What month is it?

I'm not saying anything that anyone around here hasn't already said a million times, but I AM SO SICK OF THIS WEATHER. It's the end of March. It's OFFICIALLY Spring. And yet, I drove to work in white-out conditions just this week. And there's more snow predicted in the 10-day forecast. Ridiculous.

UNCLE! UNCLE! PLEASE MAKE IT STOP.

I'm ready to go running, ready to take the dogs for long walks, ready to take my bike out, ready to sit out on the patio with a book and an adult beverage but Mother Nature isn't in agreement. I'm afraid that we're going to go from 20's and snowing to 97 degrees with 100% humidity with none of the beautiful Spring weather that keeps me sane the rest of the year.

I appreciate you allowing me to rant, I almost feel a little better from it. And now I'll descend into my basement torture room for yet another workout because it's too cold to do it outside.

(and yes, I know I could go outside regardless of the weather ... and I used to run outside year-round ... but I'm older and whinier now)

New Habit Monday: Fitness Media Fast

The new habit for the next two weeks?  Boycott fitness media -- no facebook articles, no blogs, no magazines, no inspirational Pinterest posters, no nothing (really, I shouldn't be posting here either, but I'm more whiny than fitness-y).

The premise is sound:  we are bombarded with information and choices from all sides, but this overload doesn't necessarily do us any good.  The change is in the doing, not the reading about the doing, amiright?  And that's what we're tasked with -- focusing on consistently making good nutrition choices and getting in all the workouts without worrying about what everyone else has to say about it.

So, yea.  That's it.  Not much to it, is there? I won't be all that impacted by this -- while I certainly do my fair share of reading about fitness, I have more than enough other stuff to keep my brain busy.  I'll also say that since I started LE, I haven't paid as much attention to the articles and blogs that I used to because I already know what I'm doing and I'm not looking for anything new to take on. I'm easily distracted, you know.

And really, there's only one diet that produces results -- the one that you stick with and create a lifestyle around. 

So, none of this. Like what she's doing is
even possible. Real people don't do that without their shoulders
popping right out of their sockets. And her body has totally
got to be Photoshopped, right? If not, she
definitely needs a cookie. Or 8. Yup, I think not
seeing any of this will be good for me.

Sunday Funday: Week 35 Review

35 weeks down.  It's really difficult for me to believe it -- I don't know that I've ever kept track of time for this long (you know what I mean, right?).  Maybe it's just that I've never stuck with one thing for this long, though, of course, the 35 weeks have been filled with varying degrees of commitment.

But anyway - I'm getting back into things and my Lean Eating life is back moving in the right direction.  I'm hitting the gym, pounding the pavement and putting down the donuts -- not always easy, but I'm making better decisions today than I did yesterday.

Measurements
Weight is down, measurements are stubbornly static. I'm not worried about it, though -- that'll come.  These are the things that I don't have control over.  As long as I take care of what I do have control over -- eating right, working out -- these results will show up soon enough.

Workouts
Nailed it! Schedule was a bit wonky because I got lazy on a few days, but I got everything in.  So - one week down in my quest to get myself a dual monitor setup. It wasn't as easy as I would have wanted it to be -- some days required a whole lot of oomph to get me downstairs -- but given some time, that should get better.

Habits
Still doing the 5 minute body scan every day.  I enjoy it -- kind of a way to check in with my body and emotions without attaching too much significance to it.  Almost a detached overview of how the systems are functioning.

Intermittent Fasting
Did this two days this week, and for two days this week I didn't snack after dinner. Which is kind of the point -- when I'm eating at night there's almost never a reason for it.

