Since this blog is about learning German and losing weight, I decided to combine both by having the post title in German so that only like, 3 people who read this actually know what it means. :D
I found the phrase in my German book while reading a short explanation of German/Austrian/Swiss eating habits. The translated phrase would be: "You sleep poorly with a full stomach and what you eat in the evenings makes you fat." It's a really interesting concept and, judging by the American obesity rates compared to those in Europe and the timing of meals here verses there, I would bet that it's true. I've been to Austria twice and I'm pretty sure that in both visits I saw approximately one person who was obese; most of the people there are twigs. It obviously has something to do with the generally more active lifestyle and the fact that any additives (preservatives, food colorings, etc.) have to be approved by the government before they can be used, but the timing of the meals is important too.
The idea is that your metabolism slows down the later it is during the day, so if you're eating your biggest meal of the day when your metabolism is the slowest, you're not going to burn off those calories nearly as effectively as you would if you ate a large lunch and a small dinner. It's also difficult to work off a big dinner before bedtime whereas with a big lunch, there's plenty of time left in the day to get in a nice workout. Since I don't have the time to make (or eat) a big lunch, I've taken to trying to snack on healthy foods throughout the day so my metabolism is always going, but to kind of dwindle toward the end of the day. I'm also trying not to eat anything after dinner.
Eating healthy and exercising, I'm finding, go completely hand in hand - if I'm exercising I want to eat healthier for the exercise to be more effective and if I'm eating healthier, I want to exercise more to see faster results. As long as I'm in the circle I'm good. Hopefully it stays this way. I just need to keep my motivation up and I'm doing pretty well at that. Currently I'm very motivated by the idea of seeing people who I haven't seen in a long time and looking different enough that they have to do a double take. I think that the numbers going down on the scale will only keep me going! And with that said, I need to get my workout in tonight before I collapse in a pile and fall asleep on the living room floor.
Tschüss!
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Post-run thoughts
If I keep up this running thing, my number of blog entries is going to go through the roof. I started Couch to 5K tonight. I bought the app from the iTunes store and it was worth every one of those 99 pennies. It lets you listen to music and tells you when you need to walk or run so you don't have to worry about timing it yourself. It also has GPS so it tracks your speed. I did 2 miles tonight in 30 minutes - decent for my first time. That's not what I really want to write about though.
What I really want to write about is everything that was going through my head as I was working out. There have been a lot of things on my mind lately and it is amazing how a long walk/run can just make everything clear up. I used to hate running when I was in grade school and high school, but it is so very therapeutic. I understand now why people love it so much.
The biggest thing on my mind was just being back in Omaha. The weather was perfect and the sun was setting and it was absolutely beautiful. It made me remember why I wanted to move here. I know that some are under the impression that I wanted to move back to be closer to people here or further from people in Peoria and that is absolutely untrue. I wanted to move here for what Omaha could offer me - and Matt agreed with me so we took steps to come here. I think at first when we moved I was really bummed because I had basically the same job I left Peoria to escape and it made me not appreciate being back here as much. Now that I have the job that I do and I love what I'm doing every day and Matt and I are expanding our horizons and trying to get involved and take advantage of the fun opportunities Omaha presents, I couldn't be happier. Hopefully that just continues with the exercise and the learning German and the other things I'm trying to do to better myself.
I was also thinking about the running thing a lot. I was listening to my music as I was running and right when I felt like I was running out of steam, the song "The Champ" by Nelly came on. I don't know if I relate to it so much because it was ESPN's song for the bowl season last year or because there's just something about it that rings true for me, but it makes me want to just give 1000%. I asked on Facebook if anyone had any song suggestions and I'm going to put them all on my playlist, but I think the one song that's going to always have to be there is this one. when I listen to it, it just becomes so easy to push myself harder. I think that's what I absolutely love about running: when it comes down to it, it's you vs. yourself and no one else matters.
I had this entry a lot better planned out in my head, but it's late now and my head is not quite as clear as it was when I was running, so this bit of ramble-yness will have to do, with the exception of this last thought: It's pretty obvious why no one asks the players what they're going to do next after they win the CWS. They don't need to go to Disney World to finish living out the dream. They're in Omaha - they don't need to go anywhere else.
And with that, I'm going to go study a bit of German and get some sleep.
Tschüss!
What I really want to write about is everything that was going through my head as I was working out. There have been a lot of things on my mind lately and it is amazing how a long walk/run can just make everything clear up. I used to hate running when I was in grade school and high school, but it is so very therapeutic. I understand now why people love it so much.
