What the )*(@)#($*@ is Excess Weight?

So the flurry of news stories about the lap band got me thinking again. What is success as defined in these various articles/studies? All of them have some reference to "excess weight". Well, what the hell is excess weight and how is it calculated? Is it "ideal weight"?  BMI at the top of the "normal" zone? Heck if I know, but it bugged me enough to do some digging.

So first step, figure out what the heck excess weight is. I found this:

Calculating Excess Weight Loss
Excess weight is the amount of weight over ideal weight. Ideal weights are published in the Metropolitan Life Insurance height-weight tables. These tables display weight ranges for small, medium, and large frame sizes. Ideal weight is considered to be the maximum weight in the large frame size range. To calculate the percentage of excess weight loss (%EWL) divide weight lost by maximum excess weight and multiply by 100. The tables include one inch of height for shoes, so an inch needs to be added to actual height to see the correct weight range. (source)

According to the Metropolitan Life Insurance height weight table, my weight for height (5'8") and frame (small) is a range of: 126-139 lbs. So, my "ideal weight" is 139 lbs. BUT if you look above, ideal weight is the maximum weight in the large frame size range - 146-167 lbs. Therefore, my "ideal weight" for this calculation is 167 lbs.

 
Calculating the percentage of excess weight loss is divide the weight lost by the maximum excess weight and multiply by 100. (OMG, keep in mind this reminds me of one of those Tim is running this fast and Suzie is running that fast, but this happens and that happens, so who gets there first things...so, it is highly likely that I have screwed this up!!!)

• Divide weight lost = 105 lbs (234 lbs max weight - 129 lbs = 105 lbs)
• Maximum excess weight = 67 lbs (234 lbs max weight - 167 lbs ideal weight)
• Multiply by 100
• EWL Answer: 156.7% ---I think, please see "OMG" note above. HA!

OK, great, but let's use a more realistic calculation for me using the high end that matches my frame size.

• Divide weight lost = 105 lbs (234 lbs max weight - 129 lbs = 105 lbs)
• Maximum excess weight = 95 lbs (234 lbs max weight - 139 lbs ideal weight)
• Multiply by 100
• EWL Answer: 110.5%

I think this one is a more accurate measurement for me.

From the same source, it says: "the range reported by the best published Gastric Banding studies worldwide, which generally show about 60% EWL after 2-3 years."
 
Anyway, I thought it was interesting and answered the question for me. Try it, you might find based on how the "experts" calculate EWL that you are much further along than you thought!

I'm a little verklempt from all this math, please.talk amongst yourselves...or in the comments!

Half Marathon Final Thoughts

Things that made me go hmmmmm....

• Portas - OMG, they were gross. I am sure the late arrival didn't help. But my friend said the ones at the parking lot to get the shuttle would have less of a line. So, I go in and hold my breath. Not going to get into the details, let me just tell you the porta was disgusting. Ironically, we waited in line and when we got to the race location sure enough no line and portas as far as the eye could see.
• Cheerleaders - Being your own cheerleader is great, but having even one person along the race route sure makes a difference. It gave me something to focus on and it was just neat to see his smiling face.
• Tangents - If you don't "run the tangents" you are going to run farther, because that's how the course is measured. Uh, I realized that I wasn't running them and didn't correct this for a while, so that's why my race ended up being 13.2 instead of 13.1.
• Mind - I think I may have figured out how to work with my mind this race. Which is a big big accomplishment! I just can't let myself "get in my head". Checking in with myself just doesn't work for me. What works is to focus on things outside of myself and repeating a postive mantra (you've got this) throughout the event if I starting leaning towards getting in my head.
• Enjoy the event - I really did take the time to check out all the neat scenery on the route, the spectators' signs, and the bands along the way. While I checked my Garmin now and then early in the race, it was to ensure that my pace wasn't too fast. Favorite signs: "You're made of Tiger Blood! You can do this!"; "Free Ipad 2's at the finish line while supplies last - HURRY!"
• Be fearless - As stupid as this sounds, for me this meant to get over race time. It was to "be fearless" of the clock and the time it displayed. Hmmm, typing that it's triggering similarities to the scale. Giving my power to the scale like giving power to the clock and telling me if my race was "good" or not. My goal for the race was to finish, enjoy it, and be able to return to bootcamp without recovery time. Checked the boxes on all three. And it was also pointed out by multiple people (including the trainers at camp) that not having done a half in almost 20 years that this was a very respectable time.
• Let your inner athlete out - This was what probably reads as my cocky attitude of "you've got this". It really isn't, it was my tool for stopping negative talk. I could have EASILY allowed all of my doubts to overtake me, but I didn't. I told myself to believe, that all my hard work will pay off, and that in my own way I am an athlete and I was letting her out!

