Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Resolutioning
I try not to make a really big deal about New Year's, since in my general experience it ends up letting you down. And this year I feel kind of let down already, so at least I got that out of the way. What I mean is, I had it in my head that by coming back to NYC right after Christmas instead of lingering at my parents' house, I'd tap into this reserve of motivation that had been hiding during all my exam stress. I'd finally have the time and the energy to be soooo productive. Anyone who's ever had that feeling knows where it leads - I got back here and have barely been motivated to change out of pajamas every day. I'm PMSy, I haven't cleaned my apartment, I'm behind on all the work I theoretically came here to do. Ugh.
So things aren't going exactly to plan, but for the record I just got here less than 3 days ago. I think it is still really good that I came back here quickly after Christmas because those couple of non-productive days were going to happen whether it was now or next week, and since I have a bunch of deadlines in the next 2 weeks, the sooner I get my ass in gear the better.
While I was home, I slacked off on the running. To be precise, I didn't run at all, mainly because of my lack of gym membership and the 3 feet of snow on the ground. And I ate, and ate and ate. So that happened - I feel okay about it because trying to change my behavior around the holidays is tough, especially on the heels of an unhealthy finals period. But then there was my sister. She works out probably 2 hours a day most days, and she's gone from being a bit overweight to totally jacked - thin and really muscular. And I have to admit, I was jealous. There's a whole other sea of emotions between us these days, but I definitely detected a hint of jealousy as I struggled to fit in my pants and felt like a lump of lard. I think that admitting to it, feeling it and trying to let it go, is the best way to deal with that. I don't begrudge her the fruits of her labor. I know she has worked really hard, and continues to work really hard, to get there and stay there. But I was still jealous, because I haven't managed to do it.
That contributed to my feeling that once I got back everything would change. And truly, I think it will. I am setting up a much easier school schedule for myself this semester, and I went out and bought all the groceries for my super-healthy menu this week. I went for my long run yesterday - 5 miles, almost all the way around Central Park. My legs are sore today but I feel successful. I am going to get better at running when I lose some weight. I'm easing into it over the next few days, but Jan 2 I'm in it, full throttle. That's when the gym reopens, and my New Years guests will have left, and it'll be just me, my running schedule, the gym, my healthy menus, and a date with the library to get my school stuff done. I think it doesn't work if you don't do it all to the max at the same time. Can't slack off on one thing because it all catches up with you.
So, my resolutions are pretty much the same as always: take better care of myself, nourish my mind and soul by learning and traveling and meeting new people, be good to the people in my life, and keep on challenging myself to do better.
So things aren't going exactly to plan, but for the record I just got here less than 3 days ago. I think it is still really good that I came back here quickly after Christmas because those couple of non-productive days were going to happen whether it was now or next week, and since I have a bunch of deadlines in the next 2 weeks, the sooner I get my ass in gear the better.
While I was home, I slacked off on the running. To be precise, I didn't run at all, mainly because of my lack of gym membership and the 3 feet of snow on the ground. And I ate, and ate and ate. So that happened - I feel okay about it because trying to change my behavior around the holidays is tough, especially on the heels of an unhealthy finals period. But then there was my sister. She works out probably 2 hours a day most days, and she's gone from being a bit overweight to totally jacked - thin and really muscular. And I have to admit, I was jealous. There's a whole other sea of emotions between us these days, but I definitely detected a hint of jealousy as I struggled to fit in my pants and felt like a lump of lard. I think that admitting to it, feeling it and trying to let it go, is the best way to deal with that. I don't begrudge her the fruits of her labor. I know she has worked really hard, and continues to work really hard, to get there and stay there. But I was still jealous, because I haven't managed to do it.
That contributed to my feeling that once I got back everything would change. And truly, I think it will. I am setting up a much easier school schedule for myself this semester, and I went out and bought all the groceries for my super-healthy menu this week. I went for my long run yesterday - 5 miles, almost all the way around Central Park. My legs are sore today but I feel successful. I am going to get better at running when I lose some weight. I'm easing into it over the next few days, but Jan 2 I'm in it, full throttle. That's when the gym reopens, and my New Years guests will have left, and it'll be just me, my running schedule, the gym, my healthy menus, and a date with the library to get my school stuff done. I think it doesn't work if you don't do it all to the max at the same time. Can't slack off on one thing because it all catches up with you.
