How Hard Can It Be? Year 2

[Veronica]

I've really cut the sugar - no soda, no Red Bull, no chocolate. I eat about 1500 calories a day, aiming for 40 grams of fat, 173 grams of carbs and 100 grams of protein. My carbs are mostly coming from multi grain products. I also do a lot of cardio and lift weights - lots and lots of reps.

This is a picture from today.




Veronica

[redrhodie]

It's working! You look amazing!

How do you feel?

[Veronica]

I feel really good.

I haven't been out for a long ride in awhile though and I do wonder how that will feel. My longest cardio sessions have only been two hours or so.

We've just been so busy on the weekends that we haven't been able to get in long rides. Good things busy, so it's ok.

We're tour marshalls for the local Tour de Cure 50 mile ride next weekend. That will be interesting. We'd planned on riding the tandem, but the fork needs to be replaced. It's a super flat route so the tandem would have been cool.

Veronica

[bambu101]

Great job!

I'm curious- Do you find it difficult to meet the 100 grams of protein requirement? And are you less hungry since making these dietary changes?

[kacie tri-ing]

Your pull-ups look awesome! Way to go!

[Veronica]

Yes, the protein is hard. I still haven't quite mastered that part. I'm getting closer though. The hard part for me is balancing out the fat and protein. I like tuna - but with mayo, sort of thing. My trainer keeps suggesting protein shakes, but I'm trying to stick with real food. Egg whites are my friend.

And no, I'm not really any hungrier most days.

Veronica

[Veronica]

This is a very big deal. I have given up my cookie-a-day habit. If you have eaten one of my cookies, you know they are pretty tasty. But, they are nutritionally garbage at 211 calories and 11 grams of fat. That’s 1/4 of my fat allowance per day! So instead of a cookie, I’m now eating a yogurt, 140 calories, only 6 grams of fat and the added bonus of 4 grams of protein.

Training this week has been tiring but fun. I’ve started doing three days with my trainer, Shawna Walker. Day 1 was lower body and left me a little sore. Day 2 was upper body. I brought my camera in for this and Shawna took some pictures of me doing pull ups. These were assisted, but I’m working towards doing them unassisted. The pics are posted in a thread called Chicken Wing or Back Muscle. You can also see them on our website. My training is focusing on building muscle endurance so I don’t rest between sets. Instead I do some other exercise. The pull ups were immediately followed by sets of 15 push ups. Day 3 was Boxing Day. It was a blast. I put on boxing gloves and Shawna had padded mitts on her hands and I hit her hands - repeatedly. Don’t worry, I’m not going to become a boxer. I don’t think I’d like getting hit for real. There was no biking, no swimming this week. I did do a couple of runs and a couple of yoga sessions.

I’ve had a few people ask me about what I’m eating. Basically, I’ve really cut down on the sugar and the simple carbohydrates. It’s really not that hard and I don’t feel deprived of anything.

For breakfast I rotate between 3 egg whites and 1 whole egg scrambled with a quarter cup of grated cheese and an ounce of ham and some fruit salsa on top, or steel cut oatmeal with 1 tablespoon of real maple syrup and a 1/4 cup of whole milk or 3 multi-grain waffles with 2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter and 1 tablespoon of syrup.

At morning recess, I have a Nature Valley Sweet and Salty Almond bar. I also take an apple that has been cut into slices and snack on that throughout the day.

My work day lunch is almost always the same. I have a turkey and cheese sandwich with mustard and pickles on whole grain bread from the local bakery. Dessert is a small yogurt either a La Crema or one from Trader Joe’s. I eat this because I know when work out later these will sit well. If I don’t have sandwich fixings I will take a Healthy Choice steamer bowl.

Dinners have been a problem. Both of us are tired by the end of day and neither of us feels much like cooking anything major. We have been so busy on the weekends that I haven’t had time to cook up something that we could eat as leftovers either. Part of the problem is the stuff I would cook - pot pie, lasagna, cream based soups, etc. are all way too high in fat. Some nights Thom has barbecued a steak. Often that’s all I’ll eat, just a half a steak. Some nights it’s a frozen mini pizza. I usually eat a fruit and frozen yogurt bar after dinner. We know we need to work on this. I need to go through my Healthy Cooking cookbooks and start using new recipes.

Veronica

You can talk about what you want from life as much as you like, but what you do, what you invest your time and energy into, is your real priority.

