Weekend Splurges

Prednisone aside, my weight gain has to be blamed on what's going into my mouth. I do well during the week, I even track my food, but come the weekend all bets are off. I tend to be very busy on the weekends with friends and family. This leads to eating out or ordering food and no matter what I choose, I tend to over indulge and my weight just goes up and up. Of course during the week my weight will come back down some, but not enough to make up for the weekend weight gain.

So what can I do to change this? Stop hanging out with friends and family? Become a hermit? Workout all day Saturday and Sunday so I can't overeat? I don't think those are the answers. I know it's all about balance, but sometimes trying to balance can lead to overeating!

This Saturday I went to the West Virginia State Fair. I had in my head to allow myself one treat. Well I started out well with some shredded chicken with just a tad of barbeque sauce on it, with a small roll, mashed potatoes (which I only took a couple of bites of), and green beans. Then I had roasted corn on the cob (truly the best corn ever!), due to it being so hot I got an ice cream cone. I was doing pretty well, until we went to see my cousin bull ride and I got a bag of kettle corn, which I ate my weight's worth. Then I had a few bites of a funnel cake! It could have been worse, but not as good as I wanted. Then on Sunday, I started out with a simple breakfast of toast with jam and fruit. I had a snack of these two blueberry fig bars (they are yummy) so I wouldn't get hungry while out on my kayak. Theeeen my boyfriend, a friend and I went to Dairy Queen where I had a grilled chicken sandwich, small curly fries, and a small ice cream cone. That wouldn't have been so so bad, except later that evening I had two and half slices of pepperoni pizza with two pieces of chocolate chip cookie. UGH! I just can't handle it! If it's in front of me I eat it!

So I thought it would be a great idea to share this article of what to we can do on the weekends to not ruin our eating habits: You can find the article here, from Sparkpeople.com.


1. Squeeze in a longer workout. The best part of the weekend is that you have more free time. So while you might not be able to squeeze in a 30-minute run over lunch during the week, you can use the weekend to go for a longer run at a beautiful park nearby. Or go to the gym to try a new hour-long class. Use the weekend as a time to refresh your workout and get more activity in without feeling rushed.

2. Eat like it's a weekday. When you think about it, it doesn't really make much sense to eat differently on the weekend than you do during the week—especially if your food choices during the week keep you fueled and energized. It can be easy to skip meals on the weekend and then make up for it later by overindulging at dinner. So, make a point to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner while sitting down. Pack snacks for when you're on the go, and follow a schedule just like you would during the week. Your body will thank you!

3. Stick to your usual sleep schedule. Are you someone who has a firm bedtime during the week only to stay up late and sleep in on the weekends? Changing your sleep patterns could throw off your schedule (hard to eat breakfast when you get up at noon!), and could also interfere with weight loss. Just think of all those times you stayed up later than usual, got hungry and ended up eating something unhealthy! Changing your sleep schedule can also make it harder to fall asleep on Sunday night which could set you up for a tired Monday.

4. Get outdoors. Because most of us work indoors during the daylight hours, the weekend provides a nice opportunity to get outside, see the sun and connect with nature. Heading outside can boost your body's production of vitamin D, plus studies show that people are happier when they spend time out in nature. So, get out there and enjoy the great outdoors!

5. Fuel yourself for weekday success. Ask yourself honestly if you pushed yourself too hard with workouts or restricted your food or calories too much during the week. If so, come Friday, your body may be hungry and tired, which can lead to overeating and underexercising on the weekend. Remember to practice moderation every day, eating and exercising in a way that you can sustain for the long haul—not just a few days or weeks.

6. Limit your drinks. While many of us forgo the soda, beer and wine during the week, we loosen up over the weekend and drink more of our calories. Just remember that the calories in beverages can add up quickly if you're not careful. Go easy on the drinks, or try healthier drink swaps if you just can't forgo that fancy coffee or sweet tea on Saturday! Practice moderation when it comes to alcohol, too. Just because you were "good" during the week doesn't mean that it's OK to make up for that with one night of all-out binge drinking. Here's what you need to know about fitting alcohol into a healthy diet.

7. Plan for relaxation. Most of us are busy during the week and even our weekends seem to become non-stop errands, chores, work and travel. So how do you find time to relax? Take the whole weekend (or at least part of it) to schedule some downtime for at least an hour or two. Whether it's practicing your favorite hobby, seeing a movie with friends or even meditating quietly, do something every weekend that recharges you. You'll not only feel better, but also beat stress (which may also ) help you drop a few pounds.

8. Break the on-again, off-again diet mentality. If you have a history in yo-yo dieting, make sure that you're not alternating between being "good" and "bad" throughout the course of a week. View the weekend as time for you—not a time to rebel or "cheat" on your diet and exercise plan. Remember that being at a healthy weight is about sustainable healthy lifestyle changes, not just a diet and exercise plan that you can maintain Monday through Friday. Revisit your goals and recommit to making healthy and realistic choices every day that set you up for success in the long term.

9. Weigh in Monday morning. If you need extra help being accountable over the weekend, schedule your weekly weigh-in for Monday morning. Knowing that you'll step on the scale at the start of the week can help you to stay accountable and be more aware of your weekend choices.

