was not as successful training-wise as the first. Life interferes sometimes. Poor Craig had a migraine, so I couldn't take off by myself. So Nathan, Noah and I walked to the CVS down the block. Only about a half-mile roundtrip, so better than nothing. We also strolled the Haile Village Music & Arts Festival this morning (not that great, by the way.) I was able to do some sprints by chasing Nathan around the yard tonight, although I don't recommend sprinting in flip-flops while chasing a four year-old. Man, is he fast!
For the next couple of weeks, I am going to focus on eating better and walking, walking, walking! Now, I think eating better can be more subjective than people think. I've done a lot of reading recently about nutrition contrary to the commonly accepted orthodoxy of low-fat, high fiber. I'm convinced that low grain is the way for me. Low grain does not equal all fat, though. I still love fruits and veggies. I've given up grains a couple of times, and felt so good! I'm determined to give them up again. Why do I fall off the wagon? I love to bake. I've recently started baking my own bread and had to try a piece. Of course, one led to another, then another... And cookies - yum.
So the next big step is going low-carb. No grains, low sugar. I'm kind of relieved to be forced to give up sugary tea. I love hot tea, with tons of milk and sugar, both in the morning and at night. I'll substitute milk at night and matcha green tea in the morning. I'd love some low carb tips! Post away in the comments...
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Well...I don't have too many tips on low carbs (although my GF diet is pretty low carb by definition)...I just wanted to say Go, Ruth, Go!
ReplyDeleteMandy
Ruth, you are doing great, and you haven't even officially started! Here is a tip for the whole grain thing. Perhaps do this diet 6 days a week and designate one day "cheat day", and on that day, break, cookies, milky sugary tea, etc, all are a go! This not only gives you something to look forward to, but it restores your leptin levels so your body continues to reduce fat.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing you might consider doing is some High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) which can easily be done at home, starting with as little as 2-4 minutes. Yes, MINUTES! Google "tabata intervals", look up Scott Colby on youtube, or google "Craig Ballantyne for some ideas. Basic idea is you work HARD for a short period, take an even shorter rest, and repeat. You sweat very quickly and your heart rate gets HIGH. You need no equipment so it's ideal for when you've just got a second. And although calories burned are only up to a few hundred, this method is demonstrated to burn lots of calories afterward and lead to better fat reduction than long, slow, steady rate cardio.
Thanks for the tips, Naomi! I will check it out this week. I do need to incorporate some strength training! It was great seeing you today!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the encouragement, Mandy!!
Ruth, I loved hanging out with you today! :)
ReplyDeleteRuth, the HIIT/tabata training Naomi describes has also been shown to increase both speed and endurance for those training for endurance sports as you are, without always having to DO said endurance sport (that is, you can improve your run time without always doing a long run, which alleviates some overuse injuries some people might get when training for a run) Gotta say, that's been handy for me, as getting out for a run requires either child care or a stroller with sometimes unhappy kids, whereas HITT/tabata stuff I've been able to do at home with the kids playing in the dirt or whatever. Nice alternative to doing a long walk/run if you don't have the time or you have to stay at home with the kids.
ReplyDeleteAnd the diet - I recommend Mark Sisson. I have his book, and his website is www.marksdailyapple.com/
Hi Ruth, I just wanted to cheer you on and say, YOU CAN DO IT! :)
ReplyDelete