Report for Saturday

Another original title. Not too much to say today. I went “wogging” in the park again today. This was the first time I started without having gone to the Y and done the elliptical first. And let me tell you, it was painful. Seriously. Like I had to force myself to take every single step. I think not being already warmed up somewhat by having done the elliptical affected me. I’m doing a modified version of the Couch to 5k program, so I was doing 8 repitions of 90 seconds of jogging followed by 90 seconds of walking. It was all I could do to accomplish it. It didn’t help that there were a lot of hills. I got it done. Burned 300 calories. And I honestly have to admit that if I did not have someone jogging with me I don’t think I would have completed the workout. It really does help to have someone with you who can help keep you accountable.

I did have dessert tonight – I tried to exercise self control. I had a brownie and one serving of ice cream. But then I did graze some on the pan of brownies through the evening. However, when my guests left, I wisely threw away the remainder of the brownies. There were only about two left, and they really weren’t that good – I recently bought Aldi cocoa, and nothing I have made with it turns out well. It even looks pretty different than “normal” cocoa. I don’t think it’s worth the few cents I save to buy that. I’ll stick to the national brands next time.

I’m posting a new little graph of my calories/net calories for the day:

Warm saturday, post weigh in.

Today was a beautiful day.  It was sunny and warm with a nice breeze.  Just lovely.  I really, like most people, enjoy days like this.   I only wish I had gotten up sooner to enjoy more of it. 

My tomatoes are getting blooms on them.  They started to get them earlier this week, but there are quite a few more now.  There are blooms on both rows and both kinds of tomatoes.  I have cherry and regular tomatoes planted.  Tomorrow evening the bug spray will be ready to use.  I hope it helps chase away the bugs eating my leaves out there.  

A friend of mine wanted me to go out tonight.  Instead I stayed home and cleaned my bathroom.  I’m pretty sure that I’m not a party animal, lol.  He was wanting to go karaoke, but I don’t sing (in public) and didn’t really feel like going to a bar tonight.  I think he was a little upset but I think it was for the best not to go.  And as a bonus my bathroom is sparkling and smells nice again.

We made it to the gym last night ( this morning ).  I don’t think James really wants to go or enjoys going, but it was his idea to get a membership.  He pushed for it so I think he needs to use it also.  He may be thin but he’s not fit and I worry sometimes not healthy either.   I sometimes feel guilty for “forcing” him to go, but I’m letting go of that.  Sometimes he needs a push to do the things he should and I’m making this one of those things.  I’m not all that sure i will renew my membership when it runs out, but I plan to make the most of it until then.  I may come to appreciate it more when the weather gets super hot here or come the winter and decide that it’s a worth while expense.  We’ll see. I’ve got plenty of time to decide that.

I started the motivation board in a round about way last night.  I went through the magazines I had here and cut out words or phrases that were in line with what I wanted.  Now I just got to find some pictures and other things to fill it and then sit and put it all together. 

I took my measurements earlier, finally.  So now I will have a better idea of my progress.  I haven’t figured out how to have them on here yet or if I’m ready to share them.  So I’ll think about it for a little while and see what I come up with.  I can track it on-line at spark people and keep it private. So for today that’s where I’ll be putting it.

I’m going to try to get up earlier tomorrow.   I think it’ll be better.  I feel like I’m missing too much of the daytime with my current schedule.  So I’m going to work on changing it.

I’ve been doing better with getting my food requirements and drinking enough water.  I’m happy about that.  Doing it the right way really is the best way.  I feel better and am realizing that the results will be lasting.  ~T~

WW Walk-It Blog-It Challenge #6 - Walking with Friends

This past week I was able to go out for a walk on Saturday with DH, a close friend from high school whom I reconnected with recently, via Facebook.  She and I had such a nice time – getting some exercise, inspiring each other, and of course, catching up on lots of gossip.   I had so much fun!

We decided to meet at the Perc Ponds along the Los Gatos Creek Trail.  I had never heard of the Perc Ponds before, but once DH described how to get there, I realized that I had been there before, without even knowing it.  The LG Creek Trail is miles and miles long, and when I was with TNT, we had walked right by the Perc Ponds (and then way past them). I am so glad that DH suggested this spot, because now I have a beautiful place to go on my own.

How beautiful is this?  It was so nice to have such a clear, sunny day to talk our walk.  We met around 11am so that we could beat the heat.  I am amazed that these ponds have been so close all along, but I was oblivious to them.  I love finding new places for walks!

As I was waiting for DH, I decided to take a quick picture of this little fellow, since he (and his friends) were quite aggressive.  They must be so used to having people around that they just think of us as weird looking geese.  I guess.  At one point he was getting so aggressive that I actually moved because I didn’t want to get “goosed by a goose!” 

I had to stop the walk halfway through so that I could get a picture of this.  I loved it.  On the far side of the picture, beyond the foliage, there’s a freeway, but you would never know it from this shot.  It’s amazing that there is a natural setting like this in the middle of a bustling city.

This, by far, is my favorite shot of the day.  I loved the gnarled tree against the vividness of the flowers.  There’s something so beautiful in the paradox, to me.  I would love to get a picture of this without as much sun. A more mystical view of it when there’s more fog, or an overcast sky.

Walking with DH on Saturday was great, and I can see why people like having walking partners.  The time flies by and you get a chance to catch up with each other. We walked for over 45 minutes without even knowing it.  We weren’t walking very fast, but I think we probably walked at least 1.5 miles, which is good.

I definitely plan on taking more walks with friends, because it’s a fun, healthy way to spend some quality time together.  But I know for myself, I’m more focused when I walk alone. It lets me clear my head and work out any problems I have swirling around up there.  Plus, I can push myself as far or as fast as I want to go, but I never feel pressured to do more than I feel I can (like I did when I was on the Walk Team with TNT).

What about you?  Do you like walking alone or with friends better?  Which ones nets better results for you?

Feeling Thin

A great start to the weekend, just returned from a Bikram Yoga class.

The generosity and support I am receiving is just astounding, I am trying not to dismiss it, but to take it in and use as fuel for my discipline. Not as a fear that I’ll let anyone down if I don’t change my life, but as a positive to know that others will get a kick out of it as well.

Maggie just proves to be an amazing woman, inviting my son in to the last part of class and having him participate. He loved it and is already talking about the next time he can come along. I’m just happy he gets the opportunity to see what I am doing and what it is all about.

Anyway off to Ballarat for the afternoon / night and then tomorrow am going to hit the gym for a workout before taking the young man to Tennis. Then off to see the mighty Bombers take on Geelong.

I feel great at the moment, opposed to Thursday and Friday when I felt massive. I feel thin today which is great.

Healthy Snack that Suppresses Appetite

Looking for a sweet snack that will satiate your appetite rather than leave your stomach grumbling for more? It turns out that consuming dried plums (prunes) may help suppress hunger levels – certainly a helpful hint for any calorie-curbing diet. Since 87% of women snaffle snacks at least twice a day, researchers wanted to identify healthy bites that abate, rather than boost appetite.

Participants of the study who consumed low-fat cookies were left craving more, however, those that ate dried plums demonstrated significantly higher levels of satiety (in other words, dried plums suppressed their appetite). Additionally, prunes elicited lower levels of plasma glucose and insulin than the low-fat cookie.

The research team discovered that consistent consumption of dried plums improved blood lipids and diet quality, and eased bowel movements in comparison to a commercially processed snack.

It’s important to note that the study group only consisted of 19 women, which certainly isn’t a lot. However, additional research from Florida State University and Oklahoma State University highlight the positive role that dried plums play in digestion, bone health, metabolism, immune response, and in reduction of inflammation markers.

Walking for Weightloss Days 1 and 2

Well day 1 was 2 days ago so I will write about it. I got up and decided enough is enough and today is the day for my new beginning it is the day I am taking charge of my life.

I decided the best way for me to walk the 1.5 hours needed which in my case is just over 10,000 steps is by using a stop watch and walking for bursts of 10 minutes at a time. Whenever I have to stop i stop the stop watch thus ensuring I do actually walk the required time. It is not the best way to do it I know but it will have to do as it is all I can manage right now.

I walk around in circles under my pergola area as I dont want to go and walk around the streets.

After the first 1.5 hours of walking I could feel my feet aching and my hip joints feeling a bit sore. I thought hmmmmm thats a good feeling tho. I have achieved something.

The next morning I woke up and ouch my feet were sore. But I thought thats ok a little pain as the saying goes “there is no gain if there is no pain”. I went through all my normal daily stuff and when I could I used my stop watch and walked around in circles. Today I did  1 hour and 40 minutes as I felt good.

The Muscle Building Zone The Sensible Way To Build Muscle

The Muscle Building Zone – Are You Serious About Building Muscle?

To Build muscle you really need to use some common sense. Don’t even bother looking at the muscle mags.

Imitating the training of champion bodybuilders is one of the most costly frauds in the exercise world!  Because the instruction from elite bodybuilders has no practical relevance for average people like you and me.

People who are without gifted genetic potential, and don’t want syringe scars in our butts.

Not only is this training advice useless, but it will cause over-training, injuries and illness. You’ll not even come close to adding the kind of muscle you are after and the chances are good you will lose muscle.

The so-called “experts” will not tell you that drugs and genetics were responsible for curing their problem of being a hardgainer.  They claim it’s the supplements and “better training.”

Sensible Muscle Building Start With These 4 Steps

 

Step #1

Committ to lifting weights at least three to four times per week. Your goal is to stimulate your muscles with resistance (stress) which results in your muscles growing bigger to avoid the stress from occuring again. Once you go home, let the muscle heal through nutrition and rest, it will grow bigger and you will repeat this process again. Ideally you should hit your muscles once every 72 hours so you could perform 2 upper body workouts per week and 2 lower body workouts per week.

Step #2

Focus on eating at least 5-7x a day with balanced meals from carbohydrates, proteins and fats. If your goal is to build muscle than you should be eating at least 15-18 x your current body weight. Your carbohydrates should equate about 45% of your intake, your proteins should equate about 35% of your intake and your fat should be the remaining 20% of your intake. You should focus on over half of those meals being solid whole food meals and the remainder can be liquid meal replacment shakes.

Step #3

You should focus on stretching at least half the amount that you lift weights. One of the biggest mistkakes I see is people training, training and training with out any stretching. Stretching helps restore normal length to the tissue and if you are constantly training, your muscle tissues will shorten and big to perform weaker and slower and have a higher incidence of injuries. So if you are lifting weights 4 hours in the week, at least an additional 2 hours should be dedicated to stretching. You must counteract the shortening of the muscle tissues that occurs with weights or else you are a injury screaming to happen.

