Weekly Weigh In - One Month

Kimberly:

188.2

Justin:

194.4

Where we were:

                    Kimberly                  Justin

4/1/12         190.2                        200.0

4/8/12         191.2                        199.2

4/15/12       189.2                        197.0

4/22/12       188.6                        195.0

what we're going for:

Our Goals in Numbers

Kimberly:

Optimum BMI - 19-25

Optimum Weight - 135

Justin:

Optimum BMI - 20-25

Optimum Weight - 150

Justin's Post

One month down and I met my goal!  I lost 5.6 pounds this past month and it feels great; plus I'll get a small monetary reward.  I've worked hard, exercised most days, and ran a half marathon.  As good as this month has been, I have some real challenges coming up next month.

On Tuesday I'm leaving on a two-week long business trip to China and Peru where I know I'll have a really hard time finding time to exercise and resisting the temptation to overeat.  I'll have a number of really long flights, hotels without gyms, and unfriendly streets* so I know exercise will be hard to come by.  At the same time business trips are notorious for long plentiful meals, plus the fact that its all on the company's dime so I don't have the monetary incentive to keep the quantity of food in check.

*Going running on the street in China is akin to taking your life in your hand.  In the United States we make fun of drivers in other parts of the country, but its nothing compared to other countries.  China is like the wild west of driving--all signs, road markings, even the direction of traffic flow are mere suggestions.  They drive like its a dog-eat-dog world and everyone is fighting for the same scrap of pavement to maneuver their car into and they're competing with scooters, bikes, rickshaws, and pedestrians for said scrap of pavement.

After the two-week business trip I'm home for a week and then we're going out of town to visit family.  I'm not as worried about the family trip since we're visiting my parents who are also runners and I'm sure we'll get some exercise in.  So I'm thinking if I can make it through the first two weeks of this month without gaining weight I'll have been successful.

What I was proud of today

Making myself use the elliptical at 11:00 p.m.

What I wasn't proud of today

To be honest, I kind of took it easy the past two days since I knew I would meet the 5 pound goal.

Track of the day

Rain - Creed




I don't know exactly what my issue has been this week, but it's been a difficult one, emotionally and mentally.  The weather is gross, it's cold, it's rainy, the kids are INSANE and I feel overwhelmed with the amount of things I need to get done - housework, blog stuff, competition stuff for So You Think You're Crafty, a BIG upcoming project, etc, etc.  I know I'm not the only one who has overwhelming days or weeks... and I'm certainly not the only one who deals with them by sloughing off certain priorities.  I feel bad about it, but this week was a horrible week for exercise and food.  I've definitely gotten in the habit of controlling my portions better and not snacking.  That's good - and probably the only thing keeping me from GAINING weight... But I have GOT to better with exercising.  Once again, I took a walk with the kids - once.  We were going to ride our bikes, but the bike trailer for the kids broke.  I felt forces conspiring against me - but actually it's just my own negativity that I need to overcome.  
I have not been looking forward to tomorrow - being the day that Justin leaves for at least two weeks.  He arrives home just before our anniversary (and he's supposed to be on a camp out for boy scouts that day...) The kids are sad without Justin.  I am sad without Justin.  There's double the work without Justin.  So I've been doing a fair amount of dreading, which I know has contributed to my bad attitude lately.
Fortunately, I did not GAIN weight this week.  I did not lose any significant amount of weight, even over the course of the whole month.  It's sad, but in a way I'm glad that Justin DID even though I didn't because he won't let me hear the end of it if it happens again...
I need to kick it up a notch or 12.

My Weight History

Justin's Post
I've been meaning to write about my weight history for a while, but for one reason or another I've put it off.  Until today.  I have been caught in the classic yo-yo cycle with my weight since I was in high school.  In high school I joined the wrestling team and really got in shape for the first time in my life.  Thats also when I stopped growing (vertically at least), so it makes a logical place to start.  I wrestled in the 152 pound weight class, which happens to be my ideal weight based on my height and BMI.  Right after high school I served a two year mission for my church where my physical fitness was a low priority for me.  I came home weighing about 200 pounds.  Its interesting that those two points have been the bookends for my weight for the past 12 years--its gone up and down but never much higher than 200 or much lower than 150.