Habit Log
Weeks 1-2: Fish oil and probiotic
Weeks 3-4: Eating slowly
Weeks 5-6: Stop eating at 80% full
Weeks 7-8: Lean protein with every meal
Weeks 9-10: 5 servings of vegetables a day
Weeks 11-12: Make smart carb choices
Weeks 13-14: Plan Meals
Weeks 15-16: Log all food
Weeks 17-18: Create a sleep ritual
Weeks 19-20: Drink only zero calorie beverages
Weeks 21-22: Use targeted recovery strategies
Weeks 23-24: Eat only whole foods
Week 25: No new habits (work on the previous ones)
Weeks 26-27: A little more, a little better
Weeks 28-29: Lean protein and vegetables with every meal
Weeks 30-31: Stop eating at 80% full (an encore presentation)
Weeks 32-33: Modify carb intake
Weeks 34-35: Do a 5-minute body/mind scan every day

I can't help it -- I absolutely love this

Fitbit vs. Withings

The long-awaited write-up of my thoughts on the Fitbit One and the Withings Pulse -- I know y'all were probably up nights wondering when this was going to be posted. I started using both at the very beginning of the year and have basically had them on my body every day since then.

It took me 8 tries to get a picture with both displays
still turned on, so I stopped worrying about
how awful the actual picture is.

In general, they both do their job fairly well and I think you could be happy going with either one. Personally, I'm still having a tough time choosing between them -- and frankly, they're small enough that I can carry both around without being too overburdened. And since I can't make a decision, I'll list all the things I think are important and then pick a winner in each category. How does that sound? Good, I'm glad you like the idea.

Step Count/Mileage

When on a treadmill or running outside, both devices are about spot-on with each other in terms of step count, however, the Fitbit always seems to underestimate distance while the Pulse compares better to the actual distance traveled. Normal walking around the office or home or out shopping?  The Fitbit will sometimes be as much as 10-15% higher in both step count and mileage than the Pulse.  Which, of course, makes me like it more.
Winner:  Fitbit One

Form Factor

While they're both fairly small, the Pulse is definitely bulkier though I wouldn't make a buying decision based only on this. That said, the Fitbit is not only smaller, but its curved edges seems to make it less noticeable in my pocket.
Winner:  Fitbit One

Battery Life/Charging

Battery life is good with both devices -- at least 1-2 weeks, easily, and they both charge up quickly.  The Pulse battery seems to need charging before the Fitbit, but not by much, usually. A big thumbs down to the Fitbit, though, because the charging cable is proprietary. Forget it at home when you go on vacation? Hope you remembered to charge your Fitbit before leaving! The Pulse is a normal micro USB plug -- the same that charges many (non-Apple) phones. I like that I can charge it just about anywhere, since I have those cords all around my house.
Winner: Withings Pulse

Syncing

The Fitbit One syncs with a computer (with a USB receiver plugged in), and with iOS/Android/Windows devices using Bluetooth. It will sync automatically, and it's unusual that I need to force a sync because my devices and the website seemingly always show me the most up-to-date information. The Withings Pulse only syncs with iOS/Android devices and the sync doesn't happen nearly as often and I often find myself doing a manual sync. This wasn't too much of an issue for me until my Nexus 5 bit the dust (well, I bit the dust and it happened to be under my butt when it happened... doh) and I bought a Windows phone (which the Pulse doesn't support). Now I keep the Nexus on at home to sync my Pulse (and for a few other things my new phone doesn't do).
Winner: Fitbit One

Sleep Analysis

Both devices need to be worn on your wrist and turned on when going to bed and then turned off when you get up. Kind of a pain, but you soon get used to it and it's not that big of a deal. One note -- if you go to bed to read, don't turn it on -- if you're not moving around, it'll think that you've fallen asleep.  Both devices are usually within minutes of each other in telling me how long it took me to fall asleep, and how much total sleep I got. The downside with the Pulse -- when it's in sleep mode, it doesn't count steps (sure, sure, not a big deal, but it's not like I'm levitating to the bathroom a few times a night... I want credit for all the steps I take!). Also, if you forget to turn it off when you get up, the Pulse does not allow you to edit that sleep record while the Fitbit does (through the website).
Winner:  Fitbit One

Website

Both websites give you summary information on a dashboard-like interface. The Fitbit dashboard is all big bubbly graphics and you have to drill down to get to more detail. The Withings website, on the other hand, is awesome (how's that for a technical review?). It manages to display a wealth of information on the dashboard without it being confusing. And you can still drill down for more details. It also integrates really well with any other Withings products you have (I own the Withings Scale).
Winner: Withings Pulse

