OPT Week 9, taking the day off today, I went for a walk in the woods behind my townhouse. Had my iPod on, was in a grand ol' mood, crossed the creek feeling adventurous. Went a different path, the paths were really overgrown ... all the rain... has probably kept hikers away, and now the sun. I only got about 10 min in, and was feeling really magical, and then I saw 2 foot of a tail of a snake slithering away from me about 18" ahead of my foot. OH NO!!! I am paranoid about snakes.
Just yesterday a friend talked about seeing a black (nonpoisonous) snake in our neighborhood, but this was not a black snake.
just looked it up and I think it was a rattlesnake not a copperhead since it was more brown-grey than copper. I think it WAS poisonous because the tail was like on the bottom right of image
(left is non-venomous snake; right is venomous snake
I would love some education about snakes. The more knowledge I have the better I can handle my fear.
It took the joy out of the walk in the woods. I realize I rarely walk alone in the woods.. But I've never seen a snake back there in my 5 years living here.
I did finish my walk...
I wonder if I saw this rattlesnake: the color is right but I didn't see the head and it was not a big snake (OH I hope not: I saw the last 18")... the tail didn't stick up like I think a rattler does.. My instinct said copperhead but the color was so subdued. Timber Rattlesnake, Crotalus horridus look they even give it a name with "Horrid" in it!
It's been a while since I've seen a rattler but if I remember correctly the tail only sticks up when they are coiled or ready to strike. Slithering around I'm pretty sure the tail is flat and they don't rattle.
I grew up rural saw lots of snakes. Still don't like them.
Diana,
So what would you do, knowing there are snakes, about walking in the woods? A walking stick? wear some bells to make noise while I walk, so they know to stay away?
It's really a different feeling to think now about walking in the woods alone. I'm a bit or very scared, even if the "very scared" is irrational.
Results: MON July 6, OPT Week 10
2025 cal burned
-1176 cal eaten incl psyllium & fishoil
840 cal deficit
YES: food (1100-1200 cal) = 1624
YES: exercise: 1hr walk
YES: recovery exercises and foam roller
YES: sleep: 7 hours!!! (Espi, I went to bed at 11pm!!)
YES: water 8-12cup = 8+cups
COMMENTS: 1. FOOD: Did fine yesterday re food, still enjoyed my cherries and corn on cob 1100-1200cal (espec if I include the psyllium and fishoil calories) is a tiny am't of food ... gotta increase my activity so I can eat more... 2. EXERCISE: This next 3 weeks OPT says, 1-2 hours' casual walking + 2-3 days resistance. I walked yesterday: Started out with great pleasure, on my day off, walking with my ipod music in the woods behind my house. The trails were overgrown from the weeks of rain and then recent sun and unusually cool Wash DC summer. Then HORRORS! I think I saw a rattlesnake (could have been a copperhead but wasn't very copper colored, more umber light grey brown) UGH UGH UGH. so I left the woods and finished the walk in suburbs sidewalks, a bummer, but still a beautiful day and walk. 3. SCALE WEIGHT: up today 1.4 lbs to 173 why?? 4. NEAT: some housework, not enough NEAT since I want a 1000 cal deficit... 5. 100% compliance!
HABITS TO IMPROVE: I mean, really....
YES/NO RECOVERY 4-7 times per week
YES/NO SLEEP! min 7 hrs/night in bed with lights off
Diana,
So what would you do, knowing there are snakes, about walking in the woods? A walking stick? wear some bells to make noise while I walk, so they know to stay away?
It's really a different feeling to think now about walking in the woods alone. I'm a bit or very scared, even if the "very scared" is irrational.
A walking stick works. They "hear" you coming via ground vibrations, so I try to walk heavy, step hard. Not sure a bell would do it.
