Hip Hip No Hooray

Well, it is another Saturday night that I am spending by myself.  Not due to lack of a social schedule this weekend, as I had my book club earlier today and was invited to attend a wine party this evening.

I am home because of my hip. My left hip to be more precise. What the hell next? I already suffer continually from sciatica, and wake up almost nightly in pain if I end up flat on my back. Now my hip more than aches, it kills. It doesn’t feel like the joint itself, but possibly something also sciatic related.  It is excruciating when I stand after sitting for long periods of time and it hurts to bear weight sometimes as well.

The dull ache of it started last summer, when I walk daily. I was taking very long walks with a friend of mine, and the walks got very extended as she was using me as a sounding board to her life’s issues.  I just thought then I had overdone it. Now being even heavier than last summer,  it has gotten worse.  Today I feel it in my leg and calf, and of all things, my tail bone as well.

I can’t get into my doctor until Friday, so I guess I will have to self medicate with as much ibuprofen, Tylenol, and other OTC remedies as I can until then. I do have some Tramadol due to a bad neck (a whole other problem), but I do not like painkillers as they make me feel wonky and dizzy and that isn’t a very good trade-off for me.

I wish I could have made it to the wine party, but I would have just been the token fat chick again anyway.  Ok, I guess I am done venting.  I am going to go sit on a heating pad for a while and see if it helps.

[Via http://curveygirl.wordpress.com]

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[Via http://bestfitart.wordpress.com]

Reason #55

Because I’m due for some new clothes that make me feel like a million bucks

I can’t wait to buy new clothes.  My pants are getting pretty loose now but I hate to buy things only to turn around and buy again.  I have some size 12 clothes in my closet so I’ll migrate back to them but when I get back to the 8’s–time to shop!

[Via http://counttheways.wordpress.com]

Is BMI a flawed measurement?

Body Mass Index, or BMI for short, is a simple calculation — based on your height and weight — used to determine if you are overweight. It has its flaws, but overall, is it a good measurement for body weight? My answer is maybe, maybe not.

First the flaws. It doesn’t take gender, age, or muscle/bone density into account. A fit, but very muscular person could register as overweight, or even obese. Likewise a person with low densities could have lots of dangerous visceral fat, yet still register as normal. These flaws tend to make people dismiss the BMI as nothing more than a statistic used to calculate insurance premiums.

I consider myself has having denser than average bones and/or muscles. In fact I wear the same size clothes as men who weigh 10-20 pounds less than me. Even though I’ll always weigh-in a little on the high side of BMI, I still say give it a chance.

If nothing else, it gives you something to think about. I’m thoroughly convinced that our eyes don’t see our bodies correctly in the mirror and sometimes an objective tool like BMI can help us rethink our goals.

When I started this journey, I was obese according to BMI. My original goal was to get back to the weight that I considered normal for me, the weight I had been most of my adult life. But even that weight was still overweight according to BMI. Looking back at pictures now, I can clearly see that that weight was not normal for me, and my new weight (now registering as normal according to BMI) feels more comfortable. Were it not for BMI, I would still be somewhat overweight.

So I say don’t dismiss BMI, but you don’t have to follow it religiously either. In the end, the only way to know your ideal weight is to see what feels best to you. I like to tell people to set small goals, 5 or 10 pounds at a time, and reassess your goals at that time. You’ll know when you reach your ideal weight.

[Via http://bnelson333.wordpress.com]

Soup for the Snowed in Soul

Today is the perfect day for soup.  It’s snowing (again!) and nothing warms the body and soul like a big bowl of piping hot soup.  For most of us, that means popping the top on a can, pouring it into a pot and letting it heat up.  Sure it’s easy, but it also means ingesting tons of sodium.  Have you ever actually looked at the sodium content on a soup label?  One common brand contains 690 milligrams per serving with 2.5 servings in a can or 29% of your daily intake.  Now do the math if you plan on eating a whole can for dinner!  I should point out, however, that the amount of salt found in canned soup has dropped about 17% since 2007.  That’s good, but making your own is even better and not nearly as time consuming as you think it  is.

One of my favorite kinds of soup is lime soup.  Sounds weird, but I guarantee it’ll warm you warm the inside out!  I first tasted it while on vacation in Mexico and ever since then, I’ve been trying to recreate it at home.  Here’s the recipe I’ve come up with.

