Day 30

I was quite sore this morning... actually STIFF is more accurate.  It was so tempting just to stay in bed and sleeeeeeep.  But I wasn't about to fall for that trap.  I got my big butt out of bed and got on the treadmill and just started to move.  I couldn't run as much today, hence the slower time, but I'll make up for it tomorrow.

SNOWFREAK: GET YOURSELF ON THAT TREADMILL AND RUN LIKE THE WIND!

2 miles run; 34 minutes; 351 calories burned.

Day 29

Hey folks...

I hope you had a splendid weekend, some of you lucky ones may have had a 4 day "vacation."  I hope you all made good use of the time and not just eat, eat, and eat!  I heard over the radio that the average weight gain over the winter holidays is 7 pounds.  7 POUNDS!  That's pretty crazy!  I myself don't want to become part of that statistic.  I didn't run yesterday because I ran 4 miles on Saturday (2 miles for Saturday and 2 miles for Sunday).  Since some of you may think that's sort of cheating, I ran an extra mile this morning.  I woke up at around 5 this morning and took advantage of the extra time to do an extra mile, and I feel damn good that I did.  :)

3 miles run; 47 minutes and 30 seconds; 543 calories burned.

Day 27

Friday was my rest day so I didn't run yesterday.  However, feeling that I had eaten a little too much over the last couple of days I decided to run 4 miles today.  The concept of running 4 miles was a little daunting.  Although I did run it before earlier in this challenge, I remember it not being quite as easy as I would have liked or enjoyed.  Although daunting, I was ready for the challenge...and I did it!

4 miles; 60 minutes 30 seconds; 715 calories burned.

Day 25 - MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Merry Christmas Everyone!  I got up and ran 2.5 miles today.  The extra 0.5 miles was to make up for yesterday's miss.  I'll keep this short, since I have a busy day today.  So if you have some time, read the article below, which I pulled off from Yahoo.

I hope you all have a safe and happy holidays!  I'll talk to you tomorrow. :)

The primary principle of losing weight: Calories burned need to exceed calories consumed. These 2 sides of the weight loss/gain equation mean that you have 2 ways to slow and reverse the upward trend toward overweight and obesity: Eat less and exercise more. Here are the steps I advise taking.

Step 1: Journal. Write down as you go along all the foods and liquids you consume — along with how much — for an entire week. Journaling is a nuisance, but it's still the best way to identify how all those calories are mysteriously ending up inside you. Also, once you start writing things down, you'll think twice before you eat something regrettable.  At the end of the week, identify any choices you made that could have been smarter and try not to repeat them. For example, skim milk could be swapped for 2-percent milk. Instead of a bagel and cream cheese, try a scrambled or poached egg over half an English muffin, with a fruit salad.

Step 2: Adjust your consumption. Reduce portions, while always making sure you're eating foods that will sustain you — which means having some protein or fat at every meal. Between meals, eat healthy snacks — never let yourself get too hungry or too tired. Eat slowly, chew your meals thoroughly, and stop when you are satisfied, not stuffed. Leftovers make great meals later.

Step 3: Start moving. Avoid escalators and elevators. Add more stairs and steps whenever and wherever you can. If you head to the mall, walk or jog around for a couple of laps before you start shopping. For those who already have an exercise routine, add another 5 minutes per session or an additional session per week.

Make sure you're getting sweaty or feeling the burn: Leisurely walks do not burn calories — normal walking is actually energy-conserving for human beings, meaning that you burn very few calories when walking long distances at a comfortable speed.

Step 4: Assess your weight-loss goals. First, make sure they are realistic. Don't immediately aim to lose 30+ pounds and don't expect the weight to drop off in the first weeks to months of trying. First, aim to stabilize your weight; stopping the gain is a great achievement in its own right. Losing small amounts of weight is the most achievable and sustainable plan, so start slow. For just about anyone, I suggest aiming to lose 5 pounds in 6 months.  (That's right; you heard me. Six months.)

Step 5: Don't weigh yourself more than once a month. Those scales will make you crazy! Besides, scales are pretty useless if you're climbing on and off of them every day. Your weight naturally fluctuates through the course of a single day — never mind the day-to-day swings — so that those changes often merely reflect the ebb and flow of hormones and body fluids, not genuine weight loss or gain.

