Ten Things I'm Learning from My Meal Plan
Oct 6 2008 11:10 AM4 commentsAdd comment
- One serving of nuts is six pecan halves. Yes, six.
- I have to drink more milk than I expected (16oz/day).
- A banana is two servings of fruit. So is a pear.
- Corn is considered a starch, not a vegetable.
- All low-fat cottage cheese is not alike.
- Fruits and vegetables are not interchangeable. (Fruit has sugar.)
- The exchange program doesn't address sodium levels.
- I need smaller Tupperware: Serving sizes are teeny-tiny.
- I need more Tupperware: Five to six small meals a day requires storage.
- Nothing at IHOP fits into my meal plan.
Working and eating out
Sep 5 2008 1:00 PM7 commentsAdd comment
[Note: I'm going to display health-related blog posts on the main page of Room for Nuance as well as in the Getting Better section, so if you don't want to have to check both places for new posts, you don't have to. Tanith chapters, however, will still be confined to the Prince Neil of Tanith section.]
My personal trainer and I have broken up. It was actually his suggestion: I expressed some dissatisfaction with the progress I've been making, and he said I might find some sessions with a nutritionist more helpful than further workouts with him. So I've scheduled four appointments with Sam the Nutritionist, and after that I'll get to keep that $250 a month. Which will be VERY NICE.
Workouts this week seemed particularly difficult. My class had a substitute trainer on Wednesday, and he really got into arm muscles while we did our cardio on the treadmill. Then on Thursday, my final session with Jason featured arm work, too, leaving my biceps and shoulders and triceps at a level of sore I've not previously achieved. And in my class this morning we used a new kind of elliptical trainer that kicked. my. ass, so my thigh muscles aren't happy with me, either.
All told, I am TI.RED. and seriously looking forward to the weekend.
Anyway, the exercise front seems to be working out well. Now I have to tackle the food and eating part of healthy living. Here's why.
So far this week, I've consumed:
- at least 120 ounces of Coke
- around 3 dozen fries
- 2 large cookies
- 1 piece of chocolate grocery-store cake with frosting
- 5 glazed donut holes
- a couple handfuls of chocolate-covered pretzels
- 2 burrito bols
...yeah. Not good.
Of the above, more than half was consumed at work. I'll buy a cookie with my salad at Taste of Scandinavia, and I "treat" myself to a Coke every afternoon, something to make me feel better during a stupid day at a job I don't particularly like. And if a coworker shares a goodie with us (cake, donuts, candy), well, who am I to refuse?
Another problem is that neither Jesse and I enjoy preparing meals. Well, that's not quite true: It's that when we get home from work (and, for me, the gym), we're exhausted. We're hungry. We have to go to bed in a few hours. Until lately, it's been hot in the apartment, which doesn't help. It takes too much time and energy to put a meal together, then clean up afterwards, especially when we have other things we want to do. So we go out to eat a lot.
I just haven't yet gotten into the mindset of eating for results and a functioning body rather than for pleasure and habit. I eat sweets when they're available (and as if they're going to disappear tomorrow). I eat as a gift to my brain if I'm not feeling well — or as a celebration if I am feeling well. I eat when I'm bored, when I'm tired, when I'm unhappy. I eat because my brain wants it, not because my body needs it.
So. Some ideas for next week:
- Come up with some kind of other non-food unhappiness-relieving treat: Look at art. Write a brief poem or letter or something. Design a quick website.
- Stop bringing cash and my credit card to work. Just bring our joint credit card for emergencies.
- Make a list of one-pot and/or casserole sorts of meals that I can make and refrigerate over the weekend. Then I can just come home and heat something up.
- Start doing some of the dishwashing. It's easier to make something in a clean kitchen.
- Um...sandwiches?
What's the best way you've found to get something together for dinner? How do you beat brain-based goodie cravings? Tips and suggestions are welcome.