Ingredients:

2 large chicken breasts

2 quarts water

1/2 medium onion, peeled and diced

3-4 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons oil (whichever you like)

4 quarts chicken broth (if you don’t make your own, buy the low/no sodium kind!)

2 tomatoes, diced and seeded

2 jalapenos, seeded and diced (depends on how hot you like it)

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1/2 tablespoon cinnamon or 1 Mexican cinnamon stick

5 whole cloves

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 lime, quartered

Preparation:

Bring water to a boil and place chicken in the water.  Continue to boil until the chicken is done and no longer pink inside.  Remove the chicken from the water, let it cool to the touch and then shred it, removing meat from the bones and skin.  Put meat aside.  Discard skin, water and bones.  (If you’re really adventurous, use the water and bones to make your own chicken stock.)

Toast cinnamon, cloves and oregano on a baking sheet.  Be careful not to burn.

In a large pot, heat oil and saute the onions and garlic until soft. 

In a separate pot, heat chicken stock and spices and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Strain and then add it to pot containing the onions and garlic.

Add the chicken, tomatoes, jalapeno.  Squeeze lime juice into pot and then throw in rinds.  Simmer for about 30 minutes.  Remove lime rinds, season with salt to taste and serve with extra lime wedges and flour tortillas.

[Via http://buffbroad.wordpress.com]

Keepin' it goin'

Starting today and lasting for 8 weeks, I will be part of a team challenge on Shrinking Jeans (www.shrinkingjeans.net).  My weight today was 144.6.  (stupid daily weight fluctuations!)  I was 144.0 yesterday.  I’m going to change my weigh-in day to Wednesdays so that I’m in line for this challenge. 

I’ve been assigned to Team G.  While we are still in the process of getting all our members to check in and of coming up with a team name, a few of us like G4 – Gorgeous Girls Gettin’ Going!  But that’s def. not finalized yet. 

I also just found out that the next fitness challenge is 30 days in a row of Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred work out video.  OMG!  The 1 time I’ve done this video I could barely move for 3 days!  30 days in a row?!  Holy hell!  We start March 1 and go to March 30.  Well guess what?!  My birthday is March 31!  Soooo – I’m gonna do this challenge and celebrate my birthday with a sexy, shredded body!

I’d like to set a few goals for the next 8 weeks.

1. Lose 8 pounds by the end of the challenge (would put me at 136 by 4/21)
2. Complete the 30 shred fitness challenge
3. Keep tracking all food and exercise – stay within 1200-1300 net calorie range each day

[Via http://bekkib73.wordpress.com]

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[Via http://denisenqivana.wordpress.com]

Healthy You Challenge - Tuesday Check-In (My 1st!)

I’ve joined the Healthy You Challenge over at Scale Junkie and this is my first Tuesday Check-In!  The Healthy You Challenge is a site to encourage and celebrate:

Losing Pounds

Exercising regularly – according to your limitations and doctor’s recommendations

Staying on YOUR healthy eating plan

Recognizing Non Scale Victories

Setting Goals

Rewarding yourself

Challenging yourself

Supporting other bloggers with similar goals, even if they aren’t a part of the challenge

Asking for help when you feel discouraged

It seems like a very supportive place to hang out for those of us working on living a healthier life (and to locate interesting blogs of  people similar to us).  On Tuesdays they ask that you update your blog with your weekly progress, then head over to Scale Junkie and look for the Tuesday post. Once there, simply scroll to the bottom and sign into the Mister Linky.  Mister Linky will add your blog to the list of bloggers that checked-in on Tuesday and then you can visit some of those blogs to encourage each other on to success!  C*O*O*L, huh?

So, for those of you new to my blog you can find my program basics H*E*R*E.  I’ve been working my plan for 7 weeks today.  My goal is to lose 100 pounds in 2010.  I’m proud to say:

***  In 7 Weeks I Haven’t  ***

Eaten Beef or Pork

Eaten Fast Food or Fried Food

Eaten Dairy

***  In 7 Weeks I Have  Only Done this O*N*C*E  ***

Had a diet pop/soda

Cheated on my plan

Eaten out (at a Valentine’s dinner/dance)

***  In 7 Weeks I H*A*V*E  ***

Gone to Bikram Yoga, on average, 5 times a week and have only missed class 2 days in a row 1 time!