Step #4

Avoid supplements that have not been around for longer than 3 years. I learned this phisophy from an Australian strength coach who recommended not trying any supplement until it has been around at least 3 years to pass the test of time. This will make your life much easier and help you avoid all the marketing hoopla in the latest fitness and bodybuilding magazine. If you follow this rule, you will discover only a small handful of supplements still standing. Here are the ones you should not go with out: a high quality multi-vitamin, fish oil capsules, powdered creatine and a protein powder. These products will cover your nutritional basis for health, healthy body composition, strength and muscle mass.

SEE ALSO

Sensible Muscle Building  pack on muscle, lose fat and get stronger and healthier with a sensible approach.

New workout

Tonight, to mix things up, I tried the Biggest Loser yoga workout for weight loss on recommendation from my sister.  I never thought I could sweat by not moving around much.  I think I’m going to buy a copy.  It worked out muscles that I don’t get to usually, it helps train my balance, and I need to be more flexible physically.  I don’t know if it’s as good a workout as my other circuit training but it should be good to do once a week.

This morning was a pretty good workout.  I got 6 HIIT in before my wife came down so I went on the bike and burned over 600 calories total.  I know my body is stronger but I feel week.  It seems to take so much energy to get through these workouts.  Maybe it’s because I am pushing myself just a little bit harder but it feels like I should just break through this and not struggle so much.  But that’s ok.  Bring it on.

The best advice for weight loss is right out in the open...

Sometimes in life, the writing's on the wall...

I couldn’t resist snapping a pic of this delightful dieting advice on my walk to work this morning. Finally, weight loss advice from someone practicing what he/she preaches! How many calories do you suppose one burns while practicing the yoga-esque art of graffiti? Good work out for the upper body, with lots of extended stretching. Hmmm, have we just found a new alternative to spin class?

Ch-Ch-Changes...

Well, my experiment to go off Klonopin was a disaster.  Three nights in a row I couldn’t fall asleep until around 5 AM, so I started taking it again.  I am doing great!  Withdrawal from Seroquel is over and I couldn’t be happier.  So now on to my next focus…

Weight!  I started watching my weight again last week, keeping track of calories and exercising every day.  I’ve lost four pounds in eight days…fabulous!  Now a friend is trying to sponsor a 10-pound challenge.  $10 in and the first person to lose 10 pounds gets the pot.  Nothing like a little competition to spur one on.  If I win or not, I need to lose 12 pounds to reach my goal weight.

So may the best girl (or guy) win!!

Trim Down with Turmeric

Looking for a delicious way to spice up your diet? A new study, published in this month’s Journal of Nutrition, suggests turmeric might turn out to be your secret tummy-trimming ingredient.

Researchers theorize that curcumin, a bioactive component in curry and turmeric, could stall the spread of fat-tissue by inhibiting a process called angiogenesis (which is the growth of new blood vessels). Results indicate that curcumin appears to suppress angiogenic activity in the fat tissue of mice that have been fed high fat diets. Additionally, the curcumin-chewing group presented with lower levels of blood glucose, triglycerides, fatty acids, cholesterol and liver fat. (Of course, as with all animal studies it’s not known whether these results can be replicated in human trials, but scientists are optimistic).

However, turmeric has long been the talisman of healing in India, where it’s known as the “holy powder.” Turmeric has been used in alternative medicine for centuries, with proponents of the powder claiming it has the potential to heal wounds, infections, and other health problems. Although modern scientific research on the spice has burgeoned in recent years, until now scientists didn’t know exactly how curcumin works in vivo (in the body).

A new study, published last month in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, put researchers one step closer to unlocking the biological secrets of this healing spice. According to scientists, the molecules of curcumin act like a biochemical disciplinarian. By inserting themselves into cell membranes, they increase the stability of the cell’s structure, thus increasing resistance to invading pathogens that can cause infection.

This is a great dish that incorporates turmeric, and it’s an exotic alternative to traditional potato salad. I found it on a site that boasts the top 20 turmeric recipes.

Preparation: Lightly brown onion in oil in a medium size skillet. 

Stir in salt, cayenne, turmeric and cumin. Add potatoes and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. (I boil the potatoes first to speed this part up, it also avoids the potatoes burning or sticking to the skillet).

Add tomatoes, cover pan and cook until potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes. If you’ve boiled the potatoes, then just simmer on low for around 6 minutes. 

*Garnish with chopped cilantro and scallions. 

 

Snapshots, Salmon Cakes and Sweet Frozen Bananas

Hi friends! Happy Monday! As promised, I have a few pics to share from my trip again today. After that, I have a new recipe for you so stay tuned. First….

Iceberg! Dead ahead!! We got to see glaciers “calving” on several occasions. Calving is when big chunks of glacier fall into the water following an amazingly thunderous noise. It was definitely a sight (and sound) to behold! That, my friends, is the recipe for an iceberg. The water was so beautiful, but I was certainly not tempted to go for a swim!

Here’s a silly photo. While in Anchorage, I was petted by a bear!!

I can’t resist silly tourist type photo ops. Further evidence from Anchorage:

Those pants are a bit big on me even though this was the end of a week of constant eating! Awesome! Have you ever given in and done the touristy photo op thing? Come on! Fess up! Sweetie wants to know! I hope my friend, Miss M, won’t mind appearing here with her pickaxe. I just couldn’t get that moose to go any faster. I tried! While you might think these little photo shoots were the highlight of our day in Anchorage, I’m sure you will be shocked to hear that there was actually something even better…

The Kobuk had a sign in the window promoting their old fashioned style donuts, and, after a long bus ride from Whittier to Anchorage, that sounded like just the ticket!

I love the teapot mural on the side of the building. So cute! I had an old fashioned donut topped with chocolate and a peanut butter bar:

The bar was not what I expected. I had a nice surprise when I realized that it was like the cornflake cluster candies that my grandmother used to make at Christmastime. I’d say it involved cornflakes, peanut butter, corn syrup and butter. That would be my guess. It was soooo yummy, but the donut, well… drool.

So I didn’t have donuts today, but I did start off with a nice breakfast. I’m sorry to say that it isn’t very interesting to look at:

I was in the mood for steel cut oats, and, since I had a day off, I had time for the 30 minute stove top method. I liked them so much that I’m going to put a batch in the slow cooker tonight so I can have more tomorrow. I like their chewy texture, and I usually have some in the pantry. I just don’t think to make them very often since they take longer. I can’t wait for breakfast! Today’s bowl was a classic. It had brown sugar, cinnamon and raisins. I also added a little Jay Robb’s for some protein sticking power. Three hours later, I was ready for an apple with some cashew butter. YUM!

The bluebirds kept jumping into every photo today. I don’t know what got into them!

Not long after my apple snack, it was time for lunch. That brings me to the new recipe I promised you. I hope you didn’t think the iceberg recipe was it for the day! As a kid, I did a lot of the cooking. We were on a pretty tight budget so stretching a can of tuna or salmon was definitely a goal. Add that to the fact that I was just learning my way around the kitchen, and the results were often less than stellar. I made countless batches of salmon patties that could probably best be described as gluey, bready, slightly fishy, hockey pucks. Thank goodness for ketchup! I had a can of salmon in the pantry today, and I decided to come up with a healthier and more grown-up version. I was very happy with the end result! Here’s the recipe:

Sweetie’s” All Grown Up” Salmon Cakes

Ingredients:

cooking spray

1 14.5 ounce can of salmon, drained and flaked (if bones are included, do your best to sort of crunch them up while flaking the salmon… no reason to waste that calcium!)

4 ounces of jarred roasted red bell peppers, finely chopped

5 Reduced Fat Ritz Crackers, finely crushed (any crackers should work just fine)

1/4 cup of chopped scallions

2 tsp old bay seasoning

1/4 cup egg beaters

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, and coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Combine all ingredients (except cooking spray) in a large bowl. Divide into fourths, and form each fourth into a ball. Press the balls out into patty shapes and place in the fridge to chill for ten minutes. Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Heat the skillet on high heat and gently place the patties in the pan to brown– about 2 minutes on each side. Here’s a warning: These have very little filler, and very little glue. It may take some patience and some care to keep them from falling apart during this part of the process. If it happens, don’t worry. you can reshape it a bit before it goes into the oven, and no one will no the difference. Believe me. I know.  

Place the browned cakes on the baking sheet, and then spray the tops with more cooking spray for a bit of extra crispness. Pop them into the oven for 15-20 minutes in order to heat them through. 

A little recipe calculator told me that these are 4 points each.

My salmon cake had flavor! It was moist, and did not resemble a hockey puck at all. Success! I’ve had enough good crab cakes since moving to the east coast to know that the less filling there is in a fish type cake the better. That’s why there are only a few crackers and a bit of egg in these. I love the sweetness of the jarred roasted red peppers. If you don’t keep these in your pantry, you might consider giving them a spot on the shelf. I love them in potato salads, pasta salads and all sorts of things– including these cakes. I topped my cake with some raspberry wasabi mustard, and tossed a zucchini on the griddler to have as a side. I loved my lunch!

After lunch, I took one of yesterday’s chocolate covered bananas out of the freezer, and it was even better with the banana actually, um, frozen! It also took a long time to eat, which is a great quality in any dessert.

I’m so enamored with these that I scoped out the chocolate at Whole Foods today in order to find some to wrap around my two remaining bananas. I found this:

Ginger+ Chocolate + Banana? You bet! I made a batch this afternoon, and I can’t wait to try them! I also picked up a new bar that I snacked on after my WF trip:

This Kashi GoLean Crunchy Chocolate Pretzel bar was ok. I think I like Coffee Cake flavor of this line of bars the best so far out of the ones I’ve tried. Even so, it was pretty good, and I definitely  liked the pretzel bits. I followed it up with a blueberry Oikos:

The bluebirds approved! These were on sale at WF today, and I picked up several. I love the blueberry Oikos the best of any of the flavored Greek yogurts I’ve tried. I found the Chobani fruit flavored yogurts to be too gloppy and gooey. I think this one is just right. I didn’t even add any crunch!

Close to dinner, I munched on another little treat from my WF trip. I love cherries, and I look forward to their appearance at the farmer’s market and the grocery store each year. They are, hands down, one of my favorite fruits. They are so sweet and juicy, and I also think they are just so darn pretty!

These are like Sweetie Pie crack. I could eat them all day. So good!!

