Riding The Yo-Yo

My weight had gotten down to 165.5 lbs. on the home scale before Thanksgiving weekend intruded. When I weighed myself on Friday morning, I was 171 lbs. Further weighing put me at 170.5, 170, and 170.5. Today, I got a weight that approximated normal for the first time. After some fluids, a workout and a visit to the toilet, I was 166.5 lbs., just a pound heavier than when the weekend started. I suspect that's about right. I did overeat during the weekend, not massively at any time, but a bit here and a bit there. It adds up!
So, the question then crops up, how could I have appeared to have put on about 5 lbs? The answer, though both conjectural and multi-faceted, is really simple. During the holiday, I ate things that were different from my normal diet. Some were saltier, and that added salt likely pulled additional fluids into my body. Also, larger amounts of food being consumed resulted in more food being held in my digestive tract. The combination of these effects could easily have made up the five pounds. Four of it is now gone, but the overeating seems to have added about a pound of adiposity to my body. I now have 6.5 lbs. to get off me by year end, several parties between now and then, and the usual year-end "junk around the office" to contend with. Discipline will pay, but I must be disciplined.

Superb Pizza in Astoria, NY

OK, so I'm not a restaurant reviewer, but I believe that good food satisfies you faster and better than not-so-good food. I had the pleasure of being introduced to a place that serves good food this weekend. Coming from the New York City metropolitan area, there's no lack of good pizzerias, so when I find a place that serves really extraordinary pizza, I want to recognize it. The place I was introduced to is an Italian Restaurant in Astoria, Queens called Sac's Place. The pizzas are cooked in a coal burning oven using excellent ingredients. I understand that this kind of care and attention to detail is applied to their entire menu (which is pretty reasonably priced). Many of the recipes used at the restaurant have been in the owner's family for generations. The pizza here my well have been the best I've ever eaten. You can find Sac's Place at 25-41 Broadway in Astoria, NY. If you find yourself in the area, stop in, you won't be disappointed.

Noise May Cause Heart Attacks

A recent German study seems to show a link between high levels of noise and the frequency of heart attacks. I saw an article about the study in Forbes Magazine's website. While the study can not be regarded as conclusive, it certainly raises an interesting issue. It should also encourage local authorities to enforce noise ordinances. One of the more interesting twists is that environmental noise seems to increase the heart attack risk in men by only 50% but in women by 200%, yet workplace noise seems not to affect women while increasing the heart attack risk for men by 33%.

Another Thanksgiving Is Imminent

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who read this blog! Thanks for being there. Your comments help me to know that I'm not shouting into empty space.

I wanted to post a link to last year's pre-Thanksgiving post. It has several tips to help with weight management on Thanksgiving. Here it is a year later, I weigh more...so, have I learned anything? I think I have, to last year's list of how I will control my eating on Thankgiving, I'll add:
filling up on plain vegetables (raw or steamed/boiled - no sauces)
minimizing my intake of cheese served as an appetizer (I LOVE cheese, there's no other way to say it, and I often tend to overeat it, not arriving hungry should also help with this.)

I do face a minor exercise challenge. I have scheduled another activity on Thanksgiving morning in place of my usual race (I will be at the race, just otherwise involved). So, the question becomes: Do I run the course after the race? Do I get out early for a pre-race run? Also, a storm is expected to hit the NY city metro area in the overnight - just how bad will the weather and road conditions be in the morning?

On a more somber note, Ruth M. Siems, the lady who invented Stove Top Stuffing died. I saw it in the New York Times. Her obituary can be found here (Note that the link will go bad in about 2 weeks; after that, you'll need to pay to see it. Also, you must register for at least portions of the Times site.) I found the timing (shortly before Thanksgiving) to be a bit ironic.

Finally, I hadn't pointed it out before, but I've been blogging for over a year now, so I'm counting this as my anniversary post.

