This project is wearing me out more and more. I had so much trouble getting out of bed this morning that I had tears in my eyes, and my mood was foul to put it mildly. For those of you who don't know how much time goes into maintaining a blog, it takes about 2 hours to write a post, and another hour to read the book of the week. I have to take a notebook around with me to every class, training session, doctor's appointment, and meal, and take notes on exactly what I'm doing. It becomes very tiresome, however I am getting great results, so I will smile and keep plugging away. And none of that is even to mention the actual, physical activity over the course of the day. Basically, I am spent and really trying hard to find my second wind.
7:45 am- Breakfast
Although Cinnamon Toast Crunch was not the most filling or nutritionally sound choice, I needed something sweet that was a change from Special K. I have fond that I've developed a real aversion to having salty food in the morning. I may have to look into why I crave a bit of sugar when I first wake up as opposed to a fatty or salty taste.
Cinnamon Toast Crunch
2% milk
2 rings pineapple
10 am- RetroRobics
Honestly, though last week I resented the mere 45 minute session of RetroRobics, today I saw it as a blessing. Though my anxiety was a bit heightened after not working out the day before due to being shut out of the ZUMBA! class, I still couldn't find the motivation to really go in there and want to exercise. I was in an absolutely bitter mood when I parked my car outside of Urban Active. I had tears dripping down my face underneath my sunglasses (which I truly attribute to just being over tired) and I sat in my front seat really debating whether or not to go for a scenic drive through Shaker Heights instead of dragging myself into the studio. In the end, I bit the bullet and marched to class. Thankfully, I wasn't late because the other class was running a bit behind schedule. Today, we used a step and a mat (for abs). We did a bit of marching, punching, and kicking on the floor, and then used to step to do the same. We utilized the step going both horizontally and vertically, which was something I hadn't been asked to do before in this class. One move that was new to me which I really like was a straddle over the platform into a jump. When she was instructing us, we began with both feet on the horizontal platform, and then stepped down with the right, down with the left, up with the right, up with the left, down (again), down (again), then jumped with both legs onto the platform and repeated. It sounds simple enough, but especially when its done at a jog, or with a bounce in your step, it becomes very difficult. Overall, I am noticing these classes getting easier and easier for me. I felt the abs today but was far from dying. The aerobic workout was good and made me sweat, but I got through it without any real issue. I, my friends, am getting to be back in shape. Well, it's about time.
One other thing I would like to comment on is what exercise can do for your mood. I found that after class today, I was far less stressed and no longer teary. Sometimes when I am really upset, going for a run or a walk really improves those negative feelings for me. I like it because when I work out, I become fully absorbed in the activity and getting myself through it. When I return to my daily activities, everything that was on my mind before seems less important. To back up my personal experiences, www.everydayhealth.com says this about what exercise can do for your mood:
"Can a few laps around the block solve emotional difficulties? Probably not, but a regular exercise program might help. A variety of studies have found that exercise can boost mood.
How does exercise benefit your mind? To begin with, aerobic exercise prompts the release of mood-lifting hormones, which relieve stress and promote a sense of well-being. In addition, the repetitive cycle of muscle contraction and release that takes place in yoga or in aerobic pursuits such as walking and swimming increases levels of the brain chemical serotonin, which combats negative feelings.
Many studies since the 1980s have reached roughly the same conclusion: People getting at least a moderate amount of exercise have fewer symptoms of depression. One investigation, involving 2,084 men and women ages 65 and older, found that among the participants who initially reported symptoms of depression, those who walked daily had a third fewer symptoms after three years. The Harvard Alumni Health Study turned up similar results. The men who burned 1,000–2,500 calories per week through aerobic activity lowered their risk for depression by 17%. In participants who burned more than 2,500 calories a week, the risk of experiencing depression dropped by 28%.
Not only can exercise help ward off depression, but it is also an effective treatment in many cases. A review of studies stretching back to 1981 concluded that regular exercise can improve mood in people with mild to moderate depression. It also may play a supporting role in treating severe depression. In fact, some studies have found that exercise can relieve symptoms of mild to moderate depression as effectively as medication.
Exercise can also alleviate anxiety, which is characterized by worry and fear. The greatest benefits derive from a program of aerobic activity lasting at least 10 weeks, and, ideally, more than 15 weeks. People who start with high levels of anxiety and low levels of fitness garner the greatest gains. Research suggests that this type of program can be as successful as other anxiety-reducing techniques, such as relaxation training. "
11:30 am- Lunch
I was in a hurry to get up to Hawken and take my makeup AP Environmental Science Exam after I got home from class, so I had to make myself lunch on the fly. Though we had some leftover noodles and vegetables from dinner two nights ago (and my dinner last night as well), I wanted a change of pace, but was still craving a pasta dish. I went for frozen fettuccine alfredo because it was quick, I knew exactly how much I was eating and it was correctly portioned, and I was craving white sauce. The ice cream was a better, more filling option than chips or pretzels. I didn't have time to cut myself strawberries and I didn't want an apple, so I ran out of the house without a fruit. Shame on me.
Frozen fettuccine alfredo
Serving double fudge brownie icecream
Handful Tony Packo's Pickles (these things are absolutely amazing. they only have 3 calories per serving, they are spicy and delicious, and great for something to munch on when you're in a hurry.)
3:00 pm- Snack
After the AP test was over, I hopped in my car and my stomach was roaring. I drank 46 ounces of propel while in the test, but my tummy wanted food, of which I had none. Luckily, my sister is kind of a slob and left a brownie wrapped in plastic on the floor of my car from when I dropped her off at school this morning. A little weird, but it would have to do. I ate that, and began my drive directly down to see Doctor Rome at the Cleveland Clinic.
Small brownie I found on my floor
4:00 pm- Check up with Dr. Ellen Rome
One thing I will say for my visits with Doctor Rome over the course of this project: they have been so quick and painless. Usually when I would go into her office, it would be a 2 hour ordeal of waiting and then chatting with a nurse, then another nurse, then a resident, all before Dr. Rome would make an appearance. These visits, on the other hand, have only taken about a half hour from start to finish. Today we chatted about my blog and my project. I told her how I was okay with weighing a little bit more because I knew it was muscle, and in all honesty, I like the way I look right now--strong and healthy. She took my blood pressure and heart rate sitting and standing, and the heart rate was in the 60s for both (something I was really happy with because of a heart rate scare a couple months back). The blood pressure sitting was good, and standing was still alright but could have been a little bit better. She told me I needed to focus on getting more fluids to get that up a little bit. Other than that, we discussed my home life and my stress levels, then I was on my merry way.
6:00 pm- Dinner
Dinner was nearly hot on the table when I got home for once. I loved that. Usually my family doesn't eat until 8 or 9 (which I have heard is not very healthy, but after doing some research there seems to be no conclusive evidence that it is bad for you) and I am left making myself soup or frozen mac n' cheese. But not tonight!
David Berg Hot Dog (These are one of my favorite meals my family makes. They are 1/3 pound, and very light. They don't have a ton of preservatives or weird ingredients. For the most part, they are natural and very filling.)
Hot dog bun
3 Mrs. T's perogies sauteed in a little bit of olive oil
Broccoli
6:45 pm- Dessert
After dinner, I was still clearly hungry and craving sweet things. I also wanted something that would fill me up, so the ice cream and the milk helped with that. I believe I had just the right amount of food today for my activity level. I love days like these.
Small serving vanilla ice cream
Heinen's fudge brownie
6 ounces 2% milk
2 peanut butter Treasures
In a previous post, I had my friend Natalie drop a hint to me about trying almond milk. I did a bit of research and found that it is not milk at all, but rather almonds and water ground together. You can make it at home or buy it from the store. It is lighter and apparently doesn't taste very much like milk, offering an alternative for those who don't like milk's flavor. Here are some facts from http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com:
Health Benefits of Almond Milk
* Almond milk is rich in Vitamin E, a known antioxidant, and thus, is believed to good for those undergoing detoxification programs.
* Almond milk contains high levels of unsaturated fat and has been associated with lower risk of heart attack.
* Almond milk has been found to contain little to no saturated fat and no cholesterol, making it extremely good for those suffering from high cholesterol problem.
* Almond milk does not contain lactose. This makes it easily digestible and the perfect alternative for those suffering from lactose-intolerance.
* Owing to the absence of saturated fats and presence of unsaturated fats, almond milk can be said to be good for those trying to lose weight
.
Nutritional Facts about Almond Milk
* Almond milk is rich in protein and omega fatty acids.
* Almonds milk does not contain cholesterol and saturated fats
* Almonds milk has high levels of vitamin E and unsaturated fats
* Almond milk contains minerals such as zinc, magnesium, potassium, calcium and iron.
* 8 oz (237ml) of almond milk contains 70 calories, 2gm protein, 10gm carbohydrates and 2.5 gm fat: 2.5g
* Almond milk has zero fiber.
Reading Material
The Secret gave me an activity to do today, and I wanted to share it with readers of the blog so that perhaps they could try it to. The basic idea was to make a list of "mood shifters"--or thoughts that can instantly change your mind from sending out negative signals to sending out positive ones, therefore attracting more positive thoughts to you.
Here is a list of my mood shifters:
1) In the summer, driving the paint van (my summer job) with my window down and Third Eye Blind blaring as I drive along County Line Road with a bright yellow sun against a clear blue sky, birds chirping and flowers blooming along the side of the road.
2) "Slide" by the Goo Goo Dolls
3) Hearing "i love you"
4) Laying in the middle of the road under the stars at my best friend Brooke's cottage in the summer.
5) Shwayze
6) Playing soccer (but only when its just for fun--at least for right now.)
7) The Hawken campus
8) Driving to Lodi with my dad, listening to James Taylor's album, Hourglass
9) Talking to my brother
10) Reading trash mags like OK!, Star, and People and watching E!
I highly encourage you to make your own. It will really help keep you on track and follow the laws of The Secret.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Week 3, Day 2 (Let's Check In With the Project Group, Shall We?)
6:30 am- Breakfast
Last night I went to bed late and towards the end started feeling a little bit hungry, but I was too tired to go downstairs and eat. Therefore, this morning it surprised me that I had utterly no appetite. One of my past nutritionists, Nancy Blazar, told me that 9 times out of 10, when you wake up in the morning and aren't hungry, it's because you missed your body telling you it was hungry while you slept and you need to eat anyway. Fair enough, I thought to myself.
My mom went to the grocery store and brought home all sorts of delicious food--some of it healthy, some of it not so much--and this morning I was tempted. I didn't want my usual Special K, and there was this danish sitting in the pantry. Instead of going nuts like I usually would have, I cut myself a very small slice, as well as a small slice of brownie and popped them on a plate with a glass of milk and an apple. Was it the healthiest or most filling choice possible? No. But I didn't want to deprive myself and crave the sweets even more later in the day, so I had some.
1/2 serving Danish
1/2 serving chocolate fudge brownie (both these items were from the bakery at Heinen's)
8 oz. 2% milk
1 large pink lady apple
I dropped my brother off at school and came home at about 9:30. Shockingly, because of my ultra filling and nutritious breakfast, I was hungry again. Because I decided to make really well thought out food choices today, I grabbed the remainder of the chex mix (there was about 1/3 to 1/2 of a serving left and brought it upstairs with me. I knew it wouldn't hold me over, but there wasn't much left and I didn't really care.
11:00 am- Lunch
At 11 o'clock, I was hungry for lunch and knew I was lacking some protein in my diet. I went downstairs and saw shrimp and crab cakes. Perfect. Shrimp are lean, mean protein machines. The crab cakes were good because they were Market Day, and only had 100 calories per cake, while still being absolutely delicious.
3 Market Day Crab Cakes
10 small/medium shrimp
Two Brother's Teriykai Sauce from Heinen's (This is by far the best sauce in the world--I eat it on almost anything. It is extremely thick for teriyaki sauce and is ultra flavorful. Heinen's is just an excellent place to shop, plain and simple.)
60 calorie, sugar free Jello Pudding Cup (not the healthiest choice, but I needed to taste chocolate, and I thought it was the lightest, yet most filling option.)
I went upstairs, finished blogging, and headed off to grab a smoothie from Robek's with my best friend Brooke before we had Senior Project Check In up at Hawken.
