<p>The day of the 5K I told myself basically no dairy for at least five hours before the race. I also made sure any meat I ate was consumed at least four hours in advance. Good thing, too, because that dairy (cottage cheese and a yogurt) for some reason didn’t sit especially well with me. I don’t remember what else I ate that morning. I know there was chicken sausage at some point. Everything was fine by two hours before the race. </p>
<p>Back when my daughter did cross country and track I got to see how eating the wrong thing within an hour or two before a race can really make a runner feel awful. I want to avoid that!</p>
<p>I don’t know how the sports nutritionists would rate my pre-hike routine. A McDonald’s Bacon, Egg, and Cheese biscuit and two large Dunkin Donuts coffees with cream.</p>
<hr>
<p>Just finished my rib eye steak. Local butcher shop. They charge a fortune, but they have awesome steaks. While I had the fire going, I also grilled some chicken breasts. I can always figure out something to do with those…</p>
<p>Yeah, I definitely like protein. 5-6 oz steak max though. I’m the type who will eat a few bites of a sandwich and then just pull off the meat and leave the bread. Bread doesn’t hold much appeal for me unless it’s really good bread.</p>
<p>2 mile run today on a new route. Very enjoyable.</p>
<p>Thank you, interesteddad for the podcast link. I just finished listening to the entire thing, and can you say, “poster child”? The scenarios in the questions were eerily familiar!</p>
<p>I am putting my fingers in my ears on the “reset your goals” part for the moment, and will be taking a closer look at my protein intake and the types of fats I am eating. Also will be building in more rest days.</p>
I thought that you would enjoy that. I’ve got to go back and listen to it again. I’m not always able to give full attention when I’m listening to these things while doing trap bar deadlifts or whatever! I’ve been cranking out podcasts in the car to and from hiking, but with both politics and football seasons underway, I can’t listen to nothing but fitness podcasts!
I forget the details, but I thought the study he talked about where people who exercised less lost more weight was pretty interesting. I obviously have no idea in your case, but I’ve often thought you were a candidate for exercise too hard, eat too little.
I feel really lucky that my body seems to respond as you would expect to eating more or eating less. Guys, in general, have it easier in that regard, I think.
<p>I think the exercise less, lose more is working for me, unintentionally. I’ve lost 3 pounds, which I do not need to lose, since I haven’t been able to run. And I’m only managing to do my weights workout 3 times per week. Of course it could all be due to stress, what with working for the she-devil and all.</p>
<p>2 packs of m&ms peanut for 1.50. Was it the deal? Was it a flashback from 2 years ago? No sponsor to call. Washed them down with a diet dr. pepper so do the zero calories and the medicinal qualities of the DP cancel out the m&ms?</p>
<p>“My story” currently is reflected by the 1 1/2 hour podcast idad linked to. </p>
<p>Apologies to those of you have seen this all before!</p>
<p>Background is that I never exercised as a child or teen. Smoker until I graduated college. Then I quit smoking in my early twenties, discovered exercise and a “healthy diet”. Low carb, lots of whole grains, mostly plant-based fats, some fish, some chicken, rarely beef or pork.
Some time along the way, I also began weighing, measuring and logging my food religiously.</p>
<p>Ramped up the exercise over the years, went from aerobics several times a week to regular, rigorous exercise in various forms: boot camps, personal training, weight lifting with a body builder champion, running 5ks, 10ks, half marathons, full marathon, triathlons, spinning, cycling, swimming, kick boxing, step aerobics, hiit, cross fit etc. etc.</p>
<p>From my early twenties on there has never been a period for more than a few weeks that I haven’t exercised regularly. TMI, I know, but I did high intensity cardio at 42 weeks pregnant (all of mine were VERY overdue) on all 3 pregnancies and was back to exercising a week after delivery all three times, as well.</p>
<p>HOWEVER, despite my best efforts, my weight continued to drift upward. Even when I did my marathon training, where I was increasing my running significantly and I held my calorie intake constant, I did not take off a single pound and shortly after I stopped my marathon training, I gained 5 lbs. That wouldn’t budge and weight remained stable, until another 5 lbs. came on, rinse, repeat.</p>
<p>In all I had about 20-25 lbs. extra on an already not tiny frame. I threw everything I had at it. Strict calorie restriction, extra exercise, cardio, weights, you name it. NOTHING budged. </p>
<p>Until I tried the “paleo” thing to support a family member. Then, I lost about 10 pounds while maintaining muscle mass. It was clear that lowering the “healthy” carbs was key.
I read a lot of idad’s low carb info and the Gary Taubes book really resonated with me. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, I am now stalled as to weight loss, even with the low carb.
My “numbers” are really good and always have been: low BP, high “good” cholesterol, low resting hear rate, nowhere near insulin resistant. Some would say I am borderline on thyroid, which may be playing a role in weight loss resistance.</p>
<p>I am way fitter than I look, and I find that frustrating, so I keep working all the angles.</p>
<p>I think that wolfing down a 14 ounce rib eye steak for dinner would probably qualify as a “food slip”… :)</p>
<p>My grocery store hates me. They have huge wagons of every fantastic carb in the world, on sale, right in the middle of the main aisle along the front of the store. Reese’s p-butter cups, twizzlers, Pringles, Doritos, and on and on and on. There isn’t a time I walk by that something doesn’t catch my eye. If I thought I could have a bag of M&Ms today and not start having them every day, I would. I just know that I’m better off allocating my calories elsewhere.</p>
I don’t buy the whole “adrenal fatique” shtick, but I do think there is some truth to issues and set points surrounding excessive exercise - either volume or intensity. I think Rachel Cosgrove experienced that training for her Ironman, getting flabby while burning astronomical calories day in a day out. Peter Attila experienced the same thing, getting flabby despite doing stuff like swimming from Los Angeles to Catalina Island and back. I’ve never really heard a great explanation of the whys and wherefores, but I do believe it’s an issue.
CJane- that is interesting and I do admire your fitness and discipline! You are awesome.
I dipped into my co-worker’s candy jar yesterday- well, 4 dips! Those “mini” Milky Ways don’t really count, do they? Like iDad said, it’s not like you only do it once…
Hasn’t been a good running week. I’m getting the miles in, but the humidity is really bothering me.
This place where I am working and hoping to gain “real” employee status shortly just announced plans for a new HQ building. I found out it will have a decent exercise room and good locker rooms. We have small, dingy locker rooms now, but no fitness room. I’ve run from here a few times, and have appreciated the locker rooms, which I did NOT have at my last job downtown. I think some sort of fitness facility is pretty much an expectation at major corporations these days. I got spoiled because in Dallas early in my career I worked for the company that was the pioneer of corporate fitness and the facilities were unbelievable.
Thanks, Deborah. My bar dues are due Sept 1 and I have a grace period. I would like to NOT have to pay them myself (company pays if you are an employee…).
I’m the type who will eat a few bites of a sandwich and then just pull off the meat and leave the bread. Bread doesn’t hold much appeal for me unless it’s really good bread.</p>