Verifying for Technorati
This may seem like a silly post (and I’ll probably end up editing it later to make it make more sense) but since I’ve registered this with technorati, I have to find a way to include TSCTZTZX6JXC in a post. Voila
Intuitive eating vs. tracking
Mid-week through my let’s-use-technology-to-track-and-see-how-we-go phase, I’m learning a bit more about how I eat and remembering why I’m not entirely a fan of tracking every single calorie. When I started on Weight Watchers about 4 years ago, I tracked my points religiously. I ticked all the boxes for fruit and vegies and drank every glass of water I was supposed to. I also found it really really tough to eat every single one of my points and trust me, I was not on a lot of points. Toward the end, I had 18 points to eat a day and I would get to 15 and wonder what else I could eat when I was so full already.
See, what happens to me when I’m tracking is that I’m hyper-aware of every morsel I put into my mouth and not always in a good way. Yes, I stop myself eating the whole Snickers bar or choosing the salad greens over the pasta but I also tend to go slightly overboard. Until dinner tonight, I’d eaten a total of 900 calories and burnt 350 of those off through my workout and walking to and from said workout. That left me with a net total of 550 calories for the day. Hardly a lot of food. And even after dinner (salmon linguine) I’m still only at a net total of 1000 calories and when you consider that my BMR is about 2200 calories, I’m not eating enough. Even just to get to a net total of 1500 calories, I have some serious snacking to do now.
I end up becoming obsessed with calories and nutrients and how much of my diet seems to be carb based and how much fat there is out there. This is not the focus of my life. I’m going to continue tracking for a bit longer and see how I go. I may end up tracking for a week and then stopping, just giving myself a bit of time to get an idea of how 1500 net calories feels to my body. I got out of whack and stopped trusting my body to feel full and tell me what I needed.
How do you deal with tracking? Do you track? Do you not track?
Eye-opening thanks to technology
As part of my quest to be healthy again, I’ve decided to start using every single one of my resources. I joined a gym (tick!), looked up swing dancing classes (they’re on Wednesdays TICK!) and looked at the millions of apps my Boy has downloaded from the App Store (okay, not millions. Maybe 500? Yes, he’s an addict) to find something useful. And find something I did.
First there’s Runkeeper, which uses GPS to track how far I’m running walking. I’ve only got the free version but it’s good for me now. I do also have a Couch to 5K app which I did use for a bit in Melbourne and then got off track. Must use that again. It’s great. You can play your own music behind it and it gives you audio cues when to walk and when to run with a loud beep in between, so you definitely can’t miss it over your music. No more thinking about when to do what and for how long. You just go and listen to the lovely voice telling you exactly what to do. Brilliant!
On the food front, the Boy has a number of apps and the one I’ve chosen to use is Lose it! which functions as a food log and weight-loss goal tracker. It’s super easy to use, although I do think that it’s a little on the conservative side with my projected weightloss – I have 10 lbs to lose and it’s telling me that it’ll take me 6 months. I’m really hoping I can drop 10lbs before then. But on the other hand, I’d prefer something conservative than something promising me 10lbs lost in a week! I only started using it yesterday and there were a few foods not in their database that I had to add but that’s par for the course. One bit of feedback I may give them is to have the option to download international food databases, as I think the only one in their is American and there are tons of brands and foods available elsewhere. But that’s minor.
In one day of tracking, what I’ve found eye-opening is the level of my sodium consumption! I thought I had a fairly average or low consumption when it came to salt and sodium levels but apparently not! The daily recommended value for sodium intake is approximately 2300mg, which sounds really high but when you think about how much sodium can be in everyday food items, even those that aren’t particularly salty, it’s actually fairly low. My consumption yesterday? 3200mg. 900mg higher than the daily recommended value. That’s not something I like. Entering all the nutrients from food labels and adding all the items to my tracker was definitely an experience.
I also learnt that even though I think I don’t eat too many carbs, my carb intake was through the roof – 66% of my calories came from carbs yesterday. True, I had a piece of wholegrain toast as part of my breakfast but a lot of the other carbs were simple carbs sadly and that needs to change. While I’m technically staying within my calorie range, the makeup of those calories could definitely be better. More protein, fewer simple carbs (no, I’m not a low-carb fanatic) and definitely less sodium.
Today is a new day. How are you going?
On that whole numbers thing
How ironic that I posted about needing to know the numbers and I came home to 2 boxes from Canada, one containing my lovely (or not so lovely) scale! Thursday night saw me able to fulfill that need for numbers and yet I was apprehensive. I was scared. I mean, I knew from how my clothes were fitting about how much I’d probably gained. I knew that it had peaked and was now on the way down but I had no idea where it had peaked and if I was right. So Thursday night I left the box in the living room.