Display/On-screen information

The Fitbit, by default, cycles through steps - floors - miles - calories (total) - energy flower - time. The Fitbit allows you -- through the website or app -- to change what is displayed. The Pulse cycles through steps - feet of elevation - mileage - calories (during exercise) - sleep mode/HR. Also, if you go for a run, you can swipe to a "running analysis" -- basically time/distance of the activity and you can also easily see 10 days of historical data for any piece of information that's displayed.
Winner: Withings Pulse

Clip-ons

I don't use the clips all that often and find them both to be more than adequate for the job. I think that used more, the Fitbit has more of a chance of wearing out, but I can't say that for sure. Just my guess.
Winner: Withings Pulse (I guess)

Extras

Fitbit:  allows you to set alarms which work by vibrating -- very effective when you're sleeping, especially if you're trying not to wake up someone else. 

Pulse: takes your HR.  Cycle through to HR mode, then put your finger on the sensors in the back and it spits out your HR (usually - sometimes it can't get a read and just shows an "x" on the display). I've found it to be pretty accurate, though it's kind of a pain to do when you're in the middle of working out.  I use it mostly when I wake up to get my resting heart rate.

Fitbit One

Withings Pulse

So, I suppose if you were to force me to choose, I'd probably pick the Fitbit mostly for convenience sake (it's easier to sync) and the fact that it typically gives me a higher step count (I'm a little emotionally attached to that number). But I tell you -- I'd miss the Withings website, which has been awesome in motivating me to get more active and monitoring my weight and keeping track of my weekly goals.

Carrots

I've decided that a little external motivation might be just what I need. As I've mentioned the last few times I've been around these parts, my workouts have fluctuated between utterly inconsistent to utterly non-existent, and while I'm feeling better about getting back on track, I thought that dangling a carrot in front of me might do the trick (a metaphorical carrot, of course ... though, if you tossed in some hummus, I'd be okay with literal carrots, too).

So, here's the deal:  if I complete a month's worth of LE workouts, I get to splurge and get the dual monitor setup for my laptop that I've really been lusting after (but I don't need, so I haven't been able to justify the cost).

The rules I'm following are pretty straightforward:

1. A week of LE workouts = 3 strength training, 2 interval, 1 active recovery.
2. Specific LE strength training workout requirement can be met with a trainer beatdown session.
3. A month = 4 weeks.
4. I'm allowed to double-up workouts, i.e. I can do a strength and interval workout on the same day to cover two days of workouts (but I can't do two strength training workouts or two interval workouts in the same day).
5. If Sunday passes and I haven't completed the 6 workouts, the whole thing starts over again at square one.

I started yesterday, and so far I'm on schedule -- two for two on the workouts. WOOT!  Yesterday I kicked my own ass in the basement torture workout room and today I went out and enjoyed the 49* windy day and did my intervals in the middle of running a few miles. The plan is that by April 13th I'll have my workouts down to an unthinking habit and that two monitors will be hurtling their way towards my house.

Oh, and yes -- I'm already sore.  But it's an "I'm getting dual monitors!" kind of sore, so it's all good.

Sunday Funday: Week 33/34 Review

Getting lazy in my old age, aren't I, combining Sunday reviews like this.  I was finally freed from the chains of having to study every non-working, non-sleeping moment and went a little crazy. Read a few books, caught up on some DVR'd TV, went to bed early... yup, I'm a regular rebellious spirit.

Last week it was time for photos -- oh, how I didn't want to do that. I feel like I'm back to the point where I started and preserving that wasn't high on my list of things to do. But, I very reluctantly did it anyway. Taking photos is a pretty powerful motivator to keep at this whole thing -- nothing like back fat rolls to get my butt down into the gym.

Progress has been very gradual over the past few weeks, but it's going forward nonetheless. I'm still not always making good decisions, but I'm always trying to be better than yesterday, which is really all I can ask of myself.

Measurements
Weight and measurements are down a touch from last week. I'm finally out of the clutches of hormones, so I expect that this week should be even better. Still need to consistently make better decisions, but I'm getting there.