Final thought: I believe that everyone has an inner athlete. Yes everyone, including YOU! It doesn't matter what others say or the experts, it's achieving your goals whether that's finishing a 5K in under an hour or a marathon. Be proud of what you set out to do, be fearless, strong, and let that inner athlete out! GO YOU! : )

Tracking for last week:

• 5 bootcamps and 1 half (13.2 miles) - calories: 4520.

.....hmmmmm, so what's next????

You look fast...(race recap)

I went to the expo on Friday with my husband. Honestly, I thought there would be more stuff (both free swag and booths in general). I did end up getting a headband (needed a wicking one) and some beans, but we were in and out pretty quickly. I am sure that Saturday was a total nightmare. 

Saturday was a rest day. I did chores around the house and kept busy to keep my mind off the race. We also went to see a movie "Lincoln Lawyer" which received very good reviews, but we left wondering why. I went to bed at my normal time and had my alarm set for 5am to get up and have something to eat. I figured if we left the house at 6am we would be fine.

I got up and got dressed. My husband (who was going to cheer me on) slept a bit longer. When he got up and saw me, he said to me "you look fast in that outfit". Boy, was that the most perfect thing to say or what?

I threw on a long sleeve shirt over the top and he asked about moving my number to that shirt. You should have seen his face when I said I am going to throw it on the side of the course somewhere between mile 1 and 2. He didn't know that people do that throughout the race. I wore something that was too big and kinda worn out at this point for donation. Best thing - now I need a replacement top, right? : )

We get to where we were 1 mile from the exit we need and we hit this:

20 minutes and we moved about 20 car lengths. It was now less than an hour from the race start time. Another 20 minutes and we are finally moving. I was getting stressed, but figured there was no way the shuttles were going to strand racers in the village area.

We got parked and made our way to the shuttles. This was easily a quarter mile, but I used it as my warm up. Porta stop (more on that later) and we get on the bus. We arrive at the race start after corrals were already starting to cross the start line. My corral was the next one to go, so I hustled it up toward the starting line and started walking with the others. My husband caught up and gave me a kiss, said you are going to do awesome, have fun, and see you at the halfway point.

I felt great. The weather was perfect and the course went through some really neat parts of town. I was so excited my husband was waiting for me at the halfway point. 5 miles went by in no time, then 6, and somewhere between 6 and 7 there was my husband! I went over, gave him a kiss, and kept on going. He said I looked like I was just on a short jog and looked like I had a ton of energy. Thanks for that husband!

The entire race I did not let myself get into my head. I enjoyed the scenery, the bands, and just listened to my body. I just kept thinking "You've got this. Enjoy the race and take it easy."

There it was! 10 miles. Only a 5K to go. "You've got this. Keep going. You're fine." Around the corner and there was the finish line! It was hard to know my time as I didn't see the clock when I started the race, but I told myself that as long as I finished under 2:30, I was going to be happy.

My time: 2:15. I had so much gas in the tank the last 4 miles of the race, I know I *could* have had a faster time, but you know what? It doesn't matter. What matters is I did it, I had FUN, and I know that I will achieve my main goal of returning to camp tomorrow with no recovery day needed.

I have some other thoughts, but I'll get those in another post. Here's a pic of the shirt and medal.

NSV - I requested a small shirt. When I went to pick it up at the expo, the guy looked at me and the ticket and said, you won't be happy with a small. Let me give you an extra small.

Front of shirt and medal

This thing could double as a weapon.

Back of shirt. It's the neatest part in my opinion. It is in the middle running top to bottom.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!...and a mule!