When I got home from my mission I took up running, thanks to my parents, and its been something I've enjoyed ever since.  I put a lot of effort into running, but it took a while before I noticed any results.  A big part of that was learning to eat healthier, but as soon as I figured it out I steadily lost weight until I got down to about 150 pounds.  Then I got married.  I'm not sure why exactly I put on weight so quickly after getting married, but I know I wasn't eating as healthily as before or exercising as much.  And I was really busy finishing my degree, and then working full time.  But before I knew it I was back to about 200 pounds.


Then my wife's extended family decided to have a big family competition to encourage everyone to lose weight.  I really took advantage of the competition and at the same time set a goal to run a marathon.  That time I steadily lost weight from day one.  I made it down to the 170's before the competition ended (due to only a few people still trying).  At that point I was focused on the marathon and the weight itself was a lower priority.  The interesting thing here is that if you're a serious runner you probably aren't going to lose weight because you'd rather burn sugar when running than fat (sugar is a much easier energy source for your body).  So I was drinking a lot of gatorade and eating pasta to have tons of energy for running.  So I didn't lose any more weight, but I did succeed in running a marathon.


Unfortunately as soon as the marathon was over I didn't have a goal that I was actively working on anymore and soon found myself back up at 200.  One thing was that I had picked up some poor eating habits from trying to have energy for running.  But I wasn't running as much anymore, so I gained weight quickly.  About a month ago I got the idea for the competition with Kim and this blog.  I now understand what I really need to lose weight and be healthy.  I need to have an active goal or competition, something to keep me focused and keep me motivated.  My thought is that by starting this blog I'll always have to be accountable to someone other than myself.  And if I do get down to 150 I'm going to keep blogging so that I can actually stay there this time.  Thats the plan.


What I was proud of today
I made myself go running even though it was chilly, windy, and I didn't really feel like it.  Now that the half marathon is behind me I kind-of have a "now what" feeling.  I need a new goal.  Stay tuned.


What I wasn't proud of today
Kim had plans for tonight so I was hanging with the kids by myself and they convinced me to make a treat.  So I made a milkshake for all of us when I really didn't need to eat anything.


Track of the day
Smooth Criminal - Glee Cast
I hope I don't lose my man card for liking the Glee Cast version more than the original, but its awesome.  I love the cellos.

Up Way Too Late

Justin's post
So here I am posting at about 1:20 a.m.  I don't know what I was thinking, but I tried to do too many things tonight.  Here is a brief rundown of what I did tonight: ate dinner with the family, worked on my pinewood derby car*, had a teleconference to wrap up a few details for a business trip I'm taking next week, watched the first round of the NFL draft**, did laundry to prepare for my business trip next week, exercised on the elliptical, and did some last minute cleaning in preparation for garbage pick-up tomorrow morning.  At the moment I'm posting as I wait for my laundry to finish so I can put on nice clean pajamas (and underwear) after I shower.  Then I'm definitely going to bed.


*Yes, for those who are familiar, the pinewood derby is a cub scout activity where they race little wooden cars that they build down a track.  Well, sometimes grownups can have fun activities like that too, thank you very much.  And we can use way cooler power tools than the cub scouts can.  Sometimes its just better to be a grown up!


**My Green Bay Packers took linebacker Nick Perry from USC.  Seems like a decent pick, especially for a team desperate for a pass rusher to compliment Clay Matthews.  Lets hope Perry is half as good as his fellow Trojan.


What I was proud of today
Not taking seconds at dinner yesterday.


What I wasn't proud of today
Wish I could say the same thing for today.


Track of the day
Fall to Pieces - Velvet Revolver

Mind Over Matter

Justin's post
If you look back to my post from a week ago it could easily be identical to today's if I wanted.  It turns out I have a real issue with Kim's Yummy Mondays--I eat way too much.  Again I ate too much and didn't feel well enough to exercise on Monday.  But like last week I made up for it the next day (today) by having a good run and eating sensible portions.


The title of the post really refers to my run today.  I had an awesome time running the half marathon and today I was really itching to get outside and do some more running.  The weather was great and I had been feeling good--just a little soreness from the 13.1 miles.  So I started out on my normal 5 mile run and discovered that my legs were in complete rebellion!  They seemed to resist every motion I made.  They had felt a little stiff, but I stretched and everything so I figured I'd be fine.  But I realized that this was going to be a run that I would have to endure.  Mind over matter is easier said than done, but when you succeed in forcing yourself to do something hard you grow and become a stronger person.  The good thing was that eventually my legs loosened up and I had a great run.


