Kicking *kitten* In Our Twenties - July Challenge!!

meagalayne

Hey everyone! Well it's midnight here and I have been up since 6am... Terrible night's sleep due to the heat, total exhaustion, dread of being back at work, and just general insomnia/stress. Had an exhausting day but very productive - including an early morning run which I totally rocked and a 25 mins weights sessions tonight at the gym. Did loads of food prep and grocery shopping too and managed to make a healthy dinner. All in all it was a good day and I am totally deserving my rest day tomorrow. No exercise at all :bigsmile: Bring it on! I've got a run + bike ride scheduled for Sat and will be long running on Sunday so I need the rest!

My renewed commitment to 1/2 training is definitely bringing me back to feeling positive about my strength, endurance and overall perseverance. I feel like I am doing better, despite all the sh*tty eating, and my body looks stronger. My arms and legs look a little more muscular these days and generally I am feeling more capable. Things are looking up. Can't wait to get through 12 weeks of this. I feel like it's the best therapy in town :laugh:

Unfortunately my foot's been acting up a bit again, so I am monitoring things closely and I'm going to start icing it regularly again. Definitely do not want that putting a stop to my plans again so I'm going to practice extra care and vigilance this time around. Fingers crossed.

Thanks everyone for the kind words and warm welcome back. It really made me feel awesome. You ladies are the best! :blushing:

Comfort - Chia seeds have a million great nutritional benefits but I also love the texture they add to my oats. Since I always cook my oatmeal in water instead of milk, I find that the chia seeds help to make the oatmeal a little more porridge-y. I also just like having different textures in every bite, which is why I use chia, oat bran and oatmeal. They are all dual purpose. Great nutritional facts and a solid end product.

For those who are somewhat new to the threads you will learn that this is far from my first "rodeo" when it comes to offering up advice on oatmeal - I could write a thesis on the subject! It's my favourite vessel for awesome flavour combinations and I realize now that my previous post was sorely lacking. I thought of a million other recipes after I posted and it's been bugging me since.

Whipped oats with banana are super popular for those who like something a little sweet and very creamy (http://www.katheats.com/kaths-tribute-to-oatmeal). Voluminous oats, courtesy of Katie at Chocolate Covered Katie (http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/chocolate-covered-recipes/all-things-oatmeal/) are super neat (though not my cup of tea). Vegan Overnight Oats are an awesome alternative for hot summer days (see here http://ohsheglows.com/recipes/#Breakfast) - especially when you make them in near-empty PB jars! Stove-top gourmet oats like these Indian Spiced ones (http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2010/01/indian-spiced-oats-w-coconut-milk-280.html) or Carrot Cake varieties (google this! seriously!) are awesome weekend treats...

If you feel like something totally different, try making an oatmeal pancake instead!

I'll be having the following for breakfast tomorrow:

1/3 cup oats, processed into a course flour
1/3 cup egg whites
1/3 cup nordica cottage cheese, processed with the whites
1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder
2 tsp cocoa powder

Mix it all together and cook into two large pancakes. Top with fruit and enjoy. If you like, you can add in a healthy fat like nuts or top with PB. I usually do but I am having a bit of a lighter breakfast tomorrow than usual.

OR! Try a healthy and awesome breakfast cookie :bigsmile: Google that too. You'll be delighted! Ive seen countless posts about breakfast cookies that are prepared in only a few mins and then cooked on the stove top for a few mins, and voila, new oatmeal breakfast creations! It really is limitless :happy:

Alright it's getting late and I need to be in bed. I get soooo carried away with oatmeal! Will post more as I think of it. Hope everyone is faring well. I'll be posting again in the AM to address anything outstanding that I meant to catch up on. Wishing you all a very happy and uneventful Friday. Keep up the hard work!

glitterballv

Tara- no I've just decided to train for a 10k in September, I did a 5k in June but hadn't run much since then until last week. So the other night was the longest distance I have ever run!

To all th runners, what is a respectable time for a 10k anyway?

jillybeanruns

To all th runners, what is a respectable time for a 10k anyway?