Workouts
I actually did some workouts! Not all of them, but most. And I'm SORE. Being a study nerd for 6+ weeks did very bad things for my fitness level, for sure. I've signed up for a 5-mile race in early May, though, so I need to get things into gear. Hopefully the weather will start cooperating on a consistent basis since running outside is oh-so-much better than hitting the treadmill.

Habits
This week's habit is doing a 5-minute body/mind scan every day, which is something I was already doing on a casual, less regular basis. It's a good exercise, though, and working it into my day has been enlightening, especially this past week because I've been dealing with nonstop hormone headaches. I do it first thing in the morning -- I figure I use at least 5 minutes to convince myself to get out of bed anyway -- and it has given me insight into how much headaches affect every other area of my life.

After the scan, you answer 3 questions:  how you are you feeling physically, what are you feeling emotionally, and what you are thinking. I found that on the days that I woke up with a headache (which was every day except Friday), I started the day anxious and stressed, worried that the headache would turn into a full-blown migraine. I was concerned about how many migraine pills I was taking, worried that they might stop working. I was thinking about what I was going to do to keep the pain in check and whether it would work or not. In other words, not only was I obsessive and not very fun to be around, but pretty miserable, unmotivated and afraid to do much of anything for fear of making the headache worse.

(note: these headaches are hormonal and have been "normal" for me for about the last 15 years ... I've been to a doctor and because of the timing, consistency and what the headaches respond to, we're pretty sure that there isn't anything more to be worried about)

Intermittent Fasting
I've been only kind of doing this, but need to get back into it since it works so well keeping me in check.

Habit Log
Weeks 1-2: Fish oil and probiotic
Weeks 3-4: Eating slowly
Weeks 5-6: Stop eating at 80% full
Weeks 7-8: Lean protein with every meal
Weeks 9-10: 5 servings of vegetables a day
Weeks 11-12: Make smart carb choices
Weeks 13-14: Plan Meals
Weeks 15-16: Log all food
Weeks 17-18: Create a sleep ritual
Weeks 19-20: Drink only zero calorie beverages
Weeks 21-22: Use targeted recovery strategies
Weeks 23-24: Eat only whole foods
Week 25: No new habits (work on the previous ones)
Weeks 26-27: A little more, a little better
Weeks 28-29: Lean protein and vegetables with every meal
Weeks 30-31: Stop eating at 80% full (an encore presentation)
Weeks 32-33: Modify carb intake

Week 34: Do a 5-minute body/mind scan every day

And the verdict is...

My foot doctor appointment was today -- a great way to celebrate my birthday! -- and as I suspected, the MRI didn't show anything more than the x-rays. Ironically, it identified another issue that I've been having on and off since about 2009, but still nothing to worry about.

So, I still have the pain, but as I've repeatedly said, it's not all that bad. In fact, I'd say that it feels marginally better in the last week or so. The doc's advice? Give the boot another couple of weeks, just for kicks and giggles. The advice I'm going to take? My own, which includes getting back to things and not worrying about it.

There's no fracture there that I'm going to turn into something worse. So my new plan of action is going to be to sign up for an early May 5-mile race and start training. I can always revisit this issue if the foot really starts bothering me again.

(I know, I know, but I've got to start doing something and have a goal again or I'm just going further down this abyss. No more foot excuses!)

Sunday Funday: Week 32 Review

Still studying. Another week and then I'll finally be done and FREE. I won't know what to do with myself (other than not having any excuses left for not working out...).

It's been a better week than the previous. All the junk food was finally out the house and so even though I wanted to snack constantly, there wasn't anything to tempt me. See how that works?

Measurements
Everything's headed back down, which is nice. Seems that a modicum of restraint can work wonders. I still have a ways to go until I'm back where I left off a few weeks ago, but I'm getting there.

Workouts
I did one! But - yes - just one. Better than nothing, right? This coming week will probably be a little light as well due to the whole study study study thing, but I'm no longer using my foot as an excuse. For the supposed stress fracture in my foot, I'll get the MRI results and diagnosis on Monday and as long as the doctor comes back with nothing concrete, I'm going to just ignore it until it gets worse. Possibly not my smartest decision, but I'm sick of babying something that has no diagnosis and has never hurt all that bad.

