8 February 2013 - Strength Training

Despite making a target goal of three 'strength training' sessions a week during February (in the form of Body Pump classes at the gym that I scheduled in bold throughout my diary) I've not yet managed to complete an official one.

I think I need to re-define what strength training means to me.

I have this picture in my head that to strength train is to 'pump iron' and I find I mentally resist the idea of repeatedly lifting heavy things inside a gym classifying the activity as boring and a waste of my time.

So I'm seeking some alternatives.

I love Body Combat classes which times kick boxing moves to gutsy music. And it's also a form of strength training.

Working outdoors on our garden and home renovations is a way of lifting heavy things in a scenario that is the opposite of being a time waster; and contributes to strength training.

Yoga is a great way to kick off the day stress-free as a form of meditation and is also known to be a powerful form of strength training.

Resistance training moves using your own body weight can be performed in the park before a run, while watching tv, or during breaks from study and doesn't require the equipment in a gym.

Sure, sometimes I can enjoy a Body Pump class or gym training session, especially if I make it social and go with my husband or a friend, but most of the time I'm not in the mood and as I've explained in an earlier blog (It's Not Fair to Compare) motivation for a "hot body" is not enough to get me there.

Hopefully with adding in a few of these alternative ideas to my routine I can make some much needed strength gains (to prepare for this years Tough Mudder challenge!) without forcing myself to do an activity I don't really enjoy.

I'm going to set a goal of being able to complete 10 push ups on my toes by the end of the month as means of tracking my progress. Will post a video of the feat to this blog once I get there!

7 February 2013 - Eating meat

I currently follow a pescetarian diet (vegetarian + some fish).

People love to ask someone who doesn't eat meat why they have made that choice and I suppose in a society where meat eating is not too often put under the microscope its a fair question.

Personally I do not currently eat meat because of the inhumane and unsustainable practices used to factory farm livestock. This doesn't mean I think killing animals for meat is wrong. This doesn't mean I don't get enough iron in my diet. This doesn't mean I don't think the taste of meat is fantastic. BUT

My husband, however, is an enthusiastic carnivore and whilst he joins me in some of my vegetarian meals he enjoys the taste of meat too much to give it up entirely so I've been spending some time lately researching the most ethical meat that we can buy. I already purchase only free range chicken from the local Woolworths but have had more difficulty coming across beef, lamb or pork that I feel confident has been farmed in a natural environment.

Then I discovered this butcher not too far from us in the Brisbane suburb of Paddington. It's called The Meat-ing Place and you can view their website here. The butcher gives details of each of their producers who all raise their animals on pastures, in a healthy and natural environment. You can purchase the meat in convenient packs with a variety of cuts and while the product is still undeniably more expensive than the cheap cuts on the supermarket shelves I'd feel much better voting for animal welfare with our dollars than the alternative.

My Dad has told me before about an interview he watched with a woman praised for being able to prepare the "best lamb roast in the world" and her first tip to achieve a great taste was to kill the lamb while its happy. Yes, the animal does still have to die to produce meat; but it's the way their life is spent, not the eventual death that ultimately concerns me.

I may just have to try some of this happy lamb meat myself.

6 February 2013 - Counting calories?

If you watched the documentary I posted yesterday "10 Things You Need to Know About Losing Weight" then you would have noticed that the third point made is that in order to lose weight you should "count your calories" Of all the great information and advice about nutrition this documentary had to offer this is the piece of advice I agree with the least.

I am certainly not somebody who needs to lose weight so maybe that affects my viewpoint on this topic but in the past I have attempted calorie counting and found it makes me:

a) obsessive about food
b) rebelliously inclined to eat more food
c) frustrated and confused

Sure there are ways of making the daily count easier going - using Weight Watchers points, the My Fitness Pal App or special journals dedicated to the subject but in the end spending time during my lunch hour googling the calorie count of each ingredient in my salad while I'm eating it feels like time wasted; and not sustainable long-term.

Certainly, however, the way to achieve weight loss is to consume fewer calories than you burn on a daily basis but I think the best way to frame this advice is to suggest that all people, not just those aiming for weight loss, should not necessarily count but just be aware of the calories in their food.

The "ah-ha" moment for me when it came to being aware of food's calorie content was reading the nutritional information that's printed on the menu at Subway. I love a good Vegie Delite sub made on whole wheat bread, with no cheese and a light sauce. One of these baby's supplies me with roughly 859 kilojoules or 205 calories.

But when I'm finished ordering this healthy subway lunch I find it difficult to resist that question you know is coming. "Any cookies with that?" Heck yes I'll have a cookie. It's only small and oh-so-tasty. Well imagine my surprise when I realized that just one of those cookies contains a kilojoule content of 879 or 210 calories. That's actually more than my six inches of healthy eating is worth!

This is the way in which being aware of calories has changed my eating habits. I often catch myself comparing things nutritionally to subway sandwhiches. That bag of lollies I'm working my way through? If I eat the whole thing calorie wise it will be as though I've just eaten a footlong and a six inch of salad subway. Which I could never manage in one sitting.

Puts things into perspective doesn't it?

So, without getting obsessive and having to count the calories of everything you eat, everyday I think everyone can benefit from and learn something by becoming familiar with the kilojoule/calorie column of the nutritional labels on products and on menus.

