(I Hate) Portion Control

Lawrence Toppman:

That title sounds like a rock song, doesn't it? It's my new theme.

I have reluctantly accepted the idea that I need to cut down not only on the things I eat but the SIZE of the things I eat. I got a little reinforcement today, when the scale slipped back and forth from 192 to 192.5 and finally flopped in my favor. (Another half-pound gone -- alert the media!) But it's tough.

I brought tiramisu home for dessert last night. Now, I love me some tiramisu. I once had a cat named Tiramisu, because she was sweet, and her colors were brown, gray and white. (Really.) After a burst of fat-person thinking -- "If my wife never saw this, I wouldn't have to share it!" -- I split the piece with my spouse. My portion was the size of a Brillo pad. I ate it with a miniature fork to make it last longer.

This is the norm now. When I want half-and-half in my coffee, I use half as much as I used to. (Hmmm...does that make it guarter-and-quarter?) I am allowed to eat all the Brussels sprouts I can stand, which would be none, but I should eat half a PB&J sandwich instead of a whole one.

I know I need to make good habits last a lifetime. But sometimes good habits are bad news.

Half a loaf... loafing... something like that

Ellyn Ritterskamp

It's not going so well, this pounding away. I schedule three walks/runs a week, and haven't made all three but once. I am doing better about my yoga and weightlifting, because I don't have to go out in the cold for those.

I have this craving to finish what I start, and do everything well or not do it. But that kind of wish for perfection won't work here. I'm glad y'all are here to remind me it's better to do some than none.

There's a new picture coming soon - one of the photo editors here took a new headshot, and it made me feel pretty. And a friend said it made me look like I had a secret.

Onward.

Y'all are helping...I guess

Lawrence Toppman:

So I'm getting coffee at Dean & DeLuca after a morning movie screening at Phillips Place, and someone I don't know says, "Hope you're not putting cream in that! Cream makes you fat." I notice he is eating a chocolate muffin the size of a softball, but I don't say anything unkind.

Another day, I'm getting a bagel sandwich at lunch -- egg, swiss cheese and mushrooms on pumpernickel -- and somebody behind me in line says, "That cheese isn't going to help your calorie count." He is smiling in a friendly way, so I don't point out that he looks as if he last helped HIS calorie count when Clinton was president.

I've been recognized for a long time as a critic, so I'm used to folks coming up and chatting as if they knew me. (Usually, they don't even ask if I AM me.) I like it, too. But with this weight-loss blog, passers-by often end up sounding like disapproving aunts watching a nephew sneak behind the house for a smoke.

I always tell myself they mean well, and they're trying to offer encouragement. In the end, it redoubles my desire to stick with this steady but gradual program -- if only so I can eat a chocolate muffin the size of a softball myself someday, free of guilt and free of commentary. But not any time soon, I fear.

My roller derby workout

Elizabeth Templin McCamic

Last night, I worked out with the Charlotte Speed Demons, a local women’s flat track roller derby team. I know it was a good training session because it was hard to get out of bed this morning and my muscles are aching, including a few muscles I didn't know I had.

The Speed Demons train about three days a week on and off skates. I worked out with them for 30 minutes yesterday and then watched the team skate. During the off-skate workout, we rotated through six stations, spending a minute at each. We did exercises like jump rope, lunges, tricep dips and crunches.

Then we divided into two groups. One of the coaches put down two cloth ladders on the gym floor. We did drills that, like hopscotch, required stepping precisely in each square at a running pace.



This was when my lack of coordination became apparent (that's me in the red T-shirt). The players ran through the squares quickly, one after another, stepping into each one. I went through slowly at first, then realized it’s actually easier the faster you go - though I’m not sure I ever did the exercises exactly right.

We ended the workout by running sprints across the length of the gym. By then I felt worn out but in a good, I just worked it, way.

The coolest part of the night was when the team skated. A coach had them skate 25 laps in five minutes (or less). The goal was to stick together and move as a unit. As the skaters in the back of the pack got tired, some of the faster skaters dropped back and pushed them forward so they could stay with the group. No one was left behind and they finished in 4 minutes, 39 seconds, breaking their last record by two seconds.

The Speed Demons are preparing for their next bout, 6 p.m. Feb. 26 at First Ward Recreation Center. I am looking forward to seeing them in action.

Meanwhile, I must have done OK last night because they encouraged me to come back. We'll see how it goes next time.

Tonight, I'll train roller derby-style

Elizabeth Templin McCamic:

Tonight, I am going to do something a little different during my work out. I've been invited to train with the Charlotte Speed Demons, a local flat track women's roller derby team that is part of Charlotte's Race City Roller Derby.

Thankfully, tonight is an off-skate work out for the team because I'm pretty sure I'd be a disaster on wheels. I'm excited to see how they stay in shape and hoping I can keep up with them - these women are serious about what they do.

I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow. Wish me luck.

This is not what they mean by cat-napping

Ellyn Ritterskamp

This cat will spoil it all.

I work at night, so I sleep from 4 a.m. to noon. I've done it for 23 years.

But around 8:30, the cat hears the downstairs neighbors moving around, and sees the sun, and thinks it's time to get up. He doesn't need anything, just reassurance that someone is alive.

I use wonderful silicone earplugs, but when he is ON me and howling, no earplugs can save that.

Good sleep is important for a successful weight-loss program. I've read that we have some hormonal changes that happen then, that help keep fat-burning on track.

Maybe some day he will sleep when I sleep. But after nearly 17 years, I don't think I am changing his mind. He sleeps like a rock from noon to 10 p.m., though. Maybe I should change jobs.....

Onward.

Small milestones keep me going

Elizabeth Templin McCamic:

Running has been going pretty well the last couple of weeks. To keep myself accountable, I promised myself I would stick to my training schedule for the first three weeks and that has worked so far. I want to take this half marathon seriously, and I know if I don’t start out right it will just get harder.

As I’ve been running, I have started to notice small changes. Even though I haven’t lost much weight this month, my body is a little sleeker than it was before I started training. When I went on a 4-mile run yesterday afternoon, I could tell that my legs were a little bit stronger than they were two weeks ago. Instead of feeling tired during that last mile, I actually quickened my pace a bit.

I think I’ve also hit another small milestone. I’m less hungry than I was when I first started being careful about what I eat. I am also a lot less tempted by sweets. After dinner, I’m thinking less about having a treat and more about resting for my next run. I'd definitely call that progress.

How are your fitness resolutions going?