Exercise = Energy

It’s always hard to know when to start back with exercise after being sick, but this morning I just couldn’t take it any more. I didn’t want to push it and make myself worse, but I needed to move. So I went to the gym at my apartment complex and just walked on the treadmill at a moderate pace of 2.5 mph. My original plan was to walk for 15 minutes and see how I feel with a goal of 30. I actually did 40 minutes because at 30 min I wasn’t done with the magazine I was reading, and I felt really good.

I have to say, that walk has made me feel better than any cold medicine I took today. I feel energized enough that I cleaned up the mess that had become my apartment, did the dishes, and am about to jump in the shower and do some work. I don’t want to push it, but I really do feel energized.

So if you’re feeling a little down or low energy during these snowy, winter months – get moving. It makes all the difference!

No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy

And this week, the enemy was a nasty cold. All of my plans to work out and eat well were sidetracked by the cold that bowled me over on Monday afternoon. I have felt awful all week, and as such my eating habits have been pretty horrific. I’ll be honest – having this on top of a 4.8 lb gain last week is scaring the heck out of me. I’m still not feeling well enough to exercise, but I am going to try to at least journal and make sure that I’m getting my veggies. I’ve tried to be somewhat good, with a few tricks for mitigating the calorie count of sick eating. For example:

• I got Trop50 reduced calorie orange juice, and I’ve been cutting each glass with diet ginger ale so that I’m consuming fewer calories but still getting the vitamin C and juice I need.
• Use fruit smoothies to soothe my throat. In the past I would have bought ice cream, but instead I’ve been making a fruit smoothie every day for breakfast because it makes my scratchy throat feel awesome. Fruit is free so I use frozen strawberries, blueberries, and a small fresh banana mixed with a 3 PT+ vanilla greek yogurt.
• Low-PTS soups for lunch. I’ve had either Panera Bread chicken noodle or V8 Tomato Herb soup for lunch every day this week. Granted, I had the tomato soup with a grilled cheese but even there I used bread that was only 2 PTS+ per slice and 75% reduced fat cheese that only 1 PTS+ per slice. I’m sure I could have gotten a lower PTS value lunch, but being sick in a snowstorm I indugled my desire for comfort food.
• And finally I’ve been listening to my body and only eating when I am hungry (or at least trying to). With no sense of smell I  find I haven’t been all that hungry. So I’m trying to make up for more PTS+ at each meal with fewer meals/snacks than I would normally have. I’m not sure if it’s working, but I also plan to get back to journaling tomorrow and hopefully excercising soon. 

It’s really, really, really frustrating to get sidetracked like this but I’m trying not to beat myself up over it. Onward and upward.

And the verdict is…

Up 4.8 lbs.

Ugh.

I knew it was going to be about that, though. And I earned every ounce while in the Bahamas. But today is a new day. I’ve already gone to the gym for kickboxing, weighed in, and went to the grocery store to pick up some fruit and salad stuff for lunch. I am going to eat a healthy, low point lunch before the shower and use that to keep me from picking at the goodies that I know will be there.

And I’m back to journaling. So far today I’ve had:

1 cup Kashi GoLean Crunch cereal (5) with 1 cup skim milk (2)

Strawberries, blueberries, and banana with Chobani Greek Yogurt in a smoothie (3) topped with 1/4 cup BearNaked Protein Granola (4).

That’s 14 of my 29 PTS+ for the day – more than I’d planned to use. I didn’t have my PTS+ calculator with me at the grocery store so I tried to choose the granola that I thought would have the lowest PTS+. I chose the one with the lowest carbs and highest fiber even though it had a few more calories, and a bit more fat. Well, I chose poorly. Turns out this Peak Protein granola is higher than others they have. The triple berry, vanilla almond, and oatmeal raisin are all just 3 PTS+. I had the vanilla almond in my hand, too, but put it back b/c it had 21 carbs vs. this one that had only 15.

Oh well. Not the end of the world. I’ll use up this bag and know better for next time.

Back on the wagon

Today is the first day of my renewed dedication to managing my weight. I’ll admit that over the holidays, and into January, I have not been paying as much attention as I need to. I just got back from a week-long business trip/vacation to the Bahamas and when I stepped on the scale this morning I was not surprised, but not happy either. I’ve gained about 5 lbs and I need to get them off, ASAP. So today I am headed to the gym for kickboxing and then to the store to stock up on fruits & veggies.

I have to go to a baby shower this afternoon, and I am bound and determined to resist the foods that will undoubtedly be served there. It’s at 2 pm so I’m going to eat lunch before I go and snack only on veggies or fruit. This may seem extremely restrictive, but that’s what I need right now. I’ve been giving myself too many breaks lately and it needs to stop. I feel sluggish and not happy about my food and exercise choices, so it’s time to make a change. The extreme discipline for the first week should get me back on track.

I’m also going to vow to post daily this week. I’ve been very lax in blogging recently, too, and it hurts me more than anyone else. So even if all I do is post a meal plan or daily recap, I’ll be posting every day.

Thanks for sticking with me – if you’re still out there.