I have always known that chocolate has magical properties--after all, it was my constant companion during my tumultuous teenage years; it eases my monthly menstrual side effects, and when work and the daily grind are stressing me out, chocolate amazingly calms my frayed nerves.  Now I am not suggesting that we go hog wild and eat bags of chocolate, but in moderation it can be a sweet treat.  And every once in a while if I have an abundance of calories left from my ridiculous workouts, I will treat myself with a few precious pieces. 
          Last week for secretaries day, I was bringing some treats to thank the girls that support us in the work we do in the district I teach in.  This year, I actually have two sets of office staffs I work with closely, so after dropping goodies off at our district support center, I headed back to the school site where I am based.  I had about a half bag of Dove Promises left, and I decided that I could afford to try a piece or two. 
          Now the thing I love about these particular chocolates actually has less to do with the taste and more to do with the cute little sayings they include on the wrappers--there is wisdom included with these chocolates.  The first wrapper told me, "Keep the promises you make to yourself."  I am a person that works hard to follow though on what I promise to others, but I am not always good at doing the same when it comes to what I promise to myself.  I have challenged myself to complete Ironman, and this is a promise I need to keep no matter how difficult the training becomes.  That is why I am sometimes at the gym by 3 am, and why I did
4 1/2 hours of workout today even though I really didn't want to...a promise is a promise!
          The second wrapper shared, "Too much of a good thing is wonderful."  The first thing I thought was that the chocolate was reminding me that even though my workouts were challenging me, too much workout was going to prepare me for wonderful things--helping prepare me to become an Ironman in July.  Then I thought that maybe the chocolate was recommending that I have another square because one is just not enough.
          On the third wrapper was, "Stretch your body, stretch your mind."  The chocolate was once again reminding me that I was pushing my body to its limits, but in the process I was also mentally preparing myself for the challenges ahead of me.  Can you see why I love these chocolates and their inspirational tidbits? 
          It was at this point that I realized I had eaten three pieces of chocolate in less than five minutes and that maybe the chocolate was suggesting that if I ate any more of this delicious treat I was going to stretch my body and not in a good way.  Point taken chocolate--and at that point I closed the bag and tossed it into the back seat where I couldn't reach it anymore.
          I know that it is strange to have an entry about chocolate in a fitness blog, but I hope this tongue in cheek posting will remind you of a few things.  First, you are important enough to promise yourself great things and follow through to make the impossible possible.  Also, get yourself on a consistent exercise program so you can stretch your mind while working on firming up any flabby parts.  And finally, remember that too much of a good thing is wonderful, but keep your chocolate to a minimum because nothing tastes as good as a healthy you feels.

          For those of you that have been following my journey, it is no news that swimming has been a huge area of growth for me as I train for my triathlons.  My confidence level has really increased in the last few months as I no longer feel like I am going to drown, and my swim speed has increased as well.  At the gym, I also find that I am not the slowest swimmer in the water and that I am able to keep up with many of those swimming next to me...until this morning.
          I have pointed out many times the fruitless nature of comparing yourself to someone else, but sometimes at five in the morning my brain isn't thinking straight and the negative thoughts creep in.  He seemed like a harmless enough guy, he even took the time to say hello, that is until he took off like a bullet.  Now I know I have a way to go to consider myself a "good swimmer," but this guy made kicking my @$$ in the pool look like a walk in the park.  I had barely made it half-way across the pool when he was passing me coming the other direction.  I honestly felt like I was swimming in the same pool with Michael Phelps or Ryan Lochte.
          At some point I reminded myself of the fable "The Tortoise and the Hare."  Slow and steady wins the race, right?  Well, what if you are the tortoise racing against some hybrid mix of the Energizer Bunny and a Teenage Mutant Ninja who seems in no hurry to slow down for a nap while you race by and win?  And yes, these are the thoughts that run through my head as I swim--what else am I going to do while I swim back and forth for an hour and a half in a 25-yard pool?
          That's when common sense finally kicked in, or maybe it was the two cups of coffee I had before heading to the gym.  Don't compare yourself to anyone else (especially someone who could probably still win an Olympic medal with his arms tied behind his back).  And this is where I come back to the importance of reflection.  I keep very detailed notes of my training for just such occasions as this.  So when I got home I looked at where I was this time last June.  I was swimming 1400 yards in about 50 minutes, and that included using flipper and pull paddles to help me.  At that time it was also not uncommon for me to cling to the end of the pool gasping for breath sure that I was going to die.  Today I completed 3300 yards in 90 minutes, no flippers or paddles, and not once did I cling to the edge in fear.  That is progress!
          The funny thing is that when Olympic swimming guy finally came up for air, I complemented him on his swim speed and he told me I was pretty good myself.  He also shared that he swam in college, which accounts for the fact that I probably could not have kept up with him even if I had my own propeller.  But the real lesson to learn from this is that it is important to take time to reflect on your progress.  It does you no good to compare yourself to anyone else.  That does not move you forward--it only builds the frustration.
          Take the time to journal where you are, so that as time goes by you can look back and see how far you have truly come.  Now I know there is no such thing as perfection (but heck, reflection and perfection rhyme), but each time you look back and refine your practice, you will be getting closer to your own personal perfection. 