Instead of trying to assess your goals and progress by using a scale, base your assessment on how you are feeling. More energized? Sleeping better? Better mood? Greater endurance? Gains such as these far exceed the number of pounds lost.

Last, I am often asked by patients for prescription diet aids. If you're hoping to include these pills in your weight-loss plan, I have bad news for you. First, the weight you lose by this method is rarely sustainable. Second, these medications are risky — they can even damage your heart — and are often accompanied by miserable side effects.

Why suffer in this way and risk harming your health when your original purpose for losing weight was to get yourself healthy? Avoid the pills and save yourself some money. You have all the tools you'll need inside.

Day 24 - Ugh.

My stomach got the best of me this morning.  Well it started last night... I'm not going to go into details, but lets just say that I was in and out of the bathroom for a few hours.  Anyways, I got up late this morning and was feeling ok so I went down to do my 2 miler.  Everything was going fine until I hit the 1.5 mile mark when my stomach yelled "STOP!".  So I did and I only got to do 1.5 miles. :(  Hopefully, I'll be feeling better tonight so that I could put in some more time tonight.  Lets see...

By the way, Happy Christmas Eve!  You all are probably home...I'm working.  Boo Hoo :P

1.5 miles; 23 minutes; 280 calories burned.

Day 23

Ok, I know, I've been MIA.  I'm not going to make excuses, but I was tired from doing Christmas shopping and just wanted to relax this weekend.  Ok, I made an excuse.  I think it's alright though.  I got my act together this morning and did the 2 miles.  It took me a little longer than usual, but I did it and I felt good after the run.  I need to keep it up, especially over the next 2 weeks due to the holidays.  Maybe I'll do 2 more miles tonight if I'm feeling good...

Anyway, as the new year winds down, I think it's always good to reflect on what happened this past 2008.  I'm sure there were a lot of good and bad things that happened to all of us, but I personally am thankful of where I am (or at least trying to be).  The economy has been rough on all of us and I just hope that during the end of this year we can all be thankful and helpful to one another during these tough times.  

On a fitness note, here is a look at the past headlines in food and fitness the past year presented by YAHOO.  Enjoy.

2 miles; 32 minutes and 30 seconds; 363 calories burned.

Day 18

Wow, it was difficult to get started this morning.  Was very unmotivated because I was so tired.  More sleep would have been nice, but I wasn't going to fall for that trap.  Heck no.  So I got up, slowly got onto the treadmill and did my 2 miler.  And I'm thankful both physically and mentally that I did that.  One thing conquered today!  

I came upon the "Top 10 fitness trends for 2009" over on Yahoo.  Remember those boot camp style workouts, especially the ones with the celebrities?

I've been thinking about mixing up my routine a little bit by lifting some weights or at least doing some pushups and squats.  I did 50 pushups yesterday.  Maybe I should brush off the dust from my dumbbells and bowflex?  :P

2 miles run; 30 minutes; 363 calories burned.

Day 17

Hello and good morning folks!

Got up today, not feeling as sore as before, and did my daily 2 miler.  Started with a one and half minute warmup walk and then went back and forth between 5 and 3 on the treadmill, going 2 minutes on 5 and then 2 minutes on 3.  I was able to maintain that until the end, which shows me that I am improving.  I wasn't able to do that at the start of this program.  I am feeling that my legs are getting stronger, particularly my calves which are becoming more defined.

Last night I saw a video of Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple, giving a commencement speech to the graduates of Stanford University on YouTube.  What I found interesting was when Mr. Jobs spoke about death.  After going through a near death experience, when he discovered that he had a tumor, he realized that life could end in an instant.  Each morning he says to himself, "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?"

This made me realize that we have no control on what may happen today.  Today could (but hopefully not) be our last day here.  Did I do my ultimate best today? Did I do my best at work and put my 110% into it? Did I strive to make myself a healthier person by doing some exercise? Or did I do it half-assed?  Good questions to ask yourself and reflect on I say...

2 miles run; 31 minutes; 367 calories burned.

Day 16

I'm going to keep this entry nice and short.  I got up this morning and did my 2 miler.  I thought I wouldn't be able to do it, considering I ran last night and would be sore.  Surprisingly, I wasn't sore...that is until probably later today when it will hit me...