Friday morning came along (as it tends to do after Thursday night, funny that!) and I unpacked both boxes and placed the aforementioned scale in the bathroom. It looked so innocent, sitting there next to the sink, all shiny in its glass and stainless steel-ness. I gingerly stepped onto it and waited.
It did its thing. I held my breathe.
I looked down and sighed. Yep. I was right. I was a grand total of 10lbs up and that’s not even from my lowest. That’s from my last happy weight.
Then I realised I was wearing jeans and I never weigh myself wearing jeans. So I did the obvious thing. I took them off and got back on the scale.
The number was nicer but still not 10 lbs down – strange that! But now I know what I’m working with. While I didn’t know what the number was before, I know that my efforts over the past couple of weeks have helped and I know how to stay on track. I’ve joined a gym (first workout is coming up so I’ll post all about it) and I’m stocking the shelves with healthy food and snacks.
I’m going to aim to only weigh in once a week and not post the numbers per se but the progress itself. I don’t want to be beholden to the numbers. Number do not and never will rule my life.
A need for numbers
I don’t have a scale here. I have a scale making it’s way to New Zealand in a box (which could actually be at my apartment already considering that 3 more boxes arrived today and are waiting for us when we get home tomorrow night) but right now, I have no scale.
Now, I’m not one to be paralysed by the number on the scale. I go through stages of needing to know and other times I couldn’t care less. I haven’t weighed myself since I left Toronto, save for one quick jump on my mother’s scale which is notoriously unreliable. I know that for the last while, my eating and exercise regime has been woefully terrible and I know, from the fit of my clothes, that I’ve gained gained gained.
For the last week or so, I’ve been eating healthy, thinking about my food, getting more exercise. Obviously, I’m not back to where I was when I had a gym and a personal trainer (I miss Joe!) but I’m getting back on track. And while I feel better, I have this strange need to know the number. I need to know if my efforts are working even just a little bit to bring the gain down. And this need for the number puzzles me.
It puzzles me because I can feel the difference when I put on my jeans. I’m sitting here working away, wearing jeans, and I don’t feel like I’m going to explode. This is a good thing. I still obviously have the muffin top thing happening – that’s not going to vanish overnight, as much as I wish it to be. But I feel better and surely that should be enough? SO why do I feel this need to know how close I am to my “happy” weight, why can’t I trust my body to let me know how we’re going?
Yesterday I spent the day working in track pants, a t-shirt that is too big on me, running shoes and a sweatshirt. I felt comfortable but invisible. Walking around the city during the day, I was hidden among the suits and power dressing professionals. At first, it felt good to be so invisible but eventually it got me down. I know that I’m better than a pair of old sweats, so why would I present myself to the world in sweats? So, some additional goals moving forward:
- Dress up for the day. Can be in jeans but everything else has to be well put together. Present myself well to the world!
- Wear makeup more often again. When I was going into the office, I wore it everyday. Let’s get back there again.
This is in addition to my eat-well-exercise-well goal. I’m on a feel-good-about-myself-again road!
The downside to technology
Apparently I ask too many questions. That’s what HE says. Me, I say that he should never have encouraged me to download the mPass application onto my phone. That way, I would never have seen the list of all our upcoming flights on Air New Zealand and I would never have noticed that we strangely had two flights booked in December when I was sure we were doing absolutely no travel in December. And therefore I wouldn’t have started asking questions.
So by him encouraging me to download that app which led to me asking questions, I ruined his surprise of planning a weekend away in December. Whoops. 
But really, how can this be my fault? I thought so too. He should really blame himself here
So I think I’ll still act surprised – well, I will be surprised at some of the plans since I don’t know where we’re staying or what else he has planned. I didn’t ruin it all you see!
Anyway, another Monday, another city. This week we’re in Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. It’s really a lovely little city from what I’ve seen. We got up this morning at 4am to get to the airport at 5am (note: the airport opens at 5am. Airport security opens at 5:30am) and were on a plane at 6am. That is officially a crazy hour of the day to be awake and functioning. I am not a morning person. In fact, today I’m not a Monday person.
It’s that LOVELY time of the month and I’m officially grumpy, irritated and annoyed. I’ve been sitting in this small hotel room all afternoon working and the silence is deafening. I tried putting on music but it annoyed me. I’m supposed to have a conference call in 45 minutes but my internet connection is not behaving itself (probably due to all the high-rises around) so the call will probably be more a skype text chat until I can get other internet sorted out tonight. The work I’m supposed to discuss was done really badly and I’m sorry, but they caught me now and I was in no mood to be nice about. They may be quaking in their boots after reading my email! I’m also trying to get one of the companies I’m working for nailed down on money and payment schedule and even though I know they’re good for it, I’m still on edge because I don’t really want to get into the hole with doing a bunch of work for them and then discovering that they weren’t onboard with my quote and whatnot. This is one part of freelancing I don’t like.