So, my resolutions are pretty much the same as always: take better care of myself, nourish my mind and soul by learning and traveling and meeting new people, be good to the people in my life, and keep on challenging myself to do better.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Erggg
So, finals are so close to the end. In fact, exams are done, but I have this pesky (15-20 pg) paper due tomorrow that I haven't technically started. I have an outline, which I used for my presentation on the topic 3 weeks ago, but oy. It is a long road from here, in the next 30 hours or so, and I have little fuel left in my brain tank.
As for working out, I am psyching myself up for a 4-mile treadmill run, which I'm not looking forward to but it's going to have to happen. I don't think I'm ready to push myself that far out in the cold without a cheering section to help me along, and I'm not letting myself slack off in the very first week of training. It's going to be a struggle though - 3 miles was like pulling teeth the other day.
It's kind of amazing how much I think about and talk about running now that I've committed myself to doing it every other day. It requires a lot of planning and forethought at this point - I have to make it a really top priority or it's not getting done. My throat still hurts and my lips have been all chapped and uncomfortable. It's winter and finals and I'm whiny and I want nothing more than to lay around the apartment and not do anything. I don't want to run, but I do want that feeling of accomplishment when it's done. Monday night when I was doing the my 3-miler, I did a little fist pump when I hit the 1.5 mile mark and then every half-mile from there on. I had the treadmill set on 0% incline and 10:42 miles. It wasn't easy, but it wasn't that hard physically. Just psychologically, staying on there for over a half hour, oy.
So, soon the lunch rush at the gym will die down I think, and hopefully with people starting to leave for break it won't be hard for me to hang onto a machine for the 45-50 mins (30 mins is the limit if there are a lot of people, which most of the time there are). And then, paper writing all night long, woooo.
As for working out, I am psyching myself up for a 4-mile treadmill run, which I'm not looking forward to but it's going to have to happen. I don't think I'm ready to push myself that far out in the cold without a cheering section to help me along, and I'm not letting myself slack off in the very first week of training. It's going to be a struggle though - 3 miles was like pulling teeth the other day.
It's kind of amazing how much I think about and talk about running now that I've committed myself to doing it every other day. It requires a lot of planning and forethought at this point - I have to make it a really top priority or it's not getting done. My throat still hurts and my lips have been all chapped and uncomfortable. It's winter and finals and I'm whiny and I want nothing more than to lay around the apartment and not do anything. I don't want to run, but I do want that feeling of accomplishment when it's done. Monday night when I was doing the my 3-miler, I did a little fist pump when I hit the 1.5 mile mark and then every half-mile from there on. I had the treadmill set on 0% incline and 10:42 miles. It wasn't easy, but it wasn't that hard physically. Just psychologically, staying on there for over a half hour, oy.
So, soon the lunch rush at the gym will die down I think, and hopefully with people starting to leave for break it won't be hard for me to hang onto a machine for the 45-50 mins (30 mins is the limit if there are a lot of people, which most of the time there are). And then, paper writing all night long, woooo.
Monday, December 17, 2007
All of the cauliflower in the world
That is what I had for dinner tonight at 11 pm, along with a bit of grilled tempeh, a slice of sprouted flax bread and a big cup of coffee. Ah, finals, the best excuse to eat weird crap at even weirder times of day. The final final is tomorrow, followed by a 20 page paper to write on Wed and Thur, and then I can bust out of this place, head to my parents' for a week of Christmas and laziness.
I decided to dust off the old blog and see if I can transform it to suit my new plans and goals, although I haven't ruled out a new BFL challenge starting around the beginning of the new year. But goal numero uno for the moment (aside from surviving the last 3 days of finals) is the Reykjavik Marathon 08! Running a marathon (and a half-marathon for that matter) is a major item on my life list, and evidently it is also on my roommate's girlfriend's life list as when I announced to her that I was running the marathon in Iceland, I found out that she is also running the very same one, in celebration of her 30th birthday. So, now I really have to do it, unlike all those other times I said I was going to run a marathon.
I kicked off my training with a 4-mile road race (my first race ever!) in 25 degree weather with a chest cold. All of these factors, along with the fact that I hadn't run more than a mile at a time since August (and then it was in 70-degree comfort), make it impressive that I finished at all. According to the official chip time, I made it in 45:24, which averages to an 11:21 mile. Not too shabby considering, although for my age group apparently that puts me in 858th place. Anyway, I am definitely looking forward to beating that time at the next Roadrunners 4-mile race, in February. By then, if I stick to my training, 4 miles will feel like nothing.
