1) Running and biking with a broken rib, while painful, is not nearly as bad as swimming. This morning, I had a Christmas gnome named Franklin riding on my back while I swam… every two strokes, he used a magic gnome knife to stab me in the right side. It was a fun swim, to say the least. Me and Franklin…
I swam in the outside pool. Steam was coming off the water like that scene from Gremlins. Between that and the gnome riding my back, it was very Gremlin-like.
2) I had a super productive lunch meeting with Coach Monster last week about my Ironman training. I was feeling the pressure of the training and the fear of the unknown creeping up, and (as usual) the dude calmed my fears. Not only was the meeting with the Monster good for my training brain, but he really helped me make some breakthroughs with some of my other “issues” (pull up a chair, my friend… for the list is longer than Santa’s…) …mainly my self-destructive tendencies, my negative nelly-isms, and the reasons for why this Ironman, this year coming up, now.
3) I have had a very successful week nutritionally with the Metabolic Boost and Burn method.
Down 6 pounds since Saturday (of course, I was up and down like a yo-yo over the past few weeks… see “issues,” paragraph 2, above.) But six pounds is good, and the clothes are less “I’m going to pop” and more “I can sit in these pants.” But I feel that I am on a good streak. Boosting. Eating yummy things like this Expert creation:
Seriously. Good. Grilled shrimp, crushed tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, couscous, spinach, kale. Noms noms. (Not to mention nice to have a spouse who likes to cook and makes good things when he does).
The big take away from this week is that I am learning what I am capable of handling nutrition-wise, and what I am not. For example…
Good Behavior: I am logging my food intake into my LoseIt.com app on my phone.
Corresponding Negative: I find that sometimes I lie when I log it into the app.
Good Behavior: I am focusing on the times that I eat and my portion control.
Corresponding Negative: I find that sometimes I lie when I log it into the app.
Okay, so do we see a pattern here? I think I am unlocking a nutritional component that I hadn’t noticed before… DENIAL. Nope, not a river in Egypt. I have been in denial that I could drink beer, eat crap sometimes, and be healthy.
I have been in denial that six handfuls of Goldfish crackers each night don’t “count.” That a half jar of peanut butter (on an apple! it’s healthy!) doesn’t count…
Because the first day that I “truthfully” logged my food (which coincidentally hurt my own feelings… and included ONE McDonald’s Chicken Nugget, and 1/2 small fry [horror], 75 Goldfish Crackers, a bowl Chex cereal and milk… none of which were “on plan” and which I would have normally omitted from any food log).
Welllll…..I found that just those indiscretions alone added up to an excess 650 calories! SIX HUNDRED AND FIFTY CALORIES! Ummmmm…. that’s over 1 pound a week. Over 60 pounds a YEAR. Not to mention beer and wine? (Which, BY THE WAY…I am quitting FOREVER. We won’t even talk about that, calorie-wise.) Suffice it to say, on a typical SBM Binge, I could easily imbibe an excess 1600 calories.
Ahem. ”I can’t lose weight.”
Hell YES, I can. If I stop stuffing my chubby (yet, half Iron) face.
So there you go… Coach Monster and Ilana have helped me be honest with myself about what I am eating. I wasn’t doing that before. And until I could be honest about it… I was spinning my wheels. Not that I won’t continue to struggle… but at least I know MORE about myself in the process.
Food is fuel. You wouldn’t put cookies in your Mazda’s gas tank. Don’t put cookies in your tank. Moral of the day.
(Oh, and I am still working on APPRECIATING the body I have for what it CAN DO… not simply what it looks like. And the people say… Amen.)
(Yeah that’s me in a swimsuit. The things I will do for an inspirational poster, people… sheesh! 
)
4) The Book is available on Amazon here. Yes, yes we know. I will stop talking about it. (Actually… no I won’t because I am way too excited, still.)
Feel free to email me (use “contact me” link on menu bar above), tweet me, Instagram me (swimbikemom on Instagram) pics of yourself and your copy of the book… I love it. Warms my little heart.
And my personal favorite…
I won’t name names who submitted this one. But we can safely say.. it was a BOY.
5) Finally… workouts this week (oh, this IS a triathlon blog… ooops….) have been exercises in mental strength. Some spinning (no road bike until the rib is healed), some running (ouch), and swimming (hell… pure hell).
Yes, having a cracked rib has been a challenge, for things like–I don’t know–sneezing and coughing and putting on my underpants— but most especially for my recent plank obsession. In other words, I did one plank.. and it will be the last until this puppy is healed.
One cool side effect of the rib is the massive coughing fit and constant state of gurgle I am in. Love it.
6) Today is Wednesday, not Tuesday. The title of this post is a lie. Hence, I need more sleep.
Happy Holidays, friends. Love to you all.
I am always excited to read your updates because I am new to the sport and I swear for every step forward I take, I’m 46 as of yesterday, something else gets sore or swollen and I have to back off… which leads to more eating and more weight! Denial is rampant in our country in MANY areas but this is the one that I face daily. Thanks for making me laugh and think hard at the same time! Heal up and get out there!
You just rock. Thank you for being so honest. YOU are all of us in one form or another.
SBM-I couldn’t agree more with your post. When I finally understood that food=fuel, my eating issues (mostly) disappeared. I still have “cheat” treats once in a while but it dawned on me who I was cheating when I did that-ME! So, is gorging on a brownie “worth it”? Sometimes, maybe, but I’d rather be faster, stronger, healthier and have my clothes fit better most days of the week. Keep at it-it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
You crack me up. Seriously.
But listen, you can’t beat yourself up over things. You have so much going on both physically and emotionally (hello… you signed up for an Ironman… there’s a lot of emotional stuff to deal with in just that). Listen to the advice that you give your followers. It’s the best advice you can give YOURSELF! xo
First of all, you’re a beast to be powering through training with a busted rib! Ouch! That’s just awesome! Anyone else would use it as an excuse.
Second, way to go on the weight loss! It’s so freaking hard, isn’t it? I eat WAY too much…maybe I should start logging my food intake.
Third, your book looks like it’s got some excited readers. I’d take that toilet shot as a major win. I’m always on an ipad or phone or something while I’m on the throne, not a book, so that means you’re more popular than the internet!
I know it’s hard to lose weight, I struggle with this all the time. I think you’re a tough honey badger to work through a busted rib. You looking good in that plank. I recently got my “signed” copy of your book & am enjoying it so far. Good time to get it (over holidays since I can read while at my family’s house for some quiet time). Keep up the hard work & thanks for the blogs, they are inspirational because they seem to mirror much of what I feel on a daily basis.
Thanks!
Becky
I have been in the same denial/”I can’t lose weight” place as you for the past few years. Thought all my marathon training and working out was enough to balance my lack of self-control with food. But it wasn’t. Some weeks, I was eating/drinking an extra pound of calories – per week!! This fall, I finally got serious about calories – and I am now at a lower weight than I have been at in years, I am wearing clothes I haven’t been able to squeeze into in years – but best of all, I’m finally feeling good, sleeping well and feeling positive about myself. Being honest with myself was the hard part – once I did that, the rest was pretty easy.