I am a big NFL fan and I always read Sports Illustrated writer Peter King's columns.  A while ago he ran a half marathon and one of his takeaways from the experience resonated with me.  Link

The side benefit is I came to realize how eminently doable a very hard physical task is. When I've watched runners most of my life, I've thought how out of reach what they were doing was. Saturday proved to me it's not.

This is exactly how I felt.  I'm not an amazing runner and was thrilled to finish the half marathon in just over 2 hours.  I actually finished 60th out of 74 runners in my age and gender group.  But that's fine.  The point is taking on something difficult, seeing in through, and growing as a person by doing it.


What I was proud of today
Forcing myself to keep running even when my tired legs made it very difficult.


What I wasn't proud of today
Eating too much to exercise yesterday.


Track of the day
Story of My Life - Social Distortion

2:02! (Weekly Weigh-In 3)

Kimberly:

188.6

Justin:

195.0

Where we were:

                    Kimberly                  Justin

4/1/12         190.2                        200.0

4/8/12         191.2                        199.2

4/15/12       189.2                        197.0

what we're going for:

Our Goals in Numbers

Kimberly:

Optimum BMI - 19-25

Optimum Weight - 135

Justin:

Optimum BMI - 20-25

Optimum Weight - 150

Justin's Post

2:02!!! That's right, I ran the half marathon with a time of 2 hours and 2 minutes.  If you can't tell I'm pretty darn happy about it.  Yesterday I wrote about being nervous and it all turned out okay.  Better than okay.  I don't think I've ever felt as good about a race as I did today.  My knee didn't bother me at all and the wrinkled up bib was a non-issue (for the life of me I couldn't remember what to call it in my post yesterday--number card = bib).

I started out running with my co-worker, but as I mentioned she was too fast for me, so after mile 3 I was on my own.  But that was fine, especially considering that she helped me set a really good pace for myself--fast enough to be somewhat challenging, but not so fast that I would wear myself out.  The weather was nice, but chilly with some wind.  There were a couple of spots where I was a tad cold, but that was fine and I was never too warm which really would be a worse problem.  The gatorade for most of the race was really watered down which was disappointing, but not a big deal.  I ended up not taking any of the hammer gel (carbohydrate gel) because I didn't think I would need it, but I did take a banana at about mile 7.  Around mile 10 I started wishing that I had taken the gel, but luckily the next gatorade station had a much more generous ratio of mix to water.  The last gatorade station a little before mile 12 also had a generous mix and they had lemon-lime, which is my absolute favorite gatorade flavor.  It almost felt like I could feel the sugar entering my system and I kicked it up a notch for rest of the race.  I felt great, I had a ton of energy, and I was passing people--it was awesome.  Once I saw the finish line I started sprinting.  I turned the corner and saw the clock with maybe 20 yards to go and it read 2:02:14!  I was so shocked that the time was that low that I almost wanted to cry.  My goal had been to average 10 minutes per mile which would have meant a time of about 2:10, so beating my goal by 8 minutes was awesome.  I ended up averaging about 9:15 per mile which is awesome for me.  In short, I couldn't be happier.

What I was proud of today

Hmmm, maybe completely shattering my half marathon goal?

What I wasn't proud of today

I ran a half marathon today.  I don't have any regrets.

Track of the day

I Hope You Dance - LeAnn Womack

Right after I finished the race 'The Show Goes On' came on my iPod which completely matched my mood and felt awesome, but I featured that song the other day.  'I Hope You Dance' is a good inspiring song too that I enjoyed midway through the race.

Hey, yeah, so remember last week when I said I am HORRIBLE about exercise?  I wasn't kidding.  It's ridiculous.  I let myself have an easy week, blaming time constraints and busyness.  Which is awful.  I mean, being busy is nothing new.  If I wait for time to just open up, I'll never get on the elliptical or my bike.  I certainly can't run a half marathon thanks to my knees and my asthma, but that's no excuse for doing pretty much nothing.  I walked with the kids ONCE and I counted playing with them at the park (since I wasn't just sitting on a bench like normal, but actually chasing them around).  It's not anything I'm proud of.  In fact, just the opposite.

I continue to do really well with portion control and limiting my snacking, which is my only saving grace.  I had been doing well with laying off the sweets - and I do believe that was a goal of mine for this week? - but I totally fell down on the job there.  Oreos.  Enough said.  (They were a Friday Girl's Night treat).

Can I do better?  Of course.  Let's reiterate the goals I set for the week:

eating/food: No snacking after 7.  AND, no sweets.

