Couch to 5K: Week 1, Day 2

Conventional wisdom says I probably should have taken a day off after yesterday's first attempt at running. I did wake up today with a few more aches and pains than normal. But the weather is so nice today and I'm determined to complete the program three times a week as required. I was worried I might not get another chance to do it before Wednesday, so I headed back to the park today.

As expected, day two was harder. For one thing, it was 5 minutes longer than day one. I still struggled to complete a full minute of running each time, but I was able to do it a few times. I'm not sure this helps, but to compensate, I did run a little extra during the cool down phase. Plus, like yesterday, I walked a second lap after I finished the running part during the first lap.

And it's a good thing I'm exercising because I had a bit of a splurge today -- a dark chocolate-covered coconut cream egg. It's Easter! I couldn't help myself. Other than that, though, I've had 2 1/2 days of very healthy eating. The best part is that I've logged everything online. I met my daily points target perfectly on Friday and I was over by only two points yesterday, which is fine since my exercise yesterday actually gained me four points. I'll probably be over slightly today. My goal is not more than three points. But, again, my exercise gained me four points.

The bad news is that the scale is not cooperating. It's actually up since Friday's weigh-in. That's so disappointing since I've clearly taken steps to correct my overeating and I'm exercising again. All I can do, though, is stay the course and hope that I'll see the results this Friday.

Recipe: Chipotle stuffed peppers

Ingredients
1/2 lb. 93% lean ground beef
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 large handfuls of fresh spinach
1 (15 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes with chipotle seasoning
4 large green peppers (You can use any color you like, though.)
1/2 instant brown rice
Cooking spray
Salt, pepper to taste

In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup water to a boil. Add rice. Cover and remove from heat. Spray a nonstick frying pan with cooking spray and add ground beef. Once brown, reduce heat to low and add black beans and spinach. After spinach wilts, add tomatoes and cooked rice. Meanwhile, remove tops of peppers and clean out seeds inside. Place in a square baking dish and sprinkle insides with salt and pepper. Fill each one with 1/4 of ground beef mixture. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees until green peppers are tender (about 30 minutes). Makes 4 servings.

Note: I added a little mozzarella cheese before serving. Also, if I make these again, I'll probably kick up the heat a little with some extra chipotle seasoning or maybe a diced jalapeno pepper. Finally, if you aren't counting calories as closely as I am, I'd definitely recommend a scoop of sour cream.

Couch to 5K: Week 1, Day 1

As I mentioned yesterday, I've signed up for my first 5K. It was spur of the moment and I'm hoping I respond to this challenge just like I did losing weight. If you recall, I signed up for a weight loss challenge at work in January 2010. It was completely unplanned and I was terrified of failing. The 5K isn't exactly the same because it is something that's on my bucket list. My ultimate goal is to be able to run one from start to finish. But I want to be realistic this first time out, especially since I don't run.

Obviously, if I'm not going to completely embarrass myself, I will need to be prepared. Training started today. A friend told me about an iPhone app, 5K Runner, to help me get started, so I immediately downloaded the free version. I didn't fully investigate the eight-week program, but I imagine it gets more intense as the weeks go by. Day 1 consisted of warming up for 5 minutes (I wasn't sure what that should entail, so I just walked), 1 minute of running followed by 1 1/2 minutes of walking for a total of 15 minutes, and then a 5-minute cool down (again, not sure what that meant, so I walked).

The first minute of running wasn't so bad. The second minute ended up only being about 55 seconds. I really struggled to complete a full minute each time, but I was close. And the fact that I even tried feels like success. I'm hoping it will get easier. The program calls for doing it three times a week. After today's 25 minutes, which was basically one lap around the park where I normally walk, I decided to walk an extra lap. I don't see any harm in that.

Oh, and I forgot to mention, that I have 8 1/2 weeks before the 5K. If I stick to the plan, I'd like to be able to run most of it and maybe I'll even lose a little weight by then as well. Wish me luck!

Weekly weigh-in: Yikes! Nothing fits anymore

Last week's weight: 179.6
This week's weight: 181.8
Difference: +2.2
Total weight lost since January 2010: 90 pounds

As expected, this week's weigh-in was terrible. In fact, I'm going to be honest and admit that I seriously considered changing my weigh-in day to Thursday. That's because when I weighed yesterday morning, the scale said 179.6. I was excited because I knew I'd eaten all sorts of bad foods in the past week and staying the same would have been amazing.

The real eyeopener came when I was getting dressed this morning. I'm willing it to get warmer, so I've started wearing some of my spring clothes. Imagine my horror when not one, but two, pairs of size 12 capri pants from last year didn't fit this morning. I felt like hiding in my closet all day. As I drove to work, I really thought about how I've gotten to this point and what I need to do to stop the weight gain. I don't have all the answers, but changing my weigh-in day is not the answer.

First, I know I have to simply stop eating so much ... and so much junk food. The first test has already arrived. A co-worker brought doughnuts to work this morning. Then someone brought in candy and shortbread bars. I brought fruit and Greek yogurt for breakfast. So far, I've resisted. But I really think a counter full of delicious treats might be too much to bear.