Initially, I was concerned about the Robek's. I knew we had an ice cream sundae bar after SP check-in (and we all know I can't pass up ice cream) so I didn't really want or need the extra food. But I also didn't want to be rude and wanted to go out with my friend. At Robek's, I looked at all of the ingredients ans surprisingly, they were fresh and simple. In my smoothie, Cranberry Quest, there were blueberries, cranberry juice, strawberries, raspberry sherbet, non-fat yogurt and ice. I got a junior size, so it was actually correctly portioned, and i really enjoyed it.
2:30 pm- Senior Project Meeting
That went well. I really enjoyed hearing about the projects of all the other activities of my classmates. Everyone really seems to be getting into what they are doing, and it was exciting to listen to.
3:00 pm- Ice Cream Sundae Madness
Basically I had a big giant bowl of chocolate and vanilla ice cream with whipped cream, hot fudge, and oreo pieces. I wasn't hungry at all, but it looked delicious and I ate it anyways which made me feel awful. At the end, I even had to stop myself from getting more. Ohh no. After walking out to my car, I vowed I'd go home and be done eating for the day.
5:15 pm- ZUMBA!... Or maybe not.
ZUMBA! is an extremely popular class at Urban Active because it is so much fun and there is a ton of energy in the room. Recently, they have started having to do a sign up because too many people want to take the class and it is a fire hazard. When I walked through the doors of UA, the line was almost backed up out the door. I decided to wait because I really wanted to get my dose of exercise in, and I needed to just dance my stress away. I waited about a half hour, and when I got up to the front, the girl behind the counter looked at my card and said, "Sorry, this class is now only open to full-time members." I was not happy. In fact, I was very upset. I stormed out and drove home, heading up to my room to de-stress a little bit. I need a day off.
7:00 pm- Shocking, I was hungry again
Even after my Robek's smoothie and enormous bowl of ice cream, as I laid on my bed, I felt a distinct grumbling in my stomach. At first I didn't think it was possible, but then it came again. Because I am practicing listening to what my body tells me, I went down and made myself a tiny bowl of leftover noodles and vegetables from the previous night's dinner, with a little side bowl of mixed snack food such as pretzels and chips. I realized I would burn through these pretty fast, but was expecting them to last until I went to sleep.
9:00 pm- Really, body? You really need more food right now?
Sure enough, two hours later, the feeling was back. It was frustrating for me because I almost thought I had to be imagining the feeling,because in my own mind, my hunger made no logical sense. But again, I knew what my body wanted, so I listened. I went downstairs and grabbed some food that I knew would tide me over, unlike those chips and noodles. I had a Luna protein bar and a glass of milk. Finally, my body was satisfied.
Reading Material
Lessons from The Secret today are:
Everything in someone's life is a product of the thoughts of that person up to that point. Because thoughts become things, and this includes negative thoughts too, everything in your life is a product of your thoughts and the signals you send out. Obviously, there are some instances where this doesn't apply--like if there is a death in the family. But the area where is does apply is how you react to and move on from that death. Every emotion, every interaction, and everything that you receive is a product of your thoughts. If you can envision what you want, and focus on it completely (not constantly, but on a somewhat regular basis) it will come to you.
Don't focus on the "don't"s. Focusing on what you don't want is the worst possible thing to do. It will basically reverse the effectiveness of this method, because it is all negative energy, and it is constant focus on a subject, which will therefore attract the subject to you, whether you want it or not. For example, do not say, "I really don't want to trip at graduation." The more you focus on that thought, the more likely you are to fall. Instead, say, "I will walk tall at graduation, and be graceful and elegant." By focusing on that positive thought, success will come to you.
Feelings are there to keep your thoughts on track.
When you feel bad, it is because your thoughts are going the wrong direction. When you feel good, it is a reward for the correct way of thinking. When you are feeling down, you can change it in an instant. Dwell on something beautiful. Really dwell on it.
Last night I went to bed late and towards the end started feeling a little bit hungry, but I was too tired to go downstairs and eat. Therefore, this morning it surprised me that I had utterly no appetite. One of my past nutritionists, Nancy Blazar, told me that 9 times out of 10, when you wake up in the morning and aren't hungry, it's because you missed your body telling you it was hungry while you slept and you need to eat anyway. Fair enough, I thought to myself.
My mom went to the grocery store and brought home all sorts of delicious food--some of it healthy, some of it not so much--and this morning I was tempted. I didn't want my usual Special K, and there was this danish sitting in the pantry. Instead of going nuts like I usually would have, I cut myself a very small slice, as well as a small slice of brownie and popped them on a plate with a glass of milk and an apple. Was it the healthiest or most filling choice possible? No. But I didn't want to deprive myself and crave the sweets even more later in the day, so I had some.
1/2 serving Danish
1/2 serving chocolate fudge brownie (both these items were from the bakery at Heinen's)
8 oz. 2% milk
1 large pink lady apple
I dropped my brother off at school and came home at about 9:30. Shockingly, because of my ultra filling and nutritious breakfast, I was hungry again. Because I decided to make really well thought out food choices today, I grabbed the remainder of the chex mix (there was about 1/3 to 1/2 of a serving left and brought it upstairs with me. I knew it wouldn't hold me over, but there wasn't much left and I didn't really care.
11:00 am- Lunch
At 11 o'clock, I was hungry for lunch and knew I was lacking some protein in my diet. I went downstairs and saw shrimp and crab cakes. Perfect. Shrimp are lean, mean protein machines. The crab cakes were good because they were Market Day, and only had 100 calories per cake, while still being absolutely delicious.
3 Market Day Crab Cakes
10 small/medium shrimp
Two Brother's Teriykai Sauce from Heinen's (This is by far the best sauce in the world--I eat it on almost anything. It is extremely thick for teriyaki sauce and is ultra flavorful. Heinen's is just an excellent place to shop, plain and simple.)
60 calorie, sugar free Jello Pudding Cup (not the healthiest choice, but I needed to taste chocolate, and I thought it was the lightest, yet most filling option.)
I went upstairs, finished blogging, and headed off to grab a smoothie from Robek's with my best friend Brooke before we had Senior Project Check In up at Hawken.
Initially, I was concerned about the Robek's. I knew we had an ice cream sundae bar after SP check-in (and we all know I can't pass up ice cream) so I didn't really want or need the extra food. But I also didn't want to be rude and wanted to go out with my friend. At Robek's, I looked at all of the ingredients ans surprisingly, they were fresh and simple. In my smoothie, Cranberry Quest, there were blueberries, cranberry juice, strawberries, raspberry sherbet, non-fat yogurt and ice. I got a junior size, so it was actually correctly portioned, and i really enjoyed it.
2:30 pm- Senior Project Meeting
That went well. I really enjoyed hearing about the projects of all the other activities of my classmates. Everyone really seems to be getting into what they are doing, and it was exciting to listen to.
3:00 pm- Ice Cream Sundae Madness
Basically I had a big giant bowl of chocolate and vanilla ice cream with whipped cream, hot fudge, and oreo pieces. I wasn't hungry at all, but it looked delicious and I ate it anyways which made me feel awful. At the end, I even had to stop myself from getting more. Ohh no. After walking out to my car, I vowed I'd go home and be done eating for the day.
5:15 pm- ZUMBA!... Or maybe not.
ZUMBA! is an extremely popular class at Urban Active because it is so much fun and there is a ton of energy in the room. Recently, they have started having to do a sign up because too many people want to take the class and it is a fire hazard. When I walked through the doors of UA, the line was almost backed up out the door. I decided to wait because I really wanted to get my dose of exercise in, and I needed to just dance my stress away. I waited about a half hour, and when I got up to the front, the girl behind the counter looked at my card and said, "Sorry, this class is now only open to full-time members." I was not happy. In fact, I was very upset. I stormed out and drove home, heading up to my room to de-stress a little bit. I need a day off.
7:00 pm- Shocking, I was hungry again
Even after my Robek's smoothie and enormous bowl of ice cream, as I laid on my bed, I felt a distinct grumbling in my stomach. At first I didn't think it was possible, but then it came again. Because I am practicing listening to what my body tells me, I went down and made myself a tiny bowl of leftover noodles and vegetables from the previous night's dinner, with a little side bowl of mixed snack food such as pretzels and chips. I realized I would burn through these pretty fast, but was expecting them to last until I went to sleep.
9:00 pm- Really, body? You really need more food right now?
Sure enough, two hours later, the feeling was back. It was frustrating for me because I almost thought I had to be imagining the feeling,because in my own mind, my hunger made no logical sense. But again, I knew what my body wanted, so I listened. I went downstairs and grabbed some food that I knew would tide me over, unlike those chips and noodles. I had a Luna protein bar and a glass of milk. Finally, my body was satisfied.
Reading Material
Lessons from The Secret today are:
Everything in someone's life is a product of the thoughts of that person up to that point. Because thoughts become things, and this includes negative thoughts too, everything in your life is a product of your thoughts and the signals you send out. Obviously, there are some instances where this doesn't apply--like if there is a death in the family. But the area where is does apply is how you react to and move on from that death. Every emotion, every interaction, and everything that you receive is a product of your thoughts. If you can envision what you want, and focus on it completely (not constantly, but on a somewhat regular basis) it will come to you.
Don't focus on the "don't"s. Focusing on what you don't want is the worst possible thing to do. It will basically reverse the effectiveness of this method, because it is all negative energy, and it is constant focus on a subject, which will therefore attract the subject to you, whether you want it or not. For example, do not say, "I really don't want to trip at graduation." The more you focus on that thought, the more likely you are to fall. Instead, say, "I will walk tall at graduation, and be graceful and elegant." By focusing on that positive thought, success will come to you.
Feelings are there to keep your thoughts on track.
When you feel bad, it is because your thoughts are going the wrong direction. When you feel good, it is a reward for the correct way of thinking. When you are feeling down, you can change it in an instant. Dwell on something beautiful. Really dwell on it.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Week 3, Day 1 (All This Activity is Starting to Catch Up With Me)
This morning, I literally could not drag myself out of bed for the life of me. Even with taking two days of rest and eating better than substantially all weekend, I still woke up starving and physically exhausted. On top of everything, we didn't have any food in our house like milk or fruit, making breakfast a challenge. I scrounged around the cupboard and found a lone protein bar that I smeared with some peanut butter, and added a banana and the tail end of the dried fruit in the pantry. I also have been filling up a large, 46 ounce V8 bottle with water and mixing in two packets of Propel to keep me hydrated throughout the day with out drinking pop. My mom also made a good point that I might be so tired because I'm not getting all that caffeine from drinking diet coke, and my body isn't used to the change yet.
7:30 am- Breakfast
Zone Perfect Bar (Mocha flavored, which was really delicious, especially with the peanut butter.)
Table spoon of peanut butter
Almost brown banana (It wasn't the most appetizing thing I had ever seen, but I wanted fruit and it was slim pickings)
Last few bites of Sunsweet dried berries and cherries
46 fluid ounces water mixed with 2 Propel powder packets
9:15 am- Simply Step Class at Urban Active
The first thing I will say about my experience in Simply Step: the name is exceptionally deceiving. There was nothing simple about this class, especially as a first timer. I walked in the studio and picked out my platform, as well as two risers for each side (four total). Then, the teacher turned to the class and said "Does anybody want to do double step today?" I didn't even know what regular step was. I had no desire to learn about double step. But I was outnumbered by my obviously veteran classmates-- so double step it was. Basically, we had to get another platform identical to the one we already had, and place in parallel to our original step. We were to leave enough space in the middle so that we could move comfortably. It looked like giant train tracks. The music started and we began marching and moving on the floor. It all seemed very doable--I felt powerful, knowledgeable and in control. Again I say, this class is deceiving. The minute we stepped up to the platforms, I started to struggle. For me, the frustrating thing was that I knew I could do the moves that the rest of the class was doing. I just didn't know how. Everything was very fast. It was all about learning on the fly. The instructor was very high energy, short, and very strong. She called things out and spoke clearly, just the words "step over squat" and "v step" meant nothing to me. I had to watch her and try to pick up the move while everyone else already knew what to do. The most frustrating thing was the fact that just as I would get it, she would move on. I hate being frustrated when I exercise. I also hate feeling weak or out done by the person standing next to me. All of these feelings were experienced during today's class. I will say that Simply Step was a beyond awesome work out. I left the class dripping in sweat with my thighs and calves burning, and I was actually short of breath. I just hope that next time, I am able to pick up the steps quicker and avoid frustration for a more successful workout.