(Ok, I only did HALF good with this goal.)

exercise: Gosh darn it - exercise at least 20 minutes every single day.  Yeah.

(Ok, I did NO good with this goal.

So.  This week.  Well, I've decided to stick with my eating/food goals.  I'm also going to add one.  This goes hand in hand with portion control, so I think I can manage it.  Pay close attention to serving size.  I'd like to add "pay more attention to the food pyramid", but I think I'll save that for next week since it's something I'd like to look into more before I start it.

I've also decided that if I say some kind of general goal for the week like "exercise at least 20 minutes a day", it's not good enough.  I have to have a specific daily goal, so it feels more mandatory and I can check it off the to-do list.  So, I've put together what I think is accomplishable by day.  Monday - elliptical for 30 minutes.  Tuesday - nice, loooong walk with the kiddos.  Wednesday - elliptical for 30 minutes.  Thursday - jump rope, crunches, etc. Friday - bike ride.  Saturday - walk or bike ride.

So there it is, all written out.  Now I have to do it.  It's like a non-negotiable contract.

This weeks goals:

eating/food: No snacking after 7.  No sweets (except for Yummy Monday).  Pay close attention to serving size.

exercise: Follow the daily exercise plan.

So, the good news is that even with all the laziness, excuses and flubbing it, I still lost some weight.  Not a ton, but a tiny bit.  At least I didn't go up, which is what I was expecting.  I attribute this only to watching my snacking and not having seconds.  The sad news about this?  Well, just think how awesome I could do if I actually tried a bit more???

Wish Me Luck

Justin's post
First of all I'm terrible for not posting for the last few days.  It's no excuse, but I've had a really busy week.  More about that later.  The second thing is that I'm running a half marathon tomorrow!  In case you can't tell, that's both an excited and scared exclamation point.  I've run a few races before and they're a lot of fun.  It's actually very different from a normal run because with all the people there is a real sense of excitement.  There is also the competitive element although as far back as I run everyone is pretty much competing against themselves.  I plan on meeting up with one of my co-workers who is also running, but I expect that she'll be ahead of me most of the race.  So I'm pretty excited for the race.  At the same time I'm nervous because my knee started hurting randomly today.  There was no injury or anything, just out of the blue it started hurting.  I'm really hoping that it will feel better in the morning.  And a point of frustration: I came home today with my race packet including my number card which has a computer chip they use to record your starting and finishing times.  My 4-year-old got ahold of the number card and crumpled it up.  I'm really hoping the computer chip wasn't damaged.  So I'm really excited and nervous to run the half marathon tomorrow.  Wish me luck!


As I mentioned, this week has been really busy for me.  I work for a large multi-national company and lately I've had a lot of late night teleconferences with colleagues in Korea, China, Singapore, etc.  I still managed to find time to exercise most nights, but I was obviously lousy at finding time to post.  Wednesday night I played basketball, Thursday I failed to exercise, and Friday I used the elliptical.  Today I decided to count mowing the lawn and other yard work as exercise.  I think that should be kosher considering that according to Calorie Count mowing the lawn should burn about 408 calories per hour.  Also, I didn't want to do anything too extreme considering that I'm running a half marathon tomorrow.  So I think I did reasonably well this week all things considered.


What I was proud of today
I think I was smart yesterday to get my exercise in early.  We try to get out and do something fun as a family on Friday nights, which can make it hard to get the exercise time in.  Knowing I would have this issue, I made sure to spend 30 minutes on the elliptical shortly after getting home from work.


What I wasn't proud of today
Missing exercise on Thursday.  I had a teleconference until about 9:30, and then I lost track of time watching something on TV.  I certainly could have at least done some sit-ups and pushups when I was watching TV.


Track of the day
Out On the Town - Fun.

A Tale of Two Days

Justin's post
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times... At least that's how the past two days seem like looking back on them.  Yesterday was one of the worst I've had since starting this weight loss journey, and today was significantly better.


Yesterday was a perfect storm for tempting food and I lost all will power.  First of all, one of my colleagues at work is transferring to a position out of the country and we went to a Mexican restaurant for a send-off lunch.  So I had a typical Mexican restaurant meal for lunch that was probably in the neighborhood of 1000 calories, which is a good 700 more than I usually have for lunch.  Then for dinner Kim made this, and this dessert.  The main course is meant to be healthy and I'm sure it is assuming you eat a reasonable portion, but I had seconds and thirds and fourths and... Well, I sure hope I didn't have more than that but all the helpings have blurred together in my mind, so I can't be sure.  And since I felt so bloated from eating so much I really didn't feel well enough to exercise.  Maybe I should have risked throwing up, but I didn't.


