I’m ba-ack!

After nearly a year, here I am again. (Do I really need to state the obvious?) (not like I had legions of faithful readers, anyway. Hi dad!)

After witnessing a friend make absolutely remarkable changes to her lifestyle (major diet overhaul and adding exercise) over the last few months, I’m somewhat re-inspired. I say somewhat versus a more definite declaration because that’s never really worked for me. What I do know is that I’m paying more attention to what and when I eat (focusing on whole foods) (lots of veggies, limited dairy, wheat and sugar) and am moving more. In a similar yet different tune, I’m more interested in moving and being active than having specific workouts. Although this seems obvious, I’ve struggled to separate this from what I felt I was suppose to do(3-5x a week at the gym, 30 mins of cardio, 30 mins of weights, regular cycle/Zumba/yoga/any class, you get the idea. I needed a prescribed something versus being satisfied with going for a stroll or strenuous-but-beautiful hike.)

Lets see how this goes, shall we? No declaration of losing x number of pounds, being size y.  No marathon in my future. Just eating in a way that feels good to my body and moving because its fun, it gets me somewhere or it feels good.

Wanna “support” me?

I’m laughing so hard at myself right now. Seriously, I’m a dork.
If you love me (the two people who read this do!) you can LITERALLY support me by getting one of these for me! (psst – my birthday is in 6 weeks)

I’m also looking to upgrade the rest of my workout wardrobe from faded, cheap when I got them years ago, pants and Old Navy t-shirts. It would be nice if a pair of pants had enough structure/support to stay up without the waistband being so tight it makes an extra roll around my middle. Really, that’s what I wear. They suck. It’s hard to find good athletic clothes in my size, and the ones I do find are pricy!

Back on the workout wagon

I’m back in the gym! I finally admitted to myself that I was doing a terrible job finding “alternative” workouts outside the gym. Yes, I ran for a bit (Couch to 5k program. It was ok, but since it was just cardio, my weight stayed the same and I gained 4% body fat in 2 months). There were also months of 3x weekly yoga plus some sporadic Zumba. But nothing feels like being in the gym.
It’s only been a week, but I’ve gone three times and completed a strength routine and 20 mins of cardio each day. Lifting weights is always when I’ve felt best, I wish it didn’t take so long to remember that! I’m following the guide in this book and social networking with people here.  I was pretty sore after the first couple days, but then remembered tricks like eating a banana post workout (potassium) and taking BCAAs (help muscles recover and reduce soreness). And of course, lots of water. I’m no where close to where I was last summer but I know I can get there again. Well, maybe not quite there, but strong, anyway! I don’t think I ever posted this video – I wanted to “deadlift more than I weighed” for some reason. The way Jeron had me working out made for quick strength gains. There was (mostly joking) talk of training to be a powerlifter. I still think that would be awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/user/sbitigard#p/u/20/gPlky3D1BM4

Is this a meal?

Does fried eggs over salad greens with a side of cucumber count as a meal? I think my Paleo friends would say so. It was surprisingly good! I’ve been eating lots and lots of veggies lately. I kind of love it…. Similar to how I kind of love running. I know it’s really good for me and most of the time I enjoy it and it makes me feel good. But sometimes I absolutely abhor the act and and even idea of doing it. I didn’t notice feeling better physically right away, but now when I have processed, fried or sugary foods my body revolts. Like need to lie down, painful cramps/gas, think I might have stomach flu kind of awful. Then I eat a meal like the one pictured below and, voila! All is better. Amazing. Can I also say that when your, ahem, ‘plumbing’ is in working order, everything seems to feel better physically? Some of the uber healthy types say a bowel movement after every meal is ideal.

Yay for veggies! Multiple times a day!

Disguised Blessing?

Here is post #3, (only a few weeks old) of posts that have been sitting in draft form and I never finished for various reasons, but still feel they are important to share.

I was suppose to start a Couch to 5K program this week (C25K) but the day I planned to go for my first run, I fell off ONE stair and seriously twisted my foot. It was right at the beginning of a packed work day, so I hobbled around and elevated it as I could (which it wasn’t really convenient) and didn’t get ice on it until 9 or so hours later. I’m 100% sure this is related to the super intense pain when I actually did elevate and ice. I couldn’t put weight on it AT ALL and even found myself crawling around my apartment because even hopping caused so much jostling to the injured foot it hurt. I was a little worried those first 24 hours, but it got a lot better within a week.

This small injury did provide me with some self reflection, however. As I was planning each move, doing as many tasks as efficiently as possible, I realized how many things I procrastinate thinking I’ll come back to it later. Like the sweater hanging from my shower rod (to eliminate wrinkles) had been there a couple days… to bigger things, such as writing on this blog. I really wanted this blog to be a chronicle of my life, of which a large part is my weightloss/healthiness journey. I don’t mean to reduce my entire being to my desire to lose weight, but as I struggle to figure out what kind of lifestyle changes are sustainable and make a positive difference, all the experiences in the rest of my life are related.

To my mom: go for it, comment away if you want. I was worried before about being “outed” or discovered on the internet because I wasn’t ready to share information about being overweight with the world. I’ve realized now that this is just a part of who I am, and something I am ok with people knowing. It’s not exactly a surprise if you’ve met me in person, and I would rather have the support than hide behind a totally anonymous blog.

I am a Warrior!

This post begins the posting of posts that have been sitting in draft form and I never finished for various reasons, but still feel they are important to share.

