I'm just now starting to feel normal again after Friday night. It wasn't even that I drank so much, but perhaps it was what I had to drink; whatever it was, I was sick that night.
But, still, it was so awesome.
First, we started out at a friend's house where the girls had planned some surprises for me. We drank fruity flavored drinks through penis-shaped straws, and I was awarded a special martini glass, which had a phallic-shaped weiner pokin' up through the middle. (A little disturbing to sip from.) We played some games -- one involving a banana, some petroleum jelly, and a condom (let your imagination run wild on that one) -- and we drank. I had several very potent Jell-O shots, a few beers and more of the fruity-flavored stuff, and then our limo arrived.
I had never ridden in a limo before, and I felt like a movie star! Most movie stars probably sip champagne though, and we were all sipping beer, but I still think we rode in class. It was awesome cruisin through town with all the ladies -- we were a bit squished, but it's better to have a limo full of friends than a limo absent any company -- and our first stop was a club aptly titled "La Bare." Yes, it was a male strip club.
I didn't waste any time getting close to the stage to shove fistfuls of ones into those men's g-strings, and one guy wiped his sweaty chest down my face, so after that, I needed a few shots. Unfortunately, some of those shots were Jagermeister, and I don't think I can handle Jag like I used to do (in fact, just thinking of it now, kinda makes me vommit a bit in my mouth). But after the shots, and another couple of beers, I was up on stage for the dance my friends had so kindly purchased for me (they purchased many other things for me as well, some of them unmentionable here).
My time spent on stage is mostly a blur of lights and naked flesh. I know I smacked that stripper on his bare ass, and there are pictures to prove that I had a good time up there. I certainly don't shy away from the spotlight! But from there, my condition began to deteriorate and the next thing I knew I was back in the limo with my head in a plastic bag.
We didn't even make it to the next place on the list.
I was cashed at 12:30 am. Usually I can last a lot longer than that, but I blame the Jagermeister; however, it probably wasn't all the Jag's fault, a little blame might be aptly placed on my own shoulders. Every time that waiter in the club asked if I wanted another shot, I just nodded my head. Anyway, my hubby-to-be met the limo back at my friend's house and he drove my drunk ass home, where I promptly passed out on the bathroom floor (my favorite drunken sleeping nook), and he carried in all my loot. Thoughtfully, he provided me with a pillow and blanket, and there I slept through the night, fully clothed, my hair still pinned back and all my jewelry on, until morning. It was the kind of deep, dark, dreamless sleep where you wake up and can't quite recall why you're starring at the white tiles of your bathroom floor and not the flowery sheets of your comfy bed.
After I lurched from the bathroom into the bedroom, I didn't rise until noon, and then I didn't eat until evening. I felt like death warmed over.
And now it feels as though it has been forever since I last ran. Today and tomorrow are not good days to get back into the swing of things either: Hurricane Wilma is threatening our area, so the gym is closed and the weather outside is beginning to deteriorate. By the time I get back into my running schedule I'll be like a newborn calf testing out my wobbly legs. Oh well, routines are made to be broken every once in awhile, and it's not every day I get to party like that. Well, at least not with a limo and male strippers. That's special.
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Friday, October 21, 2005
Ooey-Gooey
The past two or three days have been very busy. I have a friend in from out of town, so between getting ready for her visit (cleaning like no gnome can) and the regular work I have for school, I haven't been running since Tuesday, and I doubt I will run today -- I have to entertain and can't be lazy about that job. So I feel a bit gooey.
I was reading yesterday in a health magazine I bought at the airport (her flight was delayed by forty-five minutes) that people who run, or even exercise regularly, and then are deprived of it for more than three days begin to have symptoms of depression. I wouldn't necessarily say I feel depressed, but I can definitely feel the change in my mood and my overall satisfaction when I have skipped out on a couple of days of running. Mostly, I supppose, it makes me feel fat, and when I don't feel fit, I don't feel great in general.
Plus, I have a pimple on my eyelid.
Who gets a pimple on their eyelid?!! Only the grossest of the gross, that's who. Of course, I keep touching it and inspecting it, and that only makes it redder and more pronounced. And it has to happen on a day like today. You see, my friend is here from out of town because tonight we are celebrating my bachelorette party! So, we're hitting the town like convicts just out of prison -- we are going to misbehave.
And I want to look good for that kind of trouble, and a pimply eyelid just isn't going to pull it off. Oh well, perhaps this afternoon I can get a run in before we get ready to go out. The weather is perfect out (except for some heavy humidity that Wilma is packin') so I could just step out later on and go for a short run. It won't cure the deformity above my eyeball, but it will help me feel a little sexier.
I was reading yesterday in a health magazine I bought at the airport (her flight was delayed by forty-five minutes) that people who run, or even exercise regularly, and then are deprived of it for more than three days begin to have symptoms of depression. I wouldn't necessarily say I feel depressed, but I can definitely feel the change in my mood and my overall satisfaction when I have skipped out on a couple of days of running. Mostly, I supppose, it makes me feel fat, and when I don't feel fit, I don't feel great in general.
Plus, I have a pimple on my eyelid.
Who gets a pimple on their eyelid?!! Only the grossest of the gross, that's who. Of course, I keep touching it and inspecting it, and that only makes it redder and more pronounced. And it has to happen on a day like today. You see, my friend is here from out of town because tonight we are celebrating my bachelorette party! So, we're hitting the town like convicts just out of prison -- we are going to misbehave.
And I want to look good for that kind of trouble, and a pimply eyelid just isn't going to pull it off. Oh well, perhaps this afternoon I can get a run in before we get ready to go out. The weather is perfect out (except for some heavy humidity that Wilma is packin') so I could just step out later on and go for a short run. It won't cure the deformity above my eyeball, but it will help me feel a little sexier.
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Boobies!