Tonight was training run number 2, a 3-miler on the treadmill. God I hate the treadmill. I think I am going to have to get friendly with the indoor track, which isn't much better but I can't imagine it is worse. If it's at least maybe 30 degrees outside, sunny and not raining or snowing, I can do my training outside, which is preferable, but of course that's not going to be the case every time if I'm running 4-5 days a week all thru the winter.
So, that's the plan, stick to the running and make it to the marathon in Iceland next August. In the meantime, I'm also going to (a) get my diet cleaned up again - have started eating like crap and gained back the 8 lb I lost in the first half of the semester; (b) get back with the weight lifting; and (c) try to also cram in some interval training for fat loss. This all seems to indicate I may try to do the BFL thing while also doing the running thing. We shall see - I am planning a MUCH less rigorous semester in the spring, and I think it might be nice to treat it like a little sabbatical where I focus most of my energy on being healthy and enjoying life. That's the goal!
I decided to dust off the old blog and see if I can transform it to suit my new plans and goals, although I haven't ruled out a new BFL challenge starting around the beginning of the new year. But goal numero uno for the moment (aside from surviving the last 3 days of finals) is the Reykjavik Marathon 08! Running a marathon (and a half-marathon for that matter) is a major item on my life list, and evidently it is also on my roommate's girlfriend's life list as when I announced to her that I was running the marathon in Iceland, I found out that she is also running the very same one, in celebration of her 30th birthday. So, now I really have to do it, unlike all those other times I said I was going to run a marathon.
I kicked off my training with a 4-mile road race (my first race ever!) in 25 degree weather with a chest cold. All of these factors, along with the fact that I hadn't run more than a mile at a time since August (and then it was in 70-degree comfort), make it impressive that I finished at all. According to the official chip time, I made it in 45:24, which averages to an 11:21 mile. Not too shabby considering, although for my age group apparently that puts me in 858th place. Anyway, I am definitely looking forward to beating that time at the next Roadrunners 4-mile race, in February. By then, if I stick to my training, 4 miles will feel like nothing.
Tonight was training run number 2, a 3-miler on the treadmill. God I hate the treadmill. I think I am going to have to get friendly with the indoor track, which isn't much better but I can't imagine it is worse. If it's at least maybe 30 degrees outside, sunny and not raining or snowing, I can do my training outside, which is preferable, but of course that's not going to be the case every time if I'm running 4-5 days a week all thru the winter.
So, that's the plan, stick to the running and make it to the marathon in Iceland next August. In the meantime, I'm also going to (a) get my diet cleaned up again - have started eating like crap and gained back the 8 lb I lost in the first half of the semester; (b) get back with the weight lifting; and (c) try to also cram in some interval training for fat loss. This all seems to indicate I may try to do the BFL thing while also doing the running thing. We shall see - I am planning a MUCH less rigorous semester in the spring, and I think it might be nice to treat it like a little sabbatical where I focus most of my energy on being healthy and enjoying life. That's the goal!
Monday, October 29, 2007
Day 72: Oh the Glory, Oh the Agony
This morning I got up and it was dark and cold and I just wanted to sleep forever. So I did, or at least, until it was warm and tolerable and 9 am instead of 6. I think this whole working out super-duper early thing may not be working out, seeing as it hasn't happened in weeks. I dragged myself out of bed at 9 and promised I'd work out this afternoon and guess what - I actually did. Hurrah, my first weight lifting session in almost a month. Shameful. But it was good, I did upper body and found that I'm at least as strong on most exercises as I was before, especially the shoulder stuff due most probably to all the yoga. (By all the yoga, I mean I attended 3 45-min classes in the last month...)
So, I've shifted my schedule and the new plan is to get up early and do homework in my warm bed, then hit the gym in the afternoon or evening. As long as I hurry and arrive before 4 pm, lifting is possible in the afternoon, and HIIT can happen anytime except the retardedly busy lunch hour period, so that's fine.
I also just stuffed my face with one of the weirder bingey foods I go for on rare occasions - almonds with garlicky hummus. I don't know if it's that they actually taste good together or that they are the fattiest foods in my kitchen so I naturally pair them. However, I managed to resist both the huge bag of tortilla chips that's been on my counter for a week and a half and the 2 bags of chocolate chips in the cabinet. These both belong to Roommate-Guy, obviously (or they would have been eaten immediately) but he's out for the night and these are easy things to replace. So, better than last Monday night when I inhaled half a bag of tortilla chips and some black bean dip, among other things while pulling a pseudo all nighter.