What's that noise? Thwack! Thwack! Duck? Nope. It's a rubberband that I found to remind myself of this post. It's not really that I am using it to "thwack" myself as much as I am using it as a visual reminder of all the positive thoughts I am implanting in my brain.

Rest assured my bloggy pals, this race is gonna happen and I am going to finish it! My bff doesn't call me Francis for nothing. I've earned that name! I am stubborn as all get out, just like Francis the mule.

Thanks for all the encouraging comments! I'm off to the expo tomorrow. I'm hoping to get lots of free STUFF! My husband is going with me which is super great because that means double the free stuff...for me!!

Note To Self

Shut the hell up! You are psyching yourself out and it's not even Sunday yet. In fact, you idiot, you did 12 miles the other weekend and were just fine, remember? The next day you went to camp and were fine. You even completed the 12 at a more than respectable pace (even though this race is NOT about time). 13.1 miles with the company of 8 million of your closest friends (ha) is going to get you through on adrenaline alone. Get O-V-E-R yourself and knock it OFF.

See the list below? You are releasing these negative thoughts into blog land---throwing them out and away. If you find yourself thinking them, you will slap yourself upside the head immediately. (I wish I had one of those wide rubber bands to wear and FLICK myself every time I have a thought. I've heard that works.)
So here goes:

• Thought: Man, all this rest is going to hurt me. REALITY: Um, so the 123 million experts out there that say the rest the week before are WRONG? Um, no. And, add to that you are still doing 5 bootcamps and 2 short runs. Get over it. It's not like you are sitting around doing nothing.
• Thought: Man, I'm tired. REALITY: No you aren't. You are mentally saying that, but your routine this week is no different than any other week. Quit it!
• Thought: Man, the weather doesn't look good. REALITY: HELLO? It's Texas. You won't know the weather until the morning of the race. It changes all the time. Quit looking at the weather and just have your two weather outfits ready to go.
• Thought: Man, I don't think I can do this. REALITY: Yes you CAN. If you are honest with yourself you are deep down worrying about time and what "others" might think. You told yourself this isn't about time or others. It's about not hating the experience---maybe even *shudder* having F-U-N---and being able to return to camp the following day.

Bottom line: You CAN do this. Your legs WILL show up. You ARE prepared. YOU have to be your best cheerleader.

4 days until the race...translation: 4 more days of anxiety and whining.

Interesting?

Here's an article that essentially says that complications are likely with the band. I'm not sure if it's "interesting" or not, but I couldn't think of a title! My reaction to it is that it seems like a very limited study and makes me wonder if is it statistically relevant or not. Regardless, I thought I'd share.

Content from referenced link above.
By Frederik Joelving
NEW YORK
Mon Mar 21, 2011 4:45pm EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - An older kind of Lap-Band weight-loss surgery could lead to severe complications over the long haul, Belgian researchers said Monday.

The surgery works by placing a silicone band around the top portion of the stomach to restrict food intake. It has become an increasingly popular option in the battle against obesity, but some experts have worried about its safety.

The Belgian team found that as many as half their patients, followed for at least 12 years, needed to have the band removed in that period. And in more than a quarter, the band had gnawed its way through the wall of the stomach.

"The high failure rate of (Lap-Band surgery), at least in our hands, could be detrimental to its future continued widespread use as a restrictive weight loss operation," Dr. Jacques Himpens of the Saint Pierre University Hospital in Brussels and colleagues write in the Archives of Surgery.

"This is what I was worried about," said Dr. Mary Brandt, who heads the pediatric surgical program at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston and has criticized the Lap-Band surgery before.

"I think these data support my opinion that lap band is not the right operation for adolescents," she told Reuters Health in an email.

According to Allergan -- the Irvine, California-based company that makes the Lap-Band system -- its product has been used in more than 500,000 procedures worldwide. It commands more than two-thirds of a $300 million to $400 million market.

In an email to Reuters Health, Allergan criticized the new study and said both the surgical technique and the Lap-Band itself had changed in the interim.

It also noted that the study was based on only 151 patients from a single hospital, and that the researchers had only been able to test half of those patients.

