HATING on Fit Working Parents?

Initially my first post back was supposed to be about my adventures at AIT, but this is a topic that really struck home with me.

Many people struggle with their weight. Around New Year's Eve each year people usually tell themselves that they'll start eating better and exercising. They usually take the wrong approach, expect overnight results, lose all hope....and eventually quit. They make excuses, return to their sedentary lifestyles and continue to make poor decisions about food consumption.

I struggled with my weight. I've tried numerous diets and workout plans, and expected immediate results. I was just like everyone else. But one day it hit me. I wasn't getting any younger, and enough was enough! I got on the health train and never stepped off. Of course it's hard. It requires hard work and dedication. But that is what I find so admirable about those who get on board this train.

I write this because of the hateful remarks people are saying about Maria Kang. 

She is just an average working mom, who just happens to take her health and fitness very serious. But what is so wrong with that? Everyone should take their health and fitness seriously. Without it, you will eventually become useless. Sure, it's a harsh thing to say, but we all know it's true. When your health is poor, it not only affects you...but your family as well. It can take quite an emotional and financial toll on you and your family. With just 30-60 minutes a day, you can help prevent that. And THAT in itself is worth it.

image via SFexaminer.com

I'm a working mom. Heck, I wear quite a few different hats, but my main full time job is in software. I get up around 5am and workout for about 30-60 minutes, 5-6 days a week. I also cook breakfast for me and my son EVERY morning. Then I take him to school and battle an hour long commute with traffic. Several days a week, I use my lunch break and work on our family business. I commute back home in the traffic once again and pick up my son from my mom's. Upon arriving home, I cook dinner and help out with homework. I clean, prepare meals for the next day...and again, work on the family business. And if my husband is home from the shop, then I spend time with him. It's a vicious cycle, but I make time for my health.

Maria is helping to bring health awareness to anyone who will will listen. Obesity is such a norm in our society, it is scary. NEWSFLASH: Kids are overweight. I've never seen so many "husky" sized pants in the boy section, until a few years ago. That size didn't exist when I was growing up. But again, it's the norm and most don't think there is anything wrong with this. Maria's posts on her blog and facebook page are made to inspire, but people LOVE to twist things around. And in turn, say rude things. 

Check out her blog and facebook page. You be the judge.
And if it's not for you, then carry on.

What's your excuse? - Maria Kang

Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

If you go to any blog, or read healthy and fitness articles, they all have something in common…get at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night. It is true that sleep is required and beneficial to your overall health goal.

Your body repairs itself when you get ample rest, your muscles grow, and it aids in weight loss. 

                 Don’t believe me?  Do a simple google search.

But like many others, and probably yourself as well, I lack sleep. I used to go to bed at 10:30pm and wake up at 5:30 in the morning. I got a good 7 hours of sleep and I did feel good when I woke up. But life happens. You see, my husband’s a machinist, and has been one for about 20years. He’s done projects for others during his free time. He then decided to start his own machining business. Of course it’s a family affair, so I do my share as well. 

This keeps me up late at night. For me, the only time I can work on it is during those odd hours when everyone else is asleep. There isn’t much time, so when I really get into it, I end up staying up pretty late. That of course is not what we want. Not to mention the increase in cortisol levels which in turn does not help with weight loss.
 
I average between 4-5 hours of sleep per night. That obviously is not enough. But now that I’ve grown accustomed to this schedule, it really is hard to return to getting 7 hours of sleep a night. Recently I’m starting to feel more established with our online presence, the shop is busy with lots of orders, and I feel it’s time to back off from working on the business a few days a week. It's time for me to get some good sleep in. It’s not the perfect schedule, but it is much better than it was.


How much sleep do you get each night?
If you’re running a business, does it throw off your sleep schedule as well?

Did I Just Have a Cheat Meal?

What is a cheat meal anyway?
A cheat meal is commonly known as a single meal that does not line up with your normal healthy diet.

BUT....this could mean different things to a lot of people. 
-Some may have a moderate sized cheat such as a burger and fries, or a few slices of pizza, or a single bowl of pasta or chow mein.

