Jenny's Winter "Find What Drives You" Mentor Group - Open (Page 6)

We need some pics of all the new bikes coming in!!

Angie, let me know ahead of time and I might be able to give you some race tips.  PlayTri host some good races in DFW while Redemption Race Productions covers the Hill Country and Austin area, etc.

You should keep in mind that your weight loss goal is pretty ambitious - you're looking at trying to drop an average of two pounds per week. Not impossible, but I wouldn't want you to get discouraged if it doesn't happen as quickly as you'd like. I thought that 2-3 pounds per week is the normal goal. Maybe that's outdated information? And i don't actually expect to lose half that. I never expect to lose weight. xD

Remember, it took years for you to arrive where you are now... I hate it when people say that. I gained a bunch of weight virtually overnight and then spent a couple years trying to get it off and nothing worked. And then i gave up and gradually started gaining more weight every couple of years, again, out of the blue. People act like it's a gradual process where you gain five pounds a week until you get to a certain point and decide to turn around. I gain 25, 30, pounds at a time and it refuses to budge. I work out, i lose 5-10 pounds, and that's it. When i trained for my first triathlon i was lucky and lost 15 pounds, then stayed that weight for almost a year working my butt off doing really intense workouts. I seriously feel like there is something wrong with my body but my Mom's doctor was not helpful in the slightest and now i don't have health insurance. I thought that maybe i could get a job with benefits once i had a degree, no such luck.

Find a way to track calories in vs calories out that works for you. I am presently confused on this front. The MapMyTri counter says i should be eating 3087 calories a day for my weight. I tried chanigng this from "working out several times a week" to "working out once a month" and it didn't adjust my allotment for some weird reason. Using the Lose It! App, which is set at default for sitting 8 hours a day at work (while i actually stand at least eight hours a workday) says that if my goal is to lose 2 pounds a week that i should be eating only 1888 calories a day. That's a huge difference! Trying to eat only 1900 calories a day in Novermber while working 9-10 hours a day left me starving all the time. But i don't know how many calories to add to that an hour, the information is all over the place. If i added an activity like folding laundry or doing dishes i would never eat that many calories.

So i just signed up for FitDay. It's estimating that i'm eating 3584 calories a day for my lifestyle (if i understand that right?). I don't eat anywhere near that much! When i logged calories on Friday it was about 2400 calories. I worked 9.5 hours Saturday, rode my bike, and worked out at the gym, and counted/estimated that i ate 2900 calories. It was only that high because for dinner i ate Chinese takeout. FitDay recommends 2207 for an activity level of Standing Work and 1046 for Sedentary. I don't understand how i would survive on 1000 calories a day, or how to add in work and workouts. How much do i add for calories burned (since this website and MapMyTri don't match)?

This is why i totally avoided counting calories when i trained for my first triathlon. If i was hungry, i would eat. If i count calories and try to keep my intake down to where some program arbitrarily sets it i can't stop thinking about food and am more likely to binge. If i eat when i am hungry but eat a smaller amount than i might want to and wait to see if i'm still hungry i feel as if i am doing better. My job can be very physical with repeated lifting or if it's slow i'm not lifting but i am standing in this little stall fidgeting so much that i'm practically dancing. Another thing that bothers me about these programs is that it doesn't take in account how much muscle one has. I think i weigh more than my Mom does because i have more muscle. I am also more active than she is.  She is three inches taller than me and probably a size larger than me. It makes no sense.

I know i need to drink more water, the problem is that we're not supposed to have water with us at our station. On Saturday i broke that rule and still didn't drink enough. I like to use Sunday as my cheat day but doubt i ate more than i did on Saturday. That was a very strenuous day at work and i was still hungry when i went to bed. The real problem for me is how to eat enough early in the day (when i don't feel hungry), spread my calories throughout the day, and thus avoid eating too much at night to make up for deficits.

Sorry if this came across as a rant or whining, i'm really just trying to figure this out.

Kristi,

I have not been active on this group but have been reading and your comments about having a really hard time to lose weight and know exactly what you are experiencing. It hit close to home and know firsthand how frustrating this all can be.

I have had the same problem in that I put weight on very quickly and it comes off SO slowly.  Nothing I do seemed to work for long and the calories in vs calories out is not always so clear cut.  I have had recent success.  Right after Thanksgiving I was able to finally narrow down my exact calorie burn by purchasing and using the Body Media Fit armband - same thing they wear on biggest loser.  It shows total calories burned and sync's with My Fitness Pal which is what I use to log my food.

For several years I have had limited success with Weight Watchers, tracking calories, training, etc.  Your info about calories needed sounds familiar as well.   My fitness pal, based on profile questions they asked,  I was only supposed to be eating around 1500 calories a day but at that level I was always hungry and just could not lose any weight.  

