Part of my healthy lunch the day before our official weigh-in. For a little over three months now (104 days to be exact), I have been in the midst of a challenge. The task was to eat better, continue to exercise on a regular basis, and in that process it was our hope that we could all be in our Ironman fighting shape without having to train for three or more hours a day. Very few people can keep up with the rigorous exercise routine we had training for Vineman on a consistent basis. I for one needed sleep, time to let my muscles and joints heal, and my family needed me to be their wife and mom again.
I am not sure what it is about competition that drives me. My husband would say that I am an overly competitive person. The fact that I can never let anyone beat me up a hill, running or biking, the fact that Sean and I cannot be on the same team or on opposing teams during game nights, and the fact that it drives me nuts when people walk in front of me during races and slow down my running pace is not proof of this character flaw, right? So when I found myself gaining some of my weight back after Ironman (almost 20 pounds), I knew that a friendly competition would give me the motivation I needed to get back on my healthy living routine.
So for over one hundred days we biked, ran, and swam 5-6 days a week, we logged into MyFitnessPal every day, and we stayed within the calorie guidelines suggested by FitnessPal (extra added for exercising) 6 days a week. We got one point each week for each of the above tasks. It was close for the first two months, but in the last month Leslie and I pulled away and the competition was fierce. It was so close that even this morning, I had no idea who would actually win. At 8 am we shared our final weigh in and the winner is...Leslie by less than one hundredth of a point (Leslie got 52.877 points and I got 52.868). Leslie declared it a statistical tie, but I am a good enough sport to admit that a win is a win.
I am not sure what it is about competition that drives me. My husband would say that I am an overly competitive person. The fact that I can never let anyone beat me up a hill, running or biking, the fact that Sean and I cannot be on the same team or on opposing teams during game nights, and the fact that it drives me nuts when people walk in front of me during races and slow down my running pace is not proof of this character flaw, right? So when I found myself gaining some of my weight back after Ironman (almost 20 pounds), I knew that a friendly competition would give me the motivation I needed to get back on my healthy living routine.
So for over one hundred days we biked, ran, and swam 5-6 days a week, we logged into MyFitnessPal every day, and we stayed within the calorie guidelines suggested by FitnessPal (extra added for exercising) 6 days a week. We got one point each week for each of the above tasks. It was close for the first two months, but in the last month Leslie and I pulled away and the competition was fierce. It was so close that even this morning, I had no idea who would actually win. At 8 am we shared our final weigh in and the winner is...Leslie by less than one hundredth of a point (Leslie got 52.877 points and I got 52.868). Leslie declared it a statistical tie, but I am a good enough sport to admit that a win is a win.
This resource has spiced up our meals. While Leslie technically won, I do agree with Leslie that we are both winners for many reasons. First, we both had slowly started to snack mindlessly and to eat meals without even thinking about making healthy food choices. While I don't want to obsess about food and weight, there does need to be some thought as to what goes into my mouth. This challenge had me eating out less and making much healthier breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for me and for my family as well. After the 4-week Hungry Girl plan, I realized that I had a great HG book to vary up the meals I had been preparing. Her 300 Under 300 book made it possible for us to make sure we were not getting bored so eating out was not tempting.
I also feel that we both won because it kept all of us biking, swimming, and running. This part of my routine has not been an issue with me lately, I love my workouts, but it did make it less likely that I would even think about sleeping in instead of exercising. I know my two Ironman challenge buddies felt the same exact way.
And finally, I feel like we are both winners because we were both able to get ourselves back to our Ironman level weights without the excessive amounts of exercise we had to do to get there in the first place. It has made us both feel better than we have in years and I finally feel that I have some sort of control because I love the taste of the food I am eating. When I don't feel deprived, I rarely want to eat food other than what I have prepared.
So while I did not win this challenge, I am a winner because I continue to stay healthy, model healthy behaviors for my children, and feel healthier than I have in years. Thanks Iron Girls for the push...I appreciate your support more than I can say in words!
I also feel that we both won because it kept all of us biking, swimming, and running. This part of my routine has not been an issue with me lately, I love my workouts, but it did make it less likely that I would even think about sleeping in instead of exercising. I know my two Ironman challenge buddies felt the same exact way.
And finally, I feel like we are both winners because we were both able to get ourselves back to our Ironman level weights without the excessive amounts of exercise we had to do to get there in the first place. It has made us both feel better than we have in years and I finally feel that I have some sort of control because I love the taste of the food I am eating. When I don't feel deprived, I rarely want to eat food other than what I have prepared.
So while I did not win this challenge, I am a winner because I continue to stay healthy, model healthy behaviors for my children, and feel healthier than I have in years. Thanks Iron Girls for the push...I appreciate your support more than I can say in words!
Love having energy to hang with this guy!
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