I went home to Los Angeles over Labor Day weekend. It was an extended trip, Thursday to Monday, and Karen and Woody flew in from New York. It was Woody's first time meeting our family, and he arranged a ping pong tournament (complete with tee-shirts and a trophy) at our parents' house for the occassion.
I knew that going home might bust my more fit, less fat plan. There's something about LA that sucks the energy out of me. Maybe it's the heat or the fact that my parents have taken to pampering us now that we no longer live in their house, and all I want to do when I'm home in LA is sleep and eat--a bad combination for trying to get more healthy. And, there's always food at my parents' house. Tons of it and my mom makes sure that we eat it.
On this visit, I also knew not to pack my running shoes. When I went back for July 4th, I had optimistically lugged my shoes with me, hoping that I would be able to work in my workout routine during my stay. But, of course, I didn't. So, rather than pack shoes knowing that I wouldn't use them, I decided to leave the shoes in San Francisco. I wouldn't run. I wouldn't exercise. I would let myself eat and sleep and enjoy a little rest.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
All You Can Eat Meat
Going to a meat buffet is not a good way to get more fit and less fat. But, I went to Little Sheep Hot Pot in San Mateo and stuffed my face anyhow. Last night was Little Sheep's final Tuesday for its all-you-can-eat special in honor of the Olympics, and Jo made reservations for ten of us at 9pm, the only time we could be accommodated.
I was nervous. After months of having dinner at 6pm and eating brown rice with vegetables and lean protein regularly, I didn't know how I would feel after eating as much meat as I could handle so late at night. After several days of being excited for the meat bonanza, I started to feel a little queasy at the mere thought of beef, lamb, and pork squishing around in my stomach only minutes before I would lie down for bed. Would I undo all the good that I've done in one night of a meat splurge?
But, when I got there and saw the bounty that would be put in front of us, my nerves eased and I was excited again. I was fired up and ready to go, and knew that it was a smart move when I put on my big pants earlier that night. And, there were vegetables with all that meat. Napa cabbage, bok choy, pea shoots. Plus, three types of mushrooms, two types of tofu, mussels, shrimp, and noodles. I felt less gross knowing that there were vegetables. So, I ate, ate some more, sweated a little, sighed, took a break, just to eat more. There was no moderation. Then, I was done.
I didn't leave feeling too disgusted with myself. I didn't feel too heavy with food. I didn't feel like throwing up. But, as I was walking back to my car, I felt pain gripping the side of my belly.
I was nervous. After months of having dinner at 6pm and eating brown rice with vegetables and lean protein regularly, I didn't know how I would feel after eating as much meat as I could handle so late at night. After several days of being excited for the meat bonanza, I started to feel a little queasy at the mere thought of beef, lamb, and pork squishing around in my stomach only minutes before I would lie down for bed. Would I undo all the good that I've done in one night of a meat splurge?
But, when I got there and saw the bounty that would be put in front of us, my nerves eased and I was excited again. I was fired up and ready to go, and knew that it was a smart move when I put on my big pants earlier that night. And, there were vegetables with all that meat. Napa cabbage, bok choy, pea shoots. Plus, three types of mushrooms, two types of tofu, mussels, shrimp, and noodles. I felt less gross knowing that there were vegetables. So, I ate, ate some more, sweated a little, sighed, took a break, just to eat more. There was no moderation. Then, I was done.
I didn't leave feeling too disgusted with myself. I didn't feel too heavy with food. I didn't feel like throwing up. But, as I was walking back to my car, I felt pain gripping the side of my belly.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Pigmentation
The music teacher stopped by my office yesterday to ask if I really did walk by him as he was playing jazz with his band at the Fillmore farmers' market several weeks ago. I said, yes, that was probably me but I wasn't sure it was him so I didn't say hi. He looked offended in a mocking way, and I promised to stop and listen the next time he was out there.
As he was leaving, he also told me I looked different.
-I got new glasses, I said.
-Nope, not that, he said.
-New hair cut?
-Nah. It's your pigmentation. I want to know what you did over the summer.
-Hm...nothing really.
Did he mean I looked more tan? I had a healthy glow about me? Pigmentation?
As he was leaving, he also told me I looked different.
-I got new glasses, I said.
-Nope, not that, he said.
-New hair cut?
-Nah. It's your pigmentation. I want to know what you did over the summer.