My New Running Style

Since springtime, I've been working (to varying degrees) on changing my running style from being a heel striker to being a mid-foot/forefoot striker. I did this because I believe it will help my running performance, but I also believe it is a healthier way to run.
When we strike the ground first with our heel, shock is absorbed by the heel of our shoe, but the energy remaining is transmitted up through the foot, ankle, lower leg, knee, upper leg, hip joint, pelvis, spine and eventually to the head. The point is that all of those impact forces add up, beating up the body, adding a recovery burden and increasing the "cost" of training.
If we strike with the mid or fore foot, then lower our heel to give our calf and achilles rest, then raise back up, accelerating us, then it should be possible to both run faster AND bear less punishment in training. This information is well described in Ken Bob Saxton's Running Barefoot website. I have done a couple of training runs barefoot and have found that it can be a wonderful feeling, but if you find yourself running over debris, it can fast become painful and unpleasant. The reason for introducing the concept of barefoot running is that because of the lack of cushioning, barefoot runners MUST use this type of form. It could be argued that this form is more natural, but I won't bother with that, rather I will ask that you look at pictures of top distance runners and you will see that they rarely have their feet flat on the ground (some of my favorite pictures can be found on Leo Kulinski, Jr's website - with the shot of Craig Virgin and Toshihiko Seko, about 2/3 down the page, as my favorite among these).
I have now progressed to a level where I can run several miles with a mid/forefoot strike without either unreasonable calf soreness or irritating my plantar fasciitis. I now consider this to be my normal running style. This post should be considered as a warning to those of you who have been near me in races, that if this works as I expect, you'll be seeing my back in races next spring and summer.

Good Whole Grain Article

In last weekend's Parade Magazine, there was a good article on whole grain foods. Titled Whole Grains 101, it covered a lot of the basics on why whole grains matter, along with some possible pitfalls. Some of you may have it in your recycling pile, otherwise, you should be able to find the article here in a few days.

My Progess - Autumn 2005

You can track my weight loss progress here:
I discovered my weight had spiraled upwards to 174 lbs. and posted it on 10 Oct. I also posted my goal of getting to 160 lbs. by year end. Then, I realized the situation might not be so bad. I was still progressing around 10 Nov. Continued progress the week of 17 Nov. Now I have competition! Thanksgiving has passed, and I've gotten a handle on the damage done.

Nothing Like Competition

My wife annonced this morning that she wanted to compete at weight loss. Her weight's gone up to 129 from her usual 124. (I knew those little dishes of ice cream most nights would get her!) So, she has 5 lbs. to lose, I have 5.5 lbs. to my goal. If we both make goal, nobody pays; if one makes it and the other doesn't, it costs them a dollar (you know the penalty doesn't really matter to us, it's the merciless teasing that will really make the difference). We didn't determine what happens if we both don't make it, but I'll keep you posted.

Not Quite As Fat

In the ongoing saga of this bout of weight loss, I'm pleased to say that I am continuing to make progress, I'm just not sure how much. I got on the scale on Tuesday evening and showed an after-dinner weight of 166 lbs. I'm likely about a pound lighter than that, but I've neglected to get an early morning weight, so I can't be sure. I am still on track for 160 by year end.

Note: I weighed the morning after I posted this and was 165.5.

An Easy Way To Lose Ten Pounds Fast!

In the past, on this blog, I've shown you how to lose weight quickly and easily. This post will serve as a home for many of these postings. Those of you who want to use this fast, safe, and easy program should add this page to your favorites now. You should probably do it even if you're just thinking about it. You can always delete it later.

Many of the things I have discovered in managing my weight and in assisting others with their weight are outlined in these posts: One idea that helps you manage your weight is food substitution. Eating appropriately sized portions is another key to successful weight management. Exercise is another key to success, but it can't stand alone. You can find the best exercise here. By the real secret to managing you weight is the magic bullet. You can find one of the little tricks I found useful when dieting here.

There's a study showing that low-fat diets are generally more successful than low-carb diets.

You can find out about why whole grains are healthier than refined flour.

