the longest comment ever...

A friend of mine recently posted about her struggle with food in an effort to support one of her friends struggling with an addiction, and she asked for those reading to help by commenting. Which led to the longest comment I've ever written. Ever. I'm partially embarassed by it, but kind of proud, too, so I want to share it here since it was cathartic to write.

Here is Jamie's post 'Hi, My name is...' and below is my comment:

Isn't it awful that something that can make us feel so good while we're eating it (chocolate chip cookies, doughnuts, ice cream give me instant bliss) can also make us feel so bad afterwards? I don't always feel bad after, sometimes I just don't care (or am really good at repressing negative feelings)... but it's when I'm sabotaging my other *more important* goals is when I feel REGRET. Indulging, whether it's a treat when I'm trying to cut calories, or reading a book instead of doing the work that's waiting for me (like I did this morning), gives us that instant gratification, but what is our true priority? For me, I have to break out of the irrational how-I-feel-in-the-moment and try my hardest to remember the rational decisions and goals that will bring me true and lasting joy, not just momentary and artificial bliss (there's a gospel principle in there). I have had to change my whole mindset- to not use food/reading as a way to escape or avoid feelings or duties, and honestly it is a daily struggle- some days are harder than others, and most days I don't do as well as I wish. I'm so glad you posted about your struggle because I feel like I'm at a turning point right now (again) and support and motivation from friends is extremely helpful- for me I post my successes on facebook and love it when people leave supportive comments.


My goal is to live a healthier lifestyle by exercising and cutting calories to lose weight while making healthy food choices. Here are some things that have helped me...

~ Tracking calories on livestrong.com, and making it my homepage so every time I go online I can quickly update what I've eaten. It gives me a wake-up call to see it add up and the reality of the results.

~ Getting out of the house! I eat far less and am not faced by the temptation to snack when I am kept busy.

~ Keep the crap out of the house. I can't eat ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner if it's just not there. I've also stopped buying cereal since that is also something I'll overeat- even the "healthy" kind. And bonus- I save money!

~Exercising in the morning starts my day with the good rational perspective, giving me more energy and motivation to do well. This is definitely the most helpful, because the endorphins naturally cheer me up and I'm not so hard on myself. Sometimes I have to force myself to do it, but I always feel better afterwards. I never feel regret over a workout.

~ Replacing treats with healthier substitutes. My go-to treat is frozen yogurt. Way fewer calories than ice cream, I only get it when I'm out of the house, and only when I have the time. Because it's usually priced by the ounce, I don't get a huge amount.

~ Prayer and scripture study also help me stay focused on what's really important in my life and what I value and want for myself and my family.

I hope this helps! Stay strong and keep at it! Every day is a new chance to meet your goals. I also have a group blog that I've neglected lately called Girls In Shape where I can rant about my struggles and exclaim over my successes. And share useful information, and sometimes just funny stuff. Email me if you'd like to join and post on it! I think I'll copy my comment here and post it there since it's long enough to be an actual post :)

We love you and miss you here in La Mesa!

Heidi

it's good to feel good again!

This morning I went on a FABULOUS run with my sister Cheryl and ended up at the park so the kids could play. I'm very encouraged that after a month with only a few runs it wasn't painful (except the uphill sprints) and was able to keep up a conversation without losing my breath! Yay!

I've also lost five pounds after being sick in March with strep and a ruptured eardrum (OUCH!). I think my stomach shrunk from having no appetite... which has helped me keep my portion sizes smaller and reduce snacking big time! It's amazing to not feel hungry or the need to constantly eat something. So much easier than fighting the cravings. Cravings are evil.

After a five day road trip to Arizona and the Grand Canyon, I'm finally back in the exercise groove! I'm excited to increase my endurace with running and develop more muscle with Jon's P90X DVD's. I want to try the yoga one next. Tomorrow.

How are *you* doing with

your fitness goals??

Let's get some more posts and comments going!

it's the X.

