iChan: 38th Best... Around...: April 2011

What a Grumpy Bear!

April 27^th's Results

The scale reads: 144 lbs. (Analog scale... total lies) Goal: 127 lbs.

The awesome pedometer reads: 5099 steps (0 aerobic steps for 0 minutes), 2.01 mi., 139 calories

Other aerobic activities:

None - busy prepping for class

April 28^th's Results

The scale reads: 147 lbs. (Digital scale) Goal: 127 lbs.

The awesome pedometer reads: 10232 steps (6758 aerobic steps for 65 minutes), 4.03 mi., 284 calories

Other aerobic activities:

Cheryl Burke's Disco Abs - I Will Survive Cardio (30 minutes)
Cheryl Burke's Disco Abs - The Beginner Hustle (12 minutes)
Walking at Independence Park

Yesterday's Results

The scale reads: 146 lbs. (Digital scale) Goal: 127 lbs.

The awesome pedometer reads: 9129 steps (1507 aerobic steps for 16 minutes), 3.6 mi., 260 calories

Other aerobic activities:

None - busy getting stuff done on a computer

Image courtesy of Cosmetic Candy

It's been another roller coaster week! Some days I'm just an awesome blossom with walking and keeping up with some kind of aerobic activity. The other days I'm a sedentary something-that-rhymes-with-sedentary. It's no surprise I can't stay on the lower end of the 140-150 lbs. range.

I'm glad I almost reached my 2 hours of aerobics goal this week. I am just shy a couple of minutes. It's better than last week.

I'm glad I have 2 more days in this week to try and make some progress towards my walking and aerobics goals for the week. I'm not doing too bad with the walking. In previous weeks, I would average maybe 3,000 steps (I'm just guessing since I didn't have a pedometer). What would help me reach both my walking and aerobics goal is a Treadmill desk.

Treadmill desks are costly (some start at ~$1700). I came across a blog that expounds on the wonders of this thing. The fellow lost 16 lbs. under 2 years walking at about 1 mph whenever he was at the desk. He even brags having to eat more. Wow! There was even an entry about making your own treadmill desk by purchasing a treadmill and attaching your own desk. I'm not too savvy with the power tools (I'm still clumsy like an awkward growing teenager with no true dexterity in their fingers) so I'm definitely not trying this at home.

Oh, who am I kidding? I'm a pretty grumpy bear about not being more active.

Overdoing It?

Yesterday's/Today's Results

The scale reads: 144 lbs. (Analog scale - lies?) Goal: 127 lbs.

The awesome pedometer reads: 11190 steps (5515 aerobic steps for 56 minutes), 4.41 mi., 319 calories

Other aerobic activities:

Cheryl Burke's Disco Abs - Boogie Oogie Buns & Thighs (20 minutes)
Cheryl Burke's Disco Abs - That's the Way I Like It Abs (5 minutes)
Fat-Blasting Latin Dance Mix - Salsa, Merengue, Tango (30 minutes)

Eh... yeah, I think I overdid it today with the aerobics and walking. I felt like I need to make up for the last week. I should've been complacent with the 20 minutes of Disco Abs. Something made me want to do more.

I feel mighty stressed though because I still haven't got some things done. It was a good release when I was exercising, but now I'm further behind.

I should head to la la land and tackle stuff early in the morn. It's going to be a long day tomorrow. Sleep was better yesterday, but I still didn't feel well-rested.

Sleep, Caffeine, and Walking

Yesterday's/Today's Results

The scale reads: 148 lbs. (Digital Scale) Goal: 127 lbs.

The awesome pedometer reads: 10485 steps (4057 aerobic steps for 42 minutes), 4.13 mi., 301 calories

Other aerobic activities:

None - too absorbed on playing catch up

I didn't get good quality sleep last night (again). My adrenaline is through the roof right now so I can't exactly get to sleeping right now either. I'm experiencing a horrible caffeine high from a horrible (near-impulse) purchase at Starbucks about 6 hours ago. I absolutely cannot function with coffee in my system. I should've heeded the warnings from The Oatmeal's 15 Things Worth Knowing About Coffee

Image courtesy of The Oatmeal

Poor circulation. Racing heartbeats. Anxiety!

I had a last minute meeting at Starbucks this evening to take advantage of the free Wifi. I felt bad for not making a purchase while taking up space there so I went ahead with a cocoa cappuccino. I thought if I got a foo-foo thing, tall, it wouldn't be that bad. Oh, buddy. I would be producing an abnormal EKG right now - dub dub lub dub lub dub lub dub...

