After more than two years of eating clean, and about a year of maintaining my weight loss, I am amazed that each day I have to struggle a little bit with obsessive eating and the temptations of inappropriate food. Ninety percent of my daily diet is great, perfect really. My problems don't occur with meals--I know what to eat and I like it. It's the Other. The extra little nibbles, which can so quickly and easily turn into extended nibbles, even mini-binges. My main problem is candy (and sometimes cookies) at work. My co-workers insist on putting out goodies (which I'm sure they over-indulge in), and sometimes I just can't help having one. Which often becomes two, three, four. Each taste of sweet forbidden sugar prompts me to have another taste. When you add in the high stress levels of my job, a bowl of chocolate kisses becomes irresistible. It's even worse if I'm hungry, for example while cooking dinner. Then I find myself almost incapable of resisting the grazing and snacking.
Amazingly, in one episode like this (on Saturday), my body actually kicked in to help me deal with the effects of cravings and grazing. I ate a lot of chocolate that day. My recollection is several pieces of the 50-calorie variety, plus a whole chocolate bar accounting for 250 calories in itself. Then my mother came over and we each had a piece of peanut butter pie that I had in my freezer. The cool thing is, I got full. I got so full from this candy eating that I did not want dinner (and in fact, did not eat dinner). My body had enough, and told me so.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Going the distance
So I've been walking around the house trying to work off the soreness from today's 11+ mile run. Whenever I sit or lie down for a bit, my body tightens up and when I get up, I walk (and feel) like Frankenstein for a few minutes. I took a couple of ibuprofin tablets to attempt to proactively prevent an achy evening.... a bath might be nice, but it feels like a lot of effort. Maybe before I go to bed.
The masseuse I saw last week after the 15K said that after running the muscles produce lactic acid, which causes the soreness and stiffness we feel after cooling down. Massage is supposed to help work it out, and she recommended water and vitamin C to help flush it out of the system. I wondered, but didn't ask (because I didn't want an unfavorable answer), whether the calcium in the latte I like to treat myself to after running might make it worse.
Today's run was my longest continuous run yet. It was at least 11.2 miles long, maybe a bit longer because I overshot my starting point at the end. I ran four times around the 2.8 mile loop at Discovery Park, plus probably an additional .1 or .2 mile to get back to the parking lot. Since today's goal on my half-marathon training schedule was 11 miles (for me - I'm a bit ahead of the general training schedule), I am right on track.
Running in Discovery Park is no piece of cake. The loop trail is full of hills, some of them quite steep up and down. There is a certain point where a hill becomes so steep that it is not possible to run either up or down at any kind of normal pace. Luckily there were only a few of those, and the rest fell into the difficult but doable category.
After the first two loops (5.6 miles), I was really in the zone, and the third loop felt really good, and easy. The fourth loop, I must admit I spent a lot of time telling myself that I was almost done, almost done, almost done. I think I did pick up my pace a bit during that final segment, however.
I am now within two miles of the total half-marathon distance. The training plan only goes up to twelve miles, but I'm a bit inclined to go for the full distance. Despite all my running (and I know I'm very fit, and ready for the half-marathon), I still don't quite trust myself and feel like I need to prove that I can run 13.1 miles before I ever do the race.
I have to admit that the ease and enjoyability of today's run was just a tiny bit diminished by a slightly sour stomach or hint of heartburn. I supposed that may have been due to the wine I drank at last night's St. Patrick's Day party, or maybe the vast quantity of fudge I consumed... or simply perhaps the excess of pico de gallo I put on my eggs this morning.
Note to self - don't drink wine the day before the half marathon, or eat too much chocolate or overly spicy food!
The masseuse I saw last week after the 15K said that after running the muscles produce lactic acid, which causes the soreness and stiffness we feel after cooling down. Massage is supposed to help work it out, and she recommended water and vitamin C to help flush it out of the system. I wondered, but didn't ask (because I didn't want an unfavorable answer), whether the calcium in the latte I like to treat myself to after running might make it worse.
Today's run was my longest continuous run yet. It was at least 11.2 miles long, maybe a bit longer because I overshot my starting point at the end. I ran four times around the 2.8 mile loop at Discovery Park, plus probably an additional .1 or .2 mile to get back to the parking lot. Since today's goal on my half-marathon training schedule was 11 miles (for me - I'm a bit ahead of the general training schedule), I am right on track.
