Ignoring the Sleepiness

Only 4 hours of sleep last night -- and restless hours at that. As annoying as that is, I'm really trying to just push ahead and get through my day. There is way too much that needs to get done for me to falter just because of not enough sleep.

Despite feeling quite tired, I managed to make it to the gym at my usual time and completed 10 km on the cross-trainer. I know it's not the same as running, but still, 10 km is 10 km! It got a bit tough around the 7 km mark, but once I pass that kilometer, the adrenaline kicked in and I finished in 1 hr. 17 minutes (885 calories burned according to the machine, but I don't trust it 100%).

One of the best things about getting my workout done in the morning is that it is DONE! Leaving it for later in the day just leaves the risk of something coming up and preventing me from going in.

In the afternoon I attempted to look for a new pair of running shoes ... Total fail. I didn't find any that I like. I came across a pair of Asics gel nimbus shoes and a pair of Reebok Zigtech shoes ... the Asics felt a bit heavy, but not too bad ... unfortunately they didn't have the Reebok pair in my size. I didn't want to just buy the Asics without comparing them with the Reeboks, so I just left them. Hopefully I'll get a chance to check out a few more stores later this week. I really, really need to replace the pair that I'm currently wearing. I wish I could wait until I'm in London next week as I'm sure I'll get more choices, but my feet can't wait another month. Fingers crossed I find something soon!

The term 'clean eating' has been coming up a lot in several blogs. It's also something that F asked me about yesterday. Although I have a general idea of what it is, I never looked it up. I find this simple article that broke it down into 5 main points:

1) Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables (eat fruit instead of drinking fruit juice, and if you can't buy fresh vegetables, it's better to have frozen veggies instead of canned)

2) Balance proteins and complex carbohydrates (stick to whole grains and lean meats; avoid frying - stick to grilling/steaming)

3) Avoid sodas/high calorie, sugary drinks (and sugar in general)

4) Eat good fats instead of bad fats (remove/minimize consumption of saturated fats)

5) Eat several small meals throughout the day to avoid overeating and keep blood sugar levels stable

Sounds easy enough, doesn't it?

Although it can be difficult to control the types of foods we eat when we're not at home, it is possible to control what is eaten at home. One of the best things for me is to not buy any junk food for the house at all. Inevitably if there is something in the house, it will get eaten ... so why tempt myself in the first place? Not having any soda, chips, chocolate etc. in the house means that I can't get my hands on them ... and I know that I won't drive to the supermarket just to buy a bag of chips! As for what to do when outside ... well, I guess it comes to just making the best choices possible. At the very least, there's portion control. I know it's easier said than done, but it can be done ...

I've come to realize, after this week's weigh in, the loss of inches reflects my work in the weight room ... but the gain in weight must be a reflection of my food choices. Although I try to eat healthy, I obviously am not eating healthy enough. I've got to be more careful.