The biggest thing on my mind was just being back in Omaha. The weather was perfect and the sun was setting and it was absolutely beautiful. It made me remember why I wanted to move here. I know that some are under the impression that I wanted to move back to be closer to people here or further from people in Peoria and that is absolutely untrue. I wanted to move here for what Omaha could offer me - and Matt agreed with me so we took steps to come here. I think at first when we moved I was really bummed because I had basically the same job I left Peoria to escape and it made me not appreciate being back here as much. Now that I have the job that I do and I love what I'm doing every day and Matt and I are expanding our horizons and trying to get involved and take advantage of the fun opportunities Omaha presents, I couldn't be happier. Hopefully that just continues with the exercise and the learning German and the other things I'm trying to do to better myself.
I was also thinking about the running thing a lot. I was listening to my music as I was running and right when I felt like I was running out of steam, the song "The Champ" by Nelly came on. I don't know if I relate to it so much because it was ESPN's song for the bowl season last year or because there's just something about it that rings true for me, but it makes me want to just give 1000%. I asked on Facebook if anyone had any song suggestions and I'm going to put them all on my playlist, but I think the one song that's going to always have to be there is this one. when I listen to it, it just becomes so easy to push myself harder. I think that's what I absolutely love about running: when it comes down to it, it's you vs. yourself and no one else matters.
I had this entry a lot better planned out in my head, but it's late now and my head is not quite as clear as it was when I was running, so this bit of ramble-yness will have to do, with the exception of this last thought: It's pretty obvious why no one asks the players what they're going to do next after they win the CWS. They don't need to go to Disney World to finish living out the dream. They're in Omaha - they don't need to go anywhere else.
And with that, I'm going to go study a bit of German and get some sleep.
Tschüss!
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Goal/Reward System
Hello blogosphere!
I am back (again) after a ridiculous absence (again) because I can't seem to find the motivation to do this. I no longer have the time excuse, what with my new job (Child Support Enforcement worker - I love everything about it!) and therefore my new schedule (8:30am - 5:00pm - I love everything about this too!). I have time to do all the things that I need to do, but I also have time to do all the things I WANT to do, and therein lies the problem. I am so excited to be able to go out and do all of the things that I've wanted to be able to do for so long that my mindset is basically "DO ALL THE THINGS". Unfortunately, all of the things that I need to do are being neglected. My goals - my German learning, exercise, healthy eating, getting the house to where we'd like to to be - are all gone by the wayside, basically. Even though I've tried a hundred different things to motivate me, none of them have worked.
The other day when I got on the scale however, I really, really, really didn't like the number I saw. People have been telling me that I look better/thinner/whatever, but I don't see it. All I see is the number on the scale, and at some point I became happy with the fact that I'd lost 15 pounds and even though I WANTED to lose more, I was content. This was a problem that managed to fix itself when I got on the scale and saw it was inching closer and closer to where I was before and I had a minor panic attack and, oh HEY - THAT'S where my motivation was hiding. And the great thing about it is that this one number on the scale not only kicked my butt in gear in the weight loss arena, but in every area that I want to improve.
(For the record, this is also slightly motivated by the fact that when I worked at the jewelry store in Bellevue, it was really cold all the time and my wedding set was WAY TOO BIG because my fingers were shrinking with the cold, so I decided to have them sized down and now they're WAY TOO SNUG and really uncomfortable and I would really like for them to fit comfortably and I don't want to have to take them back to have them sized up because 1) they're shiny (and also I have an emotional attachment to them) and it makes me sad when they're gone and 2) I don't want to have to go back and tell them I asked for the wrong size. Whatever works, I guess.)
Anyway, as I was laying in bed this morning I couldn't stop thinking about how I wanted to go back to living better and it occurred to me that I needed a system - a goal/reward system. While knowing that I would be much healthier or knowing that I'd be fluent in German or knowing that I'd have a clean house and a polished yard are all nice in and of themselves, they are not enough motivation for me. Therefore, I'm instituting a system for self-improvement. I'm going to take away all of the things that I enjoy doing and only allow myself to do them if I meet my goals. Runza? Gone. Facebook? Gone. That trip to Austria we're planning? Yep, that's only happening if I meet my goals. (And that's a little motivation for the husband to keep me motivated.) Why HELLO motivation, my old friend!
So far I have my "Self-Betterment" chart mostly done for the first four weeks. I have a very specific daily workout plan which I need, and I have a weekly goal list which includes German practice, yard work, house cleaning and other chores, etc. (I've included the housework in this chart because I think that having a clean, organized house and a great looking yard will make me feel better.) I have a set number of hours per week to work on each of those with the exception of the chores - Matt and I are working together to create a chore list that will be posted with my goals/rewards calendars with the chores we need to accomplish each evening.
One thing I made sure to do with my workout schedule was to use Sundays as a day of rest (sort of). Matt LOVES taking walks and asks me at least 4 times a day if we can go on a walk. I HATE going on walks unless we're walking somewhere specific for a purpose. Since I would like to get my cardio in daily and because I know he loves going on walks, I've made Sunday a walk day where we go on a walk anywhere he wants. It'll probably drive me crazy, but getting to spend that time with him should make up for it.