-Hm...nothing really.
Did he mean I looked more tan? I had a healthy glow about me? Pigmentation?
Monday, August 25, 2008
Injured
I had been feeling really good about my fitness plan, had been sticking with it for weeks, and had been seeing improvement in my ability to run (I had been able to run for longer and longer distances, and hadn't felt like throwing up or wheezing). And, of course, it was too good to last.
I injured myself about two weeks ago at my friend Erin's wedding. There was a step that I didn't see, so I fell and hurt my ankle, though I didn't notice it until the next day when I couldn't move my ankle and my legs were covered with dark bruises. I took a day off work because it hurt too much to walk and was wobbly for days.
Last week, I tried to go jogging again for the first time since I fell. The first day was okay, though I felt a little wheezy. The second and third days hurt. After about a block of running, I started to feel pain in my left ankle. I had to stop running and walked the rest of my 4-mile route both days. I felt like such a wimp but knew that putting more strain on my ankle wouldn't help.
My ankle isn't looking all that swollen or bruised any more, but it does hurt when I press on it. I just want to get up and running again, as with every day that passes without me going for my morning routine the more difficult it will be for me to get back in to the routine. But, tomorrow is a new day and I'll set the alarm to wake up early to go workout, even if that means walking, rather than running, four miles.
I injured myself about two weeks ago at my friend Erin's wedding. There was a step that I didn't see, so I fell and hurt my ankle, though I didn't notice it until the next day when I couldn't move my ankle and my legs were covered with dark bruises. I took a day off work because it hurt too much to walk and was wobbly for days.
Last week, I tried to go jogging again for the first time since I fell. The first day was okay, though I felt a little wheezy. The second and third days hurt. After about a block of running, I started to feel pain in my left ankle. I had to stop running and walked the rest of my 4-mile route both days. I felt like such a wimp but knew that putting more strain on my ankle wouldn't help.
My ankle isn't looking all that swollen or bruised any more, but it does hurt when I press on it. I just want to get up and running again, as with every day that passes without me going for my morning routine the more difficult it will be for me to get back in to the routine. But, tomorrow is a new day and I'll set the alarm to wake up early to go workout, even if that means walking, rather than running, four miles.
Changes
Even though I haven't been noticing a difference in my bodily fitness, others have. I returned to the school last week to set up my office. One of the first things one of the other counselors told me was that I looked fit (and I hadn't even told her about my More Fit, Less Fat plan). She said that my face looked more chiseled, my neck looked extra long, and I my arms looked more toned. She wondered if it was the clothes I was wearing, but I was just wearing a t-shirt and cropped pants (clothes she has seen me in before and nothing that would hide bulging body parts). A little later, the ROTC coach wondered what happened to me and if I had been slimming down.
I hadn't been noticing much of a difference. I still can't fit into my skinny jeans. I still can grab all the lower belly jiggly-ness. I still see a wall of thigh. But, apparently, others are noticing something happen.
Or, perhaps they've forgotten what I look like after three months of summer vacation.
I hadn't been noticing much of a difference. I still can't fit into my skinny jeans. I still can grab all the lower belly jiggly-ness. I still see a wall of thigh. But, apparently, others are noticing something happen.
Or, perhaps they've forgotten what I look like after three months of summer vacation.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Marathon Buddies
I don't know how it happened, but I was able to convince Winnie and Billy that they wanted to run San Francisco's Half Marathon with me next August! As much as I am excited to have running buddies and new encouragement to work toward my fitness goals, I'm nervous that I won't be able to keep up with them. For all the time that I've known her, Winnie has gone to the gym regularly. And, Billy ran Bay to Breakers not too long ago. The only time I've stepped into a gym was to pick up a form and I can barely run three blocks.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Good Week and New Goals
I had a good week of being more fit this week. And I am so proud of myself! For once, I didn’t feel guilty about this more fit, less fat plan, and how I am not sticking to it as I feel like I should. After a hiatus to go to Lake Tahoe and LA, I returned to San Francisco this week with renewed vigor.
Tuesday through Friday, I woke up at 6am, went for a jog/walk for 30 minutes, and spent about another 30 stretching and doing strength building work in the living room. Since it’s Tour de France season, I’ve been doing my living room exercises with the television on to the Versus network with the volume turned down so that Scott doesn’t hear and watch the cyclists wind their way down French roads. I have also been sweating more than I can remember ever having sweated before. My shirt at my armpits is soaked and sweat has been literally dripping from my face (I’ve been pulling my shirt up from the bottom and using the sleeves to wipe the sweat off my face). It’s more than a little gross but I’m taking the actual sweating to be a good sign.
