T-12 weeks Auroville Training & some weight loss thoughts

Hey guys!!!

I was so not ready for the week to begin last night. But when I woke up at 4.50 a.m. ten minutes before my alarm was set to go off, I felt good and recharged. I quickly finished my workout - Jillian Michaels - 30DS- Level 2 before the Husband and toddler kid woke up. This is my fifth consecutive day of working out. Half marathon training has officially begun!

It happened sometime last week. Once I registered for the Auroville half, I knew I had to get serious. A half marathon is no easy task. Completing 21.1k on the feet is quite painful literally. And I want the second time to feel better than the first.

So a quick recap of Auroville Half Training - T-12 weeks

Thursday - 21/11 - 5k run
Friday -22/11 - JM- No more trouble zone
Saturday -23/11 - 6 week 6 pack lvl 1

Ofcourse, the first half of the week passed without any real workout, and thats how I panicked once I officially signed up for the race.

In fact I also did a long run on Sunday and worked out today. With my new schedule, I find very little time in the mornings to hit the gym. Chittu time has become limited right now, and I don't want to further eat into it at any cost. So for now, I am optimising using a combination of home workouts for strength training and running.

Another important thing I noticed that I seem to lose weight when I am not exactly obsessing over the weighing scale. I guess the fact that I know I have not gained weight, pushes me to to eat more rather than the fear of gaining when I am not regularly weighing myself. I do have a few more kilos to go before I reach the magical 60s. But yes certainly, I want to reach that zone soon.Just I have a bad feeling its going to take me REALLY long to get there.

Whats up at your end?

The post where I run out of steam!

Even though I want to show off to you guys that I completed 6 weeks of half marathon training, and I know that I ought to have got the week 6 recap up and ready by now, I must admit that I've kinda run out of steam.

Ugh! Yes.

I have a sprain in my neck. I cock my head to one side and now that side is hurting pretty bad too.

I also have a terrible cold and I can't even breathe in because even a harsh breath hurts my neck and some parts of my shoulder.

Added to it, is the special gift to women by God! Really, there are seven days in a week. Out of that I exercise on 6. If out of those 6, I have to be off for 3 it makes that week a horrible work out week, no? And the chocolate cravings, the head aches and all. I know, this is a pity party and you are welcome, provided you come carrying truck loads of Reeses, because I'm in love with them and will soon run out of the US candy!!!

There were 2 highlights to this weekend - one was my 10k run, which was SO SO difficult. How am I going to run a half marathon in 6 weeks from now??? And the other was a Banana- Apple eggless pancake I made. Good stuff, I tell you :) Recipe soon!

 So that's the fun news from me! What are you guys up to?

New Online Exercise Video Discovered - Pure Joy!

Yesterday was strech and strengthen day. I needed a proper workout after Sunday's long run (8k) which I did not really enjoy as much as I usually do. Today's run at a pace of 07.30 was much better.

 

But I digress. yesterday I did a Barre workout that I happily came across from (Just) Trying is for Little Girls. Do hop to her blog  to see how much that woman actually runs. She makes running 10 miles so easy! I think she has a goal of running a half in every state in the US :) Anyway so if she says some workout video was good, I would definitely have to try it.

 

And so I did!! I desperately needed a strength training video to at home with just body weight. When I first watched the video, I was like "No way am I going to be able to do this". But then Yesterday morning, I mustered up the courage, dragged a chair into my room, spread out my purple yoga mat and was dripping sweat by the time I finished!!! I was able to do ALL the moves :) though I did not have dumbells for some :) The topping to the cake was that all the tightness I had been feeling in my glutes, hammies and thighs just vanished with this video.

 

Its a good 40 minute long workout with cool down and so I added this workout too before I was interrupted by a wailing toddler. That was a good one to do though I wanted to do a little more even after 50 mins(unlike the Jillian Micheals videos where I am happy to reach the end). I will be definitely doing this one again. Will you try this? Leave me a line!

Exercise for me means...

We had just returned from a one day trip to Chennai this morning- meaning we travelled two consecutive nights (during which I had close to little sleep!). This was the conversation between the Scientist and me at 5.30 a.m.

Me: I am thinking about whether or not I should go to the gym! I'm so sleepy , I want to curl up and sleep.
Scientist : I think you feel empowered when you go to the gym/ work out. Don't skip your exercise!!!
Me: Hmmm...But I am really sleepy and I got a lot of work at office.