"We are disappointed to see the publication of an ill-constructed, single-center clinical assessment that does not meet the high clinical standards one should expect from peer-reviewed data, and is not reflective of today's clinical standards," Cathy Taylor, Allergan's director of Corporate Communications, said.

Dr. Marc P. Michalsky, surgical director for the Center for Healthy Weight and Nutrition at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, seconded the criticism.

"In some ways it is a bit of a historic snapshot of this type of surgery 15 years ago," he said. "I would take these results with a grain of salt."

On average, the patients in the study lost about 43 percent of their excess weight -- a number that was outpaced by the gold standard weight-loss surgery, called gastric bypass.

Four out of every ten patients in the study suffered a major complication of the surgery, such as the band going into the stomach or the stomach pouch enlarging. Overall, six in ten patients ended up on the operating table again.

In 2009, more than 220,000 Americans had some type of weight loss surgery, at a price of about $20,000 per patient, according to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

"I don't think there's one operation that is good for everybody," Michalsky said. "It really boils down to a combination of considerations by the surgeon and the patient."

SOURCE: bit.ly/9qX5ZA Archives of Surgery, March 21, 2011.

Sunday with a "Fun"

Today was "Funday" not Sunday. I had the pleasure of meeting Beth Ann who you can find here. She has done - A-MAZING. I have to tell you between us that picture on her profile - doesn't do her justice! She is way cuter and thinner in person.

We grabbed a nice cup of soup at the food court and chatted. Then we went around the mall to find a "going out" outfit for Beth Ann. She has had many recent NSV's and I got to be there while she had another one! She easily fit in clothes in all the shops we went to. I am positive she is going to have a great time next weekend with her sorority sisters and they are going to agree she looks great. Needless to say, she's also a really nice, accomplished, and intelligent gal!

It was a pleasure meeting Beth Ann and I hope we get together again.

Thoughts on this post

So Read posted this post. I might have even read Read's wrong or interpreted it incorrectly, but this is what I have thought about since I read it a few days ago...

Would my relationship with my husband change if I went back to where I was? For me, this is an easy answer. I think it definitely would. My husband has only known me as I am now, so I think that would make it very hard on him---and, that's meant in no negative way toward him at all. Hmmm, how to explain what I mean. I guess I know that not only would I be fat - which I think he wouldn't find attractive - but I think I would be sad and depressed like I was which would be a beat down for him. I wouldn't be the person I am now physically OR mentally.

Do I want to go back? Does anyone? I didn't think so! Either do I. And I also think could I? And, I can say no. I had hit such a pit of despair that it has left such a scar on me (and some scare too!) that gaining 105 lbs. back is just not something I can do, nor will I allow myself to. I am so much happier and feel so much better, it just isn't an option.

Fat thoughts? Yes, we're women. I think it's unfortunately whether it's a sex thing (hormones anyone?) or an environment thing, I have them now and then. Put on an outfit - dang, this makes me look fat. Start a day - dang, I feel fat. While I have been working on changing the words to things like this outfit is not flattering to me and man I feel bloated today or something "non-fat" related, the thoughts still surface now and then.

Thin thoughts? For me, I am trying to change this as well. Much like fat, I don't want thin or skinny in the mix either. It's a mental thing. For me healthy, strong, lean --- those sorts of words --- work better.

Did this journey and losing the weight magically made my life better? I think what made my life better was the by product - the mental aspect, feeling better, and all that other stuff. It has equipped me to handle life stress as it surfaces. So, in reality the stress is still there, but how I react or the choices I make are better. I think a large aspect of that is making "me" things a priority. I am fully commited to living the best and healthiest life I can...and have a heck of a lot of fun while doing it!

Since I've finished my long training run and planning tomorrow as an "off" day, here's a recap of last week:

• 0 bootcamps, 1 exercise class & 2 training run (14.5 miles) - calories: 1486 (Oops, kinda low. Oh well!)

Yes, it still happens...

I met a friend at a gym we both belong to for a barbell group class. Neither of us had tried the class before, but we figured what the hell. We admitted we were a bit intimidated as it's relatively new, but we looked at it as an opprotunity to test our fitness.

