Feeding the Hunger

So what's going on with me this week?  Geez, first a couple of days where I felt sick to my stomach on and off all day long (and no, before you ask, it's not possible!).  Even this morning I wasn't feeling so hot, but went out for my run anyway.  Since then, starved!  I mean, not mentally hungry.  My stomach is hungry!

Had cereal and banana for breakfast before my run.  After my run, eggbeaters and another banana (forgot I ate the first one).    Lunch, grilled turkey and cheese sandwich with swiss chard and a half cup of vanilla ice cream.  Snack time, a nice juicy peach.  15 minutes ago, a pear, and I AM SERIOUSLY hungry!  Trying a 24 ounce bottle of water now to hold me over.

So the question is when I'm hungry like this, what's going on?  Is my body saying "okay, I feel better, now it's time to catch up"?  And how do I handle it?  Do I go for the fruit, which Weight Watchers says is no points, or is there something else I need, more protein perhaps? 

I'm thinking it's the protein I need.  I'm thinking my body is getting bombarded with carbs and what it really needs is protein and veggies, and honestly, I'm also not getting the veggies in like I normally do.  So tonight we're having two side veggies AND  a salad with dinner.

On Sunday after my long run, I made a smoothie that was just awesome, fresh peach and frozen mango with some peach yogurt and a little milk.  I'm thinking of getting some protein powder to add to my smoothies after my runs.  As long as I remember to count the points into my day, the smoothies are really helpful to me.

Ideas for New T for Half-Marathon

Okay.  The time is approaching.  I need your help.  I would like to make a new special t-shirt  for the big day, my first half marathon.  I want it to be meaningful to me, but yet not too goofy.  Any ideas out there?   Something that signifies this whole journey for me, not just about the day, maybe even with the name of my blog.  Hmmm.

Journey to Succeed....
From 1 mile to 13.1 miles....
....and Beyond!

Silly?   Well, come on, need ideas.

Run, Read, Write....Rest

OOPS!  Just realized I never published Sunday's post.  Oh, well, better late than never, right?

First of all, note, I am following some other bloggers suggestions and removed my blog list for a while due to malware warnings popping up all over the place.  Don't need any more troubles.  In the meantime, I am trying to finally get familiar with Google Reader and just read through that.  I'm so used to the old way though that I'll be fumbling for a while.

Sundays are my long-run day.  4 weeks pre-half-marathon and we are getting pretty close on distance.  Today was our 10-mile run.  Okay, so we had a few mishaps with the GPS.  I stopped to stretch, paused it, and then forgot to put it back on.  According to mapyourrun.com, we were a tiny bit short on distance, but still, a gorgeous day for a run!

After the run, I decided a hot relaxing bath was just what I needed.  Was going to do an ice bath cause my legs were pretty stiff, but just couldn't do it.  I just wanted to soak in a nice hot tub with my last cup of coffee.  Done.

Next, did some blog reading (hope to do much more of that this afternoon while turkey is in the oven).   Other than that, hopefully will just get some rest in.  It was another off-and-on night of sleep.  Still having issues with Samuel, my 15-year-old now diabetic cat.  He sits in the kitchen and howls, until he hears me calling him.  Then he stops and we can go back to sleep....for an hour or two and then it starts all over.  I don't know what's wrong.  Sometimes it's while he's at the water bowl.  Sometimes he's standing in the middle of the kitchen, almost like he doesn't know where he is.  Tonight I'm going to leave a light on, thinking maybe he can't see, and I also might bring a radio in and play some music.  Will call the vet on Tuesday.  YAWN.

So off to enjoy the rest of my day.  Hope you're havig a great weekend!

Update - Samuel's bloodsugar still wacked out.  So still trying to get him stabile.  Pour little guy. 

Weigh-In Results and What's Cookin!

