My journey to find balance

[marathonmom262]

After finding a lot of great knowledge and inspiration in the journals of so many ladies on this site, I decided to start one of my own - both for keeping myself honest and to share some trials and tribulations that may help someone else down the road.

Below is a little intro on me for anyone that cares to understand where I'm coming from. I plan to post my daily nutrition and workout progress along with my thoughts along the way. Support, insight, and honest feedback are always welcome and appreciated

-----------

I have two beautiful children (5 and 2) and an awesome husband of 10 years. They have loved and supported me through running several long distance races (I've run everything from a 5k to a full marathon over the last 10 years) and most recently through completing my MBA alongside a full-time job. I'm a busy lady and I work very hard - I've always been proud of my ability to multitask until recently.

Christmas of 2011 we lost a pregnancy at the end of the first trimester. After gaining a few lbs with the pregnancy I went into a serious funk and ate a lot of holiday Hershey kisses When I was ready, I joined Weight Watchers and started hitting my gym more frequently in late January 2012. Unfortunately I'm an all or nothing person - I was seeing my body change, got excited, and started going at it a bit too hard...

After 3 months of WW and losing about 12lbs, I started tracking calories on my own via MyFitnessPal and was hitting the gym sometimes 2x a day about 5-6 days a week. I lost another 3 lbs pretty quickly. I started Jamie Eason's LiveFit plan at Phase 2 hoping to find more challenge and variety in a strength training plan and lose more fat ahead of a family reunion at the beach. I was eating between 1000 and 1300 calories most of the time with very low fats (maybe 25g most days). My period was late a few months, I wasn't losing any weight. I was having some fun with the workouts, but started feeling like crap. My relationships became difficult as I was so focused on food and time at the gym - I'm so overzealous about my goals that the perception is that my family has dropped on my priority list. Very tough to hear, very tough to write. My period has now completely stopped - which has never before happened with the exception of being pregnant and nursing my kids. I obviously have been doing something very wrong to myself and my family.

Although I believe my appearance and fitness level are better than 7 months ago - I cannot sustain that pace, nor is it healthy (for me or anyone close to me), nor am I actually meeting my goals! While I certainly want to meet personal goals as far as health and fitness, my family and focus on them is my first priority. I want to be a role model for my daughter. I want her to be healthy and active but not do anything damaging to herself as I have. I'd also really like to have another child - in order to do this I need to find balance in order to mend my body and my relationships.

My plan:

After doing a lot of reading in these forums and some other sources (I've really enjoyed reading material from Lyle McDonald) I calculated my maintenance as somewhere between 2100 and 2200 calories. I recently upped my calories to 1700 and am trying to hit approximately 150g protein, 140g carb, 60g fat as a rough guide for macros. I averaged 1700 calories for about 2 weeks, went to my family reunion pretty bloated in my bikini but feeling much healthier, and took 2 weeks completely off of dieting to give my brain and metabolism a boost/break. Sunday nights I will definitely go over my 1700 daily cals (probably maintenance or just slightly over) but it is my one night a week that the hubs and I enjoy some TV with wine, cheese, and chocolate. The point is that I want to cut some body fat but not kill myself in the process - I'm ready to begin exhibiting more patience with myself and my body.

Alongside healthier nutrition I am dropping my crazy strength and cardio schedule of all out ridiculous full-steam-ahead-with-no-rest plan to the All Pros beginner plan of 3x a week of compound lifts. I'll probably add about 30 minutes of cardio one other day during the week as my schedule allows (and it may be a stroller run with my son!). Saturdays are devoted to long distance running with friend - it's something I thoroughly enjoy and I've committed to help a friend train for her first half marathon. I won't lie - the calories burned during that run also make it easier for me to enter my Sunday treat night into MyFitnessPal! 3-4 days at the gym plus my early Saturday morning runs is definitely a lot more feasible for me and my family - and if I miss a day here or there I am absolutely okay with that!

Thanks for reading and joining me on this journey

[marathonmom262]

Monday 8/13

Nutrition (as tracked in MyFitnessPal):
Total Calories - 1678
Protein - 128
Fat - 53
Carbs - 174

I was heavier carb/lower protein than my goal macros but came down with a stomach bug Sunday night into Monday so I needed to eat what was palatable and "easier" on my stomach. Because of the stomach bug I'm delaying a weigh in until Wednesday morning...