When it came time for dinner, there was really only one thing I wanted: Breakfast!!

I had two slices of turkey bacon, a fried egg, some berries, and two Van’s 97% fat free waffles topped with a bit of maple syrup. Yum! These waffles are much better than any other frozen waffles I’ve tried. I will be buying them again. This was exactly what I wanted, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Dinner was, of course, followed by dessert. I wanted to swing by the Gelateria up the street today on my way to WF, but since I’m trying to really behave myself post-cruise, I decided to splurge on a container of gelato at WF. That way, I’d know the number of calories and be able to make a wise choice. It wasn’t a sacrifice. Not at all! I picked up a container of Ciao Bella Maple Ginger Snap Gelato. Oh my!! It was delish! 

I’ve never found a gelato in the U.S. that comes close to the scoops I enjoyed a couple of years ago while in Italy, but maybe it just tastes different when you are in Florence or Rome? This will definitely do.

There is a bit of a story about the crumbs on top. I bought a ready made reduced fat graham cracker pie crust some time ago, and it fell out of the top of the cabinet and broke into a bunch of pieces. The pieces were nicely protected under the plastic cover, but it was still a broken mess hiding under the lid. I decided to just crunch it all up, put it in a container, and use it to top ice cream, pudding, yogurt and whatever else comes along. I’m sure I could add some butter and make it back into a nice crust shape, but I’m happy with my crumbles.  

That’s it for today’s eats. I’m doing better with my sugar cravings, and I think that’s because I’ve been eating more fruit. Now that there are cherries available, well, that should help matters tremendously!

I had a great workout tonight in the gym, but I’m sorry I didn’t get my bicycle out this afternoon before the rain started. It is collecting dust, and I’m missing feeling the breeze through my bicycle helmet hair. I vow to take advantage of the next nice day that provides the opportunity. Now, I’m off to turn on the slow cooker so my steel cut oats will be nice and creamy in the morning, and then I’m off to bed. Ciao for now, bloggies!

Reincarnation

A guy at work has returned looking a third of his original weight. He told us last January that he was taking a sabbatical and would return to his job around April/May 2009.

 Somehow, in my mind, definition of a a sabbatical – turning up for work looking a third of your original size -didn’t spring to mind.

While we had all thought of Henry as taking time off to be with his family, to plant crops in western sahara, or to irrigate land to provide water for an orphanage in Somaliland, it transpired that  Henry had instead gone under the sugreon’s knife. Trouble is, we all don’t know why. Let’s look at the evidence.

Henry, like a lot of people, was always on the larger size of life.

Tall and broad shouldered, he could hold his own in meetings, he was comfortable in his own skin, happily married with 2 wonderful boys. So we all thought. Henry had increased in girth as the months rolled on, and was settled into importing his clothes from the United States.

 In the meantime, Henry had taken a long hard look at himself in a full length mirror, the first time in over 20 years, and didn’t like what he saw.

He started a health kick, banned junk food and canned fizzy sodas,  and left behind the fried greasy foods and huge portions, exchanging them for salmon, grilled chicked and salads, and lots of water. He started running after 3 months, gradually increasing the distance, and within a year he had shed 7 stone. He had been left with a huge flap of skin hanging down from his navel, and had elected for surgery to remove it.

It’s like dropping a pebble in a stream, the ripple effect of his weight loss on the staff at work has been incredible, I see people taking the stairs instead of using the elevator, I see people going to the gym at lunch break, people who had always smoked suddenly cutting it out altogether. This has to be a good thing.

I just hope that this is a lifestyle change and not just a fleeting semblance of calm for Henry, as if he ever slips up it could all reverse itself within a matter of weeks.

For the meanwhile, his new look knocks em dead.

It Helps to be Water Smart

Some days you’re set on working on that jelly-belly, giving it everything you’ve got, but you feel fatigued after 15 minutes of working out and your muscles keep cramping. Before giving up, consider that you may just be dehydrated.

It has been proven that when a person is hydrated, they will have a much more productive workout and much better energy level. So, ensuring that you are well-hydrated is an important component of a healthy workout. Many gulp down a 32 oz Gatorade after a heavy workout, but it’s much better to drink continually while exercising, and often water is a better choice.

We often think that we need the ever present sports drinks, while the reality is water is what we need the most. There are no calories or sugar and since most of us are trying to lose weight, we don’t need extra calories or sugar.

For those who tend to sweat a lot during exercise, a sports drink may help replace electrolytes. But the average person doesn’t sweat profusely unless working outside in the heat or playing an intense sport.

Generally, the normal 64 oz bottle is good for most people. The recommendation is that you drink before your workout and at 20-minute intervals throughout. Your diet should also be taken into account: If you eat a lot of fruits and soups, you may not require as much water. If you have a high protein diet you should drink more. If you drink a lot of caffeine and alcohol, it will pull water out of your system, so you need to drink more to replenish.

First Day

I finished my first day, and I have to admit it was not all that bad.  I was worried though.  

I do have a little bit of a texture issue with food. Also, I was worried about taste, but I did OK. My friends told me the little bit of funny taste will go away in about 3 days. Great, but it wasn’t that bad, and the texture of the bar ( chocolate mint crunch) was not bad at all. Next time I have one, I will put in the refrigerator, and see if that makes it better.

I tried the Oatmeal bar, that texture was not as good, so I probably won’t order any of those.

I used 4 ice cubes and my magic bullet to mix the chocolate drink mix. Not to shabby, so far it’s do-able. 

I drank all my water, which is huge! I really thought I’d have a issue with that, but breaking it down is small cups made it easier. My biggest issue is the peeing, I think I peed out at least 25 pounds today. I will have to get used to that.

I will give myself a B+ for today, and I’m happy with that!

Weigh in tomorrow....

Today was/is better then yesterday.  So much better, thankfully.  I got some extra sleep last night and that seems to have helped.  I also realized I hadn’t taken my pills for a couple of days.  So that could have added to the “crash”.  I took them last night and will make sure I’m getting them everyday.

I’ve finally figured out that it’s the lima beans that didn’t come up.  So I’m going to go and get another package of seeds and try again, since there’s still time.   I think we planted them to deep and that’s why they didn’t come up.  But considering this is our first attempt at a garden I’m not too upset and just looking forward to seeing if I can get the next set of lima beans to come up.

I am going to go to the gym tonight.  Need to get more exercise.  I’m looking forward to the weights and trying to get some cardio, either the bikes or treadmill.  Trying to get over my nerves.  Easy to say hard to do.  But I want the exercise.  Hopefully James will get off work on time and we can get to the gym and no one be there.  In case I didn’t mention it before, I’m slightly agoraphobic. That’s why I don’t generally go out alone and being around people I don’t know is hard.  I’m trying to get better about it just takes time.  It’s all about baby steps.

Tomorrow is my first weigh in.  I’m a little nervous.  I’ve done really well watching what I eat and not eating too much,  and getting in exercise way more then I was before.  I feel like I’m on the right track.  I just want a number to reflect my work.  Which I guess it will.  If it’s not a good number then I’m doing something wrong.  Although any loss is good.  I’m just all over the place right now.  I keep trying to remind myself it’s going to be a long process with good weeks and bad.  I just want a good first week to kick this off. 

I finally remembered to put on sun screen today.  Thankfully.  I burn so easy I really should be better about it.  I’ve just got 31 yrs. of bad habits to work on and fix.  No ones perfect and I don’t want to be.  I just want to be better. ~T~

Proper form and seeking pet peeves!

Today really was almost 180 degrees different then yesterday.  My workout was great.  Lots of energy and intensity…maybe some spit accidently went flying, but who keeps track of that.  And if I’m still feeling crazy later I might go for a really easy run. 

Though I had a great workout today, something that has always bothered me is people that don’t use proper form when they lift.  Or even people that just do stupid and dangerous stuff to look like they can lift a lot.  I’m going to piggy back off of yesterdays post and say something else to not get yourself hurt in the gym. 

If you’re not going to use proper form just don’t even show up.  You’re not working your muscles correctly and you are more then likely going to hurt yourself.  Now I’m not trying to be the gym elitist jerk guy.  But I hate to see people hurt themselves trying to lift too much. 

Before you attempt any new exercise or even if you’re not sure how ones done you should research it, bodybuilding.com has a huge database of exercises and videos on how to do them.  The exercises don’t have techniques so the strong guys (or girls)  in the gym can laugh at the weaker guys (or girls).  They have the technique to maximize both the correct mucsle fatigue and to reduce the chance of injury. 

You can check out my other pet peeves in the gym under my “10 commandments” page.  But I’m also curious, you guys know what my pet peeves are.  What are some things that you see in the gym, or in the fitness world in general that get to you?  Let it all out.  I find the best way to fix problems is to get them out in the open.

Losing weight

I think what I’m doing is working. It’s not that I’ve lost all that much weight, but my face looks better. Different people gain weight differently and different people lose weight differently. Makes sense, right? No matter how large I get, the first place that I’ll see a change is in my face. Maybe I’m just nuts, but I think that my face is less puffy than it had been. I hope so.

It’s Friday again, so I’ll hit the treadmill for a while. I have to say that I love Yes Max. It’s the Israel version of Tevo. I have set up the guest room as a quasi-exercise room. I have the treadmill infront of a small TV. I plug the ear phones in and then get to it. I have a lot of catching up to do as far as my TV watching goes. It’s a tough life. I’ll make my way downstairs in a bit and charge forward. It should be fun.

Most Shocking Healthy Foods - This Is Why We Are An Overweight Nation

Macaroni Grill’s Parmesan-Crusted Sole

Yahoo Health published an article yesterday titled ‘The Most Shocking “Healthy” Foods! (And What You Should Eat Instead!)‘. It’s totally worth a glance.

These are some signature dishes at famous restaurant chains. According to the article, the worst of them was Macaroni Grill’s Parmesan-Crusted Sole (see picture): 2,190 calories; 141 g fat (58 g saturated); 2,980 mg sodium; 145 g carbs.

That’s your entire day’s allowance for calories. Enjoy.

True Confessions

It was just as I had imagined…

This is a photo I took in Glacier Bay. I know that this picture doesn’t do it justice. Alaska was, in a word– breathtaking! I had such a great time, and saw so many amazing things that I hope to share with you a bit at a time over the days to come. Speaking of you, I’ve missed you! I haven’t had internet access this week so I haven’t been able to post, and I also haven’t been able to keep up with all of my bloggie buddies! I’m hoping my google reader hasn’t exploded!