Happy Weekend to All!  Hit my meeting this morning and the scale was smiling.  Down 1.5.  That's moving it in the direction I want.  After last weekend, I really stuck to it and watched everything, tried to stick to nonprocessed foods, fruits, fresh veggies, yogurt, high-fiber cereal, high protein.  It paid off.  Okay, the running helped a little too.  :)

So it's nice and cool here on the east coast this weekend.  In fact, I think it was Friday morning, we awoke to 46 degrees!  Sounds like cooking weather to me!  We're still trying to get as much as we can out of the tomato garden frozen.  This is the third weekend in a row I've got a pot of fresh pasta sauce on the stove.  We'll have pasta tonight and then in the freezer with the rest for some winter weeknight when I'm just too tired to cook.   If there are more tomatoes to cook next weekend, think I'm going to switch it up and try some homemade tomato soup.

I've also been baking.  As some of you may already know, I have a new found love of baking cupcakes, since last year around this time.  I didn't bake much over the summer though.  Now I'm trying to find some WW-friendly cupcake recipes.  I tried a pumpkin spice cupcake earlier, but I messed something up and they ended up too dense, very heavy, not to my liking (nose scrunched up).  I also found a WW PBJ cupcake.  Since I make PBJ cupcakes a few weeks ago, I thought I'd try the WW-friendly one.  They're already baked and filled.  Frosting after dinner.  The only difference that I might not like is these are chocolate cupcakes.  Chocolate PBJ?  Not so sure.  Will get back to you on that one.

I've been a little stressed lately.  My cat was diagnosed with diabetes in July and he's not yet controlled.  He's been acting kind of weird lately, sits at his water bowl or in the middle of the kitchen howling at night.  I'm tired and little stressed over it.  So when I'm stressed and worried, I cook. 

Tomorrow I'm roasting a 20-pound turkey that's been in the deep freeze for a while.  Yeah, you're right, it's just me and the hubby, but I'll freeze one size of the breast for another time, will have dinner, sandwiches, and TURKEY SOUP!!!!  Perfect week for it too, since the paycheck was pretty scrappy this week.

So tomorrow is my long run.  This week is 10 miles!  Whoa, can't believe I'm actually running these distances.  I am so excited.  Half-marathon is only 4 weeks away.    I can't wait to get there.  Looking forward to running it with Aimee, my running buddy who just registered for the event this week, and also looking forward to maybe meeting up with some other blogger friends out there as well.

So again, happy weekend!  Dinner time! 

The Possibilities....

... seem endless to me right now.  For those of you who know me, you know by now (since I've mentioned it constantly) that I'm training for my first ever half-marathon coming up in Atlantic City.  For those of you who don't know it already, I'm training for my first ever half-marathon!!!! So excited! 

So yesterday was my long run day, and  my running partner and I met at 8:00 a.m.  We were scheduled for a 9-mile run, my longest ever since I started running a few years ago (including several times when running was put on hold times due to injuries, surgery, and injuries). I had our route all planned out, which included a little of this...

...and a little of this....

... and even a bit of this...

So much for my brand new Brooks running shoes.  In order to avoid a huge puddle, we tried tip-toeing through the grass, but turns out that was totally soaked as wee and so were our feet!  Slosh slosh slosh...oh, gross. 

Not too much of this during the run...

But that's okay, because if the sun were out, I would have been hotter and sweatier and thirstier, and it  might not have been such a great, awesome, and motivating run!  I feel so strong right now, like I could do that half with no problem.  Hopefully, I'll keep this attitude right up through the Atlantic City and beyond, and then the possibilities...well, so many possibilities.  Who knows what will be in my future in 2012, but I know what I'd like to do!

And made this over the weekend, which turned into today's lunch.

Black Bean Butternut Squash Chili.  This is only an estimate, since I didn't actually measure exactly how many servings, but I'm estimating it made approximately 16 cups at 14 PP per cup.  So yummy!

Now for a little more honesty, I'm STILL struggling with my food choices.  Now, I know, I know, I'm running a lot and I SHOULD be eating more, but that doesn't mean I have to make the choices that I'm making!  Today has been much, much better though.  I've stuck to tracking all my meals and have been snacking on fruit.  I did have 7 Sunchips on the side of my chili for lunch, but counted them as well.