It really depends on your pace, but I think overall people shoot for a sub-60 minute 10K initially, just as people shoot for a sub-30 minute 5K initially. But different strokes for different folks, as I would not be pleased with a 59 minute 10K. But I believe that was my goal when I raced my first 10K.

Busy week for me. I keep forgetting to weigh myself, which is actually better in a way. Heading to San Diego on Sunday for a week long business trip. I had 5K races Monday and Thursday of this week and have another tomorrow and another on Wednesday in San Diego. Race crazy right now. Nothing close to a PR (racing 26-27 minute 5Ks) but the heat/humidity is hard for me to cope with/get used to. Ran 10K in high humidity on Wednesday night, longest run since I moved to this climate a few weeks ago. It was rough, but I did it, so it gave me the mental confidence to know I can handle longer runs...18 and 20 milers aren't that far away...EEEK! Hope to have an amazing fall/winter of PRs. Marathon training starts really soon...just waiting on the arrival on my custom plan and then it's a go! Happy Friday!

meagalayne

Really depends on your fitness level and how fast you are capable of running... I have been at it for 1.5 years now and I still can't run a sub-60 10K, so while Jill would be horribly disappointed with my results, I'd be stunned with anything below the 1hour mark. And yes - I consider myself a respectable runner! It's totally individual. I know what my own goals are, how hard to push myself, and how fast I can run right now. I am working towards faster times, but distance and endurance are more important to me and I am working on increasing my time spent on my feet instead. It's all about what you want to get out of training, IMO.

As for oats... Post #3. Here's what I had for breakfast this morning:

Chocolate protein pancakes (made with oats!) and topped with cinnamon dusted warmed blueberries. Delish!

Rest day for me today, finally. My body is craving it. Weighed in at 121.3lbs today which is a big surprise given how much I've been eating and drinking lately. The training is definitely paying off... Busy busy day ahead at work but once it's over, it's the weekend, and I have absolutely fabulous plans. The weather should be gorgeous and there is much to do and see. Can't wait to spend some more time outdoors. What have you folks got planned this weekend? :huh:

Have a great Friday everyone!

mkingraham

Good Morning Ladies!!!

Just weighed in with another 1.5 lb drop this week. After the 4th of July weekend I am totally impressed with that. It just re-enforces the notion that when I put great food in I get great results out. I mean just 3 short days of eating amazingly and look at the results! My fat mass hasn't changed so I am thinking that the 1.5 lb is just water weight- well I know it is because of the break down , so I need to get back on doing what I need to do so that I am dropping fat mass. Time to start really hitting the strength training to help build that muscle which will burn more fat! I am taking a rest day today since I have Metro Dash tomorrow. I was really nervous about it last night but then I checked out pictures of the obstacles on their facebook page last night and I feel much better about things. My goal is to just complete the course. I know my body can handle moving for that long, but it is a matter of doing all the different feats. My upper body strength is about zero so I am nervous about things like the monkey bars- EEK. I will let you all know how it goes!! I will try and stay up with you ladies for the rest of the day!

XOXO Megan

cmg2008

runner: things are hard now but they will get easier! Also everyone needs a little comfort food here and there and I am sorry to here about your friend

mking: its awesome that you and your hubby work out together, what a great motivator! The metro dash sounds interesting, i'm sure you'll do fantastic

guamgrly: I must know how the NKOTB and BSB concert went! I wanted to go here sooooo bad

maria: are you still doing C25K or just running whenever the mood strikes ya

tara: I cant believe your on day 9 already, i need to step up my game, i deff fell behind! gotta let me know how it goes!!!

blackswan: WTG!!!!

meag: that looks soooo delish!!!!

AFM: I'm back on track with my workouts! Completed L1D5 of the shred last night, getting ready to start day L1D6 today. Also went running last night for the first time in forever, man has that week off put me behind. No worries though I hope to be back up to running where I was previously in no time! Hope you ladies enjoy your weekend!

lostalykat

Hey Everyone- I really need some encouragement.