Habits
Rehasing old habits -- this week was taking a close look at carb intake (and types of carbs) and see whether my current habit needs any tweaking. Basically, when I'm on point with my nutrition, I think I've hit a sweet spot -- correct portion sizes of steel cut oats, potatoes, good-for-me grains make my engine happy.

Intermittent Fasting
Started this up again and it's been good, though difficult. Once I got past the first few days it got easier, but it's always a little unsettling to be hungry in the morning and not eat something immediately to satisfy the urge.

Habit Log
Weeks 1-2: Fish oil and probiotic
Weeks 3-4: Eating slowly
Weeks 5-6: Stop eating at 80% full
Weeks 7-8: Lean protein with every meal
Weeks 9-10: 5 servings of vegetables a day
Weeks 11-12: Make smart carb choices
Weeks 13-14: Plan Meals
Weeks 15-16: Log all food
Weeks 17-18: Create a sleep ritual
Weeks 19-20: Drink only zero calorie beverages
Weeks 21-22: Use targeted recovery strategies
Weeks 23-24: Eat only whole foods
Week 25: No new habits (work on the previous ones)
Weeks 26-27: A little more, a little better
Weeks 28-29: Lean protein and vegetables with every meal
Weeks 30-31: Stop eating at 80% full (an encore presentation)

Week 32: Modify carb intake

I missed New Habit Monday

Of course, for awhile now it hasn't really been "new" habit Monday -- it's been a rehash of habits from the days of yore. This week it's all about being smart with carb intake -- both amount and type, with an emphasis on honing in on what really works for me as an individual.

This is easy for me; I figured out awhile ago that I don't do well on a typical low-carb diet. When I have a dinner of only vegetables and lean protein, about 45 minutes later all I want to do is eat eat eat (and not vegetables and lean protein, either). By tossing some quinoa, a sweet potato or wild rice into the mix, I find that I'm far more satiated than I otherwise would have been. The issue for me is not overdoing it -- I don't need heaping portions of it, just enough to take the edge off, ya know?

On another note entirely, one of my friends today posted on Facebook on how she had looked back at her BT log on this same day the past few years (beginnertriathlete.com ... remember, that's my virtual hangout despite the fact that I don't actually do triathlons anymore) .  This got me to thinking, and so I took a trip through the way-back machine as well (I love that I've had an online home now for about 9 years ... all that history...also makes me appreciate how I can write on and on about myself).

And you know what? Not last year, but every year before that I was working out and in shape and so utterly unappreciative of the motivation I had to get things done. I took it as a matter of fact that I would be running or biking or strength training or doing something active for an hour or more most days of the week -- being lazy never involved not working out for a full week, it was more like taking 2 days off. Now that I'm out of shape and fighting injury, I realize how much I took for granted. It's going to take me a long while to work my way back there -- and it's made me regret (even more - still - again) getting to the point where I am now. 

And this was an easy workout for a Saturday
because I was racing the next day. That's something
else I used to do -- I used to race. I miss that.

Reading about the nonchalant "went out and did an easy 6.5 miles today" or "up before work to get a quick bike spin out of the way" makes me want to be that person again (I still have no desire to swim, though - that will never change, I don't think! Brrr... cold water... hate it...). I feel like somehow I've lost part of my identity the last year or so and I really need to get it back.

And I know how to do it. One step at a time. One foot in front of the other. The hardest part is starting ... after that, it's simply moving forward just a little bit every day. Reading about my recent-past escapades drove home how much I like myself when I'm able to take working out for granted.

Sunday Funday: Week 31 Review

Is there anything more to say that I haven't already talked about this week? I really don't think so.

I've started studying for my third and final certification exam. My goal this week is to do this studying without having to snack at the same time. I might start doing some of it at the library so I'm forced to be better about it.

Oh, and I've got the MRI on my foot scheduled for tomorrow. We'll see if anything fun comes of that.

Measurements
Up another touch from last week. House is pretty much cleaned out of all my trigger foods (chocolate, pretzels, Pop-Tarts) and so I'm going to give it a go next week to stay on task.

