<p>Well, the current storm system has resulted in a postponement of Halloween till Sunday night - first time I remember them moving it.<br>
Questions:
<p>I just had a Progresso Light Chicken corn chowder soup for lunch. Added some extra rotisserie chicken. Loved it! Comforting and filling for a quick low cal lunch on the run.</p>
<p>Soup sounds good. Lentil it will be, after I take care of feeding the little felioness here at my side.</p>
<p>2.3 miles on the crazy run-around-the-track inside. </p>
<p>I had three goals set on RunKeeper for October.
<p>Accomplished 1 and 2 - short on 3 by just a couple miles - which I’m totally fine with - the walking was just the icing on the cake (or, should I say, to help with the icing on the cake I DID eat!!!) :)</p>
<p>Now to set goals for November…slightly thinking about downloading the 5 to 10K app…</p>
<p>Your trip sounds great Idad. Had soul food once in Atlanta–H and I went to MLK birthplace and there was a soul food restaurant in the neighborhood. Same as you describe–hole in the wall place, wonderful food, and cheap!</p>
<p>Declaring today a rest day–Got home from the Red Sox game at 2 am. Wonderful outcome and an an amazing game. From the beginning everyone was standing up and screaming. Don’t know if you could hear the noise on tv, but everything was extra loud last night. </p>
<p>Pitchers who walked Ortiz (Series MVP) got loud boos! Lackey (pitcher)got a standing ovation and huge cheers (he has disappointed fans in the past but came back strong.) It was a really fun atmosphere throughout the game and afterward. Leaving the park, I noticed a huge police presence–no cars on streets around Fenway and cops kept everyone on sidewalk. I also noticed lots of security in the park --big guys in black over coats with earphones and taking into watch thingies everywhere!</p>
<p>Great night to be in Boston–unless you were a Cardinal’s fan. I noticed a group of Cardinal’s fans in our area left early.</p>
<p>Home workout. Rotated in side plank w/row, bigger db for the SLDL, windmill, side lunge w/db, single leg circle, bigger db for 3 pt row, and suitcase carry.</p>
<p>abasket, I love your monthly goals - you are inspiring me.</p>
<p>I like both the goals and the probing questions. :D</p>
<p>Total miles run Jan-Oct ~475. Original goal for Jan-Dec was 350.</p>
<p>I have really learned a lot as we have started this journey (my wife and I), trying to get into shape (and yeah, it is a lot easier when it is the two of us, where we arent’ always on the run). I really have started to learn about nutrition and how much confusion there is, how much marketing hype over reality and so forth, and in a sense, where the balance lies I think. </p>
<p>Right now we are pretty much have removed sugar and grains from our diet (other than fruit), and one thing I can tell you is without them, my blood sugar has leveled out. When I get hungry, it takes a lot less to fill up, and I don’t have that big surge of hunger any more after meals. I have dropped about 20 pounds with it, and don’t feel deprived, as much as I love bread and pasta and rice. I need to ramp up my exercise, I stopped because of an injury to my hand (lost a fight with a utility knife, it is a sore winner!) and I have to be careful, because I don’t want my body to go into shutdown mode. </p>
<p>What is weird is I work in the city, and with all the temptations, I find by the time I come home to dinner how much less I have eaten. I do the egg white and vegetable at breakfast thing, lunch is usually a small green salad with a whey protein shake (Taras Whey dark chocolate is amazing), or a larger salad with lean protein and veggies, and I find between the two it is roughly 600 calories or so (not really counting per se), then with dinner and snacks I am running around 1200 or so…not doing it deliberately, it is how it plays out (my wife yells at me not to starve myself, but I don’t feel I am). </p>
<p>What I am really learning is how to judge what I am eating in a total framework. I found a website I like, called precision nutrition (it is called [Precision</a> Nutrition](<a href=“http://www.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■%5DPrecision”>http://www.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■)), it is a firm that provides nutrition coaching and such, but they have a ton of free information on the site, and what makes it great for me is it is simple, down to earth, and the guy running it seems to have done the work and tells you why and how things work. For example, they teach about the balance between carbs and protein and fats and it isn’t complicated. None of it is rocket science, lot of this is known, but it really comes down to some basics:</p>
<p>-Reduce the amount of carbs from sugar and grain in your diet, for short term fat loss as much as possible, going down the road, replace them with veggies and such as much as possible, while not denying yourself (I know, duh).</p>
<p>-If you are exercising, do both strength and aerobic exercise. On days when you are doing strength training, you can eat more starchy carbs (fruit, grains), on days when you are either resting or doing aerobics, try to keep those as low as possible. </p>
<p>-Calorie counting is doomed to failure because it isn’t a lifestyle change, rather, learn how to estimate what you are eating, keep the carbs and such in proportion. They offer simple ways even when eating out on how to figure what to eat. </p>
<p>-And starving yourself doesn’t work (i know, big revelation).</p>
<p>More to the point, all those claims about cyclic eating, about 6 meals or three meals, the ‘miracle foods’, when you boil it down, comes down to basic principles. Some people do well with 6 small meals, others do well with 3, it is about you. If it takes 6 oz of lean protein to be full, your body is telling you that is what you need. </p>
<p>I am probably not saying this as well as they do, but there is so much hype out there, I think Amazon has like 50,000 books on diet and such, same with exercise. </p>
<p>The real transition is when we move from getting our bodies back into shape and into true lifestyle. Nice part is, if you spend most of your time focusing on eating healthily, then if you have soul food or a burger or pizza, it is okay, because it isn’t a habit. </p>
