rmdaly Member

I think yoga helps with mindfulness and body awareness. Even if you aren't doing a style which burns a lot of calories, you are probably reducing stress and anxiety which helps you stay on track.

It's a really good time to work on nutrition and liquids before your goal race. Try to eat and drink something every 30-45 minutes. Many people use the gels. Try drinking water or electrolyte drink and see what works for you. Some people use salt tablets that you can find at running stores.

What terrible things to endure growing up, especially from the people who are supposed to be supporting you. Have you looked into "self-compassion" and mindful eating? There has been a lot written about being kind to yourself and enjoying the food you eat while changing your relationship with food. Good luck.

I make this a lot because it contains no sugar and tastes awesome! You can make it healthier by using half whole wheat flour and half white. I also rise and cook it in a loaf pan so that I have sandwich bread. I believe that there are whole wheat recipes for this bread, but you have to add gluten. There are also faster…

I've been working out in the morning for years, generally doing a swim workout, running or spinning. If I don't eat beforehand I have trouble finishing the workout. Experiment with what works for you. For me, I have found that coffee with milk plus about 100 calories is perfect It takes the edge off the hunger but doesn't…

"Motivation" is over-rated (in my opinion). At this point, work on getting into a routine and habit with the gym. Make it part of your to-do list for the day. Go whether you feel motivated or not. Make a weekly goal to get to the gym X times. Working with a personal trainer can help that. The more you get to the gym, the…

Make sure you are eating enough. When I get over-hungry and especially when I am stressed or tired it is too easy to succumb to cravings. Work on getting in the habit of eating good foods and the habit can help you through the tough times. Finally, you can eat what you want as long as it fits into your calories or you get…

Do something you enjoy and will keep doing. For a lot of people, that is walking. You can start with a short walk and add time each week. If you are more social, a gym and classes that you have fun in can work. Sometimes the structure of a class and set time makes it easier to get to. Lots of people like spin or Zumba. If…

I agree. When I ran my first marathon and passed the one hour mark and realized that I had at least 3 more hours to run, it was sobering. Can you run for an hour at this point? The marathon you are considering might have training plans or affiliations with a training group that you could work with. Training with others,…

I agree with the coffee suggestions. I have to do baby steps and I have been doing morning workouts for years. First, I tell myself to just get up and have a cup of coffee. Then I tell myself to get dressed. Then I tell myself that I only have to do a few minutes of the workout. Generally, once I start a workout, I will…

Check out Hal Higdon's plans. I think some are 3x per week. Or simply drop the lowest mileage day and replace it with cross-training.

I swim a lot and MFP tells me that an hour of swimming is 700+ calories, but an hour of spinning is in the 500 calorie range. I think that the swimming number for MFP is incorrectly high. Just keep it in mind for your overall daily calories. Very few of us look good in swimsuits. Its great that you have found something to…

Chocolate pudding in individual containers.

Make the smoothie, pour it into your container, then add chia seeds and mix in well. Let it sit for a few minutes and the chia seeds will make the liquid thicker.

What about a morning workout? Find a gym at or near your work, commute there, workout, shower and change and still be to work by 8:30am. Keep oatmeal in your desk or yogurt in a fridge for breakfast.

It might be your stride. I had the same issue and I went to a physical therapist who was also a runner. He filmed me running and showed me that I would put my leg out in front of me consistently and showed where the stresses would be on my knees. He had me change my stride to come down under my hips instead of in front and…

When I begin exercising, I feel better about myself and I find it easier to eat well and make better food choices.

Jello. For fancy occasions, Mom would make jello with mixed fruit in it, put it on a square of lettuce and top it with a dollop of mayonnaise. I loved the mayo. I can't imagine eating that today. My mother also had a dessert she made with lemon jello, condensed milk and crushed nilla wafers called "Lemon Sponge Cake" that…

I agree with this suggestion. When you are training, you need to work with your nutrition. For a half-marathon, you can almost get by with little food and water. You can't for the marathon. During training, work out what works for you. Some people use electrolyte drinks. Some use gels. Some gels have caffeine or added…

Definitely run some trails before the race. In some trail races, you can walk up hills faster than you can run. When I run and get tired, I don't lift my feet as much. On a trail, that means that I trip over rocks and fall easily. This doesn't happen on the roads.

If I don't plan a workout for the weekend, it doesn't happen. I tell myself I will do something "later", but it rarely happens. I try to do something soon after I get up and promise myself a nice nap or meal afterward.

Don't forget to drink when you run in the cold. Or drink as soon as you can afterward. I will get a chill that doesn't go away after a run if I don't stay properly hydrated. Also, I often drive to start a run. If you do, make sure you have some good dry clothes to put on after a run until you can properly change. Finally…

Do you hold something on that side when you run like your phone or a leash? You could be doing your whole run with it tensed that makes it hurt the next day. Could you be clenching your teeth when you run? I used to have some missing teeth and when I would swim, I could breath anyway. I didn't realize that I was clenching…

I don't know what kind of workout you are doing on the elliptical, but you might try doing an interval routine where you go hard for a few minutes and then less intense for a few minutes throughout the entire workout. What about doing 60 minutes on the elliptical and then 30 minutes of weights or calisthenics like 30-Day…

I'm kind of an introvert, so I like going to classes at the gym. I've met some great people there. I stay in the back until I get the hang of the class and when I start seeing the same people, it makes it easier to go back. Being in classes with people makes me push myself more than a workout video. Also a good teacher…

Chocolate graham crackers are a good snack to curb a chocolate and cookie craving without the high calories.

It must have been tough to write that. Good luck in your recovery. I'm really not good at going to the doctor either and am afraid of looking foolish. It does seem like you are dealing with some anxiety and finding someone to talk to, like a counselor or therapist, might help with you succeed in your recovery.

I am not diabetic, so I can't comment on that, but I am a runner. Look into getting a running belt that can carry more than just a credit card. I have a belt that I use which carries 2 full-sized water bottles and has a pouch that I can put keys, phone, food, kleenex etc. You could probably put a meter in there too. I…

When it gets cool, I don't feel like I need to drink as much. What I have found for myself is that if I don't drink in cold weather I can get a chill that just won't go away after a run. Be sure you are hydrating enough. Also, if you drive to run, make sure you have a good dry top to change into on the cooler days as you…

Do you have a YMCA near you? The one near me has a lot of classes for seniors which could be low-impact and a way to get started. They also often have pools with lap swimming times and water aerobics classes. I'm not saying you are senior, but it might be a way to get started. Some of them are just fun people anyway.