Okay, guys, the title may have attracted your attention, but I'm not sure if you'll be truly interested to read what I'm going to write here. Because my subject today is not simply breasts, it is sports bras. You see, after I got my new running shoes, I started to look around at my other running clothes, and I found them unacceptable, especially my sports bras.
Reasons for dissatisfaction: One, there are only three of them and because I am such a sweat monkey, I have to do a load of wash every three days in order to have a fresh bra. It's totally gross to run in a stinky bra, even if I'm the only one sniffing the stink.
Two, one of them is very shabby. I have had it since I was in college, and it's a little out of date (made of cotton -- not a good factor for the sweating) and it has some areas where it is starting to deteriorate. That can't be good; I don't know if it is supporting in the same way it used to, so I don't wear it as much as the other two.
Which brings me to reason number three: Other two are not high quality either. I have a feeling -- a very real feeling -- that my boobies are bouncing around in there a little too much. And according to some running sources, that is not good. Boobs should remain stable.
Boob stability is very important when running because too much bouncing up and down can have serious boobal damage. That's how you get saggy boobs (a very recent, very real fear of mine), studies show that there may be links between breast cancer and bad bras, and, well, it just plain hurts to have the girls untethered. Unfortunately, finding the right sports bra is a little difficult, especially if you have significant boobage, and it can be very expensive. (The bra department is one area where sexism is still very much a reality. Have you seen the price of bras? Do men pay that much for their jock straps? I think not! It's highway robbery!) Many good sports bras range from $25 - $50. $50!!! For a bra?
Cost aside, it's still an endeavor. You need to find a bra that supports, but doesn't suffocate. Something that hugs you close, but doesn't smother. You also want the right kind of material, preferrably something synthetic so that sweat is pulled away from your body and you keep cooler and drier (under boob sweat -- major source of perspiration). And lastly, you have to look for something that feels comfortable and doesn't rub or chafe. You have to be able to run in it, not just pose in front of the mirror. It's a lot to think about while you're sorting through the various price tags.
Ladies, we need to unite for good strong support, and cheap prices. Don't they have children in Taiwan that can sew them together for cheap? C'mon Nike, give us a break.
Reasons for dissatisfaction: One, there are only three of them and because I am such a sweat monkey, I have to do a load of wash every three days in order to have a fresh bra. It's totally gross to run in a stinky bra, even if I'm the only one sniffing the stink.
Two, one of them is very shabby. I have had it since I was in college, and it's a little out of date (made of cotton -- not a good factor for the sweating) and it has some areas where it is starting to deteriorate. That can't be good; I don't know if it is supporting in the same way it used to, so I don't wear it as much as the other two.
Which brings me to reason number three: Other two are not high quality either. I have a feeling -- a very real feeling -- that my boobies are bouncing around in there a little too much. And according to some running sources, that is not good. Boobs should remain stable.
Boob stability is very important when running because too much bouncing up and down can have serious boobal damage. That's how you get saggy boobs (a very recent, very real fear of mine), studies show that there may be links between breast cancer and bad bras, and, well, it just plain hurts to have the girls untethered. Unfortunately, finding the right sports bra is a little difficult, especially if you have significant boobage, and it can be very expensive. (The bra department is one area where sexism is still very much a reality. Have you seen the price of bras? Do men pay that much for their jock straps? I think not! It's highway robbery!) Many good sports bras range from $25 - $50. $50!!! For a bra?
Cost aside, it's still an endeavor. You need to find a bra that supports, but doesn't suffocate. Something that hugs you close, but doesn't smother. You also want the right kind of material, preferrably something synthetic so that sweat is pulled away from your body and you keep cooler and drier (under boob sweat -- major source of perspiration). And lastly, you have to look for something that feels comfortable and doesn't rub or chafe. You have to be able to run in it, not just pose in front of the mirror. It's a lot to think about while you're sorting through the various price tags.
Ladies, we need to unite for good strong support, and cheap prices. Don't they have children in Taiwan that can sew them together for cheap? C'mon Nike, give us a break.
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Flushed
I spoke a little too soon about the cooler Florida weather. Yesterday, I figured it was cool enough to run in the afternoon, around four thirty, but after running, I decided I was wrong. You know when you stop running, and the waves of heat wash over you and almost overhwelm you in sweat, and you feel a bit sick to your stomach? Yeah, that's how I felt for a few moments when I got home.
My face was bright red and I was sweating like you wouldn't believe. So I turned the shower water on cold, and hopped in under the icy water, but it still took a half an hour of laying by the fan to completely cool off and restore my color to its normal hue. I'm not sure if it's normal to get this extra red face -- does it mean anything? Do I have a disorder?
I see others who run in the gym or runners I pass on the sidewalk and none of them are crimson like I am. I don't get that pretty little flush in the cheeks, I look like I fell asleep on the beach without sunblock. Maybe I just need to stick to running in near-artic weather; but then I would be red from wind burn -- I just can't win!
My face was bright red and I was sweating like you wouldn't believe. So I turned the shower water on cold, and hopped in under the icy water, but it still took a half an hour of laying by the fan to completely cool off and restore my color to its normal hue. I'm not sure if it's normal to get this extra red face -- does it mean anything? Do I have a disorder?
I see others who run in the gym or runners I pass on the sidewalk and none of them are crimson like I am. I don't get that pretty little flush in the cheeks, I look like I fell asleep on the beach without sunblock. Maybe I just need to stick to running in near-artic weather; but then I would be red from wind burn -- I just can't win!
Monday, October 17, 2005
Finally Fall
The weather has finally cooled down some and it is glorious. Last night I went for a run outside and the weather was just right after the sun went down. It was cool and there was a pleasant breeze blowing. Florida is very pleasant from the middle of October to about the middle of March; it's the summer that is unbearable.
