Deficit Tracking Continues!

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

TOM began today with a vengeance. Actually, the vengeance kicked in right as I was leaving for work -- gotta love how running postpones all cramping and everything! :D hehehe.

My run this morning was very comfortable if still nice and slow -- it was slated as an EASY workout so I tried to make sure and keep it that way. I think sometimes I get frustrated with how slow I am that I run my easy runs too hard just to prove that I'm not that slow. Well no more -- I'm embracing the slow!!! Especially now that I'm following a plan that actually has some speedwork so I know I can run and say - hey! See! I'm not that slow all the time!!! :D When all you're running is easy miles it can be frustrating. Anyway. The thermometer on my car said it was 64 when I left the house today - it felt BRISK! :D If I had been standing around instead of running, I would have wanted some long sleeves at least! But I knew once I got going I'd feel good -- and I did.

That is all my workout for today -- I will be heading straight home for quality hubby time and relaxation tonight! No gym today!

I DID hit the gym for ST last night -- did some 21's, assistend chin-ups, pullups, dips, shoulder presses w/ DB, KB Swings, Weighted crunches on ball w/ chest press w/ KB, oblique twists on ball w/ KB.... I think that's everything. Quick full body workout. Could've used something like a row in there, more lower body maybe, but good overall. About 200 cal burned in 30min.

Which brings us to yesterday's totals!

(1900+605 (405 run 200 ST)) - 2277 = 228

8/30 = 1002
8/31 = 228

Weekly Deficit: 1230 Daily Average: 615

So far so great. :)

Today's numbers so far:

(1900+555) - 1547 = 908

I am not worried about if dinner takes up even that entire deficit today -- tomorrow morning I'll be running 7 miles and doing ST tomorrow evening, so it should be a big burn tomorrow and I know I will need the energy in the morning. If I get 0 deficit today, my average so far this week will be 410 which is still within my target range of 250-500 calories deficit per day, and that is all before the mega long run of the weekend as well. Saturday is planned as a total rest day, may hit up Yoga actually.... Friday morning is a planned 4 mile recovery run I think. So I definitely have a lot of calorie burning still to do this week. :)

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Deficit Tracking Begins!

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

OK, so the idea is that I'm going to look for a deficit between 1750-3500 (1/2-1lb) per week. I'm not trying to win any weight loss land speed records, I'm at a healthy weight, I just want to nudge the actual number down a bit for a more comfortable buffer between me and the overweight range, and also hopefully lose some fat %. I'm going to figure out a good ST plan that I can stick to this week (probably full body twice a week - Tue&Thu) and go from there.

So I'm looking for an average daily deficit of 250-500 calories and a weekly deficit of 1750-3500 -- this will help me know from day to day where I stand in reach of that goal and how much wiggle room I have to adjust based on hunger levels. I'm hoping that doing this for a while will help me to plan better for what I will eat the day I do particular activities without going too under/overboard.

I know several people mentioned being more hungry the day AFTER vigorous/intense exercise - sometimes that's the case for me as well. I'm not necessarily doing this because I can get an exact deficit each day that is equivalent to each other, but if that's what ends up feeling good to my body so be it. I may find I feel better creating a huge deficit one day and eating up some of it the next. :D haha. But at least I will know where I stand in a more specific way than I would otherwise.

I weighed myself this morning and was at my "Scary Weight" again -- 5lbs from the top of the healthy range. I'm guessing some of this is fluctuation due to period starting soon combined with a little lack of sleep last night (I did NOT get to bed like I said I would!), but I'm going to go with this number to start my tracking and adjust if it goes down.

Just so you know - Scary Weight is 190 for me, although lately I've been more around 185, and I think an ideal weight for me now, with more muscle, is more like 175. I think I'd feel good maintaining around there. Maybe 175-180. The more I think about it, my chest was too bony for me at 165 and if I added muscle to that bony frame, I'd weigh more. So.... yeah. I don't have a goal to be at 165 again. But I want to lose some fat that I have right now, and have a bigger buffer from scary weight. If 190 is a fluctuation and I fluctuate quickly down to 185, this could mean losing only like 5 harder to lose lbs.

I'm not changing any tickers yet because I just hate people coming to my page and being like -You'RE ALMOST THEREEEEE!!!!

No, I've been there, now I'm elsewhere, and whatever. I might take the ticker off my page altogether, but at the same time I remember I used to go look at people's SparkPages and get inspired by those who lost as much as I needed to. I will have to change my page to reflect what I've accomplished, which is essentially to have lost around 110+lbs (294+whatever I gained those holidays to 185) and maintained that loss minus minor fluctuations from there. I consider now for my 165-168 to be kind of a low fluctuation that didn't last. Ya know? Anyway.

More to the point of all this -- the deficit tracking -- this puts my sedentary daily burn estimate around 2000. I'm going to actually go with a 1.1 multiplying ratio vs. 1.2 , round it off, and go with 1900.

SO!

(Dailysedentaryburn+Exerciseburn)-Calori
cintake = Daily deficit

8/30:
(1900+1254) - 2152 = 1002

This is like, 4 days worth of 250 deficit or 2 days worth of 500 cal deficit. In any case -- a lot of deficit.

