Azatol Posted November 16, 2015 Report Share Posted November 16, 2015 I don't think being weak is directly correlated to weight loss but diet plus strength training is clearly where it's at. I've lost about 120 pounds and gotten much stronger and everything in life is better now!! Eating more food is not going to make you less weak. Strength training is!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruthie Posted November 16, 2015 Report Share Posted November 16, 2015 Jeshi since you are not just passively losing weight, and you energy expenditure is growing all the time - the harder this program gets the more you are burning - you should probably see a nutritionist to see that you are getting the right kinds of foods and not just extra calories. Goods snacks are various nuts - packed with calories, good fats, and various other minerals and vitamins that are harder to come by. Brazil nuts are fantastic and very healthy. When you are sapped, have two or three of those. Also, if there is one thing I know about dieting - it is never allow yourself to be hungry - hunger is the enemy - hunger and binge are good friends and you want neither of them anywhere near you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Lang Posted November 16, 2015 Report Share Posted November 16, 2015 Wow Jeshie i like Ruthie's sugestion about seeing a nutritionist. And you need protien and good carbs to build muscle and cardio plus diet without strength training is not good so glad u on board with that. Nice job on the running i like that you were able to go little faster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeshi Posted November 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2015 5 days a week, I throw two cups of greens (rotated between Kale, Spinach, Swiss Chard, and Romaine hearts), 3 cups of fruit (banana, pineapple, and mango), 2 tablespoons of chia seeds, a few drops of grapefruit seed extract, and 2 cups of almond or rice milk, totaling around 600 calories for breakfast/brunch. I hardly had any fruits or vegetables before I made these smoothies. It's given my body the much needed nutrients, energy, and helped my digestive and skin health as well as clear my mind. Stress has been building up for the last few weeks and I've been experiencing many of the symptoms. I didn't realize it was stress (and therefore wasn't able to manage it) and couldn't figure out why my mental disorders were popping back up. I had a breakdown yesterday and had some severe chest pain, racing heart, and was in a low mood. I couldn't taste anything I ate even though I was eating some of my favorite foods. I had to shove some food into me for dinner just so I could meet the day's minimum. That is very, very odd for me as I love to eat. Since I've been running, sleeping, eating healthier, I'm not really sure how to reduce my stress other than avoiding or minimizing my stress triggers. Pardon me if I'm a little off right now as my body/mind are in a weird place. 11/18/15 Wednesday W7D3 Wow. Did I just do Week 7 Day 3? Am I really near the end of the app? Did I really just start this app 8.5 weeks ago? Telling someone who's never run in their life, someone who hated running for 20 seconds, someone who thought that running "just wasn't for them" that she could run for 25 minutes straight without ragged breathing is just insane. Insane and wonderful. I started my monthly this morning and there was some struggle in the run, but the beginning and mostly throughout had a kind of bounce and bounding forward energy. I felt a little pressure on my left arch because I was almost bounding up and down (thinking about a dog lopping forward). I went so much faster today than yesterday and Friday (okay, so much faster is a relative term, but it doesn't matter to me. I am happy!) Since I generally run at the same pace and run the same route, I reach the same place when the cool down timer starts. This time, I had 6 minutes left on my timer when I reached the spot. It spurned me on (even though a 25 minute run is 3 minutes longer than the 22 minute run, so I really was only a minute faster, but I felt good about it, so no harm). The only downside is I wanted to continue running, but it's a weird grassy area, so I had to slow down through it. I want to increase the distance on the part before I turn around, but it's a giant hill and I want to practice lesser inclines right now so I am going to have to find a new route. I love that every time I repeat a session, I feel it's easier/I get faster. It's a great feeling. I'm not sure if I want to repeat Week 7 for the rest of this week or move onto week 8. Once I finish Week 8, I'll have a lot of repeating to get to get my time down. My first goal after finishing the app is to complete 5k in a session (warm up and cool down included). My second goal is to run 5k (not including warm up and cool down). This is really exciting. I hope I can find better ways to manage my stress because I don't want to become sidelined. Ruthie and Azatol 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Lang Posted November 18, 2015 Report Share Posted November 18, 2015 I just want to shout for joy with how far you have come. i have heard that yoga and tia chi are both good for stress i can never get through lesson one because it invoves breathing but with running my breathing is improving so maybe soon