Food has been good today, with the exception of the handful of jelly sweets I ate earlier in a fit of “I’m bored and annoyed”. They helped for a bit until I read the calorie content for some unknown reason. Now I’m alternatively craving and avoiding the packet sitting quietly behind my computer screen, taunting me. Same with the weird dark chocolate covered strawberries. An odd texture and taste and yet strangely alluring and when one is bored and annoyed, strangely tempting. I’d leave the hotel room except my call is now supposedly in 30 minutes so I shouldn’t go far.
Dinner is going to be some cold chicken cut up into a salad. And maybe a couple of dark chocolate covered strawberries.
Seriously, this hotel room is now so stupidly quiet. I guess this is what happens when the clock hits 5pm.
Okay, plan of action is to change into some track pants and get a mini workout in – some squats, some lunges, some leg raises, some crunches. I downloaded a 10 minute abs workout the other day so I’ll watch that on the ol’ laptop and get some pain going. But only after my call I think.
I will try keep the PMSing to a minimum. Hope everyone else is having a good start to the week!
A change of mindset
Today is a good day. Not workwise – I’m really not being productive, mainly because I’m trying to set up shop in a busy mall on a holiday long weekend, which means I’m surrounded by families with kids who seem to have never been let out in public, so excited and squealing they are. There are also the requisite annoying teenagers congregating and badly dressed women who distract me with the whole “omg do you have no friends or family who love you to tell you that outfit does not look remotely decent?”. Yes, I am a judgemental biatch sometimes (but only in my head because I know what’s good for me).
But food and exercise and mindset-wise, today is shaping up to be a good one. I started the day with cornflakes for breakfast, followed by a mini-workout of 50 jumping jacks, some squats, side and back leg raises, bridges, calf raises, a couple of planks and 2 sets of crunches. It was only short but it actually made me feel pretty good to start the day like that. We had to check out this morning so I got some work done and then packed and we were met by the Boy’s work colleague, who had a full day planned working at 2 stores at the mall, hence me sitting at Borders “working”. No other cardio or workouts possible really, but I’m glad I’m getting into a habit of doing something everyday.
Eating-wise, it hasn’t been too bad either. So, the cornflakes for brekkie (with a cup of green tea), followed by half a egg and salmon bagel as a morning tea snack (with a cup of green tea). I had another 2 cups of tea while I worked until about 1:30pm. Lunch was 6 small pieces of sushi and 500ml of water. Afternoon tea was 2 cups of green tea. I can explain all this tea. You see, working in coffee shops means I have to buy something to sit there. In the mall, I’m sure I could have gotten away with just sitting in Borders for a while but not for too long – it’s been pretty busy everywhere today so I’m sure a non-customer would be booted pretty quickly. Green tea is a healthy choice and can be drunk quite slowly which makes me feel okay for sitting there so long. What, would you prefer I get a vanilla latte every time?
We’re at the airport now, sitting in the Air New Zealand lounge waiting for our flight home. We’ve got about 90 minutes until we board – the Boy likes to get here early and with the free internet and food, I’m not complaining. It’s a lot quieter and nicer to work here than a mall, that’s for sure. My hurdle here? The buffet. Please let me be strong!
A saboteur in the house
Yesterday was a good day exercise wise. I went for a nice long (uphill) walk and then came back to the hotel room and did a bunch of body-weight squats, leg raises, lunges and a few short planks. I threw in some bridges for good measure too. I felt strong again. This morning, before we checked out, I did a set of squats, side and back leg raises and a set of reverse crunches. Not a lot but better than nothing.
Food is a bit more of a challenge. When I make the selection, I generally choose well, except for the veggie muffin I just had (but it had tons of veggies, so it’s healthy? Maybe?). When the Boy comes home with dinner and it’s a burger (to share) and two bags of fries, I’m not so strong. I know he’s being super considerate bringing food back to the hotel but I’m not so strong as to ignore the fries and walk away. I try to explain that to him but his response is more “well, I didn’t force you to eat them!” which is true enough and honestly, I should have the strength to walk away because they are not good for me. But when they’re staring at me all salty and delicious, I can’t ignore them. So I eat them. And I feel revolting afterwards when I look in the mirror and see the pudge and the mini muffin top building and I remember that these jeans are supposed to be my fat jeans but they fit a little too snugly now.