About 10 minutes later, I could be seen heading out of the house with my gym bag packed! I don't intend to brag. But that's exercise. Addictive & empowering for me.

What is exercise for you?

Just for the record - I also managed to knock off 5kms on the treadmill at the IL's. That's exercise in their face I guess. Everyone knows how much hard I worked to bust 25 kilos of weight.Its been a long and difficult journey, and I deeply appreciate the support I get!

Exercise, Running faster & some workout gyan!

Sometimes I really love the routine of the weekdays. People at home - including Chittu & the husband and those who come and live with me understand that exercise like morning tea/ coffee is a non-negotiable part of my routine. I wake up sufficiently early so that I can attend to the family's needs - like get the Scientist's lunch ready at 6 a.m. on some days of the week, keep the toddler's milk ready in case he wakes up before I return from the gym, make the FIL's coffee, turn on the washing machine, give the veggies for chopping to Maami - before I head out of the door to the gym in the morning.

Believe me, this did not come easily to me. When the Scientist and I were just married, I once paid an annual membership to a gym and went only for 3-4 days!!! Can you believe it?? I wasted about 12-13k if I am right.

Now I have my gym bag packed the previous night, lay out my gym clothes and even have a filled water bottle, so that I minimise the excuses I can come up with for bunking gym! And yes I try to hit the bed early so that I can manage to do all the above and go to work and be productive there :)

Today, I decided to run at the gym. I have a 10k event coming up soon and I better get some running practise! I find that as I lose weight, I am able to run faster.I did a 5k in 37:30. I think thats my personal best so far! Here's proof:

My aim is to be able to do a sub 30 minute 5k. That needs some hard work, but I guess it IS possible!That apart I have been totally missing my body pump classes :( The only problem with the classes is that they all start only at 7 a.m.(Only???) 7-8 is the time Chittu wakes up, bathes and gets ready for school. Being in the gym at that time means missing out Chittu time, which I don't want to do!!! So I guess I'll be exercising this way for a while longer.

Just to give you an idea, this is what I do in the gym:

• 20-25 mins on the elliptical/ arc trainer + 5k on the recumbent bike (13 minutes) + 5-10 mins stair master
• treadmill 5k run
• 15 minutes on elliptical/ arc trainer + 3k treadmill ( 20 minutes) + core workout*

* core workout - regular blanks, modified side planks, pelvic bridge pose, crunches

I always end with a good set of stretches - the down dog, simple warrior, child pose, camel pose, glute stretches, hamstring stretches, calf stretches, chest stretches, neck & arm stretches

I cannot stress enough about the imporatnace of stretching post workout. One thing is certain - If you fail to stretch, you are setting yourself up for injury. Streching helps the muscle to release the stress and go back to its original size after vigorous exercise. So those of you who pass off stretching, please do give it another thought!

Enough gyan from me. How do you workout?

Am I jinxing myself on this blog !

Yes that's true. Every time I report a loss out here, I find that some weight secretly creeps right back up. And then when I think that my running is in top form I develop shin splits and severe unprecedented joint pains that have kept me off running and the topping to cake is how I proudly announced that I renewed my gym membership and have almost not gone to the gym since then barring 2-3 times a week!

 

Well I don't mean to really blame blogging, because it has mostly kept me motivated, accountable and responsible about weight loss. But what I mean to focus on is that I have started severely slacking on the exercise front. Chittu has also been home for the last one and half months (as in no school for him) so I take the liberty of waking up a little later than on school days, blaming not going to the gym/ running on my painful joints/not feeling motivated to exercise because I am not losing anyway/a sort of mental mess I drove myself into during April, throw my hands up in the air, forget about the fun I had with Jillian Micheals and basically just become this lazy person because you only get fit in the gym and thin in the kitchen. So a cup of green tea for me please?

 

No seriously.  I guess I have called the bluff out on this one this time. Regular 5-6 days a week of working out should be back soon because exercise really clears the fog out of my mind. Honestly nothing like a run for mental therapy, but I really don't want those painful shin splits return:) I am not going into body pump again because the timing really is hard on me and I miss out on crucial Chittu time. But yes I'll go back to doing some cardio mixed with strength training!

 

Just to end on a positive note : All the time I missed from the gym and put into Chittu has been rewarding. I had felt that he had grown almost too fond of Maami and simply did not want me around. He now comes running to me when I go back from work, asks for me first thing in the mornings, lets me cuddle him and basically given me so many good moments that are priceless! That said my alarm will strat going of at 5.15 once again starting tomorrow morning.