Accomplished more than 25% of my ultimate goal!

Kept my fridge full of pre-made, on-plan food!

Taken supplements and met my water-drinking goals every day!

Been honest on my blog about my weight loss feelings and struggles!

Eaten 5-6 small meals a day!

Fed my family fast food 4 times instead of the 21 times (roughly 3 times a week) that had been the normal!

**************************************

I’m working my plan extremely hard – after more than a decade of “trying” to lose weight in numerous ways – I’m working it harder and more successfully than ever before.  I have struggled with depression for 15 years and have had hard days in the past 7 weeks but have been able to refrain from emotional eating.  I have been struggling with eating enough calories every day – but am working on it.  I struggle to eat enough complex carbs, and again, am working on it.  I’m, amittedly, OBSESSED with losing weight and hope it turns into a habitual way of life soon (I seem to have an obsessive personality, though. I’ve gone through Beanie Babies, collecting Power Ranger toys for my son, eBay buying and selling, digital scrapbooking, and more) !  And despite having so much to be proud of I STILL struggle with being too hard on myself and focusing on negative things – yes, I’m working on that, too!

Lastly, I KNOW  that I will not be able to keep up these strict standards until the 100 pounds is gone. I just want to get off to a really strong start as seeing fast results will keep me moving in the right direction.  I WILL eventually add some beef and pork, an occasional diet pop, healthy pasta, and more carbs into my diet (probably after my 41 st birthday on April 12th).  This plan IS TEACHING me life-long ways of eating, though, such as:  eating 5-6 small meals a day, eating smaller portions, not eating until I feel “stuffed” and “bloated”, drinking lots and lots of water, participating in regular exercise THAT I ENJOY, eating less fatty meat, eating more fruit and veggies, keeping my fridge full of ready-to-eat healthy food, taking healthy snacks with me when I leave the house, having goals, celebrating success in non-food ways, and the importance of keeping a food log.

**********************************

 ~ Thanks for stopping by!  I wish you MUCH SUCCESS on your journey today! – Angie

[Via http://isladeangela.wordpress.com]

Been busy............

I have been slacking on my blogging duties as of late.

Good news, I haven’t lost or gained any weight within the last two weeks, perhaps a plateau or perhaps a balance between the mild cheats, and the enormous amounts of walking that I have been doing; celebrating the olympics.

My injury is getting better, I haven’t ran in just over a week and it’s killing me mentally I loooooooooovvvvvvvveeeeeeeee to run.

I have been spending my time at olympic events, and downtown Vancouver; only one week left of this then my life should get back to some sort of routine normalcy.

Till then…

Cheers,
Janet

[Via http://5lbsatatime.wordpress.com]

Day 24: Couples Kenpo X

Today’s Workout was a:

Today I’m back on Kenpo X, one of my favorite workouts in the p90x program since it flies by so fast. Today I had to do my workout a little later on during the day, around 5pm.

The extra bonus today was that I got to do this workout with my girl, we haven’t yet worked out at all together but after a bunch of times trying to convince her, I finally got her to do it with me.

I really don’t have much to say about kenpo at this point since I can already keep up with this workout pretty perfectly. It’s intense and I love it, actually looking forward to it each week when it pops up.

I maybe should have got my girl to right this entry because this was her first time doing the workout, or any p90x workouts for that matter, and she really seemed to have the same attitude as when I actually started the program: a lot of “fuck you’s” aimed at the dvd, huffing & puffing, a lot of “again?” on repeatitious exercises and a lot of needed breaks & heavy water intake. She did say she enjoyed it though.

So that’s it for today, nothing really else to say about this workout, it was extra easy today since as my girlfriend was getting so warmed up from doing the exercises she actually ended up taking off her pants and doing it in her thong – which obviously was a bonus for me (I hope this happens more often.)

See you next time

-Fat Guy

[Via http://p90xversusafatguy.wordpress.com]

Frittata-Healthy Version & Vegetarian!

This is something that I came up with myself, although, there isn’t much genius behind it lol.

