straying too far from our healthy living program.

Some people might call it half-assed.

But it made me feel good.

Positive Thinking

My last "long" run was on Sunday. And it was a nightmare. Worse than the worst of the B horror movies.

It was one of those runs when every step is painful. Rather than a real "run," it felt more like a shuffle-jog. I probably resembled a Night of the Living Dead zombie, plodding down the street, my hands grasping at nothing. Hell... it's even possible that my wheezing gasps sounded like zombie-speak.

....Ummmph.... *gasp* ....Brains... *wheeze* ...Ahhhh... ommmmffff.... *gurgle* ...Braaaaiiinnnnnnsss....

I was focused on one thing: Finishing.

My legs ached. My lungs ached. My body ached. And my brain was bored.

Fast forward to today. I have a short run scheduled, but I'm kinda dreading it. These questions keep running through my head:

What if I feel terrible today, too? What if this is the beginning of a decline... and soon I won't feel like running at all? What if I'm overtraining? What if I won't be able to finish my Half Marathon training? What if I'm just not meant to be a runner?

Self-doubt. Sometimes it's the air I breathe.

But I'm going to force myself to do some positive thinking. I'm going to read my affirmations, read my inspirational quotes, and mentally imagine myself strong and powerful during my run.

They say positive thinking makes a difference. I guess I'll find out when I hit the pavement today.

Update

Had one of my best runs yet (in terms of speed)! Was it the positive thinking, or the winter snow that spurred me faster?

Probably a little bit of both.

When hunger is a good thing...

Truth is, there's only one time of day when I like to feel hungry: First thing in the morning.

As a regular "Midnight Raider" of the refrigerator, I used to really load up on food right before bedtime. Sometimes I'd eat entire meals! Huge meals! Restaurant-size meals!

And then I'd curl up in bed and let everything digest while I slept.

The result? Extra pounds around my middle, and I woke up still feeling full. In fact, I wouldn't get an appetite until lunchtime.

When I eat mini-meals, however, things are different. I do my best to curb my nighttime eating, and any midnight snacks are small--a handful of almonds and a piece of fruit, or maybe a dill pickle and some trail mix. I eat just enough to keep hunger from waking me while I sleep. Then I wake up famished in the morning!

And I love that feeling! First, it reminds me that I didn't stuff my face with unhealthy food right before bedtime. And it also encourages me to eat breakfast, which isn't a meal I enjoy. Unless I feel hunger, I'll skip breakfast and start eating at lunch. Studies show that people who successfully lose weight tend to eat breakfast, so I've been trying to turn my morning meal into a habit. It's not a real habit yet, but I'll keep trying.

Anyway, I woke up hungry today. And I soothed my belly with plain soy yogurt mixed with frozen blueberries (and sprinkled with just a small portion of granola), plus some soy sausage patties. That's a lot of soy, but today is an upper body strength training day--so I'm adding a little extra protein to my meals.

Diet Experiment

I briefly mentioned my idea of going "wheat free" for a week or so, just to see how it makes me feel. As a vegan, I eat a lot of wheat products--bread, pasta, crackers, etc. If I eat too much, I always feel a bit bloated.

So today is the beginning of my experiment. I'm going to try cutting wheat out of my diet entirely.

My planned meals for the day:

Meal 1: Oatmeal, soy sausage patties

Meal 2: Black bean soup

Meal 3: Salad with faux chickn strips

Meal 4: Rice balls made with sticky rice, nori and avocado

Meal 5: Raw almonds

We'll see how it works out.

Rest Day

Saturday. My scheduled rest day. Oh... glorious Saturday!

Typically, Saturday is my "free" day. That means I don't have to exercise, and I can basically eat whatever I want (within reason).

However, yesterday evening M and I ordered take-out for dinner. So I ate lots of fried zucchini sticks, some French fries, plus spaghetti with marinara sauce and homemade garlic bread. As far as I'm concerned, this counts as Saturday's Splurge.

So that means I have to remain focused today.

However, it IS Saturday. So I'll probably eat a healthy breakfast and lunch, but odds are I'll indulge a bit at dinner. Some friends suggested dining out tonight, and I'm hoping I can convince them to go Japanese. A little veggie sushi is what I consider to be a moderate splurge.

Emotional Hangover

Ok... I blog sometimes about physical hangovers brought on by too much wine. But today I have an emotional hangover.

Last night hubby and I got into a whopper of a fight... bigger than we've had in ages. The result: I drank too much wine and stuffed my face. (Although I did throw an entire Pizza Hut pizza in the trash without touching a bite. This happened in the heat of the fight. It wasn't because I didn't want the pizza.... I was trying to make a point during our argument, and the pizza had to go into the trash for me to do so. But I digress.)

Anyway... once things calmed down a bit, I drank too much wine. I also ate a smushed avocado sandwich, a big bowl of rice noodle mushroom soup, a dill pickle and some brown rice crackers. Then I scarfed down some air-popped popcorn.

