stop eating with your head

Tonight I went to the nutritionist, I weighed 5.5 pound less. Whoopie. I weighed much too much last week, so it was either bloating, or constipation. Both are gone and the weight went with them. Could have been the clothes too.

So now she's upped my weight loss goal for the 5 weeks to 15 pounds. My 950 calorie chicken sandwich last night didn't seem to impact my weight loss, at least this week.

She (and Angel and Bonnie) told me to up my protein so I eat less carbs.

My new goals are 1500 calories
75 grams of protein (60 grams from biological protein)
50 grams of fat
190 grams of carbs
5 days of exercise for at least 45 minutes. T'ai Chi only counts as stress relief.

Plus the old goals, which I didn't reach
Eat only 4xs a day (I'm a grazer)
Reduce coke intake even more

She seemed please that I did two 5Ks this weekend. Belle sent me this site that calculates how many calories you burn doing ordinary things. Including sex.

She told me I needed to learn to eat with my mouth and not with my head. That's hard.  She told me to reduce my stress which triggers eating. That's even harder.

Joans 5K

Bonnie wanted to do this 5K, but couldn't because of her knee injury so I went alone.

It was in the Parkway, but because of Lights in The Parkway it took a different route. We started at the fish hatchery and went east past the covered bridge to the iron bridge. The normal start line of a 5K, then turned around and came back. There was grass, gravel, and even soupy marsh land. I thought I was going at a fairly good pace, but as always in the parkway, it took a long time. I came in at 54:46. Yikes.

In this picture, with all the layers, I look even fatter than normal. And increasingly like my sister Sharon. Who looks like our mother Frances.  My sister Barb made the hat.

Afterwards I took my international "daughters" to Hershey Park as their Christmas gift. Their Sweet Lights is like Lights in the Parkway. Only 10 million times better.

remembered the camera, forgot the card!

I made sure the camera was charged for todays Turkey Trot. I really wanted to take a pix of my timing chip. Alas, the picture is from borrowed from the net. I brought the camera, but forgot the memory card. It wouldn't even turn on. Big fat bummer.

So we met at the Luckenbach Mill. There was almost 1000 people walking and running. Well, mostly running. They had a photographer, one of those sites where they charge you a lot for the pictures, rather than the free downloaded from Flickr/Picassa sites. Oh well.

Since Sharon picked up my race packet I just needed to pick up the chip. It attached to my shoe with a twist tie. They cut it off at the end of the race. It supposed to make it fairer.

From About.com:

Chip time is another way of saying "net time," or the actual amount of time it takes a runner to go from the starting line of a race to the finish line.  ... When you register for a race, you receive your "borrowed" chip, programmed with your information, at the same time you get your race bib. The chip usually attaches to your shoelaces, although some are connected to a Velcro strap that goes around your ankle. At the end of the race, someone will be there to collect the chip from you.

As you move across a special mat at the starting line, the chip registers that you've started the race. Then, as you cross the finishing line, the chip registers that you've finished the race. So, in other words, the amount of time that it takes you to reach the starting line (since most people are not right at the front of the race) doesn't count in your overall time. ... Your chip time is different than your "gun time," which is the amount of time it took you to finish the race from the moment the gun (or horn) went off.

I was cold waiting for the race to start. I had on long underwear top, athletic shirt, and my race tee on. On top of that I had my black athletic jacket. My fuzzy hat from Barb, a pink scarf and pink gloves. The jacket went around my waist at mile one. I wanted to take off another layer but didn't.

They moved the starting line from other years, so everybody who was waiting got crunch backwards, mixing up the runners and walkers. I could tell from his tee shirt that one of the runners was a Marine. He had one leg and one of those funky hook legs for running. There was also fire people in full gear, and an assortment of people with turkey hats.

I didn't here the start, but people started moving. I didn't notice a mat at the start, but there could have been one. I ran the first block or so because if I didn't I would have been crushed to death. Survival.

