help! my 1st masters practice

RE: help! my 1st masters practice

Former Member — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 15:47:45 GMT

WOW! :cool: I can't believe the amount of support and encouragement I've received in just the past few days. Your comments and advice has really kept me motivated and makes me want to get back in shape and feel good about myself. I swam every day since my first practice (Tuesday) I've been doing about 2,500 yards each day. I've been concentrating on long swims, drills, and kicking. I'm a distance swimmer so even when I was in the best shape of my life, I always lacked a kick and tended to just drag my legs behind me. So in my workout yesterday, I alternated 200 free, 200 kick, 200 back, 200 kick. I did kick with a board, kick on my back in streamline position, and butterfly kick on my side. I know many of you have suggested swimming with the team in their workouts even though I'm way out of shape. I just don't feel ready yet and would like to take a few weeks to practice on my own before I join the team in workouts. Since they are tapering, they seem to be doing a lot of sprint work, which I certainly am not ready for. As far as the weight management goes, I've been keeping a daily journal of what I'm eating every day. Its really helped make me realize what I'm putting into my mouth and that picking here and there does add up! I work behind a desk all day, and my workplace is the typical office where everyone brings in food from home and there is CONSTANTLY garbage food around. I've done a good job in the past few months resisting the junk food that people bring in. I always keep fruit at my desk to munch on if I get the craving. However, what I'm worried about is going into over-kill mode with the "dieting" (I hate to call it that, I'd rather just say learning to eat healthy). Yes, I realize that I need to change my eating habits...but it isn't an easy thing to do overnight and I feel like my body sometimes is going into shell-shock. I'm the type of person who likes to have a little something sweet after a meal, like just one cookie or a few chocolate graham crackers. I haven't been allowing myself to eat those types of foods, and I'm afraid I'm depriving myself. I might as well let it be known that I do have a history of an eating disorder (bulimia specifically) and I don't want to send myself into "binge mode" where one day I might gorge myself on junk food from feeling so deprived. Are there any suggestions for how I can still get my treats in but not over-do it? I'm trying to keep my food in moderation and to control portion sizes. I know I've been eating the right foods, but I think I could be eating too much of it. So, I've considered buying a food scale to help control my portion sizes, but I'm worried thats going to be too much for me to handle right now. I want to ease myself into this, rather than go full force all at once. I read up on the thread on this message board called "Swimming and Weight Loss" and I'm somewhat confused with how to control my eating habits. Some people say stop eating when you are full, others say try to incorporate 5-6 small meals a day, some say don't eat past 7pm. A lot of this is difficult for me because I don't know what constitutes 5-6 small meals, and I don't usually like to eat before swimming and the team's workouts are from 7-9 at night so I guess that throws out the 'not eating past 7' deal. Are there any basic guidelines that I could go by to help control portion sizes and to choose the right foods to eat? I've been keeping up with walking during lunch time for 40 minutes. I hoping that will help me shed the excess weight and it helps me to change up my routine. I completely agree that we spend so much time and money caring for other things (like our cars), and many of us neglect our bodies. I want to change my LIFESTYLE and way of eating and exercising. I don't just want a fast fix, although it would be a nice bonus to see the weight come off sooner than later. I want to feel good about myself and not constantly worry about what other people think. At 25 years old, I shouldn't be this overweight and out of shape...and it scares me when people say that the older you get, the harder it is to lose the weight. So I might as well start somewhere!

RE: help! my 1st masters practice

dorothyrde — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 11:06:25 GMT

Originally posted by aquageek And, dorothyde, women with curves are HOT! :cool:

RE: help! my 1st masters practice

Former Member — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 08:45:22 GMT

Originally posted by dorothyrde I don't like you guys. :mad: For me, it is all about what I put in my mouth. I even breathe fattening foods I gain weight. I can exercise myself to death, but if I don't watch what I eat, I waddle! I'm right there with you on that! It seems like I have had a constant battle with my weight, and if I over-indulge just once I'm waddling too. It makes me so mad because my boyfriend, who is thin but yet has good muscle tone, can eat whatever he wants and however much of it that he wants and he won't gain a pound. I know men and women have different body makeup and metabolism...but it just isn't fair!! I love the suggestion about the hard candy...I didn't even think of that! And that would be perfect to have after lunch when I'm craving something sweet. I definitely don't keep a candy bowl on my desk, that would be bad news for me. The only thing that I have to my advantage when it comes to resisting candy is that I hate nuts and I hate caramel even more. So I won't eat candy with either in them. Oh, and whoever said to become a "food snob"....I LOVE this! For the past few months I have been indulging in organic foods like crazy. I'm not sure if its a fact that they are healthier for you, call me stupid, but it makes me feel better than I'm buying heartier foods and when I'm in the health food store I always ask the workers about different items and new things to try. I love the idea of eating good chocolate rather than processed garbage.

