Be the Tortoise, Not the Hare

Great tip on the pickles, MrVee. I've started doing that since I spotted you saying it in an earlier thread and it really is a tasty healthy distraction.

And Laura, I feel you on the treat moderation. It's so much easier for me to have none than it is for me to have just 'some'. I think I have a personality defect or something. I realised that I will probably have to manage that for the rest of my life but as long as I am aware of it I can deal with it properly and still maintain my goals.
 
Take care of those joints, MrVee!! Have you had to deal with any pain yet? I know many people who are thin or young or both who have knee or hip problems and can't run much. It kills me to see them so disappointed when they want to do something but their body doesn't cooperate. So yes, you keep taking it slow and easy so your body had time to adjust! Forty seconds at a time will still add up quick. There are mixed opinions out there on pre-run stretching (does a lion stretch before he runs down a gazelle?) but pay attention to your body and see what it might need. I focus on my ankles beforehand because otherwise they feel like they are on fire after a couple of minutes!

Blues, treat moderation is T-O-U-G-H!! My best weapon of defense so far has been to have my treats at work, and to only bring in one serving per day. I have an office job that is not at all hectic so I can time/plan my food any way I want. I made these delicious peanut butter pretzel 'granola bars' this past weekend (they taste more like cookies) and I individually wrapped them and have been packing one every day. Just one. And then after it's done I eat a mint!
 
I did a tiny bit of jogging as my lifting warmup last night. Baby steps.

Are you doing the lifting class or was it cancelled? That stinks that no one else signed up.

I've found a fiber one "brownie" that has 20% of your daily fiber and only 90 calories. Let's just say that it comes with a built in fail safe against overindulgence. I'm sure they aren't nearly as tasty as your homemade treats, but they satisfy my sweet tooth without killing my calorie count.
 
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^That's a good resource for a beginner program focused on compound free weight movements. I would recommend that you not try the programs that include power cleans unless you can get someone to show you proper form. There is a book that goes with the starting strength program that is very good, but the wiki has enough resources to start a program.

If you give it a go these are some very basic things to keep in mind:
Keep an arch in your back during squats
Don't round your back during deadlifts. Keep a straight back (no arch or rounding)
Keep your wrists straight when benching
 
No pain in either the knee or hip. My ankle can become balky from time to time (I twisted really severely about 10 years ago and its been dicey ever since), but I'm also getting less and less of this. Have a brace that I should wear more often than I do.

Blues, the only drawback to the pickle is that they're high in sodium but if you don't have hypertension and are only having the one they should be fine. It works for me.
 
Hey! Sincere congrats on the 5K! That is amazing. I for some reason have only been truly successful running on a treadmill. Not sure why that is, and I hope to figure it out someday. In the meantime I will run vicariously through you! And yes, wine at the top of the mountain must have been perfect ;)

You are doing so well! Keep up the great work.
 
I love the feeling I get from running, it's like nothing else. Wish I could still do it, but my knees just aren't up for the task anymore. Nice to see I'm not the only one who enjoys running, though, my husband thought I was crazy ;)
 
Look at all my fellow runners! I would like to share one of my favorite quotes (by John Bingham)-

“If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run.”

My weight lifting class was officially cancelled as I was still the only one signed up. I am happy I tried it out though; it's given me a little more desire to work on strength training on my own. It'll probably be more body-weight moves but I'd like to expand beyond that for sure. Thanks for that link, Quercus! The wiki is crazy descriptive but in a way that doesn't scare me.

Last night I spent a few minutes opening and closing the pantry, cabinets, and fridge a few times each, trying to decide what I wanted to snack on at 10pm. I settled on 6 oz of fat free yogurt but after months of eating Greek yogurt the regular kind was so unappealing to me. I could taste the artificial sweetener and the consistency was so thin and blah. Too bad I have three more containers!
 
Stick those regular yogurts in the freezer. I did that on a whim yesterday and it was very nice. I've been eating greek yogurt too and these were regular yogurt and it was very ice creamy and only 90 calories. I've been having skinny cow ice cream sandwiches as a treat at 140 calories and I like the yogurt better. I put one in the work freezer to have with my lunch today.
 
