8/16/2012: Day 15 of 30
Morning weight: 177.2
Today's calorie count: 1370
Morning exercise: 8 minutes/1500 meters row machine, 20 minutes stationary bike level 11, 24 minutes/100 floors stair machine level 7. Average heart rate: 134, Max HR 162
Evening exercise: 28 minute brisk walk - did not wear heart rate monitor
Alcohol consumption: None
Younger Next Year pages read: None
Notes from book: (Quotes and very near quotes are in italics) - None.
Yesterday was a long day, with one branch meeting starting at 7:30 in the morning and another branch meeting not ending until 7:45 last night. I did not get any reading in, but I did get my walk in before I went to bed last night. Today is my last day at the bank and this evening there is going to be a little going away party for me. It would be a natural moment for me to have a drink or two, but the 30 day plan didn't include any drinking. I guess I'll have to let others have a drink in my honor!
I have no idea how late the festivities will go, but usually these things don't last more than a couple of hours. I think I should get home in plenty of time for my 15 minutes of exercise this morning. Then I have four days off!! I am looking forward to being able to get caught up on some things. This has turned into a busy week since we had so many branch meetings. It'll be good to be able to take a deep breath before the excitement starts at Castle Creations!!
Have a great day...
I think the people who say that moderate alcohol consumption is not harmful and might even be helpful are the same people who say that you only need to exercise 30 minutes, 3 days per week. I think both are just wrong. Notice in the article below that even drinking occassionally can impair fat loss.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, you need to eat a few more calories or it will be hard to maintain your workouts.
From NaturalNews http://www.naturalnews.com/035319_alcohol_body_fat_calories.html
"There are many factors that affect weight loss, making the process more complicated than it may seem. The body produces different hormones in response to different types of foods and/or drinks. Losing weight is not only about calorie consumption but also about the types of foods and drinks consumed. Alcohol is one of the worst culprits when it comes to inhibiting weight loss because it disrupts the delicate balance of nutrition, fluid and hormones needed to lose fat.
Alcohol boosts cortisol, a fat-creating hormone.
Drinking heavily or OR EVEN OCCASSIONALLY [emphasis added] increases the body's release of cortisol - the hormone that breaks down muscle and retains fat. This loss of muscle can mean a huge slowdown in one's metabolism, making it easier to gain weight. In addition, alcohol causes a drop in testosterone in men, a hormone which helps burn fat.
Alcohol also blocks the body from burning fat. Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that fat metabolism can be reduced by as much as 73 percent after only two drinks of vodka and lemonade in a one-hour time period. In effect, alcohol shuts down the body's ability to access fat stores for energy. The body needs to be well-hydrated in order to build muscle and burn fat. Alcohol has the effect of dehydrating the body...."
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, November 1999, Article De
novo lipogenesis, lipid kinetics and whole-body lipid balances in
humans after acute alcohol consumption, 928-936, Scott Q Siler,
Richard A Neese and Marc K Hellerstein
Interesting article and information. I've been thinking about alcohol consumption a lot since the beginning of my 30 day plan. I had already severely limited my drinking to one four ounce glass of wine every now and then. By every now and then I mean I would buy a bottle of wine, have a four ounce glass, re-cork the bottle, and then end up throwing the rest away because it would be two weeks before I wanted to "waste" my calories on wine again. It didn't take me throwing away very many bottles of wine before I decided that was just plain stupid.
DeleteJack drinks almost no alcohol, so it would be pretty easy to become a non-drinker, in that respect. It would not impact the types of things we do together at all. I certainly don't crave alcohol, so that is not an issue. I've used social events as an excuse to drink, but why? I've known, deep down inside, for a while that alcohol is a poison in my body. Why would I want to poison myself?
I've already decided not to drink tonight or tomorrow night (Castle Creation welcome party is tomorrow night). I've also decided not to drink at Steven's wedding. Our vacation starts on September 6th, and I have already decided not to drink while on vacation. In fact the more I think about it the more I am puzzled by why people tend to use vacations as an excuse to drink. So that gets me to mid-September.
I may have a glass of wine again someday, I have not made that decision yet, but I will say that the more thought I give it the more i am inclined to ask myself why I would want to do that. Alcohol costs money that I could be spending on athletic/cycling/camping/hiking gear. I want to spend as much of my life as possible outdoors playing. Wine does nothing to get me outdoors...it may be part of my past for good.
At the risk of sounding silly, I'm so happy about this. Since I was a child and having beer dumped down my back (more than once) or having the smell of wine and liquor soaked into the interior of a family vehicle so badly you could almost taste it I have been unable to even consider a drink. (Just the smallest whiff makes my stomach churn. I won't tell people they are bad for drinking but everyone who chooses not to drink makes me want to cheer...for whatever their reasons. Oh the amazing and awesome bodies we have. It is really incredible what they are capable of. Be it being younger next year or even tomorrow. Healing itself. Winning more battles and wars against invaders than any military in recorded and unrecorded history. No machine or computer or invention to date can top what our bodies can do if we learn and use them to there utmost instead of damaging them, ignoring them, or setting them up for failure. Now if I could just find my own inner strength to follow your example Roberta. Keep it up. I am so glad that I get to have you in my life.
ReplyDeleteRebecca, Your post is not silly. Based on what you said about your personal history you have every reason in the world to rejoice when someone you care about decides not to drink. I feel exactly the same way about cigarettes. I don't think people are bad people for smoking, but I am ecstatic when someone I care about chooses to stop smoking. I spent many a day trapped in a Chevy Nova with my parents and four siblings, the windows rolled down barely a crack and my parents chain smoking all the way from Maryland to Kansas. It pissed my off then and still pisses me off. In fact, I saw a woman in a her car in a driveway the other day, smoking away with a kid in the back seat. I wanted to take that cigarette away from her pretty badly!
DeleteI'm in an interesting place right now, emotionally and physically. I'm starting to feel good enough that I am building some momentum towards wanting to be as healthy as I can be. Giving up "The Drink" may very well become part of my "Get and Be Fit" initiative!
You have an enormous reserve of inner strength. I see evidence of it all the time. It's a difficult balance, though, when you have four kids at home. I've ebbed and flowed my entire adult life when it came to self-care. It's a great relief to me that I can now focus on my health without being distracted by little ones at home!
Excellent post! Excellent comments! I just came home from a luncheon where wine and beer were everywhere, except in my glass! Yay! We are headed out tonight to Swope Park for an Ethnic Food Festival where I am sure I will be surrounded by Lots and Lots of food AND drink! Eating a chicken breast and cucumbers and strawberries before going, and No Drinking Allowed! :)
ReplyDelete