Trip one of two is over. I was very determined to eat healthy for the weekend. It started off great, the cooler was packed with all healthy fruits, veggies and whole grains (thanks to all of Kashi's new great tasting products). So I ate better than normal on the way there, Friday still not too bad, then it quickly went down hill and got worse every day. To my defence, my mom can bake like no one else and at least her meals are all healthy. I also squeezed in 1.5 hour workouts on Friday and Saturday (the gym was closed on Sunday).
The good news is that I got a scale for Christmas, one that also measures body fat. I compared it with the scale at the gym and I didn't gain any weight over the weekend and my body fat remains the same. I normally don't gain weight at my parent's house, as for my next trip to my in-laws, I normally gain 8 pounds at every visit, unless they give me the flu (has happened two of the past three times). I personally would rather have the flu than the weight gain. My gym clothes are packed and running tights for the days that the gym is closed (Christmas etc.), another cooler full of healthy food and lots of praying....
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Are those scales accurate? I've only heard of measuring body fat by using the water method or calipers, so when I first saw these scales I wondered how they could measure body fat just by stepping on them. How does it differentiate lean vs. fat weight? I'd like to get one if they actually work.
Good job over the weekend! We'll be gone for over 2 weeks so I know I won't be as good as you. And unlike your parents, mine not only cook well, but it's deliciously unhealthy. Portion control is the only thing that saves me. They were less than enthused when I said I was bringing broccoli salad to our extended family potluck. We'll see what happens...!
I am banking miles before our trip. I did 16 on Saturday, which was my scheduled long run. Monday, I did an unscheduled 10. I have worked with my trainer for the past 2 days and again tomorrow (with runs each day including a speed day). All that to give me some peace of mind knowing that it will be difficult for the next week.
We will be at Pete's mom's house. She is not a great cook, although she did some fine baking in her day. Now that she is getting older (and they are divorced), she appreciates it so much if I will handle the cooking and she loves my food. She is also used to my food issues now. She called earlier this week to ask my thoughts on a menu (wow, what a break through)! So, what's my challege?
It will take 2 days of driving to get there. We will leave Friday, arrive Saturday. I do not do as well when I sit all day in a car, only to arrive at a hotel in time for dinner and then I am just tired. I don't want to run on some stupid hotel treadmill and I never feel comfortable running at night in an unfamiliar area. Maybe now that Pete is logging marathon miles, we can go out together for a few miles after dinner. Of course, that is assuming we aren't trying to run in a few feet of snow.
My other challenge is my father-in-law's wife. We are expected over there Christmas afternoon/evening for supper (NOT Christmas dinner). First, how can you have dinner on Christmas and not call it Christmas dinner? One year, she served tuna salad on hamburger buns. For real! So, it's not the food that will entice me, it is the wine needed to dull the pain of the visit!
We are only in VT for 4 days and then another 2 day drive, although I think we are stretching the drive home an additional day in order to do Gettysburg with the kids. I will have an 18 mile run due the day after we get home.
I have run on for so long, I should have just posted. Rachel, I feel your pain. Hang in there. It sounds like you have had a very successful vacation. You have to live and enjoy life. Look at it like an opportunity to really taste the magic of the season and then you get right back on track. That's what makes us different; we come back to the gym and our fitness, and back, and back...
E - the scales claim to be +/-3%, I usually will get a caliper test and Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (what the scale is or the hand held device most gyms have) at the same time. I will then average the two percentages to get what I consider my body fat. The calipers usually are low and the scale is high. The scale is known to be high for athletes or very lean people and low for the obese.
This is the how it measures body fat: A low-level electrical signal is passed through the body. It is difficult for the signal to flow through fat in the human body, but easy to flow through the moisture in the muscle and other body tissues. The difficulty with which a signal flows through a substance is called impedance. So the more resistance, or impedance, the signal encounters, the higher the body fat reading.
They are best used not to get a precise reading of your body fat but rather to monitor average gains and losses over time.
The newest gold standard and best method of body fat testing is a DEXA scan, most commonly used for bone density. It will give a precise reading (better than under water) and can also specifically tell you were your fat and/or muscle is located. Now I only have to figure out how to convince Tricare to pay for this. :)
I wish you all a Merry Christmas and safe travels!
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