How are your workouts going everybody???

A half marathon soon, March Goals & April Plans

Do you guys remember this post - where I declared that I had whimsically signed up for a half marathon? Yikes!!! A half marathon! What in the world was I thinking? With my weight, running a 10k is a bad enough challenge. A half marathon? Like 21.1kms, dear reader, I must have momentarily been out of my mind!

 

I've got just about 3 months. And then there is this event in mid May. But I shall atempt the half. And please note that my voice is feeble. I have absolutely no confidence, I fear I will screw up my knees  and I am simply going to train on my own. Because I want to try. And I know that running that much is going to take a lot from me. Hello, early morning runs.

 

I am also  trying to focus on spending enough time with Chittu for I fear he is getting way too attached to Maami. I have moments of maternal instinct where I want to quit the job and stay home with my son, but I know such hasty decisions are never a good thing! But yes, I want to ensure that  when my son wakes up in the morning either the Scientist or I are at home. So I have modified my work out schedule for the month of April. I will instead take advantage of my new found exercise at home joy and mix and match with other workouts that will give me a good combination of cardio, strength, core and stretching!

 

My aim for this month will be to seriously up the running mileage and down the weight. I am trying.  I am also making small changes to my eating style. If I make any headway with weight loss, you know I will be sure to share.

Goals for April:

• Be able run 8k comfortably
• Hope to see 75 or lower on the scale
• Spend time with Chittu
• Continue to exercise in the evenings!
• I am expecting some serious stress at work and home this month - hope I will tide over without resorting to food!

For March, I got in a total of 26 work out days!!! Thats like my highest ever I guess, and mostly because I began to exercise at home! Weight wise I am almost exactly the same as I was the start of March or should I say I have weighed around the same for a long while now - atleast 3-4 months.

My whirlwind weekend in pictures :)

This weekend began on Friday night, with us rushing to the bank for some paperwork for the loan. I missed my Yoga class at the gym, but was ready to drop dead by the time we got home and had dinner.

Even though I had intended to wake up early for a run, I overslept and decided against running because I have been having extreme pain in the muscle connecting my right hip with the knee. I have not able to stand on my feet for too long and I even woke up mid nap yesterday because the pain was a bit on the severe side!

Anyway, not working out was not really an option for me and I did the Jillian Micheal 30 DS (Level 2) I had found the level 1 fairly simple, and decided that level 2 is more for my level of fitness. The many plank movements are truly challenging and it was certainly a 20 minutes well used:

More bank work followed on Saturday morning and I only had time to put this together as a snacky breakfast with yogurt on the side:

thats bananas & pomogranate topped with pecan halves :) yummy goodness!


 

Lunch for the family was amaranth greens in dal, Lady finger subzi & rasam. I replaced the rce with roties.  I did not grab a picture because we were to rush out on some work and I burnt my finger while making my rotis :(

After the super important meeting it was time for grocery shopping and I made some important discoveries regarding reading labels, which I will share with you later this week.

Back home we had just enough steam to make dinner, play with the toddler in the park and hit the sack. This was the Husband's second helping of whole wheat fusilli in a tomato-cheese base with olives, carrots and bay corn. The toddler loved it too specially the baby corn:) I totally pat myself on the back when I make stuff the toddler eats too

Sunday morning I was up and out for my early morning run. I only managed 6k thanks to the hurting right leg, which I oil massaged later at night :







 

Back home it was time for some experimentation in the kitchen. Breakfast was Banana Cinnamon Ragi Pancakes (they were more crepes than pan cakes) but the recipe was a hit and all of us loved it (recipe coming soon):

 

No can be more cheerful than on a full tummy and kids are true testament to that. So after a hearty brekfast , it was lego time:

Lunch time - decided I'd eat rice because I wanted to - a simple menu of tomato rice and a raita made with grated carrots, cucumber and pomogranate. Sorry, it was so yummy, we ate it before I remembered to click :(

We had fun in the park in the evening and got home after juice at Booster Juice. The kiwi lassi and carrot juice was so good, we wondered why we did not go there more often!

We hit the bed but not before I laid out work and workout clothes for Monday Morning.

Have a great week ahead, folks!



One year at the gym - 10 reason why joining the gym is a smart choice!

I will be completing one year at my Gym this coming Saturday.

