I forgot to tell you my biggest revelation of the year: Thug Kitchen. Or maybe I didn't forget and I'm repeating myself, but I just have to share it with the world (and the limited group of friends who read this blog and already know about it)...
The site is hilariously vulgar (though it can get a bit old), but do not let it phase you: the recipes are killer.
Thug Kitchen is a Tumblr page run by some thug(s) who are vegan and provide funny food memes that also contain the recipes for how to make the dishes shown. So far I've made the potato salad twice and the chickpea/brocoli burritos about three times I think. Hairy and I are minutes away from tasting the stuffed peppers now.
So if you're in need of mostly simple recipes that are effing tasty and healthy, go to http://thugkitchen.com/
Click on Archives at the bottom of the page and you'll then see a page full of small thumbnails. You can click on each one to see the funny description and find the recipe. Go effin' try it.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Friday, August 30, 2013
Runnin' on empty
Finding the perfect state to run in is a challenge for me. I can't have eaten too soon before, nor can I be hungry. I cannot be too tired or sore. I prefer not to run after work and only like weather that's not too windy, cold, grey, wet or humid... when it's humid my knees ache. And above all, if I decide to go running, I must be out the door within 20 minutes or I will inevitably change my mind.
All that has changed though, or at least a lot of that. I have found the perfect routine for me. With Hairy and I doing this 20-week training program (we're ending week 3 this week), we run four days a week: twice on workdays, and twice on the weekend. For the workday runs, we get up at 5:30 am (most of these runs are between 25-40 minutes) and on the weekends, we get up whenever we want (usually 7:30) and usually end up running around 8 - 8:30 (the Saturday run is a short one and the Sunday run, a long one). I do not eat before, I just drink a big glass of water, or two for the long runs. I am really liking this routine and the challenge/goal will be to equip myself to run in ANY weather. Yesterday Hairy thought it was raining, and before looking outside and seeing that it wasn't, I thought, f%ck it, I'm runnin'!
I am finally adjusting to going to bed earlier I think, but so far I've been drowsy in the afternoon because of that.
I am losing weight again and am thrilled. While, like I've said, I originally thought I looked pretty good physically and would not bother losing any weight for the wedding, after seeing a picture of myself, I did not like what I saw. I decided five pounds would make the difference for me, so I am trying to continue eating well during the week (I usually do, but was falling back into the habit of giving myself 'treats' all the time like back in the day). On the weekends, Hairy and I had become pretty overindulgent too, so weekends are still our more relaxed days food-wise, but maybe cutting back on the quantity/variety of junk we allow ourselves (instead of eating fatty food for meals, croissants, mochas, ice cream, chocolate, chips and more, we will maybe choose one or two of those ha!). With the running we can definitely eat more calories and I would still lose weight, but the quality of the food will really influence how we feel about running.
Earlier in the year I had gotten up to a solid 147, and then with a bit of self-control and my 'normal' exercise routine was back to 145, where I felt okay. Now I am 143. I hope to actually get to about 135-137 BECAUSE I know that between Thanksgiving/Christmas and in the winter I will gain back a few, so the total will likely be 5 pounds come wedding time. My focus is actually on running though, and the weight is a welcome side effect of that. For now I just notice it in my chest and belly, but soon I should see a difference overall. Hairy said something to me that I found interesting, something his mom has always told him supposedly, and I found it true based on my experience: weight loss goes with gravity, so from top to bottom basically. Face/neck, chest/arms, belly, hips, butt then legs. I know it's true for me anyway.
My dad has lost 10 pounds in the last two weeks. I'm sure 5 of those are actual pounds and 5 is water weight, but it's fantastic. In my dad's case it's ALL food control, and he is a super dedicated person, but if you knew his eating habits you'd understand why this is pretty difficult for him. He would rather workout 24/7 than ever have to cut back, but I am really trying not to go extreme with him so over the next year his habits actually change in a lasting way. His problem's the same as mine: he gives himself treats all the time, in his case, it's fries and cookies. I really just had to get him to not get fries more than once a week and no bigger than a small, and that's pretty extreme for him. But he has one-upped me and has had NO fries in two weeks. I remind him that those decisions really do make a difference. Every small choice make the MASSIVE undertaking that much less difficult.