It was a fabulous week, and I’m sorry that vacation had to end. I heard a man say “enjoy reality” as I was stepping off of the boat. His sarcasm was appreciated as I headed back to work and the daily grind, but he probably didn’t know that there are some things about reality that I really am going to enjoy. First of all, I will be happy not to have options like the one below staring me in the face every morning (and close by just about any other time of the day…):

Don’t worry. I have some beautiful sights to show you, but, since food is the main event in my usual blog posts, I thought I might as well get the “true vacation confessions” part of my trip out of the way since I’m back on the wagon and trying to focus on the positives after a week of, well, pretty unhealthy choices.

In the previous post, I listed several goals for myself during my vacation. I can tell you that my pants are most definitely too tight, and a quick and ill advised impromptu hop on the scale revealed a number that even I wouldn’t have imagined. Having said that, I enjoyed myself and the food that I ate (even if I didn’t enjoy the over-full sensation I experienced on SEVERAL occasions… Food Aversion Therapy (FAT) reared its head more than once…) As predicted, I’m more excited than sad to return to my usual fare, and there is something to be said for that. How did I do with my goals? Here is my honest appraisal.

• Make sure to drink the usual 100 ounces of water a day: I ordered 10 big bottles at the beginning of the week and worked on them all week long. I didn’t quite drink 100 ounces a day, but I got quite close on many days and even exceeded it on a few others. This is a goal that I like because I remember the days when I didn’t drink water at all. The fact that I make it a priority and typically enjoy drinking it now is evidence of a definite lifestyle change. I did pretty well with this one. Yay!!
• Visit the gym each day: Well… I did better than I would have a few years ago, but I can’t say I did a very good job of meeting this goal. I didn’t make it to the gym on the days I was traveling to and from Alaska, and I didn’t go on the days when I had excursions. I went on Tuesday for an hour, and then I never graced the door again. There were a few days with no activity at all. My long hike in Juneau was definitely a work-out (and a fabulous experience, by the way…), but my other excursions, although active, weren’t quite as strenuous. It could have been much much better, but it could have been worse. I think that scheduling lots of fun physical activities is a big key for me on vacation. That’s one way to make sure I get some activity into my day without having to put in my usual gym workout. Lesson learned. 

• Try to eat as much fresh stuff as possible: If the goal had been “try to eat as much fresh stuff as possible,” I would have scored 100%. Hee hee. All kidding aside, I definitely ate fresh fruits and vegetables at each meal, and I know that, in times past, I probably would have zipped right past them and gone straight to the pastries. Instead, I had fruit AND pastries… and bacon. For example, a breakfast would usually resemble this plate that includes a pile of fruit salad as well as a pear in my bowl of oats:

I was so glad that there were oats every morning as well as lots of cool things to add to them! The plate above was typically followed by something that looked like this:

Carbalicious! A typical lunch started with 2/3 of a huge plate of salad (mostly veggies but with a few goodies) and a sampling of whatever random offerings were on the buffet that day. 

Buffets are so weird. Don’t get me wrong. I ate more than my fair share this week, and I enjoyed most of it, but I still prefer to have things that make sense together. A wonton, baked beans, curried chicken and pasta in cream sauce are unlikely friends. My problem is that I like to try everything. That also goes for the desserts:

That brings me to the fourth goal–

• Remember that tasting is fine and cleaning the plate is not necessary: I hate to waste food, so I didn’t set out to be wasteful. However, things did get left on the plate if they just weren’t very good. There were a number of things I tried over the first few days that proved to be less than stellar, and I didn’t choose those again. Some days, however, there were so many things I wanted to try that I’d make a plate like the one above and nibble my way through. Sometimes I ate it all, but there were often some things that didn’t make the cut. I’m happy not to have a dessert buffet in my kitchen on a daily basis. Yikes! I’m glad that there were at least some fruits and veggies involved, but I was definitely craving a menu heavy in fruit and veg upon my return home. 
• Don’t overdo it on things I could have any day: I realized that this goal wasn’t really very helpful in a cruise ship atmosphere because I could have almost anything on any day. That includes the desserts. I wouldn’t have them ALL on the same healthy eating day, but I usually manage to work a few in here and there. This goal sort of morphed into my eating all the things I wouldn’t have on any old day, and eating them in abundance. I tend to lose all reason with regard to eating on vacation, even though I’m fully aware that my choices have consequences. I could have made much better choices and still had a good time. I hope to remind myself of that fact in the future. I would also have had even more fun if I hadn’t felt stuffed and sluggish on multiple occasions. Note to self: pastries are available anytime and it isn’t necessary to try to eat them all during a one week period.
• Be kind to myself: This goal really kicked in a few days ago when I realized that my clothes weren’t fitting correctly. Honestly, I’ve been beating myself up more than I would like. I enjoyed myself, but I know that I went overboard and let my sweet tooth run rampant. Instead of the “Love Boat,” I was sailing on the “Sugar Ship.” Vacation should be enjoyed, but that doesn’t mean eating everything in sight. Striking that balance is one of the hardest things of all for me, but I’ll keep working on it. 

Today I got back on track, had a great workout and renewed my commitment to healthy eating. Feeling stuffed into my clothes gave me a glimpse of what my future could be like if I stopped fighting the good fight, and it wasn’t a nice sight. I already feel better after a day of normal eating, and I’m sure that, as the days and weeks pass, the scale will move back in the right direction. If you are a person who struggles with these sorts of things the way that I do, you know that the most important thing is to get right back on the healthy path and look forward rather than wallowing in a slip up and exacerbating the problem. My feet are firmly on the positive path, and I know that I’m headed in the right direction.

Before I go, I thought I’d share one more photo from my trip. This is me on the ship as we are leaving College Fjord. It was truly a beautiful place, and I can’t wait to share more photos and tidbits about my trip over the next few posts. In case the smile on my face doesn’t give it away, I had a great time.:-) Ciao for now, and I’ll catch you later!

Can Potassium Reverse High Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure is a killer….we all know that

Eating a diet high in sodium can lead to high blood pressure….we all know that

And because we know these things, a lot of people have been told by their doctors to stop eating this…

…and to start eating this…

And they aren’t happy about it.

.

But, maybe there is another way.

Maybe, instead of labeling salt as a BAD FOOD, and banning it from our diets altogether, we can balance out the hypertensive effect of sodium with the hypotensive effect of potassium.

If only we had some proof…

The Proof

Earlier this year, researchers found that “the ratio of sodium-to-potassium was a much stronger predictor of hypertension and cardiovascular disease than sodium or potassium alone”.

“There isn’t as much focus on potassium, but potassium seems to be effective in lowering blood pressure and the combination of a higher intake of potassium and lower consumption of sodium seems to be more effective than either on its own in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease,” said Dr. Paul Whelton, senior author of the study in the January 2009 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

In this study, researchers determined average sodium and potassium intake of their test subjects.

They collected 24-hour urine samples intermittently during an 18-month period in one trial and during a 36-month period in a second trial.

The 2,974 study participants initially aged 30-to-54 and with blood pressure readings just under levels considered high, were followed for 10-15 years to see if they would develop cardiovascular disease.

The results

• The highest salt consumers were 20% more likely to suffer strokes, heart attacks or other forms of cardiovascular disease when compared to the lowest of the low sodium eaters.

20% more likely to suffer a stroke.

Better ditch that salt shaker…..right?

Maybe not…

• The participants with the highest sodium-to-potassium ratio in urine were 50 percent more likely to experience cardiovascular disease than those with the lowest sodium-to-potassium ratios.

According to this study, the ratio of potassium to sodium in your diet is more important to the health of your heart than the overall consumption of sodium.

That doesn’t mean you should go crazy with the double bacon cheeseburgers.

According to Dr. Whelton, healthy 19-to-50 year-old adults should consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day — equivalent to one teaspoon of table salt.

More than 95 percent of American men and 75 percent of American women in this age range exceed this amount.

So, it’s probably safe to assume that you are part of the majority. How much potassium do you need to help balance out the salt?

To lower blood pressure and blunt the effects of salt, adults should consume 4.7 grams of potassium per day unless they have a clinical condition or medication need that is a contraindication to increased potassium intake.

Most American adults aged 31-to-50 consume only about half this amount.

And how do we get more potassium?

• Good potassium sources include fruits, vegetables, dairy foods and fish.
• Foods that are especially rich in potassium include potatoes and sweet potatoes, fat-free milk and yogurt, tuna, lima beans, bananas, tomato sauce and orange juice.
• Potassium also is available in supplements. However, most potassium supplements come in dosages of 50mg . To get your daily 5 grams, you would need to take 100 pills.

So, maybe we should listen to the good doctor and “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” – Hippocrates

Click here for the USDA’s list of foods high in Potassium.

.

If you like what you see here, click here for updates

.

Related Posts

The cure for cancer

National Heart Health Strategy

Addicted to Salt?

Obesity = Cancer

Fat babies become fat kids become…

HIIT: The Cure for Obesity

A better way to health and weight loss

Reference

Dietary sources of Potassium

AIM study – Jan 09

Science Daily

The Journey Begins

I am sure that there are many of you that are wondering exactly what “journey” I am going on. Well a few weeks ago I was watching the Biggest Loser and decided that if they could make a lifestyle change, then I should be able to. So I got together with 8 other people to start our own Biggest Loser group so we can all help each other stay motivated. Today was the first day, we all weighed in, very humbling to let others know how much you weigh, and then 3 of us did a work out, which was a killer for me, and then I also walked one mile on the treadmill (not much, but a good start). We are on a 20 week journey, that will last a lifetime, we will each put $5 per week into a pot and then at the end of the 20 weeks the person that has lost the most weight will get all the money ($900). At the half-way point we are all bringing $10 extra and the person that has lost the most at that point will get the $90. Well we are really doing percentage of body weight, not the most pounds.

This is very hard for me to put this out in the open, but I figured it’s quite obvious that I’m overweight and the more people that know, the more motivation I will have to keep pushing forward. Please, if you remember, say a prayer for me periodically as I begin this journey. Pray for strength to be able to make it through the workouts, and then to be able to make it through the day as my muscles will be very sore by the end of the day.

I will be posting periodically as to how I’m doing and everything so you can be more specific with the prayers. I will weigh-in again in 2 weeks, at that point I will post how much percentage of body weight I have lost.

Thanks for caring enough to read, and for praying that I can make it. It really isn’t about the money, but about a lifestyle change, I am sick and tired of not being able to do things that I would like to do because my weight holds me back. I am ready to get healthy and quit lying to myself that it’s okay to be overweight.