10:15 am- Pilates
I was seriously considering just up and leaving after the step class. I was exhausted and didn't know if my attention span would be hold up for another hour of group exercise. But when the lights went off and the calming music started playing, I decided it might be a good way to lessen my stress about the previous class. Pilates is unique in the sense that its a very stationary form of exercise. For me, who likes to move and jump around and be very active so that I know I am engaging my body, it's a whole new world. But do not be fooled by the lack of movement- it is also a very good workout that really engages the core. We began with some weighted squats and stretches, and I felt like my legs would break off. The two classes in a row seemed like a great idea last night, but living them today was tough. My favorite things we did in class today were these giant leg circles that really opened up my hips and hip flexers, which generally give me some trouble, especially during preseason for soccer. Basically, we laid on our backs, and began with one leg bent and at rest while the other was straight up in the air forming a 90 degree angle to the floor. We made tiny circles on the ceiling with our raised legs, then, we gradually made them bigger. As we did this, we extended our bent leg until it was flat on the floor and we were making full, enormous circles with our raised legs. It engaged the abs because we had to stay balanced as well as be able to rotate the leg in a slow, controlled manner. At the end of the class, during the ab work, there were several moments where I just wanted to leave. Mentally, I was checked out, and it frustrated me that some of the exercises were a huge challenge. Again, I like to be the best, and for everything to seem effortless as though I've been doing it my entire life.
I think that the classes today were beginning to teach me that I need to accept the fact that I can't be good at every athletic endeavor I undertake. I can't give up or get frustrated and therefore incapacitated when there is an area that needs improvement.
12:00 pm Lunch
I was on the fly to my final fibula check up, so I had to eat quickly as I was running out the door. Therefore it wasn't the most well rounded of meals, but I made up for it later in the day.
Can Campbell's Broccoli Chicken and Cheese Soup
Small bunch of red grapes
12:30 pm X Ray at The Cleveland Clinic, Solon Branch
I love the Solon Branch of the Cleveland Clinic because it is so quick and easy to get through. In my experience, they are always running right on time and the doctors come in quickly and get you in and out of there. I walked in to radiology and within minutes i was sitting on a table with a giant machine hovering over my four inch scar on my right calf. The woman was extremely friendly and asked me if I had done this before. I chuckled and said about 50 times. The injury had been going on since late August. She asked if I was an athlete and I said I broke it playing soccer. I was the captain and it ruined my senior season. I went on to tell her how it had a similar affect on my senior basketball season. Oh what a great year of athletics! She really felt for me and started talking about her kids and how they are soccer players and how much they love it. Her son was a goalie in 8th grade, and he had his heart set on becoming the varsity goalie as a freshman. He sounded just like me at that age.
That talk really made me miss the sport of soccer. It's difficult to describe. There are aspects of my high school soccer experience that I will never miss. The preseason and conditioning were major drags. And the time commitment was awful. But I'll never forget, or truly be able to describe, the feeling of making a killer save and hearing that reaction from the crowd as I rose to my feet, with the robbed goal sitting cockily on my hip. I'll never forget going undefeated my junior year, going un-scored upon for our first 13 games, or that crazy sense of a common goal amongst my teammates both my junior and senior years--We could win states! But I'll also never forget a very tough playoff loss to Laurel my junior season, which I largely blame myself for, and then having to watch from the sidelines as my team battled it out with Hathaway Brown (who went on to win the state title) until they scored a goal with 7 minutes left to win the game 1-0. I'll never stop wondering if I would have saved the shot. Or if the entire course of the season would have changed had I been in the net. Soccer means a lot to me. As much as I try to deny it, and act like I want to be done with sports forever, it's really a large front. I miss it with all my heart. And a large part of me wishes I was playing in college next year. But you have to play with the cards you are dealt, and for one reason or another, I was dealt a broken fibula. Everything happens for a reason I guess.
1:00 pm- Look at the X Rays with Dr. Goodwin
Doctor Ryan Goodwin has really been my saving grace with this injury. We found him late in the game, after going through three doctors and being unsatisfied with the results. Not to say that it was these doctors' faults that I didn't recover. It was more about them not being able to figure out what was wrong with me and why it wasn't healing. Doctor Goodwin knew right away-- I needed compression. So he did the surgery and was done with it. I was seriously considering not even getting the surgery and living with the pain, but he talked me out of that notion, and I couldn't be happier he did. He is super friendly, and talks to me realistically on a level that I can understand. I honestly can't say enough good about him. When I got my cast on, I was in tears because I was convinced I'd be on crutches for prom. He looked me in the eyes and swore up and down I'd be out of that cast and would be able to dance to my little heart's desire. I didn't fully believe him at the time, but he stuck to his word like glue, and I went to prom in heels and a beautiful dress that I loved. Today, I brought him pictures from prom to show him how happy I was. We sat on the bench in the check-up room and looked through them as if he was my uncle at a family party. At the end of the meeting he told me I was completely clear to do whatever I wanted--even ball sports. Maybe this week I'll head out to the soccer field with my little brother and have him shoot on me. Overall, it was a fantastic appointment.
3:30 pm- Snack
Today for snack I was very tempted by some cheese puffs in my cupboard. I even got the bag and a bowl out and was ready to pour. But right as I did so I looked at the back of the back: 160 calories. And this snack would probably hold me over for all of 30 minutes. What else could I have for 160 calories? How about a slice of whole grain toast with melted American cheese broiled until it was golden brown on top and delicious? The nice thing about that choice was it was all real. No artificial ingredients. I knew where everything I ate came from. With that I also had a yogurt with a little bit of Special K on top, as well as a couple mini pieces of chocolate for my junk food fix.
Slice Whole Grain Toast
Slice Velveeta American Cheese
Yoplait Light Yogurt
1/2 serving Special K
1 mini Butter Finger Crip
1 mini Cookies n' Cream Easter Egg
Now, all of that might sound like a lot. But I did a lot of physical activity and didn't have a lot for lunch. Also, I was going on to yet another training session. My body needed recharging. And I accomplished this is such a way that I stayed satisfied, got my fix for junk food, and also ate very healthfully and consciously.
4:45 pm- Training With Ann Marie at Anytime Fitness
As I have said all along, Ann Marie and I get along fantastically. I really respect her opinion and knowledge about health and wellness. Today I came in and we immediately jumped into conversation about how exhausted I was from my morning. She said we would take it easy today, and I asked to do some upper body work. So we spent the day going from machine to machine at anytime learning how they worked, how much weight to put on, and alternate exercises that worked the same muscle groups as the machine did. One thing that Ann Marie said today that I loved was about not training to failure because she doesn't believe in over training. In my old days of rigidity, I would have insisted on working til failure, concentrating on the same muscle groups every day to make sure they looked how I wanted them to. With Ann Marie, I am learning all about balance. Some days we do yoga and abs and work on the "magic ball" as I so affectionately call it. Other days, we work on arms and chest. Sometimes, we just sit down and talk about things related to health and wellness, like last week with the diet pop discussion. When I do exercises for her, I always feel that I am working, but it is never to the point where I lose control because I am working so hard, or want to cry out from the pain of finishing an exercise. It is nice to take a relaxed approach to fitness. Everything does not need to be insanely intense to be effective.
6:30 pm- Dinner Isn't Ready, and I'm Hungry Again
After finishing putting away all the groceries my mom brought home, my stomach began to rumble. Dinner was no where near done and I needed something to hold me over. By the way, the hunger at 6:30 proves my seemingly large snack was actually the perfect size for what my body needed right then. My mom had brought home fresh tomato salsa, as well as other things, including some delicious looking peanut butter Treasures.
1/2 serving baked tortilla chips
Fresh tomato salsa
1 peanut butter flavored Treasure
8:40 pm- Dinner
Dinner was certainly worth waiting for. It was extremely fresh and delicious. We had:
Bow tie noodles with tomatoes, asparagus, broccoli, and mushrooms
Parmesan cheese
Fresh artisan bread with melted cheese and garlic
After I finished my dinner, I tried to move directly on to dessert (We got new flavors of ice cream. I couldn't resist.) but my dad gave me a stern tongue lashing. I needed to sit and enjoy dinner conversation with my family. Not just snarf and leave. I rarely eat dinner with my family because they eat so late and it never works with my schedule. So it was nice to sit down and take the opportunity to talk to my dad about his walk and my brother about how he is shadowing at Hawken tomorrow. After my dad finished, I went and moved in for the kill on the Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream. It was delicious, soft, and creamy. I have decided I like slow churned ice cream or else frozen yogurt as opposed to the taste of real ice cream. There is a distinct difference and at least in my opinion, the healthier choices taste much better in this case. What an added bonus!
Reading Material
This week, the book I am reading is called The Secret. It is a type of self help book all about changing your mind and the kind of signals you send out into the universe. I have read it before and am re-reading it for this project to recall tips and methods for reaching happiness. This book offers a secret that, if followed correctly, claims to bring to you anything you want. At first, I was very, very skeptical. But right at the beginning, the book has the reader make a list of things that they want in their lives, no matter how crazy or irrational. One of the top things that I wrote down was getting into the interior design program at the University of Cincinnati. Everyone told me there was absolutely no way it could be done--it was impossible because of my grades and how selective they are. The program is number one in the country. But I was desperate and dead set on it. And I applied the laws of The Secret. Sure enough, I got in. It has also worked with many other aspects of my life, and I am a big believer in its effectiveness. It might sound a little bit crazy, but here I offer the no-nonsense guide to this book. But first, to explain better, the official website of The Secret, http://www.thesecret.tv/, says this about what has grown into an insanely popular and widely believed phenomenon,
"The Secret reveals the most powerful law in the universe. The knowledge of this law has run like a golden thread through the lives and the teachings of all the prophets, seers, sages and saviors in the world's history, and through the lives of all truly great men and women. All that they have ever accomplished or attained has been done in full accordance with this most powerful law.
Without exception, every human being has the ability to transform any weakness or suffering into strength, power, perfect peace, health, and abundance.
Rhonda Byrne's discovery of The Secret began with a glimpse of the truth through a 100 year old book. She went back through centuries, tracing and uncovering a common truth that lay at the core of the most powerful philosophies, teachings and religions in the world.
What Rhonda discovered is now captured in The Secret, a film that has been viewed by millions around the world. The Secret has also been released as an audio-book and printed book with more than 16 million copies in print in over 40 languages.
The Secret reveals the natural law that is governing all lives. By applying the knowledge of this law, you can change every aspect of your life.
This is the secret to prosperity, health, relationships and happiness. This is the secret to life."
Now I will say that the language is a little inflated here. They could simply say, "if you consciously focus on changing the way that you think in this way, then you will be happier and more successful." When they get into all this "golden thread" and "prophets, seers, and sages" stuff, I start to shut it out because it's all fluff designed to make you keep reading, when in fact the secret is very simple. I have been taking some notes to kind of separate the fluff from the fact, and here is what I have come up with.
This book is all about how you think-- You are the master of your own thoughts. If you make the thing you want the central focus and eliminate all the bad things from your thoughts, you will find happiness.
Like attracts like. This is a very important concept in this program. It's all about getting your brain on a positive wave length. If you think happy thoughts, more happy thoughts will come to you. If you consciously focus on the good, more good feelings will come. Have you ever noticed how negativity is like a chain reaction? When you think one negative thing, it undoubtedly leads to another, and until you break the cycle you keep spiraling downward. Positivity is the same way. If you focus on thinking only positive thoughts, more happiness will come to you.
Thoughts are things. Plain and simple, this is how I firmly believe I got into Cinci. Our focused thoughts become realities. No matter what anyone told me, I stayed constantly focused on acceptance. I saw myself being accepted. I saw myself going there. My thoughts were never negative. I knew I was going to get in. And I never second guessed that feeling.
7:30 am- Breakfast
Zone Perfect Bar (Mocha flavored, which was really delicious, especially with the peanut butter.)