-Some do it big and hit the Chinese buffet which results in a ginormous and long winded helping of countless calories.

-And some just do it to simply satisfy a craving for that one thing whether it's a Snickers bar or a cone of ice cream.


Is a cheat meal required?
Most of the articles I have read, state that a high percentage are all for cheat meals. 
A single cheat meal once a week could aid in weight loss by "shocking" your metabolism. Giving you a little insulin spike so your weight loss does not plateau.

Mark Sisson also mentions that it may be required to regulate leptin levels.

Reading numerous articles during my research, I've only found a couple of sources that are against it.

1) If you have quite a bit of weight to lose, then a cheat meal could hinder your progress. If done weekly, it could easily hinder your progress as those bad habits may resurface and get you off track.

2) If you're already eating good and healthy food which satisfies your taste buds, then a cheat meal is not required.

 
So what does one do?
I'm not an expert so I can only state what has worked, and what is currently working, for me.

While living a paleo lifestyle, I prepare flavorful foods for myself. For the most part, I don't often feel the need for a cheat meal. And by the time I'm ready to have a cheat meal, the craving has either diminished, or I rethink eating it and change my mind.
Honestly, my cheat meals are pretty darn healthy. Like I might go crazy on a huge bowl of fruit. (But I've noticed that too much fruit actually gives me a headache due to the large amount of sugar consumed in a single sitting.)
Or I might have a plate of Chinese food. But even so, I am so used to eating a lot of veggies that I still load up on a ton of veggies during that cheat.

Here's an example of a cheat meal I had this past Saturday.

Trader Joe's sells these frozen breaded chunks of chicken.
I had 2 of those, covered in spaghetti sauce and a large helping of string beans and asparagus sauteed in coconut oil.

I have not measured my body fat composition, but I have shed quite a bit of fat and built some lean muscle. I personally feel like I still have a ways to go, mainly in my mid section.

YEP, you got it, the dreaded abs. Even my love handles have reduced in size, but they are still noticeable. Just keepin' it real here.

There are many different programs out there and you really just have to find out what works best for your body and lifestyle. Eating bland food all the time is a sure fire way to go hog wild on a cheat meal.


How do cheat meals work for you?
What diet/healthy eating lifestyle are you most happy with ?

I Miss Stairs

Earlier this month I went to Nashville, TN for my cousin's wedding. He and his bride opened up their beautiful home to a bunch of us. It was really a nice home. One that would you see in a Better Homes and Garden magazine. It was a 2-story home, so yep...there were stairs. YESSSSSS!!!!!!

Our previous home was a 2-story home and the stairs never bothered me. I always ran up the stairs. Not sure why. It was fun for some reason, and it secretly assisted in providing a tiny dose of activity during the day. We now live in a single story home. I've noticed that my cats are not as active since we no longer have stairs in the house. They are both big cats to start with, so they could use all of the activity they could.
 

I didn't really realize it until I stayed at my cousin's home, how much I missed having stairs. Again, I was running up the stairs just like I used to in my old house. I even did it purposely for exercise one day while playing with my son and his cousin. They were tossing socks (grenades) down the banister and I'd run down to get them. It was fun!

Fortunately the parking garage at work has 8 levels, providing 7 flights of stairs to enjoy. I use them at least once a day, on upwards to 3 times a day. I have walked up them, but that's...

 "so boring" 

...as my son would say. So you guessed it, I run up them. It provides an awesome workout. Do that twice and it provides an even better workout. Sometimes I'll even throw in some jumping jacks and lunges afterwards. Then a walk around the block once or twice provides a nice cool down.

Even at the mall or at a subway station, I would always take the stairs instead of the escalator. Those tiny changes, repeated over and over again, can help make a difference.

A set of stairs I'd love to go up are these at Graceland. But Elvis always kept the 2nd floor off limits, which is understandable.