And so, the journey begins…

New! Linda Gabriel's Weight Loss Forever Teleseminar Bootcamp starts 5/20/09

Join me for an amazing 12 week journey of transformation.  My Weight Loss Forever Teleseminar addresses not only the physical, but the mental, emotional and spiritual issues that – up until now – have been standing in the way of you living your best life.  In this Bootcamp you will learn skills that will last a lifetime and will change the way you think about your body, mind and spirit.  No severe diets or exercise programs.  No weigh-ins or food diaries.  No pills.  Just a well designed lifestyle that fits.  Forever.

Includes 12 group coaching conference calls, 6 Linda Gabriel hypnosis CD’s, and workbook.

You only need a telephone and access to email to participate.

To learn more visit: www.lindagabriel.com/wlfbootcamp.html

Double Whammy Of A Day...

I had planned on coming back from GR and having this grand post about a really cool run I did while there. That will come, but on another day.

The regulars know that I have been unemployed for some time now and have moved back home to cut costs. I apply for jobs all the time, but in general I only talk about the ones I really want or sound promising. Sadly there has not been many of those.

However, in the last month there has been one I really wanted for a couple of reasons. First, it would bring me back to the place I consider home, GR. Second, it is a job that fits me. It is one I know I would love and something I know I would be good at. After my second interview, I remember telling Aaron that part of me doesn’t want to hope too much because then if it doesn’t work out, it won’t be as hard. Well, now that I am all connected up to my feelings…not being hopeful is not really an option any more. Pretending a feeling doesn’t exist actually takes work now as opposed to the old normal of never knowing what I was feeling.

So it was really hard today to find out I was not going to be hired. I held it together during my conversation with the HR lady. Was ok, sort of, when I emailed a few people to tell them. Managed ok during a chat conversation with Coach and ABS. But I could no longer deny the reality of how much I really wanted this one when I had to actually speak it out loud when Aaron called to check in with me after he got the email. I cried.

I also got news today that the last of my Great Relatives, Great Aunt Ginny is dying. Soon. It is a matter of days.

March 2009, isn't she beautiful?

Aunt Gin is 87 years old and the last of 12 siblings remaining. Her sister, was my grandmother, my mom’s mom.  As a kid of maybe 12-15 years old, I would spend many weekends at her house.  I loved spending time with Aunt Ginny. My ears got pierced at her house by her daughter Laurie-Ann.   It hurt so bad when they used ice on my ears, I refused to let them continue on with the piercing of my ears.  Aunt Gin convinced me to let them.  A bag of candy helped her cause

She used to wake up in the middle fo the night with cramps in her feet.  She would walk the house, eating a banana, trying to make the cramps go away.  I couldn’t fall back asleep until she was back in bed with me.

She used to make these yummy chocolate bars at Christmas time.  She was a great baker!  It seemed like the stuff she made at Christmas, we would still be eating on in the spring.

I learned to play Euchre at her house as well as Hand and Foot.

I probably learned a good deal about sarcasm from her. Even in this picture in March, her memory gone, she knew she knew me, but couldn’t remember my name, she was still spunky and feisty and sarcastic, telling me it was my fault she couldn’t remember because I didn’t tell her my name!

Today I went to see her…to say goodbye before she is gone.  But the woman I grew up knowing and laughing with is already gone.  She is truly in the final stages of life.  The woman I saw today did not even look like the woman in the picture, which was taken only a month and a half ago.  The only thing about her that was the same was her hair.  She never did get the wiry gray hair that many old people get. Her hair has always remained incredibly fine and soft.  I sat next to her for a long time, touching her hair, praying for her, hoping she was not in pain, and telling her (just in case she really could hear me) that this was one hell of a way to get me to come see her!  She could have just asked.  Even in her death, our relationship would not be the same, if there was not a touch of sarcasm and teasing.

I love this woman!  She will be missed. I don’t remember too much about when my own grandma died.  I remember I was about 12 years old.  Still quite young to fully understand all this death stuff and I was already quite disconnected at that point anyway. I have been to funerals of some of Aunt Gin’s siblings as they have died over the years.  While I knew them all, they weren’t people I was ever really close with.

So this will be my first funeral for a family member, whom I love and adore, in a real way.  Very sad day!

Despite all this, I know I am healthy.  Not once today did I want to numb out with food.  If anything, I had to remind myself to eat regularly and I did.  Despite the extreme amounts of sadness today, I would rather feel it all, than go back to where I once was.  I am thankful for the feelings, even though I still don’t like crying   But that is another blog, for another day.

Sad on this road…

Several Dieting Tips that Really Work

Whenever someone is trying to lose weight, one of the first things which they attempt to alter is their way of eating. This is a great start to any weight loss plan. However, with thousands of various diets available on the internet today, consumer seem to be more confused than ever as to what really works and what doesn’t. In this article I will discuss several nutrition tips which guarantee weight loss success.

 

First of all, it is crucial to note that in order for a diet to be effective it has to be combined with routine physical activity. Now that we got that out of the way, here are a few nutrition tips which guarantee weight loss results. First of all, you need to replace all of your refined grains with whole grains. Everything from bread, to pasta to pastries should be made solely with whole grains. Second of all, you need to make the switch from whole milk to low fat dairy. This is also very crucial and very easy to accomplish. Everything from cheese to yogurt is currently available in a reduced fat form. The third change is your protein consumption. For many years now people have been relying solely on meat as their means of protein. It is wise to consume fish at least twice a week (if not more) and beans at least once a week (if not more). Meat should not be your only source of protein. Aside form these tips; your diet should also include fruits, veggies, and seeds. You stay away from foods which are laden with calories, fat, cholesterol and sodium. Simply be smart about your choices.

 

Staying away from sugary sodas, utilizing all natural herbal remedies (such as appetite suppressing hoodia) can also help you lose weight and keep it off.

Nothing Like Life & Crises To Derail My Revival

I honestly had the BEST of intentions to post an entry on this blog EVERY day for eight consecutive days.  I did. I really did!

So I did TWO consecutive days of posting before breaking my eight day commitment.  But dear reader, please do not assume that I overate insanely and/or avoided exercise just because I didn’t post like I said I would.  All I can say is that sometimes LIFE and CRISES interfere with the best of my intentions and plans.  Even when they do, that is NO excuse for relapse into active addiction.

Actually, at least one of the crises that popped up a few weeks ago managed to remind me of a couple of important truths that I need to remember…truths that can even (eventually) strengthen my commitment to my recovery process. Specific lessons and reminders from the crises included…

1)  I have a right (even an obligation) to THINK BEFORE making a commitment (like making a commitment to write an online journal entry EVERY day for EIGHT consecutive days) when I know (had I thought things through)  that I was coming up on some of the busiest days of the month in terms of my “day job”! The same days each month are my busiest. So WHY do I OVERcommit myself, just to NOT be able to follow through? What is my PAYOFF for this ? Am I that “addicted” to the shame and guilt that I KNOW I ALWAYS get when I don’t follow through on my commitments?

2)  I have a right to NOT respond to  e-mail messages that start out being full of personal attacks and histrionic comments.

3)  I have a right to allow another person to be mad at me, rather than trying to “fix” their feelings or attempt to “make them happy”.

4)  I have a right to delay responding to hysterical individuals until they regain their composure and back off from being on the “attack mode”.  And if they don’t calm down?  Not my issue (especially if I’ve made amends in those cases where it appears to me that it is appropriate for me to make amends).

In any case, rather than re-starting my 8 Day Revival series of posts what I’m hereby giving myself permission is just go ahead and DUMP about some issues that are bothering me. If it takes me eight days of dumping, so be it.  More or less than eight days is OK too.

I’m even gonna’ give myself permission to NOT spend hours searching for or creating a nice picture or some other nifty graphic to go with each of my journal entries!  I can go back and find and/or add them later –If I choose to.  Getting out the words ought to be my first priority.  Dressing up the words visually?  Not so important.

Off the top of my head, I’d like to DUMP about the following topics over the course of the next (insert # here) days…

1)  Problems I’ve had with the otherwise-wonderful Weight Watchers food plan.

2)  My fears about posting my food intake and other information from my Recovery Journal Sheet on this blog.

3)  My difficulties dealing with “ANGRY people”.

4)  My difficulty being able to HAVE FUN in the process of working my recovery.

5)  Where I’m at in coping with the grief associated with the recent loss of my mother and even-more-recent loss of my closest female friend.

I think this list of five things to DUMP about is plenty. 

Switching Gears a Little

I did well nutrition-wise this week- introducing one or two higher GI index good carbs into my diet this week. I think I am going to switch gears a bit and focus on a goal of eating between 1,200 and 1,600 calories per day focusing on eating unprocessed, organic, healthy foods. I will still be looking to lower GI foods mainly, but want to focus on calories as a goal. I think I am down about 2 pounds this week, but will officially weigh in tomorrow.

One of the things that has really surprised me is how much easier it has been for me to eating in the 1,200 calorie range. I really think that Phase 1 was good for me in that it helped control my sugar cravings and blood sugar, which just feels so much more in control.

Also I am revising a previous set goal of completing 25 hours of exercise, because it’s just too boring to keep track. Instead I am going to complete over the course of a month, the equivalent of an Iron Man Triathalon. I will still be doing other types of exercise such as the elipitical, but this just seemed like a fun way to keep track of things. Plus, it will encourage me to get in the pool, which I really need to do given my sore knee and bum ankle .

Speaking of, I apparent have patella femoral syndrome because my right medial knee muscles never strengthened after my bone graft surgery. Also, am having an MRI on my ankle this week. The doctor was confident that it’s problems caused be scar tissue in my joint. I still can’t get over being angry at myself for having this surgery. It’s pointless I know, but I remain fixated. I wish I knew how to forgive myself.

I tried Level 1 of Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. I thought it was good, but my knee was really aggravated by some of the cardio because it’s all jumping. I’m going to hold off on going back to that until I have had a chance to complete some PT.

"Cook Yourself Thin, Skinny Meals You Can Make In Minutes" Cookbook

Cook Yourself Thin: Skinny Meals You Can Make in Minutes

by Harry Eastwood, Candice Kumai, and Allison Fishman

Give up Italian food if you go on a diet? The new healthy eating recipe book “Cook Yourself Thin: Skinny Meals You Can Make in Minutes”, based on the Lifetime television show, teaches you to cook delicious Italian style dishes and not be scared to count the calories! And you don’t have to go on some weird, extreme fad diet!