We get there and we knew there was all this "setup" that was required, so we told the instructor that we were new, what would we need, etc. She tells us that since this is our first class we should put 2.5 lb plates on our bar. That's not a typo - no asking us about our fitness level or anything. We looked at one another, shrugged, and said OK.

We went and "loaded" up our bar and I said to my friend we are going to throw these through the ceiling. So, we saw some chicks that seemed like they were our fitness level and loaded to 35 lbs with multiple plates as we knew we'd be doing lower and upper body.

The victory for both of us was after class we said that we could have easily put another 20 lbs on the bar for the max weight work as my max heart rate only hit 145 for a short period of time  and we completed all exercises and reps easily with no modifications. We felt good, strong, and honestly validated that our fitness routine is paying off!

Then, I got home. We had decided we would meet up with some friends at a bar for St. Pat's for a bit. I was overly hungry and in a rush. I had made traditional corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, and carrots. At this point, with essentially nothing in my band (.2) I can eat whatever. I just always watch the amount and do the basics.

So, what did I do? I ate totally mindlessly. The portion was the right amount, but I ate way too fast and paid no attention to the size of the bites so that I could get ready and we could get going. BAD MOVE! And, it was a sneak up attack. I felt totally fine. Then on the drive to the bar I knew that something was up. OMG, I was SOOOO miserable!!! It was visible to my husband and my friends that I was not feeling well. I then suffered in silence for TWO frickin' hours. Oh well, just shows even this far out that bad habits can still surface.

Wellness Goals - better late than never

So, I've been thinking that I should put together some goals for 2011. Hey, better late than never, right? I've come up with some rough ideas and thought I'd jot them down. I'll have to see if they make sense or not though....um, cause I haven't put a whole ton of thought into it, I've never set wellness goals really before since starting this journey, and they need to be S.M.A.R.T (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely).

Man, I'm also going to have to go back and figure out what I have done so far in 2011. Oh well, I'm leaving that for another day. Procrastination at its best!

2011 Wellness Goals

Boot camps. Goal: 200 camps. Stretch Goal: 240.
I'm not quite sure how many camps are offered in a year. I'm going to have to look at this one a bit closer. The goal is pretty much 5 days of camp a week when camp is offered---taking out a bit for vacation. The stretch is based on taking a couple extra camps a week and I've included it more in case of error in the base calculation. I don't want to make this sound complex, cause it's kind of pull it outta my butt approach, but I need some detail so I know how the hell I came up with it when in July I say "what the hell was I thinking?".

Training/Race Total Miles. Goal: 416 miles.  Stretch Goal: 520 miles.
The goal is calculated at 8 miles per week for the year. Then the stretch goal is calculated at 10 miles per week.

Half Marathon(s). Goal: 1. Stretch Goal: 2.
As I go on and on and oooonnn about, I am already doing one, but I am tossing around the idea of doing another. I'll talk about that though after I survive this first one.

5K or other races such as obstacle races. Goal: 3. Stretch Goal: 5.
My goal is probably too low here. I've already completed 1 5K. I've signed up for the Texas Chicken Run, and know I am going to do a 5K in August. I might have to up this one a bit. Oh, the chicken run - it's obstacles. I am going to be SCARED on some of them as I am not a fan of heights at all, but go look at the site. Check out the hat you get for doing it???? Yep, had to do it for the hat. (Plus a bunch of friends are doing it. Peer pressure anyone?)

Calorie Burn. Goal: 130,000 Stretch Goal: 150,000
This one may be one that I should toss out the window. It's 500 calories x 5 days a week x 52 weeks. The stretch goal....cause it was a cool number? I just picked it out of the air.

Notice something? No. Weight. Loss. Goal. First! Time! Ever!...I'm not even going to put in maintain my weight or anything weight related because hitting my wellness goals and eating well most of the time will ensure success. Hmmm, but maybe I should have a goal in there like: Make healthy choices most of the time? 90%? I don't know, I'll have to think on that. I think I'll just treat this like work --- see how I'm tracking mid-year and tweak as needed.