So, some good and some bad today, but overall I feel pretty good, and the kitchen is closed so no more bingey foods or any foods at all until tomorrow morning.
log for today:
m1: kashi go-lean crunch, frozen blueberries, emergen-c drink
m2: apple, almonds
m3: last night's leftovers (roasted acorn squash, baked teriyaki tofu, roasted cauliflower)
workout: UBWO, 20 mins LISS
m4: spinach and hummus sandwich on whole grain bread
m5: sweet potato, cauliflower and tempeh steamed and doused with salsa
m6: same as m5
unplanned bingey snack: almonds and spinach w/hummus, handful of shredded cheddar (ugh! and not mine!), wee handful of hi-fiber cereal (wtf?)
So, I've shifted my schedule and the new plan is to get up early and do homework in my warm bed, then hit the gym in the afternoon or evening. As long as I hurry and arrive before 4 pm, lifting is possible in the afternoon, and HIIT can happen anytime except the retardedly busy lunch hour period, so that's fine.
I also just stuffed my face with one of the weirder bingey foods I go for on rare occasions - almonds with garlicky hummus. I don't know if it's that they actually taste good together or that they are the fattiest foods in my kitchen so I naturally pair them. However, I managed to resist both the huge bag of tortilla chips that's been on my counter for a week and a half and the 2 bags of chocolate chips in the cabinet. These both belong to Roommate-Guy, obviously (or they would have been eaten immediately) but he's out for the night and these are easy things to replace. So, better than last Monday night when I inhaled half a bag of tortilla chips and some black bean dip, among other things while pulling a pseudo all nighter.
So, some good and some bad today, but overall I feel pretty good, and the kitchen is closed so no more bingey foods or any foods at all until tomorrow morning.
log for today:
m1: kashi go-lean crunch, frozen blueberries, emergen-c drink
m2: apple, almonds
m3: last night's leftovers (roasted acorn squash, baked teriyaki tofu, roasted cauliflower)
workout: UBWO, 20 mins LISS
m4: spinach and hummus sandwich on whole grain bread
m5: sweet potato, cauliflower and tempeh steamed and doused with salsa
m6: same as m5
unplanned bingey snack: almonds and spinach w/hummus, handful of shredded cheddar (ugh! and not mine!), wee handful of hi-fiber cereal (wtf?)
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Day 71: Reflecting
The last few weeks have been stressful, not very healthy, frustrating, just generally rough on the diet and schoolwork fronts. I've been drinking a lot, not sticking to the plan, not keeping the right groceries in the house, indulging in stress-related binges, eating cheese!
Committing to living healthfully and making my body a priority is hard as a law student, but it is going to be even harder as a lawyer. Well, maybe that's not 100% true since I will have the cash to spring for a membership at a posh fancy gym and that might make me want to work out more than my current crappy gym situation. But anyway. I need to make it a priority right now, for my health and sanity.
I've now got about a week and a half until I leave for CA, which is basically the end of this 12-week journey, and I'm going to put my all into at least not getting too fat for the dress I just bought. I weighed in at a satisfactory but not thrilling number this morning and I'm hoping to drop about 4 lb in the next 2 weeks and to drink a zillion gallons of water so as to not be bloated in my flashy gold and black strapless number.
When I get back, I'm going to start fresh, and I've got a new plan for November and December, leading up to finals and the holidays, and it's going to center around relaxation, comfort and peace. I'm envisioning a lot of yoga, a lot of soup, and some very meditative, cleansing cardio stuff. Pared down, relaxing, centered. I hope that with the power of meditation I can get through the last half of a semester that I have really stacked against myself. Maybe I'll start a new blog, or maybe I'll keep it going with this one, not sure yet.
But for now, it's back on the plan. I bought a ton of groceries yesterday and today I need to get some produce to go along with all that. Hooray for a full pantry and not having an excuse to order Chinese, eat pasta or raid the roomie's cheese supply (ugh!).
Today's plan
m1: kashi go-lean crunch, frozen blueberries, coffee
m2: pear, almonds
m3: hummus & veg sandwich, carrots
m4: soy protein shake
m5: roasted acorn squash, brussels sprouts, steamed tofu
m6: roasted acorn squash, brussels sprouts, steamed tofu
water: at least 3 L
workout: HIIT, LISS
homework: lots!