Finish time 52:23. I'm fine with that. It's a hilly course and I stink on hills.

It felt odd doing a 5K without Bonnie. Maybe next week she can come.

it snowed on thanksgiving

This week I went walking Tuesday at lunchtime, it's only about a mile but it's great to get out of the birdhouse. Since we went to see Harry Potter after work, I skipped t'ai chi. (Bad fat girl.)

On Thanksgiving I thought about doing a 5K in Doylestown. But there are no buses running and my sister was volunteering at the senior center serving Thanksgiving lunch. So I didn't go, and drove her uptown instead. I came back and wrapped her "corporate" gifts and then took a walk. It was snowing. I haven't measured the distance, but I went to Aharts and back so it was at least 2 miles.

Today I went walking with Betsy. It's always about three miles. Maybe a little more. And Logan and Izzy were visiting and they came along. It's been a while since I walked with the dogs. Takes a bit of getting used to. Izzy likes chasing falling leaves. Logan likes to "do his business" in leaf piles.

Bonnie was hoping to walk in the Turkey Trot tomorrow, but she just called and canceled. Her knee is really swollen again. Drats, my one chance to beat her and she doesn't come. Because of the race, I don't think I'll make t'ai chi tomorrow either.

Sharon picked up our race packets this afternoon, so I'll actually have my shirt. From what she said, they are switching to chips instead of clocks, so I "pick up my timer chip tomorrow".

Timer chip. I am so freaking excited.

an epiphany

me, high school graduation photo

Last night was my first of five meetings with the nutritionist, Lisa, at the Bethlehem Township Community Center. Her day job is with one of the hospitals.

She thought I was "motivated" to start this at this time of the year. Perhaps "crazy" is a better word. But I don't think I gorge myself at holiday meals.

Some background, for people who haven't been on this journey with me.

The reason I wanted to go see a professional was to sort out all this information I've been reading on healthy eating, and come up with some way to make it work. Ultimate goal, I lower my blood pressure and get off meds. Loosing a couple pounds wouldn't hurt either.

My way hasn't worked. Keeping a food diary recently made me realize I eat way to many carbs and sugar. But if I don't eat carbs, I'm hungry.

That's the first thing I know for sure.

The second thing is if you tell me "no" I will eat twice, maybe three times the amount I eat now. So I need something that doesn't have "no" in it. The old 80% good/20% bad theory.

The third thing is I am an emotional eater. I eat when I happy, sad, stressed, bored, it goes on and on.

So I went in there looking for the magic wand, and I didn't find it. And that disappointed me. I went for healthy eating. She's all about making a diet.  If I wanted to count and measure I would have gone to Weight Watchers.

So she took my background. Looked kind of shocked when I told her I was well underweight before my mid-twenties. I guess most people with my problem struggled their whole lives.

She weighed me. I'm 10 pounds heavier than on the doctors scale. That hurt.

She wants to take away my last Coke of the day. It won't happen. On this I am sure. I told her how much I used to drink and she was floored.

She doesn't count walking as exercise. You only burn 100 calories an hour. Steps either. Or T'ai Chi. She'd like me to go to the gym. I'd rather stand on my head and clean the toilet with a toothbrush than do that. If it doesn't work for me than it work.  I'm "active". I don't "exercise".

So my goals for this week is one 16 ounce Coke per day or less, four "meals" a day, keep a food and exercise journal. Initially she'll fill in the calories. I have to weigh and measure. Yuck. She's going to give me a generous 1500 calories a day. She thinks I eat at least 500-750 more.

My friend Angel has been trying to give me advice. But as always, I'm stubborn and pig headed and don't listen. She told me to email her last night and tell her how it went. I did.  This was part of her reply:

" Well, I know you hate the word diet and it's emotional implications—but remember with your health issues that a diet is more medical than a mere "gee I have to lose weight."