Beach volleyball is almost over. I have two more games. I'm sad because I hate the schedule of court volleyball (late), the distance, and it's just not as fun. I really wanna try to run outside as long as I can so I don't have to go to the gym all winter and get completely unmotivated like I did last year. It might turn out to be a real bitch, but it's interesting at least.
All that has changed though, or at least a lot of that. I have found the perfect routine for me. With Hairy and I doing this 20-week training program (we're ending week 3 this week), we run four days a week: twice on workdays, and twice on the weekend. For the workday runs, we get up at 5:30 am (most of these runs are between 25-40 minutes) and on the weekends, we get up whenever we want (usually 7:30) and usually end up running around 8 - 8:30 (the Saturday run is a short one and the Sunday run, a long one). I do not eat before, I just drink a big glass of water, or two for the long runs. I am really liking this routine and the challenge/goal will be to equip myself to run in ANY weather. Yesterday Hairy thought it was raining, and before looking outside and seeing that it wasn't, I thought, f%ck it, I'm runnin'!
I am finally adjusting to going to bed earlier I think, but so far I've been drowsy in the afternoon because of that.
I am losing weight again and am thrilled. While, like I've said, I originally thought I looked pretty good physically and would not bother losing any weight for the wedding, after seeing a picture of myself, I did not like what I saw. I decided five pounds would make the difference for me, so I am trying to continue eating well during the week (I usually do, but was falling back into the habit of giving myself 'treats' all the time like back in the day). On the weekends, Hairy and I had become pretty overindulgent too, so weekends are still our more relaxed days food-wise, but maybe cutting back on the quantity/variety of junk we allow ourselves (instead of eating fatty food for meals, croissants, mochas, ice cream, chocolate, chips and more, we will maybe choose one or two of those ha!). With the running we can definitely eat more calories and I would still lose weight, but the quality of the food will really influence how we feel about running.
Earlier in the year I had gotten up to a solid 147, and then with a bit of self-control and my 'normal' exercise routine was back to 145, where I felt okay. Now I am 143. I hope to actually get to about 135-137 BECAUSE I know that between Thanksgiving/Christmas and in the winter I will gain back a few, so the total will likely be 5 pounds come wedding time. My focus is actually on running though, and the weight is a welcome side effect of that. For now I just notice it in my chest and belly, but soon I should see a difference overall. Hairy said something to me that I found interesting, something his mom has always told him supposedly, and I found it true based on my experience: weight loss goes with gravity, so from top to bottom basically. Face/neck, chest/arms, belly, hips, butt then legs. I know it's true for me anyway.
My dad has lost 10 pounds in the last two weeks. I'm sure 5 of those are actual pounds and 5 is water weight, but it's fantastic. In my dad's case it's ALL food control, and he is a super dedicated person, but if you knew his eating habits you'd understand why this is pretty difficult for him. He would rather workout 24/7 than ever have to cut back, but I am really trying not to go extreme with him so over the next year his habits actually change in a lasting way. His problem's the same as mine: he gives himself treats all the time, in his case, it's fries and cookies. I really just had to get him to not get fries more than once a week and no bigger than a small, and that's pretty extreme for him. But he has one-upped me and has had NO fries in two weeks. I remind him that those decisions really do make a difference. Every small choice make the MASSIVE undertaking that much less difficult.
Beach volleyball is almost over. I have two more games. I'm sad because I hate the schedule of court volleyball (late), the distance, and it's just not as fun. I really wanna try to run outside as long as I can so I don't have to go to the gym all winter and get completely unmotivated like I did last year. It might turn out to be a real bitch, but it's interesting at least.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
It ain't easy bein' cheesy.
Don't ask me what that title refers to, I just felt like using it.
Week 3 of my half-marathon training program started today. I did it. Another 25-minute morning run. The bulk of the program consists of runs from 25-45 minutes long. I'm a little nervous for when I'll get to the 14-week component, but in the 6-week component (the first part of the training), the longest runs are 55 minutes and a test 10 km at the end, but I've done 10 km many times.
