Lean Eating Wrap-Up

Has it really been almost a year?  Hard to believe, honestly. I had committed to blogging every day, but -- obviously -- that hasn't happened.  But still, 158 posts later, I feel like I at least had a voice to put out in the world.  And I reckon that I'll keep on frequenting here as long as I'm doing battle with some of the unhealthy, reckless, devil-may-care voices that rule some of my decisions.

Does this mean I got an "F" in Lean Eating?

First, let's run the numbers, shall we?  Over the past year, my weight has been as low as 10 pounds below where I started and as high as 3 pounds above where I started.  Right now?  I'm sitting a few pounds below my starting point. Certainly not where I wanted to be, but I shudder to think what shape I'd be in now if I hadn't been working on myself through this program.  In terms of the tape measure, things are better -- I lost about 13" in total.  Despite the fact that my weight rebounded back up, I didn't put on the inches in tandem, luckily enough.  And the body fat caliper measurements back this up.

And let me say this for the record:  so many women -- women that I got to know over the course of the year -- totally ROCKED the program and transformed themselves in ways that seem almost unimaginable.  I mean, really -- you should check out the finalists.  The program certainly doesn't lack success stories.

Because I don't know of any other way to corral my rather disorganized opinions about Lean Eating, how about a The Good, The Bad and The Ugly list?  

The Good

• The program is about so much more than what to eat and what workouts to do; it encompasses a lot of mental and emotional work to understand underlying issues.
• A year is definitely necessary -- the program used to be only 6 months long and I would have felt very left-in-a-lurch if it had ended in January.
• It's all about developing a lifestyle.  This isn't a restrictive eat-this-not-that diet but rather adjusting your outlook so it supports your goals and priorities and then building a way of life around that.
• Gradually adding habits one at a time makes jumping in a whole lot less overwhelming than it would otherwise be.
• It offers a lot of flexibility in terms of workouts -- while they have workouts to follow, you're free to substitute with something else that you enjoy more.
• They have a ton of resources available if you have questions.  Not just your coach or your team, but nutritionists, physiologists and folks with other specialty skills as well.

The Bad

• It isn't exactly cheap.
• It's easy to not do the work, make no headway but still look like you're following along.
• Once you put your information into the Lean Eating site, it's not altogether easy to get it back out (and once your year is up, you lose access to anything coaching-related, i.e. measurements, photos, written answers to exercises).

The Ugly

• I believe that much of your experience depends on your coach and how well your personality matches what she provides.  My coach was awesome, but sometimes was too respectful of my space when I could have used someone to nag me (I know - I should just hire my Mom, right?).
• If you aren't hitting the program at the "right" time -- meaning, mentally and emotionally ready to tackle your relationship with food and training -- it could be an exercise in frustration.
• You get out of it what you put into it.  And if what you put in is superficial or not challenging your comfort zone, you won't get a whole lot in the way of results out of the program.

And to round it out, here are some of my biggest epiphanies:

• Hunger is not an emergency!  Just because I think I'm hungry doesn't mean I necessarily need food.
• Eating slowly really does work.
• As does stopping eating once I feel like I'm 80% full.
• I also don't eat nearly as much if I don't allow myself to do anything else while eating -- no TV, no reading, no computer, no phone.
• Planning meals and workouts is the key to my success. I need structure!

Would I do this again?  Perhaps.  I feel like I spent a lot of time this year figuring out what my nutrition demons were and while I still don't have them all banished, at least I've identified the problems and put strategies into place to deal with them.  The last year has been spent looking inward; if I were to do this again, I would spend the year looking outward.  I would take full advantage of the community -- something I didn't do -- and participate fully, engaging with both my coach and with other members.

Would I recommend this program to someone else?  Probably, but with disclaimers.  If all you are looking for is a diet and workouts to follow, then it's not worth the money.  On the other hand, if your relationship with food or healthy living needs to be evaluated and put under a spotlight, this is a great program.  Coaches are really good at working through all sorts of issues and helping you figure out the "why"'s of eating and training habits.