I'm glad the season has turned cooler. Now I can run outside more, which is really what I prefer to do. It feels more like running when you can actaully go somewhere instead of feeling like a hamster on a wheel. I would be so much happier running at the gym if there was an indoor track -- that's even better than the treadmill. But the treadmill has its perks, so I won't be mean to it.
Anyway, I'm happy now that I can start running in the fresh air more. Of course in about two weeks it will be getting dark at like 5 pm, so the good weather comes at a price.
I'm glad the season has turned cooler. Now I can run outside more, which is really what I prefer to do. It feels more like running when you can actaully go somewhere instead of feeling like a hamster on a wheel. I would be so much happier running at the gym if there was an indoor track -- that's even better than the treadmill. But the treadmill has its perks, so I won't be mean to it.
Anyway, I'm happy now that I can start running in the fresh air more. Of course in about two weeks it will be getting dark at like 5 pm, so the good weather comes at a price.
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Gory Getaway
The blog has been unattended for the last few days because I was visiting Orlando for a mini-break. I just got back yesterday, and enjoyed every minute away -- vacations are very good for your health. Everyone needs time away from work and from home.
But I specifically went to Orlando so that I could visit Universal's Halloween Horror Nights. Every year in October, Universal hosts its Halloween Horror Nights, and the park changes after sunset from a kid-friendly theme park into an adult-rated (scantily clad ladies, shots sold in vials, and stands selling bottles of beer and mixed drinks) haunted house. The park transforms and there are haunted houses, there are scare zones, there are frightening shows, and there are poeple roaming the streets dressed up and ready to jump out at you. It's great!
Some of the houses were truly the best haunted houses I've ever been through. I screamed my way through most of them, and felt terrified when the people inside jumped out at me. At one point, I think I pulled a muscle in my side from screaming and leaping to the side. My heart was pounding so hard, it felt as though I had just finished a hard run. In fact, being scared can produce many of the same effects as exercise can. Your heart rate increases, your breathing is rapid, and your muscles are tense and ready for action. All that adrenline, once again, flowing through your veins. That's why the event is so popular I suppose -- people love to get scared and they love to feel the rush that adrenline gives you.
However, it's interesting to note that most doctors would recommend a healthy dose of laughter before they would advise a good scare. Studies have shown that fifteen minutes of laughter (the deep, belly kind of laughter) actually gives your heart the same kind of workout that thirty minutes of exercise can do. Your arteries open wide and let the blood flow through easier and your heart doesn't have to pump so hard.
Plus, there are aspects of our health that cannot be explained through pure biology. But studies reveal that personality, attitude, and outlook all influence your overall health and that those who report that they are happy, are most often the ones with the fewest medical problems. So watching funny movies or TV shows, laughing with friends, and reading the comics are all actually healthy activities.
But I think there's still room for a good scream. And really, once I get done screaming on a roller coaster or in a haunted house, I usually find myself laughing as well.
But I specifically went to Orlando so that I could visit Universal's Halloween Horror Nights. Every year in October, Universal hosts its Halloween Horror Nights, and the park changes after sunset from a kid-friendly theme park into an adult-rated (scantily clad ladies, shots sold in vials, and stands selling bottles of beer and mixed drinks) haunted house. The park transforms and there are haunted houses, there are scare zones, there are frightening shows, and there are poeple roaming the streets dressed up and ready to jump out at you. It's great!
Some of the houses were truly the best haunted houses I've ever been through. I screamed my way through most of them, and felt terrified when the people inside jumped out at me. At one point, I think I pulled a muscle in my side from screaming and leaping to the side. My heart was pounding so hard, it felt as though I had just finished a hard run. In fact, being scared can produce many of the same effects as exercise can. Your heart rate increases, your breathing is rapid, and your muscles are tense and ready for action. All that adrenline, once again, flowing through your veins. That's why the event is so popular I suppose -- people love to get scared and they love to feel the rush that adrenline gives you.
However, it's interesting to note that most doctors would recommend a healthy dose of laughter before they would advise a good scare. Studies have shown that fifteen minutes of laughter (the deep, belly kind of laughter) actually gives your heart the same kind of workout that thirty minutes of exercise can do. Your arteries open wide and let the blood flow through easier and your heart doesn't have to pump so hard.
Plus, there are aspects of our health that cannot be explained through pure biology. But studies reveal that personality, attitude, and outlook all influence your overall health and that those who report that they are happy, are most often the ones with the fewest medical problems. So watching funny movies or TV shows, laughing with friends, and reading the comics are all actually healthy activities.
But I think there's still room for a good scream. And really, once I get done screaming on a roller coaster or in a haunted house, I usually find myself laughing as well.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Red Rum
I think I may be very close to mudering an elderly person. It won't be my fault: I can claim insanity.
It's probably the most age-ist thing to say, but I'm up to my neck in old people and they are driving me crazy. The grocery store near our home is in the heart of old people land and on any given week day, it is chock full of the elderly. Normally I wouldn't mind so much, but this grocery store is small and rather cramped as it is; there is only room in the aisles for one cart to go in one direction and another cart to come in the other direction; the checkout lines are very narrow and the vegetable section and bakery are both the size of my kitchen. So with barely enough room to sneeze, shoppers have to be very conscience of the other shoppers around them; however, this does not apply to the old people.
They stop in the middle of the aisle (no attempt to pull their cart -- with its single apple and can of grapefruit juice -- over to the side), they literally don't look when coming around a bend, and they but in line ("Do you mind sweetheart? I just have two things."). They bunch up in crowds right outside or right inside the door blocking the carts and making it difficult to maneavor around them. But I guess you earn that right once you have lived long enough and have established your dominance on the earth; plus, you're old and you just don't care what people think of you.
I can make my peace with the behavior at the grocery store. Perhaps I will just begin to drive across town to a larger store; the commute may be worth my sanity. But I can't make peace with some of the old people's behavior at the gym. I swear, some of them act like two year olds.
