This Klutzy Old Gal Trail Runs

Accountability day is here again. Let's take care of the boring stuff first. At the WW meeting we were asked to assess ourselves with some questions which included the following:
1. Did you lose, gain, or stay the same? (+.4)
2. How often did you track? (I didn't track for two or more days. But I was camping with my brothers and their wives, and I gave myself permission not to track! )
3. Did you stay within your daly Points Plus Target? (Most days...those days I didn't track while camping - I didn't go crazy but I enjoyed myself!)

Amazingly enough,  the people who tracked most days and stayed in the Points Plus target were the ones who lost! No kidding!  That will be me next week! (Hope springs eternal!) Oh well. I don't stress about about a week where I went camping and had a .4 pound gain. Life is just too short.

Although one would think that if you went for a 10 mile run during a camping trip, that should have canceled out most of the desserts and bacon! We were at Belknap Springs, a most beautiful place on the McKenzie River, which boasts two swimming pools filled with deliciously hot water from the hot springs nearby.

I love hiking along rivers. We group hiked Saturday morning, then I indulged my love of trail running along the river. What, a klutzy old gal like you thinks she can run 10 miles on a river trail, you gasp? How many bones did you break? Ankles sprained? Bruises or contusions at the very least?

I loved every mile of this trail. It was an awesome experience, if a bit nerve wracking.  I never claimed to be graceful. I regularly trip on tree roots and rocks while hiking (who am I kidding, I trip on my own feet while walking through my house), so as I jogged down the trail, I was constantly reminding myself to pick up my feet and be alert and vigilant for tripping hazards at all times, even while observing all the beauty around me.

 There were many fun bridges to cross.

 I met quite a few bike riders. They were pushing or carrying their bikes across some of the bridges.

 There were some fabulous specimens of mushrooms.

 You should have seen me run like the wind across this bridge.

 Just kidding. That was just a log. None of the bridges made me nervous. They were very secure. The snake that slithered in front of me made me nervous.

A gentle rain was falling during part of the run, but by the time it filtered through the canopy of forest above me, I barely felt it. My turn around spot was at a "Day Use area", and I decided to check out a lower trail before I headed back. Wouldn't you know, as I ran along, I caught a glimpse of several people in some hot springs along the river ahead of me, who may or may not have been wearing any clothing, and who were smoking something highly suspicious. That made me nervous too. I turned and hightailed it back to the upper trail.

So, did I manage to run 10 miles of trail without tripping and falling, you're wondering? Well, yes and no. I had to walk through two brief areas that were very rocky, but other than stopping for a few photos, I ran. And while I didn't fall, it was only due to my lightening quick reactions each time I tripped and felt the thrilling terror of hurtling forward toward the ground. Apparently I'm highly skilled at staggering pell mell full speed ahead with nothing but wildly windmilling arms and sheer force of will keeping myself upright. Three times! Good grief. 

My husband gave a big sigh of relief when I showed up back at the RV, 2 hours and 14 minutes after I left. I'm pretty sure he expected to have to mount a rescue mission before it was over. He had been patiently waiting for me to go to the hot pool for a wonderful soak. So awesome. Wouldn't that be a great way to relax after every long run!

Anyone want to drive down to the McKenzie for a nice run next weekend? Actually I'm thinking maybe McDonald Forest. It's fun to put some variety in the routes!

And to close it up for the week, here's one of my favorite scriptures that mentions rivers.

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." Isaiah 43:2,3

Ok, just one more:

"Oh that you had listened to my commands!

      Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river 

           and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea." Isaiah 48:18

Weekly Rundown

Finally, a happy dance kind of weigh in. After a week of carefully tracking points throughout my days and earning 51 activity points which remained unused, I reaped the reward.

Loss this week: 3.6  (making my 3 week total a whopping 3.8!) Yay!
Pounds to my new goal:  5.8 (I think. I'll evaluate when I get closer.)