Running in Discovery Park is no piece of cake. The loop trail is full of hills, some of them quite steep up and down. There is a certain point where a hill becomes so steep that it is not possible to run either up or down at any kind of normal pace. Luckily there were only a few of those, and the rest fell into the difficult but doable category.
After the first two loops (5.6 miles), I was really in the zone, and the third loop felt really good, and easy. The fourth loop, I must admit I spent a lot of time telling myself that I was almost done, almost done, almost done. I think I did pick up my pace a bit during that final segment, however.
I am now within two miles of the total half-marathon distance. The training plan only goes up to twelve miles, but I'm a bit inclined to go for the full distance. Despite all my running (and I know I'm very fit, and ready for the half-marathon), I still don't quite trust myself and feel like I need to prove that I can run 13.1 miles before I ever do the race.
I have to admit that the ease and enjoyability of today's run was just a tiny bit diminished by a slightly sour stomach or hint of heartburn. I supposed that may have been due to the wine I drank at last night's St. Patrick's Day party, or maybe the vast quantity of fudge I consumed... or simply perhaps the excess of pico de gallo I put on my eggs this morning.
Note to self - don't drink wine the day before the half marathon, or eat too much chocolate or overly spicy food!
Friday, March 16, 2007
Party time?
So, tomorrow's St. Patrick's Day, the patron saint day of partiers everywhere. I'm not Irish, and not a big observer of St. Patrick's Day (I view all parades with suspicion and boredom), but I am aware that lots of people consider it an opportunity to drink lots of beer. Green beer, in some cases! So I hear.
Usually St. Patrick's Day is barely a blip on my radar - perhaps involving wearing some item of green apparel - like for example, wearing my Shamrock Run tee shirt to the Y. (Who am I kidding? I've worn it twice this week already. How else would I let the world know I participated in a 15K race?)
But tomorrow I am actually observing St. Pat's Day by going to a friend's party. So not throwing myself into the full whirlpool of the bar hopping, pub crawling partiers, just into a minor eddy of friends and acquaintances (and some strangers, I suppose). It will be fun, I tell myself. Better to socialize than sit home watching TV. Better to nibble on party food than leave myself to the grazing festival that too much time at home can precipitate. Better to dress up in some fun outfit than hang out in my pajamas, because I have too many clothes not to wear them as often as I can. (I should probably wear my Shamrock Run shirt as a conversation starter, but that seems a bit extreme. And wasteful of any number of potential party outfits.)
I admit I'd probably rather hang out at home in my pajamas and watch TV. (I almost said, "with the cats," but don't want to designate myself a total cat lady spinster!) Socializing is a chore, of sorts, but I'm up to the job! And happily, the party's only a few blocks from my house, so the trip home will be fast. Lucky for me.
Usually St. Patrick's Day is barely a blip on my radar - perhaps involving wearing some item of green apparel - like for example, wearing my Shamrock Run tee shirt to the Y. (Who am I kidding? I've worn it twice this week already. How else would I let the world know I participated in a 15K race?)
But tomorrow I am actually observing St. Pat's Day by going to a friend's party. So not throwing myself into the full whirlpool of the bar hopping, pub crawling partiers, just into a minor eddy of friends and acquaintances (and some strangers, I suppose). It will be fun, I tell myself. Better to socialize than sit home watching TV. Better to nibble on party food than leave myself to the grazing festival that too much time at home can precipitate. Better to dress up in some fun outfit than hang out in my pajamas, because I have too many clothes not to wear them as often as I can. (I should probably wear my Shamrock Run shirt as a conversation starter, but that seems a bit extreme. And wasteful of any number of potential party outfits.)
I admit I'd probably rather hang out at home in my pajamas and watch TV. (I almost said, "with the cats," but don't want to designate myself a total cat lady spinster!) Socializing is a chore, of sorts, but I'm up to the job! And happily, the party's only a few blocks from my house, so the trip home will be fast. Lucky for me.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
To finish the story...
I did. Finish, that is. (The 15K.) Not that I ever had any question that I would. All my questions revolved around... how would I do? How would I feel? Would I still be walking the next day? (Ah, yet another cliffhanger!)