Frittata ”Healthified”

• 1 Package Simply Potatoes Hashbrowns (about 3.5 cups)
• 2 tsp Olive Oil
• 1/2 Green Pepper-Diced
• 2-3 Tbsp Diced Shallots
• 1-2 Cloves Garlic Finely Diced
• 1/2 Cup Kraft 2% Sharp Cheddar
• 2 Cups Egg Beaters
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Any herbs (dried or fresh) that you or your family like

Since today I used the Southwestern Egg Beaters, I skipped the Green Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 F

In an oven safe non-stick sautee pan, add oil, green peppers and shallots, sautee for 2-3 minutes.  Add garlic and sautee for an additional 1-2 minutes. (Forgot to take a picture)

In a large bowl, mix the hashbrowns, 1/2 of the cheese, any herbs you plan on using and salt and pepper to taste.  Once the shallots/garlic/etc are done you blend them into this mix.

Add the hashbrowns to the pan and press into the pan, it’ll be like a big potato pancake.  Cook for 5 minutes over medium low heat.

Pour the eggs on top of the potatoes.

Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 Degrees.

Sprinkle the last 1/2 of the cheese over the eggs and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Serves 6!

• Calories: 201
• Fat: 5.5
• Fiber 2.5
• Points: 4

It’s easy, yummy and makes fantastic leftovers!

Tata for now,

Scale Warfare

[Via http://adauntingtaleofscalewarfare.com]

Picture Perfect: A digital weight loss diary

Alright mamas, how many memory cards have you filled with pics of your wee ones? What about you aunties? How many pics of the little monkey have you Facebooked? No doubt we’re all snapping shots of the kids. But leave a place for yourself  in the album too. When trying to lose weight or reshape, photos are a great way to monitor progress and reach your goals.

I am far from camera shy. Hello, aspiring fitness cover model here. I see the flash of a bulb and respond instinctively with a full smile and  three-quarter pose. You know, that red carpet pose that does all women justice. My Facebook page is filled with fun party pics and vacation photos. But I also have several personal folders documenting my physical changes through competition training, pregnancy and now, post-pregnancy.

Early in my pregnancy I decided to take monthly photos of my growing bump. The first shot was taken at eight weeks. The last shot was taken at eight weeks. LOL. I didn’t really follow through on that plan. Luckily, I managed to get other shots over the course of the year. Now I can look back at my 1-,4-,5-,6-,7- and 9-month belly. Very cool.

While training for my figure competition (prior to pregnancy), I was much more disciplined about the process. I photographed my front, back, and side poses each week. The photos were reviewed regularly by me and by my coach. This process was extremely helpful in evaluating the changes in my musculature and shape. What I didn’t see day-to-day, I definitely saw week-to-week and month-to-month. The progress pics were a great motivator when I didn’t think my body was changing. They revealed that my midsection was progressively becoming leaner, my upper body more built, and my legs better defined.

4 months postpartum

7 1/2 months

I’ve adopted that process again. As I work toward new fitness goals, I am documenting the changes with monthly pics. (See my 3-month and 4-month postpartum updates). It’s already working.  I’ve been looking back at my maternity photos. Wow, there was a 6 lb baby in there! I’m not so hard on myself when I see how big my belly actually was. It’s surprisingly easy to forget. And I’m already seeing slight changes in my post-pregnancy photos too. Step up, and see the incredibly shrinking stomach!

I wish I could lay claim to this ingenious tactic. I would patent it and pay for a tummy tuck. Just kidding. The photo thing is actually suggested by many fitness pros. Funny enough, I received an email this week from Tosca Reno with this very suggestion. Her “Focus on Fitness” detailed seven fitness tips. Number three on the list was tracking progress with before and after photos.

I found a similar suggestion in a blog by fitness model, Jennifer Nicole Lee. Taking a ‘before photo’ was step one in her four-week plan. Local trainer Lyzabeth Lopez includes before and after photos in her “Hourglass Workout” 3 month challenge. Plus we’ve all seen those “holy sh*t” before and after pics on The Biggest Loser, right? How awesome are those?!

So as I’m documenting the growth of my little girl, I’ll be documenting the changes in my body too. I look forward to sharing the results with you as I go.

