Day 7: Feeling It

The most peculiar thing happened to me yesterday.

I went my run. The air was crisp and sweet, the sun was starting to set casting a warm glow all along my running path. My heart was pumping, my muscles were warm and... I felt thin. My body felt efficient. It was bliss. I have never enjoyed running so much in my life.

Unfortunately the feeling was fleeting, and as I started pushing through my workout it faded. Eventually, I became winded and I went from being full of energy to feeling like I was lumbering along, huffing and puffing. Happily, my quads have forgiven me and I my run wasn't painful at all, but having a taste of what running should feel like made me realize that I still have a long way to go in my practice. But, for the first time, I feel like I'm getting there. Slowly.

When I got home, I started making dinner - which was some chicken marinaded in half teriyaki sauce / half hot sauce, wild rice and snap peas. The chicken turned out beyond amazing, I am definitely making it that way again. I seared it on both sides and then baked it in the oven at 350 for about 30 minutes. I wish I had taken a picture of the inside because it was moist and juicy and I enjoyed every single bite of my dinner.This looks like a lot more rice than there actually was (only 3/4 cup), I guess it's an iPhone optical illusion! I didn't need to eat the whole chicken breast (although I easily could have), so I saved a small piece of it for my lunch the next day... I'll get to that in a sec.

Continuing on in my oatmeal adventures, I created a masterpiece this morning:Oatmeal topped with fresh raspberries and banana, and OF COURSE a cubic buttload of cinnamon. It was AWESOME.

After breakfast, I went for a walk with a friend and our babies. I was famished when I got home, and it was perfect timing because Baby Girl went down for a nap so I was able to sit and enjoy my lunch and not rush through it (a very rare treat in Mummyland!). I chopped up the rest of last night's chicken and a stalk of celery, and mixed in some light mayo and some really good stone ground mustard. And voila! Another fantastic chicken salad.I threw the works onto a tortilla in hopes that I could create some sort of chicken salad wrap, but alas, the filling was too plentiful and I had to settle for a weirdly shaped, but very tasty taco thing instead.Those tomatoes really were as red, ripe and delicious as they look!

I am feeling really silly about yesterday's scale discouragement. I never wanted to be one of those girls who agonize over every little ounce. I realize that this is a process and it takes time. Weight loss is not a straight line from A to B, it's more like a "two steps forward, one step back" kind of thing, at least for me. But seeing that number, for better or worse, really does get under my skin.

It has been suggested that perhaps I should not weigh myself everyday and I couldn't agree more with that sentiment. Unfortunately, my iPhone calorie counting app does require that I weigh myself every day if possible, in order to provide the most accurate and up-to-date data. I think what I'm going to have to learn to do is weigh myself, record the number, and just forget about it.

I don't know what I was so discouraged about yesterday anyway. It was such silliness. Looking at the big picture, I have already lost about 4 pounds - in ONE week. That is great! Not to mentioned that I am already feeling better, and feeling fitter. I really need to stay more focused on my overall successes rather than the day-to-day numbers. Lesson learned.

Day 6: My Scale is Such a Jerk

I woke up this morning and weighed myself, only to discover that not only had I not lost anything, but I was actually up 2-tenths of a pound from yesterday. Now believe me when I say that I fully realize that 2-tenths of a pound means nothing. I know that. But I must admit that it was discouraging to see those numbers.

How is it possible that I am eating so well, exercising every day, and yet I actually gained a small amount? Am I eating too much? Too little? Is it water? Is it the fact that I demolished 10 prune plums in front of the TV last night leaving only this in my wake?

I'm trying to keep perspective about this whole scale thing and for the most part I am; it's just so easy to get hung up on those silly little numbers. *Sigh* Ah, but I digress.

Husband sweetly offered to buy me some new yoga clothes as a little gift for starting up hot yoga again. I am totally taking him up on this and I'm really excited to go shopping here on Friday. Not only is it one of my favourite stores, but they always seem to have just what I'm looking for in terms of workout clothing. I can't wait to show you all what I end up coming home with. And on SATURDAY (mark your calendars folks), I will be attending my first hot yoga class in 5 years! I am pretty darn stoked about it.

On another random note - this post is turning out to be all my random thoughts for the day - I am getting totally into oatmeal. No stranger to fellow food bloggers, oatmeal is the King of Breakfast and I'm starting to understand why. First of all, it's totally versatile and you can throw in practically anything. Second, it's cheap. Third, it's totally delicious and healthy. And fourth, it really keeps you full. Like, for HOURS! It sure keeps hunger at bay a lot better than my bowl of Special K was doing.