RE: help! my 1st masters practice

Former Member — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 08:36:30 GMT

Originally posted by nkfrench * Don't let yourself get too hungry. * Get lots of bulky food into you - salads, vegetables, soups * Find non-food rewards for when you need to treat yourself * Don't tell whoever is messing with your schedule that you want to go swim. I say I have "an urgent appointment" so they don't think I'm off to go float on a pool lounger with a cold drink which is all they know about as far as swimming goes. All of the suggestions are good, but I'd like to add to these: Amen Amen and AMEN! My workout is a non-negotiable. That means that if I'm on a field trip with students in New Jersey (like I was two weeks ago), I get up early, let the other chaperones know I'll be gone, and I run. If I have to work late, I run in the dark with a vest and headlamp or I go to the Y. (I'd rather run in the dark than on a treadmill.) Mornings are swimming, spinning, or lifting. Even my husband knows better than mess with the woman's run. I eat throughout the day. Never let myself get hungry. I have three meals that I just spread out throughout the day. I call it the Hobbit diet...breakfast, second breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon snack, pre-run snack, post run snack, dinner, dessert. Lots of bulk...fiber helps you feel full, salads with lunch and dinner, yogurt with some fiber one. That's so helpful in just sustaining your workout. I find that something like yogurt before a swim, though, just gurgles in my stomach. (Yet I can drink coffee...go figure.) It's got to be carbs and it's got to be light. I can run on a little more, but swim or bike has to be light.

RE: help! my 1st masters practice

Former Member — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 07:50:37 GMT

Thank you all again for the wonderful responses!! The online journal is a great idea. I've spent some time checking them out to see what site I like best and which is easiest to use. I've just been using a good old fashioned notepad, which is helping me monitor my food intake, but not calories and fat. So I think the online journal will be good for me. I've been doing a good job of drinking water during the day. I used to LOATHE drinking water, but I recently gave up diet soda because although I thought it was good because it was diet, it was making me sluggish. We have a few water coolers here at work, so that helps me to keep filling up my water bottle since its free. I try to get in about 3 liters of water a day. I really appreciate the suggestions for the sweets. Like most of you have commented, I cannot give up my sweets completely or I will go absolutely crazy!

RE: help! my 1st masters practice

Former Member — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 07:09:51 GMT

My favorite thing to do since I have started to eat healthy is to go to the bake shop, look at the apple fritters, and the whipped cream filled maple donuts, and take three huge breaths of air inside the shop. That is my carb loading for the day, Then I leave with an all grain loaf of bread.

RE: help! my 1st masters practice

Former Member — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 07:09:34 GMT

When I first joined Masters I lost over 100# through careful combination of diet and exercise. The exercise was enough that when I got home at 8 pm I was hungry for more healthy foods and it curbed my appetite on the days I swam. It also relieved stress and with some new friends I met at the pool it helped with some lifelong emotional issues. It was the first time in my life that I got to my correct body weight/composition. As far as the office thing, I do much better when I pack my own lunch. I bring extra fruit and keep "emergency" foods in my cubicle to help me resist the vending machines, office candy jars, and leftovers from "food days". I don't have a good solution for people who may be well-meaning but still try to sabotage efforts. This includes the people who buy you candy for every holiday, the team lead at work that wants you to stay late and miss practice for something that isn't critical, the social/travel settings where the only food available isn't healthy and it's too long to go without. Some things I've found that helped: * Whirl a bunch of ice, a banana, some skim milk, some lite choc syrup in the blender. It is a chocolate "fix" but has to be consumed slowly due to the cold. * Hot chocolate or herb tea for colder nights after dinner. * Fruit drinks like Crystal Lite can provide the "sweet" fix * A small carton of nonfat yogurt at 4 pm can help you get through a 6 pm workout. It has enough protein to stick with you. * Don't let yourself get too hungry. * Get lots of bulky food into you - salads, vegetables, soups * Find non-food rewards for when you need to treat yourself * If you stand next to people who are bigger than you or slower than you, it makes you look good. * Don't tell whoever is messing with your schedule that you want to go swim. I say I have "an urgent appointment" so they don't think I'm off to go float on a pool lounger with a cold drink which is all they know about as far as swimming goes.

