Tuesday, January 6, 2009

"You are not as fat as you imagine"

While this is true....I still feel pretty fat these days. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I didn't really eat very well and drank a lot more often than I normally do. Well, it was the holidays - and I'm sure it's not as bad as I think it is....I mean, all my clothes still fit - so it can't be that bad right?

I did measure my BMI on our Wii Fit tonight - which is where this "rant" came from. Now granted - I'm in the normal zone - I'm like JUST on the cusp of being overweight. Of course, it doesn't measure how much muscle I have(which I know is quite a bit), and therefore, isn't entirely accurate. I mean, we all know, if you try to measure BMI of super toned people, it says they're overweight because muscle is more compact than fat and yada yada yada....you know the rest. That being said...I'm aware that I'm not a body builder...and yes..I totally want to lose weight...I'm always trying to do that. But for the time being - all I can do is be healthy. I know the weight doesn't come off overnight..but there are things I know I can do to actually lose weight.

That being said - I do have some resolutions for myself this year...and like most people...losing a few pounds is one of them. In no particular order my fitness goals for 2009 are:

1. Get back on a regular lifting schedule - I kind of dropped off on my lifting in the spring last year - mainly because I was focusing so much on my running...and I just wanted to focus on that. Now, however, I am seeing the repercussions of me not lifting and its abysmal:-(

2. Run three to four times a week - which means only two or three days of spinning and one other day for another activity. I think the other activity will either be the stair mill at the gym - or possibly a spin session on my own time.

3. Start taking yoga/pilates. It's available at my gym. I don't know why I don't take advantage of it. I think it'll help with my core and balance and definitely make my back feel better after runs. I'd also like to be more flexible.

4. All the above being said, I'd like to drop one pant size or 10 lbs - whichever comes first. I've been told that dropping 10 lbs would be too much - but I beg to differ. Ha. Of course - since I don't weigh myself - this could be hard to judge - so I guess I'll be going by pant size:-)

5. I'd like to be able to go atleast four days in a row without missing a day of working out. I now know my body needs at least a day of rest every once in a while - despite knowing I get results from working out every day. However, as I get older, it takes my body longer to recover. So hopefully my workout weeks will look like this - run, spin, stairclimb, spin, run, spin, stairclimb, rest....etc.

6. The final fitness goal I'd like to accomplish is to run a marathon this year. I'm hoping to be able to do it for when it comes time to run the Philly Marathon. This year I ran the Half - so I'm hoping to run the full next November. I think it's a reasonable goal and one that I can handle.

Fitness goals aside - I do have eating goals. One of the things I wanted to do was to be all Organic by the time I'm 28. While I think it's possible...it would require a huge change in my spending habits and I don't think I am ready for that right now - so here's what I hope to accomplish this year:

1. Less carbs - more protein. Being that I'm vegetarian, I always struggle to find enough protein. Of course, carbs are my vice. But since I'm a runner, I need to eat more carbs than the average person - I just need to monitor how much I take in on days I'm not running.

2. Drink less alcohol. When I'm training - I usually don't drink that much. Maybe one glass of wine every friday - but that's about it. I am definitely cutting out beer.

3. No sodas or anything that has sodium in them. I recently read a memoir about a woman who lost lots of weight - and it was on a low sodium diet. I do notice how right after I eat things like chinese food or sushi, I am bloated and feel gross. While I'm not about to give up my once a week sushi - I'm definitely going to work on eating food with less sodium in them.

4. Be more prepared when I go on the road - have foods with me ahead of time. So often I go on the road and there isn't anything for me to eat because everything is so fat laden or has too much sodium or I just don't want it. I need to start bringing food with me so I don't have to worry about feeling crappy if I miss a day of working out.



I'm sure I'll have more fitness/health resolutions as the year goes on...but I think I'm going to start keeping track of my workouts too. I think it'll help me and make me not feel so badly on days where I decide to skip. Today for instance. I skipped working out. I'm always so hard on myself about this stuff. I know that I'm a good person despite how much I weigh...but I'd just like my outsides to match my insides...and that means being 10 pounds lighter and one size smaller.

No more people telling me I "wear my weight well". Bleh.

ETA: I am also going to start taking pictures of the foods I eat - this will help me be accountable of the food I put into my body. Obviously since it is now after dinner - I will be starting this tomorrow - but still - I think it's a good way to hold myself accountable for what I put into my tummy. Then I have no one to blame for lack of weightloss but myself.

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