Insanity????

Mr. Mimi bought Insanity a while back. It’s been sitting with all the other exercise DVDs (mostly Jillian Michaels) taunting me for weeks months. I haven’t gotten the courage to start it yet. I keep bugging Mr. Mimi asking him when he wants to start. See, I had planned on doing it with him. We are each other’s biggest motivators when it comes to exercise (we don’t want the other one looking better than us!). BUT, he keeps dodging the question. So, I’ve decided, here and now, that I am starting Insanity with or without him on Monday next week. There, I’ve said it. Once this is published, there is no takesies-backsies.

I plan to have Insanity be added torture a compliment to my running regimen. The thing I want out of this most is to become stronger, more lean and toned. As some of you may have gathered (from pictures) I am not as svelte as I’d like to be. Don’t get me wrong, I am not unhappy with my body. but I always feel like if I was just a little smaller, more compact that my running would be so improved. I regularly run sub 10:00/mile with most runs (except the super hilly ones) and have even run a few sub 9:00/mile 4 or 5 milers, but I’d love the 9:00/mile to be my norm. It is pretty much a given that weighing less will mean you’ll be faster. If you are carrying 5, 10, 20 or more pounds less, you’re bound to speed up. Even Runner’s World (my internet mecca) agrees and posted a chart showing the average seconds you’ll save by losing a few pounds here or there! While the time savings may not be HUGE, in the grand scheme of things, when running races and looking for PRs, even a 10 second improvement per mile is pretty significant.

So, all that being said, I am doing Inanity starting next week. I am going to report back every so often as I know that with a program as tough as that I am going to need some accountability. What better way to stay on track than to have to answer to hundreds dozens of readers?

I also know that I need to do something about the way I’ve been eating lately. I have this thing – Monday through Thursday I am supposed to eat “healthy” – no sweets, no fried foods, no high carb foods, no snacking to excess, then Friday through Sunday I am allowed to indulge. The thing is that I have taken the idea of indulging to the extreme as of late and using it as an excuse to eat pretty much whatever I want. While that may not be the worst thing, I have forgone healthy foods for crap most weekends. For example, on Sunday, I ate pancakes with maple syrup for breakfast, granola bars for lunch, yogurt for a snack (not bad, but considering it was my vice, Noosa, and 300 calories for the 8 ounce serving, it was not great), homemade fish and chips for dinner with beer then lemony brownies for dessert (and I am not talking one or two, more like four!). What’s missing??? WHOLE FOODS, FRUIT, VEGETABLES!!!! This is getting out of hand!

So, one other thing I plan to report back every so often is how I am doing on the nutrition side of things. I know that I love sweets far to much to say I will banish them to the back of the cabinet, but I do need to learn moderation.

I ate chia seed pudding for breakfast. It was fan-freaking-tastic. I loved it. A post on Facebook inspired me to try it. The post stated the following:

“ADD CHIA SEEDS TO YOUR DIET

Once soaked, chia seeds open up and absorb 10-12 times their own volume in water. It forms a gel-like substance that is 90% soluble. When expanded, it forms a wall around ingested carbohydrates, causing them to be released more gradually.

Chia seeds are excellent source of protein, calcium, boron, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, iron, zinc, omega 3 and 6, essential oils, and fiber.

HEALTH BENEFITS:
– The expanded seeds make it beneficial fiber for cleaning out the gastrointestinal tract
– Regulate blood sugar level in diabetics
– Maintain bowel health and promote regularity
– Help to reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol
– Give a “full” feeling that reduce cravings – ideal for weight management
– Improve neurological function and mental alertness
– High anti-oxidant content and have anti-inflammatory properties
– Keep the body hydrated with electrolytes, and feeling full for longer, providing sustained energy level for the day
– Reduce joint aches and pains

MAKE CHIA SEEDS PUDDING:
– 1 cup oatmilk (or any nutmilkof choice)
– 2 tbsp chia seeds
– 1 tbsp maple syrup or raw honey
– Sprinkle of cinnamon powder
– Fruit slices of choice

Drink plenty of water when eating chia seeds to help them move along in the digestive tract.”

Hoping that it really does fill me up and keeps me from snacking too much today!

I am running 4 miles today after the kiddies are in bed. Looking forward to that. A nice, quick 4 miles on my “usual” route (flat and fast) and then home to relax.

Xoxo,

Mimi