Today was much better.  I ate reasonable portions for all meals and then I had a great run tonight.  I've gone running more times than I can remember and I've learned that there is a huge variety in the quality of runs.  Sometimes I feel awesome, have a ton of energy, run fast, and its amazing.  Other times I'm sluggish, stiff, slow, and just feel 'blah.'  The really aggravating thing is that I often have no idea why I feel a certain way.  If I knew what caused my awesome runs then I'd know how to reproduce them and I'd be superman.  But I haven't been able to find a common thread.  So thats just a long way of saying that I had an awesome run tonight and I have no idea what I did to make it that way.


What I was proud of today
I think I'm doing a much better job of working with Kim to get my exercise in.  In the past I've kind of just expected her to support me in my exercising and I've just told her that I'm going running.  Period.  And off I went.  Lately I've been scheduling it with her to make sure it fits into her day and her exercise needs.


What I wasn't proud of today
Just look at what I wrote about yesterday.


Interesting factoid
The planet Venus is the brightest object in the sky except for the sun and moon.  Its so bright that an Air Canada pilot recently thought it was another plane and dove to miss it.  Luckily the co-pilot wasn't fooled and quickly righted the plane, but several passengers were thrown to the ceiling and back as the plane dove and corrected.  I read that this morning and was thinking about it as I stared at Venus during my run tonight.


Track of the day
We Will Rock You - Queen

Weekly Weigh-In TWO

Ready for it?

Kimberly:

189.2

woo-hoo!

Justin:

197.0

Where we were:

                    Kimberly                  Justin

4/1/12         190.2                        200.0

4/8/12         191.2                        199.2

what we're going for:

Our Goals in Numbers

Kimberly:

Optimum BMI - 19-25

Optimum Weight - 135

Justin:

Optimum BMI - 20-25

Optimum Weight - 150

Justin's post

Well I feel great.  I think this has been a great week for me.  I followed my plan for the most part and I'm starting to see some results.  Soon I plan to write all about my weight history, but I don't really want to get into that tonight.  Suffice it to say that I've been a real yo-yo when it comes to my weight.  I know I can lose weight when I'm motivated so I really haven't had any doubts the past couple of weeks that I would be able to do this, but I really need to stay motivated.  Seeing some progress and losing a few pounds really helps.

Tonight I exercised on the elliptical and that went well enough.  As I've mentioned before, I really prefer running outside.  It feels a lot more peaceful and relaxing to me outside, plus I can SEE the progress and the scenery changes.  Another thing is that when I go running outside I end up committed to the run.  For example if I run 4 miles away from my house or car I have no choice but to run or walk back.  I don't have that on an elliptical or treadmill, so I'm constantly tempted to end my workout before I should.  So I usually try to pay as little attention to the display or else I'll end up staring at the ticker the whole time willing time to tick away so I can finish.  Which is probably the worst way to enjoy a workout.  I guess thats just a quirky thing about me.

What I was proud of today

Sticking to my exercise plan and losing almost 2 pounds this week

What I wasn't proud of today

I still need to figure out my eating.  Sometimes I do really well and sometimes I lose all control.  I did not do well at dinner tonight.

Track of the day

Carry On Wayward Son - Kansas

Ok, ok, ok.  I SUCK at this exercise thing.  I do.  Arg!  What I think is so funny about this whole process is learning just how opposite Justin and I are.  I mean, I knew we were.  But I see it in so many other ways now... for instance, he has serious motivation when it comes to exercise AND he actually enjoys it.  But he's got issues with food and self control.  I, on the other hand, feel like weeping at the thought of physical exertion.  BUT, I have been able to do pretty well about curbing my eating.  

I discovered this week that I think I could enjoy walking.  I have long been of the opinion that exercise is AWFUL.  AWFUL!  But I went on a long walk with my kids this week - about three blocks (and they're big blocks out where we live) and I wasn't dying by the end of it.  I got home and I actually had the stamina to make us dinner before Justin arrived home from his run.  I liked looking at all the flowers and the weather was really nice.  I loved pointing things out to my kids and watching them get excited over funny things like sticks.  I didn't even mind pushing the stroller with my daughter in it.  Now, the whining and crying and moaning of my four yr old on his bike?  That I could have done without.  I'm thinking that walking time can be "me" time... take an ipod, do some deep thinking... I might start to like it as much as Justin likes running!