Working Out
Sep 3 2008 3:00 PM2 commentsAdd comment
Well, summer is (practically) over, and it's about freaking time. I hate summer with the heat of a thousand suns, or at least I would, if it didn't require, you know, the heat of a thousand suns. I guess I hate summer with the cold of a thousand absolute zeros. Or something. Anyway, I'm super-excited it's nearly fall.
So! Let's consider my progress at the gym.
- I started participating in the Team Shape-Shifting program. It consists entirely of cardio and meets three times a week. So far I've lost no weight, but I increased my percentage of lean muscle mass. Or not; a different person
- I continued to see Jason, my personal trainer, once a week.
- I went to the gym a total of twenty-two times in August. Pretty kick-ass, especially considering I barely went that many times the entire previous seven months.
- I tried a yoga/pilates class. It was too hard. I didn't return. I'll save it for when I'm in better shape.
- I'm not feeling any less tired on a daily basis, or less depressed. Maybe I don't have endorphins.
Some things I need to improve:
- My eating habits. It's such a big topic I'll leave it at that for now.
- More strength training. I'm doing non-cardio work once a week, with Jason, and I don't think that's enough.
- More stretching. I'm about as limber as lumber. Have you ever seen a tree try to touch its toes? Yeah.
- Regular sleep schedule. Always a problem. Is there, like, group sleep training?
And one final concern:
I am spending a hell of a lot of money on gym-related stuff. The membership is $40-60/month (I get a $20 discount if I exercise at least 12 times). I pay Jason $60/session, or approximately $240/month. Team Weight Loss costs about $13/session, or approximately $160/month. I rent a locker for $8/month. Then I paid $150 for my heart monitor, and $40 for my RMR/EMR mask, and $180 (I think) for my RMR/EMR tests — all of which were one-time expenses.
Which all comes to nearly $500 a month, and I haven't even lost any weight.
Writing it out like that, it seems seriously insane. I mean, I don't even pay that much for my rent. Something's going to have to go, and I'm afraid it's going to be Jason. It's the most expensive item on the list, and I don't feel like I'm getting enough of a benefit from it. I can do my own weight training now, I think.
I'll continue going to Team Weight Loss for as long as I can afford it, because it's seriously helping me get to the gym on a regular basis. I'll have to monitor my locker usage, because even though it's fairly cheap, $8 is still $8. (They have free lockers, too, but you can't keep anything in them overnight, and you have to carry around a key.) Also, they're going to pressure me to take the RMR/EMR again, but I'll refuse. I really don't think it's worth the expense.
That'll cut the cost down to about $200/month, which is much more reasonable. I wish I were motivated enough to limit expenses to the monthly fee, but I'm just not. That's OK. Exercising is important enough to me that I don't mind spending some money on it. Just not $500. Crimeny.
Getting Better
Sep 1 2008 11:40 AM2 commentsAdd comment
Hi! Welcome to this new section of my website! It's just a place for me to corral all my health-related blog posts, and to post some links to information I've found helpful, and to track my progress.
The little graph up there? That's where I can see how I'm doing on three of my most challenging health-related goals: gym-going, sweets-consuming, and soda-drinking. I'm aiming for a solid three-color ribbon, all the way across, which indicates that I have not had sweets or soda and have gone to the gym for seven days in a row. You can see by its current perforated appearance that I'm not doing too well. But I'm working on it.
I'm hoping to improve this section as I go along. In particular, I want to add a meal plan/schedule, which will allow me to track what I'm eating in more detail.
As always, if you have any comments or suggestions, just let me know!
Working Out
Aug 5 2008 10:05 PM6 commentsAdd comment
I didn't make it to the gym on Saturday and Sunday — New Ulm and all — but I made it to my Team Shape-Shifting class on Monday, and today I went to my first Yoga/Pilates Fusion class.
The former was just fine, even though both my feet fell asleep ten minutes into the hour. (Apparently it's a fairly common occurrence; tomorrow I'll wear different shoes and try a different treadmill.) But the latter...I think it broke me.