Other items:

• The days off I had really made me fly on my run. I am a believer of tapering big time now. I got out there - supposed to do an easy 4 miles. Felt good and looked at my pace - wow, fast (for me). Finished the 4 and had so much gas left and since I hadn't worked out the two days before, jogged another easy one. It felt good.
• Eating acknowledged and addressed. Slowing myself down and asking myself am I eating because I'm hungry? And some of the basic tools I've used along the way.
• Overall stress seems to be down. Hmmm, could it be the working out and not eating crap? I vote yes.

Houston, we have the start of a problem...

From Wikipedia:

"Tapering, in the context of sports, refers to the practice of reducing, or tapering off, exercise in the days just before an important competition. Tapering is customary in many endurance sports, such as the marathon, athletics and swimming. For many athletes, a significant period of tapering is essential for optimal performance. The tapering period frequently lasts as much as a week or more."

Hmmmm, I don't think tapering off means NOT working out since the long run on Sunday. Especially as it is two weeks out from the race. My schedule is messed up this week and with the added bonus of the time change I am just out of whack. This is definitely not part of my planned taper which is really next week and still involves some short runs and bootcamp.

But I am trying not to sweat it. (Ha, I haven't been have I?) I am just going to pick it up today and make it a priority to get a run in and ensure I do the last longer run this weekend. I have to trust my training that I've done that I'm ready, but the mental aspect of this upcoming race is looming out there.

I can feel this underlying stress inside of me from a number of things---the half is just an added stresser right now. It's also reflected in my eating, which while not horrible, hasn't been particularly good either since about Saturday. In hindsight, I realize that I have been eating when I am not really hungry and having more treats. It's not the end of the world, but it's important that I call myself out on this trend so it doesn't continue. It's funny, but while I know it's not possible by what I have eaten, I feel like I am 10 lbs heavier and just blah. Proof that for me eating well does a body good!

Spring

I love Spring, but I don't like "springing forward". Why?

• It's dark too late in the morning.
• It takes time for my body to adjust to the change in sleep patterns. Which usually ends up throwing off eating and exercise and providing everyone the joy of being around some grumpiness.
• And, basically I think it's crap. Just sayin'. I vote for picking either daylight or standard and sticking to it. Arizona and Hawaii are smart---they just opt out. (And with a quick search looks like China, Japan, and India do as well.)

Are you a lover or a hater of daylight savings times?

A side note: The destruction across the world either from earthquakes, fires, floods, or tsunamis has really been weighing on me. What I saw on the news was horrific in Japan and the continued nuclear challenges only appear to be making things worse. I can't even put it into words what I think/feel, but I thought I should at least make mention of it. My husband is on alert and may start flying there with supplies in the next few weeks. We are waiting to see if he gets orders or not.

Throwing it out

It's funny, but throwing it out into the universe of blogland really works for me. (Thanks Read and Justawallflower for checking in!) After hitting publish I thought, "Well, now I have to just go do it." I got my gear on and hit the road. It was hot, humid, and windy, but 12 miles later --- my longest training run was done!

A recap of last week:

• 6 bootcamps & 1 training run (12 miles) - calories: 4881.

Must. Go. Run!

I have no idea what my problem is. Slump? Funk? Stress? Anxiety? Something. I put off my long run yesterday and here it is nearly 12:30pm and I haven't gone out and done it. It's my last long run before tapering and it's only 14 days before the half. Bottom line: I. Must. Go. Run.

I figured throwing it out here in blogland would be the added push that I needed to get my lazy butt going. If you don't see a post that I did the run either later today or tomorrow, please be sure to get on my butt!!!

Aquariums rock!

This past weekend we decided at the last minute to go to the aquarium. We were there when the doors open, so there weren't many people there yet. We had a great time wandering around and trying to find the critters when they were hiding. Cause everyone else is doing it, I took a few pics.

OK, I am going to confess something....sea horses freak me out. I can't figure out why. There were all sorts of them there, but every time I looked closely at them I'd shudder!

Penguins are an all time favorite of mine! A couple were hiding out - just not in the mood for visitors I guess. But Mr. Penguin in the middle was showing off and doing a show of how purty he is. I loved the guy that was lounging on the tree enjoying the sun though.