Sometime in early January 2012, my elliptical broke. I had a basic manual elliptical to kick start weight loss for me when I had just delivered Chittu and weighed a ton! One morning when I pushed the pedal hard and felt something break under me. A part of the welding had come off and I was grateful I did not have  abad accident.

In mid-January, I joined the gym after a great deal of should I/ shouldn't I? But it was only in mid-march that I got an annual gym membership. The decision made sense financially. But the huge question was - Will I go?

I remember joining the gym, being newly wed. I took an annual package. This must have been in August. August is monsoon time in Bangalore. I remember to have woken up a couple of mornings to find it drizzling outside. Oh what a great excuse and I went back to sleep. In return for that annual membership, I only went two days if I remember right!

Fast forward to this or rather 2012 when I began to take fitness seriously. I began to push weights, joined the aerobics class, was hooked on to yoga, also became a body pump fan and basically became used to exercise. Did I forget to mention running?? Oh yes, I began to run hauling my big fat behind with me. What a journey it has been!

So quickly, can I tell you why joining a gym could be a smart choice?

1. Options. Plenty. Cardio today? Recumbent bike or elliptical or treadmill? Pilates today? Sounds like fun. Body pump? what is that? So yes I love the options I get at my gym in terms of exercising

2. Inspiration - like the grandmother I know who does the pump class with me and pushes more weights than I do. WOW!

3. Routine. A gym enables a routine. Like having a class at 7 on Tuesdays and Thursdays means I only need to figure out how to work out the other 5 days of the week. 

4. No excuses. Rainy or hot or cold. The gym is there and so is the ambient temperature thanks to the AC.

5. Safety. Oh yes especially being a woman.

6. Flexibility. I know I said routine. But look at it if my son wakes up crying in the morning, I trade my morning run for evening gym cardio! And also if I oversleep on weekends, I can always run on the treadmill right? Yayyy!!!

7. Hot men. Ya ya, I'm married and all. But still who will miss an opprtunity to oggle at those hot guys?No?

8. Motivation. Yes many fellow weight loss attempters who I have seen losing weight in front of my eyes. Really, nothing is more motivating than a weight loss success stiry!

9. Music. Yea man I love some of those workout songs, and can you believe it? The body pump squat track is The Summer of 69!

10. Cute work out wear. And shoes!!!! Yes, don't you think?

So yes, while it could be an expensive affair and I know good gyms are, I'd still like to believe that I'm actually investing some amount back into myself. And yes its totally worth it because it helps you break barriers that you rhought were impossible to break.

I know many people say they will instead run or walk a mile a day. Yes I do admit that should be good enough too. And I've had my fair share of being there and finding stupid excuses to not walk. But something changed for me this time and I am really glad!

 

Weekends are for rest and other updates :)

The weekend was much needed. Oflate I have been feeling extremely tired and simply out of steam. Different parts of my body are hurting - specially my hip bones. And I'm not even 30. I used this weekend to catch divine afternoon naps and not really accomplish much other than spend time with the toddler.

 

My readers will know that I have a help- namely Maami who lives with us. Her main role is to take of Chittu like feed and bathe him in the mornings, pick him up from school,feed him lunch and basically take of him until I get home in the evenings. She also helps me with chopping vegetables, cleaning up after meal times and acts as a top up for the maid who comes to sweep the house and wash the vessles.

 

Oflate, I have been finding myself at my temper's end with Maami - more because she has literally made herself one of family. She does not respect our privacy or our need to spend time with Chittu. Also the toddler is very fond of her and does demand her attention even when I send her into the kitchen to do something like prepare Chappati dough. He even speaks more like her than us and his Tamil and English accents  are downright annoying at times. I have begun to actually question why I work and am seriously contemplating sitting at home and mean the whole world to my child - literally!

 

For some reason, post run, my weight shot up by 2kgs and I have been hovering around that. I must tell you that when I stepped on the scale this morning, I had tears in my eyes.

 

That apart - I started Saturday with a treadmill 6k after I fixed breakfast for the family:

I indulged in some unhurried stretches and headed back home for lunch - Rasam, Keerai-kootu & brinjal curry. The toddler and I hit the bed for an afternoon nap and we headed out to dinner. I barely ate beyond a cople of bites of paneer subji . But I also had a sweet lassi and split an orange flavoured ice cream with the husband and toddler. But I fit into a top that I bought last year. Yayy for disappearing poochie :)

 

Sunday, I was supposed to run outside but overslept. I instead did the Jillian Micheals - 30DS and the pilates video that PK linked to. I found certain movements pretty hard in the pilates thing, but did my simplified variations.