“Always dream and shoot higher than you know you can do. Do not bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.”

                                                                                    William Faulkner

    Yes, I know it is just barely spring and some of you have even been dealing with late season snow storms, but before you know it summer will be here.  The trouble with waiting until summer is upon us is that unless you want to hide indoors, or sweat profusely as you cover up your body in big, baggy clothes, you need to start working on losing those extra pounds and inches that may have crept up on you over the fall and winter.
          As I shared last week I have begun a journey to fit into my size 8 wetsuit.  The funny thing is that our little accountability group has grown--as friends heard about what we were doing, they wanted in on the action.  After almost two weeks using MyFitnessPal we are all finding this resource super easy and very informative.  My husband, who I wouldn't let in on the competition, has already lost 6 lbs. since he began using the app (can you see why I didn't let him in our challenge?).  The nice thing is, it hasn't kept me from the foods I love.  I actually found out that while it is super high in sodium, my beloved Korean BBQ is actually relatively low in calories.  I love Vietnamese Spring Rolls, so I found a new recipe resource where I found healthier versions of the peanut sauce, and a new spicy shrimp spring roll that I can't wait to try: The Fit Food List: Healthy Recipes for Runners  And the neat thing is that MyFitnessPal has a resource where you can enter in recipe details so you can track basically any food that crosses your lips.
          Today, as I was looking through my past blogs, I think I finally realized something.  I actually forgot what my plateau weight has been over the last two years.  I have been working out a crazy amount of hours in preparation for Ironman, and I couldn't understand why my weight was still slowly creeping up.  Only it really wasn't--I thought I had been 160 lbs and when I saw the scale at 167, I was worried I was somehow blowing it.  As I looked back at my blogs I realized the number I have been stuck on was 170.  I know it sounds weird that I forgot what I weighed, but I have honestly been trying not to focus as much on the number.  In the process, I forgot where I had been.  Now that I am at about 165 I can see why my clothes are getting a little looser.
          As I was looking through my blogs I also came across a past entry that I think actually fits very well with what I am talking about today.  I shared a Livestrong blog by their editor Adam Bornstein called 4 Steps to Get Back in Shape.  If you click on the June 2012 link on the right side of my blog and go to the June 10th entry, I think some of the tips I wrote about will help you as you continue on your road to better fitness.  This week I also came across another Livestrong resource called 10 Slimming Tips To Get You Ready For Summer.  I won't restate all Kim Eagle's tips here but tip #10 is stay accountable, and that is exactly why I take time every week to write this blog.  I bare my soul, share what I have learned over the week, and in the process I hope that I am able to help you on your journey to greatness.  We all have it in us--all we have to do is want it bad enough, work hard, and try not to lose our focus.  It has been a long road, but I know that in the end all my sacrifices will be worth it.  And hopefully a side benefit will be that I will have a summer ready body for the first time in more years than I can remember.  So no covering up for us--we will be ready!

