The ELFF Diet

Feeling Like A Betrayal

So, it's been a few days since I've been here.  So sorry about that.  I'm feeling, right now, like my body is betraying me.  I went on a trip and was felled by a massive, horrendous, pukefest of a migraine.  I flew back and went to Muay Thai class, and right in the middle, I felt my calf muscle cramp.  And cramp, and cramp some more.  I limped off the mat and sat to the side, where I stretched.  And stretched and stretched some more. 

It's the next day now, and I can STILL feel the damned thing.  It's a gigantic lump in my leg and I've been rolling it out for an hour.  DEPART, CRAMP OF THE DEVIL.  DEPART, I SAY!

I attribute both the migraine and the cramp to a few errors in my diet.

• Not drinking enough water. I am usually VERY hydrated, but I had a ton of stress the day of my flight, and then the flight was delayed five hours and I didn't drink because I didn't want to have to pee on the flight. 
• Not eating well.  I flew with very little money - my debit card had been frozen that day (details over at Mom to the Screaming Masses) and I was afraid to spend all my money on one meal.
• Eating the wrong (i.e. no protein, high carb and fat) foods because they were cheaper
• Not traveling with my usual stash of oatmeal, protein powder, peanut butter and nuts.
• Not eating breakfast the next day.

Of course, if could just be that I'm getting old, and my body is betraying me. 

I hope I've learned my lesson and no one up there feels like I need another struggle!

Sixteen Ways To Motivation

As seen in Fitness Rx, February 2009.  I wrote my answers next to each tip.  Which of these worked for you?

1. Weigh yourself every day.  Did not do this until I'd reached my goal, did it for a while, stopped.
2. Make a public service announcement about your weight loss plans.  Did not do this.
3. Believe you can be successful. Did this.
4. Read inspirational stories about women who successfully lost weight. Did not do this.
5. Set realistic goals. Did this.  2 pounds a week.
6. Follow a program. Did not do this.
7. Eat only when you are hungry. Did this.
8. Keep a weight loss diary. Did this.
   
9. Diet with a friend. Did not do this.
10. Look in the mirror nude every day.  Did not do this before, do it now.
11. Take pictures.  Did not do it before, do it now.
12. Join a weight loss support group.  Did not do this.
13. Get the support of your significant other.  Did not seek this out.
14. Hang out with thinner people.  Did not do this, and I think it's actually stupid. Friends are friends, not weight.
15. Watch tv shows about weigh loss, diet and exercise. Nope.  Now I do, though.
    
16. Give your "fat" clothes to charity. Didn't do this until I actually HAD fat clothes, but now they are all gone.

As The Season Begins

I'm speaking, of course, about The Biggest Loser. It began again tonight, and, for a change from last season, I'm liking it. I didn't like the last season at all.  I know that the premise of the show is, of course, competition.  That's the draw of it.  In seasons past, the competition was not cut throat, at least not until the end.  The last season, though - it was bitter and nasty and I didn't even watch the last four weeks - it just really made me uncomfortable. 

What' I've seen so far, though, seems a bit more "We all have an issue and we need to work together, so let's cheer each other on."  I don't know if it'll last, but it was a nicer episode than any of the last season. For now, I'll keep watching.

What was really illuminating for me was watching the weigh ins.  This group of people is the heaviest of any season.  Which goes along with what Bob said in the beginning, and what, coincidentally, I heard Dr. Oz say - America is the heaviest it has ever been.  We are the fattest nation.  I liked watching it with my kids - it really hit close to home for me.  So many times, I just want a cookie or a bowl of pasta, and I think to myself, "It's just one bowl.  I really work hard, I can cheat once in a while."  And it's true - one bowl isn't a big deal.  But it's a slippery slope, and one bowl can lead to another and another - I certainly didn't plan on weighing over 200 pounds before I was 35.  I truly didn't see it coming, like so many people. 

Are you a fan of The Biggest Loser? What did you think of the first episode? 

So, I've got NADA

and am feeling completely uninspired over here. I feel like I've got no new information to share with you, no recipes or tricks or facts or new exercises.  I do have a DVD to review, but I actually have to DO the exercise before I can tell you about it.  At least I think that's the way it works.

I'm still taking capoeira and loving it. I started Muy Thai with a friend and get my ass handed to me twice weekly.  It helps that I work with her and can take out my aggressions.  (Just kidding!) I'm still walking and running at least four times a week - my mileage in June was over 73 miles, so that's pretty good.  A brief detour into eating Mexican for four days added some extra weight- about 5 pounds -  but I'm back down to 135.  Still eating salads and lots of veggies, fruits and lean protein. Still doing heavy weight training three times a week.  On week 3 of the push up challenge, having completed 30 pushups on the test. 

What would you like to see?  What have you been doing?  What is the new exercise/food/idea that you are dying to share with the class?

In which I channel a deep and introspective persona

I received a few personal emails, asking why I'm so freaked out about having surgery.  One, from a person who has known me for quite a while, chastised me.  You are making a mountain out of a molehill, said he.  Plenty of people the world over have surgery every day, for much more major stuff, some even in worse conditions, and they survive just fine.  Buck up, buttercup.  Quit whining and complaining and get back to your exercise.   I swear, you are so melodramatic. And stop it with the weight talk.

Swear to goodness.  Actual email from someone I know well.  Posted here with his permission. I've already addressed it with him - oh boy, have I - but I thought you all might want to hear it as well. 

So, here's my background.  My brother in law died when he had surgery.  A mom at my church, with kids my own kids ages, goes into the hospital for routine surgery - she'd had the same surgery a month or so before.  She has a reaction to the anesthesia, suffers brain damage, remains in a vegetative state for quite a while, and dies. I attend a fancy dinner this weekend, and sit with two people.  These people have in common the fact that their mothers are deceased.  Why?  Coincidentally, both died during surgery.  One for a hernia. 