 

I made breakfast and then it was lunch time. I made a nice vegetable korma to go with Chappatis. Not exactly low calorie, but definitely healthy:

 

Again the toddler and I bonked off for nap time and the husband joined in too.

 

On waking the toddler and I took a walk to the park and also went to check out the swimming pool close by inspired by you know who.

 

I came back and made a batch of home made granola using this versatile recipe. This batch contains - toasted almonds, pecans, craisins and deeseded dates along with flax seeds and black sesame seeds. I also threw in a handful of ragi flakes, only to suit my fancy.

Dinner was basically leftovers. I had some marsh melon just to cool my system a bit. The heat has really been getting to me!!!

 

I woke uo before the alarm rang and had the Scientist's tiffin ready before I hit the 7am body combat class at the gym.

 

Overall a weekend with plenty of rest. I just cant figure out why my body decided to gain weight. Well I'm not going to change anything except drinking more water and just keep going on. The scale should catch up soon, no?

 

 

 

 

Getting back to exercise!

Body pump after a month, almost! My hands and legs feel all wobbly! I know the pain will hit hard tomorrow. I will pop a painkiller/ paracetamol if its bad and get a cardio work out in. Man! it felt good to go back to the gym!

 

I had stopped pump after hurting my wrist badly. The I tried a week of working out in the evening. Then I began to feel so tired and finally forgot all about the gym after the Dilli trip! I have spent the last 3-4 days battling severe bronchitis and wheezing. The husband pointed out that I did fine all winter even when I was running outside in the cold. Not being regular with gymming brought me back to wheezing. Working out does wonders to me. My body is addicted to exercise and rebels when I don't. I heard many thankyous, this morning from my body in the form of endorphins!

 

Yes I am still sheezing. But I am so glad I exercised!I know I already said that.

 

I have a 10k coming up on March 3. That's less than 3 weeks. I might part walk- part run it. But hopefully, I will do it.

 

That's all I have in me for now. No great movement on the scale.

 

Working out while being a Mom - part 2!

I can choose to rant about how my weight climbed from 76.8 to 79.5 (this morning) despite a week of sticking to calorie limit and dedicated work outs . But I decided not to. As much I feel betrayed by the inexplicable weight gain (Its one thing to plateau - and another thing to see weight gain), I know better than to throw in the towel and eat a bagful of the US candy that's still sitting in my bedroom!

 

When the alarm rang at 5.15 this morning, my body was hurting. I usually am ready to get out of bed and get done with my work out. There are days when I sleep for an extra 15 minutes and modify the workout to suit the day's schedule. But there are days like today when I feel my bones are hurting(they're not, by the way) and that I'm justified to sleep in.

 

Yes of course, before half the day is gone by, I begin to wonder if I can squish in an evening work out. What about RPM (spinning class), I think? But oh, there's body pump tomorrow morning and I won't be able to recover from the muscle fatigue! Hmm, just half hour on the elliptical then?

 

Then I remember Chittu's face. He asks - Amma, where are you going? I tell him, the gym. He responds with either a - Please don't go or I will come to the gym too! Honestly, my heart melts. I hate to leave him behind with Maami for another hour that I will be gone. I feel guilty. I feel like I am doing enough enough for my child. I feel selfish. I feel I'm not being as good a mother as my mom was for me.

 

I wonder if we can go to the park. But I want to walk/ run. And anyway, I will have to leave him to play with Maami. I hate it when I have overslept and missed my workout!

 

It's usually this emotional battle I try to avert when I wake up to leave home for a run, before the sun is out. Even on body pump days I have left home before Chittu wakes up and console myself that I will spend the whole evening with him! It is for this reason, that I feed him dinner at the very least and make his breakfast. I don't know if my son is going to hold me guilty of running away to work and the gym leaving him back.

 

But one thing I surely do not want to do is stay a fat  unfit mom. I want to be able to play catch with him. I want to be able to teach him to ride the cycle. I want to be able to trek with him and walk and climb and run, even. I don't want to be breathless. I don't want to feel tired and fat and unworthy. And so I wake up before the alarm rings on most days of the week. On those days like today, I will try to convince my conscience that I am not a bad mom -I'm just fitness obsessed, I guess :)

You can find Part1 of  Working out while being a mom here.

My Yoga experience and today's run!