Table spoon of peanut butter
Almost brown banana (It wasn't the most appetizing thing I had ever seen, but I wanted fruit and it was slim pickings)
Last few bites of Sunsweet dried berries and cherries
46 fluid ounces water mixed with 2 Propel powder packets
9:15 am- Simply Step Class at Urban Active
The first thing I will say about my experience in Simply Step: the name is exceptionally deceiving. There was nothing simple about this class, especially as a first timer. I walked in the studio and picked out my platform, as well as two risers for each side (four total). Then, the teacher turned to the class and said "Does anybody want to do double step today?" I didn't even know what regular step was. I had no desire to learn about double step. But I was outnumbered by my obviously veteran classmates-- so double step it was. Basically, we had to get another platform identical to the one we already had, and place in parallel to our original step. We were to leave enough space in the middle so that we could move comfortably. It looked like giant train tracks. The music started and we began marching and moving on the floor. It all seemed very doable--I felt powerful, knowledgeable and in control. Again I say, this class is deceiving. The minute we stepped up to the platforms, I started to struggle. For me, the frustrating thing was that I knew I could do the moves that the rest of the class was doing. I just didn't know how. Everything was very fast. It was all about learning on the fly. The instructor was very high energy, short, and very strong. She called things out and spoke clearly, just the words "step over squat" and "v step" meant nothing to me. I had to watch her and try to pick up the move while everyone else already knew what to do. The most frustrating thing was the fact that just as I would get it, she would move on. I hate being frustrated when I exercise. I also hate feeling weak or out done by the person standing next to me. All of these feelings were experienced during today's class. I will say that Simply Step was a beyond awesome work out. I left the class dripping in sweat with my thighs and calves burning, and I was actually short of breath. I just hope that next time, I am able to pick up the steps quicker and avoid frustration for a more successful workout.
10:15 am- Pilates
I was seriously considering just up and leaving after the step class. I was exhausted and didn't know if my attention span would be hold up for another hour of group exercise. But when the lights went off and the calming music started playing, I decided it might be a good way to lessen my stress about the previous class. Pilates is unique in the sense that its a very stationary form of exercise. For me, who likes to move and jump around and be very active so that I know I am engaging my body, it's a whole new world. But do not be fooled by the lack of movement- it is also a very good workout that really engages the core. We began with some weighted squats and stretches, and I felt like my legs would break off. The two classes in a row seemed like a great idea last night, but living them today was tough. My favorite things we did in class today were these giant leg circles that really opened up my hips and hip flexers, which generally give me some trouble, especially during preseason for soccer. Basically, we laid on our backs, and began with one leg bent and at rest while the other was straight up in the air forming a 90 degree angle to the floor. We made tiny circles on the ceiling with our raised legs, then, we gradually made them bigger. As we did this, we extended our bent leg until it was flat on the floor and we were making full, enormous circles with our raised legs. It engaged the abs because we had to stay balanced as well as be able to rotate the leg in a slow, controlled manner. At the end of the class, during the ab work, there were several moments where I just wanted to leave. Mentally, I was checked out, and it frustrated me that some of the exercises were a huge challenge. Again, I like to be the best, and for everything to seem effortless as though I've been doing it my entire life.
I think that the classes today were beginning to teach me that I need to accept the fact that I can't be good at every athletic endeavor I undertake. I can't give up or get frustrated and therefore incapacitated when there is an area that needs improvement.
12:00 pm Lunch
I was on the fly to my final fibula check up, so I had to eat quickly as I was running out the door. Therefore it wasn't the most well rounded of meals, but I made up for it later in the day.
Can Campbell's Broccoli Chicken and Cheese Soup
Small bunch of red grapes
12:30 pm X Ray at The Cleveland Clinic, Solon Branch
I love the Solon Branch of the Cleveland Clinic because it is so quick and easy to get through. In my experience, they are always running right on time and the doctors come in quickly and get you in and out of there. I walked in to radiology and within minutes i was sitting on a table with a giant machine hovering over my four inch scar on my right calf. The woman was extremely friendly and asked me if I had done this before. I chuckled and said about 50 times. The injury had been going on since late August. She asked if I was an athlete and I said I broke it playing soccer. I was the captain and it ruined my senior season. I went on to tell her how it had a similar affect on my senior basketball season. Oh what a great year of athletics! She really felt for me and started talking about her kids and how they are soccer players and how much they love it. Her son was a goalie in 8th grade, and he had his heart set on becoming the varsity goalie as a freshman. He sounded just like me at that age.
That talk really made me miss the sport of soccer. It's difficult to describe. There are aspects of my high school soccer experience that I will never miss. The preseason and conditioning were major drags. And the time commitment was awful. But I'll never forget, or truly be able to describe, the feeling of making a killer save and hearing that reaction from the crowd as I rose to my feet, with the robbed goal sitting cockily on my hip. I'll never forget going undefeated my junior year, going un-scored upon for our first 13 games, or that crazy sense of a common goal amongst my teammates both my junior and senior years--We could win states! But I'll also never forget a very tough playoff loss to Laurel my junior season, which I largely blame myself for, and then having to watch from the sidelines as my team battled it out with Hathaway Brown (who went on to win the state title) until they scored a goal with 7 minutes left to win the game 1-0. I'll never stop wondering if I would have saved the shot. Or if the entire course of the season would have changed had I been in the net. Soccer means a lot to me. As much as I try to deny it, and act like I want to be done with sports forever, it's really a large front. I miss it with all my heart. And a large part of me wishes I was playing in college next year. But you have to play with the cards you are dealt, and for one reason or another, I was dealt a broken fibula. Everything happens for a reason I guess.
1:00 pm- Look at the X Rays with Dr. Goodwin
Doctor Ryan Goodwin has really been my saving grace with this injury. We found him late in the game, after going through three doctors and being unsatisfied with the results. Not to say that it was these doctors' faults that I didn't recover. It was more about them not being able to figure out what was wrong with me and why it wasn't healing. Doctor Goodwin knew right away-- I needed compression. So he did the surgery and was done with it. I was seriously considering not even getting the surgery and living with the pain, but he talked me out of that notion, and I couldn't be happier he did. He is super friendly, and talks to me realistically on a level that I can understand. I honestly can't say enough good about him. When I got my cast on, I was in tears because I was convinced I'd be on crutches for prom. He looked me in the eyes and swore up and down I'd be out of that cast and would be able to dance to my little heart's desire. I didn't fully believe him at the time, but he stuck to his word like glue, and I went to prom in heels and a beautiful dress that I loved. Today, I brought him pictures from prom to show him how happy I was. We sat on the bench in the check-up room and looked through them as if he was my uncle at a family party. At the end of the meeting he told me I was completely clear to do whatever I wanted--even ball sports. Maybe this week I'll head out to the soccer field with my little brother and have him shoot on me. Overall, it was a fantastic appointment.
3:30 pm- Snack
Today for snack I was very tempted by some cheese puffs in my cupboard. I even got the bag and a bowl out and was ready to pour. But right as I did so I looked at the back of the back: 160 calories. And this snack would probably hold me over for all of 30 minutes. What else could I have for 160 calories? How about a slice of whole grain toast with melted American cheese broiled until it was golden brown on top and delicious? The nice thing about that choice was it was all real. No artificial ingredients. I knew where everything I ate came from. With that I also had a yogurt with a little bit of Special K on top, as well as a couple mini pieces of chocolate for my junk food fix.
Slice Whole Grain Toast
Slice Velveeta American Cheese
Yoplait Light Yogurt
1/2 serving Special K
1 mini Butter Finger Crip
1 mini Cookies n' Cream Easter Egg
Now, all of that might sound like a lot. But I did a lot of physical activity and didn't have a lot for lunch. Also, I was going on to yet another training session. My body needed recharging. And I accomplished this is such a way that I stayed satisfied, got my fix for junk food, and also ate very healthfully and consciously.
4:45 pm- Training With Ann Marie at Anytime Fitness
As I have said all along, Ann Marie and I get along fantastically. I really respect her opinion and knowledge about health and wellness. Today I came in and we immediately jumped into conversation about how exhausted I was from my morning. She said we would take it easy today, and I asked to do some upper body work. So we spent the day going from machine to machine at anytime learning how they worked, how much weight to put on, and alternate exercises that worked the same muscle groups as the machine did. One thing that Ann Marie said today that I loved was about not training to failure because she doesn't believe in over training. In my old days of rigidity, I would have insisted on working til failure, concentrating on the same muscle groups every day to make sure they looked how I wanted them to. With Ann Marie, I am learning all about balance. Some days we do yoga and abs and work on the "magic ball" as I so affectionately call it. Other days, we work on arms and chest. Sometimes, we just sit down and talk about things related to health and wellness, like last week with the diet pop discussion. When I do exercises for her, I always feel that I am working, but it is never to the point where I lose control because I am working so hard, or want to cry out from the pain of finishing an exercise. It is nice to take a relaxed approach to fitness. Everything does not need to be insanely intense to be effective.
6:30 pm- Dinner Isn't Ready, and I'm Hungry Again
After finishing putting away all the groceries my mom brought home, my stomach began to rumble. Dinner was no where near done and I needed something to hold me over. By the way, the hunger at 6:30 proves my seemingly large snack was actually the perfect size for what my body needed right then. My mom had brought home fresh tomato salsa, as well as other things, including some delicious looking peanut butter Treasures.
1/2 serving baked tortilla chips
Fresh tomato salsa
1 peanut butter flavored Treasure
8:40 pm- Dinner
Dinner was certainly worth waiting for. It was extremely fresh and delicious. We had:
Bow tie noodles with tomatoes, asparagus, broccoli, and mushrooms
Parmesan cheese
Fresh artisan bread with melted cheese and garlic
After I finished my dinner, I tried to move directly on to dessert (We got new flavors of ice cream. I couldn't resist.) but my dad gave me a stern tongue lashing. I needed to sit and enjoy dinner conversation with my family. Not just snarf and leave. I rarely eat dinner with my family because they eat so late and it never works with my schedule. So it was nice to sit down and take the opportunity to talk to my dad about his walk and my brother about how he is shadowing at Hawken tomorrow. After my dad finished, I went and moved in for the kill on the Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream. It was delicious, soft, and creamy. I have decided I like slow churned ice cream or else frozen yogurt as opposed to the taste of real ice cream. There is a distinct difference and at least in my opinion, the healthier choices taste much better in this case. What an added bonus!
Reading Material
This week, the book I am reading is called The Secret. It is a type of self help book all about changing your mind and the kind of signals you send out into the universe. I have read it before and am re-reading it for this project to recall tips and methods for reaching happiness. This book offers a secret that, if followed correctly, claims to bring to you anything you want. At first, I was very, very skeptical. But right at the beginning, the book has the reader make a list of things that they want in their lives, no matter how crazy or irrational. One of the top things that I wrote down was getting into the interior design program at the University of Cincinnati. Everyone told me there was absolutely no way it could be done--it was impossible because of my grades and how selective they are. The program is number one in the country. But I was desperate and dead set on it. And I applied the laws of The Secret. Sure enough, I got in. It has also worked with many other aspects of my life, and I am a big believer in its effectiveness. It might sound a little bit crazy, but here I offer the no-nonsense guide to this book. But first, to explain better, the official website of The Secret, http://www.thesecret.tv/, says this about what has grown into an insanely popular and widely believed phenomenon,
"The Secret reveals the most powerful law in the universe. The knowledge of this law has run like a golden thread through the lives and the teachings of all the prophets, seers, sages and saviors in the world's history, and through the lives of all truly great men and women. All that they have ever accomplished or attained has been done in full accordance with this most powerful law.
Without exception, every human being has the ability to transform any weakness or suffering into strength, power, perfect peace, health, and abundance.
Rhonda Byrne's discovery of The Secret began with a glimpse of the truth through a 100 year old book. She went back through centuries, tracing and uncovering a common truth that lay at the core of the most powerful philosophies, teachings and religions in the world.
What Rhonda discovered is now captured in The Secret, a film that has been viewed by millions around the world. The Secret has also been released as an audio-book and printed book with more than 16 million copies in print in over 40 languages.
The Secret reveals the natural law that is governing all lives. By applying the knowledge of this law, you can change every aspect of your life.
This is the secret to prosperity, health, relationships and happiness. This is the secret to life."
Now I will say that the language is a little inflated here. They could simply say, "if you consciously focus on changing the way that you think in this way, then you will be happier and more successful." When they get into all this "golden thread" and "prophets, seers, and sages" stuff, I start to shut it out because it's all fluff designed to make you keep reading, when in fact the secret is very simple. I have been taking some notes to kind of separate the fluff from the fact, and here is what I have come up with.
This book is all about how you think-- You are the master of your own thoughts. If you make the thing you want the central focus and eliminate all the bad things from your thoughts, you will find happiness.
Like attracts like. This is a very important concept in this program. It's all about getting your brain on a positive wave length. If you think happy thoughts, more happy thoughts will come to you. If you consciously focus on the good, more good feelings will come. Have you ever noticed how negativity is like a chain reaction? When you think one negative thing, it undoubtedly leads to another, and until you break the cycle you keep spiraling downward. Positivity is the same way. If you focus on thinking only positive thoughts, more happiness will come to you.