I've given a lot of thought to the mental aspect of disciplined eating for healthy enjoyment vs. eating whatever I feel like with reckless abandon. It's so hard to change the mindset from using food to relieve boredom, pain, and disappointment, or to celebrate;  to change my self talk from "I can't eat just one", "I'll do better tomorrow but right now I can't pass on this opportunity to pig out on this great food", "Why even try, I'll just fail eventually anyway." People who don't struggle with food addiction have no idea how food can constantly be calling your name, tempting you, making you feel like you have to eat something now.

The good news is, I've noticed that after a period of disciplined eating that includes only occasional moderate portions of one of my many personal weaknesses (desserts!),  that constant temptation ebbs and I almost feel like I'm in a different zone where self-control is much easier. I felt it this week when I bought a box of Krispy Kremes from a fundraiser at school. I had planned ahead to spend 5 WWP+ and have one. I gave away a bunch and brought four home to my husband. Now, there have been times in my life when there is no way I could go down the road with a box of Krispy Kremes on the seat next to me and keep my mitts out of them. But they didn't even call my name. I was happy with the one I'd had earlier (warmed 12 seconds in the microwave of course and accompanied by a cup of coffee). I was in THE ZONE, baby. Oh, how I long to stay in THE ZONE!

But the bad news is, I've also noticed that a few too many indulgences of sweets or chips can knock me out of that Zone and put me right back into craving stuff that does not satisfy me, because the more I eat, the more I want! All the more reason to stay committed to healthy eating and moderation in all things!

 I've still been thinking a lot about Psalm 36 the past few weeks, and I looked up other versions of verse 8. "They relish and feast on the abundance of Your house; and You cause them to drink of the stream of Your pleasures."  Psalm 36:8 (Amplified Version) What does that mean, exactly? I'd love to hear your thoughts. I just know that I want to "relish and feast" on the things of God, the things that truly satisfy me deep down inside and lead to eternal life, instead of on the temporary pleasures in life.

Oh and speaking of temporary pleasures....I found myself craving a longer run this week, after all that talk about how I hated long runs. What is wrong with me? I just had to go 9 miles on Saturday, and not even one mile was torture. I even felt like it might be kind of fun to keep going.  It's still unbelievable to me how great running can make me feel. I'm going to go ahead and indulge that pleasure as long as my body stays strong. I am so thankful that I am blessed with good health and no injuries, and I am committed to doing my part to keep it that way.

Have a great week and go ahead and be a loser like me if you want!

Disappointment

Disappointment. On weigh-in day, the truth comes out.

No matter how many excuses I make for overeating, no matter how I try to justify that an excessive amount of something really good for you won't matter, on weigh-in day, it all catches up with me.

I really didn't mean to eat all the yummy leftover Caprese Salad - oh, that fresh mozzarella on sliced garden tomatoes with basil leaves and a little basalmic/olive oil drizzled over it. Those leftover slices just wouldn't be that great tomorrow...I didn't mean to eat all of them...but they disappeared so I must have...

Yep, the old feet were in the trough again several times last week. I was over my WWP+ goal most days, resulting in a weigh-in of + .8 pounds on Tuesday.

As I weighed in, the Weight Watchers leader Kim asked me she could ask me some questions during the meeting. The topic was, "Do you believe you can maintain your goal weight for the rest of your life?" The first question she asked me was, "How did you feel before you joined Weight Watchers?"

I was tired. I would come home from work exhausted and just want to sit on the couch. My feet hurt. I had Plantar Fasciitis, and sometimes my feet were absolutely killing me. I hated the way the rolls around my waistline felt when I sat down. I hated the way my clothes fit. I hated feeling out of control.

"What helped you believe you could succeed?"

It took awhile for me to believe that I could succeed. I joined Weight Watchers when it became free with our insurance in October 2010 and we had an at-work meeting. Since I was still at work during the meeting, I usually weighed in but couldn't stay. The program changed from Points to Points Plus and it was hard to make the switch. I made a lot of excuses and didn't really stick to the program, losing about 10 pounds in a year.