I could not believe the vivid color on these flamingos! The picture definitely does not do them justice.

Then I saw DORY! And I got all excited. My husband looked at me and said, "uh, who is Dory?". Who is Dory? Really?!? 

Frogs. Lots of frogs, but these were particularly neat. 

Then my FAVORITE! Manatees!!! I don't really know why I like them so much. I think it's their demeanor and how they just do da do along. I laughed when the one came cruising by on his back!

I am feeling tired this week. I think the raging hormones are contributing to this, so I cut back a bit on my workouts. I have my longest training run this weekend---11 miles. I am trying to get my mind in a good place about it. There's a 15K race that I could swap (I think - 9.3 miles), but my concern is that I'm an idiot and I might "race". So, I'm still thinking about what's best...17 days!!!

And it continues!!

I swear it has gotten worse! Here's what I saw when I walked in the door of the grocery store yesterday evening: BAM! Big candy display...stacked with my favorites...la la la - I do NOT see you. (Me and Sam have the eye closing in common!)

Heading toward produce....safe? It should be, right? But, NOPE! BAM! Hoste$s GREEN snowballs and other items - what the hell? This area is supposed to be a SAFE zone people! (Not a fan of the snowballs, but illustrates the madness!)

This aisle, that aisle, end of aisle: BAM! BAM! BAM! C-R-A-P! (aka - chocolate crack as pointed out by FitBy40). And don't forget the nearly TWO foot high CHOCOLATE bunny by the checkout area. Not kidding. I should have taken a picture or bit his bunny ass off!

People, if I could just skip the grocery store until May, I would! ...Anyone a personal grocery shopper???? Sounds like there may multiple opportunities as Island Bandit is feeling the same!

I am starting to suspect that it is fake TOM that is making this so bad. Damn you hormones!!!! .... I'm not hungry. Seriously, because I don't want anything remotely good for me, I just want CRAP!

It will pass, it will pass....*sigh*....and I will quit posting about stupid crap candy too. : ) But first, let me plant an annoying song in your head that I can't get out of mine, you can thank me later...

Oh! Here comes Peter Cottontail

Hoppin down the bunny trail

Hippity Hoppin, Easter's on its way

(Gene Autry - Peter Cottontail)

Mmmmm, Candy!

Close your eyes or skip this post if you don't want to see candy pics!!!

All those "special" displays! Why oh why does the Easter candy have to be in the stores so early??? I can't seem to escape the it even with avoiding the "special" aisles.

I love the Cadbury's eggs with the hard shells and the little Reese's PB eggs. (You guys can keep those Peeps - YUCK! I have yet to figure out why people like them so much.)

I think my best bet is to continue with my tactic of "I don't see you---la la la". The "oh get some and just have a few" approach just does not work with these two items. I've decided that if I still want them when Easter rolls around that I'll have them on Easter. That way they'll be gone from the stores after that!

Hey, is it Easter yet? : )

Last week recap

Man, only 20 days until my half!

Just a short post to recap last week for tracking.

• 4 bootcamps & 1 training run (10.5 miles) - calories: 3523.

Here's to a week of mostly healthy choices!

Worst...Run...Ever!

The day started early with getting my husband's lunch together to leave for a flight. He did some flight planning before he left and told me that there may be rain this morning where we live, so I should check before I left for my run. He left and I finished my coffee, ate a Clif Bar, and started getting ready. Sure enough, I checked the radar and rain was coming through, but would be clear at 11am.

In typical Texas fashion, while the radar looked like what I have, none of the rain actually appeared. *Sigh*

I have bad days just like everyone else. This run was not shaping up well. At this point, the distance runs are mental for me. My body can do it, but at times my mind gets in the way.

I took off on my run and it was going fine. But that changed quickly. I don't know if it was the stress I've been under this week which has impacted my sleep, some hanging on marriage crap, or what. Bottom line - this run sucked.

I looked down and I had only gone 1.5 miles and it seriously felt like 5. Then my mind really kicked in with a bunch of negative crap. Negative crap about a number of things. I just kept going, but at about mile 5ish as I passed a bench, I hit pause on my Garmin and sat down. I sat there for a few minutes having a cry. I just have a bunch of crap going on and I guess this brought it to the surface.

