November Totals
* Run/Walk: 14.7 miles
* Swim: 3900yds
* Cycling: 95.0 miles
* Strength Sessions: 17 (detail: 17 quad sets for PT, 8 core, 9 upper body)
* Races: nada
Thoughts Looking Back
* I dedicated this month to knee rehab and followed through with it by doing rehab strength stuff 4 times per week. I do believe that the Gym Queen tiara was well earned! And it's paid off with improvement in my knee. Boooyah!
* I feel okay about my Swim & Run/Walk volume.
* I'm quite pleased that I got back out on the bike. Actually planned to ride today and bring the total over a hundred miles for the month, but it's too windy for my liking so I bagged it. Yes, I'm a weather wimp.
Thoughts Looking Forward
* Jingle Bell 5K is this coming Saturday. That will be interesting.
* I've drafted goals for 2009 and will share in a separate post
* I need to lose weight.
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Part 2 - "It's my Blog and I'll Whine if I Want to"It doesn't help my self esteem one bit that the ladies in my running group are teeny tiny little things. Four of them (not one...not two...not three...but FOUR) wear a women's size extra small. Did you catch that? Small is too big for them, they need EXTRA small. Sigh.
And then there's the fact that I live with a family of stick people. I've uploaded a picture of Daughter (It doesn't seem possible that there's room for all of her organs inside that tiny waist of hers, but the doctors say she's perfectly healthy with all parts accounted for.) and I from Thanksgiving.Son is 4 inches taller and even thinner than his sister. And Husband is tall and thin too. Bastages!
Then there's me, resembling the Pillsbury Doughboy. I'm approximately 10-12 lbs over my target weight...all in the midsection.
If I had hips, I think I'd be actually be well proportioned. But without hips to balance things out, I'm just pudgy.
Here's a photo of Son & I making apple pie earlier this week. I realize it's not the most flattering photo, but it does demonstrate my body shape (and his tall thin-ness). Wide shoulders, narrow hips, no waist. See? I'm not making this stuff up.
I know that I need to stop whining about it and do something.
The problem is that I have no idea where to start. I get that it's a matter of calories in vs. calories out, but I've never been successful at losing weight. So any suggestions would be appreciated.
First off great numbers this month Lisa! Even with PT you made do in the gym and added more cycling and there is a lot to be said for that.
ReplyDeleteAbout the body. We are always our own worst critics. I think you look great and with those numbers you are surely healthy. for me the weight has been a life long battle and will always be one. WeWa has always worked for me when i follow it of course.
If they ever learn how to ass transplants, we should never meet because I would literally kill for your legs and ass! Fabulous, my girl, simply fabulous!
ReplyDeleteBut I certainly understand that how you FEEL about your body is WAY more important than how it looks to others.
Here is what I have been doing. I have lost about 8 pounds of the 15 I gained back. Now, it certainly isn't flying off me, but at least it is headed in the right direction.
I have been logging all of my food and exercise at the dailyplate (now a livestrong thing) http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/users/myplate/
I do the exercise there for calorie purposes only. I still use buckeyeoutdoors.com for my real log workout log.
I am doing Jenny Craig for food, but it is not geared for athletes at all. I would be killing and devouring small children at 1200 calories a day. So I go by the daily plate's calculated calories (minus about 500-700 cal depending on the workout day. I think it is too high) I mainly do Jenny Craig for food because I don't have kids, I hate to cook, and I have no control when it comes to portions.
Great job on your totals and you are truly the Gym Queen!! I bow to thee!
i agree with Viv, you look great. I know how you feel though, i have my mom's body shape, short and if i didn't workout a lot, round...while my dad and brother are tall and lean. Drives me crazy. You had an amazing month! All that with a rehabing knee, you should be proud :) Good luck next Saturday if i don't chat with ya before then!
ReplyDeleteLISA..
ReplyDeletehey there... I love that you have been the gym freak and you have been kicking some gym asssssss!!!
I find that if I don't workout out..its hell to pay for this old body...
Well first of all, your kids are teenagers. Teens have fast metabolisms, and I don't think comparing yourself to them is very fair. Secondly, I think you look great! Lastly, it can sometimes be a downer to run with the skinny-mcskinners since you too are working just as hard, but it's just something we all have to come to accept: We all have different bodies and there's no one "runner" bod.
ReplyDeleteYou're strong and healthy and that's what's most important. Just look at those Nov numbers to prove it!
I recommend that as a first step you stop the picture taking/critical analyzing part of the process.
ReplyDeleteWe do what we can with what have and always keep rocking.
You are doing just fine.