[txred9876]

This is a very big deal. I have given up my cookie-a-day habit. If you have eaten one of my cookies, you know they are pretty tasty. But, they are nutritionally garbage at 211 calories and 11 grams of fat. That’s 1/4 of my fat allowance per day! So instead of a cookie, I’m now eating a yogurt, 140 calories, only 6 grams of fat and the added bonus of 4 grams of protein.

Training this week has been tiring but fun. I’ve started doing three days with my trainer, Shawna Walker. Day 1 was lower body and left me a little sore. Day 2 was upper body. I brought my camera in for this and Shawna took some pictures of me doing pull ups. These were assisted, but I’m working towards doing them unassisted. The pics are posted in a thread called Chicken Wing or Back Muscle. You can also see them on our website. My training is focusing on building muscle endurance so I don’t rest between sets. Instead I do some other exercise. The pull ups were immediately followed by sets of 15 push ups. Day 3 was Boxing Day. It was a blast. I put on boxing gloves and Shawna had padded mitts on her hands and I hit her hands - repeatedly. Don’t worry, I’m not going to become a boxer. I don’t think I’d like getting hit for real. There was no biking, no swimming this week. I did do a couple of runs and a couple of yoga sessions.

I’ve had a few people ask me about what I’m eating. Basically, I’ve really cut down on the sugar and the simple carbohydrates. It’s really not that hard and I don’t feel deprived of anything.

For breakfast I rotate between 3 egg whites and 1 whole egg scrambled with a quarter cup of grated cheese and an ounce of ham and some fruit salsa on top, or steel cut oatmeal with 1 tablespoon of real maple syrup and a 1/4 cup of whole milk or 3 multi-grain waffles with 2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter and 1 tablespoon of syrup.

At morning recess, I have a Nature Valley Sweet and Salty Almond bar. I also take an apple that has been cut into slices and snack on that throughout the day.

My work day lunch is almost always the same. I have a turkey and cheese sandwich with mustard and pickles on whole grain bread from the local bakery. Dessert is a small yogurt either a La Crema or one from Trader Joe’s. I eat this because I know when work out later these will sit well. If I don’t have sandwich fixings I will take a Healthy Choice steamer bowl.

Dinners have been a problem. Both of us are tired by the end of day and neither of us feels much like cooking anything major. We have been so busy on the weekends that I haven’t had time to cook up something that we could eat as leftovers either. Part of the problem is the stuff I would cook - pot pie, lasagna, cream based soups, etc. are all way too high in fat. Some nights Thom has barbecued a steak. Often that’s all I’ll eat, just a half a steak. Some nights it’s a frozen mini pizza. I usually eat a fruit and frozen yogurt bar after dinner. We know we need to work on this. I need to go through my Healthy Cooking cookbooks and start using new recipes.

Veronica

You can talk about what you want from life as much as you like, but what you do, what you invest your time and energy into, is your real priority.

I am not in training like you are but I also find my hardest meal is dinner. Many nights its yogurt and fruit (or whatever is handy). My husband fends for himself most of the time and he has been working late hours so sometimes he eats grab and go food (not good for ya but he is still normal weight since he has a very physical job).

We cheat a lot also because there is a subway just up the road from the house and we will split a foot long!

We do a lot of snacky stuff also like lunch meat and string cheese.

I know... strange stuff but its working so far!

Tina

[tribogota]

Is that number right? you only eat 1500 calories a day, while training for a HIM? I eat about 3000....don't you feel weak and fatigued and a wee bit grumpy? Am I eating too much?

[Veronica]

Yep, only 1500 calories a day. Yes, I'm often feeling a bit hungry, but I felt that way on 2,000 calorie/day too, but not grumpy or weak. When I do a longer ride I do a eat bit more. But longer for me means 3+ hours.

I'm trying to get as lean as I can before my event in August. I don't know if you're eating too much. It all depends on your activity level and metabolism.

Veronica

[Veronica]

Trainer sessions, yoga, running, some outside biking - yippee!

We were tour marshalls for the Napa Tour de Cure. There are a few pictures (including one of our new car!)on our website and a write up about the ride. The link is below.

Still no swimming. I'll get back in the pool eventually.

Veronica

[Veronica]

I’m under 150 pounds now and out of the Athena division! My clothes have steadily become looser and looser and I have to belt my pants to keep them where they are suppose to be.

On Saturday I went shopping and was greatly disappointed to discover that none of the things I tried on fit. My waist seems to be a six and my hips an eight. I’m pretty sure there is some serious size inflation going on though. At one point I was looking for a size four skirt. I really dislike shopping, so we were only there for about 45 minutes, but I have definitely got to get some new clothes.

