health

Healthy Challenge vs. Pharyngitis

Am I on a healthy challenge? You could have fooled me. Technically this challenge is from March 27, 2011 to March 26, 2012 (based on my birthday instead of the year). I’d be doing great if it weren’t for a stupid problem called pharyngitis. (It shouldn’t exist, spell check doesn’t know what it is and no one has ever heard of it.)

I got pharyngitis on April 2nd, again on May 13, and again on May 27th. This has been conflicting with my workouts, by which I mean I really haven’t been working out that much at all. Last week I went an entire week without one workout (except a 10-minute pilates class I put myself through). Sometimes the body needs that, but I’m getting a little stir crazy. My next challenge, the Warrior Dash, is coming up in a week and I haven’t trained at all.

Ugh—the best laid plans, I guess. In truth, feeling crummy will only make me appreciate feeling good when I’m back to normal.

Personal Euphoria

Healthy Challenge vs. PharyngitisMaggie Downie2014-08-04T18:02:46-04:00

MY FOUR CHALLENGES!!!

I honestly can’t remember if I already announced my four challenges of the year. In case you haven’t seen some earlier posts, I’m challenging myself to get in the best shape of my life this year and part of that challenge it to participate in four (ideally one per season) physical challenges throughout the year that I’ve never done before.

I’ve decided that the year is March 27, 2011-March 26, 2012.

Here is what I’ve decided to do:

1) The Warrior Dash—a 3.5 mile run with an obstacle course.

2) The Ragnar Relay—a relay race done with a 12 person team from New Haven to Boston. Over the course of a 36-hour period I’ll run about 12 miles. (Some people on our team will run 20 miles, and I am grateful that they wanted to take the longer legs.)

3) Hike the Grand Canyon—this is pending a permit that I really hope I can get.

4) Participate in Cross Country Ski Race—I’m thinking of the one held at the Von Trapp […]

MY FOUR CHALLENGES!!!Maggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:56-04:00

Food & Deprivation

I’m about to turn thirty and my official challenge of getting in the best shape of my life will be on full force. I’m completely confident I can do all my physical challenges (provided I don’t get hurt), but eating well is a little harder for me. I get three birthday meals and this is what I have selected:

1) Ham and Mac and Cheese
2) Fried Dough
3) French Fries (there will be other food there, but I really would be happy if there were only French fries)

And this doesn’t even mention the desserts that come after each meal. I know eating healthy isn’t about deprivation, but that’s what has always worked for me since I’m just not great at the whole moderation thing in anything I do. It is easier for me not to eat dessert for a month than to have a little dessert every day. I’m better at saying “no” than “a little.”

So any tips because by this time next week, I’ll be thirty and the challenge is on.

Food & DeprivationMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:57-04:00

Do I Deserve Praise?

My month of no dessert really wasn’t that hard. I didn’t lose any weight so I’m not sure how it benefitted me except to say that I did it and used my will power. The problem is I’m always better at saying no to a particular food if I’ve banned it. I’m an all or nothing kind of girl. My great-grandma used to be really good about restricting herself to two cookies a day. This is a gene that didn’t get passed down to me. I’m more apt to eat no cookies or a bag of cookies. This is why I try not to keep this kind of food in the house. And why I feel insanely lucky that I like to exercise.

On the couple of days when I passed on a dessert that seemed really good—like my Grandma’s birthday death by chocolate, or the butterscotch pudding in Seattle, or the coconut cream pie by Tom Douglas that people online seem to rave about, I posted my on Facebook a picture of what I didn’t eat. I […]

Do I Deserve Praise?Maggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:57-04:00

I’m READY TO EAT DESSERT!

Yippee!!! I can eat dessert again if I want. My self-imposed month of no dessert is over. Now the question is: will I eat dessert right away? What I craved most of all was chocolate covered marshmallows. I’ve never even had chocolate covered marshmallows, but I think I’m on a mission to find some.

Here is a sampling of the many desserts I went without:

Death By Chocolate made by my mom for my grandma’s 85th birthday. I was bummed not to partake and felt a little guilty!

Chocolate peanut butter cake with a peanut butter truffle and banana ice cream.

Tom Douglas’ Coconut Cream Pie

Cream filled puff pastries smothered […]

I’m READY TO EAT DESSERT!Maggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:57-04:00