June 2007 archives

Right now I am tired and my ass hurts and my back is a little tender, but I did it.

I biked the two miles down to Belmont Harbor, from there I ran two miles along the lake to Castaways, ran back to the Harbor, for a total of four miles, stretched a tad, and got back on my bike and did the two miles home.

A couple of things:

* Running on the lake at the beach is harder. The sun was beating down on me, pretty much the whole time, and it's also windier at the lake. Also? Sand. Everywhere. There is a trail, but there was still sand. And it rained yesterday so it was a little sloppy.

* It is very hard not to let yourself get tripped up by all of the incredibly fast, in-shape, awesome runners on the lake. These folks are SERIOUS. Running the hood is a lot more solitary and not many, if any, people pass you by. Here, different story.

Despite how tired I am, and I'm getting a bit of a headache right now, I'm going to try and make this a regular Wednesday thing. It was nice to run near the water and to watch the skyline as I did it. Plus I forgot that there are a billion fountains so I won't have to carry my pesky water bottle with me. THAT was a pain in the ass.

All in all, a good experience and a seriously solid workout.

Lastly, today I am wearing white pants and a navy t-shirt. It is the first time in the history of owning these pants - four years now - that I have not worn my denim jacket over the whole thing.

Fuck it.

It's hot, the pants fit awesomely, and it's not like I'm doing anything more than perpetuating the issue for myself that I'm still too fat to wear certain things without camouflage of some sort. Because I am not.

I'm not going to wait until I'm "good enough" to wear white pants. Screw that noise. I just worked my ass off this morning. I earned this shit.

Posted by Erin at 12:21 PM | | filed under: Training

"It's all of us. It's all of us. There's this dichotomy that's been put up between the skinny girls and the fat girls -- the dichotomy that made me surprised that my sister had ever heard of this book, let alone would be interested in reading it -- but it's not there, it's fake, we're all the same. I'm seeing myself in here, and I'm seeing my sister. I always thought that she escaped all of this, that I was the one it happened to, but -- she's just showing it in a different way. None of us learned how to be happy and love ourselves, and we just have to, we really do, or else we are going to continue beating ourselves in hopes that our morale will improve."

- Meg, I Am That Girl Now

Meg's post resonated with me in light of a little stink up over at Pasta Queen's* yesterday. There is nothing that irks me more than women marginalizing each other, based on their bodies.

Having been at this for years now, and spoken with hundreds of women, I can assure you: the woman struggling with an extra 30 pounds feels the struggle just as the woman with an extra 100 pounds feels it. And for anyone to assume otherwise is a narrow-minded, self-absorbed asshole.

It's not about the pounds, people. It's about the poor body image. The low self-esteem. And you don't even need to be classified as overweight for it to effect you.

*I didn't think PQ meant to insult anyone. I got what she meant, though I understood why someone people might have interpreted it the wrong way.

Posted by Erin at 04:59 PM | | TrackBack (725) | filed under: Random

We got the bikes out this weekend. Or, I should say, I got my bike unlocked this weekend and shook the dust off of it a bit.

It's a piece o' crap, make no mistake, and I'd buy a new one if I had piles of money laying around for such purposes. Alas, I do not. So I have to make do with what I have, and to be quite honest, I never caught on to cycling like I thought I would. I just like using a bike as an alternate mode of transportation in the summer. As long as it gets me from Point A to Point B, I am happy.

So my boyfriend and I decided to make our way to the Pride Parade Sunday morning using our bikes, and it was awesome. We buzzed in and out of all of that horrible traffic with no problems and got some extra exercise to boot. For weeks now, I've had a hankering to do some running on the lake front. It's been a couple of years since I've done so, mostly owing to the fact that I live farther west than I used to, making trips to the lake a pain.

But Sunday night I decided that I would test myself and at least one morning this week ride my bike to the lake, lock it up, and run four miles on the beach, then ride home.

Total? Four miles by bike, four miles by foot.

So that's tomorrow morning's plan. I think I can do it. The bike riding will be more leisurely, though obviously it will be a workout of sorts. Still, I think it's doable. It will make for an exhausting morning, but I imagine I'll feel pretty stupendous after all is said and done. Or ready to collapse. I have no idea.