Race conditions were excellent today. The weather was warm, unusually balmy, and despite a forecast predicting high probability of rain, it did not in fact rain. The 15K started at 8:30, about ten minutes later than the originally scheduled time of 8:20. I had walked down to the starting point from my hotel (about half a mile away), and got there just as the 5K was starting at 7:45. I was just finishing a pre-race coffee (double short nonfat latte with sugarfree vanilla), intended to give me a caffeine boost without too much milk to slosh around in my stomach. After the latte I took a warmup run, passing back by the hotel where I stopped to drop off my gloves (certainly not needed today) and use the bathroom one more time. (But not the last time - I made a final stop in the porta-potties just before the run and prayed that my body would be able to hold any other urges until the race was over. Miraculously, it did, and so I did not have to stop at any of the restrooms en route.)
I guess I knew when I signed up, but had forgotten, that this was going to be a "hilly" race. After starting the first mile in the heart of downtown (where we passed my hotel and I thought longingly of my comfy room), we began heading uphill. And up. And up. The first four miles were truly uphill all the way. Then the next two were hilly, ups and downs. Finally, after six miles of hills (at a rather discouraging time of 59 minutes), the remainder of the course, 3.3 miles, was all downill and level. I picked up my pace and finished with a time of 86:20.
Even though that was a slower average pace than I would have liked, I was pleased that I had increased my pace from almost 10 minutes per mile in the first six, to less than eight and a half for the remainer (8:18, to be precise). Leaving me with an average pace of about nine minutes, sixteen seconds per mile. Not award winning, but acceptable.
I finished off my running holiday weekend with a massage at a spa near my hotel, before climbing into the car for the long drive home, already wondering where I could travel for the next run!
Race conditions were excellent today. The weather was warm, unusually balmy, and despite a forecast predicting high probability of rain, it did not in fact rain. The 15K started at 8:30, about ten minutes later than the originally scheduled time of 8:20. I had walked down to the starting point from my hotel (about half a mile away), and got there just as the 5K was starting at 7:45. I was just finishing a pre-race coffee (double short nonfat latte with sugarfree vanilla), intended to give me a caffeine boost without too much milk to slosh around in my stomach. After the latte I took a warmup run, passing back by the hotel where I stopped to drop off my gloves (certainly not needed today) and use the bathroom one more time. (But not the last time - I made a final stop in the porta-potties just before the run and prayed that my body would be able to hold any other urges until the race was over. Miraculously, it did, and so I did not have to stop at any of the restrooms en route.)
I guess I knew when I signed up, but had forgotten, that this was going to be a "hilly" race. After starting the first mile in the heart of downtown (where we passed my hotel and I thought longingly of my comfy room), we began heading uphill. And up. And up. The first four miles were truly uphill all the way. Then the next two were hilly, ups and downs. Finally, after six miles of hills (at a rather discouraging time of 59 minutes), the remainder of the course, 3.3 miles, was all downill and level. I picked up my pace and finished with a time of 86:20.
Even though that was a slower average pace than I would have liked, I was pleased that I had increased my pace from almost 10 minutes per mile in the first six, to less than eight and a half for the remainer (8:18, to be precise). Leaving me with an average pace of about nine minutes, sixteen seconds per mile. Not award winning, but acceptable.
I finished off my running holiday weekend with a massage at a spa near my hotel, before climbing into the car for the long drive home, already wondering where I could travel for the next run!
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Taking a mini-break
Here's the blueprint for a fun, relaxing weekend getaway. 1) Take off from work early on Friday to make an early start. 2) Stop for a tasty lunch en route - e.g. sushi. 3) Drive to a location that isn't your city of residence. 4) Check into the nicest luxury hotel that your budget will allow(supplemented by any deals or discounts you can score). 5) Order room service at least once. 6) Bring some chocolate. 7) Tour the local sights (shopping is often a good way to do this). 8) Run a 15K road race.
Yes, you read right. My luxurious weekend getaway is all a lead up to running in an out of town 15K. I have found the local races inadequate and have been forced to travel afield.
Well, forced is probably an exaggeration. It's true that I could not locate a 15K near home for the weekend I wanted to run it. It was a lucky coincidence that there is one this weekend in Portland (the Shamrock Run), and having friends who live in Portland created another justification for coming down here.
I've been intrigued for a while by the idea of traveling to run. After all, I run when I travel (in London, Maine, and Denver during 2006). It's just a bit of variation to plan the trip around a run. It certainly does impress people. It also gives you a bit of an opportunity, and excuse, to eat a little more indulgently than you might allow at home. After all, you need energy to run - a little carbo loading is a good thing. (Hence the fig newtons and chocolate I've just treated myself to as a pre-race energy booster.)