Training:
Rest

After testing out appropriate volume for starting the All Pros beginner plan last week I had planned to start my 3x a week today but unfortunately the stomach bug just sapped my energy (and I had limited sleep last night). I'll have to switch it up this week and start tomorrow - a girl's gotta be flexible!

Tuesday 8/14

Nutrition (as tracked in MyFitnessPal):
Total Calories - 1731
Protein - 156
Fat - 48
Carbs - 167

Overall a pretty good nutrition day I think!

Training:

Squats (Smith machine)
1x8x30
1x8x50
2x8x100

Bench press (Smith machine)
1x8x10
1x8x30
2x8x45

OHP (Smith machine)
1x8x0 (bar only)
1x8x10
2x8x25
I think I might need to cut this back to 20lbs on work sets - I don't see how I'll be able to up the reps over the next 4 weeks at this weight, I barely got 7 reps out on the second working set, had to stop to take a breath, and then finish the last rep. It makes sense - I really couldn't do 20lb dumbbell OHP for more than a few reps so assuming the Smith is counterbalanced at 15lbs I should cut back to 20lb of added plates)

SDL (Smith machine)
1x8x20
1x8x40
2x8x80

Bent over row (Smith machine)
1x8x10
1x8x30
1x8x50

Calf raise (Leg press)
2x8x180

Barbell curl
2x8x40
I might struggle to up the reps over the weeks using the 40lb BB, but I can crank out good reps at 30lbs so I don't think that is enough of a challenge. Unfortunately I don't have any options for curling in between 30 and 40lbs at the gym (fixed bars only) - so I'm going to see how I progress before deciding if I am forced to cut back...

I felt good about this workout and am excited to make this my new routine

[chocolateguns]

Hey mm! I can relate, I've had that mentality before and in the long run, it doesn't do you any favours. So good on you for recognising that and wanting to find balance

[marathonmom262]

Thanks CG! It's amazing the sense of relief I feel now that my obsession has been cracked. I feel so much more comfortable with my body and who I am and am really excited to move forward. I really wish I had empowered myself with some of the knowledge I've gained over the last month or so much earlier in life. Moving on...

[marathonmom262]

Wednesday 8/15

Nutrition (as tracked in MyFitnessPal):
Total Calories - 1706
Protein - 150
Fat - 48
Carbs - 134

I felt really good about my macros although I did feel really hungry later in the evening after dinner. It's obvious how much the "rounding" in MFP impacts your macro levels (the math of the macros compared with the cals isn't accurate -it's off by @ 150 cals). Hopefully it averages equally across the 3 in its rounding craziness - otherwise I hope it is rounding down more for fats - I really hope I'm not getting less fats than expected!

Training:
Rest
I had thought I would get out for a short run around our hilly neighborhood or even hit the Cybex at the gym this afternoon but the kiddos didn't end up going swimming as planned (I work from home and my hubs is home with the kids every day during the summer!) so I ended up getting off my laptop and spending the late afternoon with the fam instead. Good trade

Other tidbits:
I forgot to weigh myself first thing in the morning (Wednesday) because the short dude that lives with us woke me up and I groggily changed him, let the dog out, and made/drank coffee before I even thought about it. I'm not obsessing anymore obviously (yay!)

So the same short dude (who is 2) said his first curse word during the bedtime routine. Whenever you yell at him he gets all pissy with you - I had to yell at him to stop jumping on my bed and get in his room so we could change his diaper, pajama up, blah blah blah. So I grab him and throw him up on the changing table. He starts pushing at my arms and yelling "Get offa me! Get outta here!" - his favorite thing to say when he is mad - but this time he hesitantly adds at the end "dammit". I of course did the typical mom thing of "What did you say??" So he repeats and gives me that look of "Am I in trouble? Cuz you know Daddy says that all the time..." Of course Daddy walks in smiling and says it is his fault, so short dude smiles and we go on our merry way with the bedtime routine after the standard "we don't say that word" spiel. I think my daughter's first curse word was the same - obviously Daddy says dammit too much when things are spilled, someone gets too wiggly while a poopy diaper is being changed, or who knows what else

[DieselsMom]

Sounds like you got a hold of your problem and sorted it out. Glad it is working out for you so far. I am on board knowing how obsessive things can be become and I am obsessed with my scale so to hear of someone forgeting is great. (I would even weigh in after eating and then be upset so need to cut that out)

Haha I wish my kids first curse words were dammit - my hubby uses slightly stronger language. The music these days don't help either this summer caught my daughter singing "higher than a MF". Yikes.