And so with that, dear readers, I wrap up my Lean Eating year.  It's certainly been a learning experience for me, chock full of all sorts of good revelations about myself.  Hope you've enjoyed coming along for the ride!

Surprised?

Well. 

This is like a Weeks 41,42,43,44,45... review, isn't it?

So sorry, no excuse other than not feeling like sitting at my computer much these days. And now I'm left with a lot of ground to cover -- because you wouldn't want to miss out on all the details, now, would you?

• Perhaps I should to be surprised by this, but I'm not -- measurements, while seesawing over the past weeks, have essentially settled back to where I was however many weeks it's been since I last blogged. The upside is that I'm not any worse off, but the downside... well, that's apparent, isn't it.
• I've started and finished the Whole Life Challenge, which included a whole bunch of restricting myself from eating food that I wanted to stuff down my gullet. Of course, it also included pushing me into eating healthy stuff instead, working out regularly and doing good-for-me things like stretching and taking a supplement.  I found that while I can cut down on all my sugar, I haven't been convinced that there's a good reason to do so (within reason, of course).  And I like eating grains.  And some raw vegetables are my mortal enemy.  In summary: sugar = good and vegetables = bad. Math doesn't lie, right?
• While measurements may not have moved much, the baseline workouts that I did for the WLC showed that I gained fitness, if nothing else.  My initial baseline mile run 8 weeks ago came in at a 9:20m/m pace, but this morning I was a veritable speed demon out there with a pace of 8:34m/m. I was hoping for a full minute of improvement, but I'll take this. And with everything I've been doing, frankly, fitness is the most important measure to me.  If I can do everything I want to do while 30 pounds overweight, then I'll still be quite happy.
• Lean Eating is still going on, but winding up.  The finalists for the $25,000 have been picked (spoiler: I'm not one of them) and we've got just a few weeks left before being sprung free from the monthly payments, weekly emails and daily lessons. I'll definitely have some final thoughts to share on what my opinion was of the entire program.
• The WLC nutritional component kind of fell apart for me the last few weeks of the challenge. Through the first 5 weeks I rarely lost a point, but during the last 3, I was lucky to get 3 of 5, especially since I started back up my love affair with Diet Pepsi (oh, how I missed it!).
• My mountain biking weekend has come and gone and I had a BLAST. And was unceremoniously reminded that all this sort of stuff is much more fun when I'm in good enough shape to really enjoy it.  That said, I loved all the biking (and didn't break any bones!) and the hanging out with the other ladies in our gorgeous cabin was totes awesome.
• And next up on the list is my week-long Canadian Rockies hiking trip.  Can't wait! Of course, I've got a lot of work to do in the next 5 weeks to do as much as possible to prepare myself for it. I don't want to be the doofus holding the rest of the group back, that's for sure.

So, that's the quick overview of what I've been up to. Definitely more later since I'm planning on writing a wrap-up of both the Whole Life Challenge and Lean Eating.

Sunday Funday: Week 40 Review

This will be my last week of nutritional freedom; starting this coming Saturday is the beginning of the Whole Life Challenge.  No sugar, no processed food, no grains, no dairy -- none of my go-to emotional eating foods.  What's a girl supposed to do?

Seriously, though, I'm looking forward to this challenge.  While it doesn't exactly follow the Lean Eating tenets -- meaning, some food is completely off-limits, which isn't the focus in LE -- it is everything I'm supposed to be eating.  And since I've been indulging way too much in sugary treats, keeping them completely off the menu will be good for me.  I've said it before, I do much better with abstinence than moderation.

And some of my most favorite people are doing it with me!  Honestly, that's probably the best part, the part I'm most excited about.  I absolutely LOVE group activities like this! For as much of an introvert that I am, I like shared experiences and encouragement.  Add in a bit of game play -- there are points to earn every day for nutrition, exercise, etc -- and that's the perfect vehicle to deliver me back to good health.