So yep...I miss stairs. They can help you get your heart rate up, wake you up after sitting in a cube all day long, and assist in adding in more activity in your day. So the next time you dread the stairs, think of the tiny health benefit it gives you.


Do you include stair climbing in your workouts?

I Survived a Day of FUN Without Cheating

Family time is very important to me. I have a pretty big extended family. I have A LOT of cousins; 1st cousins, 2nd cousins, etc. Heck, it seems like everyone is an aunt, uncle or a cousin. But I love it.

My weekends are usually full of chores, meal prepping, and doing homework with my son. But I try to include some fun. 

    What's the purpose of life if you're not enjoying yourself?

If I do have plans to have some fun, all of chores are compressed into a single day. This past weekend, my fun day was on Sunday. Breakfast and then a birthday party. 

I know right? 

This can't turn out good.

Knowing that I might "cheat" on my diet, or consume a larger amount of calories than normal, I scheduled my early weekend run on Sunday. I hit the weights the night before, working my upper body (arms and shoulders). Got a good night's sleep and went for a 2 mile run at 6am.

By 8:40am I was parking in front of Chop Bar in Oakland. They don't open until 9am, so my son and I decided to go for a walk and explore. Doing that is much more appealing than just sitting in the car and waiting. Plus, I got to take a view awesome shots of the architecture.

Knowing that we were going to come here for breakfast, I checked out the restaurant on yelp. Yes, I use yelp often. I found a brunch menu in their photo section and had an idea of what I was going to order. In order to stay on track with your health and weight loss goals, this is a really good way to assist you.

I ended up ordering the pork belly with cheese and onion frittata. It sounded delish and it looked good too.
 
Instead of the fries I asked for fruit. I had about 3 blueberries. My son and grandma ate the rest of my fruit. The bread looked good, but I easily avoided it and offered it to someone else. And I had 1.5 cups of coffee with a splash of milk.

I was full, but not completely stuffed and I enjoyed my meal. Not to mention the awesome conversations we were all having.

Afterwards, we all walked over to the Jack London Square. To get across the train tracks, there was an elevator and stairs at each end.

 

Can you guess which route I took?
Yes, the stairs.
 
We enjoyed the view and each others' company before parting, and then walked back to our vehicles. That get together was done and I don't feel guilty about my meal choice, and happy that I got to include even more physical activity in my day.

Now it was time for the birthday party...
This is where most people fail.
I feel like I started my day off on the right foot, so I continued to stay positive that I would continue to make healthy decisions for the remainder of the day. It was a child's birthday party at a park. They BBQ'd which was a total score for me.

I had a garlic sausage with some mustard, 2 bowls of chili, a water and a small cup of coffee with half and half. I really didn't sit much, I stood the whole time while conversing with relatives and other guests.

My son got to play with his cousin, so they were running around like crazy, which is awesome. Instead of a birthday cake, my cousin made some appetizing cupcakes. Aren't they cute?

     
I was quite satisfied with all I had just consumed that I really didn't feel a need to cheat with a cupcake. And surprisingly, my son didn't want one either. He opted for watermelon, and then some marshmallows. I am pretty strict with his diet, and he was burning a crazy amount of calories by running around....I let him have the sugar.

So that was my family fun filled day of eating out.
Just goes to show you that even though you go out, you can still plan it in a way where you don't drift from your diet. If you think about it, there are things you can do to help you stay on track.




How are you when it comes to family gatherings?
Do you find it difficult to stay on track?
What tips or tricks do you use?

Book Review: Paleo Fitness by Darryl Edwards

I enjoy reading. I often read articles regarding fitness and healthy recipes from pages I follow on Facebook. Unfortunately I don’t have enough time to read books, which really needs to change. But thanks to Darryl Edwards, the Fitness Explorer, I read a book! His book, Paleo Fitness.

I’ve been following Darryl‘s posts and blog for a while now. I love his approach to nutrition and fitness. Basically…keep it simple. 

Eat REAL food and PLAY outside. 

He takes a lot of the info from his blog, along with other research on Paleo and functional fitness, and combines all that together in his book.