This is what I whipped up this morning.
Very simple, just threw in some apple pieces and stirred in lots and LOTS of cinnamon. It was great, low calorie, and oh so filling. I love looking at the photos and reading the descriptions of everyone's oatmeal breakfasts out there in the blogosphere. It gives me tons of ideas!

Tonight, after a good rest day yesterday, I'm going to attempt a run again. Wish me (or rather, wish my quads) good luck!

Day 5: Trying Something New

I think I spoke a wee bit too soon when I mentioned in yesterday's post that I am no longer sore from running. Yesterday's run turned out to be sheer torture, and not only did I NOT enjoy it (at all!), but I actually felt like I might be hurting myself. I powered through it, but when I got home my quads let me know that I really shouldn't have pushed so hard.

I had to lie on the floor all evening and stretch out. A hot shower did help, and a good sleep helped even more, but I am still going to take the day off from running today - despite my best laid plans. I am still going to exercise - I think a brisk walk for at least 30 minutes will do - but sadly, running is just going to have to wait for tomorrow so I can give my poor legs a break. They just don't understand what's got into me the last few days.

And now that the weather is turning cooler, I've decided to get back into hot yoga (Bikram yoga). I used to love it about 5 years ago and because of life changes and stuff, I quit and never went back. I am feeling the call again, and am looking forward to some nice hot workouts. The best part about hot yoga is the calorie burn. A girl my size burns about 700 calories in a 90 minute class. That is insane! I'm not sure I could burn that many calories running uphill for an hour!

I'm going to start next week after the holiday (Monday is Canadian Thanksgiving) and my dear friend L is going with me. She is really excited and it's contagious. I can't wait! I think a mix of hot yoga and running will be a great combination for me. I'd also like to try pilates, I've never done them. Maybe that's next?

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The scale hasn't really budged much in the last few days. I'm trying not to let it bother me, but I must admit that it is a bit discouraging sometimes. In the past, the first few days of losing weight were always so epic, and I feel like I'm off to a slow start. Oh well, I am feeling better already, and that's nothing to shake a stick at.

As I type this, I'm snacking on a crispy granny smith apple, and a small piece of sharp cheddar cheese. It's heaven. Wanna see? Of course you do.

Day 4: Best Breakfast Ever

I wanted something really special for breakfast this morning, something with a little more oomph than my usual bowl of Special K.

So I made a bowl of old fashioned (slow cooking) rolled oats and topped it with some fruit salad left over from last night. I sprinkled the works with a generous dusting of cinnamon and it was maybe, just maybe, the best thing I've ever eaten. Observe:
Here it is again, mid-inhalation.

Satisfaction, thy name is Oatmeal.

In other news, I have decided to up my caloric intake by 100 calories a day starting today. My body was telling me that what I was taking in over the last 3 days was just a wee bit too low. If I'm going to be successful (which I am), I know that I've got to listen to my body and remain and be open to make changes as needed. This was a change I needed. I'll try adding the extra 100 calories to the next few days and reassess again. I have a feeling it will take a few days/weeks to find the exact right balance I'm after. I certainly don't want to send my body into famine mode!

I'm proud of myself for completing THREE straight days of running. And today, when I woke up, I'm not nearly as sore as I was yesterday. If that's not progress, I don't know what is.

Gotta run, Baby Girl is asking to play with her mummy!

Day 3: Sweet Ambrosia

Isn't it funny how, when you're really really REALLY hungry, anything and everything sounds AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS? I ran some errands this morning, and had to stop at the market to get some extra veggies for dinner and some cereal for Husband. Walking through the produce section was every bit as mouthwatering as walking through a cupcake shop. I could have easily grabbed pretty much anything off the shelf and started ferociously gnawing my unwashed, raw vegetable treat like some wild animal. And I'm quite sure I would have enjoyed it every much as I would love eating a gorgeous piece of chocolate cake.

You should have seen me by the time I got to the cereal aisle. Visions of dancing Cocoa Puffs were swimming in my brain. I think my pupils even turned into little Honey Nut Cheerios.

Luckily, I did have to rush out of there because Baby Girl was getting sleepy and I needed to get her home for her nap. And the second she went down, I prepared this little light lunch for myself:

Toast topped with light herbed cream cheese, lots of sliced cucumber, cherry tomatoes and an Activia yogurt!

