How Competitions Help Fitness & Weight Loss

Five weeks of Six Weeks

Weight today: same

Total lost: 5 pounds in five weeks

1/2 cup of oatmeal:150
1 tsp of sugar:15
1 tbl of powder creamer with coffee:30
2 tsp of sugar:30
total:225

1 slice of Rotella bread:55
1 tsp of Smart Balance light butter:15
1 tbl of natural peanut butter:33
1 4 oz apple:64
total: 167
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running total: 392

2 large eggs:140
1 lefse:30
1 small slice of cake:100
1 tbl of powder creamer:30
2 tsp of sugar:30
330
-------------------
total: 722

three small slices of cake:175
brownie bite:25
3 1/2 oz apple: 66
total:266
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running total: 1,088

1 cup of Special K cereal: 120
1/3 cup of 1% milk: 35
1/2 tsp of sugar:10
1 tbl of powder creamer in coffee:30
tsp of sugar30
Bugles:50
pretzels:35
total:310
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running total: 1,318

1 slice of wheat bread:70
1 tsp of Smart Balance light butter:15
1 tsp of natural peanut butter: 33
1/2 cup of Blue Bunny ice cream:100
1/2 tsp of chocolate syrup: 20
total:238
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running total: 1,556
running total: 266

Today's challenge: hydration, keeping on-calorie

Actual fitness: 60 minute leg work-out, 4-mile run, my abdominal routine

Day 5 of no sweet-n-low: Did have a slight queasy stomach while running last night, but could be due to me eating an hour before. But also had some queasiness at night...so, could be the coffee after all? May have to cut out coffee if this queasiness continues. That would stink.

Note on picture: This is what was left at our house after the birthday parties celebration last night. I had a swipe of the chocolate frosting last night, but that is all I ate of this food. I'm not planning on having this today. Calories? Hmm....too much?

How Competitions Help

Fitness & Weight Loss

Just wanted to mention today a principle that is in play right now for my diet and fitness goals.

Remember when I wrote here that training for a specific event helps to give your work-outs focus? I also wrote here that it is good to have a second goal in place for after you've reached the first goal, so that you are able to build off of the fitness level you've created thus far and also to avoid the post goal "blues".

About a month ago, I ran in a half-marathon. After that...as a way to keep the intensity and focus going, I began to alter my training for competition in 5K races, while also maintaining my long distance training in the event that if I wanted to, I could be prepared to race in more half-marathons.

Saturday morning, the day of this recent 5K race, I did not want to get up and do it. The fact that I hadn't registered for the race ahead of time also factored in my thinking that I didn't "have" to run it. But I knew that if I didn't...I would not be building on the hard work I had put into my training. In knew this might negatively affect my motivation level in my work-outs. In the past four weeks, I had done some "speed" work-outs to help train for the 5K road race. Not racing would have invalidated those work-outs.

I'm very glad I raced this race as I've since begun to develop in my mind a plan for training for the months of November, December and January. This is a huge thing because if anyone knows, winter can be a tough season to keep up on fitness because it's cold outside which tends to negatively affect motivation to work-out. Training for a specific event, especially during the winter months, is a great way to keep your weight loss momentum going and to also avoid winter weight gain.

During this 5K event, I was able to find out about another race that I plan on competing in next Sunday, which I will talk about later.

As you can see, all of these goals are great to have because I am keeping active while one of the big side benefits is...that I'm also losing weight and working toward meeting my weight loss goals.

Hope this Monday finds you all in good spirits.