He reminds us of what humans used to eat and how physical we used to be. And that we really haven’t evolved as much as we thought we did, which is a good thing. He stresses how we should return to the way it used to be because that is what is good for our bodies, and it is also what our bodies crave. We were designed to eat real food and move a lot, instead of eating prepackaged convenience “foods” and sitting most of the day.

image from 365daysofselfcare.com

His book provides info on the history of our ancestors, and studies performed by experts, to help show the importance of eating real food and moving as much as possible. By embracing this, we can help rid ourselves of obesity and many other ailments. We really do become what we eat.

Also in his book, he provides a meal plan, several recipes, and demonstrates a range of functional body weight exercises. YES! You can do all of this at home, or at the park. No, you don’t need a gym membership. That is the beauty of these movements. They are simple, yet very effective.

This book is definitely a good read. It typically takes me a while to read a book from cover to cover, but since this book contained something I am very interested in, I was able to finish it in no time.

Have you read the book?
What are your thoughts on it?

How I Safely Lost 30 Pounds in 3 Months

When I first went to meet with a recruiter, I knew I was overweight. But I had already been running for well over a year, as I have completed the Couch to 5k program and have completed two 5k’s. I figured I had a chance, but I received QUITE an awakening.

I didn’t own a scale. I haven’t owned one for a while. I don’t judge my weight loss by pounds, but by how my clothes fit. I met my recruiter at CampParks to get weighed. That was scary. I got weighed and taped (where they measure your body fat). I failed both tests miserably. It was depressing to hear the facts. But you can’t argue with facts. I wanted to cry, but I didn’t want them to see it.

I could have quit right then and there, and I really did consider it. To lose about 25 pounds (safely) in such a short amount of time was going to take a lot. It was February of 2012 and I had to enlist before my 35^th birthday in early June. That was less than 4 months. A lot of determination, a lot of scheduling around my already busy life – it was going to take a lot of WORK. I wasn’t sure if I was up for the challenge, but I also didn’t want to live with regret. I decided to go for it.

I started out with the Atkins diet once again. It had worked several times before. But then I learned about the Paleo diet. That made more sense to me. Similar to the Atkins diet in the sense that it is low/no carb. But with the Paleo diet, you eat REAL food. You don’t eat processed Atkins boxed snacks. Don’t get me wrong. On the Atkins diet you do eat real food. But, you also have an option to eat processed boxed foods under the Atkins label.

I felt it was easier because we sort of already ate that way at home. I just had to remove the carbs; wheat bread, brown rice, etc. And for a while, I removed fruit due to its (although good) sugar content. I ate eggs every morning, and I pretty much still do. The rest of my meals consisted of a protein and veggies, lots of water and green tea.

I found a Paleo hack for coffee at Starbucks. Til this day, my favorite drink is a tall Americano with a splash of heavy whipping cream. It does not contain any sugar, but it does contain fat, which is OK on the Paleo diet. If I went to a store that I didn’t frequent, I would have to watch and make sure that they were adding heavy whipping cream instead of a large amount of whipped cream.

(image from www.hyphenet.com)

 

I switched from peanut butter to almond butter. I removed carbs completely. I drank a lot of water and green tea. I did not drink any juice due to its sugar content. I tried my best to adhere to the strict rules of the diet. And honestly…..I felt GREAT! I was slimming down, my complexion was clearer than it’s been in a long time, and I just felt awesome.

Although many just stay true to the diet, I wanted to help speed up the process. I needed to. I was on a time crunch. And I also needed to increase my endurance and perform the exercises they perform in the Army. The Army has an APFT; Army Physical Fitness Test. This is based on your gender and age group. In BCT, the requirement to pass is 50%. For AIT, the requirement is 60%. I worked my butt off to make sure that when I left for BCT, I could pass the APFT with a 60% score.

(image from armyrotc.smugmug.com)

 

I ran a lot. And I mean A LOT. At the time, I was able to run outdoors more often, so I ran outdoors 3days/wk. This helped a lot because I ran on pavement, dirt, gravel, on level ground and hills. It was getting warmer as the days went by. Knowing that I was going to ship out somewhere humid, I also wore a hoodie during my runs. Yeah, that added weight, as well as bumped up the sweat factor by a bunch. But it was working. I was getting stronger, running faster (for me at least) and losing weight. At times I could not believe this was really happening.

I also dropped weights altogether. No dumbbells, no machines. I just used my body weight while exercising. I was doing planks, push-ups, sit-ups, a couple hundred jumping jacks, squats, lunges and I’d throw in some mountain climbers every so often. I would perform some sort of workout at least twice a day. Sometimes I’d add in another workout just for the heck of it. If I had any free time, I was doing push-ups or jumping jacks; something. I’d often sneak into a quiet room at work and pop out about 30 push-ups. I made myself do 100push-ups every day. And it paid off BIG time in BCT!

(image from cielitolindoranch.org )

 

For me, there was no secret pill or shake. No false cream that melts fat away. No timing when to eat meals. My weight loss was based on good ol' fashion clean eating and exercise.. which is what we are supposed to be doing in the first place.

I Can't Believe I Forgot

As far as I can remember, my mom would always tell me to stand up straight. I am not sure what causes bad posture.

Why am I sloucher?

Am I not confident?

I'm not really sure. But since I've been slouching for a good portion of my life, I find myself doing it involuntary. Sitting up straight is more of a task.

Well I am trying to work straightening on my posture. I want to have a strong back and I was working on it by doing planks. Well until I got into a funk. Several months ago I experienced pretty bad back pain. I even had to stay home from work one day. From then on, I told myself that I would take care of my back. This is one reason I need to get out of this funk.

I ran a mile last weekend. It was the first time I ran in almost 2 months. It was a short run, but surprisingly my time wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I started with my usual short walk and then ran. But my calves still got pretty tight. During the next 2 days I had quite a knot in my calves, especially the left one. It was tough to get out of bed and walk in the morning.

Ouch! I was walking like I had a stick up my butt.

I was constantly massaging my legs. I never thought I'd be one of those people who would keep starting over when it came to running. I am quite disappointed in myself. Another reason for me to get out of this funk.

I weighed myself the other day. What the heck ya know? The weight really didn't change, but my body is starting to lose the tone I was so beginning to enjoy. My biceps were starting to come out of hiding, I was forming visible hamstring muscles, and my midsection began to shrink so I can fit into jeans I haven't worn in a while. But ever since I got into this funk, clothes haven't fit the same and I just don't feel good about myself.

Come on Mel, get out of this funk!

And then it came to be. A good dear friend was in a car accident recently. The result definitely could have been much worse. But she left the scene ALIVE, and with 2 broken ribs. I went to visit her to see how she was doing. The pain is absolutely horrible, and they say it's going to take about 4 to 6 weeks to heal. During this time she cannot perform many functions without pain. Even laughter hurts.

But now that I think about it, it probably wasn't the best idea to go visit her. We always make each other laugh.

All of these things that we take for granted; walking, sitting, reaching, running and laughing could be gone just like that. That's when I decided that I needed to get back into my routine.

I remembered they saying that getting fit is 80% nutrition and 20% exercise. Although I haven't worked out much lately, I still ate pretty well. A bit more cabrs than usual, but I still ate pretty healthy. I am so glad that my body craves good nutritious food. To help aid in getting back into my rhythem, I decided to reduce my carb instake drastically these next 2 weeks.

I ran again this weekend. Just a tiny bit longer and a tiny bit faster, but I did it. And it sure as heck felt great! I actually wanted to run again during that afternoon, but I had chores to do. I strethced a lot this time and I don't feel the pain I felt last weekend. Yay! And this morning I did squeeze in a short workout.
2 supersets of:

• planks
• squats
• bicep curls

With life's distraction it's easy to forget to workout. It's easy to forget we should take care of our bodies. It's easy to take the simple things for granted. You miss one day, then another, then another. The next thing you know, 2 months have gone by. Like many others, I need a reminder. Or just a good ol' swift kick in the glutius maximus.