As some of you know I have been stuggling with tri training and eating healthy. I think I have been sick of tri training and rebeling by eating not as great after long workouts and drinking to make me feel better after being so stressed. I weighed in this morning and gained another 1.2. This puts me at about 4 pounds gained since I started half iron man training. I know this might not seem like a lot. But since I have been training for triathlons I have put back on 14 pounds over the year. It is very frustrating. I am trying to be positive and I have done well so far today by making sure I don't just beat myself up. I know I can't change the scale from today but I can for next week. Even though I have a fancy dinner saturday night I am going to do my best the rest of the week to stay at my calorie range. I start taper this week so my workouts will not be as long or intense so that might help with my sanity. I woke up this morning and did a great 50 minute spin class then a 10 minute run. That helped a lot since the scale was not what I wanted to see. I know what I have done wrong, I am not going to say I have no idea why this happened. Just a little good words would help right now.

MandaLee8908

Between watching my friend die slowly and being stressed out about work (And everything else you could possibly think of), I indulged in too much comfort food. I have gained a total of 3.8lbs this month.

I think I am done. I'm tired of my scale. I think I am going to hide it for the rest of the month and simply work on ME. There is more to being healthy than my weight, and I feel that I need to work on the "other" stuff before I can worry about my weight. Who knows...maybe that will help the weight problem.

I am still going to try my best to eat healthy and not succumb to the comfort foods...and I am still going to log. But until I feel like I have my head under control, I'm not going to stress myself with weighing in.

Update on Michelle: She's doing much better today. She slept through the night, no seizures, and the biggest change: She asked for breakfast. She's smiling and asked her ex-boyfriend to let her daughter visit today. It's so hard to not be hopeful when she acts so normal. The tumor is still there. It's still stage 4. She is still going to die. I see this as her way of accepting death and choosing to live the days she has left as best she can. It's definitely easier on the rest of us to see her this way...to see her look as though she isn't suffering. The pain medications are doing their job. It's just a matter of time. Thank you all again for your support...this thread is truly a blessing :-)

tjradd73

my interenet is bein r-tarded!! i will be back on to comment more when it's fixed!! keep rockin ladies

meagalayne

Ima - totally agree! drop the scale and focus on your mental and emotional well-being. work on being healthy and being good to you. I cannot stress how important that is in this journey... We're all just running in circles if we don't fundamentally change how we think about ourselves and treat ourselves, from day-to-day habits, to our attitudes and values, and most importantly our self-worth/love. It's really #1 and tends to always make it into my goals for the month. I think we should be constantly working on "us" - whether it's a conscious effort to give ourselves a break here and there, or to make sure that every day we acknowledge positive traits and accomplishments, or taking 15 mins each day to just have "me time". It all adds up. And IMO, it's a cornerstone to good health and finding balance and happiness. I hope you really take this on this month and keep up with it. Good luck darling, and very sorry to hear about Michelle. In my absence I have totally missed commenting on it but many positive vibes and hugs are coming your way...

Aly - Sounds like you need to REEL IT IN, stop the self sabotage (like me!), and find other ways to focus on you. It's easy to use training as an excuse to over indulge, and it's even easier to use food for comfort or stress release when we are feeling over-extended in our day-to-day lives or just simply unhappy. You need to figure out what's causing your impulse to over-eat and drink excessively and replace those activities with something that is not only healthier but will also address your stress and unhappiness and help to relieve some of it over time. You absolutely need to make the commitment and stick to it. Decide you're going to have one social drinking night a week and don't make excuses. I know it sounds harsh, but oscillating between weight loss progress/victories and then really struggling with food, binging, etc the way you have been makes me worry that there are much bigger issues at hand. I speak from ;personal experience, and with absolutely no judgement being passed, because I really struggle with what I would deem an unhealthy relationship to food... It's just a matter of deciding to address the issue head on, not matter how hard it is, and really being open to accepting help from others. It took a long time for me to open up with Tyler about my struggles with food because I was so embarrassed, but now I know I have his support and it really helps me to get through those tough days when I am en route to complete and utter DISASTER!