Using the armband has shown me that my calorie burn is actually much higher and that I NEED to eat more to lose weight. I am now currently burning around 2500 calories average a day and eat between 1800 and 2000 calories.  On days that I burn more calories, I really try to eat more and keep my deficit around 500 calories per day which would equate to 1 lb loss per week.  I can honestly say that I don't always lose that pound but have lost more weight since starting to use the armband than I had in years with training, weight watchers, counting calories, etc.  

One thing I am really focusing on is my measurements.  While the scale has only gone down about 7 lbs since Thanksgiving,  I have lost 5.5 inches off my waist alone.   Someone shared an inspiring picture on Facebook yesterday and wish I knew how to share it because it really hit the bullseye.  Here is what was written on a scale:

The Number on this scale will not tell you:

What a great person you are

How Much your friends and family love you

That you are kind, smart, funny & amazing in ways numbers cannot define

that you have the power to choose happiness

your own self-worth.

I am working to make this journey more about being healthy, feeling good and liking myself regardless of what a scale says.

?

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Hello Monty,

I actually live in Southern Oklahoma in a little town called Tishomingo. We're only about 30 miles from the state line so it's just as easy for me to hit the DFW area. We don't have as many races up this way so i'm looking for a sprint around late April/early May for a warm-up to my Oly in early June.

I am in Vancoouver BC, there is no snow here! The sprint will take place with an indoor pool and then I will just hope for no rain for the rest!

Here's a couple you might be interested in, Barry:

Playtri's King Tut Triathlon, Sprint - April, 14 in McKinney.  Open water swim.  Prob the most popular DFW "kick-off the season" event.  Sign up early.  I would be doing this one but it's a little to close to my marathon.

Trident Sports Benbrook Triathlon, Sprint - April, 21 in Benbrook.  Pool swim. I've done this one a couple of times - HATE the pool swim format!!  Probably not going back only because of that.  Good turn out each year, good entry level course.

Dallas Athletes, Caveman Triathlon, Sprint - April, 21 in Flower Mound.  Pool swim.  Other side of DFW so I haven't looked into it.

Stonebridge Races, Tri for Humanity, Sprint - April, 28 in McKinny.  Open water swim.  This is mainly a running group.  I think they only have one triathlon on their calendar.

++++++++++++

June: 

Playtri Festival, mini Sprint, Sprint, & International - June, 02.  I had to miss this race last year due to an injury so I went and watched.  (I paid my money so I'm getting my T-shirt!)  It's one big event.  Plan to come a day early and watch the pros on Saturday, Dallas Pan-American Cup and the USAT F1.

I can't think of another Olympic distance triathlon in North Texas for early June.  Here's a couple of sites to watch or at least check their calendars:

trifind.com,    active.com,    Ironhead Race Production,   Playtri,   Dallas Athletes,   Trident Sports FW

Hope this helps.

Weight loss.  I'm sorry if this comes across too forward or direct.  Coming from being 45 pounds over weight and horribly deconditioned this is a topic I don't pull many punches on.  Because it took hitting weight loss head on for me to over come it.

First: I agree with Jenny 100% on her comments and I would like to add my two cents worth.  To confirm two things she said repetitively, "it's a personal thing to find what works for you", and "it takes fairly dedicated effort to log everything".

Second: I dropped 45 pounds @ 2 pounds per week with a plateau about the 20-25 pound mark.

Background: The personal health and fitness market is a multi-billion dollar industry.  From special ab machines to diet programs, we've all seen them.  Each company going head to head in competition selling whatever they can, however they can.  And, there is no governing authority to keep them in check.  What about all the law suites against Adkin's after people started getting sick from cutting all the carbs from their deit?  Nothing!  Not a leg to stand on!  And, Adkin's is still making millions!  Have lots of people lost weight?  Yes.  Is starving your body from the very thing it burns for fuel a good idea?  Really!!!  Sorry, I'll move on...

Remember the cute little food pyramid we all learned in grade school?  That's not talked about because it's boring, you won't drop 20-40 pounds per month, and it's free!!  Yes, a simple balanced diet.  If you're eating simple sugars, stop!  No cokes, or sodas as you Northerner's call it.  No fried foods.  No white foods, white rice, spaghetti, bread.  No sauces, Mayonnaise, salad dressing,  any creamy stuff.  All of this, your body processes really fast and turns to .... wait for it ....  fat.  Think plain boring foods, eaten in balance, small meals throughout the day.

I dropped 20-25 pounds eating like this, not refilling my plate, smaller portions, not eating 4 hours before bedtime.  The last 20 pounds came from counting EVERYTHING I ate.  There are many websites that make it eas"ier" to count calories.  I used DailyBurn.com.  I plugged in my personal info, it suggested my calorie intake, I ate that much, it worked!  Ta-Da!

