Tips for Getting Back on Track

I find that the times it's toughest to stay on track with exercise and healthy eating is when I veer off for just a few days: be it due to stress from school, busy times & a strict deadline at work, or just temptation around me to give in (hello, holidays!). 

Now splurging on treats and having a few lazy days are OK… in moderation!

“Blah Blah Blah” moderation (you’re probably thinking, great, where is she going with this). When I first heard “moderation is key”, I was like, I don’t need moderation. Go big or go home! If I have too much to eat, I’ll just work out extra hard that day… or that it doesn’t really matter. But the second you think it’s fine to down an entire box of Wheat Thins or chow down on the full buffet-style pile of food that the restaurant tricks you into thinking is a portion… that’s when you lose. At some point during that time, you negated that you were no longer actually hungry, and not eating to nourish your body & mind, but just eating because the food was right there in front of you (not a good reason to eat it, FYI).

But moderation is possible. The food isn’t going to run off your plate and no one is going to come steal your treats – so no need to shove it in your mouth like it’s going out of style. Breathe. Be mindful. Take in the surroundings. Enjoy spending time with family and friends WHILE eating. There is no need to race each other to the finish only to realize you would have been perfectly happy and full a half a plate ago. When you’re not finished chewing your last bite and you’ve already prepped your fork with the next giant MOUND of food and putting that in your mouth, you’ve got a problem. At first, it takes a conscious effort to be like “ok, I’ve finished chewing and swallowing my food… let me drink a sip of water… oh let me tell Aunt May this story” and then all of the sudden, you’re not just eating to “finish what’s on the plate”, but eating to satiate yourself – to give yourself fuel for the day. Once you get to this point and realize that you don’t have to eat everything you’re served, and that it’s ok to have just a few bites of a dessert before you realize you’re full, THAT’S moderation!

But what do you do when you hit that point where you really veer off track? A couple suggestions:Re-prioritize your goals: What is it that you’re working for? Are you trying to get to that next promotion? Maybe with the added stress of working more hours to impress your boss, you need to incorporate more stress-release activities*, like yoga or boxing, so that you don’t take out your stress on the half-empty pint of Ben & Jerry’s in the freezer. Or are you trying to train for your next race (5k, 10k, half, full)? Find a running buddy or a local group that you can train with. Set small goals along the way til you reach the date of the race.

1. Start small (do a 10 minute workout, get the blood flowing); you don’t need to go into it like “crap, I just ate 2000 calories in that monstrous meal and now I need to be at the gym for 3+ hours” – that is just going to get your annoyed and possibly injured. Set small goals for yourself.
2. Find friends to help you / challenge you: Get a fitness tracker like FitBit** or JawBone and track your steps and workouts. You can even use an app called Pact to hold yourself accountable to working out or eating healthy (and get paid for it!). Make social meet-ups related to exercise: having running dates or weekly yoga sessions.
3. Get more sleep! Allowing your body to rest and recover will put you in the best possible position for the next day.
4. Eat when you’re hungry (are you hungry enough for an apple? Have an apple… if the answer is no? don’t eat)
5. DO NOT SKIP MEALS. You might try to justify skipping meals by saying “well I’m eating less calories so I’ll lose the weight”. Wrong. First, your body needs constant fuel to survive. By depriving it, your body will drop in blood sugar REALLY low, and then you’ll get angry, cranky, tired, and hungry, and you will crave that shitty food you’ve been trying to avoid. Either you’ll give in (and feel horrible) also leading to a BIG increase in blood sugar, which will confuse your body
6. Set time limits for tasks.
7. Put your workouts in your calendar

*When you’re stressed, it’s actually proven to de-stress you if you make time for exercise! While you might think you don’t have the time to exercise, and if you actually spend the time doing work then you won’t be as stressed if you take off to exercise, not true! Read this: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/stress-management/in-depth/exercise-and-stress/art-20044469

**I personally have the FitBit Zip! If you have a FitBit, find me and challenge me to daily steps - I aim for +10k

Workout for those with little time:

3x

Each of the following exercises, 45 seconds on, 15 seconds off

Squats

Plank

Lunges

Push ups

Mountain Climbers

Sit ups

Dips

Wall Sits

Burpees

Merry Christmas!

