Pursuing Balance & Joy

A Week Off?

Thursday, July 21st, 2011

Hi, friends!

Being home this week wasn’t my plan, but it happened. It’s been really wonderful except for this heat. OMGOSH. If I were in Seattle, I’m sure I’d have several miles in running already, but being in Indianapolis, I have exactly ZERO.

Ugh.

I miss running immensely, but it’s just too hot for me. I could try getting up early in the morning, but really the humidity is so bad that probably wouldn’t help me much. My asthma just makes running in this weather too difficult.

Uberugh!

So I realized this morning that I feel like I’ve taken the week off from exercise. Then I laughed at myself really hard. My week “off” has consisted of about 33 miles on my bicycle and one session weight lifting so far. I have another 15-16 mile ride planned for today, and I’ll lift weights again tomorrow. I’ll easily have 2000 calories burned from exercise this week.

When did I start to consider such a week as a week off???

As a bonus, the scale is moving again. I got back down to 133.something a month ago, and in the last 10 days, I finally have gotten past that. The scale has consistently been 132.something the last few days. Today, it was 131.4!!!

I keep track of a lot of numbers when it comes to my weight. I’ve realized that the sweet spot for me is an average net calorie intake less than 1200. When I keep my net calories under that, I lose weight. It’s not a lot of weight, but it keeps the scale moving pretty steadily.

Don’t think for a moment that means I’m only eating 1200 calories a day! It’s VERY rare for me to consume less than 1400 calories in a day. I try to only have one day a week that’s over 1800, but I don’t manage that sometimes either. I just try to keep my body moving enough to get that net calorie number down where it needs to be.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LoseIt! for tracking my calories in and out. I wish I had more friends there, but I haven’t figured out how to find them…lol. I also feel, and I know this is a little nutty, that no one who’s trying to lose a lot of weight would want to be my friend there. My weight loss goal looks so meager. I set a goal in February to lose 17.2 pounds. That’s the goal my LoseIt! friends see. This shouldn’t bother me. I know what I’ve done for myself. That’s all that should matter. (That’s SO easy to say )

Random: It’s only 58 days until the wedding!!!

I’m off…time to work. Happy day, friends!

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Oh. My. Legs.

Wednesday, July 13th, 2011

Hi, friends!

Oh. My. Legs.

I live in the Midwest. If I ever doubted how used to that I’ve become, I’m definitely over it now. Last night, I ran in Seattle. Yeah, I know, I’ve done that before, but last night, I started from a different hotel.

This hotel is about halfway up a hill that’s a mile long. So my first half mile was all uphill. It’s a crazy incline. Super steep. When I got to the end of the street I was on, I turned and headed down a slight incline that direction. My next turn was a lot steeper downhill. Then I made one more turn that was another steep climb. At two miles I turned around and did it all in reverse.

Holy wow.

Just in case you were wondering, downhill is just as hard on the legs as uphill. It is a lot easier on the heart though. I noticed my max heart rate on the downhills was only about 136. I hit 161 and stayed there a while on the uphills more than once.

It was difficult getting out of bed this morning. I bought a travel stick last week, and I can’t tell you how glad I am of that now. I used it both before bed last night and again before I got up this morning. It felt so wonderful.

The best part is…I simply can’t wait to hit the gym tonight. My new hotel gives me free access to the 24-Hour Fitness across the street. I’ve missed 24-Hour Fitness ever since my project in Pleasanton, CA ended in 2007. I’m SO glad to have access to one again…and FREE!!!

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