my 14 yr old and i sometimes just yell scream whatever you want to call it or punch pillows to de stress as i think im starting my changes and my hormones shift stress has increased as i hate drs and chemicals i will not do hormone therapy but it might work for others. Azatol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruthie Posted November 18, 2015 Report Share Posted November 18, 2015 Jeshi sorry to hear you are not feeling up to par. My monthlies do weird things to me to (like wanting to bop people on the head and suchlike...) it's like a strange and vile version of myself has moved in. Yoga and breathing exercises help with stress. You can find lots of beginning yoga relaxation classes online (10 and 15 minutes) and for me, even at my most combative and hair-on-end stressed out - they are at least somewhat effective. On the other hand, glad to see you doing so well with the running ... that should be enough to put a smile on your face and take a weight of your chest! Anne Lang 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeshi Posted November 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2015 Thanks, Anne and Ruthie. Since I've ballooned up, it is seriously difficult for me to achieve yoga posses. The flexibility isn't really an issue. It's things like my stomach getting in the way. When I bend over to tie my shoes, my lungs are compressed on my thighs making it seriously difficult to breathe and I'm gasping for air at the end. This isn't the way I want to go down! My coworker is trained in tai chi and has offered to train me, but hasn't had the time to practice himself. We'll see. 11/19/15 Thursday W7D3 So, I don't know what craziness prompted me, but I've been playing with the idea of wearing a weighted vest throughout the day to increase my weight and muscle mass passively (in addition to the running, sleeping, eating better/less regimen) just to see what it's like. I wore my friend's 10 vest yesterday and by the end of the day my shoulders were aching. When I took it off, I thought, "Wow, I couldn't believe I had all that weight on a month ago!" My friend asked if I wanted to run with it today. I agreed to try it. I strapped the vest very loosely so it wasn't pressing on my lungs. This caused the vest to wobble a bit when I started running, but I soon didn't notice. It was tough, but I felt the gratifying weighing down and my muscles working a bit harder. My lungs had a much easier time than yesterday. My pace ended up fairly well even though I felt like I was going slower at times due to the extra weight. The only negative thing that occurred was my left instep rubbing against the shoe with 10 minutes left. I tried to run on the outside of my left foot to not put pressure on the instep, but it still rubbed some. I'm not sure if that gait will cause issues further down the road. I'm so happy I was able to complete W7D3 with the 'weight' I started with. Today, was much easier than a month ago, even at shorter running intervals. I'm grateful for how much improvement I've seen/felt. Next week will be a bit of a challenge. I could push myself to run M-Th in order to get 4 runs earlier in the week. The problem is: when I take 3-4 days rest in a row, my next run really suffers. I'm not sure how I'll handle the Monday after Thanksgiving if I don't run on Black Friday. I may have to take my weekday rest day per normal and bring my running clothes with me during Thanksgiving holiday to run on Friday. Azatol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Lang Posted November 19, 2015 Report Share Posted November 19, 2015 ive toyed with a vest also i did with 10 pound back pack a 6.5 mile walk to work in oct. It was hard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azatol Posted November 19, 2015 Report Share Posted November 19, 2015 It's also not going to hurt to skip 1 run Jeshi. I don't like to either but it takes nearly 2 weeks to get any noticeable atrophy. Sometimes life and family happen. It's ok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruthie Posted November 19, 2015 Report Share Posted November 19, 2015 Wow jeshi...i never thought about running with weights...must have been a challenge. Enjoy your time with your family and take your rumning clothes with for just in case you need an escape...which is often the case with families... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Lang Posted November 20, 2015 Report Share Posted November 20, 2015 i agree with both Ruthie and Azatol enjoy Jeshi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeshi Posted November 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2015 Thanks for the encouragement, everyone! I loved how much strength I developed in my muscles with the weighted vest, but after researching, I've concluded that the potential spinal injury from wearing weights wasn't worth the muscle gain considering the degenerative disk disease that runs in my family. I'm going to hold off the weighted vest for now. 11/23/15 Monday W8D1 36 degrees outside. Brrr! As I got dressed this morning, my SO asked, "You're going running??!?" I replied with a resolute, "I have to." while inside my mind I was finding excuses to not brave the cold. I had the itch to run on Saturday and Sunday, but had to remind myself that rest days are important. No one is stopping me from running today (unless it