I'm guessing today's deficit will be small to none.

8/31:
(1900+405) = 2305 -- todays total burn.

My Spark Range is from 2180-2530 -- so if I ate to the maximum, I would take away some of my deficit, but I should probably at least eat to the minimum of the range that is in Sparks, bare minimum 2000 cal. I'm at 1421 for the day prior to dinner, so that means for dinner probably 760 calores minimum to get to the bottom of my spark range. If I eat just 2180 today's deficit will be:

2305-2180 = 125

With yesterday giving me some deficit in the bank - OH and I almost forgot, I'm doing strength training tonight so that will ad some more burn -- I can at least eat that much or more. I think I should have eaten still a little more this morning or at lunch maybe. I've planned a protein bar for post workout already and snacks, just those two meals are a little weak in calories for this plan.

EDITED TO ADD: I've set my ticker with a low of 185 and said I'm already there. I'll just change it as I go to avoid weird comments, but still leave it up as a monument to my success as well. Thanks for the suggestions guys!

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New Tactic - DEFICIT TRACKING

Monday, August 30, 2010

I think with my current amount of activity, the best way to make sure I'm eating enough/not eating too much will be deficit tracking.

It is so tough when you're rocking a long run that burns around 1900 calories, or going to a couple of classes one day, and then another day taking a complete rest day, to really get a feel for what you should be eating.

I find that I too often eat not enough or too much because I just don't feel like the calorie range tactic is suiting me. Anyway -- I've done deficit tracking before and really liked it. It WILL require me to be more diligent with my tracking -- but it is so rewarding to see the numbers each day, I think it will help motivate me to track better.

So I'm going to try it.

I will need to get a good weighin to see what my BMR settings should be so I'm going to try to eat nice and clean tonight, get plenty of sleep, and get a weighin tomorrow. Granted -- TOM is coming Wednesday, but I'm just going to use this to get my settings straight.

Then we shall see! I have been running in the AM so really the only day I have a considerable calorie burn to think about later in the day is Monday with Zumba and Hoop Fitness in the evening. This should allow me to plan for a certain amount of calories through breakfast/snacks/etc and adjust on Mondays with dinner if needed, and adjust on other days throughout the day once I know what my burn was that morning, smaller adjustments for things like dropping by the gym for some ST or whatever.

Now that I have the gym back, I think I will look at my New Rules of Lifting for Women workouts again and see if I can fit some of that in as well. I haven't really had a plan for ST and it has resulted in some ok upperbody workouts, and neglecting abs and lower body almost entirely. Bad business.

THANK YOU for making me feel SO GOOD about my weekend of running as well!!!! :D And especially those comments about my half goal from those runner sparkies -- very encouraging. :)

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Hood to Coast Ghost! :)

Monday, August 30, 2010

So I believe last we left off I was bragging about resisting cake and ice cream (which I had some of the next day) and lamenting my soreness before running my Hood to Coast Ghost legs!



Well I was sore -- but I did it.

Friday I got home, ate cake and ice cream, and waited for time to go run. I think my nervous energy had me reaching for simple carbs and I did not resist this time. Nutrition is still a work in progress obviously -- and it will continue to be I'm sure for the rest of my life. I need to be tracking better, but to be honest -- this weekend I was so sore and busy that I was not thinking about going downstairs to track my food. I know that's lame. I think my MIL's computer is upstairs now, now that I think about it... so maybe I can used hers to track sometimes... OOH! :D I never would have thought about this if I hadn't blogged about it!

So anyway -- I napped, and then woke up to get ready to go run. I got dressed in my Sparkin Hood to Coast shirt and reflective ghostie hooked to my brastrap and I was ready to go. Oh wait. Flashlight! haha I would like to get a headlamp sometime I think... anyway -- I got the text at 11:48pm that about 10min, then one at 11:49 that said Gn!!!! And I took that to mean GO and I DID. I finished that first leg of 3.52 miles in under 11min miles!!!!! For me -- how SORE I was at that time -- I was amazed. WOOHOO! 38:05 for that leg.

Then I showered and buzzed around online talking to other ghosties and I talked to Jackie on the phone and got a big hello from the Coasties (as us ghost runners are calling them) around. :) Jackie finished in 41min but then again -- she ran the first leg of 7+ which I was at work for , and then stayed up to run this leg! haha. GO JACKIE!!! (MSJCISRUNNING) I was busting my bootie to try to run as fast as possible so as not to disgrace my much faster than me running partner.

Then I worried I gave it all Friday night and would have nothing for Saturday!

I slept in, and then ate and got ready to run my final Hood to Coast Ghost leg. The Coasties had been mostly incommunicado since the night before, entering sketchy cell coverage area. Last I heard we were running about 9min late, so that's when I started my leg -- 10:35 for 4.2 miles. I gave it everything I had to keep going at a decent pace -- it was tough. Tired and sore, I just kept thinking about Jackie and all the other Coasties pulling through the night with little sleep, no showers, etc., racing their hearts out.

