May 10, 2013

Palmolive brownie

Last night, I asked Jerry if he would mind getting the kids off to school this morning when he got home from work, so that I could head out for my long run first thing at 6:30. He, of course, said that was fine, so I planned to get up early and be ready when he got home.

Normally, getting up early is no problem for me--I'm always such a light sleeper. But today, I actually slept until 6:00, and I just wasn't feeling like hopping out of bed and out the door to run. So I changed my plans, and decided to just run when the kids left for school.

The weather app on my phone said 70% chance of rain. I was debating in my head whether to run outside or on the treadmill. It was like I was making the biggest decision of my lifetime, the way I was going over all the positives and negatives of each choice. Kind of ridiculous. I looked one more time at the weather, and saw that it was already 65 degrees. That swayed me toward the treadmill more than the rain did.

Since my next race over a 10K isn't until October, there is no real reason to run more than 8 miles or so. I figured I'd do 8-10, depending on how long the episodes of Sons of Anarchy were ;)  My main goal for the run was to keep my heart rate in Zone 3 again, regardless of pace. After yesterday's run, I figured that I'd be running 9:30 miles by the end of my run.

I set the incline at 1%, how I always do, and started at 6.7 mph. My heart rate wasn't going up much, so I increased it to 6.9 mph, and after about a mile, I was at the low end of Zone 3. I just decided to leave it there until my heart rate got too high, and then I'd start decreasing the pace.

As I ran, I thought about my sister, because today, she had her last long run before her half-marathon next weekend. She was going to be running 12 miles on the treadmill, and it made me feel like a slacker for doing "just" 8, so I changed my mind and decided to go for 12 instead. ;)

The first episode of SoA that I watched happened to be 60 minutes, which was unusual (usually, they are about 42-45 minutes). The timing ended up being perfect for 12 miles--I watched 2 full episodes and had time for a 2 minute walk at the end when I finished.


My heart rate actually stayed right in Zone 3 the entire time while running 6.9 mph (that was about an 8:40 mile); I had to decrease it to 6.8 for the very last mile. I was really surprised by the numbers! It confirmed what I've always thought, that (to me) it feels easier to run on the treadmill than it does outside. So based on that, I should be running faster on the treadmill than I do outside.

If I hadn't been focused on my heart rate, I would never have started my long run at 6.9 mph--logically, I feel like that's too fast. But using my heart rate helps me to see what I'm capable of, despite what my mind may tell me.

I had no idea what I was going to eat for my long run treat today. I wasn't sure if I was "allowed" to get something because of the no-grocery-shopping-in-May challenge that we're doing. Jerry said I'd better get something, or else I'll be sure to binge, and he was probably right. I could have made cookies, but then I would have eaten them ALL, so it was better off that I just buy one item, like I usually do.

I had to go weigh in at Weight Watchers, which is right next to the mall, so I decided to get something from Mrs. Fields. Jerry had to weigh in at WW also, and he came with me. He's been doing he Insanity workouts, so he asked me to get him a bar, too. I ordered our bars, and the girl working there said, "Those are Buy 2, Get 1 Free!".

Dammit! I thanked her for the (three) bars, and I should have offered the third one to the person behind me in line, but I didn't think. I just took it. It bugged me all the way home, thinking of what to do with the third bar. My kids don't need it--they get enough junk, and I've been trying not to bring anything like that home for them if I can help it. I could have put it in the freezer, but I know I would have pulled it out (probably tonight) and ate it. So, I did the only thing I could think of that would help me get it out of my mind--I poured dish soap on it. (Throwing it away doesn't work for me, unless it's destroyed)

That was VERY hard to do, but I felt strong when I did it. There is nothing wrong with eating one Dream Bar on my long run day, but I certainly didn't need two--and I most likely would have eaten it if it was still around. Dish soap has saved me from many situations like this! ;)

Today was Pizza Friday, and when I looked for the stuff to make pizza, I realized we were out of mozzarella cheese. And this since we're not allowed to buy groceries this month, I had to get creative. We had lots of cheddar cheese, so I decided to make BBQ Chicken Pizza--and it turned out really good. Two slices of it were only 7 PointsPlus, too--a bargain! Crap! I knew that it was too good to be true. When I was putting the ingredients into the Recipe Builder on the WW site, I realized I only accounted for half of the dough. So it actually has 5 PointsPlus per slice. I wish I'd realized this before I had a third slice!


I was in a rush to make the crust, and usually I make a yeast crust which takes a little time. Today, I made a quick crust out of Bisquick. It was really soft and bread-like, rather than chewy; different, but very good! I wrote out the recipe for the BBQ Chicken Pizza on my recipes blog, if you're interested. I'm definitely going to use that crust recipe again.

23 comments:

  1. Dish soap. What a great idea. I have very little self control with treats. I RARELY buy really junky food. I can't remember the last time I was in the chip aisle in the grocery store. If I buy a bag, I just keep thinking about them and then they are gone that same day!

    Nice job on the run, I wish I had a treadmill!

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  2. AnonymousMay 10, 2013

    Yay! Good tactic! I'm spending Friday night at home alone. Three mile walk with the pups done (rest day). I've put the scale in front of the fridge to deter me...I can't put soap on all our food! ;) I'm running my first half in two weeks. Make sure to let us know how your sister's race goes!