First of all, when I walked into the studio, THE HEAT WAS ON. In freaking August. Apparently it's good for your muscles or something, but all I know is when I stepped out of the studio sixty minutes later and felt the otherwise-temperate gym air on my face, I nearly wept with relief.
Second of all, there were, like, 30 people there, all of whom were in better shape than I am. Some of them were men; everyone appeared to know what they were doing. And the instructor put me up front, so I could see her better and everybody else could see my ass better. Thanks, instructor!
I, of course, had never taken a pilates or yoga class before in my life. I am not a trim young person with a tank top and her very own purple yoga mat. I spent most of the time flailing my limbs around in an effort to keep up, or staring at the ceiling praying for the instructor to let us put our feet down, or trying unsuccessfully to stem the flow of sweat from every part of my body, including my palms, for God's sake. My form, I'm sure, was something less than pristine, but did I care? No, I did not. Hell, I was happy when I didn't fall over (yes, OK, I fell over a couple times, wanna make something of it?).
Also, I have certain super-special parts of my body that let's say inhibited some of the poses. Even if I could touch my toes, I couldn't, if you know what I mean. There are obstacles. Which is exactly why I'm spending so much time in the gym in the first place.
So! It was hard work. It was freaking hot. I got to look like a drunk congregant in front of a large group of good-looking and no doubt very intelligent people. I expect to be in a significant amount of pain tomorrow, when I have another Team Not So Much of Me Eventually class.
Am I going again next Tuesday? Yes, I am. It can't possibly get any worse, right?
Working Out
Aug 1 2008 1:50 PM2 commentsAdd comment
You're probably going to get a lot of exercise/food posts from now on. Because the gym is currently my LIFE. Seriously, I think I spend more money on gym-related stuff than on rent, which is rather painful.
This morning I dragged my tired butt out of bed at 5:30 so I could get to a 6 AM Team Weight Loss class. (I don't like how they call it Team Weight Loss; I wish it were something like Team Getting In Shape, or Team Stop Talking To Me Now, I Have To Breathe.) We did interval cardio on the treadmills, and then we rowed. This was a mere twelve hours after Jason put me through the wringer during our personal training session. And I spent only six of those twelve hours asleep.
So right now I both feel and look approximately like a puddle of something lumpy and cranky. Also, I have a headache. Possibly due to dehydration. I drank 40 ounces of water in three hours this morning, and I'm still thirsty.
My exercise schedule for the rest of the year is as follows:
Monday: Team Weight Loss, 6-7 PMIt's pretty aggressive (for me), but doable. I think. I hope.
Tuesday: Yoga/Pilates Fusion, 7-8 PM
Wednesday: Team Weight Loss, 6-7 PM
Thursday: personal training, 6-7 PM
Friday: Team Weight Loss, 6-7 AM
Saturday/Sunday: something new and/or fun, like ice skating or walking in a park or Wii Sports
In other news, for Karen, some lovely and heart-warming (heart-cooling?) pictures from a book she recently procured:
This Week: Day 3
Jun 18 2008 9:10 AM1 commentAdd comment
Did a pretty good job yesterday (Tuesday). Went to the gym for 35 minutes of strength training (upper body: biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest, back) plus 10 minutes of warm-up and post-workout stretching.* I got to bed by midnight, which is later than I prefer, but I still got a good 7.5 or so hours of sleep. I went out for lunch, because I had a meeting across town, but we ate at home for dinner.
I came close to skipping the gym entirely. Personal Trainer Jason asked me to go at least four times this week, which means I can miss a couple days. But I read Karen's comment, and I looked at my carefully-built calendar for the week, and I thought, LET'S DO THIS THING. So I did that thing.
A bit too much putzing around yesterday. I uploaded a couple photos for my photo-a-day project, then I browsed some of my regular websites. I also watched half of Leap of Faith (review: meh) and a couple episodes of my favorite TV show ever, Arrested Development.** If I'd cut some of that out, I could have easily gotten to bed on time. Must work on that.