[marathonmom262]

The music these days don't help either this summer caught my daughter singing "higher than a MF". Yikes.

Hahahaha - yeah I can totally understand. My husband plays things like Bob Marley and the Dead in the car with my kids. I love that music too but I have a thing for listening to current rap and R&B to keep me awake in the car - even with the clean versions on the radio he doesn't want the kids listening to those stations. I guess he doesn't like having to explain what that guy's talking about when he says "Ima beat it up"

[marathonmom262]

Thursday 8/16

Nutrition (as tracked in MyFitnessPal):
Total Calories - 1618
Protein - 170
Fat - 55
Carbs - 112

Ended up pretty low carb (not necessarily on purpose) and a little lower on cals but I am 100% positive I will more than balance that tomorrow morning considering I have a long run in the AM and will be a lot hungrier through the day!

Training:

Squats (Smith machine)
1x8x30
1x8x50
2x8x100

Bench press (Smith machine)
1x8x10
1x8x30
2x8x45

OHP (Smith machine)
1x8x0 (bar only)
1x8x10
2x8x20
This is definitely where I need to be for my working sets starting out - the 8 reps were tough but I could finish them.

SDL (Smith machine)
1x8x20
1x8x40
2x8x80

Bent over row (Smith machine)
1x8x10
1x8x30
1x8x50

Calf raise (Leg press)
Skipped since I'm cramming in my long run tomorrow AM

Barbell curl
2x8x40

So I was supposed to deload the working sets by 10% for the second workout of the week but my schedule kind of messed things up for this first week. Between being ill on Monday and then having to do my long run tomorrow instead of Saturday - I read a recommendation by All Pro in his thread (that details the workout) that if you can only get 2 workouts in during the week do the max weights for both, don't deload. So that's what I did. And I know you're not supposed to adjust the workout but since I skipped the calf raises I used the time to tack on the following (I am a shoulder junkie - I miss some of these isolation exercises - what can I say??!!):

Lateral/Front Lateral raises (superset)
1x8x10 DBs
1x8x15 DBs

Wrist curls/Reverse wrist curls (superset)
2x8x3

Edit: I actually added in a bit of cardio doing an unplanned brisk hilly walk with the family (including the pup) after dinner. Some running was mixed in since my son kept yelling "faster mommy!" from within the confines of the stroller. We really need to do this a couple of times a week - good for my dog, good for my husband, and my daughter loves running speed intervals from driveway to driveway - no better way to have the family active and spending quality time together!

In other news...
So I did actually weigh myself this morning. I had previously gotten down between 148 and 149. Then I consistently fluctuated between 149 and 151 with all of my "going too hard" craziness. Recall I upped my cals to 1700 and then took a week off of dieting for vacation. I came back at 153.4. I took another week off of dieting and then started back in this week at my 1700 cal days. This morning I was 154.6. Yes much higher than I would like to be but I feel incredibly puffy lately. I know I haven't been drinking enough water and I am patient considering that I knew the scale would rise as I started eating more. I think I'm retaining quite a bit of water and am thinking (more accurately *hoping*) that maybe my cycle is coming within the next week or so and my body is hormonally attempting to fix itself. I've had some stomach discomfort and headaches lately that also make me think this (hormones are crazy aren't they?!)

So I'll consider 154.6 a starting point for this journey and we'll see where I go. Patience and perseverance will be the key!

[chocolateguns]

Seriously, I hate how the scale can screw with your head so much! I only weigh myself in the mornings, after a workout/poop (heh), and I only track the number if it's lower than the last (well, unless it's up by 5kgs or something!)

I fluctuate like crazy - I'll eat dinner and literally gain 2lb. And trust me, I haven't eaten 2lb worth of food. It's crazy.

Give yourself a couple of days - you probably are just a bit 'puffy' and retaining water!

[marathonmom262]

Friday 8/17

Nutrition (as tracked in MyFitnessPal):
Total Calories -
Protein -
Fat -
Carbs -
Will edit/complete tomorrow morning... will likely go quite a bit over my 1700 cals (and much higher carb than normal) with this morning's long run spiking my hunger and fuel needs plus a dinner with a friend planned for tonight!

