Friday Fitness

 

Les and I have made plans to go to Yosemite next month.  With that in mind I'm trying to get more hills in my running.  This morning I headed out for a trail run with the plan to go higher up the trail.  I knew there would be more hiking than running on the upper portions.  I also had the added challenge of Santa Ana winds.

I was on the trail before the sunrise, but there was enough light that I could see.  The first 3.5 miles were challenging but I was able to run quite a bit.  At the 3.5 mile mark I had gained about 550 feet of elevation.  The next mile was the meat of the outing and I gained about 570 feet!  It was so steep that I was only able to power walk it and my heart rate hit 155.

I was at the top of what we call Sunshine Mountain at the 4.5 mile mark and decided that was far enough.  I took a few pictures, then started back down.  Getting back down the first mile was more walking because I didn't want to lose my footing.  Once the trail evened out I was able to run most of the way down.

Total stats:  9 miles in 1:55:17, 12:47 pace.  Max heart rate 155, average 135.  Calories burned 832.

 

I also ran a half marathon last Saturday.  It was a great run!  I was able to run the entire time, no walk breaks.  My average pace was 10:16 a mile.  The first half I averaged 10:26, and the second half I was able to kick up the pace and average 10:06.  Total time on that outing was 2:14:36.  Max HR 148, average 130.  I burned 900 calories.  This is only my second half marathon this year.  The one I ran in April I averaged 11:42 a mile.  I'm loving the improvements I'm seeing.

And finally, on another happy note - I am now down 30.5 pounds!  I had gotten down 29.5 and couldn't seem to get to 30.  Last week I was up a pound, but today I was back down.  It has taken a long time to get to this point, but I have continued living and that means celebrations like birthdays and weddings, it means traveling, it means ice cream!  I know I need to be careful about what I eat, but I also know that I can enjoy occasional treats.

Friday Update

 It's been a few weeks since I posted about my weight loss journey so I thought I'd give an update.

A little over a week ago I got really sick.  Pre-2020, I would have just let it take its course, but you know, COVID.  I went to the doctor last Friday and it was confirmed that I had strep throat.  I was pretty sure that was the case because it is the one illness I have had repeatedly through the years.  I started on an antibiotic on Friday.  Sadly, I had to stay home from church on Sunday since I still wasn't feeling good at all.  I've slowly come out of it and was able to go out for a five mile run/walk this morning.  At least it wasn't COVID, right?

 

As far as my weight loss goes, I've continued doing really well with my eating.  When my throat was at its worst, all I wanted for several days was yogurt, pudding and ice cream.  I've stayed within my points budget throughout and hoped for the best. Today was weigh in day for week 15 and I am now down 22.5 pounds!  That continues to be an average of 1.5 pounds per week.

Obviously, seeing so much movement on the scale is a huge motivator, but I'm also feeling so much better overall.  I'm trying not to spend too much time kicking myself over the fact that I gained the weight at all, or that I didn't do something about it sooner.  That is the past.  Today I choose to healthy, even as I recover from strep throat!

My Weight Loss Journey

Near the end of 2020, while trying to find pictures for our Christmas card, I was forced to look at pictures of myself.  I faced the reality that they were not flattering!  I knew I needed to get rid of the excess pounds and I was determined to do so.  I was a faithful member of Weight Watchers for many years and had been successful.  When I saw a link for "3 Months Free" I decided to give it another try.  Here's my journey so far:

WW Green

Weight Watchers rebranded themselves at WW.  They also have three different programs you can follow.  I went through their quiz and landed on WW Green.  Why green?  It has the fewest Zero Points foods.  I tried one of their "Smart Points" programs a few years ago and it was an utter failure.  They had so many zero points foods, I didn't feel like I was tracking much.  Why didn't that work for me?  I'm the person who always balances her checkbook.  Tracking my eating feels the same way.  With so many zero points foods, I felt like someone said, "You don't have to track expenses for necessities like gas, groceries, and mortgage.  Just track for fun things like travel or new shoes or clothes."  That didn't work for me.

 

Keto, Low Carb, Mediterranean, Paleo?

Believe me, I researched every type of diet out there.  Many, actually most, will bring about weight loss.  But what happens after the weight loss?  I've always believed that any weight loss plan needs to be sustainable AFTER the weight is gone.  So if I'm not willing to cut out carbs for the long term, I'm not going to cut them out for the short term.  I also wanted to be considerate of Les, he does NOT need to lose any weight!  I'm not willing to cook two different meals for us, so I calculate the points and eat smaller portions of the SAME foods as Les. 

My January "No Bread" Experiment

For the past several years, Les and I have done "No Desserts January."  It's a great way to start the year after all the indulgences of the holidays.  Sadly, I didn't actually lose any weight.  This year I decided to cut out bread for a month to see what would happen.  (Please note: I only cut out bread, not all carbs.)  I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) as a teenager.  I've always dealt with what I call "food headaches."  It's when my blood sugar drops.  About two weeks in, I noticed one significant change - I wasn't getting a food headache mid afternoon.  Around that same time I found a fascinating article called "Is Bread to Blame for Weight Gain?"  These two sentences grabbed my attention:

We digest flour of all kinds rapidly, which can spike blood sugar and insulin levels and create a blood sugar “roller coaster” and potential for overeating. Some breads can send blood sugar soaring faster than many candy bars.