In other news, I totally forgot what a bitch those leg lifts are when doing The Firm. Oh my Jesus. I did Super Body Sculpt this morning and ouch. My fanny better be lifted after all of those stupid things on that damn Fanny Lifter. Honestly, I hate that so much. SO MUCH. I do not know if there will ever be anything that will get me to enjoy weight lifting. So I will try my best to stick with this until I get bored, slack for a couple of weeks, and try something else.

I bid on eBay for a Turbo Jam set and while I lost, it looks like I'll be able to purchase the kit just the same. I am such an eBay novice, but does that happen a lot? I'm pretty excited as it's the exact kit I wanted, with the exact DVDs I wanted, too. I really like The Firm, all bitching aside, but I really want to do the kickboxing thing in addition to The Firm.

Lastly, has anyone seen the trailer for the new Adam Sandler movie, "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry?" The movie itself looks pretty lame, but my boyfriend and I caught the trailer last night and, oh my God. Jessica Biel is in this movie and in one quick shot they show her in her bra and panties and I kid you not - HER BUTT JIGGLES. But in that good way. In that enviable way.

Seriously, the lady has a nice ass, and she's worked hard for it, quite obviously, and the thought of even having a fraction of my ass mirror hers one day got me through those leg lifts today.

Inspiration. Take it where you can get it.

Posted by Erin at 08:49 AM | | TrackBack (300) | filed under: Training

You know, it's unfortunate that there are companies who will take advantage of people who are looking to improve their health.

I found this consumer site while doing more research on Turbo Jam and holy crap am I glad I did.

I know half the battle is paying attention to the fine print - having been snookered by that too many times in the past, owing to my own ignorance - but these sorts of companies know that there are a good majority of people who will not fully comprehend all of the details and instead only pay attention to the happy mention. In this case, Turbo Jam offers the huge workout package for three payments of $19.95, which includes their online service. Only problem is that what you don't see until much later - after you've submitted your order - is that you have to cancel the online service after 30 days or you get charged. And people have been charged and THEN the customer service is apparently so horrible that canceling the program takes eons. There are also myriad complaints about all sundry of things. Jesus. All I wanted was a new DVD or two.

Thank God for Amazon and for eBay!

I want to say I'm surprised but I'm truly, truly not. This sort of thing happens all of the time to people, and while I have learned enough lessons to not fall victim to it myself, I can't in good conscious promote or endorse or spend money with a company who makes a habit of such business practices.

You shouldn't either.

Posted by Erin at 11:09 AM | | TrackBack (647) | filed under: Random

1. Can you tell me how to become disciplined with exercise? You are my exercise Rock Star - I have such a hard time with it and sabotage myself at every turn. This is the exact opposite issue, I guess - I need my body to catch up with my mind.

I think this is one of the most common struggles for those with body image and weight issues. Reconciling being at peace with your body while recognizing that exercise does it a lot of good. We've all conditioned ourselves over the years to equate exercise with the drive for perfection, so much so that the only purpose it seems to serve is to punish ourselves for being fat. Which is ridiculous. Thin people have to work out. Fat people have to work out.

Exercise isn't solely in service to losing weight, though it's a part of it, obviously. We need to move our bodies or we aren't caring for them properly. If you move hard and for longer than 30 minutes, combined with a mindful diet, chances are that you'll see weight loss. But if you don't combine the two, moving in some fashion is still important.

But how do you become disciplined? Here is the secret: YOU JUST DO.

At the end of the day, bemoaning it, playing mind fuck, making empty promises ... they don't amount to anything other than excuses you make for not wanting to do the hard work of moving your ass for an hour, when it's obviously easier to be sitting at the computer. I've done it more times than I can count, and no doubt I'll go through such a period again. But every single day I make a promise to myself that I will work out, that it will be part of my routine, and then that's it. As far as I'm concerned, if I work out at least four days a week, I'm golden. When I slip, I catch myself and do something different.

I know the reason I finally dropped all of the weight I gained back. I worked my ass off. Literally. I got out there and made exercise - exercising hard - part of my life again.

At the end of the day, you just have to make the commitment to yourself and your health and recognize that you're worth the hard work.

2. I take Fill-In-The-Blank Omega-3's and I don't have the burp/fishy aftertaste/etc.

Lots of great feedback on this one. I take a prescription variety of Omega-3's, so I'm not into trying the over-the-counter for now. But a lot of people mentioned Nordic Naturals, coated in lemon flavoring, as an alternative.