Training:
9.25 mile long run

Well my GPS said 9.25 - my friend's GPS said 9.57 - so we'll call it somewhere in the middle. Either way it was a really great run this morning - I felt fantastic throughout (which I emotionally really needed after last week's sucky azz suckfest of 9 miles). The weather was gorgeous - a little humid but the air was cool - perfect running weather. I should have used a second Gu around mile 7 but was feeling way too good at that point to bother - the last mile was a steady uphill and I was getting a little wonky and regretted that decision. Oh well - 10 miles by myself next Friday morning unless I have to travel for business that day - I'm excited to hit the 10 mile mark again for the first time in a while. Something about the 10 mile mark to cheer about

I'm really looking forward to dinner with my long time running buddy tonight - we haven't been able to catch up for a few months. She is a competitive body builder now (the only one that I know in person!) - we haven't been running together since last summer when she changed goals to prepare for her first comp (which she nailed - won her age group for Figure and the overall - she's amazing). I think she has been bulking since last October and her coach really was wanting her to keep going through August if she could make it that long (and potentially do another comp this fall - can't wait to hear her plans tonight!). I'm thinking she must still be bulking since we are meeting at one of our favorite restaurants that she chose and I know we'll be splitting the spicy fried shrimp appetizer (Bonefish's Bang Bang shrimp for anyone that has those around them - good stuff!) Like I said - so excited to see her, hear about her life, and selfishly to get her perspective on my own recent struggles with my goals. While all of you ladies on here are amazing and I appreciate reading your journals and all of the great advice here, there is also something very special about connecting in person with a friend that is great therapy!

Happy Friday to all

[vanessa40]

Good Afternoon,
I thought i would drop in and say hi after i saw your post in Geek23 .

I did WW for awhile too and i am just starting back running(tomorrow) after an injury. I have run a couple of half-marathons and like you a ton of 5-10k's. I am in a bad place with my weight at the moment. It's the whole menapause weight gain and all that..my daughter gone to college so i kind of went on a free for all food fest and low and behold it's a ten pound gain in six weeks. I remember when my daughter was young like your children..it is such a wonderful time.

I look forward to reading more about your life and workouts. Hope you have a nice dinner with your friend

[marathonmom262]

Thank you Vanessa! It's amazing how an emotional change in your life can really spring on some weight. And sometimes it doesn't even have to be that - sometimes it just sneaks up on you (story of my life haha). Glad to meet a kindred running and lifting spirit - thanks so much for stopping in to say hi!

[Boomer29]

Hi IN. Pretty cool about your friend, and that spicy shrimp sounds delish. Jelly of all your running keep it up!

[marathonmom262]

Thanks Boom! I'm seriously salivating thinking of that Bang Bang Shrimp - I don't get out much so it's been a while since I've had some.

I think with your interval training you will surprise yourself and find that you will indeed be one of those "I'll just go out and run a comfortable 5 miles this morning" people before you know it - sneaks up on you. It seems impossible when you are ramping up - but one day you realize that you just ran 10 miles with a friend and talked the entire time... it's weird - but that's when you really start enjoying just going out for an "easy" run with friends because it becomes a nice social activity that you can feel good about (although there is also nothing wrong with tossing down Bang Bang Shrimp and a few glasses of wine - messes up the cut but frankly I'm willing to deal with that!)

Thanks for being IN

[Cardioconvert]

Yeah - I finally made it in here - looking good I love the title of your journal - we are all seeking that elusive balance aren't we? Great work on the 9mi w/ friend. It is great that you have found a running partner - makes it so much more enjoyable doesn't it?

I see from your note in my journal that you are preparing for a fall race - nice I love to race in the fall. A friend and I did Detroit last fall - if you have a chance to run it, go for it - it is quite an experience crossing the border twice during the race! I don't know where you live - for us it wasn't a bad drive to get there (~ 4 hours or so)

Looking forward to following your journal!

CC

[marathonmom262]

Really enjoying my weekend with the family - our last weekend in a while of nothing scheduled and we are absolutely making the best of it! I'm totally taking this weekend off from the gym so nothing to report for training since my long run on Friday but I do have a few days of nutrition for the books...

Friday 8/17

Nutrition (as tracked in MyFitnessPal):
Total Calories -1747
Protein -152
Fat -28
Carbs -193

Macros were a bit off as far as fat content but honestly - I was REALLY proud of myself for staying light during the day (especially after a long run) in order to indulge in the Bang Bang Shrimp and a delish entree at my scheduled dinner with my friend. Not even 100 cals over and I fit in a glass of red - pretty awesome (and that means I can not feel too bad about going closer to maintenance Sunday night when I have my snacks, wine, and HBO series date with the hubs!)