I had a cancer scare and felt convicted to live a more healthy lifestyle and do my part to take care of the body God gave me. I got inspired when I watched Biggest Loser for the first time and decided to kick-start the weight loss by exercising as much as I could fit into my schedule for six weeks, by actually following the WW eating plan (tracking and counting points and eating healthy food) and going to a lunch time meeting. I joined a gym and set a goal to do 1-2 hours of exercise 6 days a week for 6 weeks.

"What did you accomplish once you started believing success was possible?"

I started on Nov. 7, 2011, and six weeks later was down 18 pounds. I continued regular workouts and sticking to "the Plan," and on June 11, 2012, met my goal weight, a total of 56 pounds. Strangely enough, during the next six weeks while trying to maintain, I lost another 7 pounds, so when I did my final weigh-in for Lifetime, I set my goal weight 5 pounds lower than originally planned.

I also found discovered activities I love that make me feel great, like Zumba and running. When I get off work, I'm excited to go for a run or to an exercise class. Two years ago, I would never have even wanted to run a half marathon, much less believe that I was capable of doing it.

"How do you keep nurturing that belief so it stays strong?"

I feel so much better, mentally, physically, and emotionally when I am living a healthy lifestyle that includes exercise, good nutrition and a healthy weight. I am determined not to let the old habits come back, and not to give up when I experience failures. To keep my free Lifetime Weight Watcher status, I have to weigh in within 2 pounds of the goal weight once a month. I've been struggling to make weight for months, going to the last meeting of the month, starving myself the day before to try to make the weight, and I wasn't going to make it this month. I finally decided to re-join and get back to the bottom range of my goal weight so that I could go to a meeting every single week without paying a penalty if I was over. After being at a meeting the last two weeks, I realize once again how encouraging and helpful it is to be accountable and spend time with other people who understand and face the same struggles I do. So I'm committed to being a regular meeting attender again.

Another way to nurture that belief is this blog. I enjoy writing, and there's no better way to reinforce what I learn and believe that to write about it as I live it.

This week's favorite healthy treat:  Baked pears, drizzled with a bit of maple syrup, generously sprinkled with cinnamon, then microwaved. Yum! Top with a creamy dollop of vanilla yogurt and what a treat! Pears are delicious baked or fresh, and I thank my friend Candace for the lovely box of pears from her mother's tree.

Last week's goals: I stuck to all but #3. I ate up most of my Activity Points. What a pig. Oops, negative self talk is not acceptable. Stop it.

This week's goal:
All of last week's with one addition: Do better about tracking before or immediately after I eat. It's too easy to forget to track if I wait.

So, I disappointed myself last week. I'm doing much better this week, tracking every day and keeping the points where they need to be. But no doubt, I will again disappoint myself and others, as well as be disappointed by others, many more times in my life. Thankfully, my faith is not in myself, but in the One who will never disappoint me.

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,
       his mercies never come to an end;
  they are new every morning;
        great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Skinny Enough to Eat Cookies!

Today as I was browsing the cookie aisle at Fred Meyer looking for the best value for the money to feed a few hundred parents and kids at our school open house tomorrow,  a portly elderly gentleman pushed his cart down the aisle toward me and remarked, "You're skinny enough to go ahead and eat those cookies!

My immediate response was, "Oh, I'm not buying them for me!"

"Sure," he chuckled. "That's what I tell myself too. I have to buy them for my grandkids!"

I proceeded to fill my basket to overflowing with packages of cookies, and next thing I know, he's coming back down the aisle. When he saw how many cookies I had, he looked so pleased and said, "Hey, I really got you going, didn't I!"

What is the best answer?
1. No, really, I don't even have grandkids, this is for a school open house!"
2. Yep, next time you see me in the cookie aisle, you own't recognize me. You'll be telling me I'm too fat to eat any cookies!
3. Fill in the blanks:___________________________.