Here's a review of my weekly goals from last week.

eating/food - Stop eating by 7:00. 

I did so well with this!  I was tempted on numerous occasions to go snack at night.  My tummy even grumbled a few times.  But every time I wandered into the kitchen I'd get myself a tall glass of water or a short glass of milk.  That's it.  And it helped!  Bonus?  I drank more water than normal!  Woo-hoo!  I also feel like I was eating more reasonable portions.

exercise/activity - Exercise a bare minimum of 20 minutes every single day. 

Ok, well, I've mentioned already - I sucked at this.  I DID go for a bike ride once.  I jump roped for a while on Wednesday, but it was FRIGID and I wanted inside.  I went for a loooong walk with the kids (whining, fussing, crying and all) on Thursday.  Tonight I ran on the elliptical for half an hour.  I almost died, but I ran on the elliptical for an hour.  So, I did 3 out of 7 days (I'm not really counting the jump rope).  Not awesome.  Better than before, though.

So.  For this week, I've decided to keep working on these same goals (to really make them stick) and I'm adding another to my eating/food category.  This week's goals look like this:

eating/food: No snacking after 7.  AND, no sweets (except for dessert tomorrow night.  Hey, it's my mom's birthday dinner!)  I have a serious weakness for baked goods of all kinds - but especially donuts, cake and muffins.  After I drop the older kids at preschool, I often take my daughter to the nearby gas station to get two donuts for us.  First of all, what a horrible food example I'm setting!  Second of all, I just have to knock it off.  So that's the catalyst for this goal.

exercise: Gosh darn it - exercise at least 20 minutes every single day.  Yeah.

10 Miles

Justin's post
I've mentioned before that I'm working up to running a half marathon in the near future.  The date of the race is April 22, which is week from tomorrow.  Today was an important step toward that goal since I hadn't had many long distance training runs lately.  I decided that if I could run 10 miles without incident today that I would be in good shape to run 13.1 miles in a week and would go ahead and sign up.  I'm happy to say that I ran 10 miles and it went well for the most part.


When you run long distances you need to replenish your fluids, electrolytes, and calories or you'll have problems.  I usually draw the line at over 8 miles and wear a Nathan brand hydration belt.  The down side to wearing a belt is that they can be heavy when full of fluids, and they can jiggle and chafe.  My belt is pretty good, but is susceptible to these problems.  So when I saw that the weather was supposed to be in the 50's and breezy I decided to risk it today.  Unfortunately it turned out to be a lot warmer than I expected and I realized I was really thirsty when I had about 2 miles to go.  I made it back fine, but I won't make the same mistake again!  The lousy part is that I have been insanely thirsty the whole day.  I keep drinking but it doesn't seem like I can get enough.


What I was proud of today
Running 10 miles... or had I already mentioned that?


What I wasn't proud of today
I'll admit that I forgot to exercise yesterday


Track of the day
Secrets - OneRepublic

Church Ball

Justin's post
I really mean to post every day, but stuff happens, I get busy, or plain forget.  Yesterday instead of the normal exercise routine I played basketball with a bunch of guys from my church.  Its play basketball with them occasionally and its great exercise.  Today I ran 5 miles following my normal route.  The weather was so good I couldn't have asked for better conditions.


Playing church ball is quite the experience.  We are far from professional and tend to get fairly aggressive--to the point where the game is closer to a fame of tackle football.  I'm not vertically gifted, so when playing basketball I compensate by hustling to beat the others to the other side of the court and by playing scrappy and aggressive on defense.  So I usually end up running for a solid hour or more when we get together and I leave exhausted and drenched in sweat.  It feels great--I'm a real "natural high" type of guy if you haven't noticed.


What I was proud of today
There is a delicate balance between cutting calories and exercising aggressively.  If you do too much of either you'll run yourself into the ground.  I think I've struck a good balance between the two lately.  That said, I've probably been a little low on the calories as I haven't felt quite as energetic as I could have.


What I wasn't proud of today
I actually can't think of anything at the moment...


Track of the day
The Show Goes On - Lupe Fiasco

Running Gear (and too much food)

Justin's Post
I'm happy to say that so far I am still sticking with my exercise routine.  Yesterday I did sit-ups and pushups and today I went for a 5 mile run.  As I've mentioned before, I really enjoy running because of the peace, quiet, and especially because of the time it gives me to just think, reflect, enjoy music, etc.  As I was running today I was thinking about when I started running and what I wish I had known.  So here is a little guide on how to get started running and the basic gear I'd recommend.