I could have made worse food choices. (And I'm surprised I didn't, since by that point I had almost an entire bottle of wine in me.) But it was still way too many calories to consume at once, especially late at night.

Anyway, today I am feeling the residual effects. Not so much the wine hangover, as much as the hangover from my argument with hubby. We pretty much kissed and made up, but I still feel empty and depressed about the whole thing. It's an emotional hangover, I think. I don't feel like exercising. Instead, all I wanna do is curl up on the sofa and watch TV.

I've consistently exercised every day this week--Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Saturday is my scheduled "rest" day, and if I took an extra "rest" day today I would have still exercised 5 days out of 7.

It's tempting to skip my workout. Very tempting.

Update

I did workout. I ran/walked a mile, plus did 15 minutes of an exercise video, plus some ab work and pushups. Not an awesome workout, but at least it was something.

Odds and Ends

Some odds and ends today...

• We got digital cable TV! This means, at any given time, I have about 20 different free workout videos available at the click of the remote control. They're 15-20 minutes long, and cover everything from dance to yoga to kickboxing. Although I am not a huge fan of workout videos, this will be a nice way for me to mix things up when I get bored. And did I mention it's free?!

• Although I already have an iPod Nano, a friend gave me a Shuffle for Christmas. I'm taking it out on it's maiden voyage (i.e., It's first jog around the neighborhood) today and am very excited to try it out!

• I got my order from Amazon.com today, which included Hal Higdon's Smart Running, Raw Food Made Easy For 1 or 2 People, and Women Who Run. So now I have lots of reading material for making healthy meals, plus running inspiration. I don't plan to go "raw," but I would like to add more raw meals to my diet.

• We went to the health food store today, where I picked up lots of healthy goodies like pumpkin seeds and walnuts. We're grocery shopping tonight, and I plan to get plenty of fruits and veggies. I am thinking about eliminating wheat from my diet for a week or so, just to see how I feel. It seems like I get awfully bloated and my energy slumps after a meal with a lot of wheat, like pasta or a sandwich.
  

STRESS!

My job has been absolutely crazy this week. Plus I've been wrestling with things like changing my cable TV plan, adding external storage to my computer, dealing with our real estate agent... It's been a totally stressful week.

And it's only Wednesday.

I thought it was Thursday when I woke up today.

Imagine my disappointment to discover it was only Wednesday.

Oh, the humanity!

Anyway... my desire to "eat right" and "exercise" are at Absolute Zero... especially since I don't have any ready-to-eat soup in the fridge. I ate the last of it last night, and have no time to make some before lunch today. Guess I'll scrounge. Hope I can make a healthy choice. I may have to rely on soup-in-a-can.

Today's a leg workout... I can already feel my quads burning.

Oh, the humanity!

Today's Soup

As some of you may know, I usually have homemade soup in my fridge. It's easy to make, healthy and filling. I love having a bowl of soup for lunch, especially on busy days when I have to work at my desk. I like to make a pot that lasts for about 5 days or so.

Every once in a while, however, my whole week is busy. And that means I barely have time to make my pot of soup.

At those times, I rely on Bob's Red Mill Vegi Soup Mix. It contains green and yellow split peas, lentils, barley and whole grain pasta (shaped like alphabets). It's full of lots of good carbs, lots of protein and plenty of fiber! Perfect for a day like today, when I'm running, 'cause it'll get my body fueled.

If I have time, I add extras like diced carrots or onions. But if I'm in a hurry, I simply make it like this:

• 1 part soup mix
• 4 parts water or veggie broth
• sprinkle of dried minced onion
• sprinkle of dried celery flakes

Bring to boil, then lower heat and simmer for about an hour.

Easy! Tasty!

Sometimes the simple things are the best.

Slogging Through

Weekends for me are always kind of a bust. We do a lot of socializing, which means restaurant meals and wine. Moreover, things like "movie nights" always require popcorn and candy!

To counter this, I always try to begin the week with a renewed sense of commitment.

Unfortunately, today I'm feeling less-than-motivated.

But we can't expect to be motivated every day! We can't expect every step of our healthy living journey to be filled with high hopes and a strong sense of commitment. If that were the case, losing weight and getting fit would be easy.

And if it were easy, everyone would be doing it.

The key to meeting our goals is to "slog through it." Weight loss and fitness comes easy on the days we feel motivated and committed. But the true test of our determination is the day when everything seems to fall apart. When we feel lazy. Or bored. Or exhausted. Or stressed. Or anxious. The true test comes when motivation is not in sight, and we must face the buffet dinner or the treadmill. The decisions we make when we're not feeling motivated are the ones that will mean success or failure.

Because, in reality, we'll probably have more days "low motivation" days than "high motivation" days.

So, today, I'm slogging through despite my desire to curl on the sofa with a good book.

I'm eating healthy bean soup for lunch, and healthy stir-fry for dinner.

And I'm doing an upper-body strength training routine, plus an additional 30 minutes of cardio.

I'm doing it even though I don't feel motivated, because the final goal is more important than my current mood.