3. Do I really need to go to a serious running store for running shoes?

Yes, yes, yes. If you're serious about running, YES. I cannot emphasize enough how much the Joe Schmoes at your local sporting goods store have NO CLUE about proper fit for running shoes. There is so much going on when you run that you need someone who knows how to spot for issues in your gait that the proper shoe can correct. That pinching at the sides of your foot? Yeah. That's not normal. Even if your shoes are new. Arch pain? Not good either.

The proper shoe will eliminate ALL of that.

4. I was just wondering what you drink for protein shakes. I am trying to eat very low-sugar and I have a hard time finding recipes or protein shakes that do not contain so much sugar! If you have any other different ideas for low-sugar snacks and meals and would like to share, I would appreciate it!

Taken from the Bravo show "Work Out" recipe, I use a cup of frozen, unsweetened mixed berries, a scoop of low-carb, natural whey powder, a scoop of mega greens, a tablespoon of flaxseed, and a tablespoon of liquid carnitine. I add about a half-cup of filtered water and a tablespoon of Splenda as well.

I replaced the whey mixture with a soy one that sucked so I got bored with that after six weeks and switched up the almond/soy/tofu shake I now drink and love.

Like any other low-glycemic-eating plan, you need to just be aware of the GI of each food and go from there. I'm a sucker for anything using ground turkey and tomatoes and black beans.

Posted by Erin at 09:29 AM | | TrackBack (390) | filed under: Random

I just walked through my office cafeteria, purchased a 3 Musketeers bar, walked down the hall, up three flights of stairs, through the third floor to my office and realized that never once did I try and hide the candy bar as though I were ashamed of having a hankering for chocolate.

I consider this progress.

It was really very yummy. It might make my long run tonight after work a little tougher, but sometimes a girl has to have fluffy chocolate.

In other news, I'm considering expanding my home workout options. I still haven't quit my gym - I really need to, as I haven't been there in a few weeks - but I'd like some backup until I do. I like my yoga and running - haven't lifted a weight, sigh, in weeks - but I need something that gets my heart racing as much as my Turbo Kick class.

So that's why I was thinking of Turbo Jam.

I've heard great things about it, but all of those DVDs frighten me a tad. And I can't seem to get a whole lot of information on the site. Does anyone out there do it? Is it like kickboxing?

Also, on the off chance anyone is bored with theirs, would you consider selling it to me?

I'm really looking for some solid kickboxing-like DVDs ...

I'm opening up the comments briefly for feedback, so have at it!

Posted by Erin at 03:36 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack (942) | filed under: Random

OK. I'm on my lunch break, so I'm going to use it to finally get to answering emails, via the blog. A lot of your questions are similar so I'm killing several birds with one mighty stone! Here are a few questions I get asked regularly:

1) I was wondering if you wouldn't mind giving me an idea of what a typical breakfast/lunch/dinner is for you.

I don't mind at all, but I will warn you that I'm not always loyal to it and what works for one person's body chemistry may not for another. You REALLY do have to be patient and persistent and figure out what's best for you. I don't really count calories anymore, either. That said, here is what is on today's schedule:

Breakafast: Almond tofu shake and a banana.

The shake is a combo of dry roasted almonds, extra firm tofu, low-fat, low-sugar, plain soy milk, nonfat plain yogurt and some Splenda.

Lunch: Two pieces of Ezekiel 4:9™ Sprouted Grain Bread, 3 oz. of deli turkey, one slice of baby Swiss, dash of mustard, bread and butter pickles.

I cook up the turkey in the morning in a saute pain with some olive oil spray and then melt the cheese over it before adding it to the bread.

Snack: Cup of sliced strawberries

Dinner: I'm making low-fat chili with black beans and tomatoes with a sprinkling of Trader Joe's LITE 3-cheese. I'll probably have some frozen cherries drizzled with sugar-free chocolate syrup for dessert with a glass of wine or two.

2) What do you think of the neti pot? What has it done for you? Did it creep you out at first? Where did you get yours?