I completed the Warrior Dash! It is a 5k trail run with many obstacles including crawling under barbed wire, though mud (which gives the distinctive mud covered appearance of all Warriors), hurdling/flopping over logs in waist deep water, cargo nets, and more. I’d really like to include a couple pics, but facebook has made it hard to copy or link to photos (which is very annoying.)  If you are really curious, try these links but I have no idea if they will work:

very flattering, no? (If you don’t sense the sarcasm, know that I strongly dislike how I look in every pic from that day, despite how much fun it was.)

This race was harder than I anticipated. I’d been running a bit, but mostly on treadmills which is WAY different than trail running. Add in the obstacles, and I discovered I wasn’t in as great of shape as I thought. It was odd to feel strong an yet out of shape at the same time. This was right after my bootcamp experiences where I was deadlifting my weight and flipping tires on a regular basis. It takes a crap load of effort to move this body in a way most bodies this size don’t move.

Five pounds

As best as I can tell, I’m down five pounds.

My weight fluctuates a pound or two each day, so deciding on an estimate of where I “started” (my average weight in February-ish) and an estimate of where it is now, I’m down at least 5. Maybe 8 (!).

This is within 5 of where I ended last summer (when I was working out mondo amounts).  (and had plenty of time to plan and cook meals.)

I’m pretty pleased with this. I did it by eating well (1500ish calories a day made up of high quality food) and exercising 2-3 times a week. I could step it up with my exercising, but what I’m doing now (Hatha yoga 1-2x and Zumba 1x weekly) fits in really well with my schedule. Some people might tell me to up my calorie intake, but it’s hard to rationalize when I’m not exercising that much. Although I’m moving 3x/week, it’s not like I’m running 10 miles or weight training.  I’m still trying to find “balance” in everything – exercise, food, real life.  My (sorta) long term plan is to keep doing whatever helps me loose 5 or so pounds a month. I expect to have much more dramatic ups and downs, but I’m fully conscious of making this a lifestyle, not a diet.

Texting Revelations

*If I figure out how, I just might have to send these thoughts right from my phone

What follows are excerpts from text and instant message conversations I had today on my phone.  They are not super profound, but are a decent representation  of my thoughts today. I’ve been thinking A LOT the last few days, and once I can make sentences from those thoughts, I will share as well.

ps – ran a race this week! that will be another post

____________________

me @ 3:51pm: My legs are more sore than yesterday.  Guess my body really isn’t acclimated to running.  I half hate it and half want to try harder to become ‘a runner”

friends’ reply: I admire your drive.  might as well keep moving with the momentum.

me: I’ve been thinking a lot about this body business the last couple days… but it’s mostly just thoughts, no conclusions yet.  Support really helps! thanks!

-This is from one of my amazing friends who showed up to cheer me on at the Warrior Dash this weekend.  I didn’t expect so much support from friends (expected more from family) but they have been amazing!

____________________

Sister @12:43 pm: How’s the weight/workout stuff coming?

Me: Ugh. It’s not easy.  If it were 10 lbs or even 20…  But knowing I’m going to have to work at it every single day for a year or more… It’s overwhelming sometimes.

Sister: ya for sure.  That’s good your sticking with it though!

Me: well, I keep thinking I could spend several more years frustrated and unhappy, or spend a year or two making a change.  Seems like less of a time commitment then!

Sister: Exactly! And that way it will stick too

Me: Exactly.  And no quick fixes ever stick, so this slow and steady is the way to go

Sister: I completely agree! (insert fancy thumbs up sign I don’t know how to make)

Taco Salad

It seems like I’m eat SO DAMN MUCH.

I eat every 2-3 hours I’m awake, 6 meals a day. My plan (at the moment) is 4 meals, 25g protein/25g carbs, then more two meals 25g protein.  Unlimited green veggies.  Since the plan is pretty simple, I’ve been able to fit in some meals that night not seem like they should – behold, taco salad!!!!!!

it's huge!

I browned 1.25 lbs of turkey with a packet of taco seasoning, mixed in some refried beans, and had the nutirional base of my salad! (yes, I could use black beans, probably healthier, but geez, I’m eating non-processed, whole foods all day long! It’s nice to have a little fat free beans mixed in)

There is 2-3 cups romain lettuce, meat and beans, some shredded cheese, fat free sour cream and salsa in this salad.  Delicious! Maybe slightly more fat than desired, but considering my meals the rest of the day, this is just fine! (I’m also learning  that fat ≠ bad. It’s hard.) (Also splurged and got a salad spinner! I must be getting older if such a simple device brings such joy… but it’s WAY cheaper to buy  real lettuce (especially 6 heads of romain at costco for $2.99) instead of the bagged stuff.) (It’s been fun in my kitchen this week.)

This is one of the few meals that I use my dinner-size plates for.  (there are plenty of American dinner-size vs. salad-size plate discussions if you care to google them)  I made enough for 6 meals, and each one seems so big! My body and stomach have become accustomed to eating smaller meals, so this is a lot to shove in.  Luckily, shoving in lots of lettuce is a different feeling than shoving in a burger and fries.

New home :)

Welcome to my new blog hosting site!

I’m very happy with wordpress.  Much easier to make changes to the visual appearance as well as more options for managing. yay!

I’ve copied posts from the old site and included the comments.  They look a little messy, but it works.  I really appreciate the comments and didn’t want to lose that contribution to the project.