In spinning class, they crowd against the door and fight with one another over the prime bikes. They choose treadmills right next to you. They always ask for instruction ("How do you start this damn thing?" One old lady asked me. I told her to push "start.") They yell at the front desk people, or they fumble around in their giant sized purses for their ID backing up the incoming traffic. And this monring was the last straw. I was do strength training on a machine and this woman was hovering around me. I do three sets, and while I was resting between sets 2 and 3, she walked up to me and asked, "How much longer are you going to hog this machine?"
I nearly imploded.
There are rows of machines; in fact, rows of some of the exact same machines. She could have used any one of the machines identical to the one I was using, yet she was harassing me to use the one I had been on for about five minutes (I guess when you're old time is valuable, so it might have appeared that I was on it for a long time). I told her it would be just another minute. She looked hauty, but didn't say anything else.
I only had one cheek off the seat before she was squeezing herself in there. I don't know if she thought one of the other patrons was going to steal her machine, but she was on it like bread on butter. I've never had anyone be so rude at the gym before, and I had half a mind to smack her with my towel, but I suppose I had to be the adult in the situation.
Part of me knows that I should just be patient and that I should treat the elderly with respect and care because one day I too will be old. I suppose it's just a matter of about sixty years before I can stop up traffic in the grocery store and demand my time on an exercise machine. Maybe that's how I'll behave as well once my relatives have abandoned me to the sweltering heat of South Florida and my one kidney is failing.
Perhaps I should just wait my turn to be an old bee-atch.
It's probably the most age-ist thing to say, but I'm up to my neck in old people and they are driving me crazy. The grocery store near our home is in the heart of old people land and on any given week day, it is chock full of the elderly. Normally I wouldn't mind so much, but this grocery store is small and rather cramped as it is; there is only room in the aisles for one cart to go in one direction and another cart to come in the other direction; the checkout lines are very narrow and the vegetable section and bakery are both the size of my kitchen. So with barely enough room to sneeze, shoppers have to be very conscience of the other shoppers around them; however, this does not apply to the old people.
They stop in the middle of the aisle (no attempt to pull their cart -- with its single apple and can of grapefruit juice -- over to the side), they literally don't look when coming around a bend, and they but in line ("Do you mind sweetheart? I just have two things."). They bunch up in crowds right outside or right inside the door blocking the carts and making it difficult to maneavor around them. But I guess you earn that right once you have lived long enough and have established your dominance on the earth; plus, you're old and you just don't care what people think of you.
I can make my peace with the behavior at the grocery store. Perhaps I will just begin to drive across town to a larger store; the commute may be worth my sanity. But I can't make peace with some of the old people's behavior at the gym. I swear, some of them act like two year olds.
In spinning class, they crowd against the door and fight with one another over the prime bikes. They choose treadmills right next to you. They always ask for instruction ("How do you start this damn thing?" One old lady asked me. I told her to push "start.") They yell at the front desk people, or they fumble around in their giant sized purses for their ID backing up the incoming traffic. And this monring was the last straw. I was do strength training on a machine and this woman was hovering around me. I do three sets, and while I was resting between sets 2 and 3, she walked up to me and asked, "How much longer are you going to hog this machine?"
I nearly imploded.
There are rows of machines; in fact, rows of some of the exact same machines. She could have used any one of the machines identical to the one I was using, yet she was harassing me to use the one I had been on for about five minutes (I guess when you're old time is valuable, so it might have appeared that I was on it for a long time). I told her it would be just another minute. She looked hauty, but didn't say anything else.
I only had one cheek off the seat before she was squeezing herself in there. I don't know if she thought one of the other patrons was going to steal her machine, but she was on it like bread on butter. I've never had anyone be so rude at the gym before, and I had half a mind to smack her with my towel, but I suppose I had to be the adult in the situation.
Part of me knows that I should just be patient and that I should treat the elderly with respect and care because one day I too will be old. I suppose it's just a matter of about sixty years before I can stop up traffic in the grocery store and demand my time on an exercise machine. Maybe that's how I'll behave as well once my relatives have abandoned me to the sweltering heat of South Florida and my one kidney is failing.
Perhaps I should just wait my turn to be an old bee-atch.
Monday, October 10, 2005
Split Personality
I wish I was one of those people (sometimes you see them in movies -- the intrepid FBI agent, or the single mom working so hard on her own) who could get up early in the morning and run. I envision the cool early morning darkness, the dew covering all the parked cars and still sleeping trees and bushes. The weather would be perfect at that time, no heat, low humidity, and I picture how satisfying it would be to come home as the sun is rising, and the whole day is stretching out ahead of me. Imagine what I would get done in a day if I got up early every morning and got my running done right away.
I think that's what people think of when they envision a runner. For some reason it seems to awe people, and I admit I occasionally see people at races that seem to be that person -- the inspiring morning runner, but I assure everyone that person is not me. Me, I struggle with my running. Motivating myself each day is its own challenge and there are days when merely tying my running shoes seems to drain me of energy. A lot of the time I just don't want to go. I bitch and moan in my head, and the evil part of me thinks, "Maybe today is okay for another day off."
But then there are times when I can't wait to run. I might hear a song on the radio that I think would be a good running song, and I turn it up, and I can't help but feel ansy. And there are definitely times when I'm sitting in my office or at home at my desk grading papers or planning for class and I feel like I have to get out and run, run, run. My legs tell me they need it. And when I finish, I always feel satisfied; that's really why I run. When I'm done, I feel good; I feel like I did something worthwhile. For that feeling, I run even when I don't feel like it. But I never run first thing in the morning.