rained because rain will keep me from running outdoors). I was slightly apprehensive starting Week 8 -- what if I couldn't do it, but I pressed on because it would be SUPER exciting to finish this app by Thanksgiving!!! It wasn't a goal I had in mind at all, but the timing lines up and why not continuing to push myself? Sometimes, I have to pull myself along. I pulled my hood over my head and had to keep my hands in my pockets in the beginning because it was so cold -- hey, it's normally 90 degrees here -- but I warmed up shortly into my run. I didn't have an urge to keep glancing at the clock -- it can be a downer watching the clock counting down from 28 minutes. Besides, finishing the interval shouldn't feel like a chore. It's a gift of time to clear your mind and not worry/think about anything else -- I'm a major over-thinker, if you can't tell. The amazing thing was focusing on my core, drawing my navel toward my spine, standing tall and keeping my chest/shoulders stacked on top of my torso. I concentrated on my breathing, which only got a little rough when I got warm. Guess what? My feet didn't hurt AT ALL!! Every time I thought about my feet, I drew my thoughts back to my core and then let them wander about daily life/hobbies. My feet knew what to do. They know how to "feel" the road and how to push off to balance myself. Running this way really de-stressed me, gave me a sense of well-being and helped me run my fastest (without feeling like I was pushing myself to injury). Since the later sessions in c25k are repeated steady-state running, my body naturally got faster with each session, even if only for a little bit. The best part of my run was when I passed by a man getting into his car with a slightly shocked look on his face. I smiled and waved and he said, "Oh my gosh, it's 31 or 34 degrees outside!" I replied, "Gotta get my run in!" as I passed by. He shouted, "Very brave, very brave!" It was a nice affirmation that I was doing something good for my body -- although I would have continued even if he hadn't commented. I hope I inspired him to think about his health. Looking at my running time, I think I shaved 7 minutes off of my 5k time -- if I had run 5k. When I complete this week, I am going to repeat and try to reduce my time so I can finish that 5k in the 30-40 minutes (with and then without warm up) so I don't run longer. If I get bored, I'll start up the 10k app. I cannot believe I ran 28 minutes!!! The trick to running for a "long" time is to run at a sustainable pace. Breathing and muscle soreness play a big part. I don't think like I am running a race, (hold my breath and power through as hard and fast as I can to cross the finish line, and then that finish line, and then that one.) Maybe that's helpful for sprinting/speed intervals, but for this endurance running/de-stressing, this "easy" maintainable run is perfect for me. Wish you all happiness and running success! Ruthie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruthie Posted November 23, 2015 Report Share Posted November 23, 2015 JESHIIIII! That was wonderful! I loved reading this. I had to see how cold that was in celsius - OMG - that is literally freezing! Good for you. I am going to focus on my core tomorrow during my run. See if it makes me as light on my feet as it makes you :-) You are an inspiration! Jeshi 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azatol Posted November 23, 2015 Report Share Posted November 23, 2015 Great job. Loving that you're being mindful of your core and posture. Those things alone will help raise your cadence and improve your gait!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Lang Posted November 23, 2015 Report Share Posted November 23, 2015 what a gift what a joy to read the happiness all over your post. Learn so much from you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeshi Posted November 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2015 Thanks, guys Your encouragement really cheers me up! 11/24/15 Tuesday W8D2 I guess I had such a high yesterday that today was a bit of a let-down. I normally rest on Tuesdays, but I was pushing myself to complete the session today out of fear I may not finish Week 8 on Thursday. (I try to get my runs in earlier in the week so it's not looming over my head that I will have to do it later in the week. Then, when later in the week comes around, I'm moaning and groaning because I have to do it because I waited.) It just works out better getting it "out of the way" earlier in the week and then not worrying about working it into the schedule on the weekend. I also think finishing earlier in the week gives me the mentality of "I'm doing this because I enjoy it" not "I'm doing this because if I don't stay on track, I'm never going to improve." Today, the run was more difficult than yesterday and I ran at a slower pace. I see there was a reason my body wanted to rest on Tuesdays after running 'hard' on Monday. My phone battery "died" when I took a screenshot after the run (before the cool down) so I didn't cool down properly or record the metrics properly again. When I plugged it in, the battery said there was 18% left. Grrrr...software issues, I'm sure. I'm also considering cutting down my running sessions so I can make it to work on time. I've been overeating the last 3 days and it's been hurting my fat-loss. On