BB's Really Beginner Mentor Group - CLOSED (Page 27)

I do not log my food. But am conscious of what I eat. I try to do things a bit differently than others.  Based loosely on the Circadian Prescription by Sidney MacDonald Baker.  In short form, take in most of your proteins in the AM and lunch, carbs mostly at dinner. I was raised in the country in NH, where we had out milk delivered in glass bottles and mom was a 95% vegetarian with a large garden.  So I try to avoid fake sugars and the like. I make a lot of my own bread or get whole wheat/grain breads and pastas. I never use salt, unless it is in a recipe.  I don’t really drink soda. I love milk, and have just started to try 2% (I am a whole girl) some of the time. However I do hate the taste of water (when not exercising) so I try to take in most of my fluids by drinking water flavored with lemon juice. As part of the tri thing I have tried to eat more nuts for the protein when I want a snack, and try to drink when I am hungry to fill my stomach.  I also have tried to add in more meat/chicken/fish to my diet. I just don’t eat that much animal protein.  However like some of you I could live on bread and sweets for the rest of my life. I refuse to not eat them, just try to eat really good stuff to make the smaller amount worth it. I usually have one day that I flake out though.

My normal food day is yogurt or a cheese omelet in the AM. Trail mix and water for a snack. Lunch of a sandwich (meat) or soup/chowder I have made or dinner like meals I have made to being to work (meat and veggie) then a snack of cheese and crackers when I get home. Dinner is pasta or veggies and a potato or fish (as you can’t really do that at lunch)!

As I have just done sprints I do not eat anything that special before working out/racing. I will take some gels/or blocks for the race or long bike rides.

Mostly I know I need to drink more fluids each day and get in more veggies. But I try to drink fresh juice each day if I can get fruit for not too much $. In the summer when my garden is producing, I eat a lot of fresh veggies, as much as I can get down, then try to make stuff to freeze for the winter. 

The bike is here! I'm taking it out tomorrow. I will post some pics of myself and the bike and our ride tomorrow. Can't get over how much lighter it is.

Mike- I'm in the same situation as you. I've lost a bunch of weight (I used Weight Watchers) and am finding it hard to take off the last few pounds. I try not to keep any junk in the house and eat reasonable, but my weight loss is not progressing at the rate I would like. I had no trouble dropping the holiday pounds (got up to 166), but now that I'm at my pre-holiday weight I'm stalled out again. I'm going back and forth between 158-157. I really want to see 145 by summer. I'm just going to have to start logging and measuring food again. Sigh
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Great job everyone.  Even though I might not chime in everyday I am watching.  Thanks for all the notes.  Yes, my logs look about as snowy as my yard.  Truth be told, I am finding very hard to go workout.  I don't know if it's a combination of post IM depression, or the fact that I spent so much time training last year, I feel I need to be around more this year.  I missing a lot things last year, and I am trying to make up for it now.  IM training is no joke.  Here's a little secret, the training is 10x more difficult than the race.  6 months of 8+ hours a week, most weekends gone, exhaustion, soreness, no free time, etc.  Looking back at it, the race was cake, relatively speaking.  I guess I just need to get back making a schedule and sticking to it.  Anyway, that's enough of my ramblings. 

You guys are doing great and I am thankful to have such a great group.  Keep it up.  

OK folks, need some tips/guidance.  On the swimming front, I'm feeling great and getting more and more comfortable.  Two things are still holding me back.  First, my balance is still not great.  Second, my kick is terrible.  Tips on helping either / both of these.  On the run front, I'm feeling great from a cardio/breath standpoint after any of my runs -- long, short, endurance or even intervals.  However, my legs feel like lead / just don't feel like I've got the strength in them to carry me faster.  Ideas?

On both the swim and the run, could be simply a matter of continuing to train and build; however, thought I'd solicit your thoughts on what might be going on and how I could possibly address.

I can't really help in either aspects, except to say that I have a horrible kick and yet swim pretty well? I have heard from several people that for long distance swimming, that the kick is not that important. I know that when I do kick drills I go pretty much nowhere? I have tried different techniques and have not found one that works for me. Someone in my Tri club posted this video on FB, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJpFVvho0o4this guy is just a ridiculously smooth, effortless swimmer and he doesn't really kick except to maybe keep his balance. I figure that since my kick is bad, but my stroke is pretty good, I will just keep working on getting smoother and better endurance, that and losing some body mass and I should be a swimmer?

Well after dinner and a movie with the family, now it is time for a run!

What are you taking (eating/drinking) before and after your runs?  Most people are so concerned with S, B, R, they forget they need to be fueled to do these things.  I was/am guilty of this.  Finding the right intake, both before and after training, is a lot of trial and error.  I can tell you that if you are properly fueled (carbed up) before a workout, it makes a big difference on recovery.  At least it does for me. 

Oh, and Mike's right too.  The more you do, the more your muscles will get used to the workouts. 

I got some bad news for you.  You probably won't see as big as gains as you did in the 1st six months of starting this.  ALMOST each milestone you reach, requires almost exponential amount of effort and training.  The silver lining, not the silver bullet, is that there will be times when you make significant improvements in short periods of time, but those are not the norm.  Think of climbing a mountain, you can make huge gains in a short amount of time at the base of the mountain.  Then you hit the climb and it take longer, more effort, more discipline, more focus, to just get 1000 feet higher. 

My advice is to focus on the small gains.  Set realistic goals.  I can promise you that as long as you are moving, you will get better.  It's how you measure "better" that's up to you. 

Ails - Thanks for the good wishes.

Jackie - I hope you had a nice first ride on your bike.

Dan - Thank you for the video.

Curt - Thank you for your focus and dedication, I wish I was like you.

Mike and Josh - Thanks for the pointers.  I guess there’s nothing else to do but to keep at it. 

Dan N – El que quiere puede.  No te rindas.

I have to confess that I’ve been very bad.  It was a nice weekend of birthday celebrations.  Late nights, no exercise except for quite a bit of dancing and I didn’t diet.  My very favourite fruit tart with ice cream crossed my path on Friday, and I succumbed to it. I was very lenient after that up until this morning.  I hope to get back on track today.

I wish you all a great week! 

Understand and certainly want to be realistic with my expectations.  That said, I think I've got another 6 months of "easy gains" before I hit that wall.  Swimming's got lots of room as I haven't even gotten in to lessons or form.  Biking's really new to me and I've only put in a few one hour rides.  And running, I've just not built the base.  Think the two big things that will help me are (i) using a formal program / taking advantage of being really diligent on sticking with a program and (ii) think the training's going to help with shedding a few pounds which should help me as well.

I've learned a ton about realistic expectations via playing golf.  Key there -- and here I think as well -- is to stay within your limits, stick with your plan, and enjoy the experience.  You do these three things and good things happen.

But I still want the gains to come faster!!!!!

I was feeling pretty low, but endorphins kicked in.    I just did a quick mile on the elliptical and then swam 900m.  According to the swim coach I’ve improved my technique noticeably.   Now I have to work on my fitness.   

You are so ambitious Curt!  LOL  But you’ll get there, that’s for sure. 

I hope you all have a good night and a great Wednesday!