I think that's what people think of when they envision a runner. For some reason it seems to awe people, and I admit I occasionally see people at races that seem to be that person -- the inspiring morning runner, but I assure everyone that person is not me. Me, I struggle with my running. Motivating myself each day is its own challenge and there are days when merely tying my running shoes seems to drain me of energy. A lot of the time I just don't want to go. I bitch and moan in my head, and the evil part of me thinks, "Maybe today is okay for another day off."
But then there are times when I can't wait to run. I might hear a song on the radio that I think would be a good running song, and I turn it up, and I can't help but feel ansy. And there are definitely times when I'm sitting in my office or at home at my desk grading papers or planning for class and I feel like I have to get out and run, run, run. My legs tell me they need it. And when I finish, I always feel satisfied; that's really why I run. When I'm done, I feel good; I feel like I did something worthwhile. For that feeling, I run even when I don't feel like it. But I never run first thing in the morning.
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Blushing Bride
Every woman wants to look perfect for her wedding day. That's why there are dozens of books, articles, and websites that dispense advice about weight loss, beauty tricks, make-up hints, hair guides, and skin secrets. A bride has to be concerned with everything in her appearance from the shining whiteness of her teeth to the touch of fat under her arms. That's a lot of stuff to think about.
I'm getting married in six weeks, and up until this point I can't say I've honestly thought too much about any of this. True, I have been trying to lose weight, but I'm always trying to lose weight, and the wedding date hasn't really prompted me to kick the effort into high gear. But suddenly I am thinking about facials, tanning, pedicures, manicures, teeth whitening, and more. I am suddenly posessed with an uncharacteristic need to be pretty, and am especially thinking about the need to look thin. So, I turned to those books, articles, and websites to see what they have to offer.
Essentially, there's no miracle "pretty" pill out there -- so my first hope was dashed. And what they do advise for weight loss is what I'm already practising: exercise regularly, eat healthy, balanced meals and snacks, and get plenty of sleep (I try to never cut myself short in that department). I already feel good about what I'm doing for exercise, and I want a program that I can commit to for the long term; I don't just want to lose a few pounds before the pictures flash and then beef up the day after we're married. I've seen friends and family members who literally starve themselves for months before the wedding only to let themselves become careless once the "big day" has passed. That's what's great about my running: I know it will take me awhile to reach my goals, so it's something I can work on over the long term.
After thinking about it, I decided to not worry -- it's really not my character to worry anyway, why start now? Plus, that dress hides most of what makes me insecure about my body anyhow; it's not like I will be taking my vows in a bikini (that would call for some serious dieting -- I would probably have to put down the ice cream sandwiches). I just need to concern myself with being comfortable and having fun, and those are two things I know I can do. Besides, it's the inside that makes you beautiful, right?
I'm getting married in six weeks, and up until this point I can't say I've honestly thought too much about any of this. True, I have been trying to lose weight, but I'm always trying to lose weight, and the wedding date hasn't really prompted me to kick the effort into high gear. But suddenly I am thinking about facials, tanning, pedicures, manicures, teeth whitening, and more. I am suddenly posessed with an uncharacteristic need to be pretty, and am especially thinking about the need to look thin. So, I turned to those books, articles, and websites to see what they have to offer.
Essentially, there's no miracle "pretty" pill out there -- so my first hope was dashed. And what they do advise for weight loss is what I'm already practising: exercise regularly, eat healthy, balanced meals and snacks, and get plenty of sleep (I try to never cut myself short in that department). I already feel good about what I'm doing for exercise, and I want a program that I can commit to for the long term; I don't just want to lose a few pounds before the pictures flash and then beef up the day after we're married. I've seen friends and family members who literally starve themselves for months before the wedding only to let themselves become careless once the "big day" has passed. That's what's great about my running: I know it will take me awhile to reach my goals, so it's something I can work on over the long term.
After thinking about it, I decided to not worry -- it's really not my character to worry anyway, why start now? Plus, that dress hides most of what makes me insecure about my body anyhow; it's not like I will be taking my vows in a bikini (that would call for some serious dieting -- I would probably have to put down the ice cream sandwiches). I just need to concern myself with being comfortable and having fun, and those are two things I know I can do. Besides, it's the inside that makes you beautiful, right?
Saturday, October 08, 2005
Cereal
My newest favorite food. I bought a box of Special K about two weeks ago and decided to test it out, and it turned out that I liked it. It's pretty good for you -- high in fiber and low in sugar and calories, and with milk, you get protein and calcium -- so I've been eating about a bowl a day for the past two weeks.
I've never really been a huge cereal eater. When I was growing up, we weren't allowed to have much cereal because what we wanted was high in sugar and was often expensive (that's still true about cereal), so my mom wouldn't let us have much. That's why when I got to college I completely overloaded on Lucky Charms.
But the Special K box caught my eye when I was in the grocery store, and I thought there'd be no harm in testing it out. The box primarily caught my eye because Special K, as a brand, boasts its own speical diet; you might have heard the commercials -- eat two bowls a day, with sensible snacks, and a healthy dinner, and you'll lose a jean size in two weeks. Once I bought the box and brought it home, I read the back where it describes this diet. It is a simple idea; in fact, the same simple idea from the makers of Slim Fast. The recommended serving of both milk and cereal only adds up to 200 calories, so yes, if that made up two meals a day, you would be severely cutting your calories, and if your other meals were sensible (fruit) and healthy (chicken and veggies); then, I agree, you would lose a jean size in two weeks.
I like the cereal, but I'm not so keen on it for two meals a day. I'll just stick to one bowl; it does fill me up, it's pretty healthy, and it tastes good. That's really all I want in a food.
I've never really been a huge cereal eater. When I was growing up, we weren't allowed to have much cereal because what we wanted was high in sugar and was often expensive (that's still true about cereal), so my mom wouldn't let us have much. That's why when I got to college I completely overloaded on Lucky Charms.