one hand, I'm afraid to stress my body by maintaining a low calorie intake. On the other hand, I need to be firm with myself so I don't stagnate or fall off the wagon. Sorry to be in a downer mood. I think I'm just anticipating all the stress of the holidays and family. Sure, I love and care about them, but it's a very, very stressful time of the year for me. Hug to all of you. Gotta keep goals in mind and keep on keeping on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azatol Posted November 24, 2015 Report Share Posted November 24, 2015 . On one hand, I'm afraid to stress my body by maintaining a low calorie intake. On the other hand, I need to be firm with myself so I don't stagnate or fall off the wagon. You wont. Most people are all confused on the subject anyway. There is nothing wrong with running on no or low calorie intake. I ran 9 miles on Saturday with just a small paleo granola bar and my morning coffee in me. No harm done. Additionally, the whole fueling with carbs thing isn't entirely accurate. Your body actually burns fat stores when you do an easy run. It uses carbs/glycogen when you run fast and hard (race). Worry about eating a healthy diet but don't worry about eating to run at the moment. It's not all that relevant until you're racing or running very long(90 minutes +). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Lang Posted November 25, 2015 Report Share Posted November 25, 2015 I know the feelings Just go back to your one day at a time today is done focus on what you want to do tomorrow and then do it. I overate a lot today so tomorrow i will stick to eating just what i bring to work and not say yess to what is shared Ruthie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruthie Posted November 25, 2015 Report Share Posted November 25, 2015 Jeshi - I know what you are saying about eating. I also seem to be all over the place and can't get a handle on it. Do you log your food? I am trying to get back to doing that - non-judgmentally - it helps to keep me on track... and also helps me see if I am stressed over nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeshi Posted November 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2015 You wont. Most people are all confused on the subject anyway. There is nothing wrong with running on no or low calorie intake. I ran 9 miles on Saturday with just a small paleo granola bar and my morning coffee in me. No harm done. Additionally, the whole fueling with carbs thing isn't entirely accurate. Your body actually burns fat stores when you do an easy run. It uses carbs/glycogen when you run fast and hard (race). Worry about eating a healthy diet but don't worry about eating to run at the moment. It's not all that relevant until you're racing or running very long(90 minutes +). I mean I was eating 1000 calories PER DAY and running, and wearing a 10 lb vest. When I meant low calorie intake, I wasn't referring to pre-run, but consume few calories throughout the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Lang Posted November 25, 2015 Report Share Posted November 25, 2015 i average between 1300 and 1800 a day my target is 1200 i always go over even with added excersize and im always hungry even after 16 oz of water and a full meal give me 15 min and ill want to eat again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeshi Posted November 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2015 i average between 1300 and 1800 a day my target is 1200 i always go over even with added excersize and im always hungry even after 16 oz of water and a full meal give me 15 min and ill want to eat again It is soooo hard to stick to the 1200 target. When I first started logging in January of this year I was well over 3000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeshi Posted November 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2015 11/25/15 Wednesday W8D3 I did it! I made it! I was groaning in anticipation last night about running 3 days in a row but I was desperate to run as many days early in the week as I can "just in case" something happens later. It was a nice 64 degrees today, up from 51 yesterday, and I pushed myself near the end because I wanted my last c25k run to be my best. I went down two side streets to end up at "The Cool Down Point" at the right time so I tackled more hills than I do normally. I even put on a burst of speed at the end (something I haven't been doing). Calculating my time, it still seems like it'd take me 55 minutes for me to finish a 5k. I'm going to work on faster intervals. Have a happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Ruthie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne Lang Posted November 25, 2015 Report Share Posted November 25, 2015 enjoy you worked hard and earned it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azatol Posted November 26, 2015 Report Share Posted November 26, 2015 I eat 2500+ calories a day. The other upside of strength training is muscles eat 35 calories per hour. That's an extra 420 calories per day just for being strong!! Add running/lifting/cycling/walking and you burn a ton fo calories. If you eat good food (I eat 70% vegetables), you can eat TONS. I stuff my face all the time and lose weight LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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