I have had one surgery in my life, when I was 17.  That's it.  So, I haven't much base to go on, so pardon me if I freak out a bit, um'kay?

As far as the "weight" talk, well, huh.  Realistically, I know that it takes a long time to put on weight.  When I had a stress fracture over the summer, when I tore my IT band during the half marathon, when I broke my toe - all of those incapacitated me, and I was worried about gaining weight.  Each time, I did gain a bit, but I was able to lose it.  I know that will be the scenario again.  I just don't have a basis of surgical experience to go on - I do have an injury history and know how my body heals with that.  I absolutely agree that I need the rest - the foot with the badly healed stress fracture is achey again and I think it needs time to heal.

I want to thank those of you who took the time to reassure me.  I'm a big baby, I know, but feelings are feelings - I can't change them and I can't control them but by God I can blog about them.

Now, if I could figure out a way to get another tattoo and a bikini wax while under anesthesia, I'd be allllll set.

Survey says:

When I was at the Johnson and Johnson event a few weeks ago, I heard a very interesting fact - one that I would love to share with you, and see if you agree.

On a BabyCenter poll, 7,000 first time moms were asked about their experiences with baby weight.  Of the 7,000, more than half thought that they'd lose the so called "baby weight" within the first year.  At the end of two years, more than half of those first time moms still had weight to lose.

What was your "baby weight" experience?  If you don't fit this demographic, I'm sorry to subject you to this. 

I had no weight to lose my first pregnancy.  My second, about fifteen pounds - which I never lost.  My third I had growth retardation and so gained nothing.  My fourth - a plus 15 or so as well, and so on and so on.  I didn't lose it until my last child was two. I certainly fit this bill, and yet, with celebrities like J Lo and Nicole Ritchie returning to pre baby weight in six weeks, it's tough to struggle with this issue.  If you are, know that you aren't alone.

The score is Life 10, Carmen 0

The day started off so well.

I was off work, I got a pedicure, I went to lunch.  I knew that I needed to be at the class at 6.  Various times were given to me - Mapquest said 3.5 hours, my teacher said 2.5, my mother opined that it was at least 5. My oldest son was going with me and he had a big Honors World History test last bell, so I planned to pick him up at 2:30 - end of school - and we'd leave from there.

By the time we were on the road, it was 3.  We traveled until 5, when the traffic just.stopped.  We waited for 45 minutes, with me tapping my feet all the way.  I finally arrived at 6:45, and that's when the drama started.  I didn't have my uniform on, and so I needed to change.  I also had to pee.  I checked in and was sent to the bathroom - a line of people awaited.  My classmates all called to me, and I quickly ran upstairs to use the other bathroom - locked.  If I didn't have to pee so bad, I'd have just changed in public and called it a day. I had to run back down the stairs and get back to the (thankfully) open, dirty restroom.  150 people, mostly men - one toilet.  You do the math.

Nerves

My capoeira belt rank test is Saturday.  I have to drive four hours away to take it, take a workshop the day before, sleep over night, and then test with about 150 other people.  Or so.

I'm nervous.  I don't think I'll make rank.  And I really want to.

Any words of wisdom?

___________________

Yes, I know - I still owe answers to your questions.  As soon as I come up for air from the realities of my life, I PROMISE I'll Get It Done.

Why we feel the way we feel

No real answers, just questions that I invite you to respond to in your own way.  I don't agree with all of them, but I'm VERY interested in your responses.

Why do we, as women, despise our bodies so?  Or do we really, just following along with society?

Why do men find their bodies funny?  I mean, they laugh when they fart and nothing ever really horrifies them.

Why do we equate thinness with optimum?

Why do we punish ourselves with exorbitant amounts of exercise to make up for dietary indiscretions?

Why do we, as women, equate smaller pants size with larger self worth?

Breakthrough thoughts and much contemplation.

Discuss, if you will. 

True Confessions, once again

Gah, could I have picked more depressing categories in that little drop down menu? 

I'd like to thank you for all of your advice with regards to my last entry.  Part of my trouble has to do with what happened last week.  I didn't share it with you, because I'm still processing it and I'm not certain how I feel.  But I'm going to give it a whirl here.  Advice and input is always welcome - assvice is not. 

I haven't been sleeping well for a long time.  I've been taking melatonin, which helps, but I don't like to take it until I can get at good nights sleep, because I'm afraid to be unable to function the next day.  So I've been working on a sleep deficit.  Part of THAT stems from the fact that I wait to write until the kids are in bed and I get all my work done, which means I don't sit down until after 9 or in some cases 10.  Which means bed has been 11 or 12, and I'm up at 5:15.  Pair that with uneven sleep patterns and you can see where the trouble started.  That's the background.

Monday I got up and went to the gym,where I did some really heavy weight work.  I had capoeira at night and got to bed around midnight. Tuesday after work I went running, but I felt punky.  I wasn't able to run the entire way, but I compensated by walking longer than I'd planned - I went six miles instead of 4.  When I got home, I was wiped out, but in a good way.  When I woke Wednesday, I was exhausted. I wasn't able to pop up and felt wiped out - my legs felt like lead.  I usually feel tired, but by the time I'm halfway through the weight work, I am awake and peppy.

Not so Wednesday.  I was barely able to complete the reps and wondered, briefly, if I was coming down with something. Mostly, I felt a disconnect.  I was slow and just out of it all day.  When I got off work, I went home and slept for 30 minutes. After I picked up the kids, I slept for another hour. When I woke up, I felt like crap and just sat on the sofa.