If you’re inspired by this post, I encourage you to give the digital diary a try.  Get your camera, get in front of the mirror and start snapping. Keep the pictures, even if you hate them. Nobody else has to see them. Unless you decide to blog about it, LOL. It will be SO satisfying to look back and see how far you’ve come!

What images inspire you to work harder toward your goals?

[Via http://babiesbelliesandbarbells.wordpress.com]

Attack of the Blob!...Day 3/4 of 24 Day Challenge

I apologize for being remiss in not posting the past few days.  I’ve been going going going with work and other activities to the point that I’ve crashed the past couple of nights.

Day 3 and Day 4 went well.  I’m getting into a groove and find myself feeling less hungry then I expected.  I don’t workout in the mornings (I am NOT a morning person and I prefer to start work when I wake up…rolling into my office sometime between 6:30 and 7:30 in the morning), but I still follow the same plan.  Spark first thing with Catalyst, followed about an hour later by the meal replacement shake.  Then lunch sometime between noon and 1, depending on how distracted I get at work.  A small snack of nuts or a rice cake with PB then dinner follow.  Depending on how late I eat dinner, I may or may not have a piece of fruit before bed.  It just depends.

I’ve found that I really enjoy all three flavors of the meal replacement shake.  I also mix some fruit in with the shake to make it a little more filling (though the shake by itself does tide me over til it’s time for my mid morning snack.)  The only thing that was a little disconcerting was that I noticed that the shake is a bit gelatinous/blobish in texture.  You know, kind of like pudding.  I don’t know if this picture will show it justice:

It was bizarre.  But still tasty!  I use my magic bullet blender to mix and pureé the fruit in with the shake. Super easy, super quick.

I’m going to confess something…I’ve had some artificial sugar. (*gasp*)  Now, now, before you get your undies in a bunch…I’m taking 1 packet of those mix in water flavor thingies.  There would just be moments that I’d have a craving for something a little sweet, and that would do it.  It’s not like I’m mainlining Aspartame.  So, am I being perfect (as in 100% clean)?  Not technically.  But I’ve stayed off dairy, wheat, soda and alcohol (that one’s not hard…I’m not a drinker) with little problem (though I’ve found myself reading labels much more closely then I ever have) and eating clean save for that one little transgression.  I think I’ll survive (and won’t derail my progress.)

Oh, wanna know what I did last night?  Yeah..screwed up a bit.  I was SOOOOO tired that, when I went to pop my herbal cleanse pills (which are HUGE, btw), I accidentally downed my Probiotic RESTORE pills instead.  Oops.  I realized my error before I crawled my sorry butt into bed and took the correct pills.  I just didn’t have any RESTORE for this morning.

On to day 5…almost 1/2 way through the cleanse.  Woo-hoo!

[Via http://gritlysweettea.wordpress.com]

Finding Happiness

Hey Mom,

I love John Wooden. He was a basketball coach at UCLA many years ago and many consider him one of the greatest coaches in history. I have been reading his stuff for a long time now. Recently, I came across an old notebook I had written these in. These are some heavy promises! In an interview with John Maxwell in 2008, Wooden said he still holds himself to this creed given to him by his father after graduating high school. This is his take on how to find happiness. Hope you like it! Love you!

John Wooden’s Strategy to Find Happiness…
-Promise yourself that you will talk health, happiness, and prosperity as often as possible.
-Promise yourself to make all your friends know there is something in them that is special and that you value.
-Promise to think only the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best from yourself and others.
-Promise to be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
-Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
-Promise to forget the mistakes of the past and press on to greater achievements in the future.
-Promise to wear a cheerful appearance at all times and give every person you meet a smile.
-Promise to give so much time improving yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
-Promise to be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit trouble to press on you.

[Via http://trainerjames.com]

What is Real Food?

In the Beginning… there was FOOD…

This is an incredibly important question, and one that our forefathers did not have to face. Since the beginning of time, all mankind has eaten Real Food, until the development of fake food in the late 19th century. Our ancestors knew what was healthy, and from generation to generation taught their families what was good and wholesome.