10. Plan for the week ahead. What better way to stay healthy on the weekend than by using your extra time to continue to set yourself up for success? Take a Sunday afternoon or evening to plan your meals, hit the grocery store, and do some big batch cooking for the week ahead. That way, when your busy week gets even busier, you'll already be ahead of the curve and able to stay on track! Don't forget about laundering your workout clothes, packing your gym bag, and getting prepared for workouts, too.


 I know I need to start scheduling my long workouts for the weekends again. I've not been doing that since I got sick. I think I also need to make sure I'm drinking enough water on the weekends. I'm probably more thirsty than I am hungry and then end up over doing it on food. With these tips, I'm hoping to make better choices this upcoming weekend! I'm still working on Couch to 5K, biking, a little strength training, and kayaking when it's not raining!

Here's a couple of pictures of where I went yesterday, Bluestone Lake in Hinton, WV. I went about five miles. I love it!

Source

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I've got to get ready for my run. Unfortunately, it will be on the treadmill since it's been pouring rain all day, but at least I get to run! Have a good and healthy week!

New Year

A New Year A New You.

That's supposed to be the motto right? Well I need that motto right now. I'm struggling and I need support like crazy. However I think I'm just gonna have to buck up and take charge. These past few weeks have just been crazy crazy and I hope that things will slow down a bit. But if they dont then I still have to be responsible for getting my workouts in and choosing healthier foods!

So even today, when I'm frankly a little hung over, I'm going running. And I'm going to make some goals for this year. I've already been thinking about them and I'm not going to choose a certain weight to work towards but have some racing goals, tracking my food goals, and new adventure goals!

I'd like to say that I've had fun letting go these past two months but the truth is I don't feel good. I have headaches again, I don't feel good about myself, and a lot of times I come home just feeling gross and sick. So really enough is enough. The holidays are over and im ready to make this town fit into my lifestyle, not change my self to fit into this town's lifestyle!

So here's to one step at a time. Today's goals: go for a run and eat a healthy dinner.

Have a happy and healthy new year everyone!

Weigh-in

I have no idea why this is coming through sideways.

This is not a picture from last week. This is my weight this week. Yup, same as last week. Obviously things didn't go quite according to plan, but I have a couple of reasons this might have been. The big culprit is unfortunately "Aunt Flow". Ugh I know. Another reason is the heat and I've been kind of down lately (which now may be explained by the first reason).

This is what I looked like after my four(ish) mile run yesterday. Pretty I know. I'm not sure of the exact mileage because my Motoactv started going kind of crazy. It would quit working and then start all over again. I don't know. Hopefully it'll be fine the next time I use it. 

Anyway, all these things combined have led me to eating my weight in watermelon, skipping my spin class (that may have been laziness), and just not feeling like I want to work out. Everyone has down times when it comes to fitness and this is that week for me. I have a long run tomorrow morning, which hopefully I can get my butt out of bed before it gets miserably humid outside. Then Sunday I have a family reunion. I might take my bike with me and get a ride in, but I'll see what the weather is saying. We've had a lot of storms lately.  

This week wasn't all that I hoped that it would be, but they never are. Just keep moving forward and try to make a better decision at the next crossroads. At least I didn't gain, right? Yup, need to get focused, haha.

Perhaps one day I'll overcome emotional eating. Exercise definitely helps with that, but sometimes it happens. I tend to be a lot better at controlling myself when I can go outside, but like I said, it's been storming every evening. I also realize that I'm doing it now. This is new. I realize it, accept it, and try not to let it get out of control. And it hasn't really. I've just been eating too much fruit and not stopping when I'm full! Tummy ache tomorrow anyone. Eeep especially on my long run. Yep, I bet I'm going to regret all that watermelon and salad.... Okay, I'm going to go find something to do so that I'm not sitting here, bored and tempted by my kitchen. 

Have a good weekend and make at least one healthy choice.

Milestones

In June 2011, I started a version of Couch to 5K. The plan was similar to the Hal Higdon plan, but was from Sparkpeople. I worked all summer long to reach the 3.1 mile goal. I had signed up for a race that October. The plan and the goal of running a race honestly changed my life forever. I cannot say enough about how running and Sparkpeople (I'm aliwvu121 on there btw) has given me a whole new outlook on life. Although I still don't fully appreciate the way my body looks, I am immensely proud of the fact that body has taken me places and distances I never dreamed I could do. Hello Triathlon, hello 5k's and 10k's.

First 5K in October of 2011

First Sprint Triathlon August 2012

I had a lot of time today to think about how far I have come and how much further I want to do. I had a lot of time during my first DOUBLE DIGIT RUN!

It was definitely hard, but I pushed through and with an average of 10.30 mile, not too shabby! I started out running over a 15 minute mile. That is, when I built up to a mile.

So much of weight loss is mental, so keep up determination and consistency. Support definitely helps, but when people in your household may not want the same things you do, you need to find another way to get that support. It might be through friends, an online community (Such as Facebook, Sparkpeople, My Fitness Pal, a Blog, etc), or reading other people's stories. That is another thing that has really kept me determined to get off the couch and keep up with my exercise and keep counting calories. Seeing that other people can get up and have these amazing experiences through fitness keeps me wanting more.

Lots of milestones this week! I reached my original goal weight of losing 80 pounds and my first double digit run!

I hope other people reach a milestone this week, whether it be weight loss, record of not binging, fitness related, food related, whatever! Have faith and be determined to reach your goals!