If you feel that I'm slacking once again, please feel free to bust me on it.

Official 5k Results and P90X

I finally got the results of the 5k I did this past weekend. Wow, really? My official time was 42:58. I wonder why it's so off from what my runmeter app stated, which was 41:37. I started it when the volunteer said 'Go' and I started running, and I even stopped it after crossing the finish line and after I walked a bit. I actually kinda forgot to stop the app. Oh well, that's what they have for the official time, so it is what it is.

I'm taking a break from activity this week. I think I did too much too soon last week and my body has just been really tired. I figured I'd give it a rest in hopes that this would prevent me from catching another cold. Gosh, I hate being sick.

I think I'll finally check out P90X. Although for me it's going to be P180X. I can't devote 6 days a week solely to cross training. Where would running fit in? I like my current 3 days of running and 3 days of cross training. I feel well balanced with this schedule. And as I mentioned before, I've done those quick fit diets and could not keep up with them at the end. So the same applies to workouts. I don't want quick results that wither away when you stop or slow down. I want results that are manageable to maintain even after the program is done.

Well it's my lunch hour. Time for a little nap. zzzzzzz

A Rainy 5k

I totally crammed for this run. After being sick for about 2 weeks, I wanted to make sure that I'd be able to finish. It's about an hour drive my house to Oakland. I went to my friend Sherry's house, and then we both headed to Lake Merritt. A few minutes after we parked it started to rain hard.

Geez Louise!

Really?!

Come on!

We sat in her car for a bit and then the rain did lighten up just a tad. We started walking to the sailboat house, and we made it just in time. With 10 minutes to spare, we got our race bibs, and tech shirts. The other 2 races I've ran, they held the shirts for us until after the race. That way, we didn't have to hold them when we ran. But not this time. Sherry asked one of the voluneteers if she could pick up her shirt after the race, and she basically asked her if it was a risk she was willing to take. She went ahead and left the shirt there.

It continued to rain. It never really let up. Then a volunteer held a flag and announced that all 5k runners follow her. Alright! Let's get this show on the road. (so I thought) She led us out from under our shelter of a tree and into the parking lot. The rain was really coming down hard. We were all getting drenched. Our monkey shoes were pretty darn soaked before the race began.

We waited and waited for the race to start. In the mean time, we were getting even more drenched. There was one guy who wore nothing but his shoes and a pair of running shorts. Brrrr. To kill time, the volunteer was telling us that the route was marked really well. We all responded with a....

Ok, let's just start.

Can we just run now?

Great, I'm sure we'll figure it out.

Let's go!

And then we were off. (finally!) After a few minutes Sherry said that she was going to go ahead and go a little faster. I told her in an email several days before, that she should go at her own pace and not hang with me. Especially since she just ran around the lake twice 2 days prior to the race. She totally could have done the 10k.

The first mile was tough. As with any run for me, it takes a bit to get into the rhythm. Plus, I've been running on the treadmill because it has been raining outside. Adjusting to running outside isn't always easy. The rain did not help at all. My hands were cold for the first mile and they almost felt numb. It got quite slippery in a few areas. I'm surprised I didn't fall down, but slipped a tiny bit due to hopping around the puddles and mud. I couldn't tell if my nose was running or if it was just water running down my entire face. It definitely was not a pleasant time.

I had stuffed my tech shirt in my hoodie. It probably looked funny, but what else was I going to do with it? I kept adjusting it throughout the race since it felt like it was going to slip out, which it finally did before the 1 mile marker. After picking it up, I walked some. I actually walked quite a bit. It was a bit frustrating seeing that I've been running straight for 30 minutes on the treadmill and I couldn't do it during the 5k. So the rest of the run I did the run/walk thing. I would pick an object and run to it, then walk to another object, then run to another object - you get the picture.