As for my dad's bootcamp... he's doing really, really well thanks to and in spite of my mother. My mom basically executes most of my "demands" (buying bread with no enriched anything in it, and using sea salt/fleur de sel instead of table salt / cutting portion sizes) since she is the head of the household. However, she disagrees with me that weighing himself every day is a good idea, so I'm having a hard time knowing if he's making progress. I kindly urged my dad to ignore my mom (not to sound condescending, but why do people so easily ignore the advice of people who have succeeded and instead listen to people around them who aren't in their shoes??!!).
I believe that if you are like me (and my dad and brother have the same food issues I do), it's important to weigh every day, as long as you do not let your weight define your outlook. Weight doesn't matter, it's how you feel and also how you look, but it does provide some indication as to whether you're moving in the right direction. I encourage him to take measurements once a week and weigh every day. This gives him a weekly focus, instead of trying to maintain his willpower for months on end with the goal so far into the future it's easy to lose track... Staying focused on little, everyday goals and victories helps you develop the habit of thinking "this choice DOES matter". So you may be less inclined to eat that little snack, in my dad's case fries, and carry on fighting to get to the finish line.
No matter how good it will be for your health, there are always people resisting the change. Even though my mom is fully enabling my dad's weight loss, in some ways she is also resisting (but I can feel her giving in). She also appeared to have some difficulty dealing with me losing weight too, but after years she is acting normal around me again. It's not just her. While so many random people were impressed or inspired or at least happy with what I was doing, just as many people have commented on my eating habits, exercise, weight, etc. I don't take it personally anymore because I know this happens to a lot of people for different reasons. The real issues are that people 1) project their insecurities onto you; 2) are resistant to change, even in another person; and/or 3) do not understand YOUR situation and the effort/dedication it takes to do the work every day. But that's part of the process for the person losing the weight... learning to do things for themselves and putting their own self-perception above the opinions of others: if you can feel proud of yourself, you don't feel so bad when people bring you down.
These are all things I've said over and over but it's still true. In my case, things have changed because the people around me, and I, too, have gotten used to me as a less large person. Now I am seeing the same things happen with other people who try to get in better shape and it's obviously easier to see what's really happening.
Okay, so on another note, here are the many instructions I've given my dad to date, and he's decided his cheat days will be whenever he is invited to someone's house. Bear in mind, he exercises like crazy so I don't tell him what to do in that respect:
No pop (soft drinks)
No more cookies/scones at his pickleball games
If he buys fries, ONLY once a week and only a small
No more than a pinch of salt on his food (I recommended he use fleur de sel, which goes further with less)
Homemade salad dressings only
Smaller portion sizes
Replace salted nuts with plain nuts for snacks
Eat fruit instead of drinking juice
Drink more water
Weigh-ins once a day at same time / measurements 1xweek
Eat as many veggies as you like (apart from avocado and cut back on bananas)
Natural PB and a more natural jam
Bread with no enriched ingredients
He's lost a few pounds already and I'm pretty proud. :)
Week 3 of my half-marathon training program started today. I did it. Another 25-minute morning run. The bulk of the program consists of runs from 25-45 minutes long. I'm a little nervous for when I'll get to the 14-week component, but in the 6-week component (the first part of the training), the longest runs are 55 minutes and a test 10 km at the end, but I've done 10 km many times.
As for my dad's bootcamp... he's doing really, really well thanks to and in spite of my mother. My mom basically executes most of my "demands" (buying bread with no enriched anything in it, and using sea salt/fleur de sel instead of table salt / cutting portion sizes) since she is the head of the household. However, she disagrees with me that weighing himself every day is a good idea, so I'm having a hard time knowing if he's making progress. I kindly urged my dad to ignore my mom (not to sound condescending, but why do people so easily ignore the advice of people who have succeeded and instead listen to people around them who aren't in their shoes??!!).
