Monthly Archives: May 2011
My Barometer
I find that I have a personal barometer that I measure and alter my emotions by. My weight. I realized it this morning as I shied away from the scale. I haven’t stepped on the scale in the past two weeks due to vacations and poor eating, I didn’t know what to expect.
Now, I’m well aware that the number on the scale should not affect me. It doesn’t own me, I am (or think I am) at all times in power of my body. Yet why the fear this morning? Well, I haven’t worked out as much, I ate more decadent meals, and I lost too much sleep. So what was I to do? I knew I needed a base on where my weight was after two weeks of gluttony, so I sucked it up (and in) and got on that scale.
What did it tell me? Well, somehow I’ve managed to maintain/drop a teensy bit of weight. I don’t know how it happened, but I found myself immediately cheerful. Something about that darn scale gets to me. Every. Damn. Time. I don’t have a pair of skinny jeans, I don’t keep body measurements of my progress, I just base my body on that single number. Somehow seeing that I haven’t deviated off my downward path was able to improve my mood immediately.
I’ve learned to become less upset about small fluctuations upward, but that lower number? Heaven. Maybe I’m learning to eat and live at a balance. Perhaps my body is plateauing again (it sure likes to do that). Whatever it is, I’m glad that I’m managing to maintain a healthier lifestyle. Hopefully my barometer will never exceed that previous tens digit (not sure I’m ready to admit it). And if it ever dare, hopefully I have the strength and determination to weasel my way back down.
What about you? Do you have a personal barometer? Does any physical factor make or break your mood?
And we’re back
After a six hour drive, I finally arrived home safe and sound. Boy was that a long drive to complete by myself, not at all a fan of driving by myself. But yes, it was worth it. I really enjoy spending time with my friend Adeel and his gorgeous cat Leo (he looks mildly evil in the photo below, but I swear he is the sweetest and I’m not a cat person!). We spent a good amount of time relaxing (read: watching awful television and movies), but it was highly entertaining at all times.
On Saturday we ventured into downtown Toronto for the day. Thankfully the weather people were wrong and the rain held off. We explored Canada’s longest street – Yonge (apparently it is pronounced young). There was a cool South Asian music festival set up, which I would have enjoyed more had I not left my purse in a store down the block… This was cause for some frantic running, but I retrieved my purse safe and sound. Thank goodness! We had a really great time downtown and I am now the proud owner of a Toronto sweater from Root’s, I’m sure it will be super comfy on those “cold” San Francisco nights. I may also have some new Godiva chocolates in my possession, but I’m not sure how long those will last.
Sunday we enjoyed a Mennonite buffet brunch, never before have I been so overwhelmed by pie. I kept ogling them, but Adeel was kind enough to remind me about my bikini mantra. If I want to look fabulous for Greece this summer, I’ll have to avoid the pie (but not the Godiva chocolates on my kitchen table, that would be wrong). Afterward I may have contracted a new guilty pleasure, Extreme Couponing and My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding. Wow, TLC really knows how to keep me occupied. Somehow they managed to make couponing seem like a fantastic hobby, sadly I don’t see how stockpiling 62 bottles of mustard is beneficial for my small household. We also watched the first two movies in the Millennium series (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl who Played with Fire). Intense. I was eager to see them since I recently finished the trilogy, I’m afraid it was a bit shocking for Adeel as he didn’t know what to expect. I definitely suggest reading the books, the movies don’t do it justice.
The weekend was truly too short. I had a great time up north and now I’m dreading returning to work this week. I’ll be conducting another week of usability tests, oh joy… Fortunately tomorrow night is wide open, this can only mean one thing, super-hard-workout! I seriously need it after another few days of indulging.
And how was yours? How did you spend your long weekend? Who managed to get a tan?
Turtle Thursday
I woke up today feeling a bit under the weather, my nose has been running all day and my head is debating whether or not to have a headache. Work was quite atrocious, there were times I wanted to shout at my coworker, “I don’t actually care, I won’t be here in two months!” (He isn’t aware that I’m leaving.) But I made it through, and towards the four o’clock hour I had serious thoughts about going for a run.
