Carb Loading and Weight Watchers

My long run will be this Saturday and I'm wondering how I'm going to carb load, eat healthy and stay within my Weight Watchers points. I've been reading everything I could get my hands on and I think I may have an answer. Here goes:

Calories Needed For Running

By Weight & Number Of Hours Running

	2 Hours	3 Hours	4 Hours	5 Hours	6 Hours	7 Hours
Your Weight
110	300	400	500	600	700	800
132	400	500	600	700	800	900
154	500	600	700	800	900	1000
176	600	700	800	900	1000	1100
198	700	800	900	1000	1100	1200
220	800	900	1000	1100	1200	1300

According to my run coach's chart above, I need 600 calories for a 3 hour run. Like most, my first thought was to eat pizza or pasta in an effort to carb load, but I knew that I'd lose all my points for the day in just one sitting. Instead, I will be getting my carbs from several different sources, not just starches:

1. Starches: bread, pasta, rice, cereal, bagel, oatmeal, pancake, English muffin, tortilla, couscous, low-fat muffin, gnocchi, polenta and quinoa

2. Starchy vegetables: potatoes, peas, pumpkin, squash, beans and lentils

3. Fruit: bananas, apples, peaches, pears, pineapple, oranges, cherries, mango, kiwi, any form of dried fruit, canned fruit

4. Dairy: flavored low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt

5. Snacks: pretzels, animal crackers, Fig Newtons, low-fat granola bar, low-fat crackers, baked chips, and graham crackers

6. Beverages: flavored low-fat milk, juice, sports drink, Boost or Ensure, low-fat smoothie

7. Sports Bars/Energy Bars: PowerBar Performance Bar, Clif Bar, Honey Stinger Bar

8. Extras: honey, fruit preserves or jam and maple syrup

Another trick to carb load is to drink carbohydrate powder. It's found in most health food and vitamin stores. A serving can have 100-200 calories which make for quick and easy carb consumption.

According to LIVESTRONG, carbohydrates are required for optimal workout recovery. But because liquids are absorbed more efficiently than whole food, carbohydrate powder can be highly effective.

Beware because while carbohydrate powder supplies your body with energy, it may cause your body to burn less stored energy. According to research published in the May 2010 issue of "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise," consuming protein powder prior to exercise promoted increased calorie-burning in the 24 hours after the workout, while consuming carbohydrate powder did not.

I'm not too concerned with the above since I will only be using carb powder during long runs and before half marathon races. But I may mix the two since I need all of the calorie-burning tricks I can get!

Recovering from Bad Food Choices

In my first week on Weight Watchers, I lost 3.6 lbs. I lost another 1.4 lbs this week reaching 5 lbs within 2 weeks! What I've noticed, however, is that my attitude towards weight loss has changed tremendously. Although I have cheated and messed up, I've been able to get back on track much quickly than without the WW points system. Their system has shown me not only how to recover from a bad day, but also that it can be done. Before, when I messed up, I'd start to feel worse about myself and continue to make bad choices for 3-4 days. With these tools, I'm able to recover quickly.

So, over the weekend, I was supposed to run 13.1 miles but ended up doing 11.5. It was excruciating! Remember when I said I messed up? Well, I certainly felt during the run. My legs felt tight and I had no energy to keep going. By mile 9, my legs were so sore, I had to sit down just to feel better. I had no choice but to finish; there was no one to take me home.

When I finally made it home, I could barely move. After a massage and 2 hours of rest, I made it to the bathroom. And there was white salt all over my face! This had never happened to me before but I recall that it's common among endurance runners. Apparently, I was low in sodium and my body was not hydrating correctly. Although I was drinking water, I was not giving my body the salt it craved. To avoid this problem in the future, I'm going to add Elete to the water I carry. I'll be adding Elete to my water the day before a long run and the day after. Some runners have died due to this condition, hyponatremia. You can read more about it here.

My First Weight Watchers Meeting

When I told my family and friends I was joining WW, they asked why. And for a minute, I didn't have an answer. I know what to do plus I workout and run 4+ times a week. But, when I finished my very first meeting, I had my answer.

When I arrived at the meeting, I weighed in at 156.2 lbs. I knew I had gained the weight back due to my September injury, but it still hurt. The leader went around the room and congratulated members for meeting or exceeding their goals. The encouragement was genuine and it made you feel like anyone can do it.