I've said that exercise is important, you can find out why here. If you think bowling will help, please read this. (Those of you who are bowlers, don't panic. Bowling is a great and fun activity, just don't expect it to help you to lose weight, and keep the beer and snacks to a minimum and try to stay clear of the smokers.)

I hope you find this information to be helpful and of interest. This post will be updated regularly, the last update was on 17 Nov 05.

An Underprepared Marathon

This past weekend, a friend of mine told me that he was going to run his first marathon this coming weekend. He asked me if I had any advice. I asked him about his training. He told me that his longest run was 16 1/2 miles. It was clear (as is often the case) that he was underprepared.

Does this mean that he should not run? If he runs, what kind of adjustments should he make? I should tell you that my first marathon, I was slightly underprepared and in my second, I was grossly underprepared. I have some personal experience in this area. It is a knowledge base that can be useful in a situation like the one facing me this past weekend.

He had done enough work that getting through the marathon was not likely to be a huge struggle, but he must be wise in how he runs it. Bravery could, in his case, mean posting a DNF (did not finish). My advice to him was two-fold: go slower than you think you need to; and take sugars. In my first marathon, I learned the second lesson hard, very hard. I was still young - 30, and thought I knew what I was doing. I ran well, and at mile 18 was still feeling good enough that I decided to pick up the pace a bit. Time has taught me that that is too early to pick up the pace, but more significantly, I was running on water ONLY. By not taking sugars, the only sugars I had in my body were those that were there before the race, so no replenishment of sugars could occur. I got to 23 miles in almost exactly 3 hours, but needed to walk a little. I began walking, got my head together, and started running again. About 100 yards up the road, I was walking again. The disturbing thing was that I hadn't decided to walk, the body just did it. I was no longer capable of running. My finish time was just over 4 hours.

The value of the wisdom gathered can be shown in my second marathon. I had done very little preparation. In spite of this, I didn't struggle, and my finish time was only about a half-hour slower than my first. Why? I took sugars, and, recognizing that I was grossly undertrained, stayed well within my limits. The result was that I finished tired, sore but without having paid a heavy price. Since then, I've run three others, and while I could have run more, have chosen to run these for performance, in pursuit of a goal - Boston.

I have confidence that my friend will finish the marathon, and I think he will do respectably well at it. His level of undertraining is not too bad, and he's a determined sort of person. He's also young and active enough to have an innate strength level I can barely remember. I'm interested to see his result.

Running's Hot-Stove League

Last weekend's ING New York City Marathon gave runners a lot of material for debate. Hendrick Ramaala's gutsy performance raised some interesting questions, and the tactics involved will doubtless lead to interesting speculation. The photos of Ramaala stumbling and falling as he and Paul Tergat kicked to the line were spectacular and graphic, but the race may well have been decided on First Avenue.
Both Tergat and Ramaala are experienced marathoners, so if mistakes were made, they were likely well reasoned tactical choices that may have failed to yield the desired result. Ramaala surged on First Ave, putting in a 4:21 mile and forcing anyone who wanted to win to cover that move. Only three racers went with Ramaala, Robert Cheriyot, Meb Keflezighi and Tergat. Consistently, as the pace was pushed, Tergat sat on the shoulders of the leaders, essentially doing what the cyclists call "wheel-sucking." Staying with the leaders, but not contributing the hard work of leading the pace, nor expending any unnecessary energy. In cycling, this is considered a no-no, but in running, the tactics that cyclists use to drop these leaches can't be used (the lower speeds make it impossible), so such behavior is considered both acceptable and wise. Later in the race, a surge dropped Cheriyot, then on Central Park South, the pace rose to a level that Meb's limited training since a summer injury could not sustain, so he was relegated to third.
That final dash into Central Park had both Tergat and Ramaala alternately leading, and as the line approached, Ramaala's legs simply couldn't find that little bit of additional speed that Tergat had, and Ramaala began to stumble. Tergat won that spectacular finish. It now comes down to the question, What if Ramaala hadn't pushed so hard on First Ave? Would the field have still shrunken to 4? Would someone else have pushed to open up the race? If so, would it have changed the first man across the line? These questions can be discussed forever, and nobody will ever know, but one thing that can never be taken away was the spectacular finish that Ramaala and Tergat gave us racing fans last Sunday.