But the Special K box caught my eye when I was in the grocery store, and I thought there'd be no harm in testing it out. The box primarily caught my eye because Special K, as a brand, boasts its own speical diet; you might have heard the commercials -- eat two bowls a day, with sensible snacks, and a healthy dinner, and you'll lose a jean size in two weeks. Once I bought the box and brought it home, I read the back where it describes this diet. It is a simple idea; in fact, the same simple idea from the makers of Slim Fast. The recommended serving of both milk and cereal only adds up to 200 calories, so yes, if that made up two meals a day, you would be severely cutting your calories, and if your other meals were sensible (fruit) and healthy (chicken and veggies); then, I agree, you would lose a jean size in two weeks.
I like the cereal, but I'm not so keen on it for two meals a day. I'll just stick to one bowl; it does fill me up, it's pretty healthy, and it tastes good. That's really all I want in a food.
Friday, October 07, 2005
An Apple a Day
All week I have felt exhausted. Worn down by a busy work schedule and the feeling that every day is a long day, I have fallen into bed each night and slept the sleep of the dead. However, even though I slept the deep, hard sleep of the truly tired, I haven't felt refreshed all week and I crave more time with my eyes closed. As you can imagine, this makes it difficult to find the energy to run, and usually when I feel like I'm low on energy, I reach for a reliable stimulant: caffiene.
Yet, yesterday, I was told that by eating an apple instead of drinking a caffeinated beverage, I would feel more energized and more awake. I mulled this idea over and wonder if it could be true, so today I looked it up on the Internet, and sure enough, I found an article that explored just such a concept.
I guess the biology is simple and the idea is not so revolutionary, yet it had been something I had have never thought of. An average apple contains 20 grams of carbs, and as any runner knows, carbs are our energy. Now, I'm not a biology instructor, nor do I completely absorb all that I am told about human phsyiology, but simply put, carbohydrates are broken down into various kinetic uses in the body -- kinda like adding logs to the fire. So it makes sense that eating an apple and getting all those sugars would help boost your energy, as would any fruit.
Caffeine, on the other hand, affects your brain, like any other drug. Caffeine parades around in your brain looking like adenosine (which causes drowsiness -- it tells nerve receptors to start slowing down acitivity and to get ready for sleep), and well, these nerve receptors think caffeine is adenosine and they bind to one another. So, instead of feeling sleepy, the cells now feel excited and ready to go; you now have increased neuron firing in the brain, and your pituary gland sees this and thinks there must be some kind of emergency, so it releases adreneline into the blood stream.
Now, we all know what adreneline does: It's the fight or flight hormone designed to enable us to run away from a threat or fight it off. So adreneline dilates our pupils, raises our heartbeat, increases blood flow, tightens muscles, and the liver releases sugar into the system for quick energy. That's why it seems like a run is so much easier if you consume caffeine about thirty minutes before a run (which some running trainers recommend). However, you can come to rely on caffeine, and it is considered an addictive drug, and no runner wants to rely on something -- we want to develop our own reliance. That's why we run.
So, I suppose eating an apple is the better energy solution. It helps add energy naturally to the body's chemistry and you'll burn off those carbs in a run anyway. I suppose I should reach less for the coffee and more for the apples. Maybe we all should.
Yet, yesterday, I was told that by eating an apple instead of drinking a caffeinated beverage, I would feel more energized and more awake. I mulled this idea over and wonder if it could be true, so today I looked it up on the Internet, and sure enough, I found an article that explored just such a concept.
I guess the biology is simple and the idea is not so revolutionary, yet it had been something I had have never thought of. An average apple contains 20 grams of carbs, and as any runner knows, carbs are our energy. Now, I'm not a biology instructor, nor do I completely absorb all that I am told about human phsyiology, but simply put, carbohydrates are broken down into various kinetic uses in the body -- kinda like adding logs to the fire. So it makes sense that eating an apple and getting all those sugars would help boost your energy, as would any fruit.
Caffeine, on the other hand, affects your brain, like any other drug. Caffeine parades around in your brain looking like adenosine (which causes drowsiness -- it tells nerve receptors to start slowing down acitivity and to get ready for sleep), and well, these nerve receptors think caffeine is adenosine and they bind to one another. So, instead of feeling sleepy, the cells now feel excited and ready to go; you now have increased neuron firing in the brain, and your pituary gland sees this and thinks there must be some kind of emergency, so it releases adreneline into the blood stream.
Now, we all know what adreneline does: It's the fight or flight hormone designed to enable us to run away from a threat or fight it off. So adreneline dilates our pupils, raises our heartbeat, increases blood flow, tightens muscles, and the liver releases sugar into the system for quick energy. That's why it seems like a run is so much easier if you consume caffeine about thirty minutes before a run (which some running trainers recommend). However, you can come to rely on caffeine, and it is considered an addictive drug, and no runner wants to rely on something -- we want to develop our own reliance. That's why we run.
So, I suppose eating an apple is the better energy solution. It helps add energy naturally to the body's chemistry and you'll burn off those carbs in a run anyway. I suppose I should reach less for the coffee and more for the apples. Maybe we all should.
Thursday, October 06, 2005
The Shoe Goes the Mile -- Five of Them Actually
Yes, that's right. Yesterday, I ran five miles with my new shoes and it was great. I shouldn't have doubted the saleswoman; she was "spot on" about the size and I could definitely feel the difference in the new shoe as far as cushion and support. True, it might be a false comparison since my old shoes had literally worn a hole through the sole, but holes aside, I could feel a difference. Plus, I bought two new pairs of socks yesterday with the shoes, and I could tell the difference in the sock as well.
I've read about how a good sock can influence your running (they can offer their own kind of support and can reduce blisters, rubbing, and even foot sweat), but I always dismissed it as one more thing the manufacturers of running goods wanted us to buy. But it's true: The sock matters.
