It's time for changes....

I started blogging here as a means to communicate with you, temporarily.... while I was building my web-site.

The time has come..... my website is up and running!!!!

Please visit me at www.msj4her.com. I look forward to seeing you there!

Meg

Join Me.....

This past year I was really touched by the violence and sense of lost-ness experienced by our youth. I sought a way to help and influence girls (pre-teen) to be better and embrace life and love themselves for who they are.

It has been a work in progress and i have many ideas which have yet to be introduced.

My project is underway. Join me and encourage girls that you know to visit http://lionesscubs.blogspot.com

It is my hope to create an interactive blog site for dialog to learn from each other.

Thank you in advance for your support and your help. Give a shout with your ideas and thoughts.

Meg

Battling Childhood Obesity.....

This seems to be the new buzz around the country.... battling childhood obesity.

A very good cause to fight.

To solve the problem is going to need a paradigm shift in our thinking.

The first problem is the activity level of our kids. It was exciting to see kids outside this week after several days of rain.... but it was the kids you might normally see outside, the kids who play sports.

Where were the others?

In this country, we have shifted our thoughts away from physical education and the necessity of it. Many schools are removing physical education from the curriculum. Recess is also being dropped. Activities that require movement are being replaced with memorization.

And our children are sitting more, walking and running and jumping less.... and playing refers to the video games in the family room. What are we doing to our children, because in order to increase brain function, movement is necessary.

The other problem is addressed in the movie Food, Inc.

Our thoughts regarding food is backward. Why is it that a double cheeseburger can be bought for 99 cents, but a head of broccoli cannot be? Why is it soda can be bought for less than water? Candy, cookies, ice cream? instead of fruits and veggies?

To fight the problem, we need to change our thinking. We need to challenge the businesses that are pushing for this way of life.

Jamie Oliver of Jamie's Food Revolution (www.jamieoliver.com) is working hard in a school district to change the lunches the children are eating. His show can be seen Fridays at 8pm on ABC.

The effort to fight childhood obesity needs to be a joint action by many. We need to educate parents as well as the children on how to make the best choices in activity and in food. We need to work together to tackle this problem.

When do you 'give in' to tackle it another day?

This week was a challenge. A physical challenge, that is.

On Sunday, I rode (on my bike) over 45 miles. It was a pretty straight-forward ride... although, I hadn't ridden that distance since my cycling accident and it was my first road-trip since my cycling accident. But I was confident I could survive.

Except for the hills! Who would have thunk there were so many hills on Rte 27, heading to Princeton? (of course, i have driven that route many times.... i forgot).

The hills seriously kicked my butt!!!

But I made it to my destination.... and back. Safely.

I returned hungry, cold, and dirty..... I rode the tow-path on the canal on the way back, and wow.... DIRTY!

As I predicted I would, I under-ate during my travels.

NOTE TO SELF: CARRY MORE FOOD!

And while I was well hydrated, I WAS HUNGRY!

Monday was rainy and cold and I slept most of the day. I did not feel achy from muscular fatigue, I felt achy from doing a whole lot and mental fatigue-- almost like I was fighting a flu or cold. Tuesday I taught spin class.... and I struggled. (fortunately, I do mingle through the class as I teach, or me getting off the bike might have been alarming to my class). And Wednesday arrived. I was set to run 11k...... or at least the calendar said, and the 11k became 4k!

I set out...... and my body didn't feel right. I stopped to stretch, and it still wasn't happening.... I was not in sync.... and my mind and my body were in two completely different places.

I took a left turn in my route instead of the right and finished a challenging 4k.... perhaps, i still hadn't recovered from Sunday. Perhaps, I just needed another day to rest.

That evening.... I taught SPIN class like a ROCK STAR!

And the rest of the running week went without mishap. Thursday's run was easy, yesterday moderate and today.... INTERVALS! and I felt strong, despite the fact that I was struggling from decreased running volume this week.

Listening to our bodies is so important in training.

When do we push? When do we hold back? When do we 'give in' to tackle the hurdle another day? If we are not in tune with our bodies, we are subject to injury?

This week, I needed to really listen to what my body was saying. The ride took away from my running and required extra rest. I could have pushed myself, but may not have been able to run the intervals successfully today.

It is sometimes challenging to know when to push and when to hold back. AS a coach, it is sometimes very difficult to know that for my athletes. It is about honesty and trust. If an athlete tells me something isn't right, I have to trust the athlete and shift gears in the scheduled training session. If it is a distance client, I may have to do an impromptu schedule change (i only schedule a week at a time), based on what is happening....

For my own training, it is better to call it a day and tackle it again... (tomorrow or the next day)..... this has helped with my recovery and longevity in running. If I don't feel right in the warm-up, it probably isn't right, and I don't need an injury.

While there are times to push through, I need to know when to push and when to hold.

I might extend the warm-up.... maybe I need more time. Maybe I need a longer warm-up because of the weather, because of the intensity of the last workout, because of the rest permitted between workouts. Maybe I need to make an impromptu change..... I am supposed to run intervals at a tempo pace, but I cannot maintain the tempo.... maybe it is just a day for endurance. (these might be acceptable/appropriate and necessary... it is important to communicate these changes to your coach, who is working with you for success).

Learning to listen to your body in training is going to be helpful in the long run.

Eureka..... i already knew the answer!

I searched and searched...... and I seemingly already had the answer...........

in this process of finding the right combination of food and eating and food and eating..... i have explored a variety of different thoughts and models of eating in my quest to find the best protocol for me.... and i already had the answers.

Sometimes, we need to go through a journey to come back to our original conclusions, not that we doubt our instincts but to give us insights on our thought processes.

Today, I had the privilege of meeting and having my diet evaluated by Lori Kolodin, RD (registered dietician). She is located in Warren, NJ... and I highly recommend her if you are in the area or finding a nutritionist located near you --visit www.eatright.org. A registered dietician goes to school specifically for nutrition and diet and is very helpful in directing someone with health and weight goals.

The meeting was a perfect fit. She and I are both runners. When I spoke to her on the phone to schedule the appointment, she had told me immediately she was not Nancy Clark (renowned sports nutritionist), but she could help direct me. I was impressed by this. Lori knows her limitations and strengths.

The first book recommended is: Sports Nutrition Guidebook, by Nancy Clark.

(The book has now come off the shelf in my library and will be added to the pile of read now!)

Next, we discussed the movie Food, Inc and further recommended the book Food Matters, by Mark Bittman.

During our meeting,

--her first commentary (on evaluating my food log) was, this isn't a lot of food.

it seems i am NOT eating enough calories throughout the day. i had guessed this.... b/c at times, i feel hungry, and as i have shared before i can just as easily eat as not eat.

The recommendation currently is: 2200 calories. (This can change/adapt with my training needs. For now, this is the goal).

--the second observation was i need to double my protein intake. i am eating a pretty balanced selection (i eat instinctually), but for my athletic performance, i need more protein.

recommendations for me:

75 to 100 g of protein per day

55 to 65 g of fat per day

and the rest carbohydrates.

And we discussed where I can get my protein from. I do eat meat... she recommended organic chicken (glad there is ian's chicken nuggets), beans (need to experiment with this-- they don't always agree with me), nuts (i love!), dairy (like milk, cheese and yogurt) and grains (like quinoa). She also suggested reintroducing protein shakes in my life.

(Some of these things have been put in a holding pattern b/c of my work/lifestyle. They need to be reintroduced as a priority. My health is most important.)

We also talked about other sources of calories that would be beneficial in my overall performance and my need for calcium. Osteoporosis is in the family and so I have now added a calcium-magnesium supplement to my diet.

And the journey continues. I trust as I make the changes my body will find it is able to continue to let go of the extra body fat to permit me to achieve my true racing weight. The first goal is 160#. I have a bit of work to do to get there.

For the next four weeks, I will be tracking my protein and fat intake as I proceed in achieving my goals.

It was reassuring to know that I wasn't too far off track in my personal assessments of my eating. It is now reassuring to know that I have it within me to achieve my goals.

I will keep you posted.

And the Search continues....

And as I tossed out weight watchers, I found something called the Daily Burn. Seeking testimonials from people who had given up on weight watcher, I looked a little closer.

A free site, http://dailyburn.com, helps you track your diet and exercise goals and weight loss. A little different from the Weight Watchers points system, Daily Burn gives calorie goals with a break down of fat, protein and carbohydrate grams. (um, i live/work in a world that i may not always be able to count, measure and count again).

For a monthly or annual membership fee, one gets more features, which include training protocols, and consultations as well as other cool things available only to paying members.

Additionally, they have apps for that.... (more downloads for the iphone--- i have a BLACKBERRY), including a food scanner, which will tell you the break down of foods into the nutrient grams.

Clearly this website is i-phone friendly and would not be suited for someone like me, who is trying to limit her on-line time.

And so, my journey continues.

ON Friday, I will have my first appointment with a Registered Dietician. She told me upfront that she is not Nancy Clark (renowned sports nutritionist) but she has done some work with athletes and is willing to work with me. (I like that already).

I am looking forward to meeting her.

What are you doing to change your lifestyle during National Nutrition Month?

Tossing OUT Weight Watchers......

Weight Watchers....

cost about $45.00 for three months, online. This means no meetings, no support (i wouldn't go to a meeting anyway), just on-line tracking. Well, my joining was about recognizing I wasn't eating enough and that maybe being held accountable would get me back on track.......

and it has created bigger drama. I am not always online, nor do i want to be. In fact, since 2 march, there have been five days that I recorded nothing (on-line).... i am finding i am more accountable to my little orange notebook, where I record not only what i eat, but how it makes me feel...(satisfied, bloated, gassy, etc....) and I can better understand when or why (or why not) i should be eating this food.

After all, who wants to count points?

According to weight watchers, I should be eating 29 points. They recommend veggies/fruits, water, breads/grains (which i don't eat-- i am gluten-free).. and it seems, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE THE POINTS COME FROM, AS LONG AS THEY ARE 29!

Weight Watchers provides activity points... and the day i ran 10miles hard, I earned some bizarre points number (that I could eat to compensate for the activity).... hmmmmm.... that doesn't seem right. Why exercise then?? To exercise, and then be able to eat back the exercise points, seems counter-productive. I completely understand that I need more calories (and maybe that is the point weight watchers is making) on the days that I train hard. (Will be interesting to see what happens on a day I bike 30, 40, or 60 miles).

The problem is...... a point, is a point, is a point..... and yes, it has to do with calories.... a point, is a point, is a point. They really aren't considering that the majority of my food is veggies (pointless) and I am satisfied. So, i did an experiment (i would not recommend this).... after a run, i waited to eat..... (bad!) and then curled up to watch a movie, and i ate a BAG of chips and home-made queso.... they were blue corn chips..... and to prove my point, after eating the WHOLE BAG and ALL THE QUESO.... i was only 2 points over my daily allowance AND that was PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE... b/c in the course of the week, i am allowed 35 reserve points, and well, i had earned extra points from my run..... so, i really wasn't over.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE??????

It doesn't matter what I eat as long as it fits in the points segment.

(DON'T TRY THAT AT HOME! I wouldn't recommend doing what I did.... I slept the rest of the afternoon from eating too much in one sitting AND not eating quickly enough after training.... Never a GOOD Combination.... and it took me three days to feel myself again).

The other thing Weight Watchers emphasizes the weight on the scale. I get on the scale once a month. The first Sunday of the month, I get on the scale, I do my body fat and I take out my tape measure and measure thighs, hips, waist, umbilicus, chest, upper arms.... all of which can be good indicators of what is happening.

Well, if my body fat is dropping and my muscle mass is increasing, the mass composition is changing, but the scale only measures the pull of gravity on said mass. And the number on the scale may not change, regardless of the other changes happening before your eyes.

So, there has to be a better way. A way for those who desire to develop a better relationship with food and themselves...... My thoughts, enlist a registered dietician. Visit www.eatright.org to find one.

I will get back to you on my journey.