P90X. I've been borrowing my brother-in-law's workout DVD's and getting some major strength training done. I tried their nutrition program in the spring and really liked it. Summer wreaked havoc on my fitness motivation, but I'm going strong again! I'm averaging 4-5 days a week that I either go for a 1.6 - 2 mile run or do a fitness DVD. My goal is 6 days/week, but only because it gives me no excuses to skip :)

Anyway, I absolutely loved my workout this morning because the DVD has the option to turn off the music so you only hear the instructor (he's a little weird) and not the background music... so I opened up our Girls In Shape blog and turned up the volume so I could work out to the cool songs on our playlist! So here's a shoutout to everyone who helped contribute their favorites to make our playlist rocking and eclectic! ** Be sure to comment with your most recent fav's so I can add them to our songs! **

My most recent adds have been Short Skirt, Long Jacket and Love You Madly by Cake; Tik Tok by Kesha; Wind It Up by Gwen Stefani; Starry Eyed Surprise by Oakenfold; She's a Rebel by Green Day; I Believe in a Thing Called Love by The Darkness.

Check them out!!!

here goes week two...

(These are my new running shoes- my reward for running so much!)

Hi girls!
Can you believe it?! I made it to week two! Week one was very successful. I tracked *all* my eating, stayed pretty much within my food plan, and exercised 5 out of 6 days! I am feeling very motivated, and am excited that I was able to keep it up all week without slacking off. I think something that is helpful is that it is a 16 week program, and there is an end in sight. Previously, I had the perspective that trying to exercise and eat better would be forever, because I'll always be kinda working at it with no real results, but it's better than gaining. (Like when I told my sister Cheryl that I've forsaken ice cream in an attempt to lose weight, and she asked "For how long?" I was confused why she would ask me that, because I had this eternal-trying-to lose-weight perspective). But now whenever I am tempted to stray from my food plan, I just think that I'll let myself eat that in 16 weeks, and it doesn't have to be never again. In the meantime, I'm developing great healthy eating habits that will prevent me from returning to not-so-good habits of eating. It's been a stretch to fit protein in to 5 small meals a day, but I'm getting a feel for what I like and when I have time to make certain foods. I also recalculated my daily caloric intake, which is now 1,115. A couple of friends helped me figure out my BMR, and then I took 2/3 of that for my new daily calorie goal. With what I actually have time to eat from my P90X food plan it's a perfect fit! This week I want to do better at adding up the calories. I totally tweaked my back at the beginning of the week from a Jillian Michaels DVD (squats and lunges with hand weights) and/or a funky sleeping position, but it got better quickly. Now, however, I have a pinched nerve thing going on with my right leg which sends a pulsing pain shooting down from my hip to my calf. It's pretty annoying! But I'm keeping up with my workouts and stretching a lot. Okay, vent over. I had chicken and steamed vegetables for dinner tonight after a 3 mile run (I thought of you Genine!), and I just did some arms/shoulders Pilates. Time for bed!

DAY ONE.

Okay, girls, this is it. I'm finally committed to a schedule and program. My brother-in-law Jon ordered the P90X Extreme Home Fitness Kit, and I am pretty impressed. He's going full steam ahead with the exercise portion of the program, (which is too intense for me), and I'm going with the nutrition plan! It is simple enough and has plenty of food suggestions that seem to be a good fit for me, so here goes! The main thing I like about it is that it is well-balanced with the food groups. It has three phases, and I'm starting with Phase One, Level One, which means my Food Plan is 50% protein, 30% carbohydrates, and 20% fats for 1,800 calories daily. It's broken up into servings and focuses heavily on portion control. 1,600 calories are 5 servings protein, 2 servings dairy, 1 serving fruit, 2 servings vegetables, 1 serving fats, 1 serving carbs, and 3 servings snacks (which will be fruits/veggies to get my 5 a day), and 1 serving condiment. Then I figure the extra 200 calories are a buffer or can be a healthy snack if I'm hungry. Whew!


My exercise plan is custom to what I actually enjoy doing and what fits my schedule. Since I don't work Tues/Thurs/Sat, those are the mornings I will take my 3 mile run through the neighborhood, followed by strength training exercises. Mon/Wed/Fri I work in the morning, so it's getting too hot to run outdoors by the time I'm ready to workout. So those days I will do a workout video in my living room during Emily's nap. Total: 6 days of exercise, at least 1 hour long! Can you believe I'm actually excited?!





I have discovered that I enjoy working out at home since my only audience is Emily. Cheryl got me hooked on Pilates a few years back with the Pick Your Spot Pilates DVD above. I borrowed the 10 Minute Solution from the library, and liked it enough to order it from Amazon (it's en route!)















I heard good things about the Jillian Michaels (from The Biggest Loser) workout DVDs, so I also ordered 30 Day Shred, since it's based on the 3-2-1 method: 3 mins strength, 2 mins cardio, 1 min abs.
