The first thing to realize is that you're not going to be able to run long distances right away.  Start small by jogging around the block (or walking) and build up from there.


Plan for your run.  Don't eat a big meal ahead of time and give yourself time for stretching.  Plan your route by going to google maps (or a similar site).  Try to avoid busy streets and try to run through neighborhoods or parks to make the run peaceful and scenic if possible.


Your running gear is important.  For a long time when I started running I suffered from blisters and random aches and pains unnecessarily.  This is a basic list of gear that I'd recommend for starting out.  There is a lot more stuff you should look into if you wanted to start running longer distances (8+ miles), but this is a good list for starting out.

• Running socks.  I cannot stress how important good socks are because bad socks will chafe and give you blisters.  I recommend Nike Dri-fit socks, but whatever brand you buy make sure they're primarily made of a synthetic fiber like nylon or polyester.  Cotton is bad.
• Running shoes.  Your shoes are as important as socks, but expect to pay at least $100 for a good pair.  (If you're like me, that represents a significant investment.  So if you can't afford good shoes at least make sure you have good socks.)  When you buy your shoes make sure you go to a store that specializes in running shoes.  They'll have staff members specially trained to look at your feet, see how you walk/run and find the right shoes for your.  For years I just bought shoes at a regular shoe store, but when I finally went to a specialty running store I was paired with the most comfortable running shoes I could have imagined.  I use Mizuno brand shoes, but there are tons of brands that make good running shoes like New Balance, Brooks, Nike, Asics, etc.
• Underpants.  As with the socks you want to avoid cotton and go with a synthetic fiber to minimize chafing.  Right now I'm using Champion C9 underpants.  At 57% they have more cotton that I'd like, but they've worked okay so far.
• (Sports bra) I have absolutely no experience here, but I've heard its super important for women to have the right sports bra.
• iPod.  Obviously this is optional, but having some quality time alone with my music is one of my favorite things about running.  It definitely ups the enjoyment.
• Shorts with pockets.  I have to have pockets in my running shorts as a place for my iPod.  There are iPod carriers that strap to your arm, but I definitely prefer pockets.  I didn't find the strap-on carrier to be very convenient because I couldn't operate the iPod through the cover and would have to take it out to do anything.  I also like having pockets to carry other gear I might need like gloves or a hat when its cold (I often start with then and take them off when I warm up) or snacks for really long runs. 

What I was proud of today

Not eating the free donuts that someone brought into work today

What I wasn't proud of today

Taking a second helping of dinner tonight despite not being hungry.  How dumb is that?

Track of the day

The Devil - Benton Paul

***

I've decided that I'm not allowed to make the peanut butter filled chocolate cupcakes anymore.  I made them Saturday to take to church and hand out to my choir members (I'm the choir director) to thank them for their hard work leading up to our Easter Sunday performance.  And then I promptly forgot to take them to church.  Which meant I had 24 (very cutely wrapped up with clear cellophane and baker's twine) cupcakes on my counter when I returned from church.  I passed a few off at Easter dinner, thank goodness, but too many remained in my kitchen.  Over the past few days I've finished off a few, making poor decisions like "well, this will be my breakfast" or "well, this will be my lunch."  I will be glad when they are finally gone.
This leads my directly into my discussion of food.  This week my goals were to exercise daily and stop eating by 7 PM - since I am a notorious snacker (especially while crafting, blogging or watching TV, which is pretty much what I do after the kids go to bed).  I'll touch on the exercise thing later, but as for food... well, the problem is, I like it.  Food was never really an issue for me when I was younger.  I ate what my parents fed me, no more.  When I got into college, I rarely had time to eat.  Grab and apple on the go, right?  Since I got married, I had money, time and someone else to cook for so food became a little more important.  After moving closer to my family I decided I needed to learn how to cook, officially.  And therein lies the real problem.  On my other blog, you can read all about my forays into food, but to sum up, I decided I really, really love food.  I love cooking.  I love baking.  I love complicated dishes.  I love easy dishes.  The more delicious the better.  It doesn't matter what the ingredients are or how bad it is for you.  If it is yummy, I want to make it.  I want to wow people.  There's nothing better than Justin's praise after a successful new recipe attempt.
And so, I made things like this.  And this.  And this.  And we packed on the pounds.  And now I have to somehow make myself like whole grains.  Butter substitute.  Not frying things.  Less cheese.  How do I make myself like less cheese?  I'm from Wisconsin!
I am happy to report that I have not been snacking unnecessarily this week, so far.  I have not eaten after 7, I have stuck to normal meal times, and I have been drinking more water.  Also, for our "Yummy Monday" this week we had a pretty healthy dinner - New England boiled dinner, to be exact.  Cabbage, carrots, potatoes, and venison ring bologna all boiled and seasoned.  I resisted the urge to get out the sour cream for the potatoes - yea! - and for dessert we all stuck to just ONE cupcake.  That's willpower.  
Anyway, all of this is great.  However, I know I have such a long, long way to go.  And first off, we have GOT to get rid of all these Easter treats all over.  One slip of the hand and you've got a fun-sized twix in your mouth and there goes the no snacking thing...
Anyway, I've been less than stellar about exercising everyday, but I did break out the jump rope today.  It was pretty fun, brought back memories of my youth and I was pleased to find that I hadn't lost the touch - unlike Justin who apparently never learned to jump rope... 
The major problem is that it is suddenly frigid and windy and I have noooo desire to do anything but hibernate, let alone go out for a bike ride.  I'm going to have to bite the bullet and force myself though, or next week's weigh-in will be pitiful, too.