(Nearly) A year has flown by since I last posted on this blog and so much has happened! 

Quick Update: I ran the Boston Marathon in April, after having raised over $7,500 to support research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and finished in my second-best time of 4:34 (considering I was still recovering from a tensor fasciae latae strain, I was pretty happy about this!). I made it through the first 9 miles just fine, and then started feeling that all-too-familiar twitch in my hip. "Please, not yet..." I thought. By mile 18, it was excruciating, and I just hit Heartbreak Hill: 3 miles of constant uphill. I had to walk, which was disappointing, but seeing the Boston College students (followed by BU students) reminded me of the past years I'd spent cheering on the runners from that exact sideline, and helped me push through the last 5 miles.

My best friend, Ashley, got married in July and the wedding was absolutely beautiful! (Pictures below) I was honored to be a part of this special day and celebrate the love between her and Mike :)

I quit my job at DePuy Spine as a Product Development Engineer at the end of July to begin medical school at Boston University in August. I miss the people at work but I love learning and knowing that I'm working towards something I want to do for the rest of my life. First semester was definitely difficult, but survivable! It's crazy to think that I'm already 1/8 of an MD...

My first patent (hopefully not last!) was published in September - a fulcrum device meant for minimally invasive lumbar spine surgery to assist in applying better compression and generate more stability in the patient. You can look at it here, if you're interested!

I completed my second Vermont Spartan Beast up in Killington at the end of September, which proved to be much harder than last year. I made the mistake of not bringing any food or water on the trek, hoping that they would provide that to the racers along the way... not so much. I'm so grateful for the two people I encountered who gave me a "honey-stinger" waffle treat (that I swear, tasted like the best thing I'd ever eaten) and another one who gave me jelly beans at mile 12 (I had to ration them to myself every 5 minutes, taking as many bites as possible to spread out the time I was eating!) Despite these disadvantages, I still had a great time: there were some new obstacles, the course was different, and I finished in just over 7 hours (average time for females was 9 hours). 



Also, while in school, I've been working as a part-time personal trainer (ACE Certified) at Boston Sports Club in the South End. I love working with clients who want to improve and get stronger and love knowing that I can help them achieve these goals! It's much like the results I'll want to see as a doctor - helping people get better and having this direct impact on people's lives.

 

I'm going to start posting more regularly (as regularly as school and work allow me!) and, although today's post was all updates of the past year, my future posts will include medical school fun facts, tips about training / running / working out and nutrition advice (especially for those who are constantly "on the run").

Comment if you have any suggestions for topics or questions for me!

Wishing everyone a VERY Merry Christmas and lots of time with friends, family and loved ones! Today, be grateful for those you have in your life!

Workout for Today:

Begin with 30 squats, 20 lunges, 1 minute plank

10 pushups (hand-release!)

24 bicep burners @5-10lbs (8 full bicep curls, 8 curls half-way up, 8 full bicep curls)

15 kettlebell clean & press (each arm; 4-6kg)

10 pushups (hand-release!)

15 tricep dips

15 rows on TRX

15 lateral raises (5-7.5lbs in each hand)

10 pushups

15 tricep dips

End with 30 squats, 20 lunges, 1 minute plank

Subzero Temps

Today I participated in the first "Winter Wild" event at Wachusett Mountain in Princeton, MA. The race started at 7am SHARP which meant a wake-up alarm at 4:30am... yikes. As I stepped out to my car, the absolutely frigid wind against my face and -12 degree weather should have deterred me but, as my friend Ashley told me (in an obviously loving-friend way), I'm crazy. :)

The race was so much fun - there were at least a hundred people there and I was so impressed to see at least 6 kids at the start excited to run a mile straight up the mountain. The hills were brutal. Every hill accomplished only led sight to the next one to tackle. See the map below:

The way down, however, was much more bearable. Not only was I able to actually start running, but the view for miles was absolutely stunning.

When I reached the finish, my eyes were nearly shut from the icicles that formed on my eyelashes... and it took a full 51 minutes to accomplish up-and-down the Wachusett mountain.