Veteran's Day

Fighting in The Great War ended at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918. This armistice laid the groundwork for the Treaty of Versailles to be signed the following year. Over the years, this day, originally called Armistice Day has been renamed Veteran's Day, and a second great war caused The Great War to be renamed World War I.

I see Veteran's Day as a day set aside to say, "Thank You" to those who have served their country. It differs from Memorial Day, which honors the memory of those who did not return. Veteran's Day recognizes those who did come back. Too often, we fail to recognize those around us while they are alive for the many acts they have done on our both individual and collective behalf. I ask that you please make a point today of saying, "Thank You" to a veteran.

Most of the veterans of World War II are now in their 80's and older, they don't have too many years left. The Korean War veterans are not too much younger. Those who fought in Viet Nam probably had the toughest time emotionally because their service was often derided at the time because the war was unpopular. I hope those who oppose the war in Iraq continue to make clear to the veterans of Iraq that their opposition is to war, not to the soldiers. We must also not forget those who served in Desert Storm, in U.N. peacekeeping forces or in the small wars and skirmishes that often become footnotes to history. Nor should we forget those who served in times of peace or served in peaceful activities in times of conflict. To all of you, I extend my heartfelt thanks.

As I left my house this morning, I must confess that I failed to put up my flag. I ask those of you who can put up a flag today to please do so. Help recognize those who served, and if you can, say, "Thank You", to a veteran.

A Smaller Blob

I weighed myself yesterday morning. It was the first time that I realized I was next to the scale and hadn't had a drink, so why not? My weight...167! Yesss! Down 2.5 and feeling good. I'd been to the gym (or outside) for 6 of 7 days prior. The efforts are paying off, perhaps not as fast as I'd hoped, but still pretty well. I've cut virtually all soda from my diet. Not a hard choice, though I do find myself jonesing (should that be capped?) for one now and again.

After the weigh in, I did a hard, short walk and did my lifting. Today, my legs feel beat, even though I went easy this AM. The DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) is here. It feels like I hit things about right, it's there, but just mild.

My plantar fasciitis was bugging me this morning, so I did some extra stretching. I hope it keeps it at bay.

Other Medical Situations

During my work at the New York City Marathon, I came upon a collapsed runner who was getting medical attention. He was conscious, though apparently had been incoherent prior. He was at one of those spots in Central Park where getting medical attention in is very difficult. He'd collapsed just a short distance from a water stop and had three people there, a medical person (I'm not sure of their official title) and a communications person and a friend. I can only assume the friend was running with him or he'd never have found him - the friend had no number, so I'm guessing he jumped in either for emotional support or because he thought his buddy was in trouble.
Since getting the ambulance there was a problem, I asked if there was anything that I could do. The response was that since they were unsure of how long it would be for the ambulance, getting him a blanket (heatsheet) might be helpful. I stripped off my pack and dashed up to the medical station to get one. On my return, I was hammering hard enough that I managed to run past them. (They were tucked off the roadway against snow fencing.)
This was a situation that could probably have been better managed if an old fashioned stretcher had been available - some of us could have carried him over to meet an ambulance. I think stretchers of this type have been largely relegated to "wilderness medicine." His level of care was good, and I have a suspicion that he could have walked out of there pretty soon after I last saw him. I saw the medical person later, and she said that the ambulance had finally gotten there and he was taken away and seemed to be doing well.
My third little issue with medical occurred in the same area. A runner had apparently sat down due to cramping in his thighs. He had two young, attractive medical workers rubbing liniment into his thighs. A co-worker commented on how lucky he was to have them helping him.
Finally, I was asked at one point to bring some salts to the radio guy who was stationed near the spot where the collapsed guy was located. Again, the pack was stripped off and away I went (though at an easy trot this time). When I got there, they said they were low, but would give part of what they had. I was expecting a medical looking envelope of some kind of mixed sodium and potassioum salts, instead I got several packets of restaurant salt. It was for consuming and would certainly do the job, but my expectations were in a whole other place.