Prior to the event I had asked Jackie about her favorite running songs so I could get something to listen to in her honor -- when I started feeling rougher on Saturday I started playing her song -- Tom Petty's Runnin' Down a Dream! I had never heard it before but I figured Running Folk were always referencing it so it was about time. Good running song! :D I thought of Jackie and busted my butt and finished that leg in 49min for about 11:39 min mile pace -- less than a minutes slower than the night before in hotter tireder more sore conditions -- I'LL TAKE IT! :)

So then my participation in Hood to Coast was over, but there were still more legs to be run by the Coasties and Ghosties alike. I was anxious to get some reports back and I'm still waiting on some more blogs from the Racers themselves! :) I've read several Ghostie blogs already -- us having faster more immediate internet access post run.

So DH and I headed to our local artist's market, picked up some of our favorite bread ever (a local breadmaker - bread called "Fred Bread") we got a round of garlic herb and a loaf of spinach & Feta. Then it was back home to get ready to head to the Roller Derby! :D

YES I went to a Roller Derby double header and it was so fun! My BIL is like - Dana I want you to do this. I secretly would love to be a Roller Derby girl -- or mabye less secretly and more fantasy-based. Because I can't at this moment in time roller skate. HAHAHAHA So I'd like to learn finally, now that I'm fitter and braver. (Less afraid of the inevitable falling...)

Then it was home and I was pretty tired -- made some pasta for dinner w/ some of the Garlic Herb into Garlic Bread and I was done.

But this running weekend was NOT OVER YET.

I still had my long run to accomplish! I was a bit scared of the 11 miles to follow me racing my butt off for two legs of pseduo HTC in my hometown... I just decided I was allowed to go as slow as possible as long as I kept going, that was the goal anyway -- just to log the miles. So I set out and did it. Yes - it was REALLLLLLLLLLLLLLY REALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLY SLOW. 14:40 mm I think? One of my slowest runs ever. Only thing worse for the wear are some pinky toe blisters. AGAIN. I think I might just get rid of my pinky toes altogether, those jerks. But anyway -- 2:41 minutes later I had 11 miles to log and I had gotten in all intended running for the weekend. :)

I just kept thinking about the Coasters and that this was my 3rd leg and just to keep going. :) Thanks for the inspiration!!!!!!!!!!

This week it's some 3 milers, a 7 miler (I think?) and 13 mile long run before a mini taperish section before my race. :D YAY! The speed I was able to attain while mega sore for my 2 racing legs this weekend did help give me some confidence in the fact that I might be able to actually reach my goal of breaking 2:30 for my half. Of course, that is before it took me 2:41 to do 11 miles. BUT! I keep reminding myself -- Long Runs are meant to be SLOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. In fact, I TRIED to run as slowly as possible on Sunday. I WON'T be doing that on race day. I have the raw speed to be able to run fast enough to reach this goal, it's just a matter of maintaining enough of it over time with my endurance to achieve the end result I'm looking for. I'm still not sure I'll be able to do it this time, but I'm pretty confident I can come close at least. It can be hard at times to trust this training.... It was so different when I didn't have any time goal for the marathon! hahaha :D But I'm looking forward to trying!

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Still Sore!

Friday, August 27, 2010

I'm having flashbacks to when I did that Relay for life and a couple days beforehand I completed a t0ugh New Rules of Lifting for Women workout with heavy single leg straight leg deadlifts.... my hamstrings were dying but I was running all night.

Now my legs and my left butt cheek are just totally totally sore STILL from TRX class+running on Wednesday and I'm supposed to race 3.5 miles tonight and 4.2 miles tomorrow. YAYYYYYYYyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. :P

I think I will be fine but I'm not sure it will be enjoyable. And then there's the matter of the 11 miles I'm supposed to then run on Sunday. I'm just thinking I'm gonna be running my Hood to Coast miles MUCH slower than my twin in Oregon, Jackie (MISSJCISRUNNING). Oh well. I really thought that Wednesday 5:30-6:30, being more than 48hrs from my first leg of HTC would be fine. I'm hoping the rest of the day helps my muscles recover some more and everything is just totally fine. I slathered icy hot and took some naproxen sodium this morning.

Food... I didn't track last night. I probably need to go add everything and see where I ended up, but I'm pretty sure I was within range. I mean dinner was chicken broccoli and rice. Then I had some gingersnaps and a couple red vines, but also a small section of a meatball hoagie. So....... it was kind of random. But not too much food. I actually almost got some cake and ice cream but I kept making myself not do it and when I finally wanted to I got told that the cake is gone. YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D I lasted! hahahaha :D Ok actually, there is still the white wedding cake, but it was the chocolate groom's cake that I have been eating tiny slivers of every now and again since the wedding and that the groom himself was eating big pieces of with mint chocolate chip ice cream in front of me last night. After he was finishing his second serving of that tempting concoction is when I asked if it was alright for me to have some - and he says there is no more.

I was like oh. OK. I wasn't really disappointed, I was actually a little relieved which is creepy if you think about it. But trust me - I am so untempted by the other cake. And getting just ice cream was not so attractive either. So the temptation passed and I survived. :) hehe.

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