I CAN do this AND make wise choices while I'm doing it.  Of course I can.  Now that the "junk" is out of the house, it should be much easier, although I do have to learn to control it when the "junk" is in the house.  The more I run, the more I SHOULD be fueling my body with good choices, lean meats, fruits, veggies, and lots of water, NO DIET SODA! 

Now I'm left with an evening of relaxing, watching tv, and doing some needlework.  I have 6 points left for the day.  Thinking of some low-fat yogurt with fresh peaches and a little bit of fat free coolwhip, oh, and a little Fiber One cereal for some crunch. 

Determination

It's been a long road getting here, but I think I've arrived at the land of Determination. 

Who would have thought that I would ever choose running over dinner?  Not me.  Who would have thought that I would chose running on a hot muggy morning over sipping coffee in my air conditioned office?  Not me.  To choose to get up a 5:00 a.m. in order to get a run in before the heat of the sun kicks in?  What?!!!! 5:00 a.m.???  Really?   And who would have thought I would choose to run, rain or not, flooding or not, in order to run off some calories from one silly cupcake (as Woobie called it today, little sugar bomb). 

I am determined, determined to go a  little further each week, determined to not let little obstacles get in my way.  Today was a HUGE obstacle.    First, when I was all ready to get out there and run, it started to rain.  I said okay, I can run in a little light rain.....but it started pouring.  Now, not long ago, I would have called it quits for the day, but the "new me" took it a little further, pulled up the weather channel on the computer and looked at the map.  Oh, look, to the west is a spot of clearing with no rain.  If I  move quick, this is my window of opportunity.

So off I went to the park.  Going down the road to the park, we saw township trucks all over the place pumping water off the roadway.  Not a good sign.  As I drove into the park, only one car in the parking lot and I could see a big lake in the middle of the lawn.  Not a good sign.  But still, it's not raining.  I'll just get on the trails, get my run in before it rains.  Got my hat and my vest in case it starts raining.  I'm good to go.

Only problem was it seemed every direction I headed led me to a scene similar to this.

....or this.

 Even the paved part of the trails were flooded.  I had no choice at one point but to take a chance and run through it.  Not so bad at first, just a little splash, and then A BIG SPLASH, and the new running shoes have now been baptized!

Still, I went on.  I found that the paved road had only one area that was flooded, and that road led to a trail that was completely dry.  So I just ran that route a couple times and ended up getting in a pretty good run.  After a few laps, I got tired of running through that one big area of water, so I climbed through a split rail fence and ran on the outside of the park back to the entrance.

I was determined to get that run in no matter what. 

Last weekend I ran my long run (8 miles) without my running partner.  I was out there alone, just me and my music and my thoughts, and I have to admit, I got a little emotional.  I started thinking of my Dad.  He always battled with me as a kid and a teenager to take the weight off.  I remember so clearly him telling me to get the weight off while I was young, that it would be so much harder as I got older.  But I didn't get it.  Now, granted, this is the same dad that took his little girl with to 7-Eleven for cigars, and I always got slim jims or beernuts or lifesavers!  I can remember going on diets with him where I ate nothing but salad with dry tuna and diet dressing (yuck).  I can remember riding the exercise bike, going to exercise classes with women who wore the body suits and leotards, and I looked awful in them.  Anyway, I wondered what he would think of me now.  I KNOW that he would be down in A.C. to watch me run my first half-marathon.  Actually, in a way, he will be there, and I know he'll be cheering me on.  See, I'm getting all emotional again.

At this point, I was getting tired trying to get that 8 miles in.  Then I thought of all those people, friends, family, strangers who made fun of my weight issues as a kid.  I remember those words, "fat", "chubby", "husky", "rhino", "hippo" and many, many more.  Such painful words.  I admit I got angry at that point, and it was those memories that pulled me to the end of that 8 mile run.  

Look at me now!   Yeah, it took me a while, but LOOK AT ME NOW!  

Remembering all of that has given me more power each day to do this.  I CAN and I WILL get to that finish line and run many more races in the future.   Determination?  Yeah, I think so!