Workouts
Nada. Nothing. And this probably won't change this week, I'm guessing. Perhaps I'll let my trainer talk me into a workout or two.

Habits
Been working on the 80% habit, except not so much working on the habit. This one serves me well when I'm mindful of it.

Intermittent Fasting
Getting back on that wagon tomorrow. 

Habit Log
Weeks 1-2: Fish oil and probiotic
Weeks 3-4: Eating slowly
Weeks 5-6: Stop eating at 80% full
Weeks 7-8: Lean protein with every meal
Weeks 9-10: 5 servings of vegetables a day
Weeks 11-12: Make smart carb choices
Weeks 13-14: Plan Meals
Weeks 15-16: Log all food
Weeks 17-18: Create a sleep ritual
Weeks 19-20: Drink only zero calorie beverages
Weeks 21-22: Use targeted recovery strategies
Weeks 23-24: Eat only whole foods
Week 25: No new habits (work on the previous ones)
Weeks 26-27: A little more, a little better
Weeks 28-29: Lean protein and vegetables with every meal
Weeks 30-31: Stop eating at 80% full (an encore presentation)

7 o'clock and all's well...

Things are on an upturn: I passed my second exam (with a lot more breathing room than I gave myself with the first one) and the water in my basement has dried up. The dogs are behaving themselves and I ordered a taco pizza to celebrate making it through the last two weeks.

Of course, the pizza wasn't necessary (but it sure was good!). I ordered that along with an eggplant dish so that I'd have leftovers for the upcoming week. Smart planning, right?

Look, Mom! Two exams passed!

Tomorrow I'll start studying for certification exam #3, which will be in two weeks (and then I'll be done! ... for the moment, at least), and also fit in cleaning the house which has gone to the dogs (no pun intended!) with my utter lack of time and desire to keep it neat.

This past week our lesson on Thursday was to do a 24-hour fast.  I tried -- both Thursday and Friday -- but both days made it to about mid-morning and caved and ate. I was home studying both days and I found that a rumbly stomach made it far more challenging to focus on what I was trying to learn. Simply put, hunger overrode my brain.

I'm curious to try it again when I don't have anything on the line, mostly just to see if I can do it, but unless something awesome happens in the last 8 hours of a 24-hour fast, I think that Intermittent Fasting might be more my style. The feedback from my Lean Eating pals was pretty evenly divided between people who thought it was the bee's knees (don't ask me, I don't know what that actually means either) and people who were sluggish and spent most of the day with visions of sugar plums (or vegetables and lean meats) dancing in their heads. I want to be able to offer up my own opinion. Maybe next week.

Water on the noggin'

Well, after the record 68" of snow the area has seen this winter (average is under 30"), it's finally starting to warm up just a bit.  I can't tell you how much I've been looking forward to this -- I'm just so DONE with this winter.

But how does that saying goes?  Be careful what you wish for ... 

The warming temperatures and melting snow brought the outdoors into my basement -- yes, puddles and puddles of water.  Just what I need while I'm dealing with studying for an exam on Saturday! My roommate's been helping switch out towels (most of the leakage is in the workout room, which is good -- no carpeting in there) and my Dad came over this afternoon to help me diagnose the problem, figure out if there's a fix (no, not really) and help get things as good as they can be for the time being. I'm lucky to have people around me who support me in a lot of different ways.

Onto more relevant topics ... I've been peeking ahead in our lessons and there's a good one for Thursday: a 24-hour fast.  I've done the intermittent fasting as I've talked about previously, usually going about 15-17 hours between meals, but a full 24 hours? That's a bird of a different color.

But I'm looking forward to it. I've not only been forgetting what it feels like to be hungry, but forgetting to realize that hunger isn't an emergency that needs tending to immediately. Fasting will be a good way to reset my brain. At least that's what I'm hoping for, because I kind of need a kick start back to reality.

This post is a little disjointed, but frankly, so am I at the moment. After 2 hours spent dealing with water and then another 2.5 hours studying (and it's not like I didn't work a full day first), my head is ready to relax. Or at least go to sleep. Which is what I'm going to do. Right now, in fact. Good-night!