Ran 2 miles; 30 minutes 25 seconds; 358 calories burned.

'til tomorrow.

Day 15

I just did my two miler today. I felt pretty good running: wasn't as winded as before and ran longer paces. I believe my endurance is slowly going up. I felt a tiny bit unmotivated to run, particularly because I was getting food coma from dinner. However, I got off my lazy butt and headed to the workout "dungeon" and ran.  Once again, I must thank God for TV, b/c if it wasn't there, this whole 2 Miles a Day Blog would have been over a long time ago.

My legs appear to be getting stronger. My calves are definitely getting more muscular, I can't say that for my stomach though. It must be too early to be getting results though, isn't it? I probably have to wait until the end of January to make a fair assessment of how this running "thing" is going...

Ran 2 miles; 27 minutes 30 seconds; 368 calories burned.

Day 12 & 13 Rest - Day 14 - Do you or are you gaining weight?

Hellooo.

I didn't run on Day 12 or 13.  I was quite exhausted from the week and my legs were really sore. I didn't want to hurt myself and I felt I needed a rest.  PLUS, I didn't feel like running. LOL. But I think the 2 days off were good for me.  It let my body recuperate from all the running I've been doing the past 2 weeks. I think I'm going to take one day off per week to let my body regain strength and to avoid hurting myself. If I'm hurt, then I can't run and that would be horrible, since I've come pretty far. Honestly, I'm quite surprised with myself that I'm sticking to this routine. In the past, I would have probably called it quits by now. I feel my legs getting stronger, and I notice that I can run a little longer than how I ran in the beginning. I am definitely building my tolerance in running for a longer period of time, but I still have a long way to go until I reach those 7 minute miles. I ran/walked 3 miles today and I felt pretty good. I know I'll be feeling it tomorrow morning, but slowly I'm getting used to the soreness.

Anyways, I've been going to scale and have been noticing that I have gained some weight. I was slightly confused about that until I found some interesting stuff. Please read below.

"An increase in exercise time or intensity can lead to a brief gain of a few pounds... If at any time you... suddenly increase your exercise time or intensity a significant amount... you may gain a couple of pounds overnight. This will be gone in a matter of 1-2 days. It occurs because a sudden increase in exercise... will cause your exercised muscles to take in an extra load of glycogen from subsequent meals. Since glycogen is stored with 3-4 parts water, it means a considerable weight gain..."

I hope that helps. I try to remember that anytime I exercise my muscles in an unaccustomed way, the scale will show a temporary weight gain the next day. Try not to be discouraged. Your calorie math is correct and will show results over the next week or two.

47 minutes; 562 calories burned.

Day 11

So, I awoke from my slumber to my trusty iphone alarm (those soothing harp sounds) to find my calves stiff and tight.  Even after all that stretch, they're still tight.  I should probably stretch more.  But despite the soreness and another dreary morning, I went to the basement, turned on the TV, got on the treadmill and started moving.

Let me just tell you guys... In the beginning, exercising seems like an added chore, something you just don't feel like doing.  But you need to just get up off your butt, GO and START MOVING.  Once you start moving, your body will get the idea and go along for the ride.  The hardest part is starting the move.

I've found something interesting on the Internet that might give some extra motivation.  It's by a gentleman named Robert Sweetgall who has logged over 70,000 miles since 1969.  This includes walking, jogging, biking, swimming, skiing, and snowshoeing.  His research has shown that mortality decreases with physical activity and the following: (The below is an excerpt taken from the www.missourifamilies.org website)

• Inactive, physically-unfit people have the highest death rate.  By the way, most Americans fall into this category.
• Just rising off the couch and walking 1 mile per day (2000 steps) significantly drops the mortality rate.  15 to 20 minutes of walking is definitely beneficial to your health.
• By increasing to 2 miles of walking per day, you continue to benefit from 30 to 40 minutes of walking.
• Increasing to 3 miles per day (6000 steps) continues to lower the mortality rate to near an almost optimal level.
• Increasing beyond 3 miles per day - say to 5 miles per day - helps reduce the mortality rate a bit more.  However, the primary benefits are reached in going from 0-3 miles per day!
• Beyond 5 miles per day, the death-rate curve begins to climb back upwards, proving that too much of a good thing may not be optimal.