What?!?!   Faster than many candy bars?  That blew my mind!

A sugar high is all well and good, but what inevitably follows is a crash.  It's that crash that usually causes my food headaches.  Since I wasn't having bread (toast for breakfasts, sandwiches for lunch) I wasn't on the sugar roller coaster.  I have now reintroduced bread on a limited basis, but typically with dinner.  I use bread as more of an accessory than the focal point of my meal.  We typically eat a wrap for lunch using Mission Carb Balance tortillas - we actually like this a lot more than bread because you can taste what's in the wrap instead of so much bread!

 

Age and Weight Loss

I've heard for years and years that "it's harder to lose weight the older you get."  Being the record keeper that I am, I have my weight loss trends from when I did WW in the past.  I first joined in September, 1997 at the age of 33.  After 12 weeks I was down 21 pounds.  My second go round was October 2005 at the age of 41.  After 12 weeks I was down 17.8 pounds.  As of today, at the age of 56, I am down 18 pounds in 12 weeks!  That is a healthy 1.5 pounds per week.  The key is making quality food choices and getting, or staying active.  But know this - you can't outrun a bad diet!  Believe me, I've tried.

The Addition of Strength Training

I've been a runner and cyclist for many years.  With four marathons under my belt, I'm definitely an active person.  What I've neglected is strength or resistance training.  My legs have always been strong, but my arms and core were flabby.  After my horrible fall last year, I decided my core needed some work.  I determined that I would add that this year and I have been consistent with 2-3 workouts a week.  I don't work out with heavy weights, my favorite is resistance bands.  Don't worry, I will never look like a body builder!  But my arms are no longer waving back at me.

Not All Pounds Are Created Equal

I've posted about this many times, but I have to address the old, "Muscle weighs more than fat" myth.  This is not a true statement. A pound is a pound is a pound. But a pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat. 

 

This is what 5 pounds of muscle looks like:

 

 

This is what 5 pounds of fat looks like:

 

So while I am happy with movement on the scale, I am even happier with what the tape measure tells me.   There have been a few weeks when I was feeling leaner but the scale stayed the same.  But the way clothes are starting to fit, and the number on the tape, tell the real story.  So while I have a "goal" weight, it's not set in stone.  I'm looking forward to going on a "shopping spree" in my spare closet!

Weight Watchers Founder Jean Nidetch Dies at 91

USA Today carried the story yesterday of the passing of Jean Nidetch, the founder of Weight Watchers.  She weighed 214 pounds in 1962.  After trying many fad diets, she decided to try a diet program run by the New York City Board of Health in Manhattan. She lost 20 pounds in 10 weeks. Then she decided to invite some overweight friends to her apartment to tell them about the diet. "I am a sharer," she said. "When you give of yourself, you get back. I had to share it, so I called all my overweight friends.  I only had overweight friends."

The article had so many wonderful quotes and stories of weight loss victories.  

In The Jean Nidetch Story: An Autobiography, Nidetch wrote, "At that first gathering ... I told my story, and the beautiful thing was that people really listened. And then they began talking and contributing one at a time.
"One woman stood up and said, 'I'm a schoolteacher and I've been teaching for years. I have to say this. Seven years ago, I watched one of my students throw away half a doughnut into a wastebasket. It happened at school at the end of our noon recess period, and from noon until three that afternoon, I couldn't stop thinking about that half doughnut. After I dismissed the class at three o'clock, I immediately closed the door and reached down into the wastebasket, pulled out the doughnut, and ate it. ... It's troubled me for years. ... And I've never been able to tell anyone about eating that doughnut until now.'
"At that moment, all of us in that room became her allies," Nidetch said.

I became acquainted with Weight Watchers in the 70s when Mom started attending meetings.  Through the years the program has changed, but when I joined in 1998 the fundamentals of support and knowledge were still there, stronger than ever. Weight Watchers is the only diet I have ever tried and I know it works!  It works because you can eat real food.  You are taught portion sizes, decision making, tradeoffs, and so much more.

I lost 30 pounds, twice, because I didn't learn enough the first time around.  I stopped attending meetings as soon as I hit my lifetime status in 1998 and the pounds slowly crept back on.  The second time around I kept right on going to my meetings.  I always tell people we know we need to pray and read our Bibles, but we still need to go to church.  Weight Watchers members know how to eat and count points, but that accountability and check-in with others is a huge difference maker.

Nidetch said weight loss is often a matter of putting food into perspective. "Food is not your remedy for problems. Food is not going to change your life. If you are lonely, food is not going to be your company. If you are sad, food is not going to give you solace."

Hats off to a woman who took what she learned and willingly shared it with anyone who was willing to listen!

Question to my readers:  Are you a current or former WW member?  Tell me your experience!