I was going to go home and say screw this training run. But I decided to just walk for a bit and see how it went. I was torn. I wanted to go home, but I also didn't want to give up on this training run (and myself). Did it get better? A bit. I can't say that I enjoyed the run, but I was proud of myself for finishing it. 10.5 miles later I was done. Surprisingly my pace was only off by about 10 minutes.

I guess my title is an exaggeration. It wasn't my run worst ever, it's better characterized as hard. But while hard, I finished it. That's what is important.

Polar vs. Garmin

 

Polar F7

 I seriously love my Polar F7. It's a solid heart rate monitor that is easy to use and has a lot of basic features. When I got it in June '10, I wasn't sure long term what I would need (or if I would even like wearing a device) and didn't want to make a huge investment. I wear it for bootcamp, gym workouts, and treadmills. BUT since I haven't been asked to be a "Polar Ambassador", and my feelings are HURT, I don't wear it for my half training...nah, that's not really the reason, but I do think I'd be an AWESOME Polar Ambassador!

 

Garmin Forerunner 305

The Polar doesn't provide me with distance (GPS), pace, or any type of easy functionality (at least that I can figure out) to get splits. So, I decided to get the Garmin Forerunner 305 for my training runs.

When I opened it, while I had been warned, I was still a bit shocked at how big it was. Thankfully though it actually fits on small wrists and snugly too! I was still intimitated though and it took a few weeks (OK, hubby asking me if I was ever going to use it) to get it charged up and plow through the manual...which turned out to be easy to understand

My running challenge for the half was that my pace SUCKS. Seriously. I have no idea what my pace is and have not figured out how to moderate it. This is fine for a 5K, but for longer distances it's a killer---pace too fast which leads to running outta "gas" later. That's where the Garmin comes in. I have it set for a narrow 1 minute window of pace time and I've been using it for my training runs. The first couple there was a whole lotta beeping going on - GO SLOWER! GO FASTER! etc., but I'm getting better and just as my buddy said I would I am enjoying long runs much more!

Interested in getting a device? Here's some thoughts...

• What features must it have? Figure out what you want it to do before you start looking. For example, I want a device that monitors my heart rate, time, and calories.
• What's your budget? These things can be expensive! I said that I would not spend more than $100. When I got mine, I scored a coupon to a local athletic store that totally helped.
• Do your research. Research devices on the internet. Read manufacturer's sites where you can get a lot of information on features and benefits, but I also read a lot of reviews. I looked at major retailers that have customer comments as well as blogs to see what "real" people had to say.
• What's the return policy? Check out the return policy of where you decide to purchase the device. I always like to have the flexibility to return it if it turns out that I don't like it or it doesn't meet my needs.

Have one of these or another? I'd be interested in what you think or hints/tips you have for either!

Surprising Reaction

Yes, it is another "one day at bootcamp" post, my week is filled with work and bootcamp until the weekend - believe me work isn't worth blogging about, so it's bootcamp. I was talking with this lady whom I have gotten friendly with at camp and she has been trying to lose weight. In my opinion, she has done an awesome job and honestly most women would kill to be her size when she started. She's definitely "fine tuning".

 

Anyway, in talking with her about how hard losing weight is, she looked at me and said, "Hello skinny, like you know what I'm talking about?" It completely stopped me in my tracks. I told her that I have a lot of experience and that I don't want or plan to tell anyone -- so telling you in confidence, but it wasn't that long ago that I was over 100 lbs more than I am currently. Her face was priceless. She asked me if I was kidding (yes, for real), there was just no way, and that I didn't look like I ever had a weight issue let alone 100 lbs. It was a weird experience for me and one I wanted to be sure to write down so I could see it as "proof" that my before is really gone.

And, nope, I didn't tell her about my band. I still choose not to tell anyone except the few that already know. At this point, even those people that do know about it seem to have forgotten---or at least cease to mention it. I think they see what I'm doing, eating, etc. and realize that the band isn't magic whereas in the beginning it may have appeared to them it was.