I love it so much I cannot recommend it enough. I haven't had to take allergy medication since using one, and I've suffered from year-round allergies since I was a little kid. It isn't perfect, but I hate being on more medicines than necessary as I don't like the idea of regulating my body on pharmaceuticals if I can help it. I got used to the weirdness after about two uses. I bought mine at Whole Foods.

A word to the wise? Don't make a homemade saline remedy as there are some salts that can do a number on your sinuses. Like table salt.

3. Oh, please please tell us how the 10 mile went. I'm (we're?) dying to know!

Oh God I suck. I'm sorry. Somehow I let this one slip by me. I did not run the Soldier Field 10. I sold my spot on Craigslist. When it got closer, the farthest I'd run was 6 miles and I didn't have it in me to train so hard that I hurt myself. I did a 5K that weekend, I've got another July 1, and I'm signed up for a 10K July 29. I've not quit racing, just quit putting the pressure on myself for long races when I don't enjoy it. This needs to stay fun!

4. Also, the crockpot pork chop recipe sounds intriguing. Would you
mind sharing it?

Not at all! My grandmother makes these all of the time and I just love them. They're technically called "CHICKEN LICKIN' GOOD PORK CHOPS."

6 to 8 lean 1 inch thick pork chops
1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. oil - I use olive oil
1 (10 oz.) can chicken with rice soup

Mix flour, salt, dry mustard and garlic powder. Dredge pork chops in mixture. Brown chops in oil in large skillet. Place browned pork chops in crockpot. Add can of soup. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours. (High 3 1/2 hours).

5. Would you put up some information about the running cramping/side pains/burping thing?

I got so many responses, and they really varied. The big thing seems to be that if it's severe, and slowing your breathing hasn't helped, nor has antacids or not eating before running, you REALLY need to see your doctor.

More soon!

Posted by Erin at 03:22 PM | | TrackBack (5134) | filed under: Random

I stepped on the scale this morning, and actually said to myself, "I'm feeling rather 145 today." I can't help it. I need to prepare myself for anything at this weight, mainly because I haven't really worked out in over a week.

I did have a cold last week, but that was over by Friday and I'm not someone who doesn't eat when she's sick.

The bummer is that I probably won't be able to work out until tomorrow. I had grand designs on it but I'm watching my sister's 11-week-old puppy and she is a handful! She has me up at the crack of dawn every day and up all night. Kate picks Bella up tonight, so if she's early enough, I'll go for a run afterwards. If not, I wait till tomorrow when I can get a full night's rest since Glinny and I are on the same schedule.

So anyway, yay! I'm pleased. I can't help it.

Posted by Erin at 09:45 AM | | TrackBack (734) | filed under: Weigh in

I did a quick photoshop of a couple of pictures of myself, taken in the same lighting, from the same angle, but by different people, and there seemed to be a definite difference in my face in terms of puffiness and the like. The one on the left was taken last week; the one on the right was taken in February.

I will always, always have this round face, which I like now that I'm 31 and it makes me appear much younger than I am.

I still really like the picture on the right - it's a picture of my boyfriend and I and it currently sits on my bedside table - but it's nice to see some difference in my face. I have really tiny, narrow eyes and they tend to get swallowed up if I'm carrying extra weight in my face.

Still sick, of course, just taking a quick break. :)

Posted by Erin at 04:18 PM | | TrackBack (750) | filed under: Random

I know I've been bad about updating the weights and measurements - where obviously there are none - every other Wednesday so I thought I'd do a quick post to relay what my weight is of this moment, which is 145.5.

I haven't worked out one bit since Bikram last Tuesday, mostly owing to poor planning on my part. I have to remember that I need to get up and workout before work since with summer comes a much busier social calendar. I don't attribute anything to this, other than I'm tired and sick and know that working out always makes me feel better. Unfortunately, I'm in the middle of that horrible cold so there won't be much working out for another couple of days.

But strangely enough, here I am again, the place where my body seems to be most comfortable. When I'm simply watching what I eat and doing moderate exercise, this is where my body is happiest and most content. I'm trying really hard to be comfortable with that as I know that throughout my life this may be the place of rest. I'm not always going to be training for races, not always going to keep my regular workout pace, so it's good to come to some peace with my body as it is now - in the mid-140s, a little soft, but certainly in great health.

I promise to catch up soon!

