Six weeks to a better you: week 5 Published May 17, 2007 By Airman 1st Class Ashley Coomes 319th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- At week five, the participants have almost completed their goals. They know what to do, now they have one more week to finish up. The six participants of the Body Gem® program have completed their fifth week. Each has submitted seven days of meals and exercise logs to Staff Sgt. Shaleika Anderson, a Health and Wellness Center dietician. She will comment on each participant according to their logs, and each participant will describe how they feel they did the past week. The weekend socialite The past week has been pretty standard as far as food is concerned. Most of the week was pretty decent food with lots of fruits, but a camping trip I took threw a wrench in the healthy eating. I can't resist s'mores! I used being outside to my advantage and played with a friend's dog and went exploring in the woods. Two rare things happened this weekend that were a huge step for me. I did not go out on Saturday night or drink. I also went running on Sunday. Not just a little run to the end of the road and walk back. This was a good half hour run (which is pretty good for me on a weekend). But I am noticing that I'm making better decisions during the weekend regarding my calorie intake (especially alcohol). I'm now focused on training for a backpacking trip that's coming up. So I plan to do a lot more endurance training with longer runs and walking on the treadmill with an incline for about an hour. Sergeant Anderson's advice - Great job on the exercise!! Even though you are within your calorie range, be sure to watch out for fat intake. Old dog needs new tricks... This week I had a little bit of trouble on the weekend when I wanted to kick back, relax and enjoy my time off. It started with a little party at work and then continued at a local watering hole. This weekend I seemed to not think about what I was eating as much as I should have. But we all need to let loose every now and then right? Of course, that's the little devil on my shoulder after I brushed the angel off to the curb. The good news is that I hit the next week hard with my running and even progressed into cross country trail running, which is a serious effort. But all those up and down hills will prepare me for my next 5K race competition on Saturday. I feel that I am running stronger and losing excess weight despite my occasional setbacks. The biggest issue I am dealing with now is the fact that I am not as hungry as I used to be and am not eating as much as I should, if you can believe that! Sergeant Anderson's advice - Overall, good job. Remember to keep calories above 1500 calories for weight loss. Tri-athlete in training This was a pretty steady week. I exercised and ate right, although I did eat too much pizza (I bought the pizza for a fundraiser on a base, so I think it's fair to say that my fat intake was for a good cause). Like previous weeks, my sodium levels were high, but I'm making a conscious effort to find low-sodium or no-sodium-added products. My big focus this week is to prepare for the upcoming Fargo Marathon on Saturday, which is one of my short-term goals (if you can remember back to Week 1). I'm not sure I've trained nearly enough for this race, but I'll get to the finish line somehow. It might be by pushing, pulling or dragging, but I'll get there. I'm hoping my exercise and food choices from the last five weeks will help me... TBD. Sergeant Anderson's advice - Awesome job on food intake. You should be ready for your marathon this weekend. Good luck!! Beef cake Beef cake is still TDY. Lifestyle change It's almost the last week, and I haven't exactly been abiding by the program. My husband is finally home after four months in Germany, so naturally, he's been wanting to eat foods that weren't readily available in Europe; like pizza with pepperoni instead of salami, and basic "American" foods...especially since a certain steak restaurant with a Texas theme opened while he was gone. So, my diet hasn't consisted of the six small meals I'm supposed to have, it's been very high fat, random meals. Instead, I've had supper at 3 p.m., no lunch on most days, and breakfast...yummy high-fat breakfasts. Then there's my lack of exercise. I have been working outside, though, and we plan on going four-wheeling this week, so that at least gets me outside and away from crappy foods for a while. I know...it sounds like I'm using the hubby as a cop-out and I am, but at least I'm not gorging myself when we do eat out. I pay attention to my body; when I start to feel full, I stop. Sergeant Anderson's advice - I noticed your calories increased. Even though you are on leave, try to stay on track with calories. Also, try to fit exercise into your day. The Newly Wed I'm still going strong on my workouts. I added strength training one day a week, which I know I should do more; that is a struggle. I am eating pretty healthy by not going out to restaurants. It's also a lot cheaper to just eat at home. Sergeant Anderson's advice - Great job on staying within your calorie level. You also did good increasing exercise. Keep up the good work.