          Honestly!  I feel like this week I could have just cut and pasted one of several blogs I have written in the past, because I am once again having the same issues with food.  I continually find myself making the same bad food choices, snacking when I am not really hungry, and mindlessly eating without even thinking about what I am putting into my mouth, only this time it is not Cinnamon Toast Crunch that is tempting me.  There is no one food I need to leave out of my diet.  I just need to be more conscious of what and when I am eating.
          I can blame some of this lack of detail to my food consumption on my Ironman training.  I am not trying to make excuses--it is just a fact that all this training is affecting me more than my usual workouts.  First, I feel hungry all the time.  I guess this makes sense when I am working out three or more hours a day, six days a week.  My body is craving something, but the problem is I am just feeding those cravings with whatever happens to be at hand.  This leads to my second reason my training is affecting my nutrition.  I just don't have as much extra time to plan my meals, pack my lunches, and be prepared with healthy food alternatives when I am training in every spare moment I have.
          Now the good thing is that I am working out so much that for the most part the scale and the way my pants fit has not been adversely impacted by my carelessness.  My concern is that once I go back to a normal workout schedule, I will be so used to this routine, or lack of it, that I will gain all the weight back that I have worked so hard to lose.  So in order to nip this in the bud, I need to once again put a little more focus on my diet.  I know that I need something easy--I don't have time for complicated these days.  I am also not interested in any fad or liquid diet, because I want to live in the real world and interact with my food in a healthy way.  I want to eat real food, but I just want to be able to eat just enough to fuel my exercise and daily activity.
          As I was searching for a resource to help me, several friends suggested an app called MyFitnessPal (MFP).  I have to say, I have only been using it for four days, but I am already surprised by what I have learned about my diet in just that short amount of time.  First, I caught myself several times reaching for food I really didn't need.  Knowing that I had to track even those little nibbles has kept me more honest.  Secondly, on both days I went over on the recommended number of fats and was way over on my sodium.  I can see that I need to be a little more careful about the nutritional values of the foods I pick.  Picking a balance of good foods used to be easy for me, and lately I have really gotten lazy in this area.
          Besides giving me instant feedback on my eating habits, MFP is also so easy to use.  Once you figure out all the resources, it is very user friendly and most every food or exercise type is in their database.  My favorite feature of the MFP app is the barcode scanner.  You can hold your phone over a product's barcode and it will instantly upload all the nutritional info into your food journal.  Obviously, not everything will be able to be scanned, but I was surprisingly able to get info on some rice noodles I bought at my local Asian Market.  It also scanned generic cheddar cheese, Fig Newtons, and Jif Reduced Fat Peanut Butter.  I must admit that I have been having fun trying out this new toy by scanning everything in my kitchen and pantry.

          I also think I need to be more specific as to what exactly my new goal is for my nutrition.  I have written before about the importance of setting specific goals, so you have a target to shoot for, and I need a new target.  So here is my new goal: By June 30, 2013 I will fit into my size 8 wetsuit  (and/or lose 10-15 pounds).  And in order to meet that goal I will continue to consistently work out (like I have any choice at this point in my Ironman training), and I will track my food and exercise using MyFitnessPal. 
          Another thing I am doing to hold myself accountable is connecting with a couple of my training/running friends.  Starting on Monday, we will all use MFP to track our nutrition and exercise and whoever loses the highest percentage of weight by June 30th will get some sort of reward--pedicure and healthy lunch, movie and reasonable dessert, etc.  Hooking up with someone who is working toward a similar goal is a great way to stay on track!
          So, I have a question for you.  Are any of you struggling with your nutrition and/or exercise like me? Has the luster of your New Year's resolution become a little tarnished?  Well now is a good time to get yourself back on track--you have over two months until swimsuit season.  Set yourself a goal, use resources like MyFitnessPal to keep you on track, and if possible, find a support team to hold you accountable.  Hopefully come June 30th we will all have made significant progress toward our goals.  I will fit into my wetsuit and in the process move closer to the flabulous me I know is inside waiting to get out.

Here is a goal frame for you to use--looking forward to hearing what you are planning to do to meet swimsuit season head on:

By June 30, 2013 I will ________________________.