Conclusion: 1 mile per day of brisk walking is good for your health; 2 miles per day is better; and 3 miles per day is best.

What do you gain from exercising besides longevity?  It can ...

• Increase brain power
• Improve sleep quality
• Boost energy
• Strengthen the heart
• Strengthen the muscles
• Burn calories and fat
• Lower cholesterol
• Increase metabolism
• Relieve stress
• Lower risk of heart disease, hypertension and diabetes
• Decrease bone loss
• Decrease risk of some cancers

Those are some good motivating factors to think about, aren't they?

I also have one more motivating factor!  I have a follower named Betmo who's following my blog!  Now I know I have to do this daily :)  I encourage you Betmo to start doing some exercise!!!

29 minutes 34 seconds ran; 357 calories burned.

Feeling not as sore now, but maybe a little bit later ;P

Day 10

I ran today.  I wanted to make sure that I didn't miss out today and run 4 miles tomorrow.  I ran 4 miles last night and when I woke up this morning, I was quite sore.  All the lower extremities of my body were aching.  They were saying to me, "Don't run now...just don't...please?"  Haha.  But I didn't give in to those little voices.  In the past I most certainly would have.  Especially since this morning looked very dreary and rainy outside.  A good day to just sleep an hour more and a nice warm, cozy bed.  But, I feel committed to run and post to this blog, even though most probably no one even (maybe 1) reads this.  I feel a sense of responsibility to making sure I run.  It's kind of strange actually.  But I really have a desire to exercise and prove to myself that I can do this and make this a part of my daily routine.  No more excuses, no more saying "Oh, I'll exercise a little later or tomorrow."  No more of that.

I saw a little video on TV about Oprah and her gaining back some weight recently.  I'm sure for her, despite how wealthy she is, it's difficult for her to maintain her weight due to her "busyness."  I know you'll never read this, but hey Oprah, hang in there and press on!  Little by little everyday...  You are a great and inspiring woman!

Run/walk 30 minutes; 348 calories burned.

Results: feeling sore, but feeling great! :)

Missing Day Again??? Day 9

Yup, yup, I know, I missed a day again.  :(  Yesterday I was so swamped with stuff to do, that I just could not get myself to the treadmill.  So I did what I did on Day 7 and made up for it today by running 4 miles.  If I keep doing this, then I might just have to change this to the "4 Miles a Day Blog."  LOL.  That's not going to happen, at least for right now.  The four miles today was a tad bit easier, but still difficult.  I did not run the whole way, but I ran a good portion of it, mixing it up with some walking during intervals.  Maybe one day, I'll be able to run 4 maybe even 5 miles straight.  Wouldn't that be the day?  Anyhow, the run was good and I'm feeling good, at least mentally, b/c I know I ran and because I'm sticking to this program I set.  I feel my legs getting stronger and my calves and thighs are definitely feeling more muscular.  I made sure that I stretched myself out after today's workout, because it definitely helps ease the soreness that I feel the next day.  I recommend that you all do the same.  Always stretch, you'll thank me later.  Hopefully, I'll get some rest tonight so that I can wake up early tomorrow morning and do the 2 miler.  If there is anyone out there who is following my blog, I challenge you to run/walk 2 miles a day.  Although hard in the beginning, you'll feel much better about yourself.  I know I am :)

58 minutes flat on the treadmill; 727 calories burned.

'Til tomorrow...adios~

Day 7 ... What happened to Day 6?

Yes I know...I missed Day 6.  Why you ask?  Well I had stuff to do!  Plus I wanted to catch up on some sleep that I missed out from last week.  So since I missed yesterday, I was determined to make up for the loss.  So I ran/walked 4 miles today.  Yes, 4 MILES!  I was unsure whether or not I would be able to do it, but I was ready to give it my best and try.  And wow, it was hard.  Without the TV and interesting football games being played to take my mind off the running, I don't think I would have been able to complete the task.  My thighs are on fire, so I'm actually stretching them out while I'm typing this post.  :P  I definitely recommend stretch after running, b/c it will minimize the soreness the next day.  SO STRETCH!  And, don't miss a day of running!!

Four (4) miles run; 59 minutes and 45 seconds; 715 calories burned.