Inspiration

As I mentioned in a previous post, I keep inspirational quotes posted around the house. They aren't all related to fitness (although some are). They mostly focus on things like motivation, goals, and achieving success. I use them to inspire me during my pursuit of fitness, but I also use them to inspire me to fulfill all my dreams.

So, every once in a while, I think I'll post one of my inspirational quotes. Maybe they'll help inspire you, too!

This first one is directly related to running, and I snagged it from someone at CoolRunning.com ages ago. (Sorry, I don't know who to credit!)


"Nothing's worth that," the naysayers laughed. "The crack of dawn! The bitter cold! The pouring rain! Nothing's worth that at all!"

"Obviously you don't know me, then," the woman said. "For if you'd did, you'd know I am."

Running with a partner

Hubby called from work and asked me to wait to run until he gets home so he can go with me. Guess we'll have to break out the reflective gear! LOL

They say exercising with a buddy makes us more likely to stick with it. But I often see exercise as
"me time." Time for me to be with myself. To reflect on my life. To do something just for me and no one else.

Still... I am a social creature. Running with a partner makes the miles go faster.

I am still struggling to control the late night munchies. I'm not sure what to do about it... but I might try some herbal tea next time.

Refrigerator Photos

To meet the Group Challenge in the 12-Month Challenge... here are photos of my refrigerator:




My refrigerator. Salad spinner contains red leaf lettuce. Cloth-wrapped item is hubby's lunch for work tomorrow. We don't drink much beer--it's mostly for guests.







My refrigerator door is usually packed.

The mayo, butter and chocolate syrup are hubby's. The peanut butter and soy milk are mine.


















Crisper has only a few veggies and fruit, but today's grocery shopping day. I buy fresh produce about twice a week so it doesn't go bad.





Here's my freezer.

Chicken and fish belong to hubby. I'm the one eating the vegetarian products, like the MorningStar stuff.



















Coffee and veggies are the only thing in my freezer door.

Midnight munchies

As a night owl by nature, I often get a case of the "midnight munchies." (Which, of course, is when I raid the fridge.)

Last night, for some reason, I felt an overwhelming urge to eat. I tried to satisfy this urge with (low-calorie) air-popped popcorn... but that didn't help. Overall, I munched on:

• Air-popped popcorn
• Trail mix
  
• Dill pickles
• Bean/pasta soup
• Almonds

I analyzed my physical state of hunger every time I ate something new. I acknowledged that I wasn't really hungry. I tried to determine why I was eating. Was I bored? Lonely? Stressed? "Habit" was the best answer I could come up with.

Here's what I learned:

• I need to find a way to break my midnight snack habit.
• There's no point in eating low-calorie foods like popcorn and pickles if only something savory like soup with satisfy me.
• I probably need to consume more calories throughout the day so I feel less of an urge to eat at night.

So... at least it was a lesson learned.

I'll give my workout today (an upper body strength training routine plus a cardio circuit) a little extra oomph.

Fresh starts

New year. Fresh start.

Ok... I admit it: I wasn't feeling so fresh on January 1st. It wasn't a terrible hangover--but it was bad enough to lead to a semi-coma state of being.

For many folks--like myself--January 2 is the official start to our 2007 New Year's Resolutions. And though I won't share them all with you, here are two of mine that are fitness related:

• Run Half Marathon
• Complete 10 pull-ups and 40 push-ups

So how do I plan to accomplish these--and other--goals?

Here's my self-help list:

• I read my list of goals daily.
• I regularly say affirmations to myself.
• I post inspirational quotations around my home.
• I ask loved ones to support my goals.
• I seek assistance when I need it.
• I'm not afraid to fail.

I'm not normally a touchy-feely person. But sheer determination has only ever worked for me once (when I quit smoking). To achieve my resolutions this year, I'm going to try and tap all parts of me: spiritual, mental, emotional and physical.

We'll see how it works out.

New Year, New Plan!

Happy New Year!

For the past few months I've been doing a pretty basic weight-lifting plan:

• One exercise per body part
• 2 sets
• 10 reps
• Moderate weight

So if I was working my chest, I'd do 10 Chest Presses with moderate weight, then I'd rest for a minute, then I'd do another 10 Chest Presses with moderate weight.

I was basically trying to ease my body back into strength training after an extended vacation from exercise.

However, it's smart to change a weight-lifting program every so often--like every 6 to 8 weeks--so the body stays challenged. I think my muscles are ready to take on a more serious load, so I am switching my plan to this:

• Two exercises per body part
• 3 sets total
• 8-10 reps
• Moderate to heavy weight

So a chest routine would be:

• 10 reps Chest Press (moderate weight)
• 8 reps Chest Press (heavy weight)
• 10 reps Chest Flye (moderate weight)

It's still a relatively light plan, and I don't expect to add significant muscle with it. But since I plan to continue my HM training program, I figured my strength training routine needed to be serious enough to help prevent muscle loss, but not so serious that it would detract from my running.