Jog at the ball park

Sometimes we have to take advantage of the time we have to exercise. I am speaking mostly to women who have school age children who are busy with various activities, like playing ball at different ball parks or practicing dance and piano on a regular basis.

 

Four years ago, when I became committed to losing weight and getting in better shape, I would walk around the ball field during warm-ups, rather than setting camp in my folding chair. I also decided to stand during the games. Standing is helpful because it uses more calories than sitting. Also, it becomes a stress-relieving activity. I get nervous when my kids pitch or bat or swim races. I want them to:

• play or swim or bowl well.
• play the game as it was meant to be played. 
• swim her race or bowl his game.
• use the skills that they learned.

 

The more important the game or meet, the more nervous I get for them. I guess because using their skills become even more important during the games where something is at a stake--whether it is pride or a championship.

 

Anyway, I use the ball park as a great place to expend calories.

 

Today, when we first arrived in Millbrook for a tournament, I took a 50 minute jog. I know I can take time to walk or jog during the 1 hour before the game because my girl is busy warming up, she has the essentials, and she is being taken care of because my husband is the coach.

 

This morning I jogged down a street that turned into a county road. It made for an interesting jog. As I jogged "out" of town a bit, the shoulder at times had grass taller than me and patches of briars. Oncoming traffic required me to jump to the shoulder and sometimes straddle the briars.

 

It is always interesting to jog a new route, particular in a town I am unfamiliar. When I do this I learn something about the area. I also find myself not concerned with my speed or the distance, I just jog.

 

The most interesting part of this jog was in the outskirts of town, I found the smell of the country to bring back memories of the smells at home near the creek. Hot, humid , but fresh. It is hard to describe. I am not sure what is blooming that has a fresh and sweet smell that is not overbearing. The moisture in the air near the creek and today in Millbrook because the Alabama River is nearby has feel about that is beyond humid, but an almost refreshing feel.

This morning workout included: 

• I stretched my legs a little.
• I jogged variable speed for 50 minutes.
• I walked about .1 mile.
• I stretched 20 seconds toe-touch hold with feet together.
• I stretched 20 seconds each with one leg crossed over.
• I stretched 20 seconds each for a hamstring stretch.
• I stretched 20 seconds for calf stretch.
• I stood or walked for most of the game.

 

The advantages of this kind of activity during warm-ups are:

• expending calories
• using muscles
• getting a cardio workout
• not using my time with the kids to get my exercise done.

 

The disadvantages are:

• I not available is something were to happen (like my ballplayer getting hurt) which is one reason I take my phone with me.
• Even though I bring an extra set of clothes, I look bad for the rest of the tournament.
• I smell bad for the rest of the tournament.
• I have to drink more water than normal.
• I am usually a little tired (but isn't everybody at an all day tournament?)

Fast Food Options

The other day I was in Arby's. My son ordered his usual Arby's melt. I was short on time and knew I possibly had to eat mine in the car. So, I was looking for an option that:

• I could hold in one hand
• did not contain a lot of white bread
• was not fried
• was not choked full of calories
• had some taste to it.

I chose the new pecan chicken salad in a wrap. It was made with chicken, grapes, lettuce, and pecans. It could have been quite tasty. The problem was that the chicken salad was soaked in a mayonnaise based sauce. I found it disgusting.

In trying to choose healthier foods, I avoid eating much mayonnaise and fatty salad dressing. The next time, I will order this wrap without the mayonnaise (if I can).

In my disappointment in trying to find a decent alternative to fast food lunch, I started thinking about the business opportunities and how a fast food establishment could offer healthy alternatives to existing products.