Most of my meals where pre-planned.  It was easier for me.  I would cook enough chicken breast, steak, brown rice, and veggies to make a weeks worth of lunches, divide it up and freeze them.  That's after weighing each piece and measuring the rice.  LOTS of salad and greens!  Yes, I eat my salads dry!  When I feel special I'll add oil and vinegar.  Also, I would try my best to eat small meals throughout the day.  At one time I was eating eight times a day in small amounts.  And, if I remember correctly it totaled around 2200 calories (I had started running and lifting weights then).  And yes, Yogurt and fruit can be a meal. 

I've stopped counting calories now.  After time you'll get to where you just know the amounts you need.  But the need for discipline never, ever goes away!!

I SAID ALL THAT TO SHARE WITH YOU WHAT I FEEL IS MOST IMPORTANT:

IT SUCKS!  IT'S HARD.  If someone tells says, "You can lose weight and not feel hungry" they have either never put themselves in a caloric deficit, they're lying to you, or they have something to sell!  I was freakin hungry all the time!  I would watch the clock at work trying to will it 9:30 am for my first snack, then again at 2:30!  I know what it's like to sit at my mothers table while everyone's eating pie and say, "No mom, I can't have a piece", tough!  Somehow, only you can do it, you have to put yourself in the mind set that you WILL and that you CAN!  It's not about a program.  It's about an attitude!  You CAN do it!  Others have, it's possible!  Get pissed off, whatever it takes!  Trust me, it's worth it!

Hi Jenny, I found a 2011 Norco CRR 3 for an unbelievable sale price, plus the shop owner threw in some carbon pedals (Time I-Clic 2) along with the bike! :D The bike is carbon so this is my first carbon road bike experience! So far I love it! Very speedy

Oh also wanted to add to the discussion regarding weight loss and good online tools for tracking meals and activities... I have used MyPlate in the past for meal planning in regards to balancing out nutrients and making sure I was getting enough in each department. I went through a phase of being extremely active however not keeping up with the fuel department which resulted in me getting very run down. Being a vegetarian athlete I was concerned with adequate protein intake etc...

These online "trackers" are such a great tool to get ideas of portion sizes, as well as balancing out your daily intake to include healthy amounts of everything the body needs to perform at the levels that we want it too. I can now say that after using the online tracker for a while I am able to go with out it just because I have figured out what works for me.

One piece of advice I do have though is to not let yourself get too wrapped up in the tracking. Maybe it was just my personality type, but I had the tendency to let it consume me at times and I almost would say that I lost a sense of how my BODY felt. I look back now and realize that at times I couldn't determine if I was actually hungry or just eating because I had "planned" to eat this snack at this time. Looking back now, I realize it has taken me a long time to adjust again to just listening to my body again after using the tracker, however it was a learning experience! And I know it would definitely useful when you are wanting to create a calorie deficiet. Anyways that was just my 2 cents worth on the topic

One other thing I forgot to ask earlier on - have you had a physical lately to rule out the possibility of any medical issues that might be a contributing factor? Thyroid problems, for example, are often related to weight gain and/or difficulty loosing weight. When we moved to Colorado (at the time of my first big weight gain) my mother found out that she had thyroid issues. She was pregnant with gestational diabetes and i think that it was after that pregnancy that she had type ii diabetes full time. That was the only time when i was tested for thyroid problems and diabetes, almost 13 years ago. I suspect that i am actually undiagnosed hypoglycemic but i don't even know how they test for that. I don't ever have symptoms for hyperglycemia except for the frequent/pronounced hunger (which is also a symptom of hypoglycemia) and have always had dry skin when living in a dry climate. One of the reasons they tested me was because i had heart palpitations and we never found a cause.  It eventually went away and might have been me adjusting to living at a higher elevation.

I can understand that some hunger is necessary for losing weight but agree that it's important to listen to my body. When i get a low blood sugar, for instance, i am going to eat something as soon as possible. I think what i need to do right now if figure out what the healthiest options are for treating that.

Oh, i almost forgot, i'm down one pound after my slight jump in weight (i usually gain a couple of pounds when i first start training). Oh, and the losing the forty pounds in ~four months thing is really only a drop in the bucket. The recommended weight for my height is 130-145 depending on who you ask and whether they take into account big bones. I don't think i ever want to weight less than 160 and even that would be over 100 pounds loss to get to that point. Baby steps, you know? I'm more interested in maintaining performance than losing a bunch of weight, too (if that makes any sense).

Early day tomorrow, trying to turn in early (for me the insomniac).

Wow... I'm actually very surprised at the high/med/low foods on that list.  Thanks Jenny!  Pardon the pun, but great food for thought!