RE: help! my 1st masters practice

Former Member — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 06:51:03 GMT

I forgot to mention: ban fashion/women's interest magazines from your life. They exist to make you feel fat.

RE: help! my 1st masters practice

Former Member — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 06:48:28 GMT

Every female athlete I know went through a phase right after puberty when they thought, "If only I was skinny again like I was when I was 12 (11, 10, whatever).... then I would be as fast." This can result in a whole slew of eating problems that actually make you weaker and slower, injure you, and then screw your life up when you finally give up on competitive sports. Just think of how fast you'll be able to swim if you can get to a reasonable weight without purging or starving yourself. The guy who said food = fuel was spot on. That being said, it's hard to resist that piece of birthday cake that seems to get served every week at some office party. If you can teach yourself to avoid that and the evil candy bowl at work (you BETTER not keep one on your desk), you have won half the battle. I still say, go with smaller plates.

RE: help! my 1st masters practice

Former Member — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 06:17:40 GMT

Originally posted by aquageek Amen to that! Why do you think we all swim - so we can eat and, for some of us, drink to our heart's delight! That would be me, although I am not much of a drinker. I have never been overweight but I have had a small gut from time to time. Swimming burns enough calories that I can splurge on foods I like without having to deal with an out of shape body.

RE: help! my 1st masters practice

Former Member — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 05:32:26 GMT

Sounds like you've got some great workouts going there. How do you journal? I don't know if you're aware of online journals, but there are a few really good ones. www.sparkpeople.com is probably the best free one. You can input your food, add custom foods, and see how you're eating (carbs/protein/fat). www.calorieking.com is a GREAT place for looking up foods that may not be on sparkpeople. They too have an awesome online journal, but you pay $12.00 a year or something. I belong to them. I also belong to www.weightwatchers.com (it worked to take it off, it's working to keep it off). www.fitday.com is really good, although slower. www.journaltosuccess.com is another good, but slow site. In all of them you can also journal your exercise so you can see input vs output. For journaling exercise and keeping an exercise blog, you can't go wrong with either: www.beginnertriathlete.com which is free and fast and has a specific swim component. or www.trainingpeaks.com which is also free, but is a little slower. (I'm all about the speed, except in my swimming. LOL) One nice thing about trainingpeaks is that if you plan a workout routine, it'll send you your next day's workout via email so you know in the evening what you're doing. I used it when training for my first marathon and first triathlon. There is a paid component to both of those. I pay for a bronze membership to beginnertriathlete, even though I don't necessarily need to. The blog is beefy as is. I just think that Ron puts so much effort into making this high quality tool available that he deserves the support. For the sweets thing...I have to have sweets. I could never eat another chip in my life and die a happy camper. But take away my sweets and you've got a raging woman on your hands! It is not pretty, trust me. I tend to do: -Quaker Chewy Granola bars (the lowfat ones) at 120 cals a pop. I do those before running because they sit well on my stomach. -Fiber muffins (I make these with 3 cups Fiber One cereal, 1 box of Krusteaz fat free muffin mix or fat free brownie mix, 2 cups water, 1 can pureed pumpkin (small can), and spices, and 1 tsp baking powder and maybe a little dried fruit...makes 24 small muffins at about 80 cals a pop). High in fiber and just enough chocolate or sweet to satisfy, but still make me feel like there isn't too much damage going on -Sugar sweetened cereal (personal pref would be Lucky Charms) in a one cup serving eaten dry as a snack. If portion control is an issue, buy the single serving boxes. -94% fat free popcorn with a packet or two of Splenda and some cinnamon sprinkled on it just out of the microwave (also great with a half packet of FF or SF hot cocoa mix, or 1/4 packet of SF cider mix and a packet or two of splenda) -All Bran Bars -1/2 cup Dreyer's Grand Light Ice Cream with fresh berries -Coffee with DaVinci sugar free syrup -FF Yogurt with 1/2 cup all bran or fiber one cereal I also try to pop a piece of gum in my mouth as soon as dinner is over so I'm not reaching for a sweet snack to get the taste of dinner out of my mouth, which is a habit of mine. Plus if it's minty gum, mint does NOT go well with so many other flavors so it's easier to get over that "want" of the sweet thing while my stomach signals my brain that I've already eaten enough. I'm not a good one to give advice on obsession because I fully recognize that I am obsessed with how I eat. I'm a numbers person. I want to know how much, what time, and what I have left. I decided right at the beginning to embrace my inner-type a statistic nut and go with it. It's working for me thus far. I just try not to obsess on my obsession so that I really only have two obsession o'du jour. Those would be what I eat, and my training.