I'm also going to make a healthy eating chart. I haven't worked out everything for it yet (I got distracted by being excited to write a blog entry) but the goals there are to go through the cookbooks we have and get online and search websites for new recipes. I think one of the things that drives Matt crazy is that I'm a picky eater. It's not from unwillingness to try new things, but from trying new things and just not liking them. I'm going to try to branch out at least a little, though, and eat foods that I'm not crazy about to broaden my horizons and see if I might like them if we cook them differently. (Matthew: No, this does not mean I will eat mushrooms. That will not ever happen.)
Once I get the healthy eating goal chart thing finished, I'll probably write more about that too. In the meantime, I need to finish up my charts and get ready for the College World Series!! (The best 10 days of the year, no question.)
Tschüss!
I am back (again) after a ridiculous absence (again) because I can't seem to find the motivation to do this. I no longer have the time excuse, what with my new job (Child Support Enforcement worker - I love everything about it!) and therefore my new schedule (8:30am - 5:00pm - I love everything about this too!). I have time to do all the things that I need to do, but I also have time to do all the things I WANT to do, and therein lies the problem. I am so excited to be able to go out and do all of the things that I've wanted to be able to do for so long that my mindset is basically "DO ALL THE THINGS". Unfortunately, all of the things that I need to do are being neglected. My goals - my German learning, exercise, healthy eating, getting the house to where we'd like to to be - are all gone by the wayside, basically. Even though I've tried a hundred different things to motivate me, none of them have worked.
The other day when I got on the scale however, I really, really, really didn't like the number I saw. People have been telling me that I look better/thinner/whatever, but I don't see it. All I see is the number on the scale, and at some point I became happy with the fact that I'd lost 15 pounds and even though I WANTED to lose more, I was content. This was a problem that managed to fix itself when I got on the scale and saw it was inching closer and closer to where I was before and I had a minor panic attack and, oh HEY - THAT'S where my motivation was hiding. And the great thing about it is that this one number on the scale not only kicked my butt in gear in the weight loss arena, but in every area that I want to improve.
(For the record, this is also slightly motivated by the fact that when I worked at the jewelry store in Bellevue, it was really cold all the time and my wedding set was WAY TOO BIG because my fingers were shrinking with the cold, so I decided to have them sized down and now they're WAY TOO SNUG and really uncomfortable and I would really like for them to fit comfortably and I don't want to have to take them back to have them sized up because 1) they're shiny (and also I have an emotional attachment to them) and it makes me sad when they're gone and 2) I don't want to have to go back and tell them I asked for the wrong size. Whatever works, I guess.)
Anyway, as I was laying in bed this morning I couldn't stop thinking about how I wanted to go back to living better and it occurred to me that I needed a system - a goal/reward system. While knowing that I would be much healthier or knowing that I'd be fluent in German or knowing that I'd have a clean house and a polished yard are all nice in and of themselves, they are not enough motivation for me. Therefore, I'm instituting a system for self-improvement. I'm going to take away all of the things that I enjoy doing and only allow myself to do them if I meet my goals. Runza? Gone. Facebook? Gone. That trip to Austria we're planning? Yep, that's only happening if I meet my goals. (And that's a little motivation for the husband to keep me motivated.) Why HELLO motivation, my old friend!
So far I have my "Self-Betterment" chart mostly done for the first four weeks. I have a very specific daily workout plan which I need, and I have a weekly goal list which includes German practice, yard work, house cleaning and other chores, etc. (I've included the housework in this chart because I think that having a clean, organized house and a great looking yard will make me feel better.) I have a set number of hours per week to work on each of those with the exception of the chores - Matt and I are working together to create a chore list that will be posted with my goals/rewards calendars with the chores we need to accomplish each evening.
One thing I made sure to do with my workout schedule was to use Sundays as a day of rest (sort of). Matt LOVES taking walks and asks me at least 4 times a day if we can go on a walk. I HATE going on walks unless we're walking somewhere specific for a purpose. Since I would like to get my cardio in daily and because I know he loves going on walks, I've made Sunday a walk day where we go on a walk anywhere he wants. It'll probably drive me crazy, but getting to spend that time with him should make up for it.
I'm also going to make a healthy eating chart. I haven't worked out everything for it yet (I got distracted by being excited to write a blog entry) but the goals there are to go through the cookbooks we have and get online and search websites for new recipes. I think one of the things that drives Matt crazy is that I'm a picky eater. It's not from unwillingness to try new things, but from trying new things and just not liking them. I'm going to try to branch out at least a little, though, and eat foods that I'm not crazy about to broaden my horizons and see if I might like them if we cook them differently. (Matthew: No, this does not mean I will eat mushrooms. That will not ever happen.)
Once I get the healthy eating goal chart thing finished, I'll probably write more about that too. In the meantime, I need to finish up my charts and get ready for the College World Series!! (The best 10 days of the year, no question.)
Tschüss!
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