I'll never forget one time I was digging in a rock pile along the edge of a field (piled up by the farm workers as they find/pull rocks out of a field) looking for rocks for my garden. My ex-husband (a farmer) gave me a stern warning about rattlers and rocks - they like to warm/sun themselves on them, so often hang around the piles. That was the last time I did rock pile scavenging.
Snakes... why'd it have to be snakes?
Good on you for avoiding the peril.
one little snake...
....
This evening was MUCH better. I went out to a wider trail, and could smell the humus dirt. I loved that smell and loved being in the woods... the twigs did look like snakes but I was really fine, since the trail was wide and pretty clean.. then on the way home I saw 3 deer. A wonderful easy walk and sitting down now I'm sweatin' the good sweat.
_____________________
Oh, I'm reading all about snakes so I don't get scared. I doubt it was a rattler or a copperhead...
COPPERHEADS; These snakes don't get that huge but they will not move at all, like most snakes...instead they hold their ground and wait for you...buggers!
YES I remember in my commune in WVa we had copperheads and they just lay there not moving away...
so it wasn't a copperhead, cause it immediately slithered away
and the Timber Rattlers are not this far east (You will find them in the mountains of Western Maryland).
so it wasnt' a rattler
I'm not the most graceful person alive and therefore don't tend to be too quiet so typically don't worry too much about critters. I usually figured most of the rattlers were just isolated instances so typically didn't do anything special. If I'm in an area that looks like good snake habitat I made sure I had on jeans and boots as opposed to shorts and sneakers.
Results: TUES July 7, OPT Week 10
2100 cal burned
-1275 cal eaten incl psyllium & fishoil
825 cal deficit
171.4 (May 4=175.6)
NO : food (1100-1200 cal) = 1275
YES: exercise: 1.25 hr walk
NO : recovery exercises and foam roller
NO: sleep: 6 hours
YES: water 8-12cup = 8+cups
COMMENTS: 1. FOOD: Hungry at night, so I ate first cottage cheese w/PB2, then later 1/2 buffalo burger, so went a bit over cal target 2. EXERCISE: I walked: got off a metro stop early so I could walk the extra 15 min to work... it's so nice to walk in the summer mornings; Took a walk on a wider path in evening, saw 3 deer and had a lovely walk in the woods with Dana Owens (Queen Latifah) music 3. SCALE WEIGHT: down to 171.4 (my low since May 4 is 171.2, so I'm trending down again) 4. NEAT: not very much 5. MISC: headache, tired, hungry.... maybe I'm finallly entering deficit...
I've been thinking I'm bored with my analyzing and complaining, and I'll try to finish the next 3 weeks of OPT just doing what I'm supposed to do, focusing on increasing my deficit through more activity, and hold off on analyzing or being fearful/confused.
My goal is still 1.5-2 lbs per week for the next 3 weeks. I'd love to have an 8-10 lb scale loss at end of the 12 weeks. A 1000 cal/day deficit could give a 2lb per week scale loss.
HABITS TO IMPROVE: I mean, really....
YES/NO RECOVERY 4-7 times per week
YES/NO SLEEP! min 7 hrs/night in bed with lights off
Etana when I read OPT I interpreted the last phase such that the total aerobic time would be 60 minutes for the whole day but that you can split it up into two sessions. Although now I think about it maybe she did mean up to two one hour sessions daily.
Interesting... when I read it I, like Etana, thought it was up to 2 60-min walks/day. I've still got a bit of time before I'm in weeks 9-12, but I'd just figured it meant I'd be fine with my 2-15 min walks at work and then an additional 60-min walk after I got off work.
Regarding snakes--I saw one a few weeks ago when I took a walk during our company picnic (it was a at park near open space, so it wasn't too surprising to see a snake). I decided it likely wasn't poisonous since the only poisonous snakes out here are rattlers, and its tail didn't look like a rattler's tail. Still, it gave me pause, and it paused itself when it sensed my footsteps. I just skirted around it and went on my way. Honestly, I think they'd only attack a human if they feel threatened. We're too big for food.
