Guilty

This past weekend I feel like I took a step back with my eating habits. Matt and I joined a few of our friends in Atlantic City to celebrate a few birthdays and with that... a lot of drinking was involved. I'm not entirely concerned with what or how much I drank, though I know alcohol and it's mixers weigh heavily on the calorie count as well as the sugar intake. I'm more worried about the 1/2 pepperoni pizza and breadsticks I ate for dinner one day. Immediately after I put the pizza in my mouth all I could taste was the saltiness and even more so with the breadsticks. It almost seemed as if they were dropped in a vat of salt prior to baking them. I knew, though, that I needed to get something in my stomach prior to drinking in order to prevent myself from becoming sick by the end of the night. I also knew that the remaining pieces of pizza and breadsticks would become a late night snack once the drinking and partying had stopped. Even with a heavy conscious I proceeded to eat away.

This got me thinking... was I really feeling that guilty about overly indulging? Or was it just the mind set that I've been in for the past 60+ days. Was my need to constantly eat healthy becoming an obsession? Quite honestly I think it may be a little bit of both, but for the most part I believe it's the fact that I've been striving to incorporate healthy foods in every meal. I'm not looking to become some health fanatic that only eats everything low calorie, organic, non fat, etc... That's not realistic to me. I know I'll indulge every now and again. It's only natural. I don't feel I'm that unhealthy that I need to cut out all the sugar and salt from my diet. It's just a matter of reducing the unhealthy ingredients that I consume. I am far from consuming the daily recommended amounts of vegetables, fruits, dairy (to name a few) in every meal. I just tend to beat myself up when I overindulge because I know I could have gone without eating that extra bite of chicken parm or the last slice of pizza. When I voice my lamentation to my boyfriend I normally get a response like, "Shut up, you're doing great." Haha After he jokingly chastises me, of course. And that's what brings me back to reality.

I am doing great! I've lost 8+ lbs thus far. I am eating healthier, exercising more, being more conscious of the food I eat, and best of all learning new things about nutrition and exercise. Matt's right. I don't need to beat myself up into a figurative bloody pulp just because I ate a highly caloric burrito. I need to work it off and move on. I'm only human and I'm going to make mistakes and eat something I shouldn't, but as long as I'm aware of it and try to keep the overindulgence to a minimum I'll be fine. Until the doctor tells me that I absolutely have to cut out sugar, for example, it's really not necessary. I mean, I know it's not good for you, but if consuming in moderation it becomes less detrimental to your health. And that's not a bad thing, right? Or am I just really giving myself a pep talk and a slew of excuses? Hmm... food for thought.

In no way, shape or form am I giving myself a "free pass" to eat unhealthy foods with the thought that "I'll just work it out later" or that "I'm only human I'll make mistakes." That isn't the case at all. I'm just trying to be a little bit more realistic about things. I'm very a picky eater still, always have been, which makes it difficult to expand my options during meals. All I can say is that I'll do my best... and that would make Tony Horton proud. Haha! :)

"Guilt is the price we pay willingly for doing what we are going to do anyway." 

-Isabelle Holland 

A Race to the Finish

Last year my wonderful boyfriend, Matt, came to me with the idea of joining a race called the Warrior Dash.

This race isn't like a typical marathon or triathlon. It includes various obstacles along the route in the mountainous terrain of Windham Mountain (for our race in particular). These races are held all around the country and attract, mostly, the athletes and adventure enthusiasts. Well, I'm far from either of the two. Nonetheless I decided to join him and a few of our friends along for this new experience. The 3.23 mile race was grueling! The first half of the race was straight up a mountain and I was definitely not physically, and mentally, prepared for what lay ahead. Once we finished the uphill portion of the race and dove into the muddy waters of one of the obstacles I seemed to gain a 2nd wind. From that point on the race actually became fun! Over wooden planks, cargo nets, through clearings between trees, downhill, and crawling through a mud pit underneath rows of barbed wire we trudged on and completed the race. The adrenaline rush that it gave was great. Now, I didn't anticipate finishing in good time at all and luckily Matt stayed by my side the whole time cheering me on. Once the race was complete and we all got out of our muddy clothes and sat down for our free beer, I knew that I would be doing this again the following year.