For the last two month or so, I have set the tone for healthy weekends, by taking a power yoga class on Friday nights. While I first approached yoga, I took it as another exercise. But as I did it I realised I was building a whole energy cloud around me. I began to feel happy (like the happy high!) after yoga class. But it was not the kicked up high. It was calming, peaceful and just so different.

 

The yoga instructor at the gym has however gone on long leave and this months schedule showed a different istructor. I decided I would continue with yoga!

 

Today however, the Scientist's workplace has a family day, and that meant my evening routine is kind of bothred. I decided, last night, that I will prep something for breakfast today, so that I could get my workout in. I was up at 5.30 a.m. without an alarm, and was out of the door zipped up and laced up into the breaking dawn for my run. After not having run outdoors for more than a week now, and with my chest congestion still bothering me, I must admit it was not the best runs ever. I was ready to stop at 5.5 kms after 45 minutes of running! Mapmy run showed a pace of 8:23 per km which sure is progression :)

 

When I came back home, I found the Scientist and Chittu still fast asleep! These are good mornings, I tell ya.

 

I am SO ready for the weekend! Can you believe 2012 is nearly over? The weather here in Bangalore makes me want to bunk office, curl up on the couch with some good tea and a fine book! **Sigh!** Day-dreams! How's the winter treating you?

 

Weekend Update - resting, socialising and mental therapy!

The heading pretty much sums up the weekend for me. My I-dont-feel -too-good days last week were the result of the hormones at play. I took 4 full rest days, not bothering with exercise and by last night the guilt was just eating away my brains. Also my body seems to have settled so much with the idea of "exercise" that I find it is unable to cope without physical exhaustion! I was finding it so hard to fall asleep these last few days, that I lay awake much after the Scientist and Chittu had dozed off. But  I finished up reading "The Sea of Poppies, by Amitav Ghosh" and really loved the book.  The amount of research that must have gone into writing that book was phenomenal. It sounded so authentic and so real, it might not have been a story, after all!

 

Anyway, that apart, my mental fog has cleared up now, and the reason could be  a. that I sized up and did an 8k run this morning or b. that the monthly cycle is over. I really struggled this time, I don't know why!

 

Sunday morning was spent cooking an elaborate meal for some guests :) And Sunday evening was spent socialising with the Scientist's colleagues. I had enough leftovers to see me through the morning today, and less cooking on Monday morning, truly makes life simpler. Don't you think?

 

On the SBD front, I am doing pretty ok, I guess. I am not 100% abiding.  I took my tea with sugar, until this morning when I used splenda, and decided the tea was not palatable. I have stayed mostly grain free - rice & wheat included, except for yesterday's roti. Sugar made its way into my hot cocoa and also in a laddoo I ate. I have wavered a bit.Or may be more than a bit.  But I AM trying to stay as focussed as possible. It sure is hard to say NO to sugar when every cell in my body is demanding it! Its like an addiction I guess. But I am trying to fight it off! With exercise picking up again this week, I think the relatively stricter food habits will show good results. I am going to try to sustain this as long as I can. I know I will never have a perfect food day or a perfect body or a perfect anything. There will always remain something to be desired. But it sure is fun to get better everyday, right? I've long ago left the person behind who always sought out an all or nothing philosophy! Either I did it all or I did nothing. But now I'm aiming to find a mid ground and be more forgiving to myself when I don't be as perfect as I expect. I try to see the next minute as a new opportunity, when I need not gobble up all that candy we brought home from the US. Did anything I just said make any sense?

 

Phew! What a start to a Monday morning! One week to Diwali. What plans?

 

Saturday post - feeling low but sticking to SBD!

I usually don't post on Saturdays, but the last week I have been feeling a little blah! Some personal issues which make me really sad, have really been making the rounds and causing my system to be a little bogged down. Another reason is that PMS has played around with my mood. Also, I took the last three days off as I heeded the Scientist's advise to stay away from hard core exercise during my cycle. I have felt lately that I feel lost and dazed on days I don't exercise. I might be officially addicted to exercise!Who would have thought?

On the SBD (South Beach Diet) front, I did pretty good today, and my protein intake was finally up to the recommended level and calorie consumption was just 1500. I hope I can sustain this and see some good results by the end of two weeks.