Thoughts are things. Plain and simple, this is how I firmly believe I got into Cinci. Our focused thoughts become realities. No matter what anyone told me, I stayed constantly focused on acceptance. I saw myself being accepted. I saw myself going there. My thoughts were never negative. I knew I was going to get in. And I never second guessed that feeling.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Week 2, Day 5 (Let's Change It Up)
Typically, I begin each post with breakfast, describing what I ate, why I chose it, and how it made me feel, and continue down the line detailing my daily activities in much the same manner. Each post is generally followed up by a reference to one of the five books I am reading over the course of this project.
But what happens when my days start to look too similar to one another? Granted, this doesn't happen often. One thing I have learned from this project is each day and each class and each meal is unique and something can be learned from all of those experiences. But in the case of Friday, May 14, the day was pretty ordinary.
So, for today's blog, I thought I would change it up from the regular format. For a quick summary, so everyone gets their fix, Friday, on the whole, was very typical. I came home from Kelly's house feeling very full and angry with myself. At about 10 am however, there was no denying my hunger, so ate my Special K with milk. I went upstairs, blogged, did some chores, and then felt that clear sense of hunger again. I opted for soup and fruit. Later, I went to RetroRobics with my mom, and then out to dinner at one of our favorite places, Brennan's Colony in Cleveland Heights, where I attempted to order healthfully off of a menu comprised primarily of bar food. I am really getting good at that. I was supposed to have training with Tracy Williams at 9 am, but our schedules somehow managed to get mixed up, so we rescheduled. I slacked off slightly with the appointments with Nurse Gali this week, largely due to the fact that I am really enjoying these classes, and taking more and more of them, slowly moving away from the whole personal training side of this project. In the majority of the classes, we lift and do most of the exercises from personal training. I just enjoy them more in a class setting with music and lots of energy flowing.
With all that being said, My book for the week, Nutrition for Life is coming to a close, and I really wanted to make sure I got to share all of the interesting facts I possibly could. I have said a lot about food and different vitamins and what is appropriate to eat for different lifestyles and such. But one area I really haven't covered is the issue of disordered eating. This book offers a small section of issues of that nature, and I would like to take this opportunity to point some things out about it now.
First of all, as promised, let's talk about the body's natural set point. One of the things that my mother always stresses to me is that my body has a certain weight, or range of weight, where everything in my body functions optimally. From my heart to my brain to my arms and legs. Something that has been really difficult and stressful for me is figuring out where that range is and accepting it. Sometimes I don't like the numbers I hear. Sometimes, on paper, I think it looks too high or automatically means something is wrong with me. But what I find, time and time again, is that I am not happy when I am either above or below that range.
The best way to find that set point, as my former nutritionist Nancy Blazar told me over and over is to listen to my body and eat promptly and adequately in response to hunger. My body knows where it wants to be and it is constantly working to get me there. Where people get into trouble is when they find themselves consistently eating when their bodies are not asking for fuel, or ignoring their bodies' cries for food.
In Nutrition for Life, there was a basic and interesting segment about the "set point." The book was talking about it in the context of crash dieting and why diets like that are doomed to fail, in part, because of the set point. It was an interesting point being made that I will share with you now:
"Short term diets are doomed to fail. You may lose some weight but when you return to your usual diet, your weight will return to its usual level. This is due to what scientists call "set point"-- the level at which the body defends its current weight. If you burn more calories that you eat, your body will become more efficient at converting those calories to energy so that you will not lose weight. If you are trying to slim, make sure it is a serious commitment over a long period of time in order to retrain your body and readjust your set point."
This was relevant for me because it explained an aspect of eating disorders, and one of the many reasons why they are so dangerous. The heart rate drops insanely low due to converting calories more efficiently. Because your body is trying to counteract the diet and preserve the set point. Even though with eating disorders, preserving the natural set point is usually a losing battle for the body--there is only so much it can do-- it still tries its best to keep your body at its natural, healthy weight.
This brings me to another section of the book I wanted to make sure I shared with you on this blog. The eating disorder box.
"Eating disorders most commonly affect adolescents and college aged women and occur across all of the social groups. Figures suggest that about 20 percent of teenagers engage in abnormal eating behavior, while about five percent have a diagnosed eating disorder. (Just a side note that I have to point out-- it's not 20 percent of teenage girls, it is 20 percent of all teenagers. This means two things. First, the figures for teenage girls are at least slightly higher than that 20 percent. And second, this is not strictly a female disease--it happens to boys too.)
Those with anorexia nervosa typically have an altered perception of their own body image that leads to severe restriction of calories and a resulting loss of weight. Parents should look out for changes in eating behaviors, such as skipping meals and exercising for at least three hours every day. Because anorexia nervosa often leads to the cessation of menstrual periods, it is important for parents to be aware of changes in their daughters' cycles.
Another eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, is characterized by episodes of binge eating followed by purging. Those affected tend not to lose weight so the problem may be less obvious. You should look for changes in your daughter's teeth. She may complain of heartburn from vomiting and spend a lot of time in the bathroom after meals."
This is a very elementary explanation of two types of eating disorders that barely scratches the surface of what can actually happen, signs to look for, or other types of problems.
EDNOS stands for Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. It is when someone meets some of the criteria for a known eating disorder, say anorexia, but not all of them. Though they cannot be called anorexic, it does not make their eating disorder any less real.
Though this book's segment on eating disorders was somewhat cliche, most health books' are. Truthfully, you don't know anything about this kind of illness until it has happened to you or someone close to you. One thing that I wish the books I'm reading were more sensitive to is the issue of disordered eating. It is extremely frustrating for me to read things that I know are triggering only because I have been down the road before and I know what can set people off--The Diet for Teenagers Only, for example. I am sure the authors had no intention of being triggering to girls with eating disorders, but unless you know what it is and how it works, it is impossible to be sensitive to the disease. The best advice I can give anyone--parents, teenagers, people looking to write diet or health books--get educated on this issue. It can end up saving lives.
But what happens when my days start to look too similar to one another? Granted, this doesn't happen often. One thing I have learned from this project is each day and each class and each meal is unique and something can be learned from all of those experiences. But in the case of Friday, May 14, the day was pretty ordinary.
So, for today's blog, I thought I would change it up from the regular format. For a quick summary, so everyone gets their fix, Friday, on the whole, was very typical. I came home from Kelly's house feeling very full and angry with myself. At about 10 am however, there was no denying my hunger, so ate my Special K with milk. I went upstairs, blogged, did some chores, and then felt that clear sense of hunger again. I opted for soup and fruit. Later, I went to RetroRobics with my mom, and then out to dinner at one of our favorite places, Brennan's Colony in Cleveland Heights, where I attempted to order healthfully off of a menu comprised primarily of bar food. I am really getting good at that. I was supposed to have training with Tracy Williams at 9 am, but our schedules somehow managed to get mixed up, so we rescheduled. I slacked off slightly with the appointments with Nurse Gali this week, largely due to the fact that I am really enjoying these classes, and taking more and more of them, slowly moving away from the whole personal training side of this project. In the majority of the classes, we lift and do most of the exercises from personal training. I just enjoy them more in a class setting with music and lots of energy flowing.
With all that being said, My book for the week, Nutrition for Life is coming to a close, and I really wanted to make sure I got to share all of the interesting facts I possibly could. I have said a lot about food and different vitamins and what is appropriate to eat for different lifestyles and such. But one area I really haven't covered is the issue of disordered eating. This book offers a small section of issues of that nature, and I would like to take this opportunity to point some things out about it now.
First of all, as promised, let's talk about the body's natural set point. One of the things that my mother always stresses to me is that my body has a certain weight, or range of weight, where everything in my body functions optimally. From my heart to my brain to my arms and legs. Something that has been really difficult and stressful for me is figuring out where that range is and accepting it. Sometimes I don't like the numbers I hear. Sometimes, on paper, I think it looks too high or automatically means something is wrong with me. But what I find, time and time again, is that I am not happy when I am either above or below that range.
The best way to find that set point, as my former nutritionist Nancy Blazar told me over and over is to listen to my body and eat promptly and adequately in response to hunger. My body knows where it wants to be and it is constantly working to get me there. Where people get into trouble is when they find themselves consistently eating when their bodies are not asking for fuel, or ignoring their bodies' cries for food.
In Nutrition for Life, there was a basic and interesting segment about the "set point." The book was talking about it in the context of crash dieting and why diets like that are doomed to fail, in part, because of the set point. It was an interesting point being made that I will share with you now:
"Short term diets are doomed to fail. You may lose some weight but when you return to your usual diet, your weight will return to its usual level. This is due to what scientists call "set point"-- the level at which the body defends its current weight. If you burn more calories that you eat, your body will become more efficient at converting those calories to energy so that you will not lose weight. If you are trying to slim, make sure it is a serious commitment over a long period of time in order to retrain your body and readjust your set point."
This was relevant for me because it explained an aspect of eating disorders, and one of the many reasons why they are so dangerous. The heart rate drops insanely low due to converting calories more efficiently. Because your body is trying to counteract the diet and preserve the set point. Even though with eating disorders, preserving the natural set point is usually a losing battle for the body--there is only so much it can do-- it still tries its best to keep your body at its natural, healthy weight.
This brings me to another section of the book I wanted to make sure I shared with you on this blog. The eating disorder box.
"Eating disorders most commonly affect adolescents and college aged women and occur across all of the social groups. Figures suggest that about 20 percent of teenagers engage in abnormal eating behavior, while about five percent have a diagnosed eating disorder. (Just a side note that I have to point out-- it's not 20 percent of teenage girls, it is 20 percent of all teenagers. This means two things. First, the figures for teenage girls are at least slightly higher than that 20 percent. And second, this is not strictly a female disease--it happens to boys too.)
Those with anorexia nervosa typically have an altered perception of their own body image that leads to severe restriction of calories and a resulting loss of weight. Parents should look out for changes in eating behaviors, such as skipping meals and exercising for at least three hours every day. Because anorexia nervosa often leads to the cessation of menstrual periods, it is important for parents to be aware of changes in their daughters' cycles.
Another eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, is characterized by episodes of binge eating followed by purging. Those affected tend not to lose weight so the problem may be less obvious. You should look for changes in your daughter's teeth. She may complain of heartburn from vomiting and spend a lot of time in the bathroom after meals."
This is a very elementary explanation of two types of eating disorders that barely scratches the surface of what can actually happen, signs to look for, or other types of problems.
EDNOS stands for Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. It is when someone meets some of the criteria for a known eating disorder, say anorexia, but not all of them. Though they cannot be called anorexic, it does not make their eating disorder any less real.
Though this book's segment on eating disorders was somewhat cliche, most health books' are. Truthfully, you don't know anything about this kind of illness until it has happened to you or someone close to you. One thing that I wish the books I'm reading were more sensitive to is the issue of disordered eating. It is extremely frustrating for me to read things that I know are triggering only because I have been down the road before and I know what can set people off--The Diet for Teenagers Only, for example. I am sure the authors had no intention of being triggering to girls with eating disorders, but unless you know what it is and how it works, it is impossible to be sensitive to the disease. The best advice I can give anyone--parents, teenagers, people looking to write diet or health books--get educated on this issue. It can end up saving lives.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Week 2, Day 4 (Party Food. I'm OK With That. Sorta.)
7:30 am- Breakfast (I'm really slacking off with the wake up times! In my defense, this project is definitely wearing me out.)
Cinnamon Pecan Special K (I had to do it)
2% Milk
Clementine (I always find myself going for the quickest, easiest fruits. For example, I rarely eat strawberries because they require me cutting the little green things off. I'm all about convenience. In college I will need healthy convenient options so I don't find myself resorting to the chips or candy that will constantly be around.)
9:15 am- Triple Fit
Let me just say, I had not had a class really kick my butt yet during this project, but Triple Fit killed me. It wasn't the kind of workout that left me gasping for air in a heap on the floor, but my muscles burned like no other, and I was dripping in sweat. I couldn't stop watching the clock, which at one point I thought was broken because of how slow the minutes were passing. It is a little bit of a challenge to explain without getting into too much detail, so I will first offer you the short, sweet description from www.urbanactive.com:
"A true interval class! Basic moves. Intervals consist of: 4 minutes of cardio, 3 minutes of legs, 2 minutes of upper body. A Member Favorite!"