Examples:

• A pecan-grape chicken salad made with low-fat version mayonnaise using half as much as the Arby's pecan-grape chicken salad. This could be sold on a bed of lettuce, whole wheat bread, whole wheat wrap, and other breads.
• A grilled chicken biscuit made like Chick-fil-a's chicken and biscuit, except the chicken is grilled.
• A grilled chicken, egg and cheese breakfast burrito made like Chick-fil-a burrito, except the chicken is grilled.
• A grilled chicken wrap on a whole wheat wrap with low-fat ranch, low-fat southwest ranch, or low-fat honey-mustard dressing--available on the side.
• An egg McMuffin with low-fat cheese.
• Instead of fried chicken fingers, like Zappy's, grilled chicken fingers.
• McAllisters and Panera Bread have some great dishes, but would much better if they would offer half sizes (even if I paid more than half).
• Half portions of any fast food choices. Even if they are not healthy, less will mean fewer calories.

My favorite casual dining food options currently are:

• Sonic Southwestern salad at Sonic.
• Black and bleau grilled chicken salad at Zappys with no dressing.
• Grilled steak (or chicken) Sammies at Quiznos. Each for $2. I order only 1.
• Locally, I eat Breezeway and order grilled chicken salad with no dressing or Salisto turkey sandwich made with no mayonnaise on wheat bread, but I don't eat all the bread.
• Applebees Southwest Salad--half size. Applebees has some other dishes that are low calories that I like as well.

There are many other options that dining establishments could offer. I am wondering if a restaurant took the approach that they would offer healthy meals as their brand. They could even have a few unhealthy choices, but the mainstay would be healthy offerings. I am thinking this would make for a great business. Am I the only one who thinks a restaurant could make it with a healthy offering?

Exercising after being sick

My last month of exercising has been:
December 22 through Dec 28, I jogged almost every day 3 to 6 miles each day. I did not lift any weights during this time.

December 29 I stopped jogging because the pain in my left leg above my ankle began to ache during my jogging and afterwards. The pain was much like the pain in my right ankle 3 years ago when I developed a stress fracture. I thought it was best to stop jogging for awhile.

January 7, I started back lifting weights and jogging, but I missed a few days for a couple weeks.

January 14, I got sick (stomach kind of thing) that wiped my out. I bench pressed once that week and tried to jog only once. It was slow.

January 20, I felt a little better so I jogged only 2 miles and it was very slow.

January 21, I managed to go to gym and did a variety of weights. During the week, I was so tired, I did not go to the gym, I just did not have the energy to get up early.

January 25, I jogged 2.5 miles at a decent (not great) time.

January 27, I jogged a very slow 3 miles. That is today. I have felt very tired every since.
This morning before getting started, I really did not want to go. I forced myself to get out of the house. It was colder than it looked. The sky was a clear blue and there was no wind. The air was crisp.

I walked for .3 miles and was not sure I had the energy to jog. When I first started jogging, I was in slow motion. My feet felt heavy.

I jogged for more than .5 miles before the stride felt easy. The jogging was similar to when I first starting jogging. Each step seem to be a struggle. I had to talk myself into continuing. I did not think I could even finish the 1st mile. But, I kept my slow pace and set up mini-goals. I kept telling myself, just make it to the 1 mile marker, then make it to the 1.5 mile marker. In my early days of jogging, I would tell myself that the .5 mile in the hardest. the next .5 miles is next to the hardest, and the next 1 mile in the third hardest. I would tell myself, "Go to the next marker, get to it before you stop".

Even at the 2 mile marker, I was not sure I could finish 3 miles. If I could get into a rhythm I could finish. My body was so tired, I just could not keep going.

One marker passed led to the next marker. I finished the jog with 3.1 miles and walked a total 1.2 miles.

I am still tired, but I think I am tired because of lacking of eating. I have lost 4 pounds in the last weeks and I am determined to keep it off so I have reduced the number of calories. What I need to do is to even my eating out throughout the day. I am eating too little before lunch and too much after lunch.

Hopefully, I can get back into the groove and even out my eating habits and get back into lifting weights and jogging.

I want to keep the weight off, but I also want to keep muscle. I have to keep working at it.

Is there a definition of a workout?

What is a workout? JB defines a workout as:

Brief periods of self induced physical and mental anguish followed by a couple days of muscle soreness.