This year I've come across at least 6 different races similar in style to the Warrior Dash. Some options were discarded due to the proximity in dates to other races. Others were discarded due to me valuing my life (too extreme for me at this point) haha. In my mind I believed that I would only be entering in 2 races this year. Though I'm in the process of completing P90X I'm not quite sure I'm physically fit to compete alongside Matt, who has more cardiovascular strength than me. But now with 4 different race possibilities I think that's going to have to change. Looks like I'll have to lace up my running shoes and start training.

The earliest race falls on the day I've decided to celebrate my birthday. (This should be interesting) The Metro Dash has more obstacles incorporated into this event (30) as opposed to the amount in Warrior Dash (12). It won't be held in any "rough terrain" either. So it seems to me that this event may be more copasetic with all resistance training and physical endurance I've gotten out of P90X thus far. Or at least I hope. With less than a month to go 'till this event I've really got to get the ball rolling if I wish to survive this.

The event following the Metro Dash is the Spartan Race. I'll have 3 weeks to try and heal any possible wounds obtained in Metro Dash as well as build up some cardiovascular resistance. This race is comparable to Warrior Dash in the amount of obstacles, miles, and terrain. With a smaller amount of obstacles incorporated into the race, the actual running time increases. :Sigh:

The 3rd race is, to my felicity, more than a month away from the Spartan Race. Warrior Dash 2011
in good ol' Windham Mtn, we shall meet again. Seeing as how I'll have 2 other races under my belt this year I'll hope to beat my time the previous year. This time, though, I won't have my lovely Matt cheering me on. He also wishes to do better than his time the previous year and I'd only hold him back. So I will be cheering him on from the back of the pack, unless I manage to keep up with him. haha :) I've recruited a few friends along for this journey which should be a great experience!

The 4th and last race is still up in the air. We haven't fully committed to this one because it's more of a scavenger hunt. The Great Urban Race is held in urban locations (i.e. Manhattan) and you and your teammate are given a paper with clues that will lead you to a location where you would, upon deciphering the clue, would lead you to another location. The first few teams to make it to the finish line with all the completed clues win monetary prizes, which is also different from any of the other races.

As you can see this is a very ambitious goal I have set for myself. I hope not only to live up to my expectations, but also to surpass them. Fingers crossed and running sneakers on. It's training time! :)

**Many of these races are held for charitable causes.

Please check race listings near you and sign up for

a fun filled day of mud, sweat, and adrenaline**

 

"Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in" -Bill Bradley

60 Days, gone!

With 60 days under my belt it seems like it has come and gone in a blink of an eye. With only 30 more days to go I feel a little anxiety to get it over with already, but at the same time I almost don't want this to end. It's been a great process so far. Being able to see how I've lacked motivation to push myself during workouts and then fixing that issue. What I am especially proud of, though, is the fact that I crushed my 2 week quitting curse. Haha! Without further ado, here are the (partial) results from my weigh in:

Measurements will be updated as soon as I can get my hands on the measuring tape. For now, I'm extatic with the results. Certainly more than I expected. :)

 "Waiting is a trap. There will always be reasons to wait. The truth is, there are only two things in life, reasons and results, and reasons simply don't count."

- Dr. Robert Anthony

Picture time.

So, here it is. The visual proof of my progress...

 

To be quite honest, I don't see much of a difference. In the center pictures I do wish, though, that I had positioned my arms in a different manner so that I may see the results from losing inches in my mid section. But oh well, what can you do, right? 

I hope that the next time I take the photos I'll be able to see more of difference.

Exercise = Happy brain

For the past couple of hours I've been in an off mood. I quickly equated this mood to the poor gastronomic choices I made yesterday. Not to mention my inability to wake up in the morning to exercise the past 2 days. This week is Recovery week in my P90X schedule, meaning it's full of non-strenuous workouts and I honestly feel something is lacking. With these two factors in mind, I began to wonder whether exercise has a direct effect on someone's mood. Since I have never researched this and have no recollection of these two factors having a direct correlation, I turned to a trusty friend... Google. 