I just have to brag, as i'm such a lazy lazy woman... 5 workout days in a row!  Hit every one on my schedule!  that NEVER happens for me!  Whoop whoop!  Seeing so many others motivated is totally keeping me wanted to keep at it.  Hooray for group support! :D :D :D

--Erica,

p.s. Promise not to use so many exclamation marks from now on!!!

Last i heard, the low income medical clinic was not taking any more patients (that was a few months ago i think). I suppose i could check again.

Thank you for that list, though it's a bit brief. It doesn't list oatmeal, for instance. And i'm not sure why baking a potato makes a difference from boiling. I see a couple of my favorite foods are in the high range. ):

Don't worry, "Snicker's" is listed as low.  As well as "Spaghetti, white".  I'm not so sure...  But those are just a couple.  I would like to see where veggies fall.  It seems all the veggie soups are listed as "low".  Overall good info!

I would keep looking for some professional help/testing if I were you.  That's not something to take lightly, especially mixed with sports.

I've been a little off my game the last two weeks training wise. The week is scheduled as such:

Mon: Rest -DONE

Tues: Run 60min-Only ran 30min was on the dreadmill and couldn't stay focused to finish

Wed: Bike 60min/Run 20min-FAIL/Had a 45min long swim lesson, finished up the lesson by swimming 8 laps-WIN!

Thurs: Rest-plan to do my wed workout today at lunch and then swim this pm

Fri: Run 10min/Bike 40min/Run 20min-MUST DO 

Sat: Run 60min-signed up for a 10K race this day will also swim in the pm

Sun: Bike 90min/Run 15min-MUST DO

I'm not feeling 'very' prepared for my 10K on Sat although I've put in the bike mileage I don't think my run mileage is where it should be. It's "just" 6mi I keep telling myself but I haven't put together many good long run days since I haven't been in my usual 'zone' when it comes to training the last 2 weeks.  I don't think I'm burnt out but doing two adays is a little tough. 

My last 2 swim sessions have both been WINS!! I'm 7 lessons in and it's starting to click a bit more.  Still having problems taking in enough air, but I figure the more I'm in the water the easier that will become. I was able to put together 8 real laps with 5-10 seconds rest between turns and boy that was hard but I did it!!! The tri I'm eyeing in April is a 350m pool swim/12mi bike/2mi run and the idea of swimming 350m is becoming less daunting. Even though the actual swimming part was a win, I may have gone too hard in the water because I left w/a headache and a nauseated feeling. Not sure if it was over exertion or maybe motion sickness?? This was the 1st time that's ever happened after a swim.

At some point, I'm also going to have to switch to an actual tri based training plan since the one I'm doing now was to get me to the duathlon race and not the April tri race.  I wasn't sold on the tri when I started but now that I am, I need a more balanced plan to follow.

Congrats on the swim success, Angie!  There's nothing like having someone (coach) watch you swim.  That's my background, swimming.  I competed state wide up into my mid 30's.  Getting to state was fairly easy.  At state they grouped all the adult men together which meant I had to deal with the 25 year old collegiate guys before they went and got married, kids, and 10 years of the work force under their belts.

Back on topic, when I started triathlon I noticed this nausea feeling, for the first time in my life, after about 800 yards.  It got so bad that when it hit, I was DONE.  I logged about 65 miles of swimming last year which isn't much for a competing swimmer but a lot more then my previous 10 years combined.  I continued to go a little father week after week until it was the 1500 - 1800 yard mark but it always hit me.

Swim nausea - just like there's many causes, there's more than one fix.  And they're not related, so I'll just list them.  It only takes a search on the Internet to see all the opinions.

Possible Causes: water temp, salt water, vertigo, what you've eaten, what you haven't eaten, open water swim (ows), standard motion sickness, swimming on the line, swimming off the line, etc., etc., etc.  (It is proven that more people get nauseated after swimming in cold or cooler water, especially during ows.)

Fixes: The cheapest and fastest fix to try is ear plugs.  Secondly, I recommend (because I use them almost every time I hit the water) the Nei-kuan acupressure point wrist bands.  You can just google it and get more than enough information.  There's boat loads of them on Amazon from $10-$20.  If that still doesn't do the trick, go down to your local health food store and ask for natural motion sickness pills.  I take Hyland's Motion Sickness pills, under $6.00 a bottle, when I'm doing the longer swims and just before a triathlon because they work!!  I just hate popping a pill 3-4 times a week for training.

I wrote this because: I did a short 500y swim Tuesday of this week for the first time in two months.  It felt great until 425-450 yards and I was forced to stop!  I was wearing my wrist bands but afterwards I realized they weren't in the correct location.  I get the feeling it's going to be a long year of not only building swim speed/endurance but building nausea resistance.

I hope this helps.