Go Red Sox!
Committing to living healthfully and making my body a priority is hard as a law student, but it is going to be even harder as a lawyer. Well, maybe that's not 100% true since I will have the cash to spring for a membership at a posh fancy gym and that might make me want to work out more than my current crappy gym situation. But anyway. I need to make it a priority right now, for my health and sanity.
I've now got about a week and a half until I leave for CA, which is basically the end of this 12-week journey, and I'm going to put my all into at least not getting too fat for the dress I just bought. I weighed in at a satisfactory but not thrilling number this morning and I'm hoping to drop about 4 lb in the next 2 weeks and to drink a zillion gallons of water so as to not be bloated in my flashy gold and black strapless number.
When I get back, I'm going to start fresh, and I've got a new plan for November and December, leading up to finals and the holidays, and it's going to center around relaxation, comfort and peace. I'm envisioning a lot of yoga, a lot of soup, and some very meditative, cleansing cardio stuff. Pared down, relaxing, centered. I hope that with the power of meditation I can get through the last half of a semester that I have really stacked against myself. Maybe I'll start a new blog, or maybe I'll keep it going with this one, not sure yet.
But for now, it's back on the plan. I bought a ton of groceries yesterday and today I need to get some produce to go along with all that. Hooray for a full pantry and not having an excuse to order Chinese, eat pasta or raid the roomie's cheese supply (ugh!).
Today's plan
m1: kashi go-lean crunch, frozen blueberries, coffee
m2: pear, almonds
m3: hummus & veg sandwich, carrots
m4: soy protein shake
m5: roasted acorn squash, brussels sprouts, steamed tofu
m6: roasted acorn squash, brussels sprouts, steamed tofu
water: at least 3 L
workout: HIIT, LISS
homework: lots!
Go Red Sox!
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Day ??: Jeeeeepers
Well. I haven't been working out and having been eating like a hyperactive kid on crack. So, that's what's been happening in all this time.
I've been stressed out, to say the least - there was a weekend of awesomeness in between where I went to West Virginia and visited my favorite ladies, and that I will say was totally worth the out of control stress level I seem to be dealing with now. But today, I feel good about today. I'm working on the eating part first, and tomorrow I'm going back to the gym. Weeks 10-12 are going to be kickass, and I'm going to look amazing for the Nov 10 wedding. And sometime in the middle there I'll get around to buying a dress with all the money I don't have. Oy vey!
Still, my fridge is full of fresh delicious veggies, I'm fully caffeinated, and I've gotten a bit of work done today. Hallelujah, being virtuous can feel so good.
Plan for today: do lots of homework, don't get drunk, eat vegetables!
M1: heart-healthy cereal (some new thing I tried from FreshDirect, not bad); strawberries; coffee
M2: 2 Yves GoodDogs, 2 slices of multi-grain bread
M3: roasted pepper & alfalfa sprout sandwich, carrot sticks (yes, a lot of bread so far today)
M4: soy protein shake (hope my soy milk is still good...)
M5: swiss chard, garlicky mashed potatoes, baked tofu
M6: swiss chard, garlicky mashed potatoes, baked tofu
Go, go go! You can do it!
I've been stressed out, to say the least - there was a weekend of awesomeness in between where I went to West Virginia and visited my favorite ladies, and that I will say was totally worth the out of control stress level I seem to be dealing with now. But today, I feel good about today. I'm working on the eating part first, and tomorrow I'm going back to the gym. Weeks 10-12 are going to be kickass, and I'm going to look amazing for the Nov 10 wedding. And sometime in the middle there I'll get around to buying a dress with all the money I don't have. Oy vey!
Still, my fridge is full of fresh delicious veggies, I'm fully caffeinated, and I've gotten a bit of work done today. Hallelujah, being virtuous can feel so good.
Plan for today: do lots of homework, don't get drunk, eat vegetables!
M1: heart-healthy cereal (some new thing I tried from FreshDirect, not bad); strawberries; coffee
M2: 2 Yves GoodDogs, 2 slices of multi-grain bread
M3: roasted pepper & alfalfa sprout sandwich, carrot sticks (yes, a lot of bread so far today)
M4: soy protein shake (hope my soy milk is still good...)
M5: swiss chard, garlicky mashed potatoes, baked tofu
M6: swiss chard, garlicky mashed potatoes, baked tofu
Go, go go! You can do it!
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