Harry Eastwood, Candice Kumai, Allsion Fishman

Tried and Tested Recipes

There are over 120 recipes, half of which were winning entries in a competition – so they’ve been made by ordinary dieters in their homes, and are all tried and tested.

Calorie Counting

The idea of the book is to help you cut 500 calories a day. By fine tuning your diet like this, making small changes in the way you cook and the ingredients you use, you can start to lose weight – and more importantly keep it off. It certainly helps with calorie counting, as each recipe tells you just how many calories there are per serving. So you can indulge in a breakfast of tasty Coconut and Banana Pancakes drizzled with maple syrup, safe in the knowledge that there are 193 calories per serving. (Mind, the recipe makes enough for 4 people, so be sure you’ve other people there to share them with. Otherwise it would be all too easy to polish them off yourself.)

Daily Menu

The book is intended to be adaptable, and is divided into chapters that help you plan daily menus. There are sections on breakfasts, lunchboxes, vegetarian dishes, desserts – and dishes that will fill you up when you’re ravenous.

Diet and Fitness: Sparkteens.com

Sparkteens.com is the teen version of sparkpeople.com, an online dieting and fitness program. It is really a great website that has so many useful tools (and its FREE).

They have two programs, one for people who wan to lose weight and the other for people who want to be healthier in general.

You enter your weight and height and they’ll tell you if your overweight or obese or normal. You can then make a goal weight, and a date that you want to reach that weight. There are many other options that let you customize your program.

They have customizable meal plans that let you keep track of all your nutrients and calories. Recipes included. They also tell you how many calories your workout burned. Great stuff.

There is also a social networking aspect that lets you connect with other teens who are trying to lose weight like you are. Tons more features and tools that I can’t go into right now.

I signed up, I’m currently @ 147 and trying to get down to 132 by September 5, 2009. They tell you not to try to lose more than a pound a week. This isn’t Biggest Loser.

The catch: It won’t lose weight for you, it won’t tell you not to eat that Big Mac. That’s up to you. This just makes it more fun and more streamlined.

Go ahead and sign up: www.teens.sparkpeople.com

let the vanishing act begin

Someone once told me that the first post on a new blog sets the tone for the entirity of your blog–I think that’s stupid.  Just because we start something for one reason doesn’t mean it won’t morph into something else entirely over time.  In fact, change is normal and good and hard.

I’d like to lay out exactly what you’re going to find here, but I’m not sure.  All I know is that when I need a place to be brutally honest–I’m coming here.  I’m going to share my thoughts with you and I welcome you to share your thoughts with me.  Due to the highly personal nature of this blog, I am choosing to remain anonymous…for now.  I feel I will be open to write from my deepest places this way.  If nothing else, I want these words to be truthful and honest.

Here I am, a fat girl, who is trying to vanish.  Won’t you join me on my journey?

Results x 2

Another week has gone by – and this time I’m writing to you all from the comfort of my own home in sunny, warm Texas!  Hallelujah!  We learned as a family that we’re not into snow

My results this week were not what I was hoping for BUT they are better than I deserve.  With the move back home I’ve been eating terribly!  I’m back on track now, but my overall lack of improvement this week is not a surprise.  TAIslim is helping me like nothing else ever has, but it is not all powerful and able to burn off the thousands of extra calories I no doubt took in with almost 2 solid weeks of fast food.  I’m grateful that I didn’t gain 5 lbs or more!

Before I give the numbers….one more interesting tidbit.  My body has started reacting very noticeably to sugar and refined carbs.  Think of a puffer fish.  It’s a lot like that LOL.  Very very uncomfortable, but a really good deterrent!

My results – Week 5:

Weight = 178 (yes that’s a higher #, it’s also from a different scale so I don’t know if I really gained or not)

waist @ bb = 35.5″ (same)

mommy pooch =38″ (-.5″)

hips = 41″ (same)

thighs, calves, and biceps also remained the same.

Sara’s results – Week 2:

May 15 (End of Week 2)

Weight: 112.8

Waist: 27 (.25 inch)

Below Waist: 31 (.5 inch)

Butt/hips: 37 (none)

Rt Calf: 13.75  (.25 inch)

Lt Thigh: 22 (none)

Lt Calf: 13.75 (.25 inch)

Bust: 33 (.5 gain-must have measured wrong last week because my bra fits the same)

Rt Bicep: 9.75 (.5 inch)

Lt Bicep: 9.75 (.5 inch)

This week I exercised for an hour 3 days and I ate a lot better,not perfect, but definitely a lot better.

The Crazy Things My Mother Says...

Story #1

Tonight, I was going to go running on the lovely State Park Trails by my house, which happens to be mom’s favorite fishing site.  So I invited her along.  She could get some fishing in, I could get my run in, we would both get out of the house.

She pulls in to the parking lot which is by the River and at the last second says…

“OH I need to park in the handicapped spot!”

OK, Let me lay out this place for you a bit.  We are the only car in the lot. In the first row of spots, every space is equal distance from the river, which was about 30 feet!  I kindly pointed this out to her.  It doesn’t matter where you park, you are walking 30 feet no matter what.

She looks at me and says this.

“Yes, but if I park in the handicapped spot, you are much closer to the hiking trail you are going to be on.”

Huh?? I am pretty sure I was clear that I was coming here to RUN!  Thirty feet from the trail entrance or 100 feet, is not going to make a difference to me!

I pointed this out to her as well.  We both laughed at the ridiculousness of her statement and her actions!  I went off and ran 3 miles in my fastest time yet.  45 minutes!  Woot!  Keep in mind Iam still run/walking…but I am getting longer and longer in my running stretches.  I think I did 3/4 of a mile in one stretch running tonight!  On the way back I realized why it seemed so easy!  It was slightly downhill!  It wasn’t so easy on the way back!

Story #2

Mom was watching Dancing With The Stars last night when I walked in to the living room.  On the screen was this beautiful young girl dancing with who I think is the hottest pro dancer out there…Tony Dovolani.  Not to mention he is Albanian and I just have a heart for Albanians, particularly those from Kosovo, which I think he is!

Anyway, back to the story. Mom says, “you know this young girl is quite a chubby little dancer.  I think she is the chubbiest I have seen but she seems to be doing quite well.  I don’t understand it!”

I look again at the screen to get a closer look at who she is talking about.  I see a short young girl, who is extremely muscular.  Her back is RIPPED.  Her thighs are all MUSCLE and I realize she is talking about Shawn Johnson, Olympic Gold Medalist in gymnastics!  CHUBBY!?!?!  I think NOT!

“Hey mom, do you know who that is?”

“Well her name is Shawn something but no, she is supposed to be a celebrity, but I don’t know who she is.”

“Mom, she is 17 years old.  She just won the gold medal in gymnastics last year in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.  She is not chubby or fat or even close to it.  She is solid muscle!!  Her cheeks are probably all muscle!  She can flip her body around on uneven bars like nobodies business.  You can’t do that without an incredible amount of strength!”

“oh, well I think she looks chubby.”

Always gotta be right, she does…

It is a good thing I am learning now to not take my body image queues from mom.  If she thinks Shawn Johnson is fat at her total 90 LBS of solid muscle…what will she think of me when I weigh 150, with half as much muscle? If that!  If I take her queues, I would be doomed forever!  Gotta laugh at the mom and her perspectives sometimes!

Have a great weekend folks, I am gonna finish packing for my latest trip to my beloved GR.  Busy weekend ahead and I HAVE to make time to get my runs in…it is always a challenge when I travel, always a challenge…..ADAM!!! I am coming for a run with you on Saturday!!!  Be ready or Beware!!!!

Green Means Go

Can you easily identify a healthy food by reading its nutrition label?  Many people can’t.  These labels provide a lot of information to digest (pardon the pun).  Who has the time to figure it out while at the grocery store?

That’s why an Australian agency is recommending that a new system be implemented.  Instead of a label providing the percentage of recommended daily intake of fat, salt, sugar, and vitamins that a product contains, the agency recommends implementing an easy to understand traffic light system.  Such a system would use colours (red, yellow, and green) to rate how healthy a food is.

This recommendation is based on a study by the Cancer Council in Australia indicating that consumers who were shown traffic light labels were five times more likely to identify healthier foods than those shown a percentage daily intake label.  The study also showed that these findings held true for all consumers, regardless of ethnicity, gender and socioeconomic status.

I think this type of labeling system makes a lot of sense.  Imagine how much easier it would be to choose healthy foods for your family if there was a clear indicator on the front of the package.  I know it would save me a lot of time at the grocery store.

Get Off Your Fat...and Get the Fat Off!

Most people who know me, know I have become a huge fan of Paul Chek. Today I came across this great article about burning fat and exercise. Enjoy!

Get Off Your Fat and Get the Fat Off!

Paul Chek – Originally published in New Zealand Fitness.

There are many fads and fallacies regarding fat loss. The bottom line is this; you will not lose fat if you cut calories dramatically, and you will only lose body fat (and keep it off) if you burn calories through regular exercise! It really is that simple. The part that everyone finds so challenging is figuring out this balance between calorie consumption and calorie expenditure; what do I eat, when do I eat it and what kind of exercise will optimize fat loss. Then the only hurdle is actually doing the work!

One thing I know for sure after years of clinical experience treating back pain patients who had become overweight from inactivity secondary to pain:

DIETS DON’T WORK!!

This is particularly true with females. In the book “Outsmarting the Female Fat Cell”, Debra Waterhouse makes it very clear that females come equipped with significantly more lipogenic (fat storing) enzymes and significantly less lipolytic (fat releasing) enzymes than their male counterparts. She also cites studies showing that a female’s lipogenic enzyme count increases and lipolytic enzyme count decreases after a calorie-restricted diet, making it increasingly harder to lose weight with each and every successive diet!

A man’s body doesn’t appreciate dieting either. I have seen many male back pain patients undergo hospital directed diets, lose 60 pounds, and gain it all back in as little as a month. Coming off a diet to start eating “normally” again is like the tide coming in!

Instead of starving your body to shed fat, a more effective method is to increase the amount of energy you expend. Muscle cells are fuel hungry machines. Consequently any exercise that increases the size of muscle cells and makes them work more often will increase metabolism for optimal fat loss. Sounds to me like resistance training tops out again! It is well known among strength training professionals and researchers that there is a significant post-exercise elevation of metabolism, lasting up to 3-4 hours after your weight training session ends. This is an important consideration when deciding between cardio work or resistance training for fat loss. Since cardiovascular exercise provides very little post-exercise elevation of metabolism, your cells stop burning extra energy when you get done with your run, bike, swim, etc. Compare this to a good, solid weight training session where your metabolism keeps nibbling away at that fat for hours.