Essentially, we used a step for 4 minutes, but everything was super fast paced including a lot of jumping that was absolutely killer. We would then go to squats or leg lifts, often using weights. Finally, we picked up rubber bands and used them to work both arms and legs. The activity was constant and extremely physically challenging. After about the second set, I could not stop watching the clock. By the end of the hour, my legs were shaking. There were a lot of squats in this class. Also, working out this hard early in the morning was definitely a change. I will say I enjoy working out in the evening better, but it is much easier to motivate myself to come to the gym in the morning. Dilemma.
12:00 pm- Lunch
Market Day Mini Quesadilla
Leftover Pork Cut Up with Teriyaki Sauce
Red Apple
Broccoli
1:00 pm- Snack
Market Day Chocolate Cake
8oz 2% Milk
5:45- Snack #2
Baby Bowl Bumpy Road Ice Cream
then...PARTY. Where there was A LOT of food. And honestly, I felt very guilty for eating it at first. There was candy, pizza, cookies, mac n cheese, cheese cake and more. I was with my friends, and I ate it. The whole time I kept saying "I'm gaining five pounds right now. I need to stop eating." and things of that nature. I was so focused on the fact that I already had eaten a good amount of my food for the day before I got there, and I just ate and ate because it was there and it was fun and everyone was doing it. I need to realize that its OK to have fun with friends and not feel awful about it. Some days I eat more, and other days I eat less. My body is smart and adjusts to my food intake. I need to constantly keep telling myself that. I will never learn to actually enjoy my time until i can be OK with having a little fun and splurging sometimes without being immediately worries about how to fix my "mistake."
Correction From Yesterday
One of the chemistry teachers at Hawken, Doc M. as I call him, has been following my blog closely and had a correction on something I posted yesterday. I made some general statements about honey and splenda and other such nutrion related information, and he kind of came in and dropped a bit of chemistry knowledge on me, which I really appreciate. Here is what he said,
"Hi Sam,
I have to disagree with some of the nutritional "facts" you've been told. At best, raw sugar might have slightly less sugar than refined because the refining process takes out little bits of nonsugar items like pollen and wax. There might be other differences in terms of micronutrients (vitamins and the like), but as far as the simple sugars that are largely responsible for honey's sweetness - samo, samo. Go ahead and use raw sugar if you prefer it, but don't think you're going light on sugar when you do.
Which brings me to splenda. Yes, splenda is derived from sugar by chemical chlorination. But that does not mean sugar is in any way like, or as dangerous as, chlorine (Cl2) - which is a poisonous, choking gas. By similar logic you should avoid salt - but actually the reason salt is bad is its sodium, not its chlorine. And sodium explodes in water, so don't take salt on a picnic if there's a threat of rain! I'm kidding, of course, but you can see how ridiculous things can get if you don't apply good judgment to such claims.
You may not know, by the way, that the whole "Splenda contains chlorine!" fright package was a campaign by sugar producers to hold on to market share against Splenda. There's not a grain of scientific validity to the scare as far as I know. Sugar producers themselves are not the folks I would trust to be looking out for my health!
Doc M."
I really appreciate and encourage comments, corrections, and feedback. This project is about learning for me. If you know something I don't, SHARE IT!
Reading Material
This week, I am reading the book, Nutrition for Life by: Lisa Hark and Darwin Deen.
Yesterday, I began discussing "bad" carbohydrates to eat and also a "good" alternative. I offered basics such as white bread versus wheat bread and white rice versus brown rice. But here are some pairs that might not be so obvious:
Bad: White Potato Good: Sweet Potato
Bad: Corn Good: Lentils
Bad: Cornflakes Good: Raisin Bran
Bad: Instant Oatmeal Good: Rolled Oats
Bad: White Pasta Good: Couscous
Bad: Egg Noodles Good: Barley
Q: What is the glycemic index?
A: The G.I. classifies foods according to how fast they release sugar into the bloodstream. High glycemic index foods release glucose rapidly causing quick rise in blood sugar levels, to which the body reacts with insulin, which turns on fat storage. Low GI foods release glucose steadily over several hours so less insulin is required. Diets like Nutrisystem are based on the glycemic index.
Q: What is the difference between an enriched food and a fortified food?
A: Enriched food- nutrients are replaced that were originally lost during processing. For example, some of the B-complex vitamins are added back to refined flour. Fortified food- Nutrients are added that were never naturally a part of the food. For example, vitamins A and D are often added to milk.
I just came across the section in the book devoted to the "set point." This is a very hot topic for me, especially with my mom, and something that will be very relevant in my life in college and beyond. Be looking for definition and discussion of the body's natural set point in tomorrow's post!
Enjoy the weekend everyone!
Cinnamon Pecan Special K (I had to do it)
2% Milk
Clementine (I always find myself going for the quickest, easiest fruits. For example, I rarely eat strawberries because they require me cutting the little green things off. I'm all about convenience. In college I will need healthy convenient options so I don't find myself resorting to the chips or candy that will constantly be around.)
9:15 am- Triple Fit
Let me just say, I had not had a class really kick my butt yet during this project, but Triple Fit killed me. It wasn't the kind of workout that left me gasping for air in a heap on the floor, but my muscles burned like no other, and I was dripping in sweat. I couldn't stop watching the clock, which at one point I thought was broken because of how slow the minutes were passing. It is a little bit of a challenge to explain without getting into too much detail, so I will first offer you the short, sweet description from www.urbanactive.com:
"A true interval class! Basic moves. Intervals consist of: 4 minutes of cardio, 3 minutes of legs, 2 minutes of upper body. A Member Favorite!"
Essentially, we used a step for 4 minutes, but everything was super fast paced including a lot of jumping that was absolutely killer. We would then go to squats or leg lifts, often using weights. Finally, we picked up rubber bands and used them to work both arms and legs. The activity was constant and extremely physically challenging. After about the second set, I could not stop watching the clock. By the end of the hour, my legs were shaking. There were a lot of squats in this class. Also, working out this hard early in the morning was definitely a change. I will say I enjoy working out in the evening better, but it is much easier to motivate myself to come to the gym in the morning. Dilemma.
12:00 pm- Lunch
Market Day Mini Quesadilla
Leftover Pork Cut Up with Teriyaki Sauce
Red Apple
Broccoli
1:00 pm- Snack
Market Day Chocolate Cake
8oz 2% Milk
5:45- Snack #2
Baby Bowl Bumpy Road Ice Cream
then...PARTY. Where there was A LOT of food. And honestly, I felt very guilty for eating it at first. There was candy, pizza, cookies, mac n cheese, cheese cake and more. I was with my friends, and I ate it. The whole time I kept saying "I'm gaining five pounds right now. I need to stop eating." and things of that nature. I was so focused on the fact that I already had eaten a good amount of my food for the day before I got there, and I just ate and ate because it was there and it was fun and everyone was doing it. I need to realize that its OK to have fun with friends and not feel awful about it. Some days I eat more, and other days I eat less. My body is smart and adjusts to my food intake. I need to constantly keep telling myself that. I will never learn to actually enjoy my time until i can be OK with having a little fun and splurging sometimes without being immediately worries about how to fix my "mistake."
Correction From Yesterday
One of the chemistry teachers at Hawken, Doc M. as I call him, has been following my blog closely and had a correction on something I posted yesterday. I made some general statements about honey and splenda and other such nutrion related information, and he kind of came in and dropped a bit of chemistry knowledge on me, which I really appreciate. Here is what he said,
"Hi Sam,
I have to disagree with some of the nutritional "facts" you've been told. At best, raw sugar might have slightly less sugar than refined because the refining process takes out little bits of nonsugar items like pollen and wax. There might be other differences in terms of micronutrients (vitamins and the like), but as far as the simple sugars that are largely responsible for honey's sweetness - samo, samo. Go ahead and use raw sugar if you prefer it, but don't think you're going light on sugar when you do.
Which brings me to splenda. Yes, splenda is derived from sugar by chemical chlorination. But that does not mean sugar is in any way like, or as dangerous as, chlorine (Cl2) - which is a poisonous, choking gas. By similar logic you should avoid salt - but actually the reason salt is bad is its sodium, not its chlorine. And sodium explodes in water, so don't take salt on a picnic if there's a threat of rain! I'm kidding, of course, but you can see how ridiculous things can get if you don't apply good judgment to such claims.
You may not know, by the way, that the whole "Splenda contains chlorine!" fright package was a campaign by sugar producers to hold on to market share against Splenda. There's not a grain of scientific validity to the scare as far as I know. Sugar producers themselves are not the folks I would trust to be looking out for my health!
Doc M."
I really appreciate and encourage comments, corrections, and feedback. This project is about learning for me. If you know something I don't, SHARE IT!
Reading Material
This week, I am reading the book, Nutrition for Life by: Lisa Hark and Darwin Deen.
Yesterday, I began discussing "bad" carbohydrates to eat and also a "good" alternative. I offered basics such as white bread versus wheat bread and white rice versus brown rice. But here are some pairs that might not be so obvious:
Bad: White Potato Good: Sweet Potato
Bad: Corn Good: Lentils
Bad: Cornflakes Good: Raisin Bran
Bad: Instant Oatmeal Good: Rolled Oats
Bad: White Pasta Good: Couscous
Bad: Egg Noodles Good: Barley
Q: What is the glycemic index?
A: The G.I. classifies foods according to how fast they release sugar into the bloodstream. High glycemic index foods release glucose rapidly causing quick rise in blood sugar levels, to which the body reacts with insulin, which turns on fat storage. Low GI foods release glucose steadily over several hours so less insulin is required. Diets like Nutrisystem are based on the glycemic index.
Q: What is the difference between an enriched food and a fortified food?
A: Enriched food- nutrients are replaced that were originally lost during processing. For example, some of the B-complex vitamins are added back to refined flour. Fortified food- Nutrients are added that were never naturally a part of the food. For example, vitamins A and D are often added to milk.
I just came across the section in the book devoted to the "set point." This is a very hot topic for me, especially with my mom, and something that will be very relevant in my life in college and beyond. Be looking for definition and discussion of the body's natural set point in tomorrow's post!
Enjoy the weekend everyone!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Week 2, Day 3 (The Teacher Makes the Class)
7:45 am- Breakfast
I slept in! I was pretty hungry when I woke up and was looking for another alternative to Special K, so I opted for two small pancakes with peanut butter and jelly in the middle like a sandwich. It was delicious and filling.
2 small pancakes
1 tablespoon peanut butter
Jelly
2% milk
10:00 am- RetroRobics
This was the second RetroRobics class I have taken, and it was a different teacher, who had an immediately clear new style. First of all, we used steps for about half the class. I used the step platform with two additional risers on each side, and I found it to be the perfect height for me. It was challenging—for the first few sets of jumping exercises especially, I forgot how high the step was and my foot kind of caught on the front. This class in comparison to the last RetroRobics class was much more contained as far as space used, and also was a lot more squatting versus jumping. We began on the floor—doing high and low jabs, hooks and upper cuts, as well as kicks. It was sort of the beginnings of kickboxing. I liked this version of kickboxing because I could incorporate my bounce into it, rather than having to stay flat footed like I did at Urban Warrior (the first time, the second Urban Warrior was completely different, as you will read below). This class I was very focused on what to do with my arms—I didn’t want them hanging awkwardly as they did last week. The instructor kept a constant swinging motion with hers, so I tried to mimic her movements. To my relief, that not only made me look like I knew what I was doing, but it also intensified the workout and gave me momentum. After a half hour, we switched to abs. I have decided I LOVE abs in combination with weights. I go nice and slow so I feel the burn and the weight really intensifies the workout. I also liked the elevation of doing abs on the step. The only complaint I have is that the class was too short. It was only 45 minutes long, and I would have loved another 15 minutes of abs or work with weights.
11:30 am- Lunch
Whole grain white bun (what exactly is that??)
Slice American cheese
4 Market Day Meatballs
2 Light Jellos with Light Whipped Cream
Clementine
1:00 pm- Snack
Small slice chocolate chip cake from Market Day
2% Milk (Tara Harwood told me I should be drinking more glasses of milk in my day)
**Lately, I have been eating snack and lunch really close together. I eat my lunch, go upstairs for an hour, and realize I am hungry again. The milk in the snack really helps me to make it through til dinner, while the chocolate cake is a nice, individually portioned treat that makes me feel like I’m not deprived of my favorite sweet foods like cake.
3:00 pm- Meeting with Anne Marie
I arrived at Anytime Fitness and Ann Marie realized I hadn’t signed the waiver necessary for me to be working out at the gym…oops. There was a questionnaire involved, and one of the questions was how much soda do you drink in a day.