I believe that if you are like me (and my dad and brother have the same food issues I do), it's important to weigh every day, as long as you do not let your weight define your outlook. Weight doesn't matter, it's how you feel and also how you look, but it does provide some indication as to whether you're moving in the right direction. I encourage him to take measurements once a week and weigh every day. This gives him a weekly focus, instead of trying to maintain his willpower for months on end with the goal so far into the future it's easy to lose track... Staying focused on little, everyday goals and victories helps you develop the habit of thinking "this choice DOES matter". So you may be less inclined to eat that little snack, in my dad's case fries, and carry on fighting to get to the finish line.
No matter how good it will be for your health, there are always people resisting the change. Even though my mom is fully enabling my dad's weight loss, in some ways she is also resisting (but I can feel her giving in). She also appeared to have some difficulty dealing with me losing weight too, but after years she is acting normal around me again. It's not just her. While so many random people were impressed or inspired or at least happy with what I was doing, just as many people have commented on my eating habits, exercise, weight, etc. I don't take it personally anymore because I know this happens to a lot of people for different reasons. The real issues are that people 1) project their insecurities onto you; 2) are resistant to change, even in another person; and/or 3) do not understand YOUR situation and the effort/dedication it takes to do the work every day. But that's part of the process for the person losing the weight... learning to do things for themselves and putting their own self-perception above the opinions of others: if you can feel proud of yourself, you don't feel so bad when people bring you down.
These are all things I've said over and over but it's still true. In my case, things have changed because the people around me, and I, too, have gotten used to me as a less large person. Now I am seeing the same things happen with other people who try to get in better shape and it's obviously easier to see what's really happening.
Okay, so on another note, here are the many instructions I've given my dad to date, and he's decided his cheat days will be whenever he is invited to someone's house. Bear in mind, he exercises like crazy so I don't tell him what to do in that respect:
No pop (soft drinks)
No more cookies/scones at his pickleball games
If he buys fries, ONLY once a week and only a small
No more than a pinch of salt on his food (I recommended he use fleur de sel, which goes further with less)
Homemade salad dressings only
Smaller portion sizes
Replace salted nuts with plain nuts for snacks
Eat fruit instead of drinking juice
Drink more water
Weigh-ins once a day at same time / measurements 1xweek
Eat as many veggies as you like (apart from avocado and cut back on bananas)
Natural PB and a more natural jam
Bread with no enriched ingredients
He's lost a few pounds already and I'm pretty proud. :)
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Yaaaaawn.
Hi! How are you?
I am feeling like I own the friggin universe right now because guess who got up at 5:30 am for a jog... I did!
Also, Hairy and I are engaged. :)
He wants to train for a half marathon, and since it's the journey and not the destination that counts, I decided to train with him. So far I'm on Day 2 of the program we chose, and he's been sick so is behind me by one training but will surely catch up and then zoom past me.
My dad and his mom want to lose weight for our wedding, and I think that's fantastic, so I decided to put my dad through my kind of bootcamp, the easy kind! Every week I call him and give him one or two things to change. This week it's no alcohol (since he hardly likes it anyway), no pop (soda for non-Ontarians out there), and no cookies at pickleball. If you don't know what pickleball is then look it up on Youtube, it's an awesome sport invented by old folks in Florida.
Gotta run, but happy to report all's well in my fitness world, and wedding planning, so far, is a blast.
I am feeling like I own the friggin universe right now because guess who got up at 5:30 am for a jog... I did!
Also, Hairy and I are engaged. :)
He wants to train for a half marathon, and since it's the journey and not the destination that counts, I decided to train with him. So far I'm on Day 2 of the program we chose, and he's been sick so is behind me by one training but will surely catch up and then zoom past me.
My dad and his mom want to lose weight for our wedding, and I think that's fantastic, so I decided to put my dad through my kind of bootcamp, the easy kind! Every week I call him and give him one or two things to change. This week it's no alcohol (since he hardly likes it anyway), no pop (soda for non-Ontarians out there), and no cookies at pickleball. If you don't know what pickleball is then look it up on Youtube, it's an awesome sport invented by old folks in Florida.
Gotta run, but happy to report all's well in my fitness world, and wedding planning, so far, is a blast.
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