Saturday was a real accomplishment. I don’t exercise on weekends, thinking that it’s the weekend and, therefore, my time to relax and sleep in. But, this Saturday, I woke up at 6:30am (the extra thirty minutes were my weekend treat to myself) and took a different jogging route. I’ve been going from my house to Japantown and back, which is mostly flat and about a three mile loop. And, since I walk most of morning routing, I wanted to lengthen my outing and make it a little more challenging. So, Saturday, I tested out a new route: from my house, along the Panhandle, to the edge of Golden Gate Park, and back. It’s a little longer, at about four miles, and there are two sets of steep hills, one at the beginning and another at the end.
The hill at the beginning was a good warm-up as quickly walked it, and the one at the end was a test of my stamina (I had been nervous about this last set of steeper hills, wondering if I would catch a cab from the bottom of it back to my house if I was that exhausted that I couldn’t climb it). I noticed that it was windier and cooler heading west on this new route than when I headed north on my other Japantown route. But, it wasn’t the hills nor the wind that bothered me the most about this route; it was the other joggers.
When I started my jog there was hardly anyone in the park, which was nice. By a little after 7am though, tons of joggers were out and I grew to be embarrassed that I was walking as they were all whizzing by in their short shorts. I know I need to get over the self-consciousness but when I’m being lapped by someone three times my age, it’s a little embarrassing.
But, I am going to stick with it, even if it means that I’ll be jogging even earlier to avoid the hordes of the real runners because I have new running goals. I’m going to run Bay to Breakers (a 7-mile run from the San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean) next May and, feeling ambitious, will run the San Francisco Half-Marathon next August. So, I have ten months to go from being able to run 0.25 miles to 7 miles. We’ll see what happens!
Tuesday through Friday, I woke up at 6am, went for a jog/walk for 30 minutes, and spent about another 30 stretching and doing strength building work in the living room. Since it’s Tour de France season, I’ve been doing my living room exercises with the television on to the Versus network with the volume turned down so that Scott doesn’t hear and watch the cyclists wind their way down French roads. I have also been sweating more than I can remember ever having sweated before. My shirt at my armpits is soaked and sweat has been literally dripping from my face (I’ve been pulling my shirt up from the bottom and using the sleeves to wipe the sweat off my face). It’s more than a little gross but I’m taking the actual sweating to be a good sign.
Saturday was a real accomplishment. I don’t exercise on weekends, thinking that it’s the weekend and, therefore, my time to relax and sleep in. But, this Saturday, I woke up at 6:30am (the extra thirty minutes were my weekend treat to myself) and took a different jogging route. I’ve been going from my house to Japantown and back, which is mostly flat and about a three mile loop. And, since I walk most of morning routing, I wanted to lengthen my outing and make it a little more challenging. So, Saturday, I tested out a new route: from my house, along the Panhandle, to the edge of Golden Gate Park, and back. It’s a little longer, at about four miles, and there are two sets of steep hills, one at the beginning and another at the end.
The hill at the beginning was a good warm-up as quickly walked it, and the one at the end was a test of my stamina (I had been nervous about this last set of steeper hills, wondering if I would catch a cab from the bottom of it back to my house if I was that exhausted that I couldn’t climb it). I noticed that it was windier and cooler heading west on this new route than when I headed north on my other Japantown route. But, it wasn’t the hills nor the wind that bothered me the most about this route; it was the other joggers.
When I started my jog there was hardly anyone in the park, which was nice. By a little after 7am though, tons of joggers were out and I grew to be embarrassed that I was walking as they were all whizzing by in their short shorts. I know I need to get over the self-consciousness but when I’m being lapped by someone three times my age, it’s a little embarrassing.
But, I am going to stick with it, even if it means that I’ll be jogging even earlier to avoid the hordes of the real runners because I have new running goals. I’m going to run Bay to Breakers (a 7-mile run from the San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean) next May and, feeling ambitious, will run the San Francisco Half-Marathon next August. So, I have ten months to go from being able to run 0.25 miles to 7 miles. We’ll see what happens!
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