My favourite example of being aware of calories from this documentary is when he is given a "calorie knowledge" test and asked to put a series of food into order based on their calorie content. The range includes a smoothie, a few pieces of chocolate  a full dinner plate with chicken and vegetables and a small fried pork pie.

The trick to this test? The calorie content of all of the foods is exactly the same. So if you wouldn't sit down to eat a full dinner plate of healthy food because you're not that hungry, put those few pieces of chocolate back. You probably don't need it. And if you are hungry? Fill your belly with some serious goodness, that won't leave you wanting more later.

So if I were to have my way with this documentary the third piece of advice offered would be this:
"You don't need to count your calories. But you do need to know what calories are, and use the nutritional information regarding a foods calorie content to empower you to make better and healthier dietary choices"

It might not be as concise as "count your calories" but I certainly find it more helpful.

5 February 2013 - Nutrition documentary

I watched a great documentary last night called 10 things you need to know about weight loss (video below)
I love the way the journalist is interested only in the information that is backed up by science. I was really interested in some of his findings and will explore some of these ideas further on this blog over the coming weeks. Enjoy!


10 Things you need to know about loosing weight. from tarkan gürler on Vimeo.

4 February 2013 - They see me rollin'

So today I had another beautiful moment where several goals of mine came together perfectly.

We went op-shopping and I found some brand new (still in box!) Roces rollerblades at a Cash Converters second hand store. We put them on layby for a birthday present for me, using layby as a means of sticking to our weekly budget.

I plan to use them for exercise and as a way to spend more quality time with our two dogs. Woo hoo!

3 February 2013 - Logbook

I failed my driving test the first time I sat it. I made a ridiculous give way error in the first few minutes and it was all over. My mistake was in thinking that after minimal hours spent practising I was ready and in my eagerness to join my older, licensed friends on the road I rushed sitting the test.

In Australia as a means of avoiding this scenario and learner's without enough experience getting to the road test stage they are required to complete a log book which records their hours spent learning to drive. Once they have logged a certain number of hours they are recognized as being capable of sitting the practical test.

I wish they had had this in New Zealand (I aced my second test after much more time spent practising).

I can't help but relate the positivity of this system back to running. There is an excellent challenge that has been set recently by the trainers at Tone it Up which encourages participants to log their distances ran in order to have run a total of 100miles by Valentines day - a day which they are promoting as a day to "Love your body."

I would challenge anyone who considers themselves a "learner" when it comes to running, or views the task as too difficult to start their own "L plate" runner's log book with a distance goal in mind to reach; and a race day as your practical running test. My theory is that, like practising to become a capable driver, we need a lot of time to practise to become a competent runner and that logging over 150km of training is sure to turn a novice into an enthusiast over the course of time it takes to get there.

Advice for those who have never ran before (and think they'll never enjoy it):

- Before every run you will likely need to give yourself a pep talk. For your first runs the pep talk will just be to get you out the door but it won't be long before getting out the door is no longer in question at all and you hear your pep talk becoming one of self-motivation to run harder and faster than the time before.

- In my experience the first 2.5km of any run are the hardest. It doesn't matter if your intention is to run 5km or 20km. Those first few km hurt the most. Your body is adjusting to the activity. Push past that early threshold and you won't regret it. I love it when I reach the point that I think of as "running on cruise control" when you're so adjusted to the activity you almost forget you're even doing it.

- Runner's stitch will not kill you. I promise. No matter how much it feels like it may do.

2 February 2013 - Delirium

I finished my bar shift this morning at 3am declining to visit McDonald's afterwards with the other staff in favour of sleeping before sunrise. So I headed home.

One episode of Glee later and the sun was rising (I was not sleeping), my husband's alarm to get up for work was going off and I was lacing up my sneakers thinking how lucky I was to have energy for an early morning run.

I joyfully ran for 5km during the breaking of dawn. Birds were chirping, the air was cool, the streets were calm and quiet. I felt graceful and beautiful. Even the twinges of pain in my left knee couldn't take away from how good this run was.

I now see it was likely that I was so tired I was in a state of delirium.

Once I'd slept off the high of the all nighter I realized though my intentions were good that running on little food, zero sleep and after an 8 hour work shift on my feet was probably not the best idea.

I'll be working tonight with a compression stocking on my left leg to ease the strain on my ligament; and when I get home there will be no Glee watching sessions. Just good, solid, SLEEP.

Some tips to prevent knee injuries while running:

• Invest in some good quality running shoes. Make sure they are the right fit for your foot. 
• Warm up. Spend some time walking or in a light jog before setting your pace for the run to allow your muscles and joints time to adjust to the activity. 
• Where possible run on soft surfaces. That means choosing grass or turf over concrete or the treadmill. 
• Squat. Having weak quads leads to your knee joint not being supported properly during the run.

1 February 2013 - Consistency

One week ago I ran four sets of high intensity intervals on the treadmill sucessfully and at faster sprint speeds than I ever have. The day before that was the day I beat my personal best time for running 10km.

Today I struggled to complete 5km.

Why?

Because today was my first run in one week. I have been failing with my training in terms of consistency and I can't depend on an increased fitness level if I am only running twice a week.

I want completing at least a 5km run to become as much a part of my daily routine as brushing my teeth.

With all this running in mind it was time to add a new running playlist to my ipod. My new favourite songs from it are below: