Upping My Game, and Being Present

First-  I'd like to say that if you are over on Twitter, (and you happen to follow me)  you may see that some of my posts end in a #7daychip  hash tag.  This 7day chip is a support group, on twitter, that encourages it's members to stay present in their food choices, and taking dieting one day at a time.  It's born from Overeater Anonymous, and is a milestone to mark a week without any binge eating-  but considering OA encompasses many- not just binge eaters but emotional eaters, stress eaters, or just heavy people in general who want to root out the reasons behind their food dependencies, the 7 day chip group on Twitter is more of a self-determined week long accountability tool.  I may not be explaining it properly- as technically I am not an OA member, but noticed lots of people I follow on twitter hashtagging 7 day chip.  And when I inquired about it,I thought now THIS is something I need.

So, today was day 7 (never mind it was like attempt # 3 at a week of present eating)  but yay for me for getting my 7day chip
My 7Day Chip Award


In other great news.  Lifetime Fitness hasn't gotten their tish straight yet- and the damn lap pool is still frigid, which is what I'm assuming in the reason for the game-upper.  I actually swam a mile and a half today- and I did it in about 45 minutes.  Insane.  It has to be because the pool was so cold, but I decided to swim in 200m passes today instead of my typical 100m passes  and as I was swimming my 200m passes, I thought "wow, I'm at 1000m already- and its not even 7:00"  So then I thought "okay, if I can do 1000 meters in roughly 20 minutes, I can do 2000 meters in 40 minutes-  and that's exactly what I did!  And then by the time I got out of the pool at about 7:40, I was at 2400 meters!

I am feeling it now though!  In a good way. I love when my muscles hurt after a workout- it means that I'm on the way to being a lean mean triathloning machine.

Its amazing though, when you aren't giving yourself ultimatums like "I have to swim x amount today" I have to run x amount today, I have to lose x amount of pounds this week...  its easier to achieve more than what you ever would have thought!

Hopefully everyone can step out of their own way this week, and just go with it.  You are capable of so much more than your head tells you that you are!

Spinach & Garbanzo Bean Sandwich

I had set a “Fearless Living” goal to find Vegetarian Meals that are quick, easy, and can be made when “there’s nothing in the house to eat”.  Well, I had also this previous week decided that I need to be more protein focused in my diet because my stupid body apparently is VERY attached to all this fat…and the weightloss is once again moving at a glacial pace.  The same frustration I had during the Tri- except I feel like now it should be faster because I have this dang armband on that should be telling me whether or not I’m doing well.    Anyway- apologies for the tangent-  I spent this weekend planning my week, making my grocery list, and intend to cook and eat only what I have planned and hope that this might be the breakthough weightloss week.

So-  here was my first foray at finding things that are easy to cook and taste good. 

This was from this cookbook :  Powerfoods By the Editors of Whole Living Magzine 

It’s super easy -  2 handfuls of spinach (I probably should have measured it but I eyeballed)  

1 can of Garbanzo beans

(the recipe calls for fresh garlic, but I used jarred minced garlic)- I teaspoon

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Cook the spinach and garlic  down in pan until the spinach gets soft

Add garbanzo beans 

Add to Cuisinart , and a few squeezes of Lemon Juice and pulse

And Voila!  It’s done.

The picture says you should have it in a Pita  with tomato. 

But pita I had not. So I ate on Pumpernickel bread with swiss cheese and mustard.  It was delish.

I considered using Greek Yogurt paired with it, but decided instead on the cheese/mustard combo.  You can play around and figure out how you like it.

This recipe though is definitely a keeper to tuck away in my mental note file for future use when in need of a quick recipe.   And, with the bean/spinach combo not only is it high in protein but in Iron as well!

:)

A New Look!

Hello all!

So- first off, if you get my blog delivered via email, go to www.seemillietri.com and check out the new look!  I would love to hear your feedback.  Also, with the new look- the comment function has been repaired!!! Hallelujah!  Downside-  I lost my "guestbooker"  so all the comments that people left me before the triathlon are gone- I'm really upset that I never thought to copy and paste them off the site :(  Now, they're gone forever.  And they were really awesome super sweet comments too-  of all the happiness and excitement of the new site, that truly is the sad part.

We also have reached 100 followers on See Millie Tri's Facebook Page!  YAY!  (ok, so perhaps Ive been pestering friends and family for days to "like" my page..  but there are at least four or five people that I don't know that are fans ;-)

I have heard that a certain healthclub has finally gotten their tish together and fixed the ever loving pool- so I'll be checking back with them tomorrow.

Other than that- not much else to report!  I can't believe January is almost over.  My fingers are crossed that Mr. Groudhog decides that we've had enough of this white cold stuff for the season and send in the great thaw-  I'm dying to start working out outside again.

Tomorrow, I'm heading over to my favorite bikeshop (  Performance Bike Shop  they rock).  For their huge end of season sale-  I'm hoping that this bike I have been drooling over  (for my husband, of course.. I already have a bike )  ;-)   -  My new- oops I mean my HUSBANDS new bike -  is on sale.  The website says $699  but since it's been sitting at $700 bucks all summer and fall, I'm hoping that the in store sale is better than the website sale.  With this bike I (whoops I mean "my husband" ) will be able to ride like wind!... and maybe he'd let me compete with it, too.

I hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend!

Water

I'm trying to move back into "training" mode from "Lazy Holiday Mode"  and with all the training and healthy eating also comes one very important factor.  Water.  We all need it.  We all know we're supposed to drink it, but trying to get your daily 64 in, to many, is about as enjoyable as a stint in the dentist seat (mental note: dentist appt).  I figured I'd share with you what I do to get my water in.  First, I may be a bit more hardcore than most- but I eliminated pop.  I will drink it at parties, social functions or when we are at restaurants, but in my everyday life- no more pop.  I either drink water,  flavored seltzer water (and by flavoring I mean- the LaCroix type not the sweetener pumped "Flavored Sparkling Water" they sell for .99 at walmart)  and I drink Pelligrino.  If I'm bored with the taste of my water, I'll add in Arnold Palmer Half and Half Iced Tea/Lemonade stick (naturally flavored) to my glass. 

For me, it's hard to have a meal without something bubbly.  When I was a kid, I had a horrible gag reflex, especially if something was too oily or greasy (it usually happened worst when we had pizza or chicken).  As I got older, I found that drinking pop with its carbonation helped curb the reflex.  But then, drinking pop became a habit, and before I knew it, my husband and I were blowing through a 2liter of pop a night between the 2 of us.  So, instead, I drink Pelligrino or LaCroix.  I still get the bubbly sensation (to prevent the gag reflecx which Im sure now is more psychosematic than anything else)  and it's better for me and less calories. 

According to this website http://nutrition.about.com/library/blwatercalculator.htm  apparently the amount of water you comsume is not a one size fit all kind of thing.  According to this I should be drinking 96 ounces of water and not 64.

My trick to getting that much water in (without using flavoring to trick my tastebuds in every glass)  using a straw, and drinking my water at room temperature.  A lot of people can't do the whole room temperature thing, but for me, I drink most everything at room temperature.  When I went to this fly by night diet pill doctor, his staff had told me that if you're working a desk job and poudning water all day long, that you should drink it as cold as you can tolerate it.  And that by doing so, you will be burning more calories, because your body has to work to bring it to the same temperature as your body before digesting it.  I have no idea if this is true or not- but if you want to try it, knock your socks off :)  For me,  just a regular old glass of room temperature water goes down fine. 

Note:  Do not drink ice cold water while you are in the middle of a workout, I don't know the scientifics of it, but apparently it shocks your system and it's super bad for your body.

The other thing I do, everytime I get up (either to use the restroom or walk something to someone elses desk-  I make a pit stop in the kitchen to fill up again)  it tricks me into thinking that I am behind on my water drinking, gets me a few extra steps into my day, and keeps the whole getting my water in, a continual focus in my day.

So, that's my tidbit for the day.  No pool (again) today because a certain facility can't get its tish together and get their water heater working.  Not cool.

Til Next Time!

~Millie :)  

Fearless Living List

My fearless living list is up.  I only included things on there that I haven’t yet achieved, because it seemed silly to put things on there and then mark them complete-  there would be no feeling of accomplishment with that.

The List is now a permanent fixture on my page.  It can be found here:

http://seemillietri.blogspot.com/p/fearless-living-list.html

And will regularly be updated as I cross things off my list.  If anyone ever wants to join me in an activity to cross of the list, let me know J

Some on my list thought, I thought maybe would need to be prefaced…  for example, obviously I’ve already done a 5k, but I have yet to do a five k where I didn’t walk at least half of it.  I want to be able to run the whole thing.  And I have been in musicals before and had solo’s before, but somewhere over the last couple of years, I have misplaced my self confidence.  My last solo singing adventures were um, the vocal equivalent of the sinking of the titanic.  And, required immense amounts of anti-anxieties just to be able to get in front of the microphone.  And, singing karaoke doesn’t really count, because most people at the Karaoke Bar are drunk anyway, and sing worse than most- and it’s all just a big joke singing there anyway.

I want to be able to walk into a musical audition again, hand someone my music and just blow them out of the water with my confidence and ability.  Not be the person I am now, who falls apart when asked to sing by myself in church choir (as if Jesus cares if I’m off key)

There are still some roller coasters that I’m able to ride on, I haven’t blimped out completely,  but there are certain rides (the ones where your feet dangle and you wear a harness that comes down over your head and buckles at your crotch.. those, I can not ride on… but one day, I will.

The reason that "Canoe" is on my list.  When my best friend and I were in college, we were summer camp counselors at a Girl Scout Camp.  At the beginning of summer, before the campers got there, we had to take all of these "tests' to prove we were responsible enough to handle the kids once they got there.  One of those was a Canoe Tip test.  In which, they would take us out to the middle of the ginormous lake, tip the canoe, and we would have to flip the canoe back over, get back into the canoe and paddle back to shore.