Eeeep It's late! Hope y'all have a GREAT Friday night! We have awesome plans to spend the night outside on an art crawl. I am soooo glad it's the weekend! Lots to do but I know it's going to be wonderful. The weather is looking marvelous and I am really pumped.

Take care everyone....

Meag

lostalykat

Thanks Meag, I appreciate your kind words. I know this is a rough battle I have with my feelings and food. I wish I could afford to go back to therapy, it always feels like it is something with me, either I am losing weight well and people are concerned that I am not enjoying life and I feel sad. Or I am gaining weight and I still feel sad/unwanted about it. It is something I know I have to get control over, I wish I would have not put the scale away because that just fueled my desire to not care about things even more. I totally agree with the keeping the 1 bad meal/ drinks to one time a week. This is going to just have to be me being strong one day at a time. Thanks for your words/concern.

MandaLee8908

Thanks Meag, I appreciate your kind words. I know this is a rough battle I have with my feelings and food. I wish I could afford to go back to therapy, it always feels like it is something with me, either I am losing weight well and people are concerned that I am not enjoying life and I feel sad. Or I am gaining weight and I still feel sad/unwanted about it. It is something I know I have to get control over, I wish I would have not put the scale away because that just fueled my desire to not care about things even more. I totally agree with the keeping the 1 bad meal/ drinks to one time a week. This is going to just have to be me being strong one day at a time. Thanks for your words/concern.

That just described me in a nutshell. I just decided today to put my scale away and get my emotions under control before I lose it. Lately, my eating motivator has been watching my friend Michelle die, but it doesn't take something so heart-wrenching for me to go to the pantry. It could be a bad day at work, a fight with the husband, missing my best friend (who is already 4 hours away and is moving 14 hours away in a couple weeks), or even just a simple craving. I am either doing a kick *kitten* job at losing weight and eating healthy or I am about as low as low can be. I'll say a little prayer for you as I struggle with some of the same things. Chin up and just take it one day at a time.

-Mandy

GuamGrly

Happy Friday Lovelies!! I really wanted to catch up with everyone but I think that I am too far behind so I will do my best to do better!!

So I think this will end up being a selfish post...

The New Kids/Backstreet Boys concert was so amazing!! They performed together a couple of times and then had sets where they performed their own songs. I had seen the New Kids 2 years ago and was so excited to be going to see them again. We were in a suite and my friend does the catering there and she had ordered lettuce wraps...that made me so happy cause I didn't want to have to worry about my food that night.

I don't think that I have been doing great food-wise but I also don't feel that I have been doing horribly!! I have decided that I am going to wait for my mom to move to AZ (which is in just a few days) before I go grocery shopping and get back into a workout routine. There is just too much going on while she is here...packing her house, spending time with her and my stepdad before they leave. I am hardly home so I don't want to spend money on good food that will spoil before I enjoy it. And I just don't have the time to devote to working out right now. But once they leave, its game on!! I am hoping to drown myself in a healthy lifestyle rather than turn to emotional eating because I already know its going to be super emotional for me. My mom has always been like my best friend so I am scared to not have her around.

Well lovelies, hope you have a great weekend and I will try to stay more involved!!

allie7383

Hey all!

Just quickly checking in.. Trying to pull myself out of the big pity party i'm having.. Got out today for a while which was nice.. Between a walking lap around the park with my friend, and then starting the bridge to 10k program, I think I traversed a good 6 miles, which put me over the 1000 cals burned mark today yay! I wasn't able too fully do all the running time as it was majorly hot, and I was a bit tired after the earlier walk.. Next time no excuses! And I finally got my acceptance letter for grad school, so that was a big boost in the emotions dept.. Now I just have to remember what it's like to be a student again.. It's just nice to know that there's a light at the end of this tunnel of working nights.. The schedule is getting to me more now than ever before.. I think part of it is that my good friend is now seeing this guy, and now I'm like the only single person I think on the planet (well it feels that way anyways..) And I feel like I miss so many opportunities to be social b/c of work..I'm not looking for marriage or anything, but now that I've improved myself so much it would be nice to have someone to be there to enjoy time together and just do things with, argh... sorry for the rant..
I looked at the course for the Atlantic City half marathon I'm doing in Oct and I'm really getting excited for it.. I love the beach/boardwalk so I think it's gonna be a fun time :happy:

Bethany- I was a total NKOTB/BSB girl growing up lol. However as much as I was into them, I think I'd rather remember them in their prime, and not so much as 30-40 year olds in the same such outfits haha.. Glad you had a great time!

Mandy, just wanted wanted to send you some major hugs and positive thoughts as you're going through this hard time with Michelle.. Glad to see there was a bit of improvement with her. I'm right there with ya on the whole feeling good one minute then terrible the next. I know I've been doing it to myself, and letting things get to me more than they should. I wish I was less sensitive.. Maybe one day I'll grow a tougher skin.. I think it's a good decision that you put the scale away, as it def gives you the mental freedom to focus on the bigger picture that is your life, instead of spending thoughts worrying about the number that appears.. good luck, my thoughts are with u

AmberJenay

Hello all!

I am brand spankin' new to myfitnesspal, and I ran across this group and thought I MUST join. I literally sat in my office reading all your posts (probably should have been working), but you women are so strong, inspirational, and supportive and I would love to be a part of it.

I don't know all the names yet, but for those of yall that are struggling you're in my prayers!

So my weight has been a personal issue for me. Some people look at me and tell me I look fine or my mom says something like "The women in our family are bigger so you just should accept that you're gonna be on the thicker side" :grumble: Well I don't want to accept that and I want to be the healthiest I can be. Want to get back to "high school skinny" which wasn't too long ago, but my has the scale changed over the past few years. I am known to be my own worst enemy/biggest critic, and I put myself down. I want to better and I want to lose weight so I can feel comfortable in my own skin. So my goal for July is to Lose 5 lbs, workout 4-5 times/week, and continue to build myself up.