That's not the only horrible thing. I have horrible deja vu. I received another donation solicitation from the American Heart Association (AHA), but this time they gave up on me. They simply did not care to send any carrots (Whoa! No more mailing labels?). They just flat out asked for a donation. On the flip side of the solicitation was a promotion about Start!. I think I signed up for the program when a friend had participated in an AHA walk, but I didn't keep up with it. Texans do not contribute to this website or have any active events going on. I guess Texans need to realize that:

Heart disease is this country's No.1 killer. But by exercising for as little as 30 minutes each day you can reduce your risk. That's what the Start! Movement is all about:

Walk more. Eat better. Live a longer, healthier life.

Research has shown that you can gain about two hours of life for every hour of regular vigorous exercise you do.

I guess it's a divine sign to get more walking in by my own efforts. Texans don't seem to have the time organize a walk sponsored by the AHA.

Weekend Reflection

April 22 ^nd's Results

The scale reads: --- lbs. (Didn't bother tracking this weekend since I was out of town) Goal: 127 lbs.

The awesome pedometer reads: 11290 steps (2768 aerobic steps for 28 minutes), 4.45 mi., 314 calories

April 23 ^rd's Results

The awesome pedometer reads: 10368 steps (960 aerobic steps for 11 minutes), 4.09 mi., 312 calories

Yesterday's Results

The awesome pedometer reads: 4663 steps (0 aerobic steps for 0 minutes), 1.83 mi., 125 calories

This weekend was a blur! Kind sir took me to see WAR (it was a free concert so we couldn't pass it up!) and the rest of the weekend was history.

WAR - making music for 41 years!

I tried to start the weekend off with some lighter and "healthier" food fare:

Cheddar's Dijon Chicken with mushrooms, broccoli, and carrots

I opted for the grilled item instead of fried goodness and ate plenty of greens and orange items.

However, it went downhill the rest of the weekend with a buffet, fatty-'n'-fast breakfast items, a trip to Wendy's, a trip to McDonald's, Easter sweets, and a round of leftovers. I can't remember the last time I indulged in Easter sweets. I have less control at family gatherings when kids are present. Without the kids around, the adults don't really care for massive heaps of sugar highs and it limits the occurrence of overindulging on sweets. On the flip side, I think I ate more fruit than usual for a weekend.

The new pedometer has kept me content. I was able to achieve my 10k steps goal 70% of the weekend! What I love most about the pedometer is the fact that I can't carelessly reset it. If I need to clear the memory, I'll need to grab a ball-point pen or a thin toothpick-like thing to push down a button on the back. I also enjoy the 7-day memory feature. This feature makes it easier to keep records of my walking activity when I don't have consistent internet or forget to write down my daily records.

I decided to go back through my old entries and enter some labels to keep track of what I blog about. Some of the reoccurring topics are not surprising at all (e.g. food and goals that needs more action). What I was most surprised about was the lack of physical activity outside of attempting to walk 10k steps/day. I was under the false impression that I had spent more quality time with my workout DVD library than I really did. I find myself doing only 1 hour of aerobics/week on average.

Starting this week, I'll try to make a conscious effort to clock in at least 2 hours of aerobics during the week. On top of the 10k steps, of course. Whenever I do an aerobic workout, I do not have the pedometer on to force myself to walk some more on top of the aerobics to reach my 10k steps.

I also notice a couple blog entries mentioning sleep. I'm still not sleeping regularly or getting good quality sleep. Maybe this is another barrier to my weight loss. I guess it's time to scrutinize and re-evaluate my commitments and responsibilities to free up more time for sleep.

What do you do to ensure adequate time and good quality sleep?

Starting Off on the Right Foot

April 20^th's Results

The scale reads: 148 lbs. (Digital Scale) Goal: 127 lbs.

Other aerobic activities:

None - still recuperating from the inflamed/tender business

Yesterday's Results

The scale reads: 146 lbs. (Digital Scale) Goal: 127 lbs.

The awesome pedometer reads: 10606 steps (4882 aerobic steps for 54 minutes), 4.18 mi., 333 calories

Other aerobic activities:

Cheryl Burke's Disco Abs - I will Survive Cardio (30 minutes)

My motivators to get me back on track.

I'm literally starting off on the right foot. My inflamed right arch is no longer searing in pain and I'm ready to get back into the groove. The days of rest were rather productive on other ends. I got more stuff done for school, work, and the engineering orgs.

I was ecstatic about receiving my first subscribed issue of Shape. (I can't thank you enough, Susy!) I read a couple of pages and I was pumped about taking on another 5K walk that is associated with a good cause. Unfortunately, The Power Walk for Dress for Success, the one sponsored by Shape, is not organized in Texas! Too bad I won't be back in California until September. Now I'll have to find another 5K besides the Komen one in October to challenge me. There's Beach Palooza in September, but I'd like to participate in a 5K in the coming months.