A medical diet—though restrictive and a pain in the ass—will train you what's good/ what's bad/what's appropriate and make these things habit…   I know you want the freedom and knowledge to make good choices. This is the potential boot camp to shock you into it. "

I didn't like that reply. I got my panties into a gather pretty dang quick. When I typed the reply I had a bit of an epiphany:

"You’re right, I do need to lose weight. But that’s not why I decided to do this. I wanted to learn to eat right. Maybe I should have joined weight watchers. Accountability....

Actually I probably already know what to eat. It’s just doing it.

But that is not the problem. Not even close. That light bulb came on late last night. I have a food addiction. I chose food instead of booze or sex or drugs. THAT is the big problem. I should go to a shrink instead of a nutritionist.

Meanwhile, I had my half cup of oatmeal for breakfast and I’m not a bit hungry but I am counting the minutes till lunch. And more than likely I’ll eat lunch and I’ll do the same thing till dinner.  Yep. I bet if you looked food addiction up, that’s exactly what it would say was a symptom.

But unlike booze or drugs or sex or shopping or any number of things stopping the activity is not an option."

OMG. I'm a food addict.

nutritionist day

Excited. Scared. Terrified. Motivated. Wondering. Anxious. Stressed. Excited.

mini stair climb at lehigh

the beginning: campus square

So Lyd arrived about an hour later. I had some bread in the machine, and we turned on the oven, thre in the pumpkin and hit the road. Dang the house smelled good.

Okay, so it wasn't that easy. We had to get dad in the house (always fun), get him settled, find a ball game for him to watch and cut up the pumpkin before we could go.

Since she said she wanted to do stairs I decided we'd drive to Lehigh. Didn't want to poop her out on hills before we started. We parked at Broughal and went down Brodhead to Morton. The out Morton to Campus Square. Total, there's about 80 steps there, broken up into sections with some walking between. She flew up them. We waited at the top for Sharon. then we hiked up the hill past Packer Chapel and down University Avenue, which is a pedestrian walkway. She looked to the right and said "we're no going there, are we?" Of course I said yes. Seventy steps, straight up, with maybe four landings, next to the old Newman House. Sharon stayed at the bottom. She was huffing and puffing when she got to the top, but I think feeling pretty dang good. I, of course, came behind because I was documenting everything. She looked to the right and saw another huge flight of stairs. Again she asked "Are we going there?" She was still out of breath. I dsaid not this time. A look of relief washed over her.

We came back down eighty stairs next to Grace Hall. Sharon was waiting at the bottom.

We wove in and out up and down for the next half hour. Total we did about 280 up and 250 down. Including the long flight down from Eighth Street to Brodhead.

Walking we only did maybe a mile and a half. But it was a tough mile and a half. When we got home the bread was done. The pumpkin was roasted. And the incredible shrinking woman was tired.

so I was in the dollar store ...

and the phone rang. It was Lydia. I'm coming over to process some pumpkin. "Do you want to walk at Lehigh? Maybe do some stairs?"

I've created a monster. And soon that monster will weigh less than me. But then I still get to eat real meals.

On the way back from the dollar store. My phone rang again. I told Sharon to answer it. I have no headset and I was in Allentown, where it's illegal to talk on the phone and drive. (Click and Clack from Car Talk on NPR were so ahead of their time on this issue. I always wanted one of the "Shut Up and Drive" bumper stickers.) It was Lisa, the nutritionist from the Bethlehem Township Community Center. Sharon seemed confused. From the bits of conversation I heard I knew it was important and found a space to pull over and snatched the phone from her hand.

She asked if I wanted to wait till after the holiday. That would be an emphatic "No". So we're planning on meeting tomorrow, 6:30, after school. The places are about a mile apart. I'll let you know. Better put my food journal in the car.

a 5k in the dark?

This week I was reading the paper (yeah, I'm a dinosaur.) and saw a little article on Lights in the Parkway, a drive thru Christmas light display. Until this year it's been motor vehicles only. Now they are having two bike nights. And a night (December 1) for runners and walkers. When I went to the site it's actually a 5k thru the display.