Things are going really well. I feel determined and remain full of conviction. But I must admit, I am looking forward to my first Cheat Day...hehe. I think I'll schedule it for some day next weekend. That will give me at least 9 great days under my belt and I have a feeling knowing that I've come that far will help me to resist going too crazy on Cheat Day. Going forward, I will get one Cheat Day a week but since I just got started on The Plan and I spent the last month having one prolonged Cheat Day, I'm going to give myself a good, solid start before the first one.

I'm actually not really worried about going overboard on Cheat Day, not that there would be anything wrong with that. While anything is allowed on Cheat Day, I truly feel like the "treat" on cheat day will be not having to write down what I've eaten and taking a day off from exercise. If I had the opportunity to pig out right now, I'd probably just have a big bowl of cereal some almond butter on toast or something. Go figure.

Day 2: Getting Into The Groove

Today was another good day.

I woke up to discover that I had already lost 2 pounds, which is great (and probably in no small part because of yesterdays starving session), but I'm not putting much of a stake in the loss. I'm only going to "officially" weigh myself once a week on the weekend so I can get an accurate picture of how the weight loss is going. It's too easy to get hung up on that little number, especially when it can change day by day and that change can be due to something as insignificant as an extra glass of water or a bowel movement.

I stayed really busy all morning which was a great distraction from eating. But when lunchtime rolled around, I was definitely ready to eat! I ended up using last night's leftover chicken - I chopped it up and mixed it with half a granny smith apple, some light mayo, and some Ingelhoffer stone ground mustard. This combo made an awesome chicken salad, which I paired with the other half of the apple.After lunch I went for a walk with my girlfriend and our babies, and it was then that I realized that I am SORE! I guess I'm starting to feel the burn from yesterday's run. But that didn't stop me from going again today. Because of my sore, stiff quads, today's run wasn't *quite* as much fun as yesterday's, but I still enjoyed it and it still felt good to get out there.

When I got home, I made a GIANT plate of stir-fried chicken breast and veggies (cauliflower, red pepper, onion, garlic, asparagus, mushroom and carrot) and actually felt full afterwards, for the first time since I started The Plan. I made rice for Husband and Baby Girl, but didn't eat any of it myself.And because of today's walk, run, and careful eating, I even had enough calories leftover to enjoy this tasty little snack with my green tea this evening, as I type this post:

Sweet!

Day 1: And So It Has Begun

My first day on The Plan went well; albeit a little confusing.

The best part of the whole day was my run. (And when I say run, note that I am following Hal Higdon's Beginning Runner's Guide so I am actually doing a combination of running, jogging and walking.) It was nothing short of exhilarating and when it was over, I actually wanted more. I can't wait to do it again tomorrow. It felt soooooo good.

I stuck to my caloric requirements all day long. I had a banana and a cup of pomegranate green tea before my run, two pieces of toast with light cream cheese and a huge plate of raw veggies for lunch, an Activia yogurt for a snack, and a crazy delicious salad with grilled chicken and quinoa for dinner. I thought about taking a picture of my dinner but it wasn't that pretty to look at and anyway I was too hungry to bother.

Which brings me to the confusing part of my day. After dinner, I found myself STARVING. Like, ready to eat cardboard starving. I checked my cool little iPhone program only to find that the exercise I logged didn't show up in my calorie allotment for the day. No wonder I was starving! So I fiddled with the program, and even emailed tech support and much to my surprise, I got a return email within a few minutes. Very impressive.

Anyway, I was able to get everything sorted out but even with the few extra calories to spare, I was (and am still) feeling very hungry. I am wondering if I may have been too ambitious in setting my weight loss goal at 6.5 pounds per month. I am going to stick it out today and see how I feel tomorrow. If I still feel this ravenous, then perhaps I will readjust my math a bit. I should also note that I am breastfeeding - not a lot, only 3-4 times a day - but that alone does demand a few extra calories. I'm not sure how many so I guess I better look that up. [Edit: Dr. Google tells me that breastfeeding burns 200-500 calories a day, but since I am only feeding 3-4 times a day, I am going to assume I am using about 100 and add that into my program starting tomorrow.]

I think it will likely take me a few days of messing around with my program, my goals and all my little bugaboos until I find the happy healthy weight loss balance I'm seeking. The most important thing, I think, is for me to stay adaptable and keep adjusting and readjusting until I get that balance just right.

But all in all, a great day. I am more inspired than ever, and it feels so good. Off to bed!