Saturday 8/18

Nutrition (as tracked in MyFitnessPal):
Total Calories -1719
Protein -102
Fat -60
Carbs -232

I nailed the fat today but totally skimped on protein. That happens to me a lot on the weekends I think - or days that I'm not hitting the gym in general. Instead of my favorite "week night" snack (a PB and choc protein shake) I had some low fat popcorn and pistachios to snack on while the hubs and I watched a movie (you have to have popcorn on movie night!!)

And... while he hates when I talk about him anywhere on the interwebs... I'm so proud of him and how he is considering nutrition in his meal prep these days (he likes to do a majority of the cooking!). He made the kids oatmeal, boiled eggs, and apple slices for breakfast yesterday... at dinner he made a very light and veggie filled beef stroganoff with whole wheat pasta, FF greek yogurt, and 90/10 ground beef... and during our movie after we finished our popcorn he took away the bag of pistachios and brought out sticks of gum for both of us. He's been really considerate with meal prep for me over the last few months, but these past few weeks I've noticed he is really rethinking things for the entire family (and he's been losing some weight, he quit smoking, and I think he's really just starting to feel pretty darn good). He also steered me away from the big Hershey bar to split with our wine tonight while at the store earlier today - we're going for mini wrapped bars so that I don't totally overdo it. He's definitely the angel speaking in my ear while I've been playing the devil to my diet often lately. Very proud of and grateful for him

I hope all in journal land are having a great weekend - this is the best weekend I've had with my husband and kids in a while so I'm going to be super sad when it is over and I'm back to the grind tomorrow!

[marathonmom262]

Yeah - I finally made it in here - looking good I love the title of your journal - we are all seeking that elusive balance aren't we? Great work on the 9mi w/ friend. It is great that you have found a running partner - makes it so much more enjoyable doesn't it?

I see from your note in my journal that you are preparing for a fall race - nice I love to race in the fall. A friend and I did Detroit last fall - if you have a chance to run it, go for it - it is quite an experience crossing the border twice during the race! I don't know where you live - for us it wasn't a bad drive to get there (~ 4 hours or so)

Looking forward to following your journal!

CC

Thanks for stopping by my journal CC! I actually live out on the East Coast so a trip to Detroit might not be something in the cards for me anytime soon. I've only been to Detroit once (2000 I think?) - I was there for a training class for work and got snowed in for a few extra days! Luckily we get plenty of snow in MD (with the exception of last winter when we got virtually none) so I wasn't afraid to drive around to get the heck out of my hotel here and there.

And you are right - a running partner does make it a lot more fun. I do enjoy having some solo runs where it is a fun independent adventure and I can push my own pace a bit but it's also good therapy with friends and makes the time pass faster. The next two weeks I'll be hitting 10 and then 11 miles solo because my friend is doing some other races so I'll probably be desperate for company after that

[marathonmom262]

Sunday 8/19

Nutrition (as tracked in MyFitnessPal):
Total Calories -2185
Protein -166
Fat -75
Carbs -202

Sunday night snack night and I ended up pretty darn close to maintenance so I'm actually pretty pleased with the outcome. I went really light on dinner (well I stuffed myself but it was low cal with lots of chicken and raw veggies in balsamic vinegar - yum!) so that I had plenty of cals to spare for our HBO tv night. I stuck to one glass of wine, apple and cheese slices, some PB2 (love the apples dipped in PB2!), walnuts (this is what really upped the cals) with a little fig preserves for dipping, and two mini Hershey bars at the end for my weekly chocolate fix. I think from now on I'll have to choose between the walnuts and the cheese (well the horseradish cheese anyway - the Kerrygold reduced fat cheddar is actually one of my favorites for a lower cal option for Sunday nights but I was out!)- both are pretty high cal so I can't do both!

I think I did pretty good - yes it was high fat and high calorie for an hour and a half of snacking but to limit myself to one glass of wine and having some pretty nutritious snacks to graze on while taking care of my chocolate fix for an entire week - now I'm good to go until next Sunday night!

Excited to hit the gym today - I haven't done strength training since Thursday (besides repeatedly lifting a 35lb and 50lb kid above my head over the weekend) so my muscles are ready to push - this week is my 9 rep cycle so I'm ready to progress! Bring it Monday!!

