Picking myself up

This was not a good week for me. I started down a slippery slope on my birthday. I put a stop to it yesterday. Enough is enough already!

I started the Spring Fling challenge on 2/23/10. The challenge is 8 weeks long and I set a goal to lose 8 pounds. Right now, it’s not looking like I’m going to reach that goal, but don’t think I’m gonna stop trying!

Starting weight:        144.6

Last week’s weight:        141.6

This week’s weight:        142.6

Gain for the week:        + 1.0 lbs

Total loss for the challenge:    2.0 lbs

Total lost since 11/1/09:    15.2 lbs!

Here’s the excuses reasons for my bad week:

• I have started studying for finals and am so stressed out about them that I don’t have time to work out. Unless you have gone through law school, I’m not sure I can explain finals (and the accompanying stress). There is no homework in law school. My entire grade for the entire year is dependent on this one exam. I have to cram all the law and crazy rules in my brain for 3 very difficult classes. Each exam consists of 2-3 fact patterns (of crazy convoluted facts created by sadistic professors). You have to spot the issues and explain the law and resolve the issue. Each question takes about an hour to answer. If I don’t pass, I have to retake the entire year long course. Very stressful. Now, I should state that I currently hold cum laude status (high honors) and have never failed a course. However, these 3 classes seem to be more difficult than any others I’ve taken. Exams are always stressful, but these seem more so than previous ones. I am sooo ready for April 22^nd! (My last exam is 4/21)
• I got sick. I had a sore throat, achy ear and cough. I slept the better part of the weekend. I drank several hot chocolate and brandys… soo yummy – but soo many calories…
• I got discouraged. I ate candy bars and McDonalds. I don’t think I cooked any healthy meals. I ate late at night. But as noted below, I blogged and retook control!

Good

• I blogged. I didn’t completely isolate myself and go into despair. Blogging is really helping me work through my issues and is keeping me grounded in reality. It also helps when I get comments from friends, virtual friends, or even people I’ve never had contact with. Proves to me I am not alone. It’s amazing how being supported with positivity (even from people I’ve never met) lifts me up.
• I retook control on Tuesday. I worked out for a total of 35 minutes. I didn’t follow my triathlon training program – but I ran on the treadmill. I ran 6mph for 15 minutes (1.48 miles). I’ve never run on the treadmill at that speed for that long. I jumped rope for 5 minutes and did the elliptical for 15 minutes. These were split up throughout the day, but it was a great way to clear my head during all this intensive studying.
  • I ate:
    • 1589 calories, burned 357 = net calories 1232
    • Fat = 34 grams (19%)
    • Carbs = 168 grams (42%)
    • Protein = 149 grams (38%)
• I made a super yummy turkey chili in the crock pot Tuesday night. Only 372 calories per bowl and very filling!
• I set a goal to run 250 miles by the end of 2010. I have run 93 miles by 3/31. To meet my goal I need to run about 17.5 miles per month. No sweat! (Well, there will be sweat, but I can totally reach this goal!) However, if I keep at the pace I set in the 1^st quarter of 2010, I’m on track to run almost 400 miles by the end of the year!

Bad

• I didn’t track all week. Well, one day this week – yesterday.
• I ate Lucky Charms and Cocoa Pepples. I didn’t weigh them out. Just poured big bowls of them.
• Monday I grazed on crap all day. I don’t think (other than the sugar cereal) that I actually ate a real meal all day.
• I drank several hot chocolates with brandy. On multiple days…
• I didn’t work out all week. I was supposed to do a 7 mile training run on Saturday and a 25-30 mile bike ride on Sunday. But I didn’t do those or any other workouts.

I noticed that I ate better yesterday and I felt better. I ate terrible over the previous six days and I felt like shit. (above just being sick). I need to remember that feeling.

This coming week, I will have my first final. Also, my first sprint triathlon is in 11 days. OMG. Too. Many. Things. To. Stress. About. Head. Gonna. Explode… With the exception of never having swam in my wetsuit or in open water, I am ready for the sprint triathlon. That being said, I do have a ½ ironman distance triathlon in July. However, I have given myself permission to veer from the training program until after finals. That is not permission to be a lazy bum. I will work in cardio during study breaks. I promise.

Here’s what I will commit to this week:

• Get in my 7 mile training run
• Make time to do my first open water swim
• Get in cardio during study breaks
• Drink 64oz water each day
• Track and stay within my calorie target
• No food after 9:00pm (9:30 if I have class until 9pm)