So yeah, a walking stick would probably do you fine, and like Kim said, don't go poking around rock piles.
__________________
They call me Amanda, that being my real name, and "They" being people who know me in person as I don't go around introducing myself in real life as "scribess." 'Cause that would just be strange.
Regarding snakes--I saw one a few weeks ago when I took a walk during our company picnic (it was a at park near open space, so it wasn't too surprising to see a snake). I decided it likely wasn't poisonous since the only poisonous snakes out here are rattlers, and its tail didn't look like a rattler's tail. Still, it gave me pause, and it paused itself when it sensed my footsteps. I just skirted around it and went on my way. Honestly, I think they'd only attack a human if they feel threatened. We're too big for food.
So yeah, a walking stick would probably do you fine, and like Kim said, don't go poking around rock piles.
Last night I researched snakes in Maryland. Iread this, which really put my mind at ease:
There are only two venomous snakes in the state of Maryland, the Timber Rattler and the Copperhead.
copperheads: These snakes don't get that huge but they will not move at all, like most snakes...instead they hold their ground and wait for you...buggers!
YES I remember in my commune in WVa we had copperheads and they just lay there not moving away... so it wasn't a copperhead
rattlers: Look at the tail - do you see big, round rattles on the end of a fat snake? No? You only see a thin, tapered tail with nothing on the end? Not a rattler then.
It had a thin tapered tail so not a rattler! whew
Luckely, Cottonmouths are not indigenous this far North (I think Southern Virginia is its northen most range) and the Timber Rattlers are not this far east (You will find them in the mountains of Western Maryland). so not a rattler! whew
there's no simple way to identify a venomous snake by observing certain characteristics. To be honest, the best clue might be snake thickness - most venomous snakes in North America are pit vipers, which happen to be fat snakes. it was thin so not venomous
a lot of snakes immitate rattlers. Works really well when their tails are in dry leaves.
Interesting... when I read it I, like Etana, thought it was up to 2 60-min walks/day. I've still got a bit of time before I'm in weeks 9-12, but I'd just figured it meant I'd be fine with my 2-15 min walks at work and then an additional 60-min walk after I got off work.
I playing it as in up to 120 min of walking per day. Otherwise I'll never get a deficit in. I think the point of the last 3 weeks is
low calorie
deficit through easy resistance and cardio due to the low calorie
I am hungry, tired, and headachy...
Didn't wanna walk last night but really enjoyed the walk A LOT!
Results: WED July 8, OPT Week 10
2209 cal burned
-1128 cal eaten incl psyllium & fishoil
1081 cal deficit
171.4 (May 4=175.6) same
YES : food (1100-1200 cal)
YES: exercise:
NO : recovery exercises and foam roller
YES: sleep: 7 hours
YES: water 8-12cup = 8+cups
COMMENTS: 1. FOOD: Hungry hungry hungry and headachy and tired: sure signs of deficit I think ... I hope... protein 121g; 43% (goal 50%) 2. EXERCISE: .8 hr walk + 1hr Jazzercise 3. SCALE WEIGHT: stable to 171.4, ready for a Whoosh! 4. NEAT: not very much, so tired, and less energy
HABITS TO IMPROVE: I mean, really....
YES/NO RECOVERY 4-7 times per week
YES/NO SLEEP! min 7 hrs/night in bed with lights off
You're a hero for sticking to this high deficit for so long..
1100-ish is quite doable for a few days.. but several days on end.. whoah! An entirely different matter!
You're a hero for sticking to this high deficit for so long..
1100-ish is quite doable for a few days.. but several days on end.. whoah! An entirely different matter!
Well, the past 2 weeks my averages were 1379 and 1365, so though I was aiming for 1100-1200, I did more calorie cycling than really hitting the target. When the scale and measurements stalled last week, I decided to "do what it takes."