Today I'm eating out for dinner and might have to skip the gym, because I'm meeting my writing group for a summer get-together after work. But that's OK, because I've been doing fairly well so far. Perfection isn't necessary.
Best part of yesterday: falling into bed tired and a bit sore. Best part of today so far: waking up when Jesse went to the gym at 6 AM, wriggling around happily because I had the bed all to myself, then falling back asleep for another couple hours. Have I mentioned how much I love my bed?
* Karen's forgetfulness must be contagious: When I got to the gym, I discovered that I'd left my purse, and by extension my gym card and driver's license, back at the apartment. Oops.
** Seriously, best. TV show. ever. It's just brilliant. The characters are brilliant, the acting is brilliant, the writing is brilliant. Whoever was responsible for canceling it should be condemned as loudly as possible.
This Week: Day 2
Jun 17 2008 2:00 PM3 commentsAdd comment
Monday went well. I got to the gym for an hour of cardio, went to bed at a semi-reasonable hour (11:30 PM), ate at home for both lunch and dinner, and washed two loads of laundry. I didn't post my photo for the day (though I did take it), and I hardly had any putzing-around time, but I'm relatively pleased with the choices I made. Plus I got to watch The Mole at the gym, which was mildly entertaining.
By far the hardest part was getting to bed on time. I actually wanted to be in bed by 10:30, so I could go to the gym early this morning. But by the time I got home from work and ate dinner and finished the laundry, it was 9 PM. Thus, I didn't even get home from the gym until 10:30. I don't know how I could have done everything I wanted to do and still have been asleep for at least seven hours.
Maybe if I'd gotten to the gym early Monday morning, which would have required me to get to bed early on Sunday, which I didn't. So the key, then, is to start with an early bedtime on Sunday night, and don't mess it up. There's very little room for error.
Thing is, I generally prefer exercising early in the morning. It means that when I get home from work, I don't have to worry about dragging myself back out to the gym. But when it comes to getting enough sleep vs. 6 AM gym time, I am always going to choose the former.
I've noticed that following a This Week sort of plan requires serious concentration. Instead of letting my mind and attention ramble, I have to focus on making sure that I get things done by a specific time. If I don't, it all starts piling up, and suddenly it's late and I'm stuck. One slip-up — one extra errand or chore — one scheduled event — and the entire thing can fall to pieces. One "late" night, and I have to sleep "late" the next morning, so I have to go to the gym in the evening, which results in another "late" night...
Maybe it'll get easier. Maybe this is all just the inevitable result of making changes to my schedule. I sure hope so.
And anyway, I went to the gym yesterday! and slept for eight hours! and didn't go out to eat! which is an accomplishment no matter how you look at it.
This Week: Day 1
Jun 16 2008 10:50 AM1 commentAdd comment
I'm going to post about This Week every day this week, so I can hold myself at least a little accountable.
Sunday went OK. I didn't exercise; during my personal training hour, Jason and I went grocery shopping. (He's on a body-builder's diet, so he recommended lots of meat and cheese, and he didn't seem concerned about sodium levels. I don't think that's going to work for me.) And I didn't get to bed until 1:30 AM, which is too freaking late.
However, I did get some cleaning done: We can now walk around the living room again. And I got my lunch and clothes and everything prepared for Monday, which is an accomplishment. Altogether, I'm satisfied.
Tonight: laundry, gym (an hour on the elliptical trainer), bed before 11 PM. Shouldn't be too difficult...
This Week
Jun 15 2008 11:00 PMAdd comment
It seems like it's always Next Week: I'll be good Next Week. I'll get to bed on time Next Week. I'll bring my lunch to work Next Week. I'll get to the gym every day Next Week.
But now, it's This Week, I can feel it. I even made a calendar (using Google Calendar, which is an excellent application, and I'm not even being paid to say that) for This Week, listing everything from getting-up and going-to-bed times, to my appointments and meetings, to what I'm planning to eat for lunch and dinner.
This Week is going to happen, dammit.
(Please, please, please let it happen. I'm tired of it turning into a big flaming pile of Fail.)
