Weighty Issues

I think I mentioned on this blog about how I tend to gain weight when I'm running, and more weight during my peak running. I've concluded that it must have something to do with my metabolism getting more efficient with calories as I increase the demands--an inbred survival mechanisms.

Well, it sure doesn't seem to remember how to be efficient when the hard training lets up.
After less than a week of cutting back my mileage AND my evening trips to the gym, I promptly lost a couple pounds despite and increase in daily calories. No biggie.
BUT after taking a few days completely off, and a lot less milage for the last couple weeks, I lost another couple pounds....putting me about 5lbs under where I was at my peak weight this summer, even if only a couple pounds under where I seem to gravitate to.

I know it's not much, but I was too skinny to start with. Even at my "setpoint" I had the goal of gaining, although my body seemed to fight it. Whether or not this was a good goal or not, whether ever managing to gain weight would help or hurt my running [only questioned since I found myself running worse whenever I ate myself sick--and then my metabolism would speed up and I'd lose the initial gain anyways]....the one thing I DO know is that I can NOT afford to lose.
I definitely have to turn this trend around, running or not, and take it as far as I can. At LEAST get back to the point where I was strongest and running my best, and see if I can't manage to push it even further and possibly gain more strength, not to mention a solid, injury-resistant, foundation to hold up to my bigtime athletic dreams.

Improving my foodie-ness! :-P

Ok, so I've had a bit more time to prepare food today without classes or work [although I really should be tackling a mega to-do list!], but I have to admit, I'm quite proud of some *cooking* done[for me!] and *real food*, plust some new stuff than my norms...and just had to brag a little.
In fact, after reading blogs where my friends post pictures of meals, I wished I was more camera savvy this morning--I was so pleased with breakfast:

Oatmeal: oats [duh] + sunflower seeds, walnuts, dried blueberries, cinnamon
3 hard boiled eggs
apple
milky coffee :-P

=not only something different [vs. cereal, bars, and cottage cheese--my norm!], but an athlete's powerhouse! Between the quality carbs in the oatmeal, vitamin E in the seeds, omega's in the eggs and walnuts, antioxidants in the apple and especially the blueberries, and a good dose of protein and healthy fats, I feel really proud of myself, even if there was nothing TRULY extraordinary about such a standard breakfast.

Fun Foodie Post!

Since eating is such a big part of my life, some of my little eating quirks and traditions are right up there with all the other habits and traits different people have in their lifestyles.
So I thought just for fun I’d post some of my fooding sorts of quirks…

Ø I love cereal. I eat it by the box unless it’s high fiber or has artificial sweeteners. But I have to have a MIX. I don’t like just flaky, just crunchy, just sweet. Something flaky + a fiber/crunchy cereal is my usual combo.

Ø While I like some of the strangest foods, foods that most people wouldn’t eat plain, and will try about anything, I’m not a big fan of the standard “favorites.” I don’t really like pizza, except for a nice thick crust [and no cheese!], and I’m not crazy about chocolate. As a kid I didn’t even like peanut butter!

Ø I hate leaving just a little bit left in the bottom of something. I don’t’ know how many times I’ve finished something, eating more than I wanted or something I don’t like/am intolerant of [from someone else] just because it bugged me to have a container with a few bites left.
[Ironically my family does the opposite—they have this crazy tendacy to get full suddenly with one bite left! Drives me nuts in a funny sort of way.]

Ø On a similar note, whenever I eat something creamy like cottage cheese, yogurt, or ice cream, I have to “scrape up the remains.” I always top these items off with some sort of bread or a banana to clean the container.
I’ve come up with some gross but tasty concoctions that way:
-melted ice cream + cottage cheese + bagel
-oatmeal + yogurt + tortilla and fruit
Ø I have a “system” when I eat where I like to follow spicey with sweet/creamy with crunchy/sweet. Or some sort of think like that. I won’t just eat one thing. I’ll do cereal to creamy to salty or a spicy dinner to creamy to snacky. And I like to end with something to drink to wash it down. Normally coffee or juice [though I prefer the dreaded Mountain Dew!] early on in the day, and warmed up lactaid milk at night.

