Annette's Journal

[squealcat]

I tried some of the frozen watermelon and added a little lime juice. It was delicious !

[AnnetteW]

I tried some of the frozen watermelon and added a little lime juice. It was delicious !

Glad you liked the frozen watermelon. I haven't tried it with lime, probably won't either... I like it just the way it is.

I'm am beat, my body is so sore and tired. This running stuff is hard work. Okay, so my 2 min shuffle is hard work. I almost didn't make it today, but I sucked it up and did it. Though tomorrow is going to be a "take it easy" sort of day, and I'll see about doing a yoga workout and a bit of weights, a little walking, just a little bit to keep my legs from locking up on me (yes, they are that sore). I also have been cleaning my old bike and need to lube up the chain and see if it works okay. I hope not to fall and crack open my skull.

Food was good today

Breakfast - green tea (no coffee), multigrain cereal, fresh blueberries, almond milk
Lunch - salad, beans
Snack - watermelon, banana/mango nice cream
Dinner - braised bok choy, corn on the cob, mung bean salad, tofu
Exercise - my painful run, dog walking

I'm a bit nervous about tomorrow's weigh in. I would like to see a loss. I feel like I deserve a loss, it's just so darn slow at this point, though it is going down.

[Ruff]

Running....now take a 2 day break, run 1 day and then take another 2 day break. Give your legs time to realise this is the new normal, but let them heal from the soreness at the same time.

It happens to all fo us. Having got permission to run again, I did too much too soon, including a run and aikido on the same day. Today I was supposed to be going for a longer run, but I am too sore! I will go tomorrow instead. And I am a former ultra and trail runner! Its just I have been laid up with an injury for 9 months and now I am doing too much too soon. Your body grows stronger on rest days, which is why we need them.

You are doing great!

[AnnetteW]

Thanks Katie, I'm taking a 2 day break right now. I'm ecstatic though that my feet and ankles are feeling well. We go out on our evening dog walk and it's totally amazing to me. A couple years back I had true concerns about my ability to walk, and that scared me so much. I know how important it is to stay mobile as one gets older. And the sore feet/ankles truly concerned me. The more you move, the easier it is, even if you hurt, you have to get through it.

The running is making the very upper part of my hamstring and lower butt area tight, I do stretches and that's where I'm really feeling it. Today I'll do a 30 min easy yoga workout and planned to do my upper body weights....let the legs rest. We're also in the process of getting our bikes up and running so we'll be able to cross train.

If I can get this regular schedule going of training to be able to run, some biking, some elliptical, some weights, some yoga, daily dog walks, I think my fitness level should do well. Nothing to kill myself over, just build up slowly and enjoy myself with daily motion. That's my plan at least.

I did relax on eating this weekend, we had some eating out opportunities and I was careful, but not a saint, and enjoyed my meals, but am back on track and happy to be back on track. I think, for me, I have to accept that meals out are important to me and my family, and friends. But I can't compromise health and nutrition too much. My husband and I eat out at ethnic restaurants and enjoy interesting foods, with my friends it's a bit different, and I will be much stricter eating out with them, those meals I can control much better, and prefer to, as eating out with my husband is an adventure and exciting.

I need to not worry about my slow weight loss. If I look at my weight this date last month I'm down 5 lbs, perhaps if I do the same tomorrow it will only show 3 lost...but it's going down, just slowly. Until it doesn't go down I need to just enjoy my food, health and life. Just relax and enjoy.

My head is in such a better place now than months ago when I was in gaining mode and drinking a ton of wine and feeling depressed about the state of the world.

I feel good again.

Plan for today:

Breakfast - oats, blueberries, chia/flax, almond milk, tea
Lunch - Salad with something or other (probably potato)
Snack - fruit
Dinner - thinking of making a couple Indian dishes
Exercise - yoga, upper body weights, dog walk

[AnnetteW]

It's the same old same old....but it's all okay.

Food is fine so far today, about the same as every other day.

Did my run this morning, my legs are beat. This will take a long time to build up to. I'm still following the plan given to me by Ruff/Katie, the one her daughter wrote up. I finished the Week 2, Day 3 run, so 2 min on, 1 off. I think I might just do this week again. It needs to be easier before I progress. I don't want to suffer. I can suffer what I'm doing right now, but I want it to be easier before I move up to 3 minutes...I guess that makes sense.

Basically I'm not in any rush.

I'm having a blast playing with my new Garmin watch too. Normal people probably don't make such a splurge when they first start an activity, it's pretty normal for me though.

Also my bike is working fine. Took a 10 min ride around the neighborhood to check it out. I'll add that in super slowly. Might stick to 10 min for a few days just to get some different leg motions going.

A little yoga and a little stretching last night. All is good.

We're making another Indian dinner for tonight, not sure what exactly. I'll make a dal and let my husband figure out another dish.

Plan for today:
Breakfast - green tea, multigrain cereal, mixed berries,nectarine
Lunch - large salad,2 cobs of corn, large bowl of frozen watermelon
Dinner - Indian of some sort, dal, rice, veggie dish or something
Exercise - run/walk (30+ min total)

[Ruff]

Did my run this morning, my legs are beat. This will take a long time to build up to. I'm still following the plan given to me by Ruff/Katie, the one her daughter wrote up. I finished the Week 2, Day 3 run, so 2 min on, 1 off. I think I might just do this week again. It needs to be easier before I progress. I don't want to suffer. I can suffer what I'm doing right now, but I want it to be easier before I move up to 3 minutes...I guess that makes sense.

