I am maintaining the blog. And then this is it for me, because it's starting to get lonely around here without you guys making yourselves heard. Just posted a status update on my own blog. See here, if interested:
exercising while pregnant: 23 weeks
So okay. A little update on the food/weight loss issue. I thought it would be good to let you know that (according to the American Council on Exercise) we actually need to exercise at moderate intensity for about 420 minutes a week (that's 7 hours a week of moderately intense exercise - or equivalent to a brisk walk) in order to maintain a healthy body weight. However, running can be considered higher intensity, so it might be safe to say that 3 1/2 hours of high intensity exercise (such as jogging/running) each week will maintain a healthy body weight. But how we feed our bodies constitutes the majority of what happens to our bodies. To me, "diet" is a four-letter word. Starving ourselves only puts our bodies into "famine mode" and being the good Mormons that we are, we (ahem) "store up." It's the natural consequence. (See? Even nature believes in emergency preparedness.)
But now I hate meal plans. I don't stick to them, and food needs to be convenient. But the best advice I ever heard from a nutritionist friend was: "Eat 7 to 8 servings of veggies and fruits each day and drink at least two glasses of water first thing in the morning." I try to always keep apples and bananas on my kitchen counter and I prepare a green salad (with romaine lettuce and whatever other vegetables I might have lying around - broccoli, cucumbers, zucchini, carrots, mushrooms, etc.) at the beginning of the week and put it in a large ziploc bag to be eaten throughout the week. Plus, Bruce always likes to eat a salad with his meal every night. Whether we had salmon or chicken the night before or I feel like making some hard-boiled eggs, then I can easily throw a few ounces over the salad with balsamic vinaigrette and there's lunch.
Of course, last week I had apple pie for lunch two days in a row and nothing else. But you know what? I felt really good about it, and in the end, that's all that matters. Moderation in all things, I say.
p.s. Less than six weeks until we rendezvous on a trail in Provo in sports bras and running shoes. Can. not. wait. Those of you leaving this week? I already miss you.
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Great info on weight loss/exercise! I love your idea about making a salad at the beginning of the week and grazing on it all week. Tell Bruce that my comment Sunday was meant to be ironic--he was saying that he was trying to lose wight and I made a comment about how he looked like he needed to lose a few pounds. I think he took me seriously--actually he looks lean and super-healthy, and I hope he caught my irony...(-:
ReplyDeletei can't believe we're less than 6 weeks out! In truth, I'm feeling a little nervous about being able to do this race. Is anyone else feeling that way too? Is that normal in this stage of preparation? Oh well...I'll just keep on training, and hope I'm ready...
haha, jenn. no, he didn't. his thinness is the reigning joke in our families. i envy his metabolism. and i feel nervous, too, about the race... but as i've never done a half-marathon before, i don't know what is normal... :)
ReplyDeleteOk, I wanted to blog but I forgot the password and username. I am just in a want-to-eat-all-the-time place in my life. Running and breastfeeding fuel my already voracious appetite. So I remain where I was when I began: with 15 pounds to loose. Of course, in my journal from when I was 8 years old my goals were to loose 10 pounds and read scriptures everyday. I am still working on those things. How sad. But at least I haven't given up. right?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I love running for long distances. I just found a new running path that I love. Now that I am in shape, I don't want to run for less than an hour. This is something new for me. So at least I have that I suppose. I am still working on Paloma's passport. Ok, I gotta go cause there is oreo ice cream calling my name. (I have no right to complain about my weight.)
And by the way, Suzanne I wish you were here to make me feel good about the eating frenzy that I am in. You always have a way of making me feel like I deserve it.