You look great. We are always our own worse critics, but seriously you look NOTHING like a doughboy! Great job on the cross training. Glad the knee is feeling better!
ReplyDeleteYour November looks pretty good. I don't know what to tell you about the weight loss. I struggle myself, but I just really need to watch portions and what it is I am eating in general.
ReplyDeleteI agree with every single comment above. Your November tally looks great and you look great, too. But to be perfectly and brutally honest: I don't really care how you look! :-) I like how you write and ride and run and take care of your family and give encouragement to others. :-) I would like you just the same, ten kilos more or less. :-)
ReplyDeleteBut if you insist on advice, the ONLY thing that works for me is what RBR suggested. Log your food. That's the only way to really see black on white if cal in is really less than cal out.
Way to stick to your rehab plan!
ReplyDeleteAnd I too think we are our worst critic when it comes to our bodies. We'll never be satisfied with what we have. I prefer to use body fat measurements over the scale to determine whether I need to make changes. If I've put on some muscle, I want to keep it!
You are sooooo not a doughboy.
ReplyDeleteYou look great!!! Even from the back! And that is an accomplishment!
You look a lot healthier than your kids, and I am not just saying that.
Your numbers are great this month. Just keep doing what you're doing. It will happen.
I do get where you are coming from though. Extra-small?!?! Come on! I don't think I ever wore even a small. Unless it was in men's. Haha.
Yup, self critic. I certainly identify with being too hard on yourself which I think you are being in this instance.
ReplyDeleteHowever it is how you feel and hopefully you will get away from that somewhat because, as someone said here, a lot of what you do is encourage others and you walk the walk you don't just talk the talk when it comes to working out.
I also think as Shirley said that bodyfat is a better measure to keep track of things than weight. That and how your clothes fit and how you look in them which in my opinion you look great!
ITA agree with what everyone else has already said. YOU LOOK GREAT!!
ReplyDeleteI do know how you feel though. It's really hard not to feel that way when you have super thin peeps in the house. While I don't think I'm fat, in comparison to my sister I think "What tha?! We both came from the same gene pool. Why is she 20 pounds lighter?!" LOL We are our own worst critics.
You are hardly pudgy!! I think you look great!! You had some very solid numbers last month too. :-)
ReplyDeleteI don't think you are pudgy at all. I'm not bless with a bean pole physique either, but I'll keep working on it :-)
ReplyDeleteI def. don't think you look pudgy in those pictures! But if you want to drop some pounds you're right about the calories in and calories out stuff...I don't have good advice on how to make it work though. I've found eating a big salad at lunch really helps me, but that's about the best I've got.
ReplyDeleteGirl - no pics can even begin to capture the phenomenal November tally you posted!
ReplyDeleteNothing like a new year to motivate us all!
ReplyDeleteOur bodies are such a work in progress. And plus, I always tell my husband that skinny does not equal fit. Every time he sees a skinny chick in a bathing suit on TV, he's always like, "She has a good body." But of course, I tell him that just because she's skinny doesn't mean she's fit. Fitness is 110% better than skinny.
My 2cents: write down what you eat, if you start looking around for food after dinner, stop and go to sleep! Remember that the weight didn't come in overnight and it's going to take time to get the weight off. And best of all, embrace your curves right now! Love yourself for all that you have gained through exercise!
Losing that last 10 pounds is always the hardest. You might need to shock your system to jumpstart losing those last few pounds with more intensity. That might be difficult to do if you knee is still causing you problems, but explosive training and intervals will help your body burn more calaries after the workout than more conservative workouts.
ReplyDeleteYou are soooo not a dough boy! Look at all that activity you're doing. Your heart and lungs and muscles know how hard you work.
ReplyDeleteDon't compare yourself to others. So many of them would kill to be able to run/swim/cycle that much in a YEAR much less in a single month.
You are looking great, homie.
ReplyDeleteDough Boy? Pu-LEEZ! No way! We are always our own worst critics, and I agree with the folks above totally - you can't compare yourself to teenagers, or even other runners. Everyone has their own body shape/genetics to contend with - and I'd be willing to bet that some of those extra small gals wish they had a bit more to their bods to fill out clothes sometimes. Grass is always greener.
ReplyDeleteAnyhow, if you aren't pleased with the way you FEEL, then I'd say take things one step at a time (that PT went a long way for your rehab, so you know how one step at a time can get you where you want to go!) and you can reach your goal. 10-12 lbs is doable for an active gal like you! RBR's plan looks like a healthy way to go.
I think you look great!! Whatever size you are I bet I would LOVE to be in it! I understand though about wanting to be happy at whatever size that needs to be...if that makes sense.
ReplyDelete