To see this in action, look at any group of athletes whose predominant exercise consists of resistance training, or short, high intensity sprint work. Sprinters are some of the very leanest athletes in the world. Olympic Weight lifters would rather be castrated than go for a run, yet they are predominantly a very lean group. Bodybuilders, by simple observation, are far leaner than those trying to lose fat by aerobics alone.

When visiting New Zealand, I filmed a special on the PUMP program at Les Mills World of Fitness for my video magazine. PUMP (or Body Pump as it is called in the USA) is a highly popular free weight training class choreographed to music and taught in a group setting. I was amazed at the incredibly lean, fit looking bodies in the room. If you view an aerobics class, you just don’t see the same thing. In fact, IDEA released a study a couple years ago indicating that aerobics instructors had an average body fat of >20%, which is suprisingly high for what could be considered a professional athlete.

The whole physiology of someone who lifts weights is geared up to burn calories. The opposite is true of aerobicisers, whose physiology is like that of a Honda Civic; stretching a gallon of fuel for 40 miles. When you want to lose fat, you want to be like a Cadillac or a Hot Rod; you want to be fuel inefficient! Therefore you want to do exercises in such a manner that fuel efficiency is sacrificed. When serving as Trainer of the US Army Boxing Team, I used to implement weight lifting circuits of 12-18 exercises performed at maximum speed and effort for 30 seconds with intensities of 50-60% 1RM. The fighters hated me for it, but I assure you they were strong, could handle lactic acid build-up in the third round, and were lean, VERY LEAN!

In the past three years I have had very good results using a circuit concept I learned from Charles Poliquin: 5 compound exercises back to back with < 1:30 rest. The rest periods become progressively shorter as the clients’ condition and tolerance for lactic acid improves. Initial weight loss may be due to the fact that they are woofing their cookies between circuits, but within a few sessions clients learn to come rested and with less in their stomachs! This format causes huge caloric expense during and after training because the exercises chosen are predominantly closed chain with free weights. This type of program causes your body to reach states of near meltdown, which activates your thermo-regulatory system, burning even more calories. The program is done 3-4 times per week with intensities of 70-80% 1RM, cycling various exercises in and out to prevent injury.

Another useful method I used to keep the US Army fighters lean was not letting them eat dinner within three hours of going to sleep. I highly recommended a large protein-rich breakfast, a well-balanced lunch, and dinner as the smallest meal of the day for those needing to “shake some weight”.

So there you have it, if you want to lose fat, do the following:

1. DON’T DIET! Eat a nutritious well balanced diet to discourage “survival” fat storage.

2. Make your first two meals of the day the largest. Eat snacks as needed to convince your body you’re not starving, so you don’t activate lipogenic enzymes

3. Eat your smallest meal of the day for dinner, remembering to give three hours between eating and hitting the sack.

4. Use resistance training to increase muscle mass, increase cellular metabolism and become FUEL INEFFICIENT

5. Apply periodic cycles of high intensity circuit training. Format your circuits with 5 compound exercises, short rest periods, bring a towel so you don’t sweat all over everyone and prepare to up-chuck if you eat too close to your training session.

I have been applying these principles with great success, as have CHEK Institute trained professionals all over the world. I am sure you can create the body you’ve always wanted with them if I can!

TriSlim Weight Loss Review

The Trislim weight loss formula is all natural road to real weight loss. Its appetite suppressing, metabolism-boosting properties will help you lose weight at a controlled, safe pace. You do need to follow a healthy diet as you would with any weight loss program.

After studying Trislim I concluded that it would melt the pounds as advertised, when used as directed. Trislims natural ingredients are:

Hoodia Gordonii – a succulent from the Kalahari Desert used by tribesmen to ward off hunger, especially on long outings or hunts.

Green Tea is a known metabolism booster, which helps burn off calories.

Chitosan is a fat burner

As you can see, Trislim gives you 3x weight loss power, and it does work safely helping you lose weight the healthy way, controlled preventing the problems with fast weight loss products that may contain ephedrine or other unhealthy drugs.

Click here to receive a free trial of TriSlim.

The Biggest Loser

Well, tonight is the finale & I can’t wait to see who wins!  I’ve been watching it faithfully every Tuesday & I’ve been a fan of Tara’s from the start.  I really hope she wins because, she has kicked butt like no one else!!!  I LOVE her spirit & her drive is off the charts!  Don’t get me wrong they are all inspirational, especially Mike, who was the youngest contestant at 18 years old.  He’s a sweetheart & he seems just as surprised as we all are at the weight he has lost so far.  He’s a finalist along with Tara & Helen.  This show has served as my weekly dose of inspiration & motivation!  I have learned a lot from watching the Biggest Loser: breaking through self-imposed limits, challenging yourself & allowing yourself to do things you never thought you could do & going farther than you ever thought you could go!  No matter who wins…they are ALL winners!

Progress

It’s only a single pound but I broke past a barrier on the scale that’s been hard getting to. A total loss of ~6lbs since I started this blog is not a great achievement, but it’s something. I will put one of those weight ticker things on here, I think.

In other news, work has been extremely stressful. I got an email in the evening yesterday that sent my blood pressure skyrocketing. Or at least it felt that way. I forced myself into my planned workout anyway. And what do you know? I felt better after that.

I don’t know if it was time to let the stress of the issue dissipate or the actual exercise. I’m going to say it was the latter and be pleasantly surprised at the side benefit of last night’s workout (cardio boxing). If only it made the problem itself go away!

Tennis tonight along with some strength training later in the evening.

I'm Still A Little Chunky, but I'm Getting There... Facebook, BikiniBook Group & 2 Week Challenge

Hey Folks!

It has been a while, but I’m trying to catch up and let you all know what is going on. I’m still fighting the battle of the bulge, but it is coming along. I was reading my blog from January 2009 & man did I have big ideas! But there had been some changes in these past few months… more good than bad. Some you already know about, and some you don’t. So, I will try to be as brief as possible…

First, I like to admit that I have become a Facebook junkie. Someone I admire once said… “Friends don’t let friends become Facebook drunk”. LOL! I think I got that right. My bad, if I got that wrong – Alicia. I think I let myself get more than drunk these past few weeks. Any-who… what a wonderful way to catch up with old friends, families & classmates! In the process,  joined a group on Facebook called The BikiniBook. It is ran by fitness model, Alicia Marie and Shanna Moakler (yes, Travis Barkers ex-wife…but most importantly media superstar) and it has AMAZING clean eating and exercise advice.

The group just started a contest in which you get points each day for accomplishing certain tasks. I am a member of Team #12 the BikiniBook Bombshells. I don’t think we are winning, but I feel a personal sense of accomplishment. I have accomplished tasks and lost weight in the process. I am very happy. I didn’t lose a lot of weight, but I feel I’m looking & feeling good right in time for my trip with my new “friend” who I will refer to as Gym Jones. 

Go figure, I met “Gym Jones” at the gym. We’ve known each other or at least been in each other’s presence for almost a year, but recently started dating. He is an awesome friend and partner…and shares my love of health & fitness. Fast forward a few months to now and we have recently planned a trip to Puerto Rico. I am determined to wear my new “bikinis” on this trip. Oddly enough, the BikiniBook Challenge & Gym Jones’s full body workout came right on time for me to prepare.

Gym Jones kicks my butt about 3x a week for at least 2 hours a day. We take a class & then we do a full body workout. First day heavy weights, second day moderate and third day light. We take a min 3 classes each week typically in conjunction with our full body workout. Needless to say, I cherish my days off! Tonight is one of those nights… and I want to share some of my results. 

Well, when I started this blog, I posted some pictures of what my body currently looks like. I spoke of my body denial. LOL! Boy was I ever in denial. I still may be, but at least I’m “coming in” a little bit.

Jan 2006 (not really my heaviest)

Height – 5′9″               Weight – 210        Size – fluctuated between 14/16 & 16/18 and 1x to 2x

Chest – 42.5″          Waist – 43.5″             Hip 44.5″           Arms – 12.5″        Thighs – 25.5″         Calves 14.5″  

 

May 2009

Weight – 173         Chest – 37.5                Hip 41″                Arms – 12              Thighs 23                 Calves 13.5          Waist 31.5    Abdomen 35

 

See my before & after pic. The “before” you have seen already and the new pic is of me now. I am so wanting to rock this bikini in Puerto Rico, but have a little more work to do. 

   

BEFORE  

AFTER

…still have some work to do, but I’m feeling better about my journey.

And so it begins again

I like to think of each week as another chance to challenge myself both in the gym and in my non-fitness life.  It also helps when I have a great workout during the day, which in fact I did today.  As it shows on my workout routine page Monday is my chest and biceps day.  Or as I like to call it the “superstar” day, since it has all of the exercises that make me feel like a superstar in the gym.  Yeah thats a tad egotistical, but you’ve got to have a little bit of an ego for the gym, its what says “You know what, I’m awesome enough to add five more pounds this week, or I can get in another rep or two on this set”.  The ego is what keeps us coming back for more and is what pushes us to go that little bit extra distance.  Of course if you let it get out of control you get guys that curl in the squat rack….one of my pet peeves.  Yes there are people that use a good deal of weight and that do perfect form and can use the squat rack to curl.  But most people I see doing it are weight slingers that just want to look cool.

Ah well to each their own I guess. 

And something else for today I wanted to respond to a rather rude email I got over the weekend.  To paraphrase Mr. (or Mrs.) email sender thought that my website is not original and should go away because the information on here can be found in other places on the web.  This is kinder then the actual email. 

And I cannot argue with this, besides my own thoughts and ideas on the subect most of the information on here can be found in other areas.  But what I’m trying to do is not so much to reinvent the wheel so to speak.  I’m just trying to take good information that can help people lose weight and simplify it.  Plus there is a lot of bad information out there that I’m trying to disprove or at least provide a differing opinion.  I know when I first started my weight loss journey it was kinda confusing at first.  I’m just trying to break it down into easy to read and understand mini informational posts.  And of course if someone disagree’s or has anything to add I welcome people leaving comments or sending me emails at divito.9@gmail.com .

Weight is What Your DON'T Want...What DO YOU Want?