[marathonmom262]

Monday 8/20

Training:

Squats (Smith machine)
1x9x30
1x9x50
2x9x100

Bench press (Smith machine)
1x9x10
1x9x30
2x9x45

OHP (Smith machine)
1x9x0 (bar only)
1x9x10
1x5x25
1x4x20
1x9x20
I'm an idiot - apparently forgot to update the poundage in my phone for this after I had decreased my work set from 25lbs of plates down to 20lbs so I did the one work set of 5 reps too high and said oops! Adjusted...

SDL (Smith machine)
1x9x20
1x9x40
2x9x80

Bent over row (Smith machine)
1x9x10
1x9x30
1x9x50

Calf raise (Leg press)
2x9x180

Barbell curl
2x9x40

I had some extra time and a little energy left this afternoon so I added...

DB alt curl
1x10x15

Front raise
1x10x10

Side lateral raise
1x10x10

Cardio
10 minutes hill sprint intervals 1:1
5 minutes walk

I was going to do 15 minutes of the hill sprints but my left knee was doing some odd stuff (likely because I generally don't run in the shoes I was wearing) every now and again so I topped those at 10 and enjoyed a nice walk to settle down before I finished for the day. I really enjoyed the work today - I struggled to get the 9 reps in for many of the exercises but it was doable (and I am really confident in a lot of stuff in being able to successfully accomplish the 12 reps at the end of the cycle and up the weight on stuff like squats, DL, BOR, etc.) I don't really understand why my seated OHP is so weak - I really though I was strong through my shoulders but I'm feeling pretty deflated with the seated OHP these days. Making progress - need to remember that...

I'll get nutrition in here for today whenever I can - I'm traveling to DC tomorrow on the train for work - it will be a super long day (like 13+ hours most likely) so I probably won't be doing a journal update until Wednesday. I also will probably struggle to hit my macros tomorrow with the traveling and meetings, etc. Will do my best!

[geek23ka]

Seriously, I hate how the scale can screw with your head so much! I only weigh myself in the mornings, after a workout/poop (heh), and I only track the number if it's lower than the last (well, unless it's up by 5kgs or something!)

I fluctuate like crazy - I'll eat dinner and literally gain 2lb. And trust me, I haven't eaten 2lb worth of food. It's crazy.

Give yourself a couple of days - you probably are just a bit 'puffy' and retaining water!

me, too! i have a set time (first thing in the morning after i pee) when i weigh myself and hardly ever deviate. i can gain 7 pounds in a day. it messes with my head when i am trying to lose weight.

one day you realize that you just ran 10 miles with a friend and talked the entire time...

want! i really hope one day i can run, and run ten miles like it's no big thing? whoa. would be nice. bit jelly, i admit.

And... while he hates when I talk about him anywhere on the interwebs... I'm so proud of him and how he is considering nutrition in his meal prep these days (he likes to do a majority of the cooking!). He made the kids oatmeal, boiled eggs, and apple slices for breakfast yesterday... at dinner he made a very light and veggie filled beef stroganoff with whole wheat pasta, FF greek yogurt, and 90/10 ground beef... and during our movie after we finished our popcorn he took away the bag of pistachios and brought out sticks of gum for both of us. He's been really considerate with meal prep for me over the last few months, but these past few weeks I've noticed he is really rethinking things for the entire family (and he's been losing some weight, he quit smoking, and I think he's really just starting to feel pretty darn good). He also steered me away from the big Hershey bar to split with our wine tonight while at the store earlier today - we're going for mini wrapped bars so that I don't totally overdo it. He's definitely the angel speaking in my ear while I've been playing the devil to my diet often lately. Very proud of and grateful for him

I hope all in journal land are having a great weekend - this is the best weekend I've had with my husband and kids in a while so I'm going to be super sad when it is over and I'm back to the grind tomorrow!

awww!! that's fantastic that he is getting into it and being supportive and stuff.

i've been reading along for a few days now, so i am playing catch up posting.

i didn't know that MFP was inaccurate. i've just taken it as the gospel. is it off by a lot?

[marathonmom262]

i didn't know that MFP was inaccurate. i've just taken it as the gospel. is it off by a lot?