Basically I'm not in any rush.

I'm having a blast playing with my new Garmin watch too. Normal people probably don't make such a splurge when they first start an activity, it's pretty normal for me though.

)

It took me 3 weeks to manage week 3! Yes, you are doing the right thing, repeat week 2 until you are happy with it. Most people get put off running because they do too much too quickly, and also tend to go too fast. Then it is just pain and misery and they say they hate running! Take your time and enjoy the journey.

I love my watch, mine is a Suunto. you can connect your Garmin to Strava, where there is a whole community of runners. Its also brilliant to buy the watch when you first start because you get to keep all that lovely data. I have no idea what I did in my first year, before I got my watch.

[deweyswakms]

Hi Annette,

When I look back on July 2019, when I recommitted to MWL eating to now, I find I have lost 20#s. Slow loss is still progress. I am working on losing 2 or 3 more, then see if I can stay there.

My old arthritic hips mean I am reduced to walks; 1.5 miles is a good day. I recently read that black cherries help to reduce inflammation from arthritis and too much exercise. Maybe try 4-5 a day. My hip pain is greatly reduced! I am so happy with this.

Marsha

[AnnetteW]

Hi Annette,

When I look back on July 2019, when I recommitted to MWL eating to now, I find I have lost 20#s. Slow loss is still progress. I am working on losing 2 or 3 more, then see if I can stay there.

My old arthritic hips mean I am reduced to walks; 1.5 miles is a good day. I recently read that black cherries help to reduce inflammation from arthritis and too much exercise. Maybe try 4-5 a day. My hip pain is greatly reduced! I am so happy with this.

Marsha

Cherries are probably my favorite fruit next to watermelon, but there would be no such thing as 4-5 a day...lol. A couple pounds maybe. I remember in the past drinking the cherry juice for inflammation, do people still do that?

[AnnetteW]

I love my watch, mine is a Suunto. you can connect your Garmin to Strava, where there is a whole community of runners. Its also brilliant to buy the watch when you first start because you get to keep all that lovely data. I have no idea what I did in my first year, before I got my watch.

I did download Strava, but I don't have any friends yet, not sure really what to do. I know I can get my sister on Garmin, guess I have so much to learn. I truly am having a blast with my silly super expensive watch, but why not, right?

Today I did HIIT on my elliptical, and then a shorter walk this evening. I feel good. Tomorrow we are going to go explore an old Fort, so depending on how my ankles feel in the morning I'll either take another day for rest, or I might attempt to run. Or I can see about trying the bike. I also should try some weights. LOL, so much I can do.

And the fun thing is that I finally feel good enough to want to do it all.

Today's plan was the following:
Breakfast - apple, a bit of dry oats, some walnuts, almond milk, chia/flax ground
Lunch - at Spin pizza, a dry salad, brought some airfried potatoes and my own dressing
Snack - coffee out with friends, with a bit of soymilk
Dinner - home made vegan sushi, lots but careful on the dipping sauce, and nice cream
Exercise - 20 min elliptical HIIT, 20 min walk

[Ruff]

how are things going Annette?

I have a whole new rehabilitation for my foot starting on Monday, so I won't be running for a while, but I will get there again.

We can be Strava friends. you can message me with your Strava name and I will see if I can set us up as friends. I will just be walking for a while though....

[AnnetteW]

I'm going to start posting again, I've been working on getting on track these past few days, not totally there yet, but it's a start.

I'm also in the process of reading through my journal, and really need to start at the beginning again. It's so hard to reread journals, so much is still so real and relevant.

There was a reason I stopped, I got sick, very sick, and have been on medications for the past 2.5 years now. I can read my journal and see the illness beginning, the pain I was having was a sign.

But today is the 6th day off of steroids, and trust me, I'm scared to death to not be taking that medication, but I've worked so hard to wean myself off.

It's interesting though, as I finally took those first steps away from that drug, that my mind and body are ready to change the diet again.

It's gone through my head to start a new journal, so I don't see the old stuff. I also thought about starting a new profile, let that other person fade away, but truthfully I'm exactly the same as I was then, addicted to my vices, coffee and wine (haven't had wine in a few days, but just now finished my morning coffee). I eat out too much, I'm social, I am lazy, I talk a lot in a journal.

More to come, but I just had to get this out there, before I decided against it.

I'm welcoming myself back. Thanks for having me and the support.

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Annette,

Nice to "see you"!!!

I know exactly what you mean about coming back to the journal ... and seeing things you wrote long ago. Can be tough. I have 4 journals here!!!

Hope that you are doing well and wishing you the best in McDougalling!!

Cheers,
Stephanie

[Ejeff]

Welcome back Annette. Glad to “see” you again. Wishing you all the best in your health journey.

Erin

[bunsofaluminum]

Hi Annette,

It's wonderful to see you again! Congrats on weaning off the drugs...keep it up. You know the food is going to make a huge difference!