**Cough** at least 32 ounces **Cough** Anne Marie was mortified. I told her the pop was diet, in an effort to save myself. AND I hadn’t had any all week because I gave it up for my project. I explained that it is really difficult for me because it’s all that’s in my house. She said bluntly, “Well, you might as well be drinking paint.” Yikes, that is a pretty picture. Anne Marie explained how everything in pop, especially diet pop, is a chemical never meant to be processed by our bodies. It causes inflammation in the body and gets stuck places like the liver. Now, there is really no more denying how bad pop is for the body. Especially in the quantities that I am used to drinking it. But there is hope! Anne Marie gave me a list of healthy and easy alternatives. I will share them with you here:
1) Make your own tea—boil a big pot of water, and use about 1 bag per cup of water you boil. She said white tea and green tea are great, but also red tea. I had never heard of red tea, but she suggested checking Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods (which she calls “Whole Paycheck”). She said it is spicier than white and green. Sounds interesting.
2) She suggested sweetening the tea with Raw Honey (which has a TON less sugar than processed honey, and still tastes as sweet.) or Agave Nectar. I also asked about Stevia—sugar that comes from a plant of the same name. Its extracts have about 300 times the sweetness of sugar. It is low calorie and low carb. She said that was ok as well. I also asked her about Splenda. She said it was 1 part sugar and 3 parts chlorine. I might as well open my mouth and drink out of a baby pool. Good to know.
3) Sparkling water with a splash of 100 percent pure juice, or squeezed lemons and limes with some of the sweeteners above. I might try the sparkling water with a splash of pomegranate juice. She said to make sure that the sparkling water is purely water with bubbles and doesn’t have any funky other chemicals in it.
Dinner - 4:45 pm
Can Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup
1 Large Red Apple
6:20 pm- Urban Warrior
My mom came again! I’m so glad she is getting motivated to get back to her old, active self by watching me do this project. Also, there was yet another new teacher from the last Urban Warrior I took. One thing I’ve learned from my experiences today is that the teacher sets the tone of the entire class. This instructor opted for lots of bouncing, jumping, and kicking—just my specialty. We did a lot of adding on. We did a combination—say, jab, cross, jab, cross—then we added a kick front, lunge back. Then, we put the combination together. At first, it was confusing, but when I got it, it felt great. My mom was frustrated with herself, but again, from my end, she looked great. I left with my calved and quads burning. But I still must say, the best workout I’ve had yet was the first round of RetroRobics.
Dessert- 8:30 pm
Before I left, I put 2 light peach yogurts in the freezer because we were out of ice cream. When I got back, they were perfectly frozen. With freezing light yogurt, it is usually either a hit or a miss. There is a lot of water in these things, so sometimes it will crystallize and be like icy yogurt which definitely is not as appealing as regular frozen yogurt. My first one was absolutely perfect and delicious. There were even little peach chunks that I loved. The second one had the crystal effect. But I ate it anyway.
2 Frozen Yoplait Yougurt Lights
11:00 pm- I was getting ready to turn out my lights when I felt a really burning hunger. I quickly jumped up from my bed and went to the kitchen. A little quick math in my head told me I definitely had not had enough to eat today. I got out some left over nachos with baked tortilla chips, cheese and chicken and heated those up in the toaster. I also made myself a little baby cup of a mix of the snacks in the cupboard, because they had been looking good all day. Finally, I had a fun-sized crunch bar. This doenst sound like a super healthy meal, but I got in more calories and also gave myself food that I had been wanting all day, but in moderate portions.
Reading Material
First of all, today for lunch I ate “whole grain white bread.” How in the world can something be both whole grain and white? I looked it up in www.mayoclinic.com. They said,
“White whole-wheat bread looks and tastes like white bread but has the nutritional benefits of whole-wheat bread — such as increased fiber and nutrients. If you don't like the taste or texture of regular whole-wheat bread, white whole-wheat bread may make it easier to add whole grains to your diet.
Regular white bread is made with refined grains, which go through a process that strips out certain parts of the grain. But white whole-wheat bread — like regular whole-wheat bread — is made with the whole grain.
The difference between white whole-wheat bread and regular whole-wheat bread is in the type of wheat used. Regular whole-wheat bread is made with red wheat, which is dark in color and has a slightly bitter taste. White whole-wheat bread is made with an albino variety of wheat, which is lighter in color and has a sweeter, milder flavor.
When you're selecting bread, read product labels to make sure you know what you're buying. Look for breads that list the "whole" grain as the first ingredient, such as whole wheat, white whole wheat or whole oats. If the label doesn't say "whole" first, it isn't a whole-grain product.”
Hmmm, interesting. I almost didn’t want to eat it because I thought it lacked nutritional value. I’m glad I’m now informed on the subject.
On the subject of nutritional value and carbohydrates, in the book, Nutrition for Life, there are two whole pages dedicated to what carbs are the right ones to be eating. Here is a list of bad carbs that most of us eat every day, and a healthy, “good carb” alternative.
Bad: White Bread Good: 7-grain or whole wheat bread
Bad: white Rice Good: Brown Rice
Bad: Croissant Good: Whole Wheat English Muffin
Bad: Carrot Cake Good: Angel Food Cake with Fresh Fruit***(angel food cake over carrot cake? Who knew?)
There are more, less obvious ones. Look for them tomorrow!
I slept in! I was pretty hungry when I woke up and was looking for another alternative to Special K, so I opted for two small pancakes with peanut butter and jelly in the middle like a sandwich. It was delicious and filling.
2 small pancakes
1 tablespoon peanut butter
Jelly
2% milk
10:00 am- RetroRobics
This was the second RetroRobics class I have taken, and it was a different teacher, who had an immediately clear new style. First of all, we used steps for about half the class. I used the step platform with two additional risers on each side, and I found it to be the perfect height for me. It was challenging—for the first few sets of jumping exercises especially, I forgot how high the step was and my foot kind of caught on the front. This class in comparison to the last RetroRobics class was much more contained as far as space used, and also was a lot more squatting versus jumping. We began on the floor—doing high and low jabs, hooks and upper cuts, as well as kicks. It was sort of the beginnings of kickboxing. I liked this version of kickboxing because I could incorporate my bounce into it, rather than having to stay flat footed like I did at Urban Warrior (the first time, the second Urban Warrior was completely different, as you will read below). This class I was very focused on what to do with my arms—I didn’t want them hanging awkwardly as they did last week. The instructor kept a constant swinging motion with hers, so I tried to mimic her movements. To my relief, that not only made me look like I knew what I was doing, but it also intensified the workout and gave me momentum. After a half hour, we switched to abs. I have decided I LOVE abs in combination with weights. I go nice and slow so I feel the burn and the weight really intensifies the workout. I also liked the elevation of doing abs on the step. The only complaint I have is that the class was too short. It was only 45 minutes long, and I would have loved another 15 minutes of abs or work with weights.
11:30 am- Lunch
Whole grain white bun (what exactly is that??)
Slice American cheese
4 Market Day Meatballs
2 Light Jellos with Light Whipped Cream
Clementine
1:00 pm- Snack
Small slice chocolate chip cake from Market Day
2% Milk (Tara Harwood told me I should be drinking more glasses of milk in my day)
**Lately, I have been eating snack and lunch really close together. I eat my lunch, go upstairs for an hour, and realize I am hungry again. The milk in the snack really helps me to make it through til dinner, while the chocolate cake is a nice, individually portioned treat that makes me feel like I’m not deprived of my favorite sweet foods like cake.
3:00 pm- Meeting with Anne Marie
I arrived at Anytime Fitness and Ann Marie realized I hadn’t signed the waiver necessary for me to be working out at the gym…oops. There was a questionnaire involved, and one of the questions was how much soda do you drink in a day.
**Cough** at least 32 ounces **Cough** Anne Marie was mortified. I told her the pop was diet, in an effort to save myself. AND I hadn’t had any all week because I gave it up for my project. I explained that it is really difficult for me because it’s all that’s in my house. She said bluntly, “Well, you might as well be drinking paint.” Yikes, that is a pretty picture. Anne Marie explained how everything in pop, especially diet pop, is a chemical never meant to be processed by our bodies. It causes inflammation in the body and gets stuck places like the liver. Now, there is really no more denying how bad pop is for the body. Especially in the quantities that I am used to drinking it. But there is hope! Anne Marie gave me a list of healthy and easy alternatives. I will share them with you here:
1) Make your own tea—boil a big pot of water, and use about 1 bag per cup of water you boil. She said white tea and green tea are great, but also red tea. I had never heard of red tea, but she suggested checking Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods (which she calls “Whole Paycheck”). She said it is spicier than white and green. Sounds interesting.
2) She suggested sweetening the tea with Raw Honey (which has a TON less sugar than processed honey, and still tastes as sweet.) or Agave Nectar. I also asked about Stevia—sugar that comes from a plant of the same name. Its extracts have about 300 times the sweetness of sugar. It is low calorie and low carb. She said that was ok as well. I also asked her about Splenda. She said it was 1 part sugar and 3 parts chlorine. I might as well open my mouth and drink out of a baby pool. Good to know.
3) Sparkling water with a splash of 100 percent pure juice, or squeezed lemons and limes with some of the sweeteners above. I might try the sparkling water with a splash of pomegranate juice. She said to make sure that the sparkling water is purely water with bubbles and doesn’t have any funky other chemicals in it.
Dinner - 4:45 pm
Can Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup
1 Large Red Apple
6:20 pm- Urban Warrior
My mom came again! I’m so glad she is getting motivated to get back to her old, active self by watching me do this project. Also, there was yet another new teacher from the last Urban Warrior I took. One thing I’ve learned from my experiences today is that the teacher sets the tone of the entire class. This instructor opted for lots of bouncing, jumping, and kicking—just my specialty. We did a lot of adding on. We did a combination—say, jab, cross, jab, cross—then we added a kick front, lunge back. Then, we put the combination together. At first, it was confusing, but when I got it, it felt great. My mom was frustrated with herself, but again, from my end, she looked great. I left with my calved and quads burning. But I still must say, the best workout I’ve had yet was the first round of RetroRobics.
Dessert- 8:30 pm
Before I left, I put 2 light peach yogurts in the freezer because we were out of ice cream. When I got back, they were perfectly frozen. With freezing light yogurt, it is usually either a hit or a miss. There is a lot of water in these things, so sometimes it will crystallize and be like icy yogurt which definitely is not as appealing as regular frozen yogurt. My first one was absolutely perfect and delicious. There were even little peach chunks that I loved. The second one had the crystal effect. But I ate it anyway.
2 Frozen Yoplait Yougurt Lights
11:00 pm- I was getting ready to turn out my lights when I felt a really burning hunger. I quickly jumped up from my bed and went to the kitchen. A little quick math in my head told me I definitely had not had enough to eat today. I got out some left over nachos with baked tortilla chips, cheese and chicken and heated those up in the toaster. I also made myself a little baby cup of a mix of the snacks in the cupboard, because they had been looking good all day. Finally, I had a fun-sized crunch bar. This doenst sound like a super healthy meal, but I got in more calories and also gave myself food that I had been wanting all day, but in moderate portions.
Reading Material
First of all, today for lunch I ate “whole grain white bread.” How in the world can something be both whole grain and white? I looked it up in www.mayoclinic.com. They said,
“White whole-wheat bread looks and tastes like white bread but has the nutritional benefits of whole-wheat bread — such as increased fiber and nutrients. If you don't like the taste or texture of regular whole-wheat bread, white whole-wheat bread may make it easier to add whole grains to your diet.
Regular white bread is made with refined grains, which go through a process that strips out certain parts of the grain. But white whole-wheat bread — like regular whole-wheat bread — is made with the whole grain.
The difference between white whole-wheat bread and regular whole-wheat bread is in the type of wheat used. Regular whole-wheat bread is made with red wheat, which is dark in color and has a slightly bitter taste. White whole-wheat bread is made with an albino variety of wheat, which is lighter in color and has a sweeter, milder flavor.
When you're selecting bread, read product labels to make sure you know what you're buying. Look for breads that list the "whole" grain as the first ingredient, such as whole wheat, white whole wheat or whole oats. If the label doesn't say "whole" first, it isn't a whole-grain product.”
Hmmm, interesting. I almost didn’t want to eat it because I thought it lacked nutritional value. I’m glad I’m now informed on the subject.