Oh, my achin' foot

Stress fracture, bone abnormality
or just all in my head?

Saw the foot doctor today to get the X-rays read, and like Google had already told me -- if there's a stress fracture, it's not readily apparent. Which it should be, since the length of time that I've had the pain would be long enough for the calcification of the bone to show up. The doc did say that she saw some "abnormality of the bone" where I've got pain, but she's not exactly sure what might be the issue.

So - onto the next step: an MRI. Oh, joy. Part of me wants to abandon all this right now and just deal with it, like I have been for the past 7 or 8 months. It's not a stress fracture, so I'm not in danger of breaking my foot, right? It's only been 2 weeks and I'm already sooo over this whole thing. Doc did concede that if the walking boot didn't seem to be doing any good, then I could consider ditching it, though now I feel like I ought to give it more time. Catholic guilt at it's best.

Thing is, if it were just this same ol' low level pain all the time (think: 3 or 4 on a pain scale of 10), I wouldn't think anything of it. But there are moments when I step a little on the side of my foot, or just the wrong way and .... YEEEOOOOWWW... and all of a sudden, the 3 or 4 becomes an easy 8 or 9 (plus a few curse words). And it hurts whether I'm standing on it, running on it, squatting 145 pounds or laying down trying to sleep. Very weird, in my estimation.

If the MRI doesn't show anything then I really am going to just start ignoring the pain and waiting for it to go away on it's own eventually. What's the worst that can happen, right?

Sunday Funday: Week 30 Review

So.

Um, yea.  It's been awhile, hasn't it?

No good excuses, though I've been struggling (and losing) to keep forward momentum going.  

About 2 weeks ago, I finally made an appointment with a doctor to see about the pain that I've had in my foot since, oh, the summer or so.  The pain had never been bad, but it also never went away, and within the past month or two, it had gotten worse.  The doctor confirmed what I already suspected:  I had a stress fracture.  So, I'm in a walking boot with orders to not do much of anything.  And yes - of course I can still work out - upper body and core don't require me to use my legs - but have I?  Nope.

Stylish, eh?

And remember me talking about that long-ass Microsoft class that I had taken?  Nine days, 12 hours a day?  Well, the class is done but the exams are not.  I've taken the first one, and passed (just barely!), but still have the next two ahead of me.  One thing that's messing with my brain a bit is that I thought the first exam would be the easiest, but it was much more difficult than I thought it would be, which makes me really stress out about the next two.  I've been studying every night, and yes, I can't seem to manage to not snack while I'm doing it.  I'm usually okay with being hungry, but it's almost like when I need to focus on something, I can't also deal with a rumbling stomach -- I need to be comfortable in any way possible to facilitate the studying.  Which is really, really bad for me eating healthy.  Because along with that, no, vegetables don't count as a snack that scratches that itch.

I've got my next exam this coming weekend, and then -- assuming I pass -- the one after that is in two weeks.  Enough time to study, but not enough time to overly worry about it.

So everything health-wise is going in the wrong direction:  weight, measurements, appetite, food choices, foot, sleep and stress level.  I need to rein things in and get back on track (though I've been telling myself that for two weeks now).  Somehow I need to start small and work my way back since I seem incapable of simply returning to the habits that I held just two weeks ago.

Along with that, I need a good dose of forgiveness as well.  I can't constantly berate myself on my mistakes -- that's counter-productive when what I really need is a genuine, heart-felt, "You're okay! You can do it!" from my head.

It's funny because things were going so well.  And then, not so well.  This is a pattern -- whenever my weight starts consistently going down (and I'm using weight simply as an easily quantified measure of progress), something happens and it rockets back up.  Of course, this is life -- never the same, never easy, always challenging.  I think that if you look at the graph of anyone's journey, you'll see the same thing -- periods of good with spikes of bad.  But the thing that I have to keep in mind:  I want the trend to be downward.  There are always going to be the bubbles of not-so-good, but the important part is recognizing and moving past it.  I can't do anything about yesterday, and I can't do anything about tomorrow, but I can certainly do something about today.