The hard rain turned into a sprinkle after the first mile. My hands weren't as cold by that time. And the closer I got to the sailboat house, the less I was walking. I was tired and just wanted to finish. I got to a turn and heard Sherry's cheer, and then there was the last stretch. That last stretch gives me that last needed boost.

There were quite a few of us getting in at the same time. Right after crossing the finish line, I started walking. Then I remembered I needed to stop my runmeter app. By the time I stopped it, it read 41:37, so I am hoping that my official time is a few seconds faster than that. I guess we just wait and see. Funny thing is that that's my official time from last year's Oktobrewfest in Davis.

Sherry finished in 27 minutes! My time was the usual 'right under 42 minutes' . I am actually surprised due to all the walking I did. But hey, I ran it. I didn't bail out due to the rain, and I finished it.

Are races for me? I don't know. I don't seem to do well in them. I am consistent with my time, but I don't seem to be progressing. So that's three 5k's under my belt now. I think for now, I'll just continue to run and increase my distance, or duration of my runs. Maybe I'll run another 5k when I hit the 4 mile distance during my training.

But this week's training wasn't bad at all. Ran 5 days and covered 9.68 miles according to my dailymile log. That's probably the most I've ever ran in a week. Hey, don't laugh. That's a lot for me. Ok, go ahead and chuckle.
Just as long as I'm running, I'll continue to have a smile on my face.

Crammed Training Leads To Overtraining

I was sick for about 2 weeks. I still have a lingering cough. It could not have come at a worse time. I was racking up my distance due to training for the 5k this Saturday. Then I got sick.

I had one week to train for this 5k, and after not running for 13 days I was wondering how to approach this. Initially I was just going to run on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Every other day should be ok right? Well I decided to keep going after Tuesday's run because I was disappointed in the lack of distance I covered. I ran again on Wednesday, and then again yesterday. I was happy knowning that I was increasing distance with each run.

Sunday - 1.2 miles outside run (bleh)
Tuesday - 1.8 miles, 2.5 incline treadmill run
Wednesday - 2.2 miles, no incline treadmill run which seemed to help
Thursday - 2.5 miles, no incline treadmill run

I covered 7.7 miles total this week.

I covered 6.5 miles in 3 days back to back!

I usually only cover 6 miles per week, so I definitely pushed myself. By the time I got to work yesterday, I really felt it. I was SO tired. I even had a headache for a good portion of the day. It got so bad that I finally took something for it, and I never take anything.

I decided not to run this morning. I need to let my body rest. It was definitely trying to tell me something yesterday. And I got a blister on each foot due to running on the treadmill. I tried to avoid it by around in different spots, but there's only so much space to run on. I went to bed early last night and slept in this morning. I am still a bit tired and wished I could have slept in more. I'll head to bed early again tonight so I am rested for tomorrow's 5k.

Have you crammed for a race like I did?
How did that work out for you?

Being Sick Halts Training

A week and a half ago my hands were super cold at work. By the time I got home, I had the chills really bad. It was Wednesday night and I ended up staying home from work the next 2 days. I hate missing work because I don't have that much time off accumulated. By that Saturday I felt much better, but come Sunday I felt icky again. I dragged my butt into work on Monday and was coughing like crazy.

Come Thursday my stomach was in knots and I had no idea what I should be eating. I felt somewhat nauseated and tired. Needless to say, I slept at my desk during lunch. I wanted to sleep the rest of the day away, but I had to work. I still felt pretty bad Friday morning and I stayed home once again. I have now taken 3 days off of work, AND had not run in over a week. This cold/flu has really put a halt on my training.

I took it slow on Saturday. I was still coughing, but was starting to feel better. I woke up faily early on Sunday morning and decided I was well enough to go for a run. I kinda forced myself because I have a 5k to run the following weekend, and I really needed to get moving again. I stayed in my subdivision as it was supposed to rain sometime during the day. I thought for sure that I at least hit the 2 mile mark by the time I was done, because it sure felt like it. I coughed some and my nose was runny as well. By the time I stopped, I was sad to see that I only ran 1.19 miles. Are you serious???? It was quite a disappointment.