The Effects of Exercise on the Brain turned out to be very informative. My theory that exercise has the ability to alter someone's mood turned out to be true. Endorphins are released into the body via the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus during exercise, mainly as an analgesic to block pain impulses from the brain, but also has been associated with creating a sense of well being. The site states that depression is caused by low levels of neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine and serotonin. Exercise is linked to an increase in these neurotransmitters. The author implies that endorphins aren't directly linked to the feeling of euphoria, that these neurotransmitters block the pain and allow serotonin and norepinephrine to become more pronounced. In other words, endorphins are analogous to defensive linemen. Haha.

Exercise has also been shown to produce new neurons in the brain, or neurogenesis. Neurogenesis is assisted by an active neurotrophin chemical called BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor). Without going into much scientific detail, BDNF basically aids in protecting neurons while promoting neurogenisis. The mild stress brought on my exercise triggers the expression of the BDNF gene which in effect boosts serotonin productivity. Also, seratonegic signaling, according to the author, enhances BDNF expression. Thus creating this reciprocal relationship between BDNF and serotonin.


Weaved in this domino effect of exercise, BDNF gene, and euphoria is the fact that neurogenisis ultimately aids in preserving neural tissue. As stated in the site, humans begin to lose neural tissue at the age of 30, therefore by exercising more we are creating a denser network of neurons which enables us to process and store information more efficiently. The author goes on to say that over exercise has shown to create a plateau in BDNF and interfere with cognitive function due to the brain's preoccupation with exercise. Could it be that the theory about, so called "meat-heads" being less intelligent has been proven? Haha. I jest.


Ok, so enough scientific and neurological mumbo jumbo. What have I gotten out of researching this? Exercise can assist in enhancing your general mood, but also it can aid in maintaining your neurons fit. And when it comes to degenerative neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's, exercise is a step in the right direction. Even though the endorphins released during exercise attach themselves to the same neuron receptors as opiates it isn't as addictive of a behavior as smoking. Furthermore, one would have to exercise for 30 minutes before endorphins are released and being an instant gratification drives society many people won't even bother committing to the routine.


:Sigh: I am going to run home and exercise. If you're reading this I hope you got something out of it. I know I did. Gotta love information :)

"Information is a source of learning. But unless it is organized, processed, and available to the right people in a format for decision making, it is a burden, not a benefit." - William Pollard

Could it be??

Yesterday I decided to step on the scale for the first time since my 30 day weigh in. Since I'm only a week away from my "official" 60 day weigh in I wasn't really looking for BMIs, body fat percentage and what not, I just wanted an idea of how I've done in the past 3 weeks. In other words, just plain old curiosity. What the scale read literally baffled me. I stepped off and on the scale at least 3 times to make sure there wasn't something wrong with my vision. Ha! This is what it read:

125.6?? Really?! I started out at 133.8 lbs and my original goal was to go down to 120 lbs, but since then I've changed my mind due to the fact that a 13.8 lb weight loss was, in truth, a little much. With my "realistic" weight loss goal of 8.8 lbs I would then weigh my desired 125. The scale, as you see in the picture above, is telling me that I only need to lose .6 lbs over the next 5 weeks! Ah! That's amazing!

BUT, being the true pessimist that I am, I believe that without a doubt the scale is off. There must be some mechanical error or maybe my body was off that morning or something that would logically put me back up to 130 lbs. I almost refuse to believe that I've lost 5.2 lbs in 3 weeks. I mean, if you think of it logically, I lost 3 lbs in the first 30 days. How is it possible for me to lose 5.2 lbs in 3 weeks without me doing anything different?? The P90X work out routine is a different one, but seeing as how I missed a few days from being sick and with the nagging shoulder strain it kind of balances out. Doesn't it?

Nevertheless, I'm not taking what's sure to be just a fluke to heart. Next week is my 60 day weigh in so I'll be able to discern if this scale is for real or not. Here's to hoping...

"Hope is a desire with an expectation of accomplishment" -Unknown