A Frightening Experience

I spent most of this weekend involved in activities related to the New York City Marathon. The marathon proved to be remarkable, coming down to a sprint to the finish on the men's side, with Paul Tergat of Kenya winning by the slimmest of margins over a stumbling Hendrick Ramaala of South Africa. The women's race was won by Jelena Prokopcuka of Latvia. Among Americans, Meb Keflezighi and Abdi Abdiramam finished third and fifth respectively; while on the women's side, Jen Rhines finished eighteenth.

On this day that was too hot for most runners, I was working at the race. In the evening, one of my teammates, an older man, was walking it in, and I joined him in order to hook up with the rest of my team. After he finished, he felt light-headed, and took some water and a granola bar. We got his bag and tried to get him attention for a blister on his foot. The medical tents had closed by this time, and the EMT's were prohibited from popping the blister (ain't bureaucracy wonderful?). As the EMT's were leaving, he got up to begin the trip out of the park and dropped like a stone. A quick shout got the EMT's back and doing the things they could do. Thus began a brief odyssey into the world of medicine.

I have to say that the level of professionalism exhibited by the ambulance crew was superb. They lifted him onto the stretcher, strapped him in, and got him up to to location with the ambulances. They'd taken his blood pressure immediately on getting him onto the cart. When they got him up to the ambulances, we gave him (with permission) Gatorade to try to replenish his fluids, sugars and electrolytes. Upon getting him up to the ambulances, they again took his pulse and blood pressure. They then asked if he wanted to be transported to a hospital. My friend declined. Everyone was taking their time (he seemed in no danger, and everyone seemed to recognize that time and appropriate fluids would likely do the trick) and after a few minutes rest and about 12 oz. of Gatorade, he got the "you're being released against our recommendation" also known as the CYA warning (thus, covering the butts of the ambulance crew if anything was more seriously wrong), was told that if problems persisted, he should call 911, and was released.

A very slow trip down the subway stairs began the long trip home. In the station, a cop told us (as participants and volunteers) to use the gate for free entry into the subway. Timing meant that we had most of an hour to pass in Penn Station before our train out of the city. As a result, we got some fast food for dinner, further allowing him to replenish his body, and by the time to go down the steps to the train, he was fine aside from the normal weakness that 26+ miles in your legs will cause.

Discussion after the fact indicated that he'd taken only water on the course. I was a bit surprised, as so much press has been given to the risks of hyponatremia. I gave the take ade or alternate ade and water lecture to him. When he went down, it was a bit frightening, partially because he dropped so fast and partially because I've heard too many stories of needless deaths at marathons and similar events.

The lesson: Take your sugars and electrolytes during the marathon to minimize any problems. From experience, I can tell you that since I started taking ade and using gels during marathons, I've never hit the wall. I don't know if that's enough to say it will prevent it, but it likely helps.

The Butt is Still Lard Laden

I got on the scale this morning to see how my diet was progressing, and the results were less than thrilling. Having expected to see an number close to 165, I saw instead 169.5. I could rationalize it, raising the issue that I had drunk about a pint of liquid (about a pound) and was dressed (another 1/2 to a pound), but in the end, it does not really matter. I have to ratchet up my efforts (not the easiest thing in a house chock full of Halloween treats).

I have been to the gym every day this week, so I am burning some calories, but my weight lifting and running may have caused some fluid retention as my body tries to repair some tissue damage. All this said, I must buckle down and get the weight off. My goal (if I haven't said it before) is 160 by year end.

What's Your BMI?

For most of us, we can get a good understanding of our weight by calculating our BMI (body mass index). The BMI is essentially a mathematical version of the old height and weight charts. It is easy to tell from your BMI if you are classed as normal, overly thin, overweight, or obese.

