no more snooze

In my industry, people tend to work long and often unpredictable hours. My role in the ad agency is marketing and PR for the agency itself, not clients, so it means that I am usually not as bad as some of my colleagues - these hours are not diet friendly. On a good day, I'm likely to get home around 7:30 at the earliest.

My choice is then, prepare dinner, spend time with my family or exercise.

After a long day at the office, I'm ravenous, and I want to spend that next hour before my daughter's bedtime, with her.

What this means is that my only time for exercising during the week, is in the morning before work. This means getting up at 6:20 to go for a run. I HATE getting up early - which is surprising considering I'm a morning person. My ideal day? Getting up around 7:30, going for a run, checking some emails, grabbing a quick shower and making a healthy breakfast. Then being online for the day by about 9:30. I'm solid from about that time, until 2-3 in the afternoon. Then it becomes a struggle and I count the hours till I'm done. And I LIKE my job....but I digress.

The point is, I'm a master of planning to go for a run in the morning, setting my alarm, and either falling victim to the eternal snooze game or somehow, managing to sleep through my alarm whilst clutching it in my hand.

I've tried everything, laying out my clothes by the bed, texting with virtual running partners, as I don't have anyone around me to run with. But I've always found an excuse or a reason to not get up, arguing (as any parent can) that I need the sleep.

But the Couch to 5K running program requires 3 spaced runs a week. So two have to fall during the work-week, which means that I've got to break my vicious cycle and get out of bed earlier.

This morning is the first time I've had to do my morning run, since committing to my healthier life last week.

Last night, as I lay in bed agonizing over how I had to get up early, I started trying to pump myself up mentally so I wouldn't blow it in the morning. I knew that it was crucial, that I do it right the first time and that would really set the stage for me either succeeding at this new lifestyle, or falling victim to my history of 'two weeks of any plan'. Then something really simple occurred to me, how much am I really getting out of an extra 40 minutes sleep?

This seems so obvious, its embarrassing.

Needless to say, I went through my normal thought-process this morning at 6:20...

Devil: What!? ALREADY!! No.... I'm so tired.
Angel: No, I have to. I'm already awake now.
Devil: Why? I could just go back to sleep for an hour. C'mon, it would feel so good to just fall back asleep now.
Angel: If I don't go today, than this could potentially send us down the wrong path, back into our bad habits.
Devil: I can go tomorrow and run, its only Tuesday, it doesn't have to be today!
Angel: All this arguing means I'm already awake, and what good is 40 more minutes going to do?!

So I got up, and started the next installment of my running program. And it went well. And I got to work on time.

And I've officially turned over my new leaf.



Exercise - 33 mins (18 interval walk/jog) - week 3 of C25K program

Breakfast - 200

• 1 cups of coffee with low fat milk
  
• mila with 98.9% ff plain yogurt, 1 handful of blueberries

Lunch - 475

• mixed salad with cucumbers and tomatoes, vinegar
• roasted chicken (skin removed)
• 1.5c rice

Dinner - 600

• salad
• fish head soup (questionable if this is lean or fatty, and it was pretty salty)
• bread

Total - about 1300 cal

one objective, two goals

Obviously my main objective is to lose the weight, and get back to a healthy size. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that carrying excess weight in your waist is the most dangerous kind of weight gain.

That's always been where I've gained it, quickly followed by my face/chin.

Some people gain in their thighs and butts, I hate these people. They're called pear-shaped. I would like to call them 'people who can work it'. Pear shapes can, in most cases, easily cover their weight fluctuations in nice skirts, as a thin face and tiny waist, overall, make you look thin.

Not me, my face gives itself away - in fact, it probably makes me look even heavier than I am. I've seen people who have 200 lbs to lose, who have a tight chin, and you'd be amazed how you automatically think they are thinner than they are.

Let's just say, with a big midsection and face, I'm not 'wearing it well'. There's really not much one can do to hide the midsection. Flowy tops make you look pregnant, empire waists do the same.

So while it sounds vain, my sole objective is to lose the weight.

But I have two goals...

1. Eat Better - by this I mean to eat better more often but not 'diet'. I don't want this to be a temporary thing, I don't want to yo-yo. In the past few years, I've lost 10 lbs on the low GI diet, then gained it back. 20 lbs on weight watchers, then gained it back. I just can't mentally be on a diet the rest of my life. But, I am willing to count calories and be aware of what I'm eating, and compensate for certain allowances by being extra good before/after.

2. Get in Shape - I don't just want to shrink down, I want to build muscle and improve health through stamina and exercise. I want to be a runner, I want to get back into tennis, and I want to just be more active overall.

I've always been moderately active (gym a couple times a week) and I eat pretty well. I think its just not often enough, and not consistent enough. Most importanlty, I've never really gotten the two things working at the same time. I've either dieted, but was so hungry or too afraid to be hungry, to really incorporate exercise. Or, I've exercised and therefore felt like I was burning more calories so could eat more - only maintaining my weight at best.

You can see I have created a reward system for myself on this blog, to the right column. I've done a system according to weight loss goals, but also to fitness goals.

This is what I'm doing - the Couch to 5K Running Plan. Check it out here. http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

I'm starting at week 2, as I already do some running. Just did my first run yesterday, and it was good. Easy enough to make me want to go again today, instead of quit.

I plan to weigh in weekly, to track my progress on a weekly basis. Of course, I no doubt will weigh in between on occasion, but its crazy to hold yourself to daily fluctuations. Once I find my tape measure - I'll use that as a tool too. One thing I learned in WW was how important measuring becomes, as sometimes you don't lose weight, but you lost inches, which is as important.


So, here we go....