Like a Fish

I love Chicken Run.*

I've been floundering lately with being healthy. I feel like a fish out of water. I've been reeled onto the deck and I'm flopping all over the place to get back into the water but to no avail.

While I sat down in late January and made a plan for fitness goals this year, I then promptly injured my knee and all those plans went out the window. I gave myself a 'free pass' for the months I wasn't able to run. While I'm back into the running, I've taken my sweet time sorting out the other healthy aspects on my life. My plans for cross training have been spotty and my healthy eating has changed on a day-to-day basis.

After my run yesterday morning, I started formulating my get-fit plan. I went through all the workout plans I've downloaded over the years, tossed a bunch, kept a few, and started writing up a schedule for the workouts.

After a bit of thought about food, I decided to follow a six week eating plan. I'm not one to advocate following a 'diet' or strict eating plan because I don't think it teaches you a healthy relationship with food, but I need a kick in the butt right now. Hopefully this will give me the one I need.

Partially because I still have a few kinks to work out and partially because I like things to start on Mondays, I won't be starting all this until next Monday. Which is a good thing because it means I can have a beer while I listen to Justin** (and Ian) tonight at the Bard and Banker and that at some point this weekend I can get an ice cream cone and watch Chicken Run while lounging in my pajamas.

After that I'll stop flopping aimlessly on deck and start flopping towards the ocean.

*I was living in Germany when it was released there and it made me deliriously happy that in German it's called Hennen Rennen. It rhymes!!

**Someone needs to update his site to show tonight's performance...

Someone Has a Case of the Mondays

I know you all have been waiting with baited breath all day so I will put you out of your misery: I have not heard back regarding the BellyFit Free Classes so I am assuming it's a 'no'. That's what I get for babbling like a brook during the interview! Oh well, at least I have a Canucks game and a beer to help me get over my disappointment. Hmm, perhaps not the healthiest way to get over it...

(UPDATE: It's the end of the second period and the Canucks are really not helping me get over my disappointment right now. 4-0? What the fuddle duddle? I shortened my run today to be home in time to watch them!)

I keep seeing this ad on my facebook:

And I just wanted to say that I don't think liposuction and a full-time personal trainer are "2 old diet secrets". Just a thought.

I found an interesting article on the Discover Blogs about feeling fuller if you believe you're eating more calories than you are. It seems that there have been a lot of studies lately regarding the roll of the mental aspects of weight-loss and I find them all fascinating. You always hear "calories in, calories out" but what if there are mental tricks you can apply to your eating to make it easier? If you really could help yourself along by "thinking yourself thin"? (Not that I believe you can do it just by thought but that it could help.) Bad pun alert: It's definitely some food for thought!

I'm here all week. Tip your waitress. Good night, folks!

Mindful Eating

I went for a 'run' on Sunday and again on Monday evening. I use the term run very, very loosely as I have pretty much lost any sort of cardio I had and found myself struggling after a few minutes. It reminded me very much of my first couple of times out running with THR last January. It was such a struggle and I remember thinking that I would never been a runner. My one saving grace this time around is that I know I can be a runner. I love it now and as much as I struggled, it will get easier and I will be able to push myself further. My hip, which I was worried might be sore after two days, felt fabulous. Running is officially back in my workout regime.

I have made no secret of the fact that I am a geek (or nerd, dork, dweeb... I'll answer to any variation thereof) both on here and on my other blog. As a result, my RSS reader is filled with both health and fitness blogs as well as science-geeky blogs (that's the technical term). Today in my reader, I found this article about mentally overeating the food you're about to consume so you eat less of it. I, of course, found this fascinating.

When I think about the mental aspects of eating, it's about the choices I have to make. How do I make a salad seem exciting when those fries smell sooo good? How do I convince myself that I'm satisfied when there's still food on the table/plate? Is it possible, however, that I've actually been overlooking a simple step to help control my eating?

I wanted to read more about the study, but the link provided in the article goes to the study and you have to pay to read it. It's $15US just for 24 hours access. Not going to happen. Still, the article has given me a lot of food for thought *rim shot* about how much I may have overlooked the mental aspect of weight loss. It's definitely a self-experiment that I'm going to try out over the next few holiday weeks. At the very least, it can't hurt to try, right?

Question: Do you have any mental tricks you use when it comes to food?

Bring It On, November

If October has taught me anything, it's that time can fly even when you're not having fun. It's not that October was a bad or depressing month it was just busy, busy, busy and not really with socializing. It was also the month in which my plan of spending New Years in the Yukon watching Corb Lund was dashed. I would like to point out that I was mature and didn't quit my job just so I could go (which I really, really, really wanted to do). Instead, I just complained about it to everyone who would listen and even a few who wouldn't.

My fitness plans and goals for October pretty much fell by the wayside by Thanksgiving. Between not being able to run and missing my workout partner who now lives in Vancouver, my desire to get my butt out the door suffered and I willing let other things take priority. That all changes tomorrow when I put my running shoes on for the first time in five weeks. Getting the okay to run again was definitely a highlight of the past month.

November is going to be my month to cowboy up and get all the things done that I didn't get to in October... but first I'm going to listen to a little more Corb Lund.



Anyone else feel like October went by waaaaay too fast?

Come On, Brain, [Insert Activity] Builds Character!

Sometimes I wish I could shut my mind off. Obviously not for important things like breathing and swallowing my own saliva, but for those awesome things that you want to do, you know you should do, but your mind is just too lazy to do.

Tonight was West African Dance night and my own mind almost talked me out of going. I didn't sleep well last night, I had a crap day at work, and all I wanted to do when I got home was watch Hawaii 5-0 and hope to see Alex O'Loughlin's abs... and I almost did just that.

You have a bunch of writing you have to do.

You have nothing ready for dinner and do you really want to have to start cooking when you get home?

You should upload those photos for your piece on Alberta.

You missed vacuuming on the weekend.

Maybe you should just have a nap. You only slept six hours last night.

Alex! O'Loughlin!

My mind had more excuses than a five year old who doesn't want to go to bed (it may have even used the five year old I-don't-wanna as well) and I found myself sitting in a funk, watching my clock creep closer and closer to leaving time. I jumped off my couch with minutes to spare, dressed while using the toilet (try doing that without getting pee everywhere, gentlemen!), and raced off to class.

Even just with the decision to get my butt in gear, I found my mood elevated and I didn't feel so tired. By the time I got to class, I was singing out loud to my mp3 player (even serenaded a few people on my walk to class that's how good I was feeling). I gave my all in that class--as I always do because it's impossible not to--and I ended up sweaty, out of breath, and craving more. I left the class feeling like life was awesome and I should go for a walk. So I did.

To a coffee shop.

Where I got delicious decaf coffee.

And dinner.

Okay brain, now we can watch Hawaii 5-0.

*****

Anyone else have problems convincing their brain to workout? How do you handle it?