My best friend, when wet, probably weighs about 120 pounds.  I was 18 at the time, but probably weighed at least 80 pounds more than she did.  So, every time I tried to get into the boat, it would just tip back over again, and I wasn't able to get in.  Not to mention that I had no upper body strength to be able to pull myself back into the canoe.  My friend was mortified that I was "taking so long"  and that she and I were the only ones left out in the middle of the lake while I repeatedly struggled to get back into the boat.  Finally, one of the guy counselors, came out, balanced the canoe for me, and essentially helped pull me in by the back of my pants.

One of these days, I'll have enough upper body strength to get into a tipped canoe. (where I'll find a tipped canoe to get back into Lord knows, but I'll cross that bridge when it comes)

 The rest of the list in pretty self explanatory.  Things that Ive either always wanted to do but have told myself (or been told by others) that fat girls don’t do those things.  Or things that I have wanted to do and haven’t been able to do because it was tiring/uncomfortable/etc.

So-  my list is in print now-  there’s no turning back-  all I can do is pull the chute and jump!

It will be one heck of a ride, and hopefully I’ll have some of you to join me!

Til next time!

~Millie 

Body Media Fit - Week 2..ish

Update on the Body Media:

It’s been roughly 2 weeks since I’ve started wearing this armband.  And the total loss for this two week period :drum roll:  two.flipping.pounds

I don’t know why I was expecting Biggest Loser-esque weight loss numbers, and there could be many factors behind the two-pound weight loss, but hey a loss is a loss- even if it does factor to one pound each week. 

Here are my observations thus far of the Body Media System:

1.  Having to take it off to swim in my opinion is it’s biggest draw back.  When the lion’s share of my working out is done in the water, and this thing isn’t monitoring me as I’m doing it, it loses its value.  Especially considering that when you select “swimming” from their drop down menu, you have the choices of “Breastroke” “Backstroke” “Butterfly” “Freestyle” and “Freestyle Fast”.  The problems I have with these categories are numerous:

            a.  What is their definition of “fast” versus the regular strokes?  There is no stroke/min, yards per hour, or timed split to decide.  I can swim balls out freestyle for 20 minutes or I can swim freestyle with no effort for twenty minutes, or I can go in between.  If they are going to have these vague categories, that don’t have an accurate measurement of effort output, then they should have a way to input your heart rate information into the online system so that measurements are more accurate.

            b.  By the time that I am finished stretching, showering, and getting dry enough with enough clothes on to actually put the arm band back on my heart rate has pretty much gone back down to normal, so it thinks I’ve had zero activity.

2.  The “Blue Tooth” connectivity stuff that they sell you on, it sort of neat (your android connects wirelessly to the online activity monitor to be up-to-date with information there) however, your arm band and your phone do not sync wirelessly to give you up-to-the minute data like I originally thought.  You need to connect your armband every night to your computer and log into the online monitor to download the information.

It’s still pretty neat though.  Other than swimming, any other activity you do while it’s on comes pretty close to your exertion level as the heart rate monitor does. 

My step count on the Body Media and the steps taken from my pedometer are off by about 100 steps.  I think because I don’t really move my arms all that much when I’m walking, so the armband misses a lot of them.  And, I also shuffle more than step, so that could be the reason too.

Another thing I have noticed is recently, when I’ve put the unit back on my arm, it’s starting to take a really long time until it beeps and lets me know it’s receiving.  I’m not sure if that’s because my skin is so cold after getting out of the pool that it takes a while to warm up enough to be recorded or if perhaps my skin is still kind of damp and it’s shorting out the receiver.  But, I’ll put my arm band on, finish getting dressed, dry my hair, put my makeup on, pack my stuff, and am halfway to my car when the armband finally registers that it is reading again.

I’m hoping that the whole 2 pound weight loss thing is just my muscles saying “what the hell, we were perfectly happy being sedentary these past few months” water retention, and that in the coming weeks, the numbers will come off a bit faster :-/

Til Next Time!

~Millie 

Wedding Dresses and Tidying Up My Emotional Closet

I have a lot of things that I should be doing right now. Homework, Laundry, Vacuuming, etc.  but I haven’t been feeling really great, so I’ve been hanging out on my sofa watching “Say Yes to the Dress” on TLC.  In case you’ve never seen the show, it’s about a bunch of brides looking for wedding dresses at a store in New York.  The ones that they are showing today are “Say Yes To the Dress, Big Bliss” (seriously, I’m gagging on the title).  Regardless, these episodes are about Plus Sized brides who go shopping at Kleinfields so they can have the whole “Bride” experience.  This specifically hits so close to home with me, and has put me into a sort of reflective rut, thinking about my own wedding experience and how embarrassing and miserable it was for me.  My husband and I were engaged in November of 2002- and set a wedding date for April 2004.   At the time, I was still working in radio, and the fall 2003 wedding that I had actually wanted, wasn’t possible because it was “Sweeps”  (the time when all the television stations place their heaviest advertising buys with a station, because it’s ratings season for them) and I was asked to not get married and go on a honeymoon at the busiest time of the year.  And, of course, being the people pleaser that I am, I pushed my wedding back to Spring (because honestly who wants to get married in the winter time, in Chicago).   Not that it mattered anyway, as I lost my job at the radio station a year later anyway.  And, with six months to go before my wedding (on my birthday actually) we found out that our reception site would not be honoring our wedding contract, so we had to scramble to find a new location.  But this post isn’t about any of that- everyone has these kinds of stories to go along with their wedding plans. 