Hi geek! Thanks for reading

Here's my take on the MFP "accuracy" (sorry it's going to be long!)... First you have to consider that sometimes a macro or calories or anything could have been entered incorrectly into the database for any food that you lookup and use. I take that for granted - I'm not going to stress over it. The thing I've noticed the most though is that both accurate nutrition labels and MFP itself are rounded so that they may not match the calorie total. For example - a food label for something may say a serving has 2.5g of fat, 15 carbs, and 6g of protein and let's say 111 calories (I'm totally making this example up!) The calories for 2.5*9 + 15*4 + 6*4 = 106.5 - not the 111 calories given (I don't know how often this mismatch on the label happens but I'm sure it does happen). Also - these macros themselves were technically rounded to begin with to some degree most likely because you usually don't see 2.279g of fat on there haha.

So the nutrition label is entered into MFP... but you actually eat 2 servings of whatever it was. The rounding happens again in MFP and let's say it rounds the fat content down to 2 per serving so instead of the fat calories being 2.5*9*2 (for 2 servings) - they made it 2*9*2 which will be a difference of 9 calories. And God forbid you ate 2.333 servings of whatever it was - who knows what kind of rounding is happening there! Over the day this could easily add up to a difference of 50 to 100 calories or more between the actual macro "math" for calories and the reported calories from adding what was on the labels (especially if the rounding is happening with fat content since this has the potential to change 9 calories per pop with rounding versus 4 calories for a carb or protein).

Like I said - I try not to stress - it's not necessarily inaccuracy but rounding - so I try to pay attention to the calories the most and the approximate ratio and/or totals of the macros... am I way too low on fat? Is my carb count way higher in relationship to my protein toward the end of the day so that I have a protein shake treat versus some popcorn for my post-kiddo-bedtime snack?

That's my view on it - hope that helps to at least explain where I was coming from with that comment

Thanks again for reading - I'm always trying to catch up with everyone else's commentary too just to see how everyone is doing on a personal level and what accomplishments or struggles people have experienced that I may be able to learn from!

[marathonmom262]

Okay after long and tiring travel for work yesterday I'm finally catching up with my nutrition posts for the last few days...

Monday 8/20

Nutrition (as tracked in MyFitnessPal):
Total Calories -1639
Protein -173
Fat -32
Carbs -143

Good protein day, lower fat than I should have hit but I struggled to adjust that without going to high on calories at the end of the day... Training for the day was already mentioned in my previous journal post...

Tuesday 8/21

Nutrition (as tracked in MyFitnessPal):
Total Calories -1422
Protein -81
Fat -45
Carbs -175

I'm actually curious about the counts for the day. I knew it would be a low protein day since I was on the road - but the odd thing is that I had a salad from Chop't for lunch and didn't get the bread that usually comes with it... the calorie contents and carb contents for all of the entries for that salad I could find in MFP seem to match more closely to if I had eaten the bread so I'm thinking my total cals and carb content may actually have been a bit lower than what I'm reporting. I have no idea - but I feel that I made the best menu choice I could have so I'm okay either way.

I'm also curious what my true activity level is for days like this - I spend time sitting in my car to get to the train station and then again on the train during the commute and in meetings during the day - but I feel like I actually walk around and am just standing in general quite a bit - waiting for the train, walking to the metro, standing on the metro (and bracing for dear life), walking to the office, walking around the office for various meetings, and then reverse the commute walking/standing and waiting to get back home. My feet are always killing me at the end of the day so I know I've been on my feet a good portion of the 10-13 hours whenever I have to go to DC... I guess my point is that I fear letting my calories get too low on this "non-activity" day because I think I'm potentially a lot more active than I actually am the days I am working from home but hitting the gym!

In other news... I weighed myself this morning - tomorrow would officially be 1 week from my "starting weigh in" I mentioned in this journal but I jumped on this morning since I thought of it. I expected no change at all - funny thing is that my weight was exactly the same - 154.6! However, the scale also said I was holding even more water weight than I was when I came in at the same weight last week - I know that's not incredibly accurate but it makes me feel a little better about the potential of my TOM coming and my body maybe heading in the right direction. I'm taking no gain as a good sign right now (a leveling out perhaps) - even staying the same while I *think* I'm eating at a deficit I don't want to lower my calorie intake until I start a TOM. Best case scenario - the water weight means it may indeed come soon and then maybe I'll hit a whoosh of weight loss to some degree (a girl can dream right?)