Whoa, you just blew my mind with that yogurt trick! I had read a while ago that you can freeze Greek yogurt and I don't think it would have crossed my mind to do it with these ones.

I love most of the Skinny Cow products, but the sandwiches were one item I just couldn't get into! And *everyone* seems to eat them! Those cones, though.... man, those cones are delicious...

::addingtogrocerylist::
 
Side note: I had jumped on here quick to post something but once I started thinking about frozen yogurt and Skinny Cows I COMPLETELY forgot what I had wanted to say. Hopefully I remember later :)
 
I love frozen kefir!! So good! My favorites are the strawberry & the pomegranate flavored ones! They taste like ice cream! :D
 
I have a feeling tonight could go crazy with snacking, so in an effort to maybe prevent that I have decided to post what I eat today. Maybe knowing whatever I eat will get written down will help me make smart decisions!

Breakfast(s):
-A few swigs of a homemade fruit smoothie [pre-workout]
-Small glass of a bottled juice drink & a banana [post-workout]
-Shredded wheat with skim [at the office]
-Coffee with skim

Snack:
-Homemade granola bar

Lunch:
-Wheatberry salad (YUM!)
-KIND bar

Snack:
-Coffee with whole milk
-Chocolate chunk cookie

Dinner:
-1 porkchop
-Big salad with veggies and full fat creamy dressing (splurge)

Dessert/Snacks:
-1 pear
-4 cups popcorn, popped in oil
 
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Has anyone else eaten wheat berries? My salad yesterday was delicious. I throw some wheat berries at the bottom of a repurposed salsa jar and add cucumbers, tomatoes, chick peas, and a string cheese that I sliced up. It's compact and easy to bring to work. Add a little balsamic vinaigrette when it's time to eat.... Sooooo good. And I like the way it looks before I dump it all out into my bowl.

View attachment 20740
 
Laura, it sounds like you and I are pretty similar to each other. I too have to really fight to avoid snacking at night. That's my wind down time where I'm usually sitting either at my computer or watching tv and it's like my hands need something to do... that's where eating comes in! Thankfully I've gotten a pretty grasp on it and my snacking lately has been almost non-existant. I still crack every now and then, but I'm a HUGE step ahead of where I was.

It sounds like your exercise program is a great one. I'd love to be able to jog, but right now it's a definite no. I'm just way to out of shape to get very far plus my knees and ankles wouldn't fare to well either. I'm not to upset about it though because I discovered Taebo which I really enjoy. :)

Keep up the good work! :)
 
I've had wheatberries, but not as a salad. I'll have to give that a try. Also, that salsa jar has my nickname on the lid lip ;) . I did my first .5 hour run/walk last night. The HR monitor is really going to help me ease into running. I hope you're having a great weekend!
 
Mandy, I always love hearing about your Taebo! It's fun hearing about all the different ways people exercise. The possibilities for finding something you love are endless!

Oh, Quercus, you cracked me up when I read your comment :) How have you had your wheat berries? I haven't done anything but make salads with them. My other half tried a bit this weekend and surprised himself by enjoying them. Since they are so high in fiber I want to find more ways to incorporate them into our meals. My diet is quite oatmeal-centric so I get a decent amount in that way but I'm sure I could use a little more! And GREAT job on the run! That HR monitor should definitely help. Everyone talks so highly of those, I've gotta think about getting one.
 
I've used them as a rice substitute, with other grains in hot cereal for breakfast and in stew. For a while my wife and I were cooking large batches of grains and freezing then in individual portions. Amaranth, Quinoa, and wheat berries were regulars. She and I were vegetarians for close to 5 years and we still have those tendencies. It's just rather difficult here to be vegetarian without cooking everything yourself. We still eat tofu, tempeh, and seitan fairly regular. We use oat, almond, and soy milk as well.

I had no idea that the hr monitor would be so central to my fitness progress, but now lifting is the only exercise when I don't wear it. It's a fitness-centric measure of progressive loading. My running distance/speed would be sad to know at this stage, but I can say I maintained an intense aerobic heart rate for an half hour and that will stay the same as the speed and distance increase. I don't need to know my speed or distance as I know I'm working at a level that will improve my fitness as a runner. That will stay constant and I can choose how/when/if I measure my progress in speed and distance when it suits me.
 
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