Food:
After the race, I had a creamy dutch chocolate Isagenix shake - a perfect post-workout refuel with 24g of protein and 240 calories

Lunch was a delicious oven-roasted turkey wrap with arugula and spicy dijon mustard wrap

Dinner was the same (boring, I know) but with sweet potatoes and eggplant on the side.


Fundraising has leveled out for the weekend but I am planning a 5K Run/Walk Benefit to happen hopefully in Southie (possibly in Quincy, otherwise) on March 22nd at 9am! Invite all of your friends and family!

New year, New goals!

Hey all! It's been a LONG time since I last posted - but I'm back to share my newest challenge I've taken on... running the Boston Marathon!

I'm sure that everyone remembers the horrible tragedy that struck Boston last April, but this year is all about renewal and positivity. Even before last year's events, Boston is one of the top marathons for fan support: throughout all 26.2 miles, you're bound to have people filling the sidewalks cheering you on.* However, this year is going to be even MORE jam-packed with supporters! Just to show the world that we can come back stronger and more prominent than ever.

So I will be running with the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) team on April 21, 2014** and I've pledged to raise $7,500 by May 31st (I know that's a lot of money!). But I'm confident that with the help of my colleagues, peers, social media, friends and family, that I can do it! 

Fundraising Update: As of today, I've already raised $1,030 with 25 individual donations!!!! Thanks to everyone who has supported me!

Workout Today:

• Shoveling the snow that Winter Storm Hercules dumped on my car
• WFHW (Work-from-home workout):

5 rounds

15 burpees

30 lunges

1 min plank

30 squats

10 tricep tips

The best part about this workout is you don't need ANY equipment to do it - which is why it's a great "at-home" workout! Do the workout for time and then try it again next weekend to compare your times :)

Alright, that's all for today - hope everyone has a good snow day!

*As a side note, you don't always get this! My first marathon, the Disney World marathon last January, had 5 miles between each theme park, which correlated to 5 miles of empty road before getting to the next theme park where you'd finally get some cheers. This also happened to be my slowest pace - having pepole cheering you on makes all the difference.

** April 21, 2014 = 04/21/2014 .. the month and day have the same numbers used in the year! #mathnerd

Tuesday's post

Spin class was a killer this morning – Carlos, from BHAC,  really pushed us with sprints and hills. That being said, his music choice is awesome: modern songs make it more bearable. When spinning, 45 minutes feels like it's neverending, but when I’m asleep or watching TV, 45 minutes passes by so quickly. In order to not ease up on the workout, I tried to focus and be in the moment, telling myself to "keep going, it'll be over soon!" at each song, and before I knew it, it was 7am! Perfect timing for my drive to work.

TIRED!

BTW: an interesting exercise story: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/magazine/how-exercise-could-lead-to-a-better-brain.html?_r=1

Post workout I had a banana in the car and then after getting to work, I tasted the banana maple oatmeal they have in the café.

If I make oatmeal at home, I’ll usually put fruit in it, but its frozen. Frozen fruit is not only cheaper and stays fresher longer, but some studies show it’s better for you because the fruit is frozen at its ripest, so it keeps in the antioxidants and health benefits. (http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/healthy-eating/tips/is-frozen-fruit-as-healthy-as-fresh-fruit/; http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf990266t) Just make sure there’s no sugar added (it’ll say on the front) cause that’d be an unnecessary caloric additive. If you need to make the oatmeal sweeter, either buy the prepackaged Instant Oatmeal that’s flavored (I like Maple Brown Sugar or Cinnamon Swirl) or toss in some Splenda!

Want to save money on groceries? http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/budget2012?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzEmail&utm_content=451231&utm_campaign=Nightly_2012-04-23%2021%3a30 I get daily emails from this site which tells me of local stores having deals. While daily emails can be overwhelming ,and sometimes I just delete them right away, it's nice to skim through and check for any household items I know I need -- and why not save a few $$? :)

For lunch, got a free ham and cheese wrap since my work offered a "Lunch and Learn" with Professor Eric Ledet from RPI on "New Technology for Orthopaedic Smart Implants" -- very interesting!