I know it’s not his fault and I need to be a little stronger in myself. I know that I need to take responsibility but it’s tough when I’m trying to get us both to eat healthier and I’m trying to lose these 5 10 lbs I’ve gained in the last few months – although since my scale is in a box on its way here, I haven’t weighed myself in a while, so it could be more lbs that I have gained and therefore have to drop. And as much as I’d like to say this is all about being healthy, it’s also a little bit about the fact that when I look in the mirror, I see pudge and no definition like there used to be. I see someone who looks okay but not great. I’m aware of my jeans feeling snug and my tops riding up slightly.
This is not who I want to be and I need to take control. Not half-heartedly but completely. No giving up responsibility but taking it all back.
On the road again (still?)
I’m the middle of our latest batch of work travel at the moment – Monday we were in Christchurch, until Thursday evening we’re in Dunedin and then we fly back to Christchurch before heading back to Auckland for the weekend. Monday we’re off again. While the Boy goes off and does his work thing, I grab my laptop and mobile internet stick and do my own work thing – either in the hotel or in a lovely coffee shop that has a power outlet (surprisingly, power outlets are rare!) or I go off and enjoy the (sometimes) sunshine. While I’d actually prefer to be at home getting into routine, life ‘aint too bad.
But eating and exercising? They suffer. We’re on the road and staying in hotels without cooking facilities which makes meals a challenge. Yesterday lunch the Boy and I shared a burger and some sweet potato fries and I walked to the supermarket in the afternoon to grab some dinner (which we didn’t end up eating), breakfast and snacks. I tried to stay healthy – shredded chicken and salad for dinner, crackers and hummus (the Boy is a hummus addict) and mango strips for snacks, skim milk and mini cereals and yoghurt for breakfasts, since we’re in town for a few days. Of course, I was met with “where’s the meat?” from the Boy when I got back to the hotel, just proving that you can’t please everyone. He’s got an idea that we need a lot of iron and it’s only found in red meat. Fair enough that he’s a carnivore, but staying in hotels means meat tends to be processed cold cuts and I’m not a fan of those too often. The other option is eating out but that’s got other challenges.
Exercise is another problem – I’m trying to get activity in by walking places but there are too many excuses there – it’s cold outside, I don’t have the right clothes, I don’t know my way around etc. I could find a gym since our hotel doesn’t have one, but even when the hotels do have gyms, or “fitness rooms”, they tend to be depressing little rooms with a couple crappy pieces of cardio equipment and maybe a couple of weights. Nothing that really inspires me. I know, I sound pathetic and really need to get off my ever-expanding ass and get active. The other issue I have is that there are a few days where we check out of the hotel in the morning but only fly out in the evening so while I can take up residence in a coffee shop to work, I can’t get exercise in much, since I’m dragging my laptop etc with me.
I’m trying to get some in-room exercise going and I hope by writing this here, I’ll actually do it. Today will be 20 minutes of lunges, squats and crunches. Tomorrow, since we’re checking out of the hotel in the morning and not flying out until the evening, I’ll be at the mercy of whatever coffee shop I’ll be in, so very little exercise chances there and the same on Friday. The weekend will be the next big exercise opportunity, so maybe a walk or two? We’ll see. I know these are only challenges but as I see my body changing I’m not impressed with what I see or how I feel. I have to take ownership and make changes.
On being and staying healthy
I’ve had my H1N1 flu shot. I am one of those who fall into the high-risk groups – I’m asthmatic with other chronic lung issues to boot, so even if I didn’t usually get the flu shot, I’d be first in line to get this one. And I was – the clinic near my folks’ place started offering shots the Tuesday after I arrived in Melbourne and I was patient #5 or so. My parents have had the shot, even though they’re not technically high-risk – there’s no shortage of shots in Australia at the moment since it’s not peak flu season anymore down under.
But I know there are a lot of people who aren’t planning on getting the shot and I kinda wish they’d wear a label so I know who to avoid for the next little while. When I get a cold, I’m laid low for weeks – the last one I got in Melbourne had me feeling like death warmed over for about 2 or 3 weeks. When I’ve had the flu, I’ve been so sick for weeks and weeks. So there’s no way I’m signing up for getting H1N1 flu thankyouverymuch.
I look after myself. I eat well, I get my fruits and veggies in as much as possible. I wash my hands after going to the bathroom or eating. I exercise. I don’t smoke or drink to excess. I take my medications correctly and I get checked out by the doctor regularly. I wear sunscreen. I get vaccinations.
This is only one part of me looking after myself. What about you – are you high-risk? Are you getting the shot? Not getting the shot? Why? Why not?
I'm a twenty-something Aussie who was living in Canada and has now moved to New Zealand and trying to be somewhat strong and healthy while I navigate the perils of living with my Boy, freelancing and planning a long-distance wedding without losing my mind. Welcome!