But I keep hearing in my mind the story from Leigh's FLTS book about how, after a low deficit, the activity burned starts suffering. I was burning 2200-2500cal when I was eating 1375cal... so it's evening out to the same deficit, not good. But I don't feel emotional about it. I just have to increase my deficit... by more sleep, I think, and then I'll have the energy for more NEAT and walking... That's the plan..
But thanks for the kudos...
This is challenging.
Everyone should get thin when they're under 40
I'm averaging an 1100 deficit, but both my burn and cals consumed are quite a bit higher. I look at your only 1100 cals consumed and it just doesn't look like enough.
But what is the difference in the long run, that's what I really wonder. Our weights are similar. I'm still only 5-6 weeks in on my diet, so perhaps my body hasn't gotten used to it yet, to the point it refuses to drop weight. Perhaps it's cause I'm younger. Who knows what all the differences can be.
I do know that if I drop my calories, my NEAT drops right along with it. It seems to me to be easier to eat 1500 and be able to burn an extra 400-500 calories a day just doing stuff.
And btw, if anyone ever tells me again that it's easier to not eat 200 calories of something than it is to do 200 calories of exercise, I will probably scream at them.
I'm still not at the point that I have to play around with my numbers, or even my macros, though they are a bit off what's recommended. Protein 23%, Carbs 43%, Fat 35% (rounded).
Out of curiosity, have you yet taken a week off with absolutely NO exercise? I keep wondering if I'll be able to do it, but I have till September to worry about it. I don't know why I shouldn't be able to do that, it's what I did for the last 1.5 years....
Annette I agree with you on rather doing more exercise than suffer on 1000kcal/day..
It really does seem to work out the same for me, viz. easier fat loss on 1200-1300 as the lowest intake, but then again am close to 3000kcal on the 2 high kcal days so average intake is close to 2000kcal.
Etana, do try to sleep more.. it's very important as too little sleep will not just lower your NEAT but it will make you frigging hungry too.. again , a big applause for STICKING to it!
I'm averaging an 1100 deficit, but both my burn and cals consumed are quite a bit higher. I look at your only 1100 cals consumed and it just doesn't look like enough....
I do know that if I drop my calories, my NEAT drops right along with it. It seems to me to be easier to eat 1500 and be able to burn an extra 400-500 calories a day just doing stuff.
Out of curiosity, have you yet taken a week off with absolutely NO exercise? I keep wondering if I'll be able to do it, but I have till September to worry about it. I don't know why I shouldn't be able to do that, it's what I did for the last 1.5 years....
Yes, OPT has week 5 and week 9 as "rest" weeks. I have no trouble sitting at computer all day............
Quote:
Originally Posted by Espi
Annette I agree with you on rather doing more exercise than suffer on 1000kcal/day..
It really does seem to work out the same for me, viz. easier fat loss on 1200-1300 as the lowest intake, but then again am close to 3000kcal on the 2 high kcal days so average intake is close to 2000kcal.
Etana, do try to sleep more.. it's very important as too little sleep will not just lower your NEAT but it will make you frigging hungry too.. again , a big applause for STICKING to it!
Espi, my goal is 1100-1200 cal with 1000+ deficit for the next 3 weeks to finish OPT. I do now realize the only way I can get my energy up to get 1000+cal deficit is more sleep. So I did get my butt in bed at 11 last night, and I still see I need more than 7 hrs/night, and I'm gonna do it...
Then a refeed week and I'll reassess my calories for OPT 12 weeks part 2...
I am still trying to cause results in scale at a faster pace. I am still trying to cause 1 - 1.5 lb loss per week; 4-6 lbs per month. It does not seem unreasonable.
I don't think, unless my lifestyle changes and I start loving/craving housework, I'll get up past 2400 cal burned, so that's 1400 cal.. I started OPT at 1375, but scale didn't drop..
I am still hoping my water is retained, my muscles are toned, and now the fat will start melting off.