Happy Wednesday!

Wait, it's the end of April already?!

It’s days like today, where I listen to the loud, thunderous rain slamming the rooftop of my office building that I don’t mind in the slightest having to be at work all day! For people like Greg however, who arrived just a little bit later than I did, I'm not sure he feels the same way...

To start off the work day, I gave out some of Ashley’s banana bread mini muffins at work, and huge compliments to her from my coworkers!! FYI: She apparently gets some of her tips from http://cupcakesandcashmere.com/ :) 

Pre-workout food consisted of a banana, and then I did the Fitness "Tighten and Tone" workout in the May 2012 issue: The workout only took 30 minutes, and I could feel the burn as I was walking around the office for the rest of the day.

    

Also helping me through this miserable Monday (weather-wise... the rest of the day was ok!) was my instant coffee with sugar free vanilla syrup that I put in each cup, adding the perfect amount of flavor. You can buy a whole bottle for only $4 at Walmart and it's the perfect addition to coffee with 0 calories! Breakfast, which is perfectly filling, is the classic plain Greek yogurt with Fiber One Honey Sunshine cereal. After how successful my run went yesterday (which, by the way, I put up my medal and bib at work!) I'm thinking of signing up for the Hyannis (May 27), Providence (end of August) or Chicago half (September) – which should I do? any thoughts?

For lunch, my boss took me and my coworkers out to lunch at El Mariachi in Taunton center and I had the Cozumel Ensalada Camarones (Grilled shrimp salad with avocados and tomatoes)

I snacked on an apple and a lot of fat free cottage cheese before class, and then had dinner at work since I watched my class from here - so glad the semester will be ending next week! Hope you all had a wonderful Monday!!

Spring has Sprung... and Rain is here :(

Time to start blogging again! It's been unbelievably long since I last wrote, and consequently, a lot has changed. But I've missed writing; and I want to get back to my healthy eating and more regular workouts, AND share all of it with my friends. It was really nice having a few close friends, who I didn't even know read my blog, tell me they missed my posts and wished I would write again soon.

Over the past two months, my eating habits completely changed from one bad end of the cycle to the other. In doing so, I realized balance and moderation is essential because in neither extreme situations was I satisfied. Now, I'm determined to get back to eating well: include proper portions of protein, fats and carbohydrates at every meal, and still allowing myself to indulge when I feel like it. In the meantime, I'm hoping my detailed trek to healthier, balanced eating, will coincide with spending less on food so I can save more!

Starting with this weekend, I went up to Ashley's house in Nashua for the night to celebrate her birthday with Alex Mary, Adanta, Katherine, and Dana. Ashley decorated with beautiful yellow homemade balloon balls (so Martha Stewart) and cute table settings from posts she found on Pinterest. 

All the toppings you'd want on a normal taco, but SHRUNK to mouse sized!

We had taco mini bites as an appetizer, sweet potato gnocchi with a Gouda cheese sauce as the main course (note: dangerously filling and apparently a lot more cooking than Ash was hoping for), grilled vegetable kabobs on the side, and fruit with Nutella fondue as dessert. Making the night even sweeter, Ashley concocted a delicious drink of St. Germain, white wine, ginger ale, and grenadine... yum!

Sunday began with a hot bowl of cinnamon swirl instant oatmeal with raw almonds mixed in for the fiber and fat to start my day. Normally, I eat plain greek yogurts, but on mornings that I run, I eat oatmeal to keep me fueled throughout the race. Today, I did the BHAC 4th Annual 6k in Brockton! And, with a time of 30.00 (8.02 min/miles), I placed 1st in my age group, 3rd woman finisher overall, and 23rd finisher out of 155 :)

Lunch was a oven-roasted turkey wrap with spinach on a Flatout Wrap bread (http://www.flatoutbread.com/) with some carrots and Cedar's hummus on the side. Since I had to get a lot of work tone on campus today, snack was only a banana but then I treated myself to leftovers of Ashley's Friday night cooking for dinner - still JUST as delicious!

That's all for now - tomorrow I'm hoping to do a circuit of workout sets at the gym, perfect day for it too since the weather is supposed to remain rainy and cold :(