[DieselsMom]

I wouldn't stress over MFP numbers - it is all ballpark anyways but atleast it is close and gives you an fairly good estimate of what your eating. I find that sometimes when I have a mixed type of meal it is hard to find the right choice on MFP and will pick something in the middle of the numbers. That is the challange of eating mixed foods without making single servings.

Great work on the hubby doing awesome at food prep! That is a big helper.

Have you tried apple cider vinegar for water retention - works like a charm I have a shot of it (1-2 tbsp) in a shot glass with water before bed and usually at some point if I am retaining water I will get up and have one of the longest pees of my life (I know TMI but true!). Keep up the good work.

[marathonmom262]

Totally agreed DM! I'm pretty happy at having a fairly good estimate to try to keep me on track. I know that over time you really just need to be consistent with how you are tracking, monitoring your body, and adjusting as necessary. I'm really looking forward to when the monitoring my body part tells me something consistent that I can work with to adjust appropriately. Hopefully will see that sometime soon...

I've never heard of the vinegar thing before! I think a lot of our journals share a lot of TMI but it's good that everyone is so honest because we learn from it Thanks for the tip!!

[Cardioconvert]

Okay after long and tiring travel for work yesterday I'm finally catching up with my nutrition posts for the last few days...

I find traveling the worst for diet management. On a daily (non-traveling) basis, I prepare and pack everything at home - colleagues just get used to the idea of "if it isn't in my cooler, I'm not eating it" - but travel thows everything into a kibosh (is that really a word?). Last year I had to travel quite a bit for work - the EA who booked my hotels worked with me to make sure I had a fridge in my hotel room and a grocery store near by (Helps to know who to schmooze to get special treatment )

I agree with how you use MFP and I use it the same way - you will get to a point where you can make the correlations you are looking for (i.e. body parts telling you stuff) - you'll see a pattern appear. I tell new runners the same thing about seeing the impact of feuling on their running - that is why I constantly preach to running clinics about keeping a journal.

Have a great day!

CC

[Boomer29]

cool didn't know about that apple cider vinegar trick YUK! I too have to weigh right in the morning after peeing. Change from that and can see some major swing in the poundage.

What do you do for work mm?

[DieselsMom]

cool didn't know about that apple cider vinegar trick YUK! I too have to weigh right in the morning after peeing. Change from that and can see some major swing in the poundage.

Tastes horrible but works - kinda like Buckleys haha

[marathonmom262]

Hi CC! You are so right about the kibosh. I've been lucky that I haven't had to do any overnight travel but it is hard since I eat a lot of refrigerated stuff to get what I need on a long train-travel day. I carry too much with me as it is to even consider bringing a cooler too (although when I go to my company's downtown office I generally come with a huge grocery bag and stock up the fridge each day - they think I'm nuts!) I eat some oatmeal before I leave and I've been packing some beef jerky to at least have a high protein munchy on the train ride home, but really the rest comes down to when I get a chance to eat and what I find available to me when I do. Hopefully I'm making some good choices - I'm doing the best I can so I'm good with that (but I sure do miss my omelet with feta, spinach, and hot sauce on travel mornings - okay I admit I just missing having a second breakfast PERIOD haha!)

Boom - I'm a senior consultant with an IT firm. I love my job - I work for a very supportive small consulting company and I have a lot of flexibility (working from home a lot of the time, hours, etc). Depending upon what kind of work I have for my current client or clients, I also have lots of variety from doing application development, to project management, to general business analysis, to providing CIO-level advice. It's a good thing I love my work since we're now a single income family - it would have made the decision pretty tough on whether or not the hubs could stop teaching to stay home with the kids if I felt like I might want to go for a job hunt!

[Boomer29]

WOW really cool!

[Cardioconvert]

Boom - I'm a senior consultant with an IT firm. I love my job - I work for a very supportive small consulting company and I have a lot of flexibility (working from home a lot of the time, hours, etc). Depending upon what kind of work I have for my current client or clients, I also have lots of variety from doing application development, to project management, to general business analysis, to providing CIO-level advice. It's a good thing I love my work since we're now a single income family - it would have made the decision pretty tough on whether or not the hubs could stop teaching to stay home with the kids if I felt like I might want to go for a job hunt!

That sounds like a super fun career - it is awesome when you can find something that you like and feel is challenging / compliments your skill set. Bonus too re: flexibility - I find way too many companies today pay lip service to the concept but their actions don't really support it

CC