Anyone interested in joining?  Let me know and I'll tell you what team to join!  The more the merrier ... or, as I like to say, misery loves company.  

Onto what you're all here for ... 

Measurements
Everything is up.  Some might call this "strategy" since it'll make my WLC starting stats artificially higher, so I'll go with that.  Seriously, though, I need to stop eating so much crap.

Workouts
Kind of hit or miss this week for no real good reason.  That said, I did get out and run a few times, which is a nice switch.  Next week I have a 5 mile race (wait, let me put air quotes around that ... "race"... in my current state of fitness, there will be nothing fast about this), so that'll kick start my season.

Habits
This week's new habit was to fashion a personal mission statement.  This was an interesting exercise, and I spent a lot of time thinking about it.  At it's essence, this isn't difficult:  I want to live my life in such a way that I can go do anything and everything without having to worry about fitness limiting me.  I love being active and right now I'm too out of shape to really enjoy it.  So, I used that as a starting point and finally ended up with a few paragraphs that define how I want to live my life.

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
Weeks 36-37: Fitness media fast
Weeks 38-39: 20 minutes of de-stressing every day

Week 40:  Write a personal fitness mission statement

Sunday Funday: Week 39 Review

Ah, yes.  Another long absence on my part.  Sorry about that.  Last weekend turned into a work cluster, with a 20-hour day in the middle of it, and it took me almost a full week to recover from it (okay, not really, but it felt like it).

While nutrition-wise it wasn't the worst week, it took me the majority of the time to get my butt back to working out.  And with the all-nighter on Saturday, I missed -- BY ONE WORKOUT -- completing my 4-week challenge to get my dual monitors.  *sigh*  Back to the beginning...

Anyway - Happy Easter, everyone. This will be short since I have to wrangle up the dogs and get over to the Easter celebration at my parents' house.

Measurements
All slightly higher.  Disappointing, to say the least.  This needs to change.

Workouts
Better towards the end of the week, capping off with a 4-mile run-type thing this morning.  Next week, totally back on track, promise.

Habits
The new habit is 20 minutes of de-stressing per day.  While meditation is what they're going for, any time spent without distraction counts.  Basically, just sitting and not having TV, music, books, computer, people, etc around to pull your focus away from just being.  I've been trying to make a conscious effort to do this, and I like it.  Nothing life-altering, but there is a sense of calm to achieve when you stop everything.

Intermittent Fasting
Only did this on 2 days, though I was better about not eating at night after dinner. When it doesn't happen for me, it's almost always that I don't wait long enough to have breakfast.

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
Weeks 36-37: Fitness media fast

Weeks 38-39: 20 minutes of de-stressing every day

Sunday Funday: Week 37 Review

This weekend has been a wonderful vacation from the cruddy weather that we've been having for oh-so-long now.  It hasn't been particularly warm -- perhaps mid 50's -- but sunny and nice enough to be outside without wanting to shake my fist and curse at Mother Nature for being so cruel.  So, there's that.

And doggie drama-wise it's been a quiet week (I didn't this was possible anymore)... Clarke is limping around less, and the two dogs haven't been sniping at each other much at all, either.  Of course, Clarke feeling better is both a good and bad thing -- he's much more likely to go running or want to play, which is still strictly verboten.

As far as I go, things are moving along.  It was another LE milestone weekend -- measurements, photos and caliper body fat testing.  Oh, joy.  Coming up to the end of the year, which is entirely too weird to even think about -- the next big measurement weekend will be the last one, I think.

And on another front, I've signed up to be on a team for the Whole Life Challenge -- I vacillate between thinking this is going to be the best thing ever and wondering what the hell I was thinking. There'll be another blog post in the near future about this -- I think the 8 weeks I'll spend doing this is going to have a big impact on me.