I've become a bit more social lately. That is, I have actual social events planned. Tuesday I'm going to a Twin Cities Web Pros meeting. Yes, I'll actually be talking about web design and development with other people. Also, on Wednesday evening I have a writing group get-together, and I might be having lunch sometime during the week with someone I haven't seen for over a year. I'm looking forward to it; I never really got to know her very well, but I like her a lot.
I've also registered for the Minneapolis/St. Paul Board Games Meetup. I love board games! but Jesse doesn't, really, so I haven't been playing with anyone much. I kind of suck at strategy games, but I'd appreciate the practice. Besides, being humiliated can be a social event, too. Should be interesting.
On Friday night Jesse and I went with a couple of his coworkers to see Tig Notaro at the Acme Comedy Company. It was a night of firsts, or at leasts rares, for me.
- We hung out with a couple, as a couple. I don't think we've done that before.
- We went to a comedy club, also something we haven't done before.
- I had alcohol. That's extremely unusual. I almost never drink, but on this occasion I got a "carafe" of a concoction that involved lemonade and maybe vodka and watermelon something-or-another, I can't remember, but it was quite good.
- So good, in fact, that I had a second. All it did was make me hot and a little tired and a little upset-stomach-y, which is my typical reaction to alcoholic beverages. And maybe some of my words went away, but I couldn't tell because we were watching a show, not conversing.
The show itself was pretty good. I enjoyed both Tig Nataro and her opening act, Natasha Leggero, the former more than the latter. Before they went on we were subjected yes, OK, subjected to five amateurs competing for the title of Funniest Person in Minnesota. One was excellent, and she won the night (there's apparently a similar competition every night). One was OK. The other three were...not. This one frat-looking guy seemed to think that we'd all be amused to hear that his grandfather is racist and sexist, and that he's not overly fond of gay people. I wanted to boo, but didn't.
A lot of the jokes made by the amateurs — and many of those made by Natasha, for that matter — were of a sexual nature. Maybe it's just me, but I don't find that kind of humor very funny. It doesn't seem clever. I want smart jokes, not some lame cliché about how men can't last more than three minutes in bed, or how unattractive women don't need to worry about being sexually assaulted. Because rape is so freaking hi-lar-ee-ous, dontcha know.
Also, Natasha made some celebrity/reality show jokes that I didn't find amusing at all. She said something about Paris Hilton's vagina falling off, and everybody laughed, and I was actually surprised. I thought, Really? People still think that's funny? I got bored with that sort of joke years ago. And besides, I think she meant "vulva."
Best-laid plans
Jun 5 2008 12:30 PM4 commentsAdd comment
This is how my weekdays would go if I always made good choices versus how I've been living them lately:
| Time | Plan | Lately |
| 6 AM | Wake up. Breakfast. | Sleep. |
| 6:30 AM | Go to gym. | Sleep. |
| 8 AM | Return home. Prepare for work. | Wake up. Prepare for work. |
| 8:30 AM | Head to work. | Head to work. |
| 9 AM | Arrive at work. Healthy mid-morning snack. | Arrive at work. Breakfast. |
| 12 PM | Lunch. | Lunch. |
| 3 PM | Healthy mid-afternoon snack. | Junk food, if anything. |
| 5 PM | Head home. | Head home. |
| 5:45 PM | Arrive at home. Dinner. | Arrive at home. Dinner. |
| 6:30 PM | Prepare for next day: compile lunch, lay out clothes. | Nap or play. |
| 7 PM | Do chores, if necessary: wash laundry, take out trash. | Nap or play. |
| 8 PM | Play. | Gym, if sufficiently motivated, or play. |
| 9:30 PM | Prepare for bed. | Play. |
| 10 PM | Go to bed. | Play. |
| 12:30 AM | Sleep. | Prepare for bed. |
| 1 AM | Sleep. | Go to bed. |
It doesn't seem like a particularly unreasonable plan, does it? THEN WHY IS IT SO DIFFICULT?