It is now Monday and I have 4 more days before my 5k on Saturday. I am going to run with a friend, but I told her that I was SO not ready. And mind you, she's been averaging 20 miles a week on trails! So it doesn't look like we'll be running together for long.

Ok, so I have 4 days left.

What's the plan?

Well it's supposed to be raining this week, so that means no running outside for me. I don't need to get sick again and I'd rather not injure myself by slipping on the slippery ground. So that means I need to hop on the treadmill tomorrow and Thursday.

For some reason I cannot run further than 1.2 miles on the treadmill. Although I stream a movie on youtube or Netflix, it doesn't seem to make a difference. I even cover up the time on the treadmill display with my iPhone so I have no idea how long I've been running. But all I can do now is just force myself to keep going. I think this is the only way I've have any chance of finishing the run on Saturday.

Wish me luck!

Healthy Grocery Shopping

I enjoy food. I REALLY enjoy food. Food is yummie in my tummy. But when I started to eat clean, I started to really enjoy healthier food. I always ate healthy food, but not enough of it. It was often a struggle on how to incorporate it into my diet. But now, if I don't eat enough fruits and veggies, then my body gets upset with me.

yes, I do buy a lot of fruit

I go grocery shopping once a week. Usually during the weekends. Prior to heading to the store, I make a list of items we ran out of. Then I plan our meals for the week. Just one week, until the next shopping trip. 

Why only shop once a week?
1) It is easier to budget.
2) It's enough time to eat the food before they spoil.
3) I try to avoid preprocessed food, and enjoy eating fresh produce.
4) It makes meal planning simple.

Where do you shop?
I live within walking distance to Safeway. But I drive about 8 miles, one way, to Trader Joe's. I feel that it's worth the trip. Don't get me wrong, Safeway is great and I still shop there at times. I often go there to purchase items at the deli. Usually deli meat and cheese.

But I buy everything else at Trader Joe's. I like their selection of produce. I love their organic orange juice and milk. I was quite shocked the last time I went to Safeway and searched for organic chicken. Trader Joe's was definitely more affordable. About 85% to 90% of my purchases are organic. And I like the fact that most of their packaged foods don't contain HFCS (high fructose corn syrup), nor do the ingredients read a mile long of stuff I can't even pronounce.

Why organic?
Why not? Ever since my son was born, I decided I would feed him what I thought was best. I never fed him jarred food from the store. I made his baby food. I feel that that act of love has done him well. He is a very healthy young boy, and he's quite smart. I'm sold.

Being surrounded by those battling cancer also helped me with this decision. A relative on my father's side passed from it. My first degree cousin from my mother's side passed from it. And my aunt, my mother's sister, is a 10 year breast cancer survivor. Cancer on both sides of my family doesn't quite put me at ease, so I am controlling what I can to try and avoid it.

What is your typical shopping list?
Fruits, Veggies, Sides and Snacks (90% organic)

• brocolli and/or cauliflower
• sweet potato
• bananas
• baby spinach or romaine lettuce
• kiwi
• apples and/or pears
• dried fruit
• dried seaweed
• onions
• garlic
• protein bar

Dairy and Drinks (99% organic)

• 1% or 2% milk
• orange juice
• grapefruit juice (for the hubby)
• eggs
• green tea bag

Frozen or Chilled (70% organic)

• Cod filets
• potstickers/teriyaki chicken/orange chicken
• berries
• chicken
• meat

Everything else

• Multigrain bread
• Ground flax seed (once a month)
• Toilet tissue
• Multivitamin (once a month)
• Vitamin D3 (every few months)
• Laundry detergent
• Dishwashing soap

So these are pretty much my staples and I work off of that. We have the occasional treat such as tarts, pizza or cookies so we don't go crazy. And we ALWAYS have dark chocolate to help with our sweet tooth.

My budget is $100 per week. Which isn't that bad considering that I buy mostly organic. Going organic won't break the bank if you do your homework.

Where do you shop?

What are your grocery shopping staples?