Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Me.. on the RADIO! With Eli Hagler.

http://www.nachumsegal.com/jm-in-the-am/ou-presents-the-jewish-reaction/

January 28, 2014

Finally Ready to talk about ....FOOD!

I have to admit that I have been procrastinating about writing this post.  Its no secret that I am morbidly obese, and it really is more the miracle that I am sitting here at 1:30 am waiting to catch a flight to Miami where I am excitedly going to participate in the Miami Marathon!  But that only gets me so far.

I have had a long and difficult relationship with food for almost my whole life.  I don't really remember a time where I was not overweight.  I sort of recall a moment in the first grade where I felt like something broke in me and it was after that that I started to gain weight and set myself on a path to food addiction and compulsive overeating.

I have done it all.  All the diet programmes and Overeater's anonymous.  I am not going to comment on any of these things specifically- except to say that I think 12 step programmes are amazing- even if you don't figure out how to work it completely, or ever find the willingness, there are key things that one can take away.

This entry is not about why these things have not been lasting successes for me.  And I don't really want to hear about it either, if you have an opinion about why it did not work for me.  I have my professional people I deal with and feel like its a miracle that I have been maintaining my weight, even though it is very high for long enough that I am getting sick of my clothing instead of out growing it.  For the first time in my life.

At my checkup this past fall, all my bloods were good except my triglycerides.  I made arrangements with a dietician and she and I are working on how to change my food plan so that it addresses the triglyceride issue as well as my ongoing training.

Since meeting with her, I have been more mindful in general.  I don't know if I have lost weight and honestly, I don't care.  I really just want to be able to live with my food plan and solve the triglyceride issue and not boomerang into gaining a hundred pounds, which tends to be how these things have worked for me over the years.  Following a food plan tends to get me triggered like crazy.

Anyways, I am working on it.  Eating  not very much sugar (it was never my biggest issue) and trying really hard to increase my fruit and vegetable intake as well as my complex carbs.  So far, me and my dietician are pretty happy with my mindfulness and I am finding that it is easier to accommodate the more I think of it.

I suppose you are going to hear a lot from me in the next few days!  After all, we are sitting here, waiting for the plane that is taking us to the marathon!

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

How Bout that Weather?

Windchill warning.  -40C. While its over for now, sidewalks are a complete mess, and the temperature is still well under zero C.  After the incredibly warm and dry winters we have had in the past decade, (so many Februaries with no snow) it never really occurred to me that we might have a hard time training for a half marathon in February.

So, I researched it and one thing every one agrees with is that those with asthma suffer much worse with the cold and that the week of coughing I had after the Road to Hope when I walked for 4.5 hours at race pace in 2 C weather was normal for asthmatics.  Suggestion:  don't train in the cold.  Then there was the 27hour bout of sneezing when I breathed through my nose instead of my mouth at the Santa Shuffle in -5C weather.  Ow.  Lessons Learned- Do not enter any timed races in the winter.  Volunteer at the 'Around the Bay Race' or at least don't do the 30K as was possibly planned.

I am really not nuts about using a treadmill but ultimately really need to do some crosstraining in the next few weeks, because missing a couple of weeks doesn't matter but missing a few months, will.  Still, I really don't want to do the whole gym membership thing since I doubt once the weather improves, I will use it much.  Who knows?  Maybe January will be awesome from here on out?  I remember going to the gym in shorts in various Januaries.

I do have a swimming membership at Dalewood and I suppose I could do that.
I could find an interval training video.
I can walk when the weather is nice but right now the sidewalks are insanely slippy.  All the training in bad weather advice tells you NOT to get injured! Apparently we should be going up to 6 C on Sunday, so that is good.

I need to keep remembering that the hard part is getting out the door.  Really, really.  because this is a massive challenge for me.  I am not motivated to do anything but walk.  Positive attitude is not helping.  I think maybe just doing it will.  Laps at Dalewood make sense really and there is adult swim almost every day.

Now you get to see how I handle stuff when I don't have a positive attitude. Thunk.