I also know I need to keep track. This is the one thing that has worked without fail.When I don't keep track, I eat too much. Today is the start of a new week. So it's yet another chance for me to use the online Weight Watchers tool to track my food and drinks.

Finally, I must exercise more. Walking is definitely a good start. But I need to step it up and be more consistent. So I've officially agreed to participate in a 5K at the end of May. I doubt I'll be able to run the entire thing by then, but two months is more than enough time build up my stamina so I don't embarrass myself.

In summary, I need to eat better, keep track and exercise. Sounds simple. Right?

BTW, I've decided to go back to tracking my total weight lost since I began this journey. I need the constant reminder that I have lost 90 pounds, which is an amazing accomplishment in the grand scheme of things.

Is patience really a virtue?

It's no secret to anyone who knows me that I'm not a patient person. I work in a business built on urgency and deadlines. In my personal life, I pretty much operate the same way. For instance, I've gotten better over the years at making small talk, but there are times when I still find it awkward and inefficient. I often find myself wanting people to cut to the chase. Again, that probably has something to do with the newshound in me. Don't bury the lede!

Anyway, the real point here is that I struggle when something doesn't happen as quickly as I'd like. I believe that I can do anything I set my mind to. Really. If I wanted to become a brain surgeon, I think I could learn to do that. If I wanted to fly an airplane, I could learn to do that, too. My belief is based on the fact that I'm a smart person with a brain that operates best on reason and logic. If a skill can be learned, I can learn it ... if I want to.

The problem arises when I don't achieve whatever it was I was trying to do. A recent example involves changing out the fluorescent lightbulbs in my kitchen. This is truly a simple task. Unplug the bad bulbs and plug in the new ones. No reason I couldn't handle that task myself. After multiple tries with the new bulbs without success, I nearly started crying. I tried again a week later. Nothing. A week after that, I tried again. At this point, I didn't have an ounce of patience left. I decided to buy more new bulbs because, clearly, I wasn't doing anything wrong. And I was right. The first set of new bulbs were bad. I put in the second set and the lights came on immediately. Why'd I let my lack of initial success frustrate me so badly?

If I'm honest, I know the answer. It's because I set high expectations for myself (and others). When something doesn't work out the way I wanted it to, I get annoyed. That probably comes from being spoiled as a child. The only good thing is that my expectations for myself are usually higher than those I have for others. But then that usually means I'm just frustrated with myself.

Of course, my weight loss journey fits right into this pattern. I have no patience for plateaus. I know what I need to do to lose the last 30 pounds. Yet I don't do it. It's no one's fault but my own. I could blame my lack of progress on stress, emotions, life, social situations, whatever ... but those would all just be excuses.

All of these thoughts this week have me thinking about patience. What's so good about being patient? For every "good things come to those who wait" idiom, there's a counter argument that says "the early bird gets the worm" or "strike while the iron's hot." What's so bad about knowing what you want and deciding to do whatever it takes to get it?

Weekly weigh-in: Being judged

Last week's weight: 180
This week's weight: 179.6
Difference: -0.4
Total weight lost since Jan. 1, 2013: 1.8

For the record, I weighed in a day early this past week (Thursday instead of Friday) because I was going to be out of town Friday morning. The result was good, and I was happy I'd exercised almost daily. The bad part about the week is that I felt like I was constantly being judged by others.

Without getting into specifics, let me just say that I've had a lot of moments recently that have shaken my self-confidence. Whether it's worrying about how I look on a given day or hearing a friend basically ridicule me for my insecurities, this past week has led to a lot of negative thinking.

I don't like it, but I don't know how to stop it. It doesn't help that since I weighed in Thursday morning, I've done nothing but eat foods that aren't good for me, which likely means a weight gain this week. I'm trying to make today the day that I end the backsliding. But, even as I type this, I'm thinking about going to the grocery store to get the ingredients to make cupcakes. Ugh!

What's worse about how I'm feeling right now is that I know it doesn't have to be this way. I am in control of my choices and my feelings. So I'm frustrated that I'm letting the opinion of others get to me. That's not the kind of person I want to be.

Weekly weigh-in: It's all about choices

Last week's weight: 180.4
This week's weight: 180
Difference: -0.4
Total weight lost since Jan. 1, 2013: 1.4 pounds

I had more good eating days than bad this week. That's a good sign. I ate too much sugar (eating sweet tarts as I write this). That's a bad sign. I exercised four out of seven days when my goal was five days. That's a mixed sign.

I know I've said this before but reaching my goal weight depends on my ability to make the right choices. Every day I'm faced with what feels like a million decisions about food. When you add in having to make a bazillion decisions about work, my brain gets tired.

More than once this week, I had to remind myself how far I've come. I've lost 91.8 pounds since January 2010, and I'm healthier and happier than ever. These are all good signs. And that's enough for me to consider this a good weigh-in week.