Well, that is definitely one way to define a workout. I think of a workout as an incremental step in building muscles, building strength, developing endurance, strengthening the heart, and expending calories. (I probably should add becoming more flexible and creating an ability to have balance. I don't work on those aspects too much for the exception of stretching after a workout).

A buddy of mine is exercising in functional ways--using an ax, toting limbs, clearing rubbish is his way of expending calories and building muscles.

When the workout causes the muscles to be sore, I know I have stretched the muscles so that they will tighten and strengthen. Let's admit it. After a leg workout or a run, the tightness in the legs feels great! Don't you think?

It really doesn't matter how you exercise or what your workout is. Expending calories and building endurance can happen almost at anytime. It does not have to be at gym or on the track. Stand instead of sit; walk instead of ride, jog instead of walk, run instead of jog. Do crunches on the couch while watching TV, dance with kids. Move, move move.

A walk--instead of a jog

Today, I decided to take my time and walk the 5.8 mile route. I jogged 5 miles on Monday, 5.5 miles on Tuesday, and 3 + miles on Thursday. Because I had jogged more than normal this week, I was a little worried that the amount of constant jogging might affect my knees.

The weather was very nice --it felt more like an April day, not a December day. The walk went well. I really had the chance to think, but it did get boring. Around the 4 mile mark my legs begin to tighten up a little. I also got tired. I found that interesting, but I think the tiredness came a little from the boredom and a little from being hungry.

One reason I walked the entire route is that I wanted to expend the calories. Generally, a mile walked and a mile jogged equal the same amount of calories spent. The jogging makes the mile go faster and raises the heart rate which has other benefits. So, walking the 5.8 miles took me much longer than jogging it.

Cutting 100 Calories

Extension agent in Polk County, North Carolina agent describes way to cut 100 calories. I have used many of these techniques. They work. What this technique also does is make you more conscious of serving sizes and what you are eating.

Moderately change your eating habits. I like this approach because it takes little effort and just a little restraint.

• Avoid supersized portions.
• Use smaller bowls and plates. I do this at home. I use a luncheon plate for dinner. It helps me not put so much food on my plate.
• Cut in half the 2-cup portion of pasta. Use only 1 cup, saving 160 calories. This tip is hard because I love pasta. However, measuring pasta out into 1 cup (or even 1/2 cup) portions helps give you a sense of how much you are eating.
• Cut the number of slices of pizza. Choose 2 slices, instead of 3. At home, I put only one slice of pizza on my plate. Then will go back for the 2nd slice, after I finish the 1st. Sometimes, after finishing the 1st slice, I will see if the kids did not finish theirs and I will finish theirs, and not get the 2nd slice. Eating 1 less slice will save 140 calories (or more).
• Skip the potato chips that are part of the combination lunch. Saving more than 100 calories.
• Eat carrot or celery sticks or fruit instead of potato chips saving at least 100 calories, while increasing nutrition and avoid extra empty calories.
• Eat regular ice cream, instead of gourmet, high fat ice creams, saving 70-340 calories per cup. Save even more by eating low-fat, frozen yogurt, or sorbet. Check the nutrition facts label and compare products for calorie and fat content.
• Switch to water or unsweetened beverages in place of sodas and sweet tea. By cutting out sugar drinks you save up to 150 calories per 12-oz. serving.
• Measure a serving of chips or other snacks, instead of eating from the bag. Again, this technique helps you understand portion.
• Don't taste or snack while cooking.

Those are the tips from the Polk County Extension agent. My other tips include:

• Eat slowly by putting your fork down between bites.
• Order a side salad, instead of fries or baked potatoes.
• Order salad dressing on the side.
• Use a teaspoon to spread the dressing so you know the portion of dressing you are eating.
• Ask for a "to-go" box and place a portion of your dinner in the box before you begin to eat.
• Drink a glass of water before you begin eating your meal.

I am sure there are others. What tips do you want to share?