Out of habit, I almost read the entire issue of Fitness the evening I received it. The most comforting bit of advice came towards the end of the issue: "Don't get discouraged if you haven't hit the 10,000 steps-a-day benchmark on your pedometer. Even reaching 3,000 steps five days a week will help you ward off diabetes."

At least I know I won't get diabetes.

Interesting enough, other useful tidbits in that issue of Fitness were on the same page.

At the top of the page, they talk about spending less time in front of a screen (limit it to 2 hours for recreational purposes!) because it's linked to increased cardiovascular disease and disruption of melatonin (the hormone that affects sleep-wake cycles). One fix for the melatonin problem: free software that adjusts the brightness of your computer display by the time of day to help your body maintain traditional sleep patterns.

On a sidebar, they talk about birth control. Apparently, any kind of contraceptive would decrease the risk of ovarian cancer by 40-65%. I'm a bit skeptical about the numbers, but the article reassured me that taking the Pill was good - so good that taking it for a decade or more provides the most protection. <Shrugs>

Overall, I'm very happy with the progress I made on day one of receiving all these fitness goodies.

Saying "No"

Yesterday's Results

The scale reads: 149 lbs. (Digital scale) Goal: 127 lbs.

Other aerobic activities:

Taking it easy, walking around with a 2-year-old, Lili (she's a relative that kind sir's mom was taking care of; she's a ball of energy!)

Today's Results

The scale reads: 147 lbs. (Digital scale) Goal: 127 lbs.

Other aerobic activities:

Nothing major - taking another rest day for that inflamed arch

I'm mesmerized by the Get-it-Done-Guy's podcast with Byron Katie of Saying an Honest "No." Can it really be that simple to say, "No," without having to provide reason?

I'm glad I was able to say, "No" to strenuous aerobic activities because my primary priority at the moment is to make sure my arch is no longer tender and inflamed. It's a firm "No" with no questions asked or need for further justification. I'm saying "Yes" to healing up my arch by saying "No" to aerobic activities that might exacerbate the inflammation.

Not everything hinges on one yes!

I'm saying "yes" to more rest. "Yes" to less caloric intake. "Yes" to more fluids. I've found other ways to help with my weight loss goals while this arch gets back to normal.

Time for Another Good Idea, Bad Idea

Today's Results

The scale reads: 151 lbs. (Digital scale) Goal: 127 lbs.

Other aerobic activities:

Walked about 3 mi. at Independence Park

Image courtesy of Fredo Alvarez via Brand Mix

Good idea: Staying physically active
Bad idea: Staying physically active when you have an inflamed arch

Dang, I should have made this another day of rest, but no, I felt compelled to walk. At the time, I thought I was over this inflamed arch business. I rested in the morning and my arch was compressed by the pressure of being under a heavy comforter. I didn't bother with the ice or the elevation because I thought, "Hey, there's only a slight tender feeling. No biggie."

I thought because of my weekend grubbing habits starting on Friday, I should at least try to burn off some of the calories consumed. The 151 figure on the digital scale really scared me, too.

I was wearing the Skechers Shape-Ups because I thought it would be more easy on the foot since it wasn't snug, I've worn it for a year, and it's always been a comfortable walk.

Yeah, what was I thinking? I'm not a superwoman with awesome healing abilities. The arch wasn't back to its usual self yet (being free of pain). On top of that, my inner thighs were sore! Why is it that after running my inner thighs get sore? I thought the hamstrings and the gluteus maximus were the prime areas to get sore.

Well, I learned my lesson. I'll be totally staying off my feet as much as I can for tomorrow to really rest. I'm elevating my feet right now on a recliner and I'll ice it tomorrow morning before the day starts.

How does one force themselves to rest when you just want to be on the move and make more progress towards your goal(s)?

Ouch! The Pain. At Least I Finished the 5K.

Yesterday's/Today's Results

The scale reads: 149 lbs. (Analog scale and post-Waffle House grubbing) Goal: 127 lbs.

Other aerobic activities:

Yuri's Night 5K Run

Ouch-y ouch ouch. Now it's my turn to feel the aching arch. I don't know if it's me not breaking into the shoes or if I don't run correctly. After the run, my dominant foot, the right foot, was swollen like a bag of ice. I have rather flat feet so when I was witnessing this throbbing, tender, hemorrhaging heel/arch flesh it was cause for concern.

I took some pain relief medicine and iced it good until it was numb. I took a quick look online and thought "RICE" - rest, ice, compression, elevation - was sound enough advice. I did half of that stuff and my arch was not as swollen by the time we finished our meal at Waffle House.