When I went to try on dresses, there were stores that offered plus sized dresses, but the extent of a plus sized bride shopping for a dress (unless, you wanted to buy your dress at David’s Bridal – which, no knock against anyone that did- but the fashionista in me wanted something a bit more fabulous) Now a days- I hear that even Panina Tourne and Amsale offer plus sized dresses.  Back then- it was slim pickings.  As I said.

Even more disturbing than that- when you went to purchase a wedding dress, none of the dresses came in a size that would even make it up one’s thigh (most sample size dresses are a 6- which in normal everyday wear is equivalent to a four)

So, I was instructed to “hold the dress up in front of me” so that I could get an idea of what it would look like.  The whole put your dress on, and parade out on the pedestal while everyone oohs and aaahs, doesn’t happen with a plus sized bride.  You’re ushered back to a cramped room, given the anemic selections offered to you, and shamefacedly hold up a dress in front of your body, whose overall width could be compared to that of the white of a penguin against the rest of its black body- only instead of black feathers, you have your own pudge staring at you in the mirror.  Who feels confident or beautiful or happy even when that is your experience?

Not to mention the fact that, when I went dress shopping, I did it completely alone, because no one had “time” for me.  My instructions were to find a dress, and once it was found, then it would be paid for, but no one wanted to schlep from one store to another in search of a dress.  So it was a very lonely and unpleasant experience for me.   I realize that I probably could have put my foot down and asserted how important it was to me for people to at least feign enthusiasm at coming shopping with me, but I didn’t want to make anyone come- I wanted people to want to be with me.  And no one did.  My engagement had fallen in weird timing anyhow- I had recently had a blow up with one of my closer friends, which had resulted in our “group” taking sides against one another, and I just walked away from all of them because I couldn’t believe how childish everyone was being.  My best friend was in the midst of her own issues, and we actually were in the middle of a “break” so everyone who I would have preferred to come with me and be happy with me, weren’t in my life at the time. 

It makes me sad, still, thinking about it - what is it now, seven years later.  That at a time where typically people want to dote and plan and gush about color schemes, flowers, pontificate on the benefits of Dupioni vs. Duchesse (those are types of fabric – for the head scratchers), that instead I was overlooked in favor of people’s busy schedules and unwillingness to be “inconvenienced”.   I’ve told my husband before how sad it makes me, thinking back on it, about it all- and for our 10 year anniversary, we’re going to have a vow renewal- maybe on an Island, or perhaps in Vegas, and I can go wedding dress shopping again- for a real dress – not a plus size one, and I can stand on the pedestal while people smile and gush. 

When I first started this journey, in 2007- I had a Spark People webpage (and a blog)-… and on that blog I had a list, entitled Fearless Living.  It was a list of the things I wanted to do but was either too afraid to do, couldn’t physically do, or wanted to do “once I was thin”.  I don’t have the Spark People page any longer, but I do remember a good amount of what was on it- and I think I’m going to post it… kind of like a “to do” list that will be there as a constant reminder to me of where I want to be headed.   

Maybe you can join me in making your own “Fearless Living” list  (or whatever you want to call your list)… or if you don’t want to physically make one, then perhaps just think about the things you have always wanted to do but something is holding you back from doing it.  Run a 5k?  Take a Zumba class?  Learn how to speak another language, or join a singles club… whatever it is; lets make 2011 the year that we all check things off our list!

‘Til next time!

~Millie :)

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch Changes

So,  Im in the process of trying to redesign my blog.  And, honestly for someone who has an overloaded right brain, and a very anemic left brain... my HTML coding skills are LACKING.  I really want to make a pretty blog, or at least a functioning one that allows for comments and interactions, but so far, I am failing miserably.  I also have some illustrations I can't wait to show you.  A lot of generous friends have all volunteered to help bring this blog to the next level, but since my HTML skills stink, the going is very slow.

I also wanted to let you all know that I am now part of the Clevergirls Collective, 1000 Clever Women's Blogs.  I wanted to let you know, because as part of the honor of being chosen, comes with it opportunities to review products-  of which I will receive at no cost other than providing my review.  However, I have signed the "Blog With Integrity"  pledge, and will continue to tell it like it is, regardless of whether or not I am being compensated for my opinion.  Thus far, any products that I have reviewed, I have purchased at my own expense and shared with you  so that you could either benefit from the same product or know to avoid it.    If I am every being "compensated" for a product, I will let you know upfront that this is the case.  If I don't mention it right away, it can be assumed it is another product that I purchased for myself :)

I mean, really, who knows how many free products will come my way on this little ole blog.  I may be premature in my revelations, but since those currently reading are the few that have seen me and this blog grow and blossom from a teeny seed (ok, cheeseball I know, but really-  I feel like I have grown so much in the past two-ish years) that I felt you guys all deserved to know first :)

And, hopefully with the redesign of the blog, I can finally get the comments section to work again ... it's really bothering me that the only place that people can leave comments is on Facebook, and not here.