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  3. AnonymousMay 10, 2013

    I have heard of putting salt on some foods in order to avoid eating them but never dish soap! I love it!! Amazing self control!!

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    1. Not eating the brownie would have been self control. Covering food in soap is heavily disordered eating and should not be celebrated.

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    2. AnonymousMay 10, 2013

      @TCA Uh.. she didn't eat the brownie after it was covered in soap.

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    3. Binging is also disordered, isn't it? And it was exactly that she was AVOIDING. I would call that avoiding disordered eating, not practicing. Knowing your limits and your downfalls are also a huge part of self control. And as far as diagnosing goes, it's definitely not your place.

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    4. @TCA are you a regular reader? Because if you are then you know that Katie is very mindful about what she eats and it's not like she's pouring it over all her food to prevent her from eating it. If you read the whole post, you would know that she didn't intend to have this extra one, didn't want to sabatoge her family's health, and knew that simply throwing it away wouldn't do the trick. So this was a mere extra step to help her avoid overdoing it on the treats. Perhaps next time you might want to think twice before judging a fellow human being from behind the curtain of the Internet.

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    5. @TCA If you have read her posts, she does struggle with an eating disorder. I think this is a great tool to use to help her cope. Personally, I am proud of her for finding a way that works for her.

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  4. I really need to learn how to make a good pizza. Every time I try, I just don't get it quite right. You've given me some motivation to get back to experimenting!

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  5. AnonymousMay 10, 2013

    I've never poured dish soap on food, but I'll keep that in mind. A few times I've gotten cookies or something and opened the package in the car on the way home, and eaten a couple and then thrown the rest out the window so that I don't eat the whole package of whatever it is before I even get home (just the cookies, not the packaging).

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  6. I love using my heart rate monitor to help me stay in training mode! It's so interesting and fun to see how your body reacts to certain types of movements and differing speeds.

    That pizza also looks so delicious! I wonder how it would taste if you used a whole grain crust :)

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  7. I love the pic of you pouring the soap. YOU are in control! Sometimes I do that too to foods I know I would binge on, I usually end up putting it in the sink with water and soap then in the trash. I need to make pizza from scratch one day. I know my daughter would love to help with the toppings, she is all into helping mommy cook now. Looks yummy!

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  8. AnonymousMay 11, 2013

    Thanks for the pizza crust recipe! i want to try it. :)

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  9. I love seeing posts like these. Thanks for sharing. I remember when I first started reading your blog and I came across an entry where you filled up a jar of pb (or nutella) with dish soap. That has stuck with me ever since, and I actually had to do that one day myself when my friend sent me home a huge ziploc bag of baklava. I had already eaten quite a bit of it at her house (on top of the 3 bowls of ice cream I had), and I was still thinking about it as I drove home.

    When I got home I just had to have another piece, and that's when I finally said "This has to stop RIGHT NOW." So I filled the bag up with water and soap. I can't believe how hard that was, but it saved me from binging that night or the next day. If it wasn't for your blog I would have never thought to do that.

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  10. That pizza looks really good! Also, instead of using the dish soap next time, maybe give the treat to a neighbor? I just hate to see something like that go to waste. But, I have to congratulate you on not eating it. That had to feel great, especially after your recent binge.

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  11. Lol at the dish soap brownie. Way to be creative.

    Do you use the Accuweather app? I just ask because you mentioned checking a weather app for debating whether you run outside - Accuweather's app actually has an outdoor fitness rating (excellent, fair, poor...) on the front page of the app and when you click on it it will explain why. (Ideal cloud cover, temperature is just right, no rain) I use it a lot when I do outdoor activities and I've found it really helpful.

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  12. Thank you for this!! My kids love pizza, but I don't, and I think this would be something I could actually like!

    GO YOU on destroying a brownie. That takes a lot of determination, but it is SO much better than eating the darn thing!! (Not that I've ever been in that situation...! :p )

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  13. Great job on your run. Just deciding to run 4 more miles than you were planning is awesome! :)

    I hate when they trow in "free" stuff when it is a treat. I decided to treat myself to a York Peppermint Patty the other day at the store, one of my favorites. Well of course they were BOGO, so I ended up getting two and throwing them both down my throat before I got home. Luckily that's a lot less calories than a Mrs. Fields (but not nearly as delicious!).

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  14. Last night my mother-in-law sent us home with a baggie of brownies. As my husband was driving, I opened the window and lobbed the brownies one at a time into the bushes. It was the only way to get rid of them... and it worked!!!

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    Replies
    1. This made me laugh so hard! Good for you ha ha.

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  15. That looks just like the pizza we order from delivery. Good job!

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  16. Too funny! That story reminds me of when the Cadbury Eggs were Buy 1 Get 1 Free at CVS after my long run! I gave one to the cashier. Bravo to you for using the soap!!

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  17. That's so funny that you think the treadmill feels easier...I feel like it's SOOOO much harder. I can run a 9:15 outside and on the "Dreadmill" 10:30 feels like WORK! I wonder if it has to do with the consistency that you run on the treadmill. I only do it like 1-2 times a month, other than that all my runs are outdoors.

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