RE: help! my 1st masters practice

knelson — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 05:29:38 GMT

Originally posted by Sydney That being said, it's hard to resist that piece of birthday cake that seems to get served every week at some office party. Birthday cake? I guess I'm working at the wrong office! :)

RE: help! my 1st masters practice

Former Member — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 05:13:44 GMT

It sounds like you're off to a good start! Keep it up! It does seem like you may be trying to make too many huge changes at once. Just be careful not to completely overwhelm yourself. It's okay to make changes more slowly, like over a few weeks or months, if it will help you stick to them. If you can make all the changes at once, that's great; most people just can't stick to an entirely new lifestyle all at once. You mentioned you feel like you are depriving yourself of all sweets. I find that if I try to cut all sweets out of my diet for a week or so, I end up eating enough by the end of the next week to cancel any good it did. Instead, I try to allow myself one small cookie or candy a day, usually in the evening. That way, I'm not eating junk food all day, but I don't feel deprived.

RE: help! my 1st masters practice

aquageek — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 02:41:15 GMT

And, dorothyde, women with curves are HOT!

RE: help! my 1st masters practice

aquageek — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 02:39:58 GMT

Originally posted by dorothyrde When going out to eat, check the internet for a menu of the place you are going so you can plan before hand to have something you will enjoy but that is not to calorie laden, and then stick to it. Why in the world would you limit your intake and/or eat healthy when eating out? Eating out is about losing all control of yourself in the calorie department. BTW - bought a bag of hot cheetos yesterday, I highly recommend them.

RE: help! my 1st masters practice

dorothyrde — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 02:25:01 GMT

I don't like you guys. :mad: For me, it is all about what I put in my mouth. I even breathe fattening foods I gain weight. I can exercise myself to death, but if I don't watch what I eat, I waddle!

RE: help! my 1st masters practice

dorothyrde — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 02:09:18 GMT

Tory is giving you some really good ideas. You need to be disciplined, but in that displine plan for treats. I know the feeling of wanting something sweet, so a piece of hard candy can help that, gum. Make sure you drink plenty of water. Most people do not drink a lot. When going out to eat, check the internet for a menu of the place you are going so you can plan before hand to have something you will enjoy but that is not to calorie laden, and then stick to it. When I was losing weight, I actually found having a day off once a week worked well for me. It may or may not for you, it depends how you manage it. That day off for me allowed me to have treats or have something a little higher in calorie. I found I did not binge, and really ended up with just a slightly higher calorie day. I usually choose a day that was high yardage in swimming, so it balanced itself. Don't become scale obsessed. A scale is a tool, and so is a tape measure, and how your clothes fit, and how much energy you have when you eat 99% healthy foods. If you weigh daily, just remember, weight fluctuates. You are not a bad person because it is up, or a good person because it is down. Just use it to mark trends, and averages.

RE: help! my 1st masters practice

some_girl — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 02:05:17 GMT

I'll have to third knelson. I'm about your age, and I've lost about thirty pounds in the past year and change by eating mostly the same and upping my swimming. (I eat a lot of food and a fair amount of sweets, though not much "junk.") I now do five days/8.5 hrs. a week and eat more cupcakes than anyone really ought to. I'm still losing weight. My only other advice is to eat really good sweets. Don't have just any mass-produced cookie or candy bar--buy good chocolate, something sweet from a real bakery, etc. You eat less and it's better for you. Become a food snob.

RE: help! my 1st masters practice

aquageek — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 01:56:53 GMT

Originally posted by knelson My advice would be to not go overboard on watching what you eat. Amen to that! Why do you think we all swim - so we can eat and, for some of us, drink to our heart's delight!

RE: help! my 1st masters practice

knelson — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 01:44:51 GMT

My advice would be to not go overboard on watching what you eat. If you are working out hard several days a week you'll be burning WAY more calories than you did before and you'll lose weight if you just keep up the same diet you have been. I wasn't overweight before I started swimming masters, but I did lose at least ten pounds in the first couple months and have stayed at around that weight since. I'm only pointing this out because "your mileage may vary" if you have a lot more weight to lose than I did.