Who knows, I may have to move my blog to a different host in order to get it to do what I need it to.

Regardless of the changes that are coming, I will keep you all informed of any them.

More posts coming soon!  And thank you all so much for your continued support, and for helping my little old blog become part of the the Clever 1000!

~Millie

Does Bicycling Magazine Have A Receiver in my Brain?

Seriously, two days in a row now, that I have discussed needing specific information and then TaDa! Here comes an email from Bicycling Magazine with the information I needed.

Here's some ideas for some really great "fueling" breakfasts. I will most definitely be giving these a try next week - I grocery shop on Sundays, and plan my meals accordingly

The fact is drilled into the brain of every kid in America, as sure as state capitals and the Pledge of Allegiance: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Simply put, our bodies cannot function without the proper fuel. If you're a cyclist, here are a few guidelines to kick-start your day:

Your Best-Bet Breakfasts

THE LONG BURN

What: For endurance rides (three hours or more) of lower intensity, eat a broader spectrum of foods. The meal can include a higher percentage of calories from fat and protein. Eggs, waffles, French toast, pancakes and peanut butter are all good options.

Why: Adding fat and protein will make the meal more filling and provide nutritional balance.

What Else: On long rides, eat and drink on a schedule to ensure you stay fueled and hydrated. For an easy reminder, set a watch alarm to go off every 15 or 20 minutes, then take a sip or nibble. 3 Whole-Wheat Pancakes (4-inch diameter) With 2 tsp. of margarine and 2 tbsp. of maple syrup 1/2 cup of fresh berries 8 oz. 100 percent fruit juice (no added sugar) Coffee or tea, as desired 495 calories; 9g protein; 83g carbohydrate; 15g fat

HIGH-INTENSITY FUEL

What: An easy-to-digest, carb-heavy breakfast with some lean protein for shorter (up to two hours), fast rides.

Why: Liquids such as smoothies are easy to consume first thing in the morning, even for those with sensitive stomachs. This menu is low in fat, which slows digestion, because the goal here is to supply glucose to muscles quickly.

What Else: To speed recovery postride, have a minimeal of 150 to 200 calories that contains carbs and protein, such as a container of yogurt with two tablespoons of granola. Fruit Smoothie In blender, combine 1/2 cup of low-fat plain yogurt, 1/2 cup of orange juice or plain or vanilla soymilk with 1/2 banana and 1/2 cup of strawberries; add ice and honey as desired 1 slice toast with 2 tsp. jam or jelly 8 oz. sports drink, coffee or tea, as desired 425 calories; 10g protein; 92g carbohydrate; 3.5g fat

FOR EVENING RIDES OR DAYS OFF

What: When you're riding later in the day, you need a breakfast that will go the distance. Eat junk in the morning, and you won't have energy in the afternoon.

Why: Oatmeal is one of the most satisfying foods you can eat. Its long-lasting energy keeps your blood-sugar levels in control until lunchtime.

What Else: If you need a mid-morning snack, eat a piece of fruit, which provides fiber, and carbs for energy. 1 1/2 Cups Oatmeal with 2 tbsp. of raisins, 2 tsp. of brown sugar and 2 tbs. of nonfat plain yogurt or 1/2 cup of skim milk 1 egg, scrambled 1/2 English muffin, toasted Coffee or tea, as desired 440 calories; 22g protein; 70g carbohydrate; 9g fat

RECOVER RIGHT

What: This protein-focused meal is ideal for the day after you've completed a race, century or other epic ride.

Why: Protein provides the essential amino acids that are the building blocks of muscle protein, and will help repair the micro-tears in your muscles that occur when you pound the pedals.

What Else: Antioxidants also speed recovery. Some of the best sources: berries, nuts, herbs and spices, coffee, tea and red wine. 3 Scrambled Eggs (one whole egg with two egg whites) 1 English muffin with 2 tsp. of jam or jelly and 2 tsp. of margarine 8 oz. of 100 percent fruit juice (no added sugar) Coffee or tea, as desired 500 calories; 24g protein; 63g carbohydrate; 15g fat

Nervous Stomach? Some people cannot eat breakfast before a race or big ride, no matter how important they know it is to fuel up. "Try having breakfast right before bedtime, or wake up in the early hours to eat something, then go back to bed," says sports nutritionist Nancy Clark, R.D., author of Cyclist's Food Guide: Fueling for the Distance. "These strategies will help maintain a normal blood-sugar level and allow you to still function reasonably well in the morning."