Running for (from) Cupcakes

Hello. My name is Reen and I am a cupcakeaholic. Not really, but feeling that way lately. Baked some cupcakes a few times in the past few weeks for parties. I LOVE making cupcakes, by the way. Well, there always seems to be some that don't make it out of the house, or find their way back into the house and that's definitely not good these days.

I'm dealing with a sick 15-year-old kitty and unfortunately am using the sweets as a crutch, a way of helping with the stress. Then the next day, I go for a run. Not good. I mean the running is good but not the cupcakes. Thinking of making a new
t-shirt that says "Running for/from Cupcakes."

Got to get control of this thing. So tomorrow in honor of trash day, I think all remaining cupcakes will be out of here.

By the way, blogging from my phone sure isn't easy

So anyway, what is it about stress that turns so many of us to food? Why? Is it really a comfort thing? I, for one, am definitely not feeling so comfortable right now!

Ah, but yes, tomorrow is a brand new day, a new start, but isn't a new start the very minute, the very second that you say ENOUGH? So here's to new beginnings starting right this second.

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Keeping My Head ABOVE Water

I am so so so not ready for summer to come to an end, however, this summer I have had much difficulty in staying at my goal weight.  I have struggled with the picnic foods ... okay, to be honest, let's not limit it to picnic foods.  Let's just say I've struggled.

Yes, I am at goal weight, but not my "comfortable" goal weight.  I have lost that cushion under goal (and gained cushion elsewhere) and I am so ready to stop treading water to keep my head above.  I am ready to start kicking again and moving past this rip tide and into calmer waters.

I know what I've got to do.  I've done it before.  I just have to do it!   I really have to start fueling my body properly to get myself in shape for the Half Mary, the first.  I've made the commitment to the half-marathon.  NOW IT'S TIME TO MAKE THE COMMITMENT TO MYSELF!

So who's with me?  Let's just give it a shot.  What do you say?  Ready, set, and we're off!

Stick It Out

Just a quick post before a busy morning and weekend!  Can't believe September is here already.  I am so so so not ready for summer to come to a close.  So I'm not going to let it happen yet.  In some ways, this is the best part of the summer for me, harvesting and cooking all those yummy tomatoes in the garden, sitting on the porch on cool nights, having cooler mornings and evenings to run.

I promised myself that I would take a rest from running for atleast four days, and I'm doing my best to "stick it out".  Having "a little" problem with my foot again, like I did in the spring, but this time, instead of ignoring it when it started to bother me, I'm treating it now so it doesn't develop into the type of thing that made it difficult for me to even walk, let alone run.   I don't think it's anything major.  Could even be due to the wrong running shoes and my insoles that I use to treat metatarsal problems being overused.

All I know is I'm sticking it out, trying to do the right thing.  Got a long run planned for Sunday, but if the foot is still sore, I'm going to take a pass.  Not worth it.  I want to run this half-marathon for the first time so bad I can see it, I can feel it.  It's going to happen, but I have to do the right thing now.  I'm registered now.  I've made the committment to the race.  I have to keep the committment to myself, take care of myself.   Everything else will fall into place.

So I ordered new insoles (arrived already), and I'm icing, resting, taking Motrin, massaging, all that good stuff.  I think it feels better.  I'm going to try to stop in at a new running store today (new meaning I've never been there) and see what they have, how knowledgeable they are, and go from there.  I know I need new running shoes (already) because the ones I got in May are not working out.  Think they're too small.  My big toe popped right through the top of them, and now I'm using duct tape on the inside.

Tomorrow is my meeting and weigh-in.  Not expecting to see any great results this week.  Had a rough time last weekend tracking.  Irene made me  it (or not do it).  I was totally distracted by the hurricane and I am confessing right here and now that it was a bad weekend for me. 

Got a few picnics to go to this weekend and looking forward to spending time with a lot of friends and family.  Good times will be had by all!   What's my favorite part of family picnics these days?  Playing with the kids, playing anything, frisbee, ball, hula hoops, croquet.  Love it all.

Happy Labor Day Weekend to everyone.