Riding the Waves
I'm still here! Work has been so busy lately that when I sit down for lunch break I just want to look at mindless stuff and not have to think. But I'm here.
The 10,000 steps a day challenge sort of kicked my butt for a bit. My feet hurt, they don't want to be walking that much. I will bring this up at my physical next month so maybe we can figure out what to do about that. I do enjoy walking for exercise, but it can be uncomfortable. So I have found that doing my steps in 10-minute spurts helps. I walk about 1,000 steps in 10 minutes. It is fun to see the steps pile up and I really get gratification from the fireworks my Fitbit displays when I hit 10,000 steps.
Over the weekend I started feeling PMS rearing it's head and I got cravings like I haven't had in quite some time. I was craving fats. I ended up having a little micro-binge on Baked Lays with sour cream and that satisfied me, but I did the same thing on Monday, the only difference is that on Monday I did that when I was actually hungry/ planned snack time. Horrible nutrition for a "snack" and I ate more than my body needed but it was sastifying and it held me for a good while. I was also grouchy and had low energy, so those days it felt like a senseless chore to get those steps in.
Once the hormones shifted a little on Wednesday I started to feel better, and the steps actually felt rejuvenating. I have been having little extra stuff I don't need at work because somehow it seems someone's birthday is every day in my office. We have had carrot cake, ice cream cookie sandwiches, and this morning's meeting brought yogurt parfait, cinnamon rolls and a load of toppings. UGH. I have been careful in eating sweets, but I have had some this week and thankfully, it hasn't triggered any cravings. This month with the PMS symptoms has just been a little trickier to navigate than most months.
Given all of that, I decided not to start tracking food this week. I really questioned myself about not wanting to sway the results of what I find, but in all honesty, I don't typically allow myself to eat untethered like that on a regular basis, so I don't know how valuable that information would be. Anyway, something that has been bothering me for a long time now is how dry I am always. Skin, throat, eyes, hair...so I decided to start tracking my water intake. I tracked for 2 days, and of course, because I am tracking and thinking about it more I think I drank a little more than normal. I have a 22oz bottle at work (other than my 2 cups of iced coffee in the morning, all I drink is water with flavored stevia in it all day and night). I found that I drink about 66 oz at work and typically drink about 40-50oz at home before and after work. That being said, a lot of times at work it is so busy that I can't get in my back work space to get a drink so I know I don't always get 66oz at work consistently. What I did notice is that when I focused on getting that much in, I felt a physical difference in how dry everything is. That sounds like common sense, but sometimes I feel so dry to the core that it doesn't seem like anything quenches it. I must have really been slacking on the water intake. I also noticed how much more was flushing out of me and I immediately felt thinner and less bloated. Score! I'm not saying water is the do-all-end-all, but I can tell a difference that one simple change makes, and that is promising!
I haven't held up my promise to test blood pressure this week, either, I am just a hypocrite, huh? Well, I will make a point to test it this weekend when mornings are much more leisurely. I do really want to know how my blood pressure is doing, I honestly don't think about it that often, but it is still a concern for me, and I will have to report to my doctor how it is going when I have my physical next month.
Anyway, I am feeling pretty good despite eating some more adventurous stuff this week. For the record, my stomach really didn't like the ice cream sandwich at all. I'm OK not having those anymore, not because I can't but because I don't like the aftermath! When I was eating all kinds of sugars in the past I didn't know what not feeling bloated and gassy felt like, now that I've been eating cleaner I was uber aware of how that junk made my gut feel. UGH! I can't believe I used to eat/feel like that all the time!
So that's my little update. I'm not bummed out, I am chugging along. Some weeks are much more productive in the food category, but despite a few extra treats this week, I still had ate clean for the vast majority of this week. Not too shabby compared to where I've been in the past! Perhaps next week I will start tracking food. I have also found some information on how to design a point system for yourself (based on your caloric and macros needs) that is somewhat like weight watchers in a very broad sense. I may examine that closer along with my food tracking. All good stuff so far. I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next!