I called Bonnie and she said yes. I talked to Lydia yesterday and she will come if she can find a daddy sitter. Sharon is coming too. It will be a party in the parkway. Hopefully my pictures turn out. My camera is kind of crappy at night.

Then the unthinkable happened. Bonnie fell and hurt her "good" knee. She's not walking anywhere. So i'll be doing the Turkey Trot and joins walk alone next weekend.

She most likely won't join us for the Jingle Bell either. But maybe she will be okay for the new years eve walk.

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I found the photo on flickr, posted by Lehigh Valley. There was a download link, so I guess it was okay.

The week that was

It's been a crazy week. Not much walking getting done, at least initially, but I'm trying.

Monday and Saturday morning I went out with Sharon at the crack of dawn. About two miles.

On Tuesday and Thursday I walked a bit at lunch time in Easton. Maybe a generous mile.

Tuesday night I went to tai chi.

Then Friday things started to settle into normal. I picked Betsy at the hair salon and we headed to Trexler Park. We did the bottom loop twice and the upper loop once.

Saturday I headed to the Nor-Bath trail and met Lydia. We went fron the trial head on Savage Road to Bicentennial Park. It was a little over a mile and a half one way. Her first three mile walk. She is so ready for a 5k. We took silly pixs of me hugging the mile markers but I decided to post this one of her at the start. You can see her weight loss and the every two feet t-shirts. I skipped T'ai Chi to go with her.

I'll be heading out soon to do at least three miles.

Now that it's dark in the morning and at night, it's going to be harder and harder to keep walking. But I will.

sunday, in the park

waiting for me before crossing rte. 22

Yesterday I went bike riding on the Wilson bike path with Bug and Angel. Lets talk hills.

We got on the trail at 25th Street by the Bimbo Bakery (Maier's new name), down a nice hill, crossed Wood Avenue, thru a little park and then up a huge hill. Needless to say I walked nearly the whole thing. Bug soon joined me, and finally Angel. Walking was no problem.

Angel mentioned that was where they always stopped, but I wanted to go to the end and we reached Hackett Park, and turned around to come back. Coming back was no problems. I flew down the hill. I felt like Lance Armstrong.

Going back up the other side was hard and I ended up walking. Bug petered out before me, but Angel was going strong and I started chanting "Go Angel Go". The child got back on her bike and went up the hill, no problems. I guess she wanted to walk because I was walking.

waiting for me to cross wood avenue.

We had fun, but before spring I need to learn how the gears work and what they do. I should be in fair enough shape to make it up the smaller hill, and part way up the big one. I don't think my kid bikes ever had gears.

Our goal is to do the canal path trail to Frenchtown next year. And the canal is flat!

Now I just need to find a used bike for Bonnie for Christmas. I want her to come too.

a beautiful autumn day!

It's a perfect autumn day. I'm itching to walk, but am trying to be patient. I'm waiting for my neice to come. I'm helping her train for her first 5k. She's with her dad at the hospital now so the route I've planned starts at the hospital. It's about 2.85 miles, and a new route. Hopefully there isn't too many hills.

Yesterday I went out at 7 in the morning with Sharon. I asked her how the weather was, she said I needed a sweater. My sister Pat said I needed a light jacket. They were both wrong. I put on a sweater and headed out. It was 25 degrees! Walking warmed me up, but I was never overheated. My neck and hands were freezing.

Sharon's suggestion was that we take the scenic route downtown (my mom would say uptown), then she'd go to work. Sounded good to me, so that's what we did. When driving thru downtown I've seen these little signs but could never read them. Apparently we now how an official heritage trail. Not as cool as the one in Boston with the red line, but cool none the less.

Yesday, I also did the hour in the suburbs with Betsy.

Also this week I walked at lunch time on College Hill. I'm sure it was only a mile or so, but it's better than sitting on my ample bum. I didn't make T'ai Chi Tuesday, but I went today.

Tomorrow is bike riding with Bug and Angel. It's supposed to be nice again, so maybe I'll get a walk in also. Or, Sharon wants to go to the gym. Maybe I'll do that.