I'm drinking my blues away ... water, crystal light, diet coke... kind of drink... But the 2 things I'm focusing on now are more water and more sleep... (besides food and exercise targets)...
doggone it... I think I will have success with a nice scale drop by Monday.
Focusing on more water and sleep sounds like a good plan. Fingers crossed for a whoosh!
__________________
They call me Amanda, that being my real name, and "They" being people who know me in person as I don't go around introducing myself in real life as "scribess." 'Cause that would just be strange.
Results: THU July 9, OPT Week 10
2158 cal burned
-927 cal eaten incl psyllium & fishoil
1231 cal deficit
171.4 (May 4=175.6) same
YES : food (1100-1200 cal)
YES: exercise:
NO : recovery exercises and foam roller
YES: sleep: 7 hours
YES: water 8-12cup = 8+cups
COMMENTS: 1. FOOD: Not hungry, so I just had cottage cheese & applesauce for dinner, saving calories for another day. 2. EXERCISE: OPT C1, 45 min Jazzercise + 30 min walk 3. SCALE WEIGHT: stable to 171.4, ready for a Whoosh! 4. NEAT: so dragging tired in morning, had a diet coke, and great for rest of the day, calm, no headache, drinking a lot, peaceful
HABITS TO IMPROVE: I mean, really....
YES/NO RECOVERY 4-7 times per week
YES/NO SLEEP! min 7 hrs/night in bed with lights off
Here is my one of my magic cocktails. I do vary them based on deficit, what I am doing, etc. However if you work with a variation of this combo (give a little/add a little) based on what you need, how much you sweat, etc then it should be way better than Gatorade.
16-20 ounces of water
Half packet ElectroMix - http://www.vitacost.com/Alacer-Electromix
Couple shakes of Sea Salt with Iodine - http://www.thebetterhealthstore.com/...crn=2325466701
1 Packet of flavor stick of choice (I like green tea pink lemonade)
1/2 packet stick of tropical punch koolaid cause it makes everything better.
1 capsule of my cal/mag/zinc supplement 200/50/7mg (not in the drink though or eww. Keep it in the capsule)
Super super cheap.
Shake shake shake. Pop the pill. And a low low calorie (like 10 calories) high replenishment drink. If you want to add carbs you can add a little powder Gatorade to the mix instead of Kool aid. If you want to add protein then go for a fruit punch brand, etc.
And btw, if anyone ever tells me again that it's easier to not eat 200 calories of something than it is to do 200 calories of exercise, I will probably scream at them.
Playing devil's advocate for a moment, the only thing to watch with that is it's not 200 calories of exercise, but 200 calories more than you would be doing. I've noticed (even though I know better) that sometimes I consider the exercise as 'extra' calories I've burned. Assuming a daily burn of 2400 calories (just to make it easier) then even if you weren't exercising you would likely be burning 100 cals/hr. I know my lower energy hours are say 125-150 cals, but I can go up to 200 cals/hr just puttering around.
This morning my HR monitor says I burned 782 cals during a longer walk - quite impressive. Wasn't an easy walk for me, as it was pretty much non-stop walking for 1hr 42m. Depending on what I would have been doing I could possibly have burned up to 340 cals without exercising. So it was a fairly decent effort but really only netted me say 440 cals extra.
I sometimes get that from friends and/or acquaintances. They do a 500 calorie workout and think that means they can eat another 500 calories. It's keeping an eye on the extra calories that counts.