No More Trouble Zones came in for me today at the library, so I'm trying this one out until my order arrives! I'll be sure to post reviews of my new workout videos :)















Yesterday I had a mini-breakdown of discouragement because I replaced the battery in my scale and discovered that I've gained 10 pounds since becoming consistent with my exercise. Crap! My eating habits have been self-defeating, and now I am more motivated than ever to see results. I feel like I'm moving to the next level by adding strength training to build muscle and increase my metabolism (which I suspect is low- I'm making an appointment to get it tested). I bought a couple of 2 pound weights that were on sale at Target, so I'm all ready to go!

Wish me luck! Actually, pray for me. I think that's the only thing that will make sure I stick with it and stay motivated! :) And thanks for all your inspiring experiences and advice! You guys rock!

so I guess I need new running shoes...

BECAUSE I'M TRAINING FOR A MARATHON!!!

(a half-marathon, actually- 13 miles)

Genine sent me the info about San Diego's half-marathon, which "begins at historic Cabrillo National Monument, with its majestic view of both San Diego Bay and the Pacific Ocean, follows scenic San Diego Bay and Harbor Island along the Embarcadero to The Star of India, winds through downtown San Diego, and ends in beautiful Balboa Park."
Check it out at http://www.afchalf.com/

Here's the layout of where we will be running (jogging), and that is one of the main reasons I'm so excited about it- it's through some awesome parts of San Diego, and I'm looking forward to the new perspective. Cheryl has expressed interest, so we are going to start training together after she recovers from her delivery. I'm already pumping up my workouts!
Does anyone have any recommendations for a fun and not annoying workout DVD??

HCIATBTP.

That stands for "Holy Crap I Am Tired But Totally Pumped"

I just ran 2.0 miles. Without stopping. Without walking. (My warm-up and cool-down are an additional .1 miles each).

I had a small window of opportunity to exercise today, and I took it! The old Heidi would not have even thought about it. What? Workout at night? Um... I've got more important and relaxing things going on... (Such was the excuse I gave myself when I didn't workout Tuesday and Thursday- aargh!)

But this knees-aching, lungs-burning, heart-pumping, fat-jiggling, shoulder-twitching, sweaty-hair activity has made me feel better about myself, and feel healthy, and strong. I have a renewed sense of determination. Trust me, it was only determination that kept me jogging after sprinting up a steep hill!

Something else I have noticed is that I like to be very eloquent as I relate my exercise experience to Jason as soon as I get home, which I suspect he does not fully appreciate. He is very supportive, however, and gives me high-fives. I can't ask for much else :)

let's party... with celery?

Okay, week 2 has concluded. And I worked out another SIX consecutive days! I have exercised 12 of the last 13 days! (Sunday is my day off). I am seriously blown away that I'm meeting my goals. This week was harder than last week because my mood was lower, but now that it's the weekend and I'm looking back at what I've accomplished, I have hope for the future. And hope for a new pair of running shoes- my feet are SORE!

I have figured out what happened to my mindset to actually get my butt in gear. At stake conference last weekend, one of the speakers was talking about the importance of keeping the commandments, and he said "there is a difference between wanting to be righteous, and wishing you wanted to be righteous." The former takes action, even though we are not perfect- we put forth effort. The latter thinks about it, wishes they would take action, but that is really an illusion. To me it's similar to worrying about something. Worrying, thinking, fretting- subconsciously I feel that it gives me more control over a situation- but it's all in my head. It really accomplishes nothing except increasing my own anxiety. So I have finally somehow flipped the switch in my head to want to exercise, instead of just wishing I wanted to. And that really makes it easier to get it done, don't you think?

The next step is to flip the nutrition switch in my head. I still only wish I wanted to eat healthy. But with the move coming up, we are trying to eat what we have in the cupboards, which really limits the indulging. I did get some carrots, celery, and broccoli, (and I'm wishing I would eat them, but they are hidden in the vegetable crisper), and I've been eating more apples and bananas lately... I still love my big comfort bowl of cereal, though!

So I'm off to peel some carrots! Yay for me!

this is how I feel!