RE: help! my 1st masters practice

ande — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 10:15:54 GMT

here's my advice show up on time pick an easy lane be friendly don't lead have fun stay out of people's way if the lane you chose is too fast move too a slower lane if the lane you chose is too slow move too a faster lane take it easy only do part of the work out be consistent

RE: help! my 1st masters practice

Former Member — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 09:51:49 GMT

Originally posted by Sydney 1. Do some (at least 30 min) of exercise every day, rather than only 4 days a week (ease into it, though). As a BIG loser, I can't shout this one loud enough. It is WAY too easy to say "I'll work out three days a week!" and really really mean it, but then let life get in the way. Before you know it's Friday, your gym clothes have left you for another athlete citing "abandonment" in the divorce papers, and you forgot that you even set the goal in the first place. If instead you work out every day it is simply "something you do." I tell people it's like health hygiene the way brushing my teeth and showering every day is part of my personal hygiene. While I may not wake up in the morning and think "Hot damn I get to brush my teeth this morning! WOOO!!! Go me!" every day, I do it because I like teeth. They benefit me in many ways. Since I like them, I have to take care of them. I also like my body. It too benefits me in many ways...so why would I give it LESS attention than I give my teeth or the plants in my livingroom? Heck, many MANY Americans out there pay more attention to what they put into and onto their vehicles than what they put into their bodies. "Don't drive my baby too hard and only premium gas!" they say through mouthfuls of junk food, dragging on a cigarette. I'm preaching. I'll stop now. My second post, and already I'm preaching. I came here to ASK questions! ACK!

RE: help! my 1st masters practice

Former Member — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 09:46:27 GMT

Hey, the best of us let ourselves go. It's really easy to preach "Just stop eating" but it's more than that and those of us who have dealt with serious weight issues, understand that. I've lost and kept off 100 pounds and let me tell you, if it was as easy as "eat less, move more" I would have lost that weight WELL before I did. It was the whole mental aspect that people who have had the blessing of never having a weight issue, can't begin to understand. (At least some of them.) I will say that I think you're 100% on the right track. You have found your inner athlete and you are redefining who you are. You are not a "former athlete" you're a current athlete. I know once I started thinking of myself as an athlete (well before anyone else might even CONSIDER applying that label to me...and I'm sure it would have made many people on this board laugh), it gave me a different focus. Athletes eat well to fuel their bodies and their workouts. They train because it is a means to an end (as well as mentally and physically enriching). I'm a runner and triathlete who has a big swimming improvement goal this year (which is why I'm here) and I know that if I decide to have a fatty breakfast and then go out on a 15 mile run, good things will not come of it. Therefore I have to think about everything I eat in relation to where my training is, what my plans are, and how it will impact my performance and the way I feel. That has helped me stay lean and clean for over three years now. My own personal secret of success isn't so secret...I journal everything I eat. I'm one of those type-a control freaks (I like to refer to myself as "charmingly in control...of EVERYTHING) so to me it is comforting to know, with a small margin of error, exactly what I've eaten, how many calories I've burned, what the calorie deficit is (if necessary), and how that's averaging out over time. I also exercise daily and happen to run daily (it is the sport I love). I won't bid you good luck because this isn't about luck. It's about health...so instead good health!

RE: help! my 1st masters practice

dorothyrde — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 09:33:59 GMT

I agree, join the team now. When I joined Masters at age 38, my background was learning to swim with adult lessons 6 months prior. I stayed in the slowest lane, did what I could(rested on some of the sets when others were continuing), and just kept plugging along. I have moved up a few lanes since then. :D

RE: help! my 1st masters practice

waves101 — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 09:02:52 GMT

Erica - When I started back to master's swimming it was after a 10 year layoff. I remember being frustrated at first because I, too, was impatient and looking for results. I swam about 3x per week for about 3 months before I attempted a meet (which happened to be our state meet). I did well enough that I really caught the bug again. I still took the summer off but started preparing for the next state meet in November. Soon, I was working out 5-6x per week and doing about 100,000 yards per month. I can remember not being able to lift my arms high enough to get them under my pillow at night but the hard work paid off as I was able to get within 1 second of my lifetime best in the 100 yard freestyle (as a 33 year old). Now, 6 years later, I'm still swimming and attempting to transition into a year round swimmer (seems like every year when I take a break, it gets harder and harder to get back in shape). Anyway, my advice is to join the team ASAP. Don't worry that you think you need to build your endurance, it will come. Tell the coach you want to join and join now. Being part of the team will help motivate you to continue to show up. If you have friends (which you will develop) they help get thru the times you really don't feel like being there. In addition, they'll help you thru the plateaus that develop in the training. Good Luck and keep us posted. Just remember, the two hardest things about workouts are getting up in the morning and jumping into the pool. After that its all endorphins!