Day 5

Hey there...I couldn't work out this morning b/c I was sooooo tired.  I haven't been getting much sleep the past couple of days so I decided to sleep an extra hour.  HOWEVER, I DID WORK OUT TODAY THOUGH!!!  I just did my 2 miles now and I feel great!  I especially feel great too b/c a fellow blogger by the name of "betmo" commented on yesterday's post telling me that what I was doing was inspirational to her.  Betmo, thanks for the compliment!  But I challenge you and all the rest of those who come by to do what I'm doing.  It's not that much and if you just walk it, it would probably take at most 45 minutes.  45 minutes a day to a better, healthier, feel good life?  I'll take that any day ;)  I know you can do it....b/c I'm doing it!  I encourage you all to be courageous and take the next step to a healthier lifestyle.  You'll feel better and thank me for it later ;P

Oh btw, I walked/ran for 27 minutes and 24 seconds and burned 350 calories.  The shorter time and higher calorie burn is due to me picking up the speed a little more often and raising the incline.  Hopefully, I'll be able to get the time down!

Day 4

I can't make anymore excuses now.  After day 3's workout and a long day at work, I was ready to go home and just relax a bit.  The past few days I've been getting home late due to work and studying... But at 10 o'clock I received a phone call.  My cousin called saying that her and her husband were in NY! (They are originally from Korea) I was like what the heck?  I heard that they were coming to the U.S., but I didn't know they were last night!  This was an unexpected, yet HAPPY surprise, because I haven't seen my cousin for about 5 years!  They are staying out in Queens, NY, so I decided to go drive out there to see them and show them around NYC.  To make a long story short, I picked them up and we drove and visited a few places in the city (below's a pic of me and my cousin in Times Square, NYC).  All in all we had a good time, but I got home at 4am...and needed to wake up at 7am to run.  Would I be able to do it?  Well thanks to my lovely gf's phone call, I was able to get myself out of bed and drag myself to the treadmill.  As expected, I needed to walk a bit b/c I was soooo tired.  But I did the 2 miles and am happy I did it :)  My time was 30 minutes 30 seconds and I burned 346 calories.  I even ran at 7 on the treadmill for bit... pretty crazy.  Now let's see if I can last at work without passing out :P

Day 3

In the beginning, today wasn't as hard as yesterday.  I started walking the quarter mile and then turned up the treadmill speed to 5 (out of 10) and began running.  Everything was good until I hit the 1 mile mark.  After that, my body was like, "What are you doing?  Why are you running?"  I slowed back down to 3 and then gradually increased the speed until I was walking at a brisk pace.  I ran the last quarter mile as fast as possible.  I guess my body is still getting used the whole exercise "thing" at 7 in the morning.  But I do notice, that even though my body is aching a little bit, I'm feeling much better about myself, because I got off my big butt and ran.  And that brings a smile to my face :)  I ran for 31 minutes and burned 329 calories.  Oh yeah, and I did some research: 3,500 calories equals to 1 pound (lb) of weight loss.  So that means if I were to burn 116,800 calories within the year, would that equate to 33.37 lbs of possible weight loss (considering that I keep to my regular eating and don't pig out?)  I wonder if anyone could verify this.  Anyways, Day 3 is complete...YES!

Day 2

Today was the 2nd day of running/walking 2 miles and it was a little difficult.  I needed to walk 1/4 of a mile to warm up and boy was I feeling it.  My ankles and my knees were slightly sore, pretty sad I must say, but I'll look at it positively to say I'm making some progress.  It took me slightly more time today to cover 2 miles: 33 minutes and 30 seconds.  I figure it will be like that until my body gets used to the exercise and builds some tolerance.  I burned 320 calories according to the treadmill.  If I were to burn 320 calories for 365 days, that would come out to 116,800 calories!!!  I wonder how many pounds that would be...I'll have to research and get back to you tomorrow. :)

First Day

So today, I ran 2 miles.  Ok, I walked for about 1/4 of a mile in the beginning to warm up and then a mile and half into it, another 1/4 of a mile.  All in all, it took me 30 minutes and 33 seconds and I burned 342 calories.  Not bad I must say even though it took me 30 minutes to run 2 miles!  I remember the good old days when I ran 7 minute miles, but that was in high school.  I wonder if I will be able to reach that at any time in the future... we'll have to see won't we?  Let the fun begin~