Five days. FIVE days. Soon to be six! That's how many days in a row that I've exercised. Can you belive it? I hardly can. What in the world has gotten into me? I think I finally hit rock bottom after having four Mondays of motivation, then slacking the rest of the week. I've been kidding myself each time that this time will be different. Yeah right. It's the story of my life since my metabolism slowed down. I'd much rather curl up with a book than get all hot, sweaty, and sore. So what changed this week? A combination of going back to work (ie- being forced to get my butt out of the house before 8am), good weather, extra pounds from the holidays, and prioritizing exercise and park-time for Emily above email, dirty dishes or a good book.

So Monday I walked to the park. No big deal. I always am motivated on Mondays. The trick was to work out on Tuesday, too. Tuesday is my day off. No reason to get up early. So I enlisted support and got Cheryl to walk with me and we took the kids to the park by her house. I'm already ahead of the curve! Wednesday is tricky. I worked until 9:15, had a doctor appt. for Emily at 9:30, then Music Makers at 10:30. After that is naptime. And then it's only a few minutes before my day is suddenly over and Jason is wondering what's for dinner. So after the appt, we only had 10 minutes to get to Music Makers, so we walked the short way to get there on time, then I walked the long way home to fit in my exercise. I was so proud of myself! I even did it all in jeans, not having time to change clothes. Thursday I made the mistake of trying to finish a book during our morning routine. Before I knew it, it was 11:00 and nothing was done, except the book. I could feel the cloud of gloom descending. Then, miraculously, Cheryl called to say she was at the park in my neighborhood! I threw Emily into the stroller, jogged the short way there, then took the 2-mile route home for a great workout! Hallelujah. I took a nap with Emily that day, facedown with my shins hanging off the side of the bed. Today I walked around the lake (4 miles!!) with some friends (picture a stroller brigade), and I got my butt kicked by the double umbrella stroller I used for Brady and Emily. It is heavy, with no forward momentum whatsoever. Now that was a full-body workout. I had to jog while pushing it to attempt to keep up with the other girls' walking pace and their oh-so-nice double jogging strollers. (Yes, I'm green with envy!) Tomorrow I have Brady again, so I'll get another nice workout battling the double stroller to make DAY 6 of the most consecutive days I've exercised since my junior year of high school!

So what do you think? Will I be able to maintain my girl-power attitude over the weekend into another week of awesomeness, or will my inner slacker dominate?

How do you deal with conquering the slackerness once it takes hold?

Although I can't blame my not-so-flat abs on Emily, I joined the Self.com 'Reach Your Goal' free online program, which has four customized plans to choose from. The 'Finally Lose The Baby Weight' plan sounded like the best one for me, so I'm looking forward to the "fast, flexible, kidproof sweat sessions."

The other three plans are 'Drop 8 Pounds this Month', 'Tone Without Cardio', and 'Run 3 Miles With Ease'. The program has an online food diary and workout log, which automatically calulates the calories consumed and burned. There's also a buddy list, so if anybody out there signs up, we can "help one another stay motivated by sharing your achievements and swapping inspiring messages."

We'll see how long I stick with this... I'm feeling extra-motivated today after my hour-long workout in our apt. complex fitness room. I like using it since it has good equipment, but since Emily started running around, I can't bring her there. This is our last week of vacation, but once Jason goes back to work I'm going to see if any of the girls I know in our complex want to trade baby-sitting so I can work out there once a week. It's also how I keep up with the latest music videos on VH1 since we don't have cable :) Today I switched between Katy Perry's Hot and Cold and a Frasier rerun (the one where Niles and Daphne get married).

Anyway... has anyone made any New Year's Resolutions (fitness/nutrition oriented or not)?

7 weeks and counting...

Did you know that the new year is just 7 weeks away?!!! So many people say that their New Year's resolution is to lose weight. You (and I mean me too) can lose between 3.5 and 14 pounds before then so we can hit the ground running when that date comes! Losing .5 to 2 pounds a week is safe and realistic so by starting now, we'll have positive habits in place when everyone else is just starting!

NO EXCUSES!!! That's my theme. That, and STAY POSITIVE!!!

Quick Tip: Park in the furthest spot at work, at the grocery store or at the mall. Each step adds up and this small action alone will positively impact your health. And while we're at it, let's see if there is just one little errand we can run this week without the car at all!

Let's go Jogging!!

I'm ready to get myself in shape!! As I posted on my personal blog, I'm planning to 'jog' the half marathon in San Diego in August 2009. The website is www.afchalf.com. I hope there's some of you out there who'll join me!! - Genine

Thanks Heidi for putting this blog together. I'm looking forward to you reminding me of my goal for next August:)