Thanks to all those who left comments on my earlier post, for the support and prodding on. I am hoping I stay on track! I I feel more accountable now that more people are actually watching me. That sure is a positive side of blogging the numbers :)

Battling the eating demon

My aim at the beginning of 2012 was to get to goal weight by August 2012. My aim, right now is to get to goal weight by February 2013. I hope that I will actually make it, and not reschedule goal date, once again. Yes, I am getting there. But the fact remains that I am not yet there. Of course, physically I am working towards it. But when it comes to food - Oh wait a moment, The demon inside me awakes and simply takes over. No rationality including the fact that I very well KNOW that I cannot out exercise a bad diet helps EVER.

So what do I do to say no to the foods that put my eating out of balance? Just DONT bring them home. Period. Even if I bring the said foods home for the toddler who example likes rusk, I end up eating more of the said food than the toddler. And remember the Mysore Pak that I carried home from Chennai for the Scientist. I most certainly ate more of it than he did. In fact, even in the dead of the night, my brain was saying : Eat mysore pak. Eat mysore pak. As if I had never before in my life.

Not having the food around is the only way I can deal with this.

And oh, if the weighing scale shows a gain, I will stay off. But not if I'm maintaining. I trick myself into eating on the argument that I will run 10 kilometres and it will be a great secret that I polished off all that food! Obviously I am a lawyer!

And that relentless talking to myself. Lose weight. Lose weight. Lose weight. Seriously, I should have been drowned long ago in that thought! Thankfully its a metaphor and I only just started doing proper stuff about actually losing the weight. You see, thinking and doing are TOTALLY different!

So yes I have killed the mysore pak demon for now, and before Diwali rolls around bringing with it sweet festivity, I would hopefully be a few more pounds down! So, what plans for Diwali?

The holiday mish-mash!

Yesterday, was a much needed break. After the wedding madness, I just wanted to be home and cool off. Since we got back home from Chennai, I found that I was in a perpetual state of sleepiness. Its not like I worked too hard during the wedding, but still my body and mind needed a HOLIDAY.

 

I raced out of bed yesterday morning, for a run! Glorious weathr I tell you. I did 8 kms in 70 minutes. My pace is picking up SLOWLY. Right now, I am focussing on endurance and stamina more than the speed. I feel that as I get lighter, my speed will improve. So I returned home a happy camper to find the Scientist and little Chittu fresh out of bed.

 

I fixed myself breakfast to go with my morning chai, because my stomach was GROWLING!! Gosh! these runs make me ravenous sometimes. Since yesterday was the final day of Navaratri, I decided to indulge the family in some good traditional festival food. Since we had been mostly out, I had laxed out a bit on the festivity. But made up for it yesterday with - the vadai, payasam and morkozhambu ensemble ( for those that dont get it - its just traditional tam-brahm cooking).

 

The toddler was mighty hungry by lunch and my cooking turned out pretty good too. The Scientist appreciated it and made his wife happy!! Honestly, the Husband is the main reason I cook. He loves home cooked food and also openly appreciates when the cooking is tasty. I usually try to add the healthy twist by ensuring the carbs-proteins- veggies are balanced out!!! But really, I am super lazy when it comes to getting into the kitchen.

 

Well, since we had not yet watched  English-Vinglish ( which we both loved too!), the Husband and I sneaked out for two hours for the afternoon show leaving the toddler behind with Maami. When we returned the Scientist suggested we take Chittu out somewhere. Lalbagh it was! To watch the ducks and the sun set. We enjoyed a leisurely 3km stroll, and brought up my yesterdays mileage alone to 11 kms. Sounds good, no? I think I might be almost ready for the Bangalore Ultra - 12.5k run on 11.11.2012. Oh and did I mention?My new reebok shoes seem to have eased out the knee pains for me!

 

I saw a weight gain this morning and I think all those sweets are catching up with me. I have put away the excess sweets in a place I wont access, and hope taht will be the solution to my problem. I did body pump today and think I might have a quivering body for hitting the weights after a week long break! It will be yoga tomorrow and long run on Saturday! I know I am rocking the workouts. I just need to work on the food aspect. Oflate, its become so so hard. I know I really need to watch the food the help me get rid of the last ten. Sometimes I am tempted to give up. But not now. Surely not. Let's see, I aim to lose a bit before the end of this month!Will I see a 77?

 

 

How today's body pump class happened :)

I was up at 6 a.m for body pump. Gym clothes were ready, so I just needed to get ready and get out of the door. I could not find my scooter keys. The toddler must have taken it from me after I returned from the yoga class last Friday and it could be somewhere amidst his toys. Anyway, I could not find the keys. It was 6.50 a.m and the class began at 7. What did I do? Guess?