Weekly Weigh-In ONE

Drum roll...

and today's magic numbers are:

Kimberly:

191.2

Justin:

199.2

A reminder of what we're going for:

Our Goals in Numbers

Kimberly:

Optimum BMI - 19-25

Optimum Weight - 135

Justin:

Optimum BMI - 20-25

Optimum Weight - 150

and where we were:

STARTING  Numbers (4/1/2012)

Kimberly:

BMI - 32.7

Weight - 190.2

Justin:

BMI - 31.4

Weight - 200.0

Well, as is abundantly obvious, I gained one pound this week.  To be honest, I'm shocked I did not gain more, what with the Grand Luxe and all.  (Darn you, you delicious and delectably EVIL French Beignets!)  So I have some work to do.  No, no.  I have A LOT of work to do.  It's enough to make me want to throw in the towel, already.  And it was just a pound.  Justin has done a really good job of setting some attainable mini-goals and giving himself a schedule - something I didn't really do yet and probably wouldn't have stuck to anyway while I was gone.  So here it is.  I think each week I will focus on two different habits to either break or begin - one eating/food related and one exercise/activity related.  If I need more time to perfect the habit and make the change stick, I'll leave it on for another week.  I want to make changes that are permanent, so I won't have to do this again in three years, so I think I really need to concentrate on CHANGE. (Which, if you know anything about me, you will know will NOT be easy).  You'll be seeing a lot of baby steps here.

This weeks goals:

eating/food - Stop eating by 7:00.  Here's yet another confession: I snack at night.  Usually I'll grab something before I head up for the night or munch while I am crafting or sewing in the evening.  And that's got to stop.  This week, no food after dinner.  I'm cutting myself off.

exercise/activity - Exercise (yes, that says EXERCISE) bare minimum of 20 minutes every single day.  That will include walking, elliptical, and biking.  Gosh darn it.

Wish me luck.

As you can see I almost lost a whole pound.  I would be a lot more excited about that except I know I could have done better.  Last night I wrote about how I knew I would be challenged by Easter dinner and sure enough I ate way more than I should have.  At least I stuck to my exercise routine and used the elliptical for 30 minutes tonight.

When we first started talking about having a competition, monetary reward, blog, etc there were two different reward scenarios that we discussed.  One option was to see who lost more weight and the winner alone gets the prize.  The other option was to have a target amount to lose and whoever meets the target gets the prize whether thats both of us or none of us.  We decided to go with the second option and set the target at 5 pounds per month.  At that rate we need to about 1.4 per week on average.  Obviously I didn't hit that amount this week, but I figure this first week is all about building momentum.  Once I'm in the groove I think I'll be able to make some real progress.  Long term the biggest obstacle on the horizon is when I travel for work because the food and exercise options aren't always great.

What I was proud of today

I was really proud of my first week in general.  I laid a decent foundation for the near future with an exercise schedule and I lost some weight in the first week of executing that plan.

What I wasn't proud of today

Easter dinner.  I hate to admit it, but I gave myself a generous first portion, helped myself to seconds, took a bunch of the food my kids wouldn't eat, and then had two desserts.  This is exactly what I need to fix.

Track of the day

Long Road to Ruin - Foo Fighters