I also decided to do the peace pilgrimage. I believe in peace. The other stuff, usually much not. Faith, spirit  and I really aren't friends. If they'll have me, I'm going. 10 miles Nazareth to Bethlehem.

Looks like my rut is over, at least for a little while.

stair climbs

Stair climb season is upon us. I'll be doing the tower in Philly again, and then the stadium climb in Wilkes-Barre in March. Bonnie said she might come.

Last year I trained on campus at Acopian running up and down the six flights of stairs each day I was on campus. This year we;ve moved our office off-campus. Acopian is no longer next door. What to do?

I could hike over to Acopian and get the short walk and the stairs. Or maybe just walk up to the hospital and do the nine flights. But I wonder if it's necessary.

Our current building is an old mansion. I work on the third floor. I am up and down those stairs a minimum of three times a day. Usually closer to six or eight. Do I need to do Acopian, or the hospital? I'm not sure. But it certainly wouldn't hurt.

good news, bad news

Well the good news is I got a flu shot. Went to the drive-bys sponsored by the Health Department and the Lehigh Valley Hospital. I also called the nutritionist.

The bad news. The flu shot usually results in me getting sick and the nutritionist never called back. Maybe I should take that as a sign.

The really bad news? I've been a big fat lazy lard butt all weekend.

Friday I usually walk with Betsy. We talked about it. It was cold and damp and drizzly. I had a lot of posts to tend to from my online classes. I was going to Diwali* with my international student that night. I was looking for an excuse to stay home. Betsy wasn't thrilled to go, so I had my out and we stayed home. Strike one.

Saturday I went to T'ai Chi and nobody was there. I posted a basic walk on the every two feet page, and no one responded. I went looking for dryers instead. Strike two.


Today I was supposed to go to Planet Fitness with Sharon and walk with Lydia after my flu shot. Her day became unexpectedly complicated so she couldn't come. This morning when we were trying to plan our timing for the gym and the flu shot (they are about a mile apart) Sharon says: "I have an idea. You hate the gym. (Indeed I do.) Drop me at the gym and we'll start the wash at the laundromat in same shopping center as PF), I'll go to the gym go to your flu shot. OMG an "out" for the gym. I seized the opportunity. I should have went. I didn't. I told Sharon never to make an offer like that gain! No gym. No walk. I'm lazy. I have to volunteer at two. Strike three and I'm out.

I'm not going to kick myself. It happens. Next week we get back on the wagon

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*Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights, to celebrate the new season at the end of the monsoon. It is particularly associated with Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, and marks the beginning of the new year. The picture is from the altar.

where do the bird tracks lead?

Yesterday I had to work at the College in the morning, delver a bean salad to a funeral reception and then head to class at the community college. In between I stopped at Panera and picked up the Napa chicken salad. Yeah, it's not the healthiest thing on the menu, but it's actually better than the veggie sandwich I love. Bizarre.

Anyway, I got to school early. All the benches were still filled with students. On Tuesday/Thursday there are no classes between 11 and 12:30. It's the student activity period. That's when clubs meet, they have lectures and whatnot. All the things resident schools do in the evening. Even faculty meetings are held then.

I finally found a place to sit in the sun on a wall. As I'm eating my sandwich I see giant bird tracks. They were multi-colored and fascinated me. I threw away the bag and the wrapper and took my remaining half-sandwich and searched for a giant bird.

The tracks took me all over campus, but I never found the giant bird. I was disappointed. Since I was near the walking trail I did that loop and headed back toward my building, when in struck me that I should follow the tracks the other direction. They ended at the early education center on campus. Apparently they had some sort of activity with the children. I'm really curious to know what it was.

Tuesday night I went to the new session of t'ai chi. In addition to training walks this weekend with Lydia, I'm going for my drive-by flu shot on Sunday at Piggie Park. I'm also calling and scheduling a meeting with the nutritionist.