Results: FRI July 10, OPT Week 10
2313 cal burned
1180 cal eaten incl psyllium & fishoil
1133 cal deficit
171.0 (May 4=175.6) (-.4)
YES : food (1100-1200 cal)
YES: deficit > 1000 cal
YES: exercise: 30min walk + Jazzercise + OPT C2
NO : recovery exercises and foam roller
YES: sleep: 7 hours = 8
YES: water 8-12cup = 10+ cups
COMMENTS: 1. FOOD: Wow the calories add up fast. Since I was low on Thu, and not that hungry still, I had 25g chocolate (1/2 small bar) and 1 lime ice pop, and that added up to my needing to have a really light (cottage cheese and vegies) dinner, to be under my target goal cal. I would have rather had MEAT so at this low calorie level, I guess I have to keep the chocolate to 5 gram... But I'm doing fine, hitting calorie targets every day... Need to increase my protein from 35% up to 50% 2. EXERCISE: 30min walk + Jazzercise + OPT C2. NOTE: I have not been walking 1-2hrs per day as written in OPT. I've been combining walking and Jazzercise, and I think it's okay........ 3. SCALE WEIGHT: down .4 to 171.0, feeling leaner, really ready for a 3lb Whoosh! or a 5lb Whoosh.... 4. NEAT: good energy 5. RECOVERY: though I'm still forgetting to do it, the Jazzercise toning is very similar to the stretches...
HABITS TO IMPROVE: I mean, really....
YES/NO RECOVERY 4-7 times per week
YES/NO SLEEP! min 7 hrs/night in bed with lights off
Hah you got your priorities well set.. chocolate can always fit in a girl's diet, even in very small proportions.
Believe it or not, I'm not a real chocoholic, just know it is very beneficial for your mood & so I load up on cocoa and have 2x2 mini-squares of dark chocolate (4x4g) with my coffee every day. Even on my sub-1100 kcal days
It does help to not eat milk chocolate as I have no self-control there.. dark chocolate is too intense in taste to be eaten in large quantities.
Well, it's not to say that I could not eat an entire bar, but it doesn't call my name as loudly as a milk chocolate bar does.
The only exception would be a dark chocolate Bounty bar which is only a chocolate-covered sugary coconut concoction to begin with... (similar to your Mounds but with coconut inside)
But at least with dark chocolate it is possible to stop at just 4 or 8 grams. Rightly so as who could hit 1100 kcal , eat adequate amounts of protein (100+g) and still indulge in chocolate!
Reminds me.. 1 bar of BonbonBloc (a praline bar) weighs 200g and hands you 1100kcal right there w only 12g of protein
I remember buying Lindt 70% individually wrapped squares a long time back. The theory was that I could have a couple that night (new years eve) and then have them periodically. 30 cals each weren't too bad. I see by the log that night that I ate, ummm, 29 of them. I'm assuming that was how many were in the package. Bad idea.
Yeah and those Bonbon Blocs were cheaper that day per 3. Guess how many I ate in 1 night? 2 of them.. 2x200g or 2x1100 kcal and if I'd wanted I could have eaten the 3rd one too.. that one went 2 days later ...
Sigh.. sorry Etana for the food pron hi-jack. It's just about how scarily easy it is to overeat on calorific goodies.
The only thing I really fall for every time is ... things on sale. Probably not the only one here.. but candy/chocolate etc on sale gets me at least once a month. Stupid, isn't it?
Main lesson from Berardi: if it is not in the house, it won't get eaten.. if it is, it WILL get eaten
Well, it's not to say that I could not eat an entire bar, but it doesn't call my name as loudly as a milk chocolate bar does.
....But at least with dark chocolate it is possible to stop at just 4 or 8 grams. Rightly so as who could hit 1100 kcal , eat adequate amounts of protein (100+g) and still indulge in chocolate!
Reminds me.. 1 bar of BonbonBloc (a praline bar) weighs 200g and hands you 1100kcal right there w only 12g of protein
and how about hagendas chocolate chocolate chip ice cream? I use to (many years ago) binge on a pint of that and a pint of Hagendas coffee ice cream.... lol and then some oreos.... and then a drug-induced sleep
I wonder how many "BonbonBloc" type foods I've eaten on days past, and then gone and had pizza.......
oh dear .... true confessions
now I can eat a 5gram piece of milk chocolate whoooo eeeee! I am THAT committed... it's now or never..................
Walking: I saw a SNAKE
... gotta increase my activity so I can eat more...
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