The 10,000 steps a day challenge sort of kicked my butt for a bit. My feet hurt, they don't want to be walking that much. I will bring this up at my physical next month so maybe we can figure out what to do about that. I do enjoy walking for exercise, but it can be uncomfortable. So I have found that doing my steps in 10-minute spurts helps. I walk about 1,000 steps in 10 minutes. It is fun to see the steps pile up and I really get gratification from the fireworks my Fitbit displays when I hit 10,000 steps.
Over the weekend I started feeling PMS rearing it's head and I got cravings like I haven't had in quite some time. I was craving fats. I ended up having a little micro-binge on Baked Lays with sour cream and that satisfied me, but I did the same thing on Monday, the only difference is that on Monday I did that when I was actually hungry/ planned snack time. Horrible nutrition for a "snack" and I ate more than my body needed but it was sastifying and it held me for a good while. I was also grouchy and had low energy, so those days it felt like a senseless chore to get those steps in.
Once the hormones shifted a little on Wednesday I started to feel better, and the steps actually felt rejuvenating. I have been having little extra stuff I don't need at work because somehow it seems someone's birthday is every day in my office. We have had carrot cake, ice cream cookie sandwiches, and this morning's meeting brought yogurt parfait, cinnamon rolls and a load of toppings. UGH. I have been careful in eating sweets, but I have had some this week and thankfully, it hasn't triggered any cravings. This month with the PMS symptoms has just been a little trickier to navigate than most months.
Given all of that, I decided not to start tracking food this week. I really questioned myself about not wanting to sway the results of what I find, but in all honesty, I don't typically allow myself to eat untethered like that on a regular basis, so I don't know how valuable that information would be. Anyway, something that has been bothering me for a long time now is how dry I am always. Skin, throat, eyes, hair...so I decided to start tracking my water intake. I tracked for 2 days, and of course, because I am tracking and thinking about it more I think I drank a little more than normal. I have a 22oz bottle at work (other than my 2 cups of iced coffee in the morning, all I drink is water with flavored stevia in it all day and night). I found that I drink about 66 oz at work and typically drink about 40-50oz at home before and after work. That being said, a lot of times at work it is so busy that I can't get in my back work space to get a drink so I know I don't always get 66oz at work consistently. What I did notice is that when I focused on getting that much in, I felt a physical difference in how dry everything is. That sounds like common sense, but sometimes I feel so dry to the core that it doesn't seem like anything quenches it. I must have really been slacking on the water intake. I also noticed how much more was flushing out of me and I immediately felt thinner and less bloated. Score! I'm not saying water is the do-all-end-all, but I can tell a difference that one simple change makes, and that is promising!
I haven't held up my promise to test blood pressure this week, either, I am just a hypocrite, huh? Well, I will make a point to test it this weekend when mornings are much more leisurely. I do really want to know how my blood pressure is doing, I honestly don't think about it that often, but it is still a concern for me, and I will have to report to my doctor how it is going when I have my physical next month.
Anyway, I am feeling pretty good despite eating some more adventurous stuff this week. For the record, my stomach really didn't like the ice cream sandwich at all. I'm OK not having those anymore, not because I can't but because I don't like the aftermath! When I was eating all kinds of sugars in the past I didn't know what not feeling bloated and gassy felt like, now that I've been eating cleaner I was uber aware of how that junk made my gut feel. UGH! I can't believe I used to eat/feel like that all the time!
So that's my little update. I'm not bummed out, I am chugging along. Some weeks are much more productive in the food category, but despite a few extra treats this week, I still had ate clean for the vast majority of this week. Not too shabby compared to where I've been in the past! Perhaps next week I will start tracking food. I have also found some information on how to design a point system for yourself (based on your caloric and macros needs) that is somewhat like weight watchers in a very broad sense. I may examine that closer along with my food tracking. All good stuff so far. I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next!
Congrats on the 10,000 step goal! I work at a desk and have an hour-long commute each way, so I sit. A LOT. My Fit Bit goal right now is set for just 5,000 steps and I STILL sometimes struggle to meet it.
ReplyDeleteThank you! It's a work thing so it's a win-win for me, it makes me look like a good employee for participating, and it helps me move more than I want to. Not having a treadmill (or the desire to take time to go to one) makes it a little trickier, but I'm finding excuses to walk around the office more. It feels good to accomplish it, and I love the fireworks display on my Fitbit when I hit my goal for the day!
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