I probably should have waited until after the race to write about this, so I could include my impressions about the race itself. That might include a conclusion that a running vacation isn't all it's cracked up to be! But I'm pretty sure the race will go fine. Slow, perhaps, but fine. My only regret will be (and already is) that after the race I will have to pack up my hotel room and head home, instead of spending another night in luxury. Perhaps that will have to be on the agenda for the next race.
But in the meantime, I'll conclude with my final tip for the running mini-break, one which I plan to follow through with tomorrow afternoon: 9) Schedule a massage!
Yes, you read right. My luxurious weekend getaway is all a lead up to running in an out of town 15K. I have found the local races inadequate and have been forced to travel afield.
Well, forced is probably an exaggeration. It's true that I could not locate a 15K near home for the weekend I wanted to run it. It was a lucky coincidence that there is one this weekend in Portland (the Shamrock Run), and having friends who live in Portland created another justification for coming down here.
I've been intrigued for a while by the idea of traveling to run. After all, I run when I travel (in London, Maine, and Denver during 2006). It's just a bit of variation to plan the trip around a run. It certainly does impress people. It also gives you a bit of an opportunity, and excuse, to eat a little more indulgently than you might allow at home. After all, you need energy to run - a little carbo loading is a good thing. (Hence the fig newtons and chocolate I've just treated myself to as a pre-race energy booster.)
I probably should have waited until after the race to write about this, so I could include my impressions about the race itself. That might include a conclusion that a running vacation isn't all it's cracked up to be! But I'm pretty sure the race will go fine. Slow, perhaps, but fine. My only regret will be (and already is) that after the race I will have to pack up my hotel room and head home, instead of spending another night in luxury. Perhaps that will have to be on the agenda for the next race.
But in the meantime, I'll conclude with my final tip for the running mini-break, one which I plan to follow through with tomorrow afternoon: 9) Schedule a massage!
Monday, March 5, 2007
Weighting for insurance
I have a friend who had weight loss surgery a few months ago, and so far, is very happy with the results. She paid for the surgery herself (no doubt costing thousands of dollars), because her insurance did not cover it. I have another friend who has considered weight loss surgery, either for herself or family members, but the cost would be a significant obstacle. Her medical insurance, while a very good plan, specifically excludes coverage for anything related to weight loss.
I suspect that most insurance plans are the same way - no coverage for weight loss surgery or any kind of treatment or program designed to produce weight loss. (I have no idea, though, whether that would include prescription drugs if the plan otherwise covers prescriptions.)
I myself did not have weight loss surgery or participate in any kind of organized plan that has a fee. That doesn't mean I didn't spend plenty of money to lose weight. Oh no. I suspect that I have spent as much money on my own weight loss plan as anyone who has sprung for gastric bypass or other surgery. My money has been spent on gym membership and a used treadmill; twice monthly massages; salmon and other good food (expensive, but I eat everything I buy and waste very little); lots of magazines to read at the gym, plus stacks of fitness/diet/health books and magazines; and most especially clothes, clothes, clothes - work clothes and play clothes, workout clothes and eating out clothes - many thousands of dollars worth. Some I needed because my old clothes were too big, but mostly I shop because it makes me feel happy and good about myself, and I believe has truly helped me lose weight and keep it off. All this could easily translate into one of those Mastercard "priceless" ads, except I use Visa. And there is definitely a price.
But this isn't about my borderline shopping addiction. It's about insurance coverage for weight loss. How I wish that insurance would cover all my weight loss related expenditures - but I know that's silly. However, I find it a little hard to understand why insurance does not cover other weight loss programs, even including surgery where medically necessary.
It's pretty well established that obesity is a problem and a disease which can contribute or lead to numerous other diseases. High blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer are only some of the medical conditions which obesity can contribute to. Decreasing obesity can prevent, decrease, or control many of these conditions, all of which can require long term medical care at great expense. Preventative care to avoid costly and serious future illness? Makes sense to me.
I think that there is a bias against people who are overweight that leads people, including insurance companies, to feel that obesity is caused by a lack of self-control or willpower, and therefore it doesn't merit treatment in the same way that other diseases do. If overweight people just ate less/exercised more/ate healthier food, they could lose the weight without medical intervention.
That may be true, in some cases, but it's also a lot more complicated than that. But even if that were completely true, it does not explain the inequity in the way that insurance companies treat obesity as compared to another comparable disease - alcohol and drug addiction.