Today's Special: A Leaner You | Bicycling Magazine

Meet Gunter The Spin bike

I arrived home today, set my purse down, fed the dogs, and sat down to watch a little “E” when, from my workout room I heard a familiar

*Evil laugh*

“Gustav?  What do you want?  It’s not even your night,” I said, to my masochistic treadmill.

“Oh Millie, jiggly, pudgy Millie…  have I got a treat for you…  Meet my cousin Gunter, the Spin Bike…  he has been waiting for you all day.  So why not put that remote control down and get your little jiggle tush in here and let’s get going”

But… I just got home….and I was going to relax for a bit and watch E! News

If you don’t get up and get going now, you will lose all motivation and plop down with some ice cream and a remote and not move for the rest of the night.  UP!  Now!

FINE!-  :changes into workout clothes:

*Evil(er) laugh * 

Hi, Gunter was it? 

*Evil (er)  laugh again…  Oh Millie I have heard so much about you.  Think you’re something special after finishing two Triathlons last year eh?  Well, guess what.  This year, you’re going to finish strong, finish fast, and finish knowing you left it all out on the racecourse.  Come Tri day, Fourteen Miles will be a ride through the park… now- hop on”

Okay- so, how much are we going to do today?  Fifteen? Twenty Minutes?

*Evil (er)  laugh, again *  So, you do know that “Off Season”  is not “Fall Off the Wagon Season”  right?    I have got my work cut out for me.

Sufferfest?  I’m doing a spin workout called Sufferfest?  Are you kidding me?  Gunter, remember me? Fall of the Wagon Millie-  how the hell am I going to get through this?

*Evil (er) laugh again.  The fact that you did not work out all through the off-season is your fault, not mine.  Start pedaling.

-       5 Minutes In-

·      pant *  Gunter, seriously, it’s been five minutes *pant *  and already I’m sweating profusely and *pant * I  *pant *  cant breathe.  Look, my heart rate monitor is already at 147…

*Evil (er)  laughing continues….  Only 147, well then… we can kick it up a notch (up to resistance level 5)

Gunter,  ouch… seriously.. Cramp…in my leg… major cramp…

Keep pedaling

·      huff *  * puff *  -sweating buckets-

Make it burn Millie, pedal pedal pedal!

Gunter  *gasps *  can we ditch the DVD for now *gasp *  really  I’m not ready *gasp *  lets just stick with biking for now.  Look at my heart rate monitor.. we’re fifteen minutes in, and I’m at 167! 

You really are a total drag Millie.  No fun at all.  Fine, if you must -  slow down and begin cooling down…  but just know, that this is what is in your workout future.

Fine, Fine, anything to get you to stop.  Kick my ass in a few weeks, when I’m finally up to snuff.  First day back on the bike, and already you’re trying to give me a heart attack.

20 Minutes later, 4 buckets full of sweat, and one sore sore hiney,  Me thinks I’ll be hurting in the morning….

Til Next Time!

~Millie 

Bicycling.com: 5 Healthy-but-Unhealthy Foods | Bicycling Magazine

So, interesting article, after just discussing protein intake and what is necessary, my Dad forwarded me this article today. I thought I'd pass it along

Protein

Many athletes think protein is the wonder nutrient, so they eat protein-fortified foods, says Piattoly. "But your body can process only about 4 to 5 grams of protein per hour, so the 50 grams you got from that protein bar and shake will take about 10 hours to digest and absorb." Your body needs protein to repair and build muscle, but eating excessive amounts won't do the job better. Some people fill up on protein and don't eat enough carbs, says Piattoly. Some experts believe excessive protein also stresses your kidneys. Healthy limits: Active cyclists need one-half to three-quarters of a gram of protein a day per pound of body weight, typically about 90 to 135 grams a day for a 180-pound man and 70 to 105 grams for a 140-pound woman. A three-ounce serving of chicken delivers 25 grams and a glass of milk another 10 grams, so it's easy to get enough through a healthy diet.

You can read the full article, here:

Bicycling.com: 5 Healthy-but-Unhealthy Foods | Bicycling Magazine

I have my first date tonight with my Spin Bike, Gustav- not gonna lie, I'm getting a bit skeered! I'm quite sure, he is going to kick my butt and like it.

Til next time!

~Millie :)

Bloggers and Their Perceived Self-Importance & Gym Etiquette

So, granted, when you start getting emails and support from people who aren't related to you, or under friend or familial obligation to read it, it is really exciting. There is a whole rush of "really? You like me? You REALLY like ME?" And, naturally it's a rush! But, there are certain bloggers out there, whose heads are apparently so swollen of their own perceived self-importance that they refuse to even entertain the idea of deigning to give you a moment of their time.

Example:

"Hi Mr Once Fat and now thin, who has a blog name that is his old weight" I'm doing a blog about my fitness and weight loss journey, I've been following you for a while and I'm really impressed with your site. Who designed it for you? Was it one that you did on your own or did you hire someone to do it for you? etc etc"

First time I sent it- no response
Second time I sent it- no response
Third time I sent it

"I'm sorry, but I don't divulge "trade secrets" best- (insert blog owner name)"

Really? Trade secrets? You have got to be kidding me. Last time I checked, the "Blogosphere" is overflowing with everyone and their brother trying to be the next "Julie & Julia" and perhaps that's why they don't want to divulge their trade secrets, but honestly, if someone asked me "Hey I love your site, who designed it" I would totally help someone out. We're all a community of writers are we not? And we are all continually learning right?