Since I’m often foolish, I wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to run while getting a head cold. Typically I don’t abide by “healthy medical” practice, I prefer to do things based on my feelings. Which are often wrong… Based on the feedback I received from some fantastic twitter-folk, I decided to go for a slow three miles and constantly reevaluate my physical condition.
These days, Ohio has been kind enough to have the most finicky weather. When I left work it was pouring, but it seemed to lighten up on the way home. By the time I changed and was out the door, it was still determining if it wanted to continue its rain cycle. As I left my apartment I noticed that I started too fast. I had to remind myself that I needed to pace appropriately or I’d be on the ground in a few minutes. Of course that didn’t do much to change my pace, I found that I was feeling decent for most of the way so I didn’t slow myself. When I first began the run, I expected to be going a minute per mile slower than average, just to keep my body happy. Rounding towards home I realized that I was having negative splits. Where was this speed coming from?! Somehow I managed to push myself the entire way without slowing or having my body complain. Mission accomplished, and I’m still shocked that I sped up towards the end without wheezing.
On another note, the Zensah Calf Sleeves I’ve worn for several runs and races, well they are absolutely amazing. I didn’t feel a twinge of discomfort in my calves the entire time. They helped to keep my calves comfortable, which is exactly what I need these days. I hadn’t heard of calf sleeves until recently. After experiencing pain on the outside of my leg while running, I realized I needed a solution. Stretching wasn’t cutting it and changing my stride made me feel like I was waddling… With some research, I realized that calf sleeves were my best bet. Now I can honestly say that they were a lifesaver.
To top off my evening? Well I decided to end today on a high note with a delicious combination of peanut butter, banana, and chocolate. Can you think of anything better? I hope this doesn’t become a habit, that could be delicious detrimental to my health…
Now tell me: What exercise equipment has saved you in the past? And what is your secret nighttime snack craving?
Note: I purchased the Zensah sleeves on my own dime, all praise is solely my unbiased opinion. Of course I wouldn’t mind if Zensah sent me some compression gear to review. (Bright pink is preferable…)
Happy Hump Day
Today is going better already. Last night I realized that I really came out on top, my gorgeous necklace is now fixed so I can wear it again and I now have shiny new earrings. I’m hoping the sparkle will catch attention from the right places (if you know what I mean). In work related news, I’ve completed eight usability tests and handed off the moderation task to my coworker. It was a weight off of my shoulders since I’ll be in charge of ten more tests next week.
On another exciting note, I won a rockin’ prize package from KatDoesDiets of Coach’s Oats goodies. It will be a great surprise to get that in the mail in the coming weeks. Their oatmeal is prepared in a completely new way, different than rolled or steel cut. Can’t wait to try it! They also offer a pancake mix, we’ll see if that is included as well. Check out their oatmeal cookie recipe, looks healthy and scrumptious. And I even won a local raffle, winning several gift certificates to local restaurants and shops. (The pool was probably a lot smaller, but I won’t complain!) How about that Melissa? Looks like we’re both getting lucky this week!
If you want to see the amazing Diane Von Furstenberg dress that I wore to my cousin’s wedding, here is a family shot. And yes ladies, my brother is single. If you come to the Healthy Living Summit in August, I just may be able to set up a meeting. :c)
This afternoon I went to Wednesday speed work with the fast kids. Boy was it rough, another week of heat and humidity. Since we’ve been going short the past few weeks, we switched it up to 300 meter sprints. I had a tough time, completing 6×300 and 2×200 (the 200s were my third and sixth runs). But I did it, I didn’t sit any of them out, and I did my best to push through. There was a lot of panting today, from all the runners, but it was another great workout. I may have even gotten a tan slightly less pale.
How about you: What is making your Wednesday wonderful? Tell me one reason why you will be smiling this evening.
The Running Jewess 