Posted by Erin at 10:10 AM | | TrackBack (1180) | filed under: Weigh in

It is now 5:30 a.m. and I am up and ask sick as a dog. It hit me sometime yesterday afternoon - though I've had that itchy throat/roof of mouth thing for a few days - and I've been miserable ever since.

I was away from the computer for most of the weekend and now I'm going back to bed and try to get some sleep. More soon when I'm feeling better ...

Posted by Erin at 06:27 AM | | TrackBack (1144) | filed under: Random

... I have horrendous cramps and I'm achy and sore from last night's Bikram class. I'll get to answering everyone's questions soon.

I'm about to grab my heating pad and book and chill out for the rest of my evening. I have already involved both peanut butter and chocolate into the situation. It's this lovely concoction I put together to stave off me going crazy during my period:

1) 2 Tbsp of reduced-fat, natural peanut butter, microwaved for 30 seconds
2) 1 Tbsp of sugar-free chocolate syrup
3) 1 Tbsp of light Cool Whip, frozen

I combine all of these into a ramekin (to keep the portion down, and honest) and then voila! Well, actually, I don't really know what you get but I really like it and it stops me from eating a bunch of shit that isn't good for me and will just make me feel wretched later. It's pretty rich and filling, though I know the ingredients themselves sorta scream "obsessive" as well as "pathetic." I don't care. You don't have to digest my food, I do.

I also made another favorite of mine, which is basically turkey chili without all of the sauce and paste. I take the following:

1) 1/2 diced sweet onion
2) 4 cloves of minced garlic (I like garlic)
3) 1 lb of ground turkey
4) 1 can of diced tomatoes with chiles
5) 1 can of black beans
6) 1/2 Tbsp. of cumin
7) 2 Tbsp of chili powder
8) pinch of kosher salt and fresh pepper

I saute the onion and garlic till soft in a teaspoon of olive oil, add the turkey till brown, and dump in the rest and cook for another 15 minutes. It's on the spicy side so I add a tablespoon or two of shredded cheese. I like Trader Joe's LITE 3 Cheese blend. It is bar none the best reduced-calorie, reduced-fat cheese I have EVER used and I swear by it and will never go back to using another brand. It is THAT good. All melty and delicious.

Have a good rest of the week, everyone!

Posted by Erin at 09:41 PM | | filed under: Random

I had part of my dental work done Friday morning and I'm still recovering. Seriously - OW.

Don't put this sort of stuff off, you guys. You'll pay for it. No doubt.

Yesterday Shelane and I ran in the United Run for the Zoo 5K and, despite starting about 12 minutes after the gun went off for the 5K runners, we did well enough that none of the 10K runners finished before us. But oh was it humbling to have those guys run by us. I still can't find the results for the race, but I think we finished in about 35 minutes. Shelane got some horrible side cramping, which leads me to a question for all of you runners:

Do any of you have any reflux issues and if so, do they effect your running? I think Shelane has acid reflux issues as she gets cramping when she runs, almost like clockwork, and she does have to belch a lot, too. If you have information to share, email me, would you?

I have a bunch of emails to catch up on, and a goodly number of them are questions, so in the next day or two I'll sit down here and answer them in blog-post form. But the haps, for now, in particular order:

1) File under "Possibly TMI," this is my first cycle since going on the thyroid medication and I have to admit I'd hoped that I'd see a difference here in terms of my Day Of Crap but no dice. Usually I have one day a couple of days before I start where my hormones manage to take over my entire body, set up camp, and make my life a living hell. One big difference is that I'm not nearly as bloated as I usually am, which is a welcome relief.

2) Being unprepared spells disaster. I had a couple of days where I just had no food in the house to make something and so I was at the mercy of both of my carb-craving hormones and the outside world. This lead me to a couple of days of turkey subs from Subway, a bag or two of pretzels and holy crap. I felt horrific. I'm not saying that I'm chastising myself as I made fine choices, health-wise - with the exception of what I can only term as a Cookie Binge at a girlfriend's house - just that without healthier options that don't drive my rather intolerant body crazy, I'm in a miserable state.

I went grocery shopping, armed with a list of things I needed for new recipes.

3) The South Beach Chicken and Pistachio salad sounds better than what it actually tastes like. Note to self: Use Miracle Whip.

Posted by Erin at 07:58 AM | | TrackBack (772) | filed under: Random