On the opposite side of the spectrum a wonderfully sweet woman by the name of Emmie- you can follow her at www.skinnyemmie.com gave me tons of information regarding her gorgeous website. She embodies all that the words "Blog Community" are all about. Which is why I encourage you all to also follow her. Not only is she totally inspirational with her almost 100 pound and counting weightloss, but her website is gorgeous, and she is all around a super sweet person.

I hope to be redesigning my blog in the next few weeks and making it look more visually appealing and organized.

To detour onto other subject matter...

It's the new year. Lots of people made resolutions to get fit this year (which I love) and lots of people have purchased a gym membership (many apparently at Lifetime Fitness) which again is great (even if it does mess up my whole morning workout mojo) but my point here, is that if you are new to a fitness club, take a moment and become aware of the etiquette at your gym.

For example- at MY gym, there is a sign, written clear as day that says "Lap Lane Line forms to right of staircase" which means- if you are waiting for a lap lane- sit on the bench to the right of the staircase. That doesn't mean, sit in the Hot Tub while you're waiting, it doesn't mean put your "stuff" in front of a lane and then go into the sauna until the lane opens, and it certainly doesn't mean come storming out of the lockeroom and jump into a lane while other people are patiently waiting.

In the locker room, let's keep a towel around us, or at least be in a bra/undies when doing our makeup/drying our hair at the mirrors. The mirrors are on either side of the room, and the last thing I want to be looking at (or have you rudely assume I'm staring at, when in fact I'm blow-drying my hair) is your naked body, full frontal reflecting in MY mirror. It's gross. I don't care how rocking of a body you have, there is no reason to be standing naked in front of a public locker room mirror doing your hair and makeup.


Tonight was supposed to be my first meeting with my new spin bike, Gunter. But, it's snowing outside. Heavy wet snow (about 3 ish inches) so I decided to be nice to my late hour working/school attending husband and shovel the driveway for him. So, I still got my workout this evening, just not in the "ride until your tush aches" kind of way.

Til next time!

~Millie :)

Body Media Fit - Also known as the Body Bug

My armband arrived last Friday. After putzing around with it over the weekend- getting it set up, dealing with a Promo Code Snafu and getting it fully charged- I began seriously using it this previous Monday. If you haven't heard of these before, the contestants on The Biggest Loser have been wearing them for a few years now- except much bigger models. Now, they are smaller, and do all kinds of cool techie things like sync with your IPhone or Android- super neat.

So far, I have to say, I am really, really pleased with it- it is crazy cool. Its really small- a lot smaller than I thought it was going to be. When engaged inside the arm band, it's about the size of a pair of oversized sunglasses (as pictured here)

The actual monitoring device when taken out of the armband (for charging and syncing with the system) is super small and light- about the size equivalent to one sunglass lens (or slightly bigger than the apple on a MacBook)

You have to wear the arm-band, essentially 24 hours a day (they tell you to take it off to let your arm breathe for approx. one hour every day- but since it's not waterproof (the only downside so far- I wish they would make one that is!!) and my main workouts are in the water for an hour, that is the time that the armband is off.

You have to pay for a subscription to their website- I committed to a year's subscription, so they will charge my credit card $6.95 a month, after my 90 day free trial.

When you access the website for the first time, you will put in your height, weight, activity level, and what kind of goals you have (lose weight, maintain weight etc) If you select lose weight, it will ask you how many pounds you want to lose total, and how many pounds a week you want to lose (the max is 2lbs a week- what is doctor recommended as the maximum amount of weight to lose weekly and still be healthy) So, of course, I selected 2 pounds a week. According to that I need to have a 1000 Calorie deficit every day- which means, I have to burn 1000 more calories than I take it.

When you sync your armband (which I currently do every night, but I guess you can sync as infrequently as every 2 weeks- though I don't know why anyone would want to not sync it every day to get up to the minute information) it gives you a display that looks like this

From there you can see how many calories you have burned (along with the time you burned them and how many calories burned per minute)

a Breakdown of Calories Consumed

A chart of Calories Burned

As well as telling me how many steps Ive taken (yeah- I know.. pitiful but I work a desk job! What's a girl to do!)

And, shows me how well I'm sleeping (the light blue are times that I have woken up or drifted up from deep sleep- apparently I do it alot )

I can thank these guys for that, I'm sure...

