A Plan Comes Together
June 18, 2010
After work today I had a second wind, so I went to the Park Ridge Community Center to work out. I did 20 minutes on the elliptical – without any shin pain – and another 40 minutes of lifting weights. Man, did I feel awesome afterwards! After suffering through my runs last week, it was great to actually enjoy my workout.
Well, that got me to thinking about the difference between the elliptical and running, because I used to LOVE running but it has become just so painful. Clearly the impact is a lot lower on the elliptical, but I think the real difference is that when running you actually have to propel your body forward. Now that I have gained 25 pounds post wedding, that is a whole lot more weight to push forward at a 9:00 per mile pace.
I really want to love running again and losing weight is going to be very critical to the success of this endeavor. It will reduce the risk of injury and just make it a whole lot easier and enjoyable. So, how am I going to do this? Well – let’s do some math:
To lose 1 pound, I need to burn or decrease consumption of 3,500 calories from what I am currently doing. I would like to lose weight at a rate of 2 pounds a week, which means I need to be burning/decreasing my calorie intake by 7,000 per week. Hmm. That. is. a. lot. CRAP. I LOVE FOOD!!! I LOVE CHEESE! I LOVE ALL THINGS FRIED!!!!!
Okay, okay – I freaked out from the initial shock. Let’s see what I can burn first. I will be exercising 6 days a week and will burn about 400 calories (100 calories per mile) per work out.
2,400 calories
Okay, this is a good start. I still have 4,100 calories to go. So, I will need to decrease what I eat by 585 per day. Okay, this makes me feel a bit better. I think I can do this – and this is how:
- Drink lots and lots of water
- Do not have jelly and butter on my toast in the morning – sub in oatmeal
- No more chips from the vending machine
- Eat smaller meals more frequently so I don’t over eat
- When eating out, which we do a lot, find the healthiest and lowest calorie option
- Limit my alcohol intake
- Bring my lunch and snacks everyday so I am not tempted to buying something high in calories
What do you all think? Is this reasonable? Will I be able to decrease my calorie intake by 585 per day? What about burning 2,400 per week?
Well, only time will tell. We are about 12 weeks out from the race. So, if I am successful, I will lose 24 pounds by then. And I will be back to pre-wedding weight!
Let’s put it out there – what are some easy ways to decrease your calorie intake or increase the number of calories you burn?
June 18, 2010 at 4:04 am
Wait. We are running 9 minute miles? Looks like I need to get my own 10 extra pounds off! You go, sister! See you at the start line (and the finish!)
June 18, 2010 at 3:05 pm
I would like to train at 9:00 minute miles. My current average pace is about 9:30. On race day, I hope to average 10:00 miles. You can do it!
June 18, 2010 at 11:39 am
First off, congratulations to you on taking the first steps toward losing weight! It’s a tough battle…like you, I gained about 25 pounds after I got married, and was shocked to find myself in the “overweight” category after years of being labeled a “stick.”
I did manage to lose that weight and keep it off, though…then lose more to the point where I’m now at my high school weight and in the best shape of my life six years later. I did it by making a lot of little changes. My “plan” may not work for everyone, but it worked for me.
Change 1: Snacks. I worked at a religious office, where cookies and donuts were ever-present and free. I bought those Del Monte fruit cups and kept a stash in the fridge, along with some 100 calorie packs in my desk. Whenever we’d have a staff coffee break and people would gather around the unhealthy stuff, I’d grab one of the healthy snacks I brought so I wouldn’t feel deprived.
Change 2: Exercise. I started slowly. I hadn’t exercised regularly since high school. So I found a friend who lived nearby and we went walking around the neighborhood for 30 minutes every night. After time I wanted something more intense, so I started working in Dance Dance Revolution every couple of nights instead of walking.
Change 3: Dinner. I’d been making a lot of casseroles and comfort foods, so I started scouring my cooking magazines for lighter fare with lots of vegetables. My philosophy? “More of the good stuff, less of the bad stuff.” I never flat-out denied myself anything, just made sure to load up on as many “good” foods as possible while minimizing my intake of “bad” foods as occasional treats.
Over time (about a year or so), those small changes helped me lose the 25 pounds.
Since then, what’s helped me get down to my high school weight and get some great tone is this plan…
1. Continue “more of the good stuff, less of the bad stuff”
2. When I’m really serious about taking off and keeping off a pesky few pounds (like now, before I’m about to wear a spandex costume at CONvergence), for about a month beforehand I eliminate booze and desserts from my diet entirely.
3. I put stickers on a highly-visible wall calendar every day I exercise, and aim for 5 days a week (I’m now in a routine where I work out every weekday and take the weekends off, which I like). I alternate the elliptical and strength training.
I hope this helps! Good luck to you! There are some great websites out there where you can build a community of support and track your progress, and that helps too. Check out http://www.traineo.com and http://www.gyminee.com.
June 18, 2010 at 3:04 pm
Nice work Annie! And thanks for all of your advice! I hope this will be a whole life style change for me. I would LOVE to be at my high school weight – well, senior year weight (I was a sophomore before I hit 100 pounds). I have also been in the stick category for most of my life and being overweight is really weird for me! With stress at work over the last couple of years I have turned to comfort food as a way to coop. But, since November, the major stress is now gone. But, I have developed bad habits which have continued. Thank you for the inspiration!
June 18, 2010 at 4:11 pm
Some tips I’ve picked up:
-Maximize your workouts with a heart rate monitor. This can keep your in your targeted weight loss zone during workouts.
-Do try to have fun with it because stress can stand in the way of all of your weight loss goals.
-Eat small meals more often (I’m food combining and if you need help with understanding how that works, let me know and I can explain it to you).
-Incorporate yoga into your schedule. It will help you de-stress, focus, stay positive and burn calories at the same time!
-Increase your daily activities. By that I mean, park farther away from the building, take the shopping cart all the way back to the store, use the stairs, get a pedometer and try to get to 10,000 steps a day (not including your exercises).
Good luck! Don’t stress out and try to get Phil on the path to healthy living too. Having him do it too will make it easier for you to succeed and he will benefit from it too.