Weight Maintenance Tips

While waiting for my massage the other day I was reading an article on weight loss in a readers digest magazine that I thought had some good stuff.  Here are the points it had for maintaining your weight once you've lost it.

• Eat breakfast.
• Eat a calorie-aware, moderately low-fat diet that includes complex carbs.
• Get plenty of exercise at moderate intensity. Walk!
• Self-monitor through frequent weigh-ins and a food and exercise diary.

So how do I do in these areas?  

Well I usually have a high-protein shake everyday for breakfast.  Check.  I think I eat pretty calorie-aware but I don't always eat complex carbs - I love pasta so much!  I definitely get plenty of exercise but I don't walk I prefer to run or ride.  I self-monitor by weighing myself a few times a week and making sure that I only vary by a few pounds at all times.  I am also a bit OCD about my exercise "diary".  Between my blog and the running app I have on my iPhone I know the miles I run and the workouts I do.  I'm not great at tracking my food in a diary unless I'm trying to lose weight.

Do you do these things or have other great tips for maintaining your weight?

Tempo Running on a Treadmill

Today was a tempo run.  6 miles total with 4 @ an 8:25 pace.  It was 28 degrees this morning so it was a treadmill day.  Normally I'll run outside in 28 degrees but I'm not quite ready for it to be this cold yet!!  


This workout was cake to do on a treadmill.  I didn't have to think about my pace at all I just set it on the treadmill and ran.  It wasn't a hard pace and I know I can run faster but I want to follow this training program to make sure I don't get injured and am ready for the marathon in June.

Please Don't Judge Me

Today is Halloween so it's a bit crazy. My sweet 3 YO kept me up until 3:00 am sad and crying with a fever. So I missed my run this morning.


It wasn't easy but I managed to fit in a run while dinner was cooking. I went in my full witches costume makeup which I'm sure looked ridiculous. Oh well I got my run in.


And now I'm handing out candy still in my running clothes because there isn't time to shower and I put on a sweat band so my sweaty running clothes look like a costume. Like I said. Don't judge me.

Nice bright red lipstick!

All for a Pumpkin Bar

Today I decided to add about 20 extra minutes to my spin workout because I simply ate too much last night.  I really wanted a pumpkin bar - I just LOVE them!  

I'm a big fan of the whole exercise thing in order to enjoy my favorite treats.  I do try to eat healthy most of the time but as the holiday's are coming there will be lots of yummy treats around. Plus my favorite winter comfort foods are higher in calories. So...I have been thinking about what it takes to burn off the food I eat.  

I burn about 100 calories each mile I run.  If I eat 1 serving of a pumpkin bar (w/yummy cream cheese frosting) it's about 300 calories then I have to run 3 miles to burn it off.  Is it worth it?  Sometimes yes.  Sometimes no.  When I go to Cold Stone for a treat my calories add up fast.  Sweet Cream Love it: 530 + Oreo cookie mix in: 120 + Caramel: 90 = 740 calories total or 7 1/2 miles. WOW!  

Of course I can look it another way too.  On a typical week I burn between 3150 - 3550 calories.  So as long as I am smart about the majority of my meals I'm fine with date night treats and splurging once a week guilt free.  

Today's Workout - Cardio Circuit.

Set 1:  

Fast flat

Seated hill (high tension)

Standing hill sprint  

1 min. of each @ level 1 intensity (50%)

30 sec. rest

1 min. of each @ level 2 intensity (75%)

30 sec. rest

1 min. of each @ level 3 intensity (100%)

2 min. jumps @ level 3 intensity (100%)

1 min. rest

Set 2:

Sprint w/speed bursts

Isolations

Standing Run

1 min. of each @ level 1 intensity (50%)

30 sec. rest

1 min. of each @ level 2 intensity (75%)

30 sec. rest

1 min. of each @ level 3 intensity (100%)

2 min. hill sprints @ level 3 intensity (100%)

1 min. rest

Set 3:

Sprints - speeding up every 10 sec.

Seated hill - add tension every 10 sec.

Standing hill spring - less tension/more speed every 10 sec.

1 min. of each @ level 1 intensity (50%)

30 sec. rest

1 min. of each @ level 2 intensity (75%)

30 sec. rest

1 min. of each @ level 3 intensity (100%)

2 min. hill sprints @ level 3 intensity (100%)

1 min. rest

Then last minute I added about 4 more songs of hill sprints/seated hills/speed work just to burn off my calories and just went with the music.