When it was only one 90 pound dog in the bed, it was tolerable- everyone had their place. But now, the lab is getting older, and his joints are stiffer so instead of laying down, he flops down (usually on the small of my back- in the middle of the night) And the German Shepard doesn't like being ignored, so if the lab comes and sleeps in between us, he has to as well...
and then there's a bloody cat, who isn't happy unless he is sleeping underneath my chin, cuddled underneath my covers (which is totally my fault, I'll take the bullet on that one- when I had my first apartment, I lived alone and I had this crazy guy who lived 2 floors up- used to scare the heck out of me. Anyway, I would use my cat like a teddy bear, and cuddle him until I fell asleep.) Now 13 years later the little bastard still insists on sleeping like that. At least I know why I always wake up so flipping tired though.

I told my husband Im going to break out the air mattress one night and sleep in our office, just to see if my animal hypothesis is correct. He thinks I'm nuts. :)

But anyway, the armband is super cool. I only wish that I could export the details to my Facebook.com/seemillietri page instead of just my personal facebook page.

According to the website I am on a "weightloss trend" I made the mistake of weighing myself on Wednesday instead of the Sunday weigh in that I should be following..and it said I had a 4 pound gain. Now I should know better by now that after getting back on the workout wagon, that it's just fluid trapped in my muscles, but of course I got all upset and downtrodden (Im over it now, singing my heart out to an Indigo Girls CD for a half hour or so made me feel better)

So, now, the scale is locked away only to be brought out on Sunday mornings.

I'll keep you updated on my progress, and my continuing review of the Body Media system.

Til next time!

~Millie :)

Long Time!

Wow- Its been over a week since my last post- Hole' Mole' I can't believe it has been that long! Well, it's back in the saddle for me. Ive spent my mornings this week at the lovely, albeit frigid pool. Good thing about snowstorms, and freezing temperatures, it makes for a very open lap pool- no sharing at all. I have, however, had to swim on the ends, thus fighting against a strong wake but- I look at it as an opportunity to burn more calories.
A great thing that has kept me on track, interestingly enough, is the "Check-in" feature for Facebook on Android. I know, that if certain people dont see my check-in every day, that they are going to hold me accountable and call me out. This week, I have been swim focused only, just so that I can get back into the swim of things and re-establish my routine. Next week, the plan is to begin to slowly introduce my triathlon circuit into my evenings. As I have said before, lack of funds has dropped me down to currently one class this semester- I may try to pick up a few more in March - when the next round of classes begins. Thankfully though, that means I can proceed full speed ahead on my training.

I must admit, I'm a bit scared to start training with my Spin Bike, Gunter. I hear his evil laugh coming from my workout room. He and my treadmill, Gustav are perniciously plotting my workout demise, I know they are.

My upcoming Triathlon workouts were taken from Tri Newbies dot com, and I am following the 18 week Intermediate Sprint Distance training program. I'm really just going to be following this as my "off-season" training until actual training begins in March- as, swimming 1000 or 1250 (oh my I just realized this said Yards... and I swim in a meter pool- and have been doing it in meters, oh well- that just proves my point lol) I can swim these distances with no effort at all- even after taking quite the hiatus.

My swimming workouts will most likely float somewhere around the 1650-2000m mark, once I'm finally back in the swing of things. I'm going to mainly be focusing on speed this year. I really want to finish the Tri in or around the 2 hour mark- ok... maybe that's a bit ambitious- 2:15 would be great.

So, that's about it for now.

Til next time!

~Millie :)

Lip Service

I really don't feel right even verbalizing an excuse- I just plain old have lacked motivation this week- Im not sure if it's a combination of lack of sleep, cold weather, the fact that the gym is so busting-at-the-gills crowded that it makes me mad I have to wake up at 5:30 in the morning just to get a lane in the pool... and really that's all they are is weightless excuses. I know I need to get my butt back in gear, and I really have no idea what the heck is so hard for me to suddenly take that "first" step again. Probably knowing how badly it's gonna hurt- especially since my hiatus has been so long now. I don't even have school as an excuse- and really I won't have it as an excuse once the semester starts either, considering that I currently am only registered for one class. - I plan to register for at least one more- possibly two depending on funds and scheduling.
It's not laziness, I promise you- the fire is still here. I think it really has to do with needing some time to just recover after the frenetic pace that was my life this previous semester.

The marker was really the Hot Chocolate 5k- because after that, my life just warped into hyper speed- I was out of town then Thanksgiving, finals and final papers catapulted me through december, then Christmas and now here we are- I haven't had a chance to just do nothing- to allow some down time - so I think that is why the motivation meter is on "E"

My husband told me that I needed to get back on the wagon, because otherwise my blog is just a bunch of lip service- and he's right. But honestly I'm not giving up, I'm not throwing in the towel, Im not going to fade away into oblivian... I just need to coast in neutral - just for a few more days.

I'm going on a family vacation in March- to Orlando- so if nothing else is able to serve as motivation, the fact that Im going to be in a bathing suit at a public resort, in less than three months, and hoofing it around the Magic Kingdom, should *hopefully* be at least somewhat motivational. Oh yeah, and my BodyMedia System, according to the tracking number, will be delivered tomorrow- so hopefully that too will get me out of this funk.

I'm truly sorry I've been nothing but lip service for the past two months. :(

~Millie