On the subject of nutritional value and carbohydrates, in the book, Nutrition for Life, there are two whole pages dedicated to what carbs are the right ones to be eating. Here is a list of bad carbs that most of us eat every day, and a healthy, “good carb” alternative.
Bad: White Bread Good: 7-grain or whole wheat bread
Bad: white Rice Good: Brown Rice
Bad: Croissant Good: Whole Wheat English Muffin
Bad: Carrot Cake Good: Angel Food Cake with Fresh Fruit***(angel food cake over carrot cake? Who knew?)
There are more, less obvious ones. Look for them tomorrow!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Week 2, Day 2 (A Day of Accidental Rest)
7:00 am Breakfast
I woke up, and was really trying to break up my Special K streak. Pilsbury rolls/croissants/muffins/anything are delicious, and we had some for Mother's Day. I heated up one of the leftovers to change things up. Also, a meal of just the muffin, an apple, and milk was very bland, and lacked protein. To solve that peoblem, I melted a little bit of peanut butter in the micro wave and dipped my apples in. That's a really nice trick actually. The peanut butter goes a LOT further if you melt it and dip.
Pillsbury English Muffin
Table Spoon Peanut Butter
Red Apple
2% Milk
9:00 am- Meeting with Tara Harwood (or so I thought)
I arrived at the Cleveland Clinic in plenty of time for one. I found a great, FREE parking spot which was clutch because parking in the Clinic is really expensive and quite confusing. I came in, gave the desk my name at 9, and at 9:15 Tara came out and said, "oh Great! You're Early!" I was perplexed. Mother told me the appointment was at 9. After checking with the desk, I had been scheduled for both a 9:30 with Tara Harwood and also a 9:30 with Dr. Rome. Because of the time crunch, Tara decided to do an "abstract"--a quick little meeting that doesn't count as an appointment. She first asked me for my food log (that I was supposed to fax to her. Oops.) then she said she estimated my caloric needs at 2,300 per day. Now, I am doing a LOT of activity and that number sounded low to me. For example, I know for certain on Monday I had more than that, and it felt right to my body--I ate when I was hungry. With that question at the front of my mind, I thanked her and headed upstairs to see Dr. Ellen Rome.
9:30 am- Dr. Rome
After falling asleep in one of the rooms waiting, Doctor Rome finally came in. She asked me how I was doing and was very interested in my senior project and blog. I sent her the link a couple days before and she was still getting around to reading it. I told her how positive the feedback had been from all of my teachers and project advisers, and she was particularly interested in my review of books, especially The Diet for Teenagers Only, Which she admitted she had been worried about me reading/getting the wring ideas from. I happily told her how I had analyzed the material very carefully and picked out information that I found useful, as well as some that I found triggering. After blog discussion, I jumped right into my questions. Tara Harwood told me 2,300 calories was an amount to shoot for. Does that sound low to you? Doctor Rome reassured me by saying that the estimate was probably intended for if I was walking a college campus on a daily basis. Not exercising intensely for an hour to two hours every day. She went on to say that 2,300 calories with this amount of exercise would probably be a weight loss diet for me. That was a relief. The last thing we talked about was how my body was bouncing back quick as lightning, and I could feel my muscles coming back. That led to the question of whether I was still super conscious about my weight. The honest answer to that is I never weigh myself because I'm not allowed. But I do care. And it makes me uneasy to know that the number has definitely gone up, even though its purely because of the increase in muscle. I'm still trying to get my head around that whole concept. I know that when I look in the mirror, I look strong and more firm. My stomach especially is getting back where I want it to be. But dealing with the numbers is still something that I'm probably not quite wanting to do yet.
12:00 pm Lunch
4 oz. Pork Chop
Teriyaki Sauce
1 Mini Meatball (I saw it sitting in the fridge)
Small Bowl Butter Pecan Ice Cream
2 Rings of Pineapple
1:00 pm Snack
1 Serving Cheetos
Yoplait Light Yogurt with Special K and Light Whipped Cream
5:15 ZUMBA! gets interrupted by emotions.
All day, I was looking forward to ZUMBA!. But then, at about 4:30, I fell head first into an emotional break down. I was crying so hard that I couldn't even drive effectively, so I pulled over on the side of the road and cried it out. Basically the root of the issue was me thinking about all of the things I'm going to miss when I go to college and how I am going to manage life without them. As I sat there with my tears and my boogers running down my face, I decided I needed to take the night off. I realized this meant I got absolutely no physical activity in for the day, but sometimes, more important things come up. It is important to care about physical fitness but not to be so rigid as to not be able to give yourself a break when you need one.
5:45 pm- Dinner
1 Can Campbell's Steak and Potato Soup
Dessert- 6:15 pm
1 Small Slice Chocolate Chip Cake
1 Heinen's Chocolate Chip Cookie
Reading Material
I started a new book called Nutrition for Life by Lisa Hark and Darwin Dean. The book is very dense and it is taking me a while to get through. The beginning few chapters were very much in line with all of the other books I have looked at--trying to determine if your body and diet are correct. Interestingly enough, this book also has a BMI Chart. Although I disagree with the concept of BMI, this book places me in the middle of the "healthy" range, versus The Diet for Teenagers Only that places me in the "slightly overweight" category. I just find it interesting that there can be that much disparity between two sources claiming to be presenting the same chart. Confusing.
This book has boxes with fun facts and information on several subjects pertaining to a common theme. For example, here are some of the boxes and information that I found most interesting:
1) Fish and shellfish are healthy choices- Ok. That is pretty much common knowledge. But the book goes on to say that you should eat fish of shellfish at least once a week. Do you do that? Because I know I don't. Fish can improve your mood, reduce depression, and reduce inflammation in the joints and arteries. It can also help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by decreasing blood pressure and the levels of triglycerides in the blood.
2)Calculating Energy Requirements- I found this interesting because it actually gave me a decent idea of what I need to be eating calorically every day to meet my needs based on my activity. I estimate myself to be somewhere between moderately active (16 calories per pound of body weight) and very active (18 calories per pound of body weight)--so we'll go with 17. By this method, it is estimated that I need roughly 2635 calories per day to maintain my body weight. Interesting.
3) Apple Versus Pear- This little box was interesting to me because I couldn't figure out what I was. It says people who tend to gain weight in their abdominal region are apples, while those who gain weight on their hips and thighs are pears. When I gain weight, it usually goes three places. My belly button region, my hips, and my butt. I feel like I don't fall into any of those categories. Perhaps I'm a "Papple" (pear+apple...get it?). Basically it said those who are apple shaped are at much higher risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. You can't help what shape you are, you can only stay healthy to prevent running into those problems.
I woke up, and was really trying to break up my Special K streak. Pilsbury rolls/croissants/muffins/anything are delicious, and we had some for Mother's Day. I heated up one of the leftovers to change things up. Also, a meal of just the muffin, an apple, and milk was very bland, and lacked protein. To solve that peoblem, I melted a little bit of peanut butter in the micro wave and dipped my apples in. That's a really nice trick actually. The peanut butter goes a LOT further if you melt it and dip.
Pillsbury English Muffin
Table Spoon Peanut Butter
Red Apple
2% Milk
9:00 am- Meeting with Tara Harwood (or so I thought)
I arrived at the Cleveland Clinic in plenty of time for one. I found a great, FREE parking spot which was clutch because parking in the Clinic is really expensive and quite confusing. I came in, gave the desk my name at 9, and at 9:15 Tara came out and said, "oh Great! You're Early!" I was perplexed. Mother told me the appointment was at 9. After checking with the desk, I had been scheduled for both a 9:30 with Tara Harwood and also a 9:30 with Dr. Rome. Because of the time crunch, Tara decided to do an "abstract"--a quick little meeting that doesn't count as an appointment. She first asked me for my food log (that I was supposed to fax to her. Oops.) then she said she estimated my caloric needs at 2,300 per day. Now, I am doing a LOT of activity and that number sounded low to me. For example, I know for certain on Monday I had more than that, and it felt right to my body--I ate when I was hungry. With that question at the front of my mind, I thanked her and headed upstairs to see Dr. Ellen Rome.
9:30 am- Dr. Rome
After falling asleep in one of the rooms waiting, Doctor Rome finally came in. She asked me how I was doing and was very interested in my senior project and blog. I sent her the link a couple days before and she was still getting around to reading it. I told her how positive the feedback had been from all of my teachers and project advisers, and she was particularly interested in my review of books, especially The Diet for Teenagers Only, Which she admitted she had been worried about me reading/getting the wring ideas from. I happily told her how I had analyzed the material very carefully and picked out information that I found useful, as well as some that I found triggering. After blog discussion, I jumped right into my questions. Tara Harwood told me 2,300 calories was an amount to shoot for. Does that sound low to you? Doctor Rome reassured me by saying that the estimate was probably intended for if I was walking a college campus on a daily basis. Not exercising intensely for an hour to two hours every day. She went on to say that 2,300 calories with this amount of exercise would probably be a weight loss diet for me. That was a relief. The last thing we talked about was how my body was bouncing back quick as lightning, and I could feel my muscles coming back. That led to the question of whether I was still super conscious about my weight. The honest answer to that is I never weigh myself because I'm not allowed. But I do care. And it makes me uneasy to know that the number has definitely gone up, even though its purely because of the increase in muscle. I'm still trying to get my head around that whole concept. I know that when I look in the mirror, I look strong and more firm. My stomach especially is getting back where I want it to be. But dealing with the numbers is still something that I'm probably not quite wanting to do yet.
12:00 pm Lunch
4 oz. Pork Chop
Teriyaki Sauce
1 Mini Meatball (I saw it sitting in the fridge)
Small Bowl Butter Pecan Ice Cream
2 Rings of Pineapple
1:00 pm Snack
1 Serving Cheetos
Yoplait Light Yogurt with Special K and Light Whipped Cream
5:15 ZUMBA! gets interrupted by emotions.
All day, I was looking forward to ZUMBA!. But then, at about 4:30, I fell head first into an emotional break down. I was crying so hard that I couldn't even drive effectively, so I pulled over on the side of the road and cried it out. Basically the root of the issue was me thinking about all of the things I'm going to miss when I go to college and how I am going to manage life without them. As I sat there with my tears and my boogers running down my face, I decided I needed to take the night off. I realized this meant I got absolutely no physical activity in for the day, but sometimes, more important things come up. It is important to care about physical fitness but not to be so rigid as to not be able to give yourself a break when you need one.
5:45 pm- Dinner
1 Can Campbell's Steak and Potato Soup
Dessert- 6:15 pm
1 Small Slice Chocolate Chip Cake
1 Heinen's Chocolate Chip Cookie
Reading Material
I started a new book called Nutrition for Life by Lisa Hark and Darwin Dean. The book is very dense and it is taking me a while to get through. The beginning few chapters were very much in line with all of the other books I have looked at--trying to determine if your body and diet are correct. Interestingly enough, this book also has a BMI Chart. Although I disagree with the concept of BMI, this book places me in the middle of the "healthy" range, versus The Diet for Teenagers Only that places me in the "slightly overweight" category. I just find it interesting that there can be that much disparity between two sources claiming to be presenting the same chart. Confusing.
This book has boxes with fun facts and information on several subjects pertaining to a common theme. For example, here are some of the boxes and information that I found most interesting:
1) Fish and shellfish are healthy choices- Ok. That is pretty much common knowledge. But the book goes on to say that you should eat fish of shellfish at least once a week. Do you do that? Because I know I don't. Fish can improve your mood, reduce depression, and reduce inflammation in the joints and arteries. It can also help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by decreasing blood pressure and the levels of triglycerides in the blood.
2)Calculating Energy Requirements- I found this interesting because it actually gave me a decent idea of what I need to be eating calorically every day to meet my needs based on my activity. I estimate myself to be somewhere between moderately active (16 calories per pound of body weight) and very active (18 calories per pound of body weight)--so we'll go with 17. By this method, it is estimated that I need roughly 2635 calories per day to maintain my body weight. Interesting.
3) Apple Versus Pear- This little box was interesting to me because I couldn't figure out what I was. It says people who tend to gain weight in their abdominal region are apples, while those who gain weight on their hips and thighs are pears. When I gain weight, it usually goes three places. My belly button region, my hips, and my butt. I feel like I don't fall into any of those categories. Perhaps I'm a "Papple" (pear+apple...get it?). Basically it said those who are apple shaped are at much higher risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. You can't help what shape you are, you can only stay healthy to prevent running into those problems.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