Nike+ vs. Garmin 305

I was asked if I like running with my Nike+ compared to my Garmin so I thought I'd do a full write up about both of them.  I have the Garmin 305 and I have run with it for years and I love it.  This year my work did a contest and for every 1000 miles we ran/walked we donated a scholarship to kids in Malawi Africa.  So I got a Nike+ to be part of the contest and tracked all my miles.  Just for the record I was in the top 10 overall on miles and the #1 corporate employee with the most miles.  OK back to my comparison...

Accuracy.  The garmin gps seems more accurate than the Nike+  since it only uses a pedometer (unless you use your iPhone then it adds gps - but I don't run with my phone).  At first my Nike+ was off quite a bit but I have calibrated my Nike+ a few times and it is much better since I did that.  I'd say on average it's about 0.1 mile off.  When I run on the treadmill my Nike+ is exact with the treadmill so I don't know exactly where the discrepancy is.

Ease of Use.  The Nike+ requires two pieces - the foot piece and a piece that goes into my iPod.  If you run with your iPhone you don't have to have the 2nd part.  I don't run in Nike shoes so I got this little shoe attachment for the pedometer (I hear they have wrist ones too - but I'm not sure how that would work and my foot piece was free from work).  I just move it to whatever shoes I'm wearing and I'm good to go.  With my garmin I just throw the watch on and off I go.  However the watch is very bulky and sometimes it annoys me when I'm running.  It also makes it difficult to take off extra layers when it's cold outside.  My Nike+ doesn't take any time to locate satellites either.

Post Run Information.  I never hook my Garmin up to my computer so this might be an inaccurate comparison.  I upload my Nike+ data almost everyday and I can look at my total miles, set goals, look at each miles pace breakdown, put in details about my run (weather, hills, etc).  I really like the constant feedback from my Nike+ and the little shout outs it gives me when I hit specific goals (fastest mile, furthest run, you hit 1000 miles, etc).  I'm sure the garmin does more of this but it just isn't as convenient to hook up to my computer as my iPod is.  

Additional Information.  One thing that I've noticed is different running with Nike+ instead of my garmin is that I'm not nearly as OCD about watching every detail during the run.  I run and it tells me when I've hit each mile.  It counts up to half way then down which I like and other than that I am just running along with my music.  I never look at my pace to speed up or slow down. I feel like I can run at a more comfortable pace when I only have my Nike+ on.  And I haven't slowed down a bit if anything I'm a bit faster than I was last year (but I don't think that has anything to do with my Nike+).  However, that goes both ways.  When I'm training hard the Nike+ doesn't push me hard enough or tell me any details so on tempo runs or speed work it doesn't work and I wear my Garmin. 

I love that my Nike+ hooks up to my nano and most of the time I just have my music on really softly in 1 ear so I can chat with the girls but I'm so used to have it with me that if I'm struggling on a run or going up a tough hill I can turn up the tunes and push myself.

P.S.  I didn't realize how dirty my shoes are.  I am so embarrassed :)  

A goat on a leash?

Fun things about today's run:

• We saw a woman walking a dog and her hubby walking a goat on the trail.  Hilarious.
• A crazy kid rode his skateboard down "suicide hill" and stopped by jumping into the grass and his skateboard flew across the street under the tires of the car that had to stop quickly.  A little scary.
• I ran with Todd.  This never happens.  Never I tell you.  We both plugged in both earphones and didn't talk at all but it was great to have him running with me.  Don't tell him or he  might not run with me again - but I loved it!
• Todd was a stud on the run.  He ran in the morning instead of the night and high altitude instead of sea level where he normally runs and has already put in 23 miles this week.  I'm so in love!
• Perfect scenery on the run.  The fall leaves are amazing right now and Todd ran with his shirt off.  Two of my favorite sights!!
• I made up the route as we went and because I have put so many miles on the road here we ended our 10 miles within a block of our house.  Perfect.
• I burned 1000 calories (Todd burned 1400 - no fair) so I can enjoy date night tonight guilt free.

 I am now blogging while enjoying a chocolate/peanut butter shake made in the Blendtec I won at the Pink Series half-marathon.  Life is good!

The bad things about today's run:

• I forgot to glide and am a bit chaffed from my sports bra.
• My hip was bothering me for most of the run (hopefully the roller, stretching and advil will take care of it).
• I didn't drink enough water and now I have major tummy cramps.  I know better!
  
• And I'm too exhausted to do any of my to-do list!

Today's Quote

I saw this on twitter and thought I'd share.

Run your OWN race....the easiest way to get BURNT out of life, is by trying to keep up with somebody else!

I really like this quote and I actually chant "run your own race" to myself all the time during races.  It's easy to just go with it during training runs but sometimes when I get out there in a race I start to either doubt myself or push myself too hard or not push myself hard enough.  It is really so important for me to remember to just run my own race.