The topic for the week was eating at restaurants. And I was so glad! I really needed to get some tips regarding this. The leader as well as a few lifers gave some obvious and not so obvious tips regarding dining out. I'm going to incorporate them all:

1. Do your research beforehand and look up their menu on their website. Most restaurant sites also have nutrition information so they're making it easier for those with dietary restrictions.
2. If you are doing Weight Watchers, pick your meal and calculate the points before you arrive. This should hopefully prevent you from changing your mind to a less healthier option.
3. Do not read the menu when you arrive. This also keeps you from changing your mind.
4. You can save your Weight Watchers points for your restaurant meal. This is easy since most fruits and vegetables are zero points. You can also drink your 64 oz of water which will help you feel full throughout the day.
5. I know some people bring Crystal Light for their water, but have you considered bringing your own salad dressing? One lady suggested it and said she never met a waiter who was bothered by it. I really liked this tip.

So, the meeting was not just motivating, it was also encouraging. As I mentioned before, I work out alone and Weight Watchers allows me to meet other women with the same goals and challenges as me. And I already learned a lot about myself in just one week.

When I'm home, I barely eat. The first day, I had only eaten 5 points by 6pm. I'm supposed to eat 26 points a day! However, as the week progressed, I got really busy and spent most of my time out of the house and at restaurants. I quickly lost my points. I was so frustrated I was ready to give up. But, I hung there. Today, on my way to Virginia Beach, I ate at McDonald's and Chik-fil-A and had only used 17 points. I made healthier choices such as oatmeal, yogurt parfait and a side salad with no dressing. And believe it or not, I was full!

I think I'm getting the hang of this thing. But, this is only week one. And I haven't had a long run yet. I'm curious to see how my eating will be after running 13.1 miles. Wish me luck!

Weight Watchers

I just came back from a road trip to Philadelphia. We went to visit family and we planned on staying with my sister and eating home cooked meals. Neither happened. We booked a hotel at the last minute and as a result, we ate a lot of take out and restaurant food. I tried to make healthy choices, but I know my weakness lies in eating out. So, I signed up for some help.

I never joined Weight Watchers before although it has crossed my mind. I have been able to lose weight on my own and I'm confident that I can, but this time, I'd like to meet with and talk with women who are going through the same thing. I do everything on my own: running, working out, healthy living; I'm a little tired of it. I'm a stay-at-home mom and I do all of my activities while my husband is at work and my son is at school. I don't have the opportunity to join other women on runs since they do so first thing in the morning or after work. I'm actually looking forward to the meetings.

Another reason I decided to join was so I could learn to make better choices when I eat at restaurants. Over the weekend, I ate salads and other vegetarian meals but when I weighed myself, I was still the same weight I was last month, 157 lbs. My first half marathon is next month and I really want to lose this weight. It'll not only help with my speed and endurance, it'll be beneficial for the osteoarthritis in my knee.

So, my first meeting will be Thursday. I'm pretty excited.

Follow Up To Coffee Addiction Cured...

If need be, read this first: http://workoutwifey.blogspot.com/2013/02/coffee-addiction-cured-with-colonic.html

The second visit went a lot smoother and afterwards, I stuck to the recommended diet. I didn't feel sick at all and was able to run errands and work out the following day.
So, I must say the results are amazing. I still have so much energy. I haven't had coffee STILL and I haven't had my mid-day naps. After a week of adhering to the diet, I did eat some fries and felt terrible after. My stomach was hurting and I my body felt sick. It was a dumb move but I was hungry; I definitely learned my lesson.

Before the colonic, I weighed 157 lbs. After the colonic, I weighed 152. I lost 3 inches off my waist and amazingly, I also lost inches off of my thighs! That has been my trouble spot for years and would always be the last area to lose weight. Curious, I researched why fat is so difficult to remove:

"The body protects itself against toxic, acidic lifestyles and diets by making and using fat. Think of fat as your parking places for environmental, dietary, and metabolic acids that are not properly eliminated via urination, perspiration, defecation and/or respiration. You can now say that fat is saving your life. Be glad that fat was not accumulating inside your veins and arteries."

The colon cleanse removed the toxins, thereby erasing the need for my body to store fat. So, the key would be to continue to eat healthy. And considering how those fries made me feel, it should be easy. I don't expect to NEVER eat CRAP again, but I've come to the point where I do not want to harm my body in any way. That's a huge first step.