Artificial, or processed food soon realized that they could gain market share from the Real Food purveyors (Farmers) by attacking Real Food through fraudulent clinical studies saying Real Food was dangerous, to using corporate power to control the media information about the safety of fake food and the dangers of Real Food, to controlling government officials, to the point that in many states, it is LEGAL to buy marijuana, whisky, cigarettes, etc, but NOT LEGAL to buy whole fresh MILK!
Processed food corporations realized that Real Food did not have the financial wherewithal to rebuke the obscene statements and accusations made against them by the very profitable fake food industry! Real Food has for all intents and purposes become a whipping boy for the companies that want to plunder their customers to their end! The incredibly successful job of brainwashing a nation into believing Real Food is evil is just now becoming realized as chronic disease and obesity crush our once healthy nation.
Because of this fact, we need to re-program our nation that Real Food is not only safe and healthy, it is truly the only safe and healthy thing to eat! Eating anything other is taking our life in our hands! Getting solid information about Real food such as this Liberation Wellness product is a good start, but also avoiding getting your health information from the media is critical!

Real Food is designed by our creator for our health and vitality! In simple terms, the food God made is healthy, and once man gets involved, it becomes corrupt! Unfortunately, it is not as simple as that, as all things natural are not necessarily safe to eat! For example, carrots are natural, but so also is poison ivy and arsenic. Most vegetables and grains actually need to be processed in order to be safe to eat, but the traditional methods that make food truly healthy and digestible are too costly for food manufactures who clearly do not care about the health of their customers when it conflicts with their bottom line. Fresh milk for instance is an extremely safe food and needs no processing and if refrigerated can stay fresh for 2 weeks or longer! Grains on the other hand need soaking or sprouting and delicate care to make the end product safe.

When we go to the supermarket, we find industrial versions of Real Food (imposters) pasteurized milk (processed) that is not healthy for humans, as well as bread processed improperly which can have a devastating effect on human health! These products almost always say they are “Healthy” or “Organic”, but are neither!These products are just genetically-modified microwavable TV dinners!

My first advice is to find a farmer who is doing dairy correctly, there you can start with the great basics of Real Food, milk, butter, eggs, etc, and often he will have cheese and meat and some fermented foods made in the traditional way. If you start with this foundation of Real Food, you will begin to depend less and less on the industrial foods, and will start feeling the great health benefit of eating Real Food. Sometimes you might get fooled along the way, but so have all of us for many years, so now we are empowering you with incredible information that can change your health and life!

There is a journey to begin eating like a human being, and your journey often begins at the farm!

[Via http://liberationwellnessblog.com]

Friday, Friday

This felt like a really long week, although in retrospect, it flew by. Today was a weigh-day…that stinkin’ scale hasn’t move at all! Luckily it’s still down 4 from the original number, but no movement since. I am sure if I changed my eating, I could see some movement, but as of yet, I am not super compelled to do that…I gave up coffee this week for Lent, and the thought of limiting my chocolate intake as well…well, that just brings tears to the brink of my eyes. So for now, I am content with maintaining the awesome workouts and running. Which is going really well, if I do say so myself (and I do!). I am running the Nashville half marathon in April with a friend who was looking for some travel partners, so I have my 2 spring races on paper. That takes a load off, now I can just focus on the running! One slight issue for me is that the races are back to back weekends. I have never pushed myself that hard before, so I am hoping all goes well. If I continue to stick with my training, I think good things will happen! I am also signing up for the Disney half marathon for next January…I have to do the register now, as it fills up SO quickly, and I need to make sure I get my spot. my (s)MIL is running it with me, so I think we’ll have a great time! Plus, my auntie lives pretty closeby, so we’ll get to sneak in some visiting time as well. Good news all around!

I have been drinking tea the past 3 mornings. That has helped me avoid a caffeine headache suprisingly well. I used to drink 2 VERY large cups of coffee each morning, but have been able to just drink one cup of tea with no problem. Even thinking by next week, I could make a clean break from the caffeine! Not my original goal, but I don’t think that can be a bad thing. But the nice routine and warmth of my cup is definitely something I miss…but all for a good reason, I know!

Well, off to try to finish a project tonight, so I can kick back and relax this weekend. Kinda wish I had more work to do, but it will be nice to get a mandatory weekend off for a change! More will be arriving Monday, so I better take the break while I can get it! Have a fabulous weekend, and hope the weather is kind to you!