Most insurance plans have some coverage for chemical dependency treatment. Mine includes both outpatient and in-patient treatment. But think of this. While addiction is a disease, it almost always occurs as a result of a person's voluntary choice to consume controlled substances recreationally. In the case of drugs other than alcohol, the consumption is also usually illegal. And addiction doesn't happen after one use. It takes repetitive consumption before use becomes abuse, then dependency. One might say that the user has had multiple opportunities to stop using before becoming an addict.
As anyone with a weight problem knows, food addiction has a lot in common with drug addiction. But the drug user, once he or she is in treatment and begins the process of recovery, does not have to continue using drugs through treatment. In fact, continued use is absolutely contrary to recovery; abstinence is mandatory. The food addict cannot just stop eating. We need to eat to survive. So one of the challenges is how to resist our "drug" while consuming it every day. A lot of people need help getting to that place; sometimes medical help. But the cost of that help? It's not coming from the insurance companies. At least not now.
It seems like every day I read an article or see a piece on TV about childhood obesity, adult obesity, the obesity crisis, and the medical risks of obesity. Yet the insurance companies won't treat it. I guess they'd rather treat the real diseases instead of helping us avoid them. Too bad.
I suspect that most insurance plans are the same way - no coverage for weight loss surgery or any kind of treatment or program designed to produce weight loss. (I have no idea, though, whether that would include prescription drugs if the plan otherwise covers prescriptions.)
I myself did not have weight loss surgery or participate in any kind of organized plan that has a fee. That doesn't mean I didn't spend plenty of money to lose weight. Oh no. I suspect that I have spent as much money on my own weight loss plan as anyone who has sprung for gastric bypass or other surgery. My money has been spent on gym membership and a used treadmill; twice monthly massages; salmon and other good food (expensive, but I eat everything I buy and waste very little); lots of magazines to read at the gym, plus stacks of fitness/diet/health books and magazines; and most especially clothes, clothes, clothes - work clothes and play clothes, workout clothes and eating out clothes - many thousands of dollars worth. Some I needed because my old clothes were too big, but mostly I shop because it makes me feel happy and good about myself, and I believe has truly helped me lose weight and keep it off. All this could easily translate into one of those Mastercard "priceless" ads, except I use Visa. And there is definitely a price.
But this isn't about my borderline shopping addiction. It's about insurance coverage for weight loss. How I wish that insurance would cover all my weight loss related expenditures - but I know that's silly. However, I find it a little hard to understand why insurance does not cover other weight loss programs, even including surgery where medically necessary.
It's pretty well established that obesity is a problem and a disease which can contribute or lead to numerous other diseases. High blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer are only some of the medical conditions which obesity can contribute to. Decreasing obesity can prevent, decrease, or control many of these conditions, all of which can require long term medical care at great expense. Preventative care to avoid costly and serious future illness? Makes sense to me.
I think that there is a bias against people who are overweight that leads people, including insurance companies, to feel that obesity is caused by a lack of self-control or willpower, and therefore it doesn't merit treatment in the same way that other diseases do. If overweight people just ate less/exercised more/ate healthier food, they could lose the weight without medical intervention.
That may be true, in some cases, but it's also a lot more complicated than that. But even if that were completely true, it does not explain the inequity in the way that insurance companies treat obesity as compared to another comparable disease - alcohol and drug addiction.
Most insurance plans have some coverage for chemical dependency treatment. Mine includes both outpatient and in-patient treatment. But think of this. While addiction is a disease, it almost always occurs as a result of a person's voluntary choice to consume controlled substances recreationally. In the case of drugs other than alcohol, the consumption is also usually illegal. And addiction doesn't happen after one use. It takes repetitive consumption before use becomes abuse, then dependency. One might say that the user has had multiple opportunities to stop using before becoming an addict.
As anyone with a weight problem knows, food addiction has a lot in common with drug addiction. But the drug user, once he or she is in treatment and begins the process of recovery, does not have to continue using drugs through treatment. In fact, continued use is absolutely contrary to recovery; abstinence is mandatory. The food addict cannot just stop eating. We need to eat to survive. So one of the challenges is how to resist our "drug" while consuming it every day. A lot of people need help getting to that place; sometimes medical help. But the cost of that help? It's not coming from the insurance companies. At least not now.
It seems like every day I read an article or see a piece on TV about childhood obesity, adult obesity, the obesity crisis, and the medical risks of obesity. Yet the insurance companies won't treat it. I guess they'd rather treat the real diseases instead of helping us avoid them. Too bad.
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