AmberJenay

Allie7383- Finally finish the 30DS, get into the 130's, start and keep up with the bridge to 10k program!
Black_Swan - eat back all exercise calories and keep up with my running plan
Teee2- Lose these next pounds the healthy way with no self harming involved for the next month!!!! (Baby steps!)
marshallj86 - hit 135, ditch the scale, and stick with clean eating (and turn 25! my bday is July 30!)
mkingraham (Megan)- Create a succesful healthy delicious food plan and stick to it, do 30DS with my hubby at least 3 times a week, average at least 6 miles a week of running, own the scale don't let it own me (meaning take my no scale challenge and actually learn and apply the lessons it taught me), get back to my optimistic self!
meagalayne- find time twice a week for strength and make it a priority - don't cut it short!; continue with 1/2 Marathon training plan and make it fit, even when life gets in the way; stop giving myself permission to binge/junk because of training or stress - be accountable and plan out indulgences; drink more water than coffee and sleep >6 hours a night, 5 times a week.
imarunner890s- 155lbs, 10k walkings program, wake up at 8am and get 8 hrs of sleep
guamgrly (Bethany) - no scale!! Focus on the lifestyle, the routine, and meal planning. Work out 3x per week. Drink 8 glasses of water per day. Eat more fruits and veggies
lostalykat- Stick to my calories as best as I can with training, Focus on training these last 4 weeks, Don't worry about the number on the scale but check it weekly to keep me accountable.
Ashleypeterson37- Move into new house on the 15th and wear my HRM, gym 3x a week minimum, try 3 new recipes and drop 8 more pounds, be more active on this page so: post 2x a week!
Mariababe81 (mariam): finish the 30ds and start round 2, zumba once a week and running once a week. once weekly weigh in.allow myself some rest days if i need them! enjoy maintainance!!!
~~KanCrav.... NO SCALE until August 1st!~!~!~!~ Workout 5 times a week, enjoy my trips!
luv_lea~Drink more water-aiming for the general 8 glasses (64 oz.) of water a day, Start 6 Week 6 Pack video and do at least 4 days a week! Continue running 1 mile (or more?) 3 times a week, and lastly, lose 2.5 lbs. for the month of July!
Elmersglue (Ellie): Train for Sept 5k at least once a week, at least 7 hours of sleep 5x a week (!!), no emotional binging (mainly Sunday nights, when life and things tend to catch up), get to know everyone here^^
cmg2008- Finish c25k and continue running at least 3 times a week, finish 30DS, accumulate 1200mintues of exercise, and get down into the low 140s.
tjradd73(Tara)-to lose 4lbs, 30/35 days of 30DS, 10,000 steps/day (Sun-Tue), Tues stretch/yoga, <1400 avg cals,< 4 days over cals total, and try to get <180g carbs, and >60g protein.
tobemotivated - do the 30ds (first day was today!), lose 5lbs, drink more water, eat less sugar!
glitterballv-1. To stop overeating with sweets and cake! 2. Run three times a week, try and start bridge to 10k. 3. Try to get to at least one spin class a week.
Anitanz- Get to 64kg’s. Drink less alcohol. Limit chocolate at work to <100 cals per day.
ComfortFoodAddict: 64 oz water/day, No sodas!, sleep 6 hours 5x/wk, workout at least 4x/wk, drop below 170 *at least* again, log food without omitting anything 6x/wk
Allislefttogain: Start training for my first full marathon; at least 96 ounces of water a day; make initial appointment with a physical therapist; hit 583.33 miles running by month end; at least 2 strength training sessions a week
zerozeta0: Run 40 miles a week. Drink 8 cups of water a day. Limit candies/chocolates to once a week. Limit coffee to 3 times a week. Get down to 105.
emiyr9602 - get through level 3 of the 30DS, lose my last 9 lbs, drink atleast 72oz of water a day, and continue to work through the c25k!
AmberJenay - Lose 5 lbs, workout 4-5 times/week, and continue to build myself up.

annemade

I've just joined, hoping to lose 2 pounds per week - therefore 8 pounds this month
Train with Ang - who's completing her 2nd Iron Man CRAZY stuff



Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods

MandaLee8908

Thanks Allie

emilyr9602

Good morning everyone! Here's something to think about today...hope everyone one is enjoying the weekend! :flowerforyou:

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 Beers.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full.

They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar He shook the jar lightly.

The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full.

They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.

Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full.

The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand.

The students laughed..

'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else---the small stuff..

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.

The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Spend time with your children.

Spend time with your parents.

Visit with grandparents.

Take time to get medical checkups.

Take your spouse out to dinner.

Play another 18.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter.

Set your priorities.

The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented.

The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.'

The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.:drinker:

M_lifts

really like that emily! thanks!

cmg: im not really following c25k to the letter, just using the readily available music on my podcast! but igonoring the woman and aiming to run for 25 mins and over! how are you getting on with week 7?

aly: take each day as it comes and make the best choices you can, you need to go easy on yourself. sometimes we put too much pressure on ourselves which sets us off to fail. The weight will come off, it will take time

bethany: wow! the concert sounds amazing! im so jealous!

amber: welcome to the group, these women are amazing and help me to stay focussed! as for your family- we all have them! lol! but you are making the right change for YOU, not your family. at the end of the day you have yourself to be accountable to! fab july goals!!


AFM: ive had a fab week off! lots of walking and trips to parks with my family which ive enjoyed! i dread going back to work but relish some adult conversation lol! foodwise ive been ok, made some ok choices and not so good choices but hey ho, life is good! must have done something right as im back to 120.5! must admit im happier being 120-121 rather than towards the bottom of my range as my clothes fit better and i feel better! shred going well, will try and do day 9 tonight which keeps on track to start level 3 monday. may go for a run either tomorrow or sunday.