[Via http://craftykristi.wordpress.com]

Day 21: New Updates to Stats/Measurements/Pictures

Having just completed my third week, I have updated my stats/measurements and comparison pictures.

Here’s one comparison from day 1 - 14:

———————–Day One ——————————————–Day 21————————

Click here to view the rest of the pictures

Click here to view the weekly changes in measurements

This was a good week. I was able to follow the nutrition plan pretty well, I did eat two junk dinners on two days however; all in all it wasn’t too bad.

I didn’t see as many results as I have in the past week but I’ve been reading online that most people quit the program after 30 days and after 30 days, once your body is no longer in “shock” mode of getting back in shape, that you really get great results after the 30 days. So I’m hoping that the next couple weeks of really pushing myself plus following the nutrition plan will allow me to see some measurable results in the coming weeks.

Week 4 is next up…

Thanks for visiting!

[Via http://p90xversusafatguy.wordpress.com]

Maximize Your Metabolism

You most likely don’t need a rocket scientist to reveal to you why you are having a difficult time losing stomach fat. Your metabolism slows with age. But middle age weight gain is not really unavoidable: there’s a diet plan that can address these changes.

This specialized metabolism-boosting session will help you shed unwanted stomach fat. Most important, you’ll create firm, lean muscle tissue, the secret to a strong metabolism. Start today and you’ll rest better, have more energy, feel firmer, and notice your clothes are looser in as little as 14 days. Here’s how:

EAT ENOUGH: When you eat less than you need for common biological activity, your body applies the brakes on your metabolism. Consume just enough so you’re not starving.

PERK UP IN THE MORNING: Eating breakfast jump-starts metabolism and keeps energy elevated throughout the day. It’s no accident that folks who skip this meal are 4 1/2 times as likely to be obese. If nothing else, grab a yogurt.

DRINK TEA: A cup of brewed tea can raise your metabolism by 12%, according to one Japanese study. Experts conclude that the antioxidant catechins in tea supply the boost.

BATTLE FAT WITH FIBER: Studies from research find that individuals who eat the most fiber gain the least weight over time. Aim for around 25 g a day–the amount in about 3 servings each of fruits and vegetables.

JUMBO SIZE IT: Researchers revealed that drinking about 48 ounces of cold water a day can raise resting metabolism by about 50 calories per day–enough to shed 5 pounds in a year.

GO ORGANIC: Always choose organic when purchasing peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, imported grapes, and pears; non-organic versions tend to have elevated levels of pesticides.

NEVER OMIT PROTEIN: Your body needs protein to maintain lean muscle. Add a portion, like three ounces of lean meat, two tablespoons of nuts, or 1/2 pound of low-fat yogurt, to every meal and snack.

EAT FOODS RICH WITH IRON: Until menopause, women displace iron each month as a result of menstruation. Unless you restock your supply, you run the risk of reduced stamina and a flagging metabolism.

DRINK MILK: Research shows that consuming calcium through dairy foods such as fat-free milk and low-fat yogurt may cause a decline in fat absorption from other sources.

[Via http://nomorebellyfat.wordpress.com]

i remember how beautiful i used to think you are

I took my mom to her GP last week and she asked if Mary could squeeze me in. Lucky for me, she did. I am the proud owner of a sinus infection, an ear infection, a deviated septum (that has been undiagnosed my entire life – my nose has never been broken), and a Split S2 (also undiagnosed my entire life – lucky for me, not life threatening). That was an interesting doctor’s visit, lemme tell you.

I’ve been taking my antibiotics like a good little girl, but I’ve been getting progressively worse. Normally when I’m on Augmentin, I start feeling better within a day of beginning the meds. Today, I looked at the bottle, disgusted with the fact that I had no voice and a throat that felt like hamburger meat, and realized that I haven’t been taking my meds properly. When I first got them, I read “take one pill once a day” but it really said “take one pill twice a day”. *facepalm* So, I’m taking them correctly now on top of drinking gallons of water and cranberry juice (my kidneys are hating me right now and I’m praying I don’t end up with a UTI on top of everything else). I stopped by CVS and picked up some Mucinex DM, three bags of cough drops, some daytime Theraflu (since I have nighttime stuff and I hate taking it since the stuff knocks me