A Resource: The Emotional Side of Eating

This past week The Biggest Winner Challenge participants got a chance to experience a wonderful resource in support of emotional eating. So what is it that you are after…Happiness. Health. Balance. Peace. Confidence. These are things that you may think weight loss will bring you. Actually, the opposite is true. When you express and embody these things, then weight loss will follow. Permanent weight loss is the outcome of other goals. Dr. Dorie is here to help you discover the goals that you really want for yourself, and to help you develop an action plan to achieve them, like 95% of her clients, who have success in achieving their goals. Isn’t this what you really want? Dr Dorie is amazing and really gets it!!! I am excited to have experienced such a warm and caring individual. I also know that she will be a wonderful resource for all BWC participants!! Be sure to check out her website www.PostivePathways.com. Many of us will be joining her for her next workshop…The Freedom Workshop on May 17, 2009 in Cherry Creek.

Mother's Day

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mom’s out there.

I’m starting on Meridia today as part of my hopefully successful weight loss journey.  I’m on a waiting list for gastric bypass surgery and although it’s free in Canada, there is always a wait list, sometimes over a year.

Meridia is a new appetite suppressant my doctor has put me on.  I’m hoping it will be the one that will kick start my weight loss.  Currently I find it very very difficult to exercise, just going up stairs leaves me out of breath.  It’s my hope that if the Meridia helps me lose some weight,  I can start a mild exercise program and work my way up.

I’ve been heavy all my life and so have all the women in my family.  I also statistically weigh about 30% more than most people would guess looking at me, even my doctor was surprised when he weighed me.  Apparently I keep weight well hidden, even though I am visually overweight.

I’m not a sweet eater like my husband the chocoholic, my weakness is cheesy, spicy hot foods like Pizza and Nachos.  However, I do have a weakness for sushi, which apparently is very good for you and not fattening, or so I understand.  Other than that, lobster (when I can get it) and red meat.  My husband is a very good hunter, so we eat a lot of wild venison, which I understand is better for you (less fat & chemicals) than beef.

I’ve struggled with my weight all my life.  My mother was constantly on Weight Watchers so we rarely had fattening food in the house.  My brother and I used to joke that the only time there was “good stuff” in the house, she had baked it to take out to a social club or fundraiser, it was never for us.  However, there was always lots of cheese and red meat.

Here’s hoping to a new start for this mother, on Mother’s Day

7 Steps to a Wildly Successful Weightloss and Fitness Program

7 Secrets to a Wildly Successful Weight Loss and Fitness Program  

By: Keith Crovatt

 

 

© All rights reserved Keith Crovatt

All too often, each of us grasps for quick fixes, fast results and “little effort” schemes to lose weight and get back in shape (or get in shape for the first time). Without exception, most fail miserably and continue the same patterns of behavior that put them there in the first place. What usually follows is the “blame game” citing time, obligations, work, soreness, food taste and the wrong phase of the moon for the lapse in self achievement.

Each of us has exactly 24 hours in a day. No one has more and no one has less. How we choose to use this time is the difference between achieving what we desire and staying in the same rut we started in. Go find a mirror. Take this article with you. When you are in front of the mirror, that person is the one responsible for your life. Your fitness level, weight, self image and role model for others start with you!

Fortunately, the mind is very adaptive to change and reprogramming. A habit can be broken for a lifetime in as little as 21 days.

History tells us human nature has battled with motivation and self achievement since our creation. Let us ponder what our 26th president, Mr. Theodore Roosevelt, spoke of taking responsibility for ourselves.

“Get action. Seize the moment. Man was never intended to become an oyster.” An oyster is closed off from the world. Wishing, dreaming and talking about what you should do or could do never gets anything done.

“Never throughout history has a man who lived a life of ease left a name worth remembering.” Think about this statement. How many leaders, athletes, celebrities, achievers got where they are now by easing through life? No one said weight loss, fitness or muscle building was easy. Do not be afraid of work. It will not kill you but not working could.

“In a moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.” This does not mean if we do not know the exact right thing to do we should study options for years. No action leads to few results. Start doing something now. Take a walk at lunch. Walk the dog an extra mile tonight.

“People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader leads, and the boss drives.” Leaders are visionaries. Leaders have a goal in place, steps to achieve that goal and leaders will not stop until the goal is accomplished. Others wait for the leaders to tell them who, what, where, when and why. Be a leader for your body.

“Old age is like everything else. To make a success of it, you’ve got to start young.” Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Exercise programs and weight loss control can start when you are 70 as well as 25 years young. Be a role model for your family and friends. Imagine the impact on future generations because of your action today.

“The first requisite of a good citizen in this republic of ours is that he shall be able and willing to pull his own weight.” If you are not willing to take control of your fitness level and weight control, who is? We were not born with a “right” to a slim and beautiful body created by anyone else but you. This goes back to self achievement and motivation. Grab a friend and help each other pull their own weight off!

“If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you would not be able to sit for a month.” I saved the best one for last. The difference between doers and watchers is evident by now. Those who take responsibility for our own bodies, fitness levels and weight loss are the ones that start doing something now.

Weight loss and fitness programs start in our mind. There are many resources available for the specific how-to knowledge for diet, nutrition and exercise. Without the motivation, measurable results and constant feedback from others and ourselves, we are limited in our success.

I know you will print out this article and tack it to your cubicle at work, fold it into the sun visor of your car and slip it under the magnet on the kitchen refrigerator (near the handle)! We all will slip from time to time and indulge our whims. That is ok as long as the ultimate goal is life long weight loss, control and improved fitness levels. Thank you President Roosevelt. History continues to repeat itself.

 

Article Source: http://wellnessarticles.net

 

Are you looking to get in top physical shape without the hype and lies? Keith Crovatt has assembled leading experts, tips, tricks and techniques to guide you. “One Body, One Mind, One Day-At-A-Time”™ Sign-up for the FREE ProvenFitness.com newsletter and get the mini-course “Why You Should Say No To Quick Weight Loss!” Click here=> www.ProvenFitness.com

Mother's Day Fiasco

I have two children, so I qualify to celebrate Mother’s Day.  But most recent years, I’ve celebrated quietly with my husband.

I have a daughter who will be 30 in a month and a son who is 27.  My son, who has Asperger’s Syndrome, still lives at home – though we are working on that with him now.  He is kind and loving. 

My daughter is another story.  When she was a teenager, she became very dark and moody.  The doctor and I figured it was typical teenage angst or hormones.  She made home life very “interesting.”  When she went away to college, she left and never looked back – except when she needed something.  Typical?  Maybe.  She refused to listen to any advise from anyone, especially me.  Typical?  Maybe.  She was eventually, after graduation, diagnosed with BiPolar Disorder.  It explained a lot and with meds, she mellowed a bit.  But she recently told me she hadn’t been on her meds for several years – and it shows.

So how does this relate to Mother’s Day? 

My daughter has never acknowledged me on Mother’s Day.  Not a card or a call.  Not even an e-card.  She says she couldn’t afford it (I told her some e-cards are free) and she’s “not a card person.”  She used to live 6 hours away, so she couldn’t visit for Mother’s Day before.  She never called, tho’ she could call from her car when she was in traffic just to complain about the traffic.  She recently moved to a town less than a hour away.

It came as a great surprise, then, when my husband told me that my daughter had called him to see if he thought I’d like to go up there for dinner for Mother’s Day.  Plans were made and Thursday night (she’s working on Sunday) we went to see her current place. 

We went to Texas Roadhouse – a restaurant with great steaks and country music.  My daughter gave her name, asked for the manager whom she knows and whispered something to the hostess.  After a short wait, during which we had a very pleasant conversation, the four of us were seated in a booth designed for six.  I slid all the way in and got comfortable when my daughter decided I needed to sit on the outside, across from her instead of the inside.  Fine.  I slid all the way out, no easy task when your overweight and stiff from fibromyalgia, and sat on the outside.

My husband, who knew that she had bought a gift, thought it was because she wanted to be across from me to give me the gift.  When our drinks arrived, she was again whispering to the waitress.  I smelled a rat.  It wasn’t that loud.  I told her I was sensing a set-up.  She laughed that off.  She gave me the gifts she had bought:  a box of 9 hand-made Swiss chocolate truffles and a lovely necklace.  I was so happy!  Not about the gifts, though they were nice.  But this was the first time in perhaps  13 years that my family (just husband, kids and self) had sat down to a meal together.  I was so pleased that we were having pleasant conversation. 

When our food came, there was more whispering to the waitress.  Now I was sure something was up.  But I’m thinking along the lines of dessert – which I’d have eaten even though I’m finally back on the weight loss wagon and have lost 4 lbs.  Dinner was delicious.

When I was about half way through eating my meal, I noticed a commotion at the table behind me.  They staff had slid a saddle mounted on a wooden frame up to the side of the table.  They were trying to convince a 30-ish woman to mount up, which she reluctantly did.  They they shouted to quiet the restaurant, focused everyone’s attention on the now embarrassed woman and caused a general ruckus.  When the woman dismounted and the staff dispersed, they left the saddle near the booth.

That’s when I figured out what all the whispering had been about.  I also noticed that my daughter had been playing with her cell phone off and on while she ate her meal.  What was that about.  I would soon find out.

When I had perhaps a third of my meal left, sure enough, here comes the staff and the saddle.  I said no thank you and continued eating my meal.  My daughter, cell phone in hand, started badgering and pressuring me.  I said no and continued eating.  I am not someone who can be pressured into doing something that I don’t want to do.  She was like a dog with a bone – she wouldn’t let go of this.  I should say that, perhaps if I was 27 or if I was in better shape or if I didn’t have fibromyalgia I might have gone along with her idea of fun.  Then again, maybe not.  That kind of being the center of attention has never attracted me.

The staff, who had better things to do, accepted my decision and drifted away.  My daughter, on the other hand, kept at me.  Just get on.  No.  Why not? Don’t want to.  Finally it came out.  She had planned to take photos of me on the stupid thing and post them to Facebook.  Nothing like trying to humiliate your mother to make for a great Mother’s Day celebration.  I maintained my composure as we finished the meal and drove her home.  As I was hugging her and thanking her for the gifts, she started in on it again.  I should have done it.  It would have made great pictures.  I still kept my composure.  But I cried half way home.  It felt so hurtful that she would think posting photos of me would be “fun.” 

When we got up to leave, my legs had stiffened due to the fibromyalgia and the fact that, being short, the booth was uncomfortable for such a long meal.  My fibro has flared significantly due to the stress. 

Happy Mother’s Day to everyone.  Here’s hoping you don’t get put on the spot and embarrassed by your children.

This was certainly a Mother’s Day that I’ll remember!