Some people argue about the validity of the numbers, but for the great majority of us, they are a very good indicator. The underweight category applies to those with BMI's of 18.4 and under. Normal weight ranges from 18.5 to 24.9. Overweight ranges from 25.0 to 29.9; while 30.0 and above is considered obese.

You can find a good BMI calculator at the National Institutes of Health's National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's website here: BMI Calculator. It offers both US (feet and inches with pounds) and metric (centimeters with kilograms) calculators, and once you've calculated, it gives the information for you to interpret your results.

I've found that many people will condemn the BMI because it does not give the results they desire. A very small percentage of the population will fall outside the norms established by BMI. Generally, unless you are a bodybuilder or either extremely large or small boned, the results will be appropriate. I will also tell you that it is generally regarded as healthier to be fit and slightly overweight than unfit and normal weight.

Because I am currently heavy, my height of about 5 feet, 10.75 inches and 170 lbs, puts my BMI at 23.9 - towards the upper end of the normal range. When I was at my recent lightest, at 151 lbs, my BMI was 21.2 - slightly below the mid-point of the range. When exercising extensively while in my 20's, I would usually get down to about 142 lbs, making my BMI 19.9. Finally, back in high school, racing at a weight that almost anyone but a runner would call too thin, I was 135 lbs. and my BMI was 19.0 - still in the normal range.

I would be remiss if I did not also point out that my numbers were not always so good. Several years back, my weight peaked at 197 lbs, and my BMI was 27.7, putting me solidly in the middle of the overweight range. I will also tell you that at that weight, my blood pressure was threatening to cross the line into hypertension. (I was typically about 135/85 and hypertension begins at 140/90.) If you want evidence that the advice to "maintain a normal weight" works to control blood pressure, my current BP is about 120/80 (and I sometimes see readings at 110/70).

Know your BMI and track it. It is a good indicator for most of us. You also probably know (at least intuitively) how your bones are built compared to most others of your gender. I know I fall right around average, so should likely fall near the middle of the normal range. Those who have finer bones should likely aim for the lower portion of the normal range (18.5-21.7), while those with big bones should aim for the upper part (21.8-24.9).

October 2005 Index

Index To October 2005 Posts

General Health:
Why it's good that I got sore:
http://scootersweightloss.blogspot.com/2005/10/happy-soreness.html

Here's some talk about the (potential) dangers of Teflon:
http://scootersweightloss.blogspot.com/2005/10/canary-in-coalmine.html

Walk Your Child to School Day is important to me, here's why:
http://scootersweightloss.blogspot.com/2005/10/walk-your-child-to-school-day.html

Here I talk about why I chose to add weight lifting to my fitness regimen:
http://scootersweightloss.blogspot.com/2005/10/my-legs-are-beat.html

Inspiration:
I'm afraid I didn't touch on this category this month.

Running and Fitness:
Why it's good that I got sore:
http://scootersweightloss.blogspot.com/2005/10/happy-soreness.html

A pre-showing discussion or ESPN's movie on Roger Bannister titled Four Minutes
http://scootersweightloss.blogspot.com/2005/10/congratulations-dr-bannister.html

The frightening recognition that I hadn't been managing my weight:
http://scootersweightloss.blogspot.com/2005/10/great-white-whale.html

Recognizing that things may not be quite as bad as they seemed:
http://scootersweightloss.blogspot.com/2005/10/maybe-cloud-isnt-so-black.html

Here's some discussion about John Cotey's The Skinny blog:
http://scootersweightloss.blogspot.com/2005/10/skinny.html

Here I talk about why I chose to add weight lifting to my fitness regimen:
http://scootersweightloss.blogspot.com/2005/10/my-legs-are-beat.html


Other Stuff:
Pointing out some changes to the blog format:
http://scootersweightloss.blogspot.com/2005/10/some-changes.html

Some Commentary On Design:
http://scootersweightloss.blogspot.com/2005/10/good-design.html