Ch-Cha-Cha-Changes!

It feels so good to be halfway through the week!

Happenings since my last post…

This past weekend marked 1 year since my first race, a 10K. I had originally planned to run it again this year, but due to other plans, I decided against it. The weather was absolutely gorgeous this weekend, so I decided to skip my P90X Kenpo workout on Saturday and go for a run instead. As I was driving to my favorite, comfortable loop (which is 3 miles, but if you add any of the ‘legs’ it can be 3.5 to 3.8 miles) I started thinking about ‘trying’ to do a 10k. I knew that once I had that thought in my mind, I would not be able to talk myself out of it. 1hr and 17 seconds later, I completed an unofficial 10k, 2 minutes faster than last year. I was SO proud of myself! After running MAYBE 4 times since the half marathon in July, I still had the stamina and determination to push through and complete a 10k. I did have to stop and walk a few times, but I am okay with that. Later in the day and throughout Sunday I was a terrible, sore mess, but I LOVED it. I loved the feeling that I pushed my body; that I worked my body in a new way and pushed it.

Many people have boasted about how sore they would get while following P90X – I didn’t get that way. It was rare that I had a real good case of muscle soreness. I don’t know if that’s because I’m fit or because I didn’t push myself hard enough (which I am sure I did), but I missed that feeling. REALLLY missed that feeling. There’s nothing better than bragging rights as to how sore you are because of your workout.

I decided to stop fussing with my diet, with what *wasn’t* working, and started Weight Watchers again. I began tracking on Saturday and made Sunday my official day. It’s only been a few days, but I am feeling really positive about being back on plan. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that ratios just aren’t realistic for me. While I understand there is a ‘science’ to it, I also understand that balance is also KEY. I *KNOW* how to eat healthy and balanced. I can already tell that this time around will be different.

I am using the same ‘journal’ that I had used before and looking back at it, I was not being smart about my food choices. Yes, I was eating healthy, but I was also mowing down a bowl of cereal, a piece of toast and a fudge bar or ice cream AFTER dinner. I was purposely hoarding my points so I could snack away at night. Another pit fall was that I was hoarding all my flex points for the weekend. That means that between Friday and Saturday, I was chomping away at 81 points. That’s a lot of points to take down in the course of two days.

How am I approaching it now? I’ve divided up my flex points for the week and am giving myself a range of daily points. So far, I am feeling less restricted. Monday night for example, I had planned out my food for the day and was right on target. On a whim, bf and I ended up going out for a drink at our favorite place – insert beer, pretzels and boneless wings here. Instead of panicking and thinking that I’ve blown it, I thought to myself, “This is fine. This is life. I have points to use today and I can handle this” I didn’t overdo it on my favorite pretzel pieces and had just a taste of the boneless weeks and realized that I was satisfied. Another key here is to eat when I’m hungry. I know that my nighttime munchies are a habit and possibly due to not eating enough at dinner time. If I am truly hungry after dinner, I will eat something appropriate, not a worthless sweet treat that will leave me craving another as they almost always do.

I am feeling fantastic about being back on plan and much less stressed and obsessed about food and exercise. I really think this was the right choice for me to make, just as I think going off WW back in March was the right choice for me at the time. Doing that really helped me clean my diet up and give me a new perspective on what’s healthy and what’s not.

What are your highlights for the week so far?