From Pennies To Yennies

I receive more emails about running than I do about being a resident of Japan! I thought since Dan and I are 2 months into our diet and exercise regimen I’d share what we’ve been doing and how successful we’ve been.

I’d like to add that I’m not a doctor nor dietician, and a firm believer in doing what works for you! I’m not giving advice and have no advanced education in nutrition or fitness.

Running

Dan and I both have a goal- to run in the Disneyland half marathon the first weekend of September. We started training in January, so we’d have plenty of time. My first day I ran a good 9 minutes before I felt completely winded and in tons of pain from pushing myself. Pretty brutal. But the next day I ran 11 minutes. And so began adding a minute or two to my runs each time. I’m currently running 70 minutes, in which time I can complete a 10k (6.2 miles). That’s half a half marathon!

I run 4-5 times a week. I run laps in a small park by our apartment. I run whatever distance I’m currently running, or I’ll add a few minutes. I usually run during the day when Dan’s at work. Some nights when he comes home we’ll go to the gym together and do the ellipticals for 32 or 48 minutes. Dan usually only runs Saturday and Sunday, but if he works from home one day during the week we’ll run together in the morning. I also go to ballet classes which feels amazing, stretching all my sore muscles.

Clothes
I never thought the day would come where I’d be more excited to buy gym clothes than normal clothes! I definitely have favorites, but encourage people to shop around and see what works for them.

I love running in tights. I have a couple pairs, some lightweight nike capri tights and the ones in the picture, Nike dri-fit cold weather tights. If you feel like pants are bulky but don’t want to be cold I highly recommend these. I’ve also heard Underarmour makes a great pair but I’ve yet to try them.

I’m wearing a NIke dri-fit shirt which is great, but my favorite is probably from the store Lululemon Athletica (www.lululemon.com). Lululemon clothing will definitely set you back more than the common sports brands, but the quality is incomparable. Everything is cut in a comfortable, flattering style. There’s no digging, riding up, or tightness if you wear the correct size. I can’t say enough good things about the quality of Lululemon.

For shoes, I wear Nike LunarSwift 3. I like them because they are Nike+ capable, where I can send my running statistics to my iPod and upload to my computer. After trying on some other shoes, they do feel just a tad “heavy” on my feet. When I’m due for a new pair of sneakers I may opt for a more lightweight pair. But for now these are incredibly comfortable and I love them.

If you want good running clothes, I really don’t think you can go wrong with Lululemon, Nike or Underarmour. Dan also has some Adidas pieces he loves. When you’re working out, you don’t want to be uncomfortable or tugging on clothes. IN that respect, I think it’s reasonable to pay a bit more for good quality clothing.

Diet
Dan and I have been keeping an eye on our calorie intake. While we’re not being too strict, for the time being we have cut out alcohol, dairy and fast food. I don’t miss dairy as much as I thought I would! I didn’t know what to do without ice cream or cheese. But I switched to soy milk and we just don’t buy dairy products anymore. When we’re cooking most our meals at home these days, that’s really all it takes to be successful.

We cook a lot of dishes without oil or butter. We’ll bake or boil chicken. We’ll get creative with sauces for flavor (honey and hot sauce, delicious!). Our tastes are slowly changing to crave a bowl of chopped bell peppers instead of Pringles. We’ve had plenty of calorie splurges this year, like a date night out here and there or indulging in some Valentine’s Day candy. But it’s always just one night, then the next morning we’re back at it with a protein shake for breakfast and a run. Moderation and not binge-eating has really saved us. We currently have Girl Scout cookies, Pringles and brownie/ cake mixes in the house. In the past they’d be half gone the day we bought them, but we’ve really cracked down on limiting ourselves.

Honestly, weight loss feels like a secondary goal for the first time in my life. Dan and I get so pumped up when we beat a running time or go a further distance. We love cooking together at night. Of course we get excited or bummed out if our weight fluxuates in the right or wrong direction. But our changes have been in an effort to create a maintainable healthy lifestyle. And I think we’re on the right track!