I definitely need to train more for the next run/walk. I only ran with the Skechers once so that should've been an indicator I was not ready to roll with all kinds of terrain. I didn't realize this mini hill at the park was going to be a part of the course. I didn't account for nature's wrath on my sinuses and throat. I just didn't train myself mentally either. I was ready to call it quits many times and blindly thought I could run 1/2 of it without stopping. I'm glad I walked a good chunk of the course and still made it under 45 minutes!

I'm going to lay off the physical activity for today so I can alleviate the pain in the arch. I don't know how you runners do it.

Any other recommendations for an inflamed arch?

Getting Back on the Work-Out Horse

Yesterday's Results

The scale reads: 147 lbs. (Analog scale - I know it's lying!) Goal: 127 lbs.

Other aerobic activities:

Dance Your Body Thin - 50 minutes

I'm glad I did those 50 minutes of aerobics. I loaded myself up with carbs to get ready for the run that's happening in 7 hours. It wasn't the best type of carbs (fatty McFat fat kinds of carbs of the waffle fries variety), but I'm pretty fueled up for a 5K.

I can honestly say it felt good doing the aerobics with that weighted belt. I felt tired at first, but during the rest of the day I was able to stay alert. When I took off the weighted belt, I felt like Atlas letting go of Earth. It made me work out that much more.

I was challenged with any arm toning segment. I always knew I didn't have upper body strength, but my arms feel like 2 very heavy lead sticks. I'm more motivated to move around now.

However, it's time for a much needed rest for tomorrow's run.

Eyes Still Glazed Over from Grubbing

Results After 2 Weeks of Tomfoolery

The scale reads: 149 lbs. (Digital scale) Goal: 127 lbs.

This is not too bad considering I usually pack on 10 lbs. after a week-long visit to the hometown. I'm happy I only gained 4 lbs. and stayed somewhat physically active.

Before I went off to the City of Angels, I was enlightened by the following quote:

If you try to optimize every decision and you define optimization as doing things as cheaply as possible, you might end up with a steaming pile of crap.
-Guy Kawasaki

Kawasaki's article on social media kind of reminded me of this whole rigmarole of finding an inexpensive pedometer. I do have a steamin' pile of pedometer junk! The most recent cheap-o one I bought a month or two ago finally expired (well the spring still gauges vertical motion, but the clip broke and it doesn't warrant a super glue job here).

Forget that mess.

I just bought the Omron HJ-112!

Jodi's suggestion of purchasing a new SD card sooner than later goaded me to make the purchase of the pedometer. In addition to the SD card and pedometer, I bought Cheryl Burke's Disco Abs on impulse. I liked the one aerobic session I tried on ExerciseTV so I thought I'd enjoy the rest.

We'll see in the next 2 weeks how much I'll utilize and enjoy these items. For now I'm just going to track the weight and not worry about steps until I have that pedometer in my pocket!

I've only ran once with my Skechers Resistance Runner. It provided the support I need, but I didn't run an entire 5K. We ran from Robinson Park to Pine Gully Park (on the top right of the map, which probably totaled somewhere close to 2 miles, round-trip). Regardless, I'm going to try my best to run a majority for the 5K this Saturday. Chris is convinced he can run the whole thing, but shrugs.

Oh man, I can't believe how much I ate in the last 2 weeks. Here's the food roll:

Christian's Tailgate
Swiss and mushroom burger

Onion rings

Alamo Drafthouse
Midnight Espresso Milkshake

Buca di Beppo
Lasagna - don't worry I only ate 1/4 of it

Pho Anh Asian Bistro
Spring rolls with beef

Lemongrass beef and eggroll vermicelli

Samba Grille
Spinach and broccoli cream with crabmeat gratin soup

Assortment of meat and vegetables

Samba Red Snapper - I only had a taste since it was Chris' plate

More meat varieties

Another look at the vegetable medley

Trying to be good with the vegetables, but I didn't care for the sausage

Surf 'n' Turf

Chicken hearts lined up in a row - apparently not for the faint of heart, but I guess I have a hearty heart?

Blood sausage - It had a bizarre aftertaste

Grilled pineapple was an excellent complement

Moaaaaaaaaaaar Beeeeeeeeef

Onion Creek
Hippie Hollow Burger with potato salad

Close-up of the havarti fun

Olive Garden
Pork Milanese with asiago cheese tortellini

King Taco
Lengua burrito

Mikawaya
Mochilato - in no particular order (can you guess which is which?): toasted almond, green tea, coconut, creme brulee, choco-hazelnut, plum