So - a very short review of the past (two) week(s):

Measurements
All up.  That's what happens when you eat everything in sight and don't workout.  I've said it before, but is amazes me how quickly the weight goes on and how slowly the weight comes off.

Workouts
Since I got the walking boot, I've done exactly one workout.  It was frustrating and annoying and I kind of hated it. Of course, that doesn't mean I shouldn't be doing it.

Habits
Another New Habit Monday has passed by -- this time it's revisiting the eating to 80% full habit.  This is definitely a foundational habit that I need to be paying more attention to. For the first time in awhile, I did that yesterday and not-so-remarkably felt better. Go figure.

Intermittent Fasting
Another thing I haven't been doing. Add it to the list.

Habit Log
Weeks 1-2: Fish oil and probiotic
Weeks 3-4: Eating slowly
Weeks 5-6: Stop eating at 80% full
Weeks 7-8: Lean protein with every meal
Weeks 9-10: 5 servings of vegetables a day
Weeks 11-12: Make smart carb choices
Weeks 13-14: Plan Meals
Weeks 15-16: Log all food
Weeks 17-18: Create a sleep ritual
Weeks 19-20: Drink only zero calorie beverages
Weeks 21-22: Use targeted recovery strategies
Weeks 23-24: Eat only whole foods
Week 25: No new habits (work on the previous ones)
Weeks 26-27: A little more, a little better
Weeks 28-29: Lean protein and vegetables with every meal

Week 30:  Stop eating at 80% full (an encore presentation)

Sunday Funday: Week 28 Review

My class is over, but I have to admit -- I probably spent too much time "recovering" (meaning, not working out, not posting here, not doing anything productive).  But - I'm back!  Aren't you happy?

I'm studying for my first exam (which is this coming Saturday) and assuming that goes well, I'll schedule out the second and third.  I'm having a hard time cracking the books, but I've been pushing myself to anyway.  It'll be over soon, right?

Measurements
About the same as last week.  Again - with what I've been doing (ie nothing), I'm pretty happy with that.  I was up during the middle of the week, and brought it down by the weekend, so I'm headed in the right direction.  I'm as low as I've been for about a year, which feels pretty good.

Workouts
Um, yea.  So, I kinda dropped the ball on this one.  Monday and Tuesday I just couldn't wake up early enough before class to get it done.  Wednesday was a crazy day back at work.  And Thursday and Friday?  No excuse really, other than I didn't wanna do it.  But - tough strength training session yesterday (holy schnikey am I sore today!) and an hour on the treadmill today.  And I was peer-pressured into signing up for a half marathon on Labor Day weekend, so I suppose that means I ought to start training one of these days.

Habits
So, I missed New Habit Monday.  That's probably okay because I've been absolutely terrible at getting it done.  The habit is to have a lean protein and a vegetable at EVERY meal. Unless Pop-Tarts (actually, Trader Joe's organic equivalent) have chicken and broccoli in them, I'm pretty well sunk before I've barely even begun the day.  This is one of those "just for two weeks" habits to get you out of your comfort zone and experiment with getting more good stuff into your diet.  So far, it's not working for me, but that's because I've spent exactly 0% effort into making it happen.

Intermittent Fasting
This has been my saving grace throughout this time, I'm pretty sure.  I simply eat less (even though it's not like I'm starving myself by any means).  It might not be for everyone, but it works for me.

Habit Log
Weeks 1-2: Fish oil and probiotic
Weeks 3-4: Eating slowly
Weeks 5-6: Stop eating at 80% full
Weeks 7-8: Lean protein with every meal
Weeks 9-10: 5 servings of vegetables a day
Weeks 11-12: Make smart carb choices
Weeks 13-14: Plan Meals
Weeks 15-16: Log all food
Weeks 17-18: Create a sleep ritual
Weeks 19-20: Drink only zero calorie beverages
Weeks 21-22: Use targeted recovery strategies
Weeks 23-24: Eat only whole foods
Week 25: No new habits (work on the previous ones)
Weeks 26-27: A little more, a little better

Week 28:  Lean protein and vegetables with every meal