I still had shorts issues -- damn things are either bunching or riding up on me (I asked the saleswoman about that and asked if she had a shorts recommendation, but she said that shorts are an issue with every runner and the only way to completely avoid the extra fabric issue is to go really short; bikini bottom short, like what Olympic runners wear, and let's just say I'll never wear that) -- and my MP3 player actually quit on me about two minutes before I finished. The battery died, which was too bad since I had just downloaded four new songs. But overall, I had a really good run.
Today is not a running day; it's a break day and I am certainly busy at school -- literally piles of student essays to read. At this point in the semester, it's a never-ending river of work to read and grade. I'd best just get used to it; we still have 11 weeks to go. Ugh.
I've read about how a good sock can influence your running (they can offer their own kind of support and can reduce blisters, rubbing, and even foot sweat), but I always dismissed it as one more thing the manufacturers of running goods wanted us to buy. But it's true: The sock matters.
I still had shorts issues -- damn things are either bunching or riding up on me (I asked the saleswoman about that and asked if she had a shorts recommendation, but she said that shorts are an issue with every runner and the only way to completely avoid the extra fabric issue is to go really short; bikini bottom short, like what Olympic runners wear, and let's just say I'll never wear that) -- and my MP3 player actually quit on me about two minutes before I finished. The battery died, which was too bad since I had just downloaded four new songs. But overall, I had a really good run.
Today is not a running day; it's a break day and I am certainly busy at school -- literally piles of student essays to read. At this point in the semester, it's a never-ending river of work to read and grade. I'd best just get used to it; we still have 11 weeks to go. Ugh.
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Shiny New Shoes
I bought a pair of new running shoes today! I went to a running store to be fitted and assessed, and the whole experience helped me quite a bit. First, the sales clerk had me take off my other shoes and roll up my pants and she had me walk around so she could observe my arch and the way my ankle moved. Then she asked me a serious of questions about the distances I run, how often I run, that kind of stuff. It was a bit like a test, so I was a little nervous, but I think I aced it; I felt good.
Usually when I chose running shoes, I pick them based on availability (or how pretty they are). As I have mentioned before, I am no bigger than a hobbit, but unlike a hobbit, I have very small, child-like feet. This makes finding shoes very difficult, and often times I find myself floating over to the kids' section in a shoe store. So, whenever I came across running shoes that were in my size, I'd just snatch them up, but this isn't really the best way to purchase running shoes. You want the right support and cushion and the right stability and durability.
Thankfully the store I went to had a variety of shoes in my miniscule size so I actually had some choice on the matter -- not a lot of choice, but some choice. The store even had a treadmill in there so I could "test run" them. What service! I learned that I have a regular arch and a regular ankle (it doesn't roll this way or that) and that my stride is also even (thus distributing equal weight to each foot -- who knew I was so well-proportioned?), and all of that information helped the clerk choose some of the best shoes for me. Two pairs felt too big and one pair felt just right, but she said it was a little too snug.
She actually advised me to go a half size larger than I normally would because she said I should have more room at my toe, especially if I plan to add some mileage to my running (which I do, it's just taking me a while to build up to it). Your feet swell some when running and if you have a shoe that is too snug, you get the evil toe nail that turns black and blue and then falls off. I'll be honest though, I'm a little leary about the half size bigger. My heal doesn't slip out, but it feels like I have a lot of room at the front of my foot. However, I am going to trust her expertise and go for a run as soon as I finish this.
I'll let you know how it goes with the new shoes. Perhaps I will be like a speeding bullet!
Usually when I chose running shoes, I pick them based on availability (or how pretty they are). As I have mentioned before, I am no bigger than a hobbit, but unlike a hobbit, I have very small, child-like feet. This makes finding shoes very difficult, and often times I find myself floating over to the kids' section in a shoe store. So, whenever I came across running shoes that were in my size, I'd just snatch them up, but this isn't really the best way to purchase running shoes. You want the right support and cushion and the right stability and durability.
Thankfully the store I went to had a variety of shoes in my miniscule size so I actually had some choice on the matter -- not a lot of choice, but some choice. The store even had a treadmill in there so I could "test run" them. What service! I learned that I have a regular arch and a regular ankle (it doesn't roll this way or that) and that my stride is also even (thus distributing equal weight to each foot -- who knew I was so well-proportioned?), and all of that information helped the clerk choose some of the best shoes for me. Two pairs felt too big and one pair felt just right, but she said it was a little too snug.
She actually advised me to go a half size larger than I normally would because she said I should have more room at my toe, especially if I plan to add some mileage to my running (which I do, it's just taking me a while to build up to it). Your feet swell some when running and if you have a shoe that is too snug, you get the evil toe nail that turns black and blue and then falls off. I'll be honest though, I'm a little leary about the half size bigger. My heal doesn't slip out, but it feels like I have a lot of room at the front of my foot. However, I am going to trust her expertise and go for a run as soon as I finish this.
I'll let you know how it goes with the new shoes. Perhaps I will be like a speeding bullet!
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Americans: The Fattest of the Fat
Anyone who has seen "Super Size Me" (if you haven't, go rent it) is well aware of the obesity dangers facing America: You may not agree with the film's hypothesis that it is fast food that is super sizing the country's waistline, but you were probably freaked out that the super sizing could happen to you. Well, according to a new study whose findings were released to the news today, you most likely are going to get nice and plump.
This study, conducted by Boston University for three decades, concluded that 9 out of 10 men would eventually become obese and that 7 out of 10 women would. The study said that even if you make it into middle age with a healthy weight, you should continue to stay active and consume healthy foods because as we age, our metabolism slows and it becomes harder and harder to keep the extra pounds off. But for most, the weight gain begins far before middle age. For women, the most troublesome years are those following their first pregnancy (apparently, the other pregnancies -- if they exist -- are easier to recover from). For men, some of the most dangerous weight years are the first five of their marriage (I would guess because guys get super comfy in their relationship and the gals are probably to be good little wives and cook meals like their mothers made).