Oddly enough, at yesterday's  Weight Watchers meeting we talked about cookies and what a temptation they are!

I also realized how stupid it was to immediately deny that I was buying cookies, instead of accepting the "compliment" with a smile and a thank you. If you're losing weight (or even if you're not), you may notice that a gracious "Thank you" just doesn't always come naturally when someone compliments you. But say it anyway! You don't need to point out how far you still have to go, or the fact that you still have fat rolls around your belly, or that you still have a big butt! Just say, "Thank you!" You will make the complimenter feel good and you will feel better too! And that is my tip for the day! (You're welcome!)

I'm started my weigh-in day weekly post yesterday but got home too late and am too brain dead to finish it tonight so I whipped this out for now. I'll post the other one soon. Hang in there!

Trying to keep my feet out of the trough....

I love occasions like tonight when I'm out for an evening run and the eastern sky glows with pink clouds on one side of the road 

 while on the other side, the western sky is also lit with color from the setting sun. At least half the fun of running is the beauty of the changing skies and country around me.

My goal is to be accountable here to post each Tuesday or Wednesday. Tuesday is Weight Watcher's meeting/weigh in day during my lunch break.  Today when the meeting leader asked for people to share their success this week, I got to say that I tracked every single day for the first time in ages. (I didn't mention my super-duper excessive points day!) I used all 49 of the extra weekly WW Points+ as well as about half the activity points, but managed to lose one pound. I was encouraged by a chat with a friend there who I hadn't seen in awhile who also said nice things about my son, so that's always a bonus!

Another confession: Maybe I kinda over indulged in some very sweet and delicious watermelon. .I got it out for dessert after dinner the other day and helped myself to a generous portion, and my loving husband remarked with a grin, "Got both feet in the trough again, huh?" I fixed him with an icy unsmiling glare. I felt obliged to tell him, "If your goal is to make me extremely annoyed with you, then you just succeeded." There is just nothing good that can come from a remark like that! He recognized the error of his ways and apologized for his inappropriate remark. He's a good man.

This week's favorite healthy lunch:  Garden tomatoes are at their flavorful best, which means it's BLT time. I had a shrimp BLT sandwich that was SO very delicious! I used just one piece of bacon on a toasted Sandwich Thin whole wheat bun (the Fred Meyer brand has only 2 PP instead of 3 like the other brands), put some lemon juice and a little bit of Light Ranch dressing on the baby shrimp, added thick red tomato slices and some lettuce as well a couple thin slices of avocado. Amazing!!

Activity Points: I wear an "ActiveLink" activity tracker that works with the Weight Watchers eTools and calculates how many activity points I earn a day. While maintaining, I can eat the extra points it gives me, but while losing, I try not to use them so I can lose faster. My goal is to earn 7 points per day. I didn't make that every day, but had 54 points for the week. As long as I average 7 per day, I consider my goal met. I ran 15.1 miles last week, making a total 559 this year.  I'm at 79% of my goal to run 700 miles this year.

With the changing season and my busy time at work upon me, it's a challenge to get the run in before dark, especially if there is something going on in the evening. Tomorrow evening, we are looking forward to a visit from Will's cousin Juanita from Idaho, and the boys are joining us for dinner. So I plan to take a brisk walk during my lunch break, because I'll miss my Wednesday strength training/Zumba class. But hopefully, I will make it to my friend Mindy Droke's Zumba toning class at 5:30 Thursday at the new Caliente Fitness at the mall.

How was was your week? Any successes you want to tell us about? Any yummy healthy seasonal food ideas to share?

Goals for next week:
1. Keep planning ahead to make sure I eat healthy and get in my workouts.
2. Track every day.
3. Don't use up any of the Activity Points.
4. Think about this when I run:

"Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
      your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
    your justice like the great deep.
    You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.
How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
   People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house;
   you give them drink from your river of delights.
For with you is the fountain of life
   in your light we see light."
Psalm 36:5-9