<p>Part of the problem has been the zealots out there, the ones who tell you carbs are bad at all (and promote eating bacon and eggs and heavy cream and such), there are the cholesterol heavies who tell you any kind of thing with cholesterol in it is going to kill your heart (when the link between dietary cholesterol and the heart is complicated, like the homocisteine factor that allows plaque to form), then you have the low fat gurus, who tell you eat fat free and you will be in heaven, then end up pushing you to products full of sugar and such that make the ‘low fat’ products palatable…anyone remember Snackwell cookies, low fat muffins? You get the idea;). The website I mentioned,maybe because they are Canadian <em>smile</em>, come off low key and sensible to me, and it is simple enough even I can figure it out:). </p>
<p>I’ll check in from time to time, have a long way to go, and if I came off like I really know what I am talking about, well, you can have a laugh on me:)</p>
<p>Did a couple of miles on the dreadmill after work since the wind gusts were up to 45mph and branches were blowing down. Wasn’t cold, and the rain was light, but I wasn’t going to chance it with the winds. I almost blew away just walking into the gym! I didn’t hate the dreadmill as much tonight, but am certainly not ready to do 18 miles or whatever like Bunsen has done! My October mileage was my lowest in a couple of years, but that’s no surprise with the stress and travel. 146.9. Didn’t help to taper for a marathon and then not run it! :)</p>
<p>I had an unexpected run this evening. I was trying to return some movies to Blockbuster (I know, who actually rents movies anymore?) and get home before the trick or treaters came at 6. For some reason (weather?) the traffic just wasn’t moving AT ALL. So I thought I’d just park the car about a half mile from the store and walk the rest of the way. It started raining so I ran/walked the whole way. I was beating traffic for a while, then it started to move and I <em>almost</em> wished I had stayed with the car. </p>
<p>But then I wouldn’t have had a quickie workout! :)</p>
<p>Candy support group update:</p>
<p>Trick or treat is officially over. I gave out a ton of candy, but – alas – not all of it. The temptation was overwhelming as I was opening the bags and dumping them in the bowl but I made coffee and cooked dinner instead. So as of now, the score is still: </p>
<p>1 Ol (formerly) fat guy
0 Candy</p>
<p>I’ll have my “one piece a day” later. See if I can nibble a Reeces for ten minutes and make it last.</p>
<hr>
<p>Here’s the soul food place and ribs like I had:</p>
<p><a href=“http://socialstudiesdc.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/oohs-and-aahs-528.jpeg[/url]”>http://socialstudiesdc.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/oohs-and-aahs-528.jpeg</a>
<a href=“http://dcexpat.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/photo-1-1024x764.jpg[/url]”>http://dcexpat.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/photo-1-1024x764.jpg</a>
<a href=“http://s3-media3.ak.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/z_jOA_RsG_wHkYKsyCYe_g/l.jpg[/url]”>http://s3-media3.ak.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/z_jOA_RsG_wHkYKsyCYe_g/l.jpg</a></p>
<p>Oh, and Food Network seemed to like it, too:</p>
<p>[Diners</a> Drive Ins and Dives S10E05 Wings Dogs and Claws TVRip) - YouTube](<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube)</p>
<p>I hope you retrieve your car at some point!!</p>
<p>A 147 mile low…has anyone said how amazing that is?!</p>
<p>Deborah, sounds like you’ll need to up your numbers for 2014!!!</p>
<p>Omg, I’ve never seen a styrofoam container so full - I want to try the bbque!!!</p>
Abasket, I was thinking along the same lines as you – that MOWC’s low month is a “mere” <strong>3x</strong> what I run instead of her regular <strong>4x</strong>!
<p>iDad, it’s not dark yet so the trick-or-treaters haven’t started ringing the bell. I bought stuff we like so they better arrive soon. My husband got home a few minutes ago and said the cars have already started parking. Shouldn’t be long now. Yes, there are families that come specially to our neighborhood just to trick-or-treat!</p>
<p>I was feeling really good about my all time high month of 109.7 miles until now!</p>
<p>One of my friends who is not an exceptional runner and who lost weight and gained fitness about 5 years ago ran 100 miles in an ultra race last weekend. It took her 25 hours. She really didn’t think she could do it. Her first goal was 45, then 60, then 75. It went on some dark scary trails through woods, too. She is so excited and we are all really proud of her. </p>
<p>She’s very normal, otherwise!</p>
<p>Wow. A 100 miles - in dark scary woods! Yikes, she is amazing.</p>
<p>Kudos to all candy non-eaters! Mr B and I celebrated Halloween by eating a couple of miniature Hershey special dark chocolate pieces. :)</p>
<p>My running mileage has been abysmal in October. 
That said, there is always November!</p>
<p>Here is a link I wanted to share with you all:</p>
<p>[The</a> Best Ab Exercise Ever | ThePostGame](<a href=“http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/training-day/201310/best-ab-exercise-ever]The”>http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/training-day/201310/best-ab-exercise-ever)</p>
<p>Makes sense, and is not that hard!</p>
![http://socialstudiesdc.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/oohs-and-aahs-528.jpeg[/url]](http://socialstudiesdc.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/oohs-and-aahs-528.jpeg%5B/url%5D){kind=link}
![http://dcexpat.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/photo-1-1024x764.jpg[/url]](http://dcexpat.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/photo-1-1024x764.jpg%5B/url%5D){kind=link}
![http://s3-media3.ak.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/z_jOA_RsG_wHkYKsyCYe_g/l.jpg[/url]](http://s3-media3.ak.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/z_jOA_RsG_wHkYKsyCYe_g/l.jpg%5B/url%5D){kind=link}