Ø I think things to be either REALLY HOT or REALLY COLD. I’m notorious for sticking dinners, not long off the stove, in the microwave, and putting my apples in the back of the fridge or even the freezer.

Ø I like to top my meals off with a warm drink. When it’s too late for coffee, I’ll go for some warmed up milk of all things! This started back when I used to drink vanilla soy milk, in an attempt to make a vanilla version of hot chocolate. I soon discovered how soothing just plain warm milk was—and puts a nice filling cap on whatever I just ate.

To come: "Too much of a good thing Part 3: PROTEIN gone extreme"

[I wanted to keep these altogether, but have some other stuff I want to post before I have a chance to gather some of my research on this and sum it up, so I'm posting a space filler and hope to get back to it soon!]

Too much of a Good Thing Part 2

CALCIUM
Hypocalcaemia is the term used to describe too much calcium.
The more serious problems that can occur from hypcalcaemia include:
Ø depression
Ø dehydration
Ø kidney stones
Ø bone fractures
Ø sudden heart attacks
Ø calcifications [hardening] of the heart, lungs, and joints

In a less severe situation, excess calcium can cause:
Ø abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting
Ø constipation
Ø fatigue
Ø weakness
Ø excessive thirst and passing of water

The upper limit for calcium intake is 2000mg/day, or about 200% daily value.
Those at risk for exceeding this are typically ones who supplement a diet already risk in calcium. It’s a good idea to check any products, especially nutrition bars, you might eat, since these are often fortified with 10-50% daily value of calcium. It’s also a good idea to refrain from taking a calcium supplement if you already eat dairy and fortified products in your diet.

Too much of a Good Thing Part One

Those of us immersed in the world of fitness and nutrition are well acquainted with certain concepts. We think of certain things as “good, good good” and it’s easy to forget that there is in fact a point where too much of a good thing has a negative effect.
I’ve looked a lot into this, starting with realizing I was overdosing on vitamins by eating a healthy diet + fortified cereals and bars + certain supplements. Over the last year, I’ve learned that this concept of an “upper limit,” where instead of reaping positive gains you get a negative effect, applies to much more than vitamins. Here’s a summary pertaining to a few things we fitness freaks can easily get a little over obsessed with: fiber, calcium, protein, and even exercise.

Today we’ll start with Fiber:

Fiber
We see all the healthy foods promoting their high fiber content. We see health ads promoting a high fiber diet. What we don’t realize is that the average American eats <20g of fiber a day. That’s less than a couple whole grains and you minimum fruits and veggies, maybe some nuts and beans. It’s less than a serving or two of the high fiber cereals, bars, and breads we nutrition freaks tend to consume. Combine a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and veggies, almost all grains being whole, some potatoes, nuts, beans, PLUS high fiber cereals and bars and you end up in an opposite extreme.
And yes, you can have too much fiber.
Consuming a daily average >50g of fiber on a daily basis can have several negative consequences:

Constipation:
Believe it or not, at a certain point eating too much fiber has and opposite effect. Instead of moving things along, it actually backs you up.

Gas, bloating, abdominal discomfort:
The label of this effect speaks for itself. All that fiber working it’s way through [or getting stuck in] your system gasses you up, causing bloating and abdominal discomfort—not to mention the farting!

Decreased nutrient and minieral absorption:
The fiber itself isn’t the only thing that passes through your system without being digested and absorbed. Iron is an especially important mineral for the active person [or anyone who doesn’t want to feel sluggish all day!] that’s absorption is hindered by a diet too high in fiber. This is because it is typically absorbed early in the digestion process, where too much fiber hinders that process. Insoluble fiber also tends to bond to calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, preventing you from reaping the benefits of consuming foods rich in these minerals.

Amenorrhea:
While typically not the sole cause, high fiber + low fat diets are a contributing factor to this condition. And while losing your period may sound convenient, the consequences can put a permanent end to your active life. Even birth control induced periods do not send the same signals to get your body to absorb calcium and keep you from ostepenia and osteoperosis—conditions that result in constant fractures, and bones crushing down until you’re a hobbling hunchback at <30 years old.

Question

For those of you [yay I have some readers finally!! :-D] who have separate threads on your blogs, how do you do it? Like having a link to posts specifically for workouts, food journaling, etc.?