Measurements
Again, about the same as last week, though the week was one of going up and then coming down in time for the weekend. I've been doing fairly well with trying to keep things in line, so I was a little surprised not to see the numbers move downward.  So - weight and measurements are approximately the same.  The body fat measurement, unfortunately, went up from last time, back to what it was in October -- with the weeks of studying, walking boot and complete lack of control, this was not unexpected. More work to be done, that's all.

Workouts
Another week of 100% completion! Feeling good about it all, I have to say. This is week 3 in the books towards getting my dual monitors! And I'm really looking forward to the day when it's nice enough to run outside without having to think about how many layers of clothing I'll need to wear.  

Habits
This completes the second week of the fitness media fast. Like I've said, I haven't been paying too much attention to this, so I'll be looking forward to a new habit tomorrow.

Intermittent Fasting
This remains the best weapon in my arsenal, I just need to do it more consistently.

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
Weeks 36-37: Fitness media fast

Sticker mania

Just in case you were wondering about the status of my 4-week, can't-miss-a-workout challenge to myself, it's going great, thanks.  So far I'm two weeks in and still on track to meet my goal and gift myself dual computer monitors. I'm even being smart about planning workouts around days when I know I'll be too lazy to fit something in.  Impressive, I know.

Now here's my confession:  I've started using a motivational tool that I'm a little embarrassed about...

And yes, that's me there on the 3rd.  My birthday.  This calendar is my sister's creation and she
was nice enough to note my age (even though she didn't do that FOR ANYONE ELSE IN THE
ENTIRE CALENDAR). Still, isn't it pretty?  And luckily on the 3rd I was still in a walking
boot so I didn't have to put a sticker over my face.  Though that'd be kind of funny...

Yup, stickers.  I feel a little like I'm back in 3rd grade when stickers were THE COOLEST THING EVER and if I wasn't spending my money on candy, I was spending it on stickers.  I even kept them all in an album for safekeeping and easy perusal (yes, I was/is a geek).

So, yea, each day that I complete a workout, I get to put a sticker on that day.  Note that Sundays are typically days off for me, so the empty 23rd and 30th are totally legit, just so's ya know.  And this really does motivate me!  I love seeing the pretty colors and it's a little pressure to get the workout in so I don't have a lonely, blank day (that screams "FAILURE!!" and "YOU SUCK!") in the middle of my week.

I'm telling you -- it works.  Give it a try!  Just make sure you get cool stickers.

Sunday Funday: Week 36 Review

Well, it's been kind of a mixed bag sort of week.  On the upside, I was relatively good with eating better and working out.  On the downside, my dog Clarke is starting to fall apart, it seems.

LOOK AT THAT FACE! He's lucky he's so damn cute

So, let's talk about my dog (it's my blog, I can do whatever I want...).  He had been limping around lately, and we were kind of hoping that by keeping him less active that it'd just start getting better all on it's own.  Well, that didn't happen (of course) and so, Clarke had yet another vet appointment where my fear was realized:  he has a torn ACL.

(yes, Clarke is just an incredibly cute walking vet bill)

The vet is hopeful that we can rehabilitate him without surgery -- which sounds awesome to me, since that procedure runs into the thousands of dollars -- but we have to keep him from completely blowing it up, which is not as easy as it sounds.  Despite the fact that he's limping around, all you have to do is hint at a treat or ring the doorbell or be a squirrel and off he goes, leg be damned.

Anyway, time for the weekly recap:

Measurements
About the same.  Everything is being kind of stubborn at the moment, but I keep telling myself to focus simply on what I have control over -- and that would NOT be my weight or measurements. The results will come.

Workouts
WOOT!  Not only hit all of my workouts, but didn't end the week trying to play catch-up. I did a good job at looking at my schedule and figuring everything out beforehand. Feels good to have gotten everything in.

Habits
This week started a new habit -- fitness media fast.  To be honest, I haven't been following this to the letter, though I have been making an effort to avoid my normal fitness stopping places on the interwebz.

Intermittent Fasting
This week I did this only 3 days, but even that helped.  Need to get this going throughout the workweek, for sure.

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

Week 26:  Fitness media fast

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