But why are Americans, specifically, so enlarged? Why are we juicier than, say, other developed countries?
Apparently, it's actually hard not to become fat in American society. We are surrounded by physical comforts, so no extra effort is needed, and we have the money to buy whatever we want, and that includes whatever kind of food we want. So to make it short but sweet: We've got money to burn, but are reluctant to burn any calories. Most of us work sedentary jobs -- and we drive to those jobs -- where we sit for the majority of the day (that's partially what makes me pine for the days as a waitress -- I used to walk miles in a work shift). Plus, Americans are surrounded by temptation: McDonald's around very corner, M&Ms at the movies, and food delivered right to our homes (most likely to be delivered: not a healthy salad, but probably pizza or Chinese or sub sandwiches).
Reading findings such as this always make me trot right to the treadmill. It freaks me out. Yes, part of my desire to lose weight stems from a fear of being a fatty-fatty-two-by-four, but my vanity is not the only concern. I, personally, want to live to be about 100 years old -- I think that would be stellar -- and you don't get to be 100 years old with type II diabetes and high blood pressure. Besides, I'll finally be in shape to run that marathon when I'm a hundred. At the rate I'm working, that's about the time I'll be ready. So I need to ensure that I make it that long in this world; I suppose that means I should skip the drive-thru for lunch and instead eat the yogurt I brought with me. Poop.
This study, conducted by Boston University for three decades, concluded that 9 out of 10 men would eventually become obese and that 7 out of 10 women would. The study said that even if you make it into middle age with a healthy weight, you should continue to stay active and consume healthy foods because as we age, our metabolism slows and it becomes harder and harder to keep the extra pounds off. But for most, the weight gain begins far before middle age. For women, the most troublesome years are those following their first pregnancy (apparently, the other pregnancies -- if they exist -- are easier to recover from). For men, some of the most dangerous weight years are the first five of their marriage (I would guess because guys get super comfy in their relationship and the gals are probably to be good little wives and cook meals like their mothers made).
But why are Americans, specifically, so enlarged? Why are we juicier than, say, other developed countries?
Apparently, it's actually hard not to become fat in American society. We are surrounded by physical comforts, so no extra effort is needed, and we have the money to buy whatever we want, and that includes whatever kind of food we want. So to make it short but sweet: We've got money to burn, but are reluctant to burn any calories. Most of us work sedentary jobs -- and we drive to those jobs -- where we sit for the majority of the day (that's partially what makes me pine for the days as a waitress -- I used to walk miles in a work shift). Plus, Americans are surrounded by temptation: McDonald's around very corner, M&Ms at the movies, and food delivered right to our homes (most likely to be delivered: not a healthy salad, but probably pizza or Chinese or sub sandwiches).
Reading findings such as this always make me trot right to the treadmill. It freaks me out. Yes, part of my desire to lose weight stems from a fear of being a fatty-fatty-two-by-four, but my vanity is not the only concern. I, personally, want to live to be about 100 years old -- I think that would be stellar -- and you don't get to be 100 years old with type II diabetes and high blood pressure. Besides, I'll finally be in shape to run that marathon when I'm a hundred. At the rate I'm working, that's about the time I'll be ready. So I need to ensure that I make it that long in this world; I suppose that means I should skip the drive-thru for lunch and instead eat the yogurt I brought with me. Poop.
Monday, October 03, 2005
Weighed Down
I am happy to report that this morning, after consulting the bathroom scale, I am two pounds lighter. That means overall, I have lost four pounds since beginning this endeavor. That means I've lost about a pound a month -- very slow progress. However, I was pleased to see the pounds lost this morning since yesterday I ate a bag of M&Ms (not a full one pound bag, but one of those slightly oversized bags you can find at a movie rental store; in fact, that's where I got it) and I had an ice cream sandwich and an incredibly yummy, but also fattening dinner.
The weekends are hard to control or curb my bad eating habits because I figure it's the weekend. And weekend are for fun! And yesterday, for example, was a dark, rainy day and we had rented some movies to watch and had books to enjoy, and on days like that, I just want to curl up with my fattening snacks and enjoy the day inside.
I did, however, still go for a run. By early evening, all the snacking had given me a sour gut and I knew I needed to get out there and run it off, so I went to the gym and ran 2 miles -- not enough distance to even rid myself of one serving of M&Ms, but it did make me feel better. The gym is empty on Sunday evenings and it was nice. I like it when it's quiet and I have my pick of treadmills (there are those I prefer over others), plus I don't have to run next to someone and I like to have my own space.
Losing weight and trying to eat healthier is hard for me (I can do the exercise, I just don't like to curb my appetite), but I am glad I am finally seeing some results. Perhaps if I apply just a touch more self-control I could see further weight loss.
The weekends are hard to control or curb my bad eating habits because I figure it's the weekend. And weekend are for fun! And yesterday, for example, was a dark, rainy day and we had rented some movies to watch and had books to enjoy, and on days like that, I just want to curl up with my fattening snacks and enjoy the day inside.
I did, however, still go for a run. By early evening, all the snacking had given me a sour gut and I knew I needed to get out there and run it off, so I went to the gym and ran 2 miles -- not enough distance to even rid myself of one serving of M&Ms, but it did make me feel better. The gym is empty on Sunday evenings and it was nice. I like it when it's quiet and I have my pick of treadmills (there are those I prefer over others), plus I don't have to run next to someone and I like to have my own space.
Losing weight and trying to eat healthier is hard for me (I can do the exercise, I just don't like to curb my appetite), but I am glad I am finally seeing some results. Perhaps if I apply just a touch more self-control I could see further weight loss.
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