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If the Shoe Fits...

This week I again met my goal of working out 3 times at Curves, however my scale has crept up a few pounds in the past 2 weeks.  I think that even though I am eating "nutritious" foods, I'm still taking in more calories than I'm using or else the scale wouldn't be moving up!  For example, this weekend I made some healthy lentil, spinach and tomato soup with turkey kielbasa-style sausage.  While everything in it was "heatlhy" I never added up the calories and my portions were probably too large and hence, I had more calories than I burned.  I also made a "healthy" lasagna, with whole wheat pasta, fat free cheeses and vegetables, but again I probably ate too much of it and the calories added up.  Plus that bag of baked pita chips and fat free bean dip probably didn't help!  So while I'm on track with the exercise, my weight loss is stalling so I'm going to have to find a way to cut more calories if I want to see the number on the scale go down.

I'm still noticing a lot more folks working out in the past 3 weeks, so much that it's downright crowded!  While I'm glad to see the higher attendance, it just makes me wonder how long it will continue.  How many of us will continue our routines throughout the year?  I plan to be one of them and I hope you all will be too.  One thing that has kept me motivated, strangely enough, is my workout shoes.  I got them for Christmas and absolutely LOVE them.  When I picked them out, I really didn't know what I was doing other than finding some that felt comfortable, but they feel so good they almost seem to boost my energy level when I'm working out.  So I was curious to see what the experts had to say about selecting a good athletic shoe for anyone who is looking, and here's the advice I found on WebMD:


Don't make shoes multitask- get one pair for walking, one for running
Know your foot- check to see if you have high or low arches by making a wet footprint on brown paper
Measure your foot frequently- feet do change sizes
Shop toward the end of the day- feet tend to swell as the day goes on
Bring your own socks
Don't believe in breaking in- they should feel great on day one
Use the rule of thumb- leave 1 thumb's width between your big toe and the shoe
Understand the bells and whistles- some gels, shock absorbers, air, etc. in the shoe are helpful for people who need more support
Don't over- or underpay- big difference between a $15 and $80 pair of shoes
Know when to replace them- 350-400 miles and it's time for new shoes

Here's the full article:

Do your workout shoes fit the bill ?  What other tips would you recommend when looking at shoes or other athletic wear ?



Dell- a Lumen
Published Jan 24 2007, 10:21 AM by dellraye

Comments

 

jknowles said:

This is a great post! Too many people just buy any pair of shoes and then wonder why their knees, ankles or back hurt. I highly recommend visiting your local running store. They'll help fit you with the best shoes for your activity level, foot shape and running/walking gait.
January 24, 2007 11:20 AM
 

dalpra said:

Thanks for the great advice on shoes.  
January 24, 2007 12:29 PM
 

Molly said:

Diet is often the culprit, but keep in mind that as you work out you gain muscle weight and muscle weighs more than fat, so it is possible to be losing fat but not weight.  See if your health club has the equipment necessary to measure body fat and check that once in awhile.
January 24, 2007 5:53 PM
 

Pingu said:

I recommend for anyone who has the store in their town to go to the New Balance Store.  They will work with you on fit and comfort and activity level in the shoe.  Their 991 series are the most comfortable shoes ever!   I can walk around all day in them!
January 24, 2007 10:24 PM
 

HornJM said:

Fantastic blog, Dell!

Don't let the weight scale get you down.  I was thinking the same thing as Molly about muscle weighing more than fat.  It could be what your eating as well, though.  I'm in the crowd that would, in that case, rather just figure out a way to work out more than go through the riga-ma-roll of counting calories and cutting back.

And, I can relate the being motivated by new gear.  I've been a bit lax lately.  BUT...I have a new Garmin Forerunner 301 coming.  I can't wait to get it and put it to use!!!
January 25, 2007 10:49 AM
 

klhester said:

Great advice on the shoes.  I found a great pair of New Balance shoes, then thought I would upgrade to a different series and found that the shoes I had were a much better fit.  I have learned that if it works, stay with it.  Also, my sister and I just started journaling calories and exercises about 3 weeks ago and found the scale moving up.  For the both of us, it moves up before it moves down.  We have found, though, that journaling calories is the only way it works for us.  It is amazing to see how fast calories add up.
January 25, 2007 11:12 AM
 

dellraye said:

Thanks for the encouragement, all. I don't think it's muscle gain because I've been working out the same rate for 8 months, and yes my body fat has gone down slowly over that time quite a few percentage points.  I talked to my WW counselor and she said to just count "points" for a week using the "core plan" foods I've been eating, and I should be fine. Not giving up, just paying closer attention! Plus I'm adding a few lunchtime walks in during the week.

By the way, my shoes are New Balance 791 women's .. since we're endorsing brands. I love them !
January 25, 2007 11:40 AM
 

mamag said:

I agree, you have to be fitted by the running store experts.  Not the sports stores.  They know how to sell shoes.  Running stores know feet and in turn sell you the correct shoe for your foot and activity.  If you have any pain foot, knees or hip - get to a running store to be fitted in shoes that fit your foot properly.  Don't be afraid of the prices in a running store they are very competitive to every sports store.
January 27, 2007 8:39 PM
 

Get Fit Through The Holidays said:

This is the first winter I've ever exercised regularly since I can remember, and I've noticed this past...
February 7, 2007 4:29 PM

About dellraye

I've been with Lumenos since January 2000, when we were a very small company! I work on the Product Development Team and the Web Team, where I design the layouts for the pages of the Lumenos Web sites and work to make them user friendly. I believe in consumerism and am happy to be part of this innovative company that has been such a pioneer and leader in the evolution of Consumer Driven Health Plans.

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