The Detriment of the Youth Benefit

When I planned the long run on Sunday, my instincts told me that Monday would probably have to be a rest day. So yesterday I tried to find an online resource for at home exercise routines. I am reluctant to have a rest day where I just do nothing. I did find one at freetrainers.com but I wasn't exceptionally confident in it. So I ended up on the treadmill instead and it only took about five minutes to learn my lesson. Long days prefer to be followed by light days. I didn't let my error stop me though, luckily I have the ignorance of youth on my side. I pushed through my aching legs and upped my routine to 18 minutes running out of 30. I felt better than the last time I did 18. I know that today will have to be a rest day. Not sure what I will come up with for a cross-training activity, but I've got the rest of the day to figure it out.

I haven't mentioned much about my diet changes. Jeff of Formerly Fat Running Guy was curious so I figured I'd post something about that for the record. My three biggest problems in my diet were overeating, late night mass quantity sugar snacking, and a complete lack of vegetables. I was lucky I didn't have to fight the pop demon too as I am a water addict. I had been eating about a cup of oatmeal with 2 spoons of brown sugar and cinnamon for breakfast for well over a year so that was covered already. Lunches have always been either leftovers or a can of soup (steak and potato 360 cal. +-). I did have to stop eating from the break room chocolate box but this was easier than expected with my keeping 100 cal snack packs at my desk to kill the random urges. To conquer my big three, I did a number of things. First I started making steamed broccoli or cauliflower with all of our dinners. I make more than we eat so I can take it to work for some of my lunches. I also switched us off of tater tots and started making packaged hash brown patties. The hash brown patties aren't any healthier, but they are a lot easier to make less of. When I first started I was eating two with each dinner, but now I just eat one. I make pork now as well as chicken and beef, so that helps to have another meat to rotate in. Just this past week I actually bought fish instead of steak for our grilling we do every Saturday. For the late night snacking I bought green apples and grapes and for a month or so I ate those when I needed a late night snack. Slowly though that urge to eat late has curbed itself. I also have some 60 cal pudding snacks if I need something sweet, but it's taking me about three weeks to make it through a package. Basically I didn't want to jump into anything too shocking that I could rebel against. I just took (and am taking) baby steps toward less food or healthier food. Rather than cut off a certain food I just eat less the worse it is for me. That means that sometimes I am strong enough to turn down my mother-in-laws donuts and ice cream and sometimes I just have a small piece of birthday cake. I want to be able to make better decisions, because I think that will stick longer. It may not be the fastest way to lose weight, but I know it will work in the long run.