My training is going pretty well. It’s warmed up here, afternoons were in the low 80s this week. I ran to the gym on both Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. Thursday’s session with Shawna left me wiped out. It was circuit training: jump rope, boxing, push ups, step ups, jumping, etc., with very little recovery time. It was tough after the 3.7 mile run to the gym, but in a good way. I was very glad that Thom came to pick me up however. Once summer comes my plan is to run to the gym, have my session and then walk/run home. It’s only two miles if I walk the most direct route.

Sunday we went for a ride out on the coast to the Point Reyes Lighthouse. We started at the visitors center near Olema. It was about 61 degrees and sunny with the wind blowing from the northwest- giving us a nice (not!) crosswind in both directions of this out and back ride.




Thom took a few on the road shots in the beginning. My knees were feeling a bit twingy and I was taking it easy to get them warmed up, so he quickly started pulling away from me. But he soon turned around to go ride this road.



I had no interest in such torture at this point so I continued on, out toward the lighthouse. The route out to the lighthouse is not flat. There is one significant climb over a ridge at the beginning and the rest of the way is long rollers. It was quite the adventure towards the end. The further out on the point we went, the windier it got. I was a little worried about getting blown over.

We were a little underdressed for the windy conditions at the lighthouse so we turned around at the parking lot and headed back the way we came. We’ve been to the lightouse before




and I’m sure we’ll head out that way again - when I’ve forgotten how windy it is and how much I hate long rollers.

Veronica

[Susan Otcenas]

I’m under 150 pounds now and out of the Athena division! My clothes have steadily become looser and looser and I have to belt my pants to keep them where they are suppose to be.

On Saturday I went shopping and was greatly disappointed to discover that none of the things I tried on fit. My waist seems to be a six and my hips an eight. I’m pretty sure there is some serious size inflation going on though. At one point I was looking for a size four skirt. I really dislike shopping, so we were only there for about 45 minutes, but I have definitely got to get some new clothes.

Congratulations! I know where you're coming from - nothing fits anymore.

Re the waist/hip thing, I've noticed the same thing. Size 6 fits my hips, but the waist seems too big & gaps. But, here's what I've discovered... It's about where you want the pants to settle on your hips. I was not raised on lower rise pants. For me, it feels natural to have the waistband in the vicinity of my belly button or a teeny bit below. But that is NOT how jeans are being built anymore. If I allow the waist to settle more like 2 inches below my belly button (and the crotch to therefore settle down a bit as well), the waistband seems to be more appropriately sized. It feels very odd to me to wear pants this way, but as I look around, that seems to be the "fit" that's intended. Slowly, I'm getting used to having the rise be lower, but it's still a struggle...

Susan

[GLC1968]

Susan and Veronica -

As a person who has spent my entire life with a waist that is easily two sizes smaller than my hips/rear/legs - I can tell you that it is not easy. I'm actually kind of enjoying my current over-weightness because I am now far enough overweight that I've gained a little in the waist and my pants fit better now! (silver lining...right?)

Yes, where on your waist you wear the pants makes a difference. So does style/fit. There are quite a few mainstream retailers out there that make pants designed for women with smaller waists. The 'curvy' cut at the Gap works but bear in mind that this cut is designed to also accentuate this feature, so while the clothing fits, it may not be the most flattering depending on your desired look. Ann Taylor Loft has the 'Julie' cut. This is my favorite for work pants - the petites fit me right off the rack with only a tiny extra room in the waist and no gapping above the butt. Eddie Bauer makes the 'Berkley' cut that is also a decent choice. Banana Republic also makes a cut but I forget the name of it. At REI, I really have to shop around and it's time consuming. When I find a style that fits, I almost always buy two.

For jeans...it sucks. I do like Gap Long and Leans (they are not long and lean...they are designed to make you look long and lean) but they aren't perfect. I actually have a couple of recent purchases of Carhart women's jeans that I bought for their toughness (for farm work) but they fit surprisingly well. One pair is low cut, the other sits more at my regular waist...but both are clearly built for curves.

Lastly, A-line skirts are your friend!

Congrats to both of you on the weight loss. It's really refreshing to read how all your hard work is paying off. You guys are both very inpsiring!!

[Iris616]

Veronica-I lurked your thread all last season, and I've been following this time around too. So, I thought it was time to jump in and say "Hi". I'm really impressed with your dedication to the food issues...giving up RedBull and cookies!
Thanks for the inspiration.