 

I decided I just run to the gym instead. I'd be warmed up in case the class started on time. And in case the class was too full, and there were no bars left? I'd do the cardio instead. The point is to get SOME exercsie right? So what if I did not do body pump?

 

So I laced up and ran to the gym. The class had begun and the warm up was almost over when I reached. I looked around. There was a bench, a bar, a mat and some one was sweet enough to give me a couple of 2.5 kg plates! So I joined in for the rest of the class. Of course, I cannot do the push ups right, even the "girl" push ups. Even one. Nope. Not even one. But I can do the lunges, squats, dead lifts, shoulder presses, tricep dips & extensions, bicep curls, pec flys and almost the whole ab routine. So what I can do is far more than what I can't do, right? I will get there. Slowly but surely!

 

I have totally rocked the work-outs this month, so far. Check out my work-out page here. I might not be able to exercise for next 5 days. Wedding and all. But I'll still do what I can. I'm  carrying my new running shoes - my Adidas - Response Stability which feels so good for my flat foot - just in case so that I don't have a dumb excuse if I am presented with an opportunity to run. Wow... look at me. I really have changed!

 

 

TGIF, an exercise question, my sweet tooth and running mileage!

Of late, I find myself pining for the weekend. I think its the prospect of not staring at the computer/ legal documents for eight hours that makes the prospect of the weekend so very attractive. Understandable, is it not?

 

And also, I've been having a question that is really bugging me. I think its official that I'm addicted to working out. I've been feeling pretty disturbed on days I choose to skip it. But tell me ladies, do you go for your workout on "those days of the month"? What I do is usually not a constant. I go if I feel up to it and skip if I don't. But sometimes I am confused if I did not go because I was not feeling good or if I was feeling plain old lazy. Do let me know what your approach to the subject is.

 

So, I guess I am back in the grind and doing my best in the weight loss department. My days are far from perfect and I do eat sugar, though I stay within my calorie limit for the day. I have a sweet tooth ad usually crave for a little comething sweet after my meal. I usually indulge in a piece of chikki or sweet made of dates and dry fruit ( that I buy at Namdhari, Bangalore) or sugar free mint. I have run out of sugar free mint so its mostly the former two these days. Also on days I have a light dinner of a soup, I end up feeling hungry, late night. So I have some hot chocolate with cocoa powder (that has no sugar in it) and a teaspoon of sugar. That way I get comfort food & chocolate fix but with a self controlled amount of sugar. On days I feel tired or drained out I opt for a glass of horlicks in case I have an intense workout planned the next morning and have gone grain free for dinner.

 

Anyway just thought I'd update this space before I disappear for the weekend. I will begin with a yoga class this evening, followed by a long run tomorrow ( am thinking of of 8 km run to bring up this weeks mileage to 20k - really I can't still believe this is the same old me) and dance class on Sunday after a very long break.

 

What are your plans dear reader? And do help me answer the question I asked in this post.

 

Happy weekend, you all!

 

 

 

Yay!! Holiday!

Welcome holiday in the beginning of the week!

I presumed there would be no body pump class. I turned off my alarm and went back to sleep. The gilt worm caught up with me at 7 o clock and I made a sleepy call to the gym to find out if they were open. Yes, came the reply. So I weighed myself, promptly got into my tracks and scooted off to the gym. The truth is I know I feel so much better when I do go, even if I do the non-designated work out for the day. Exercise also keeps my eating in check and makes me feel agile, strong and energetic. I know I say this all too often here. But I repeat, just in case anyone reading this can cut their excuse for the day and actually get some form of exercise in. It is also a reinforcement for me to remind myself that the hardest part is just getting my butt out of the house. Once out, I always do good!

I cycled for 20 mins until I felt the lactic acid burn my thighs, then claimed my turn on the RFX for 15 short but intense minutes and then went to the elliptical. Man, I found it so lam. Really! I thinking running and spinning and pumping has really strengthened my legs!  Oh, and also I saw a guy walk backwards on the treadmill. First it was walking backwards in the park. Now the treadmill too? Sometimes these fitness trends are wierd, no?

Anyway I stretched without the tension of having to reach home ASAP. I got home, fixed us all breakfast. Cleared the fridge of leftovers, and am planning a lunch date with the husband at California Pizza Kitchen (CPK). The CPK here , I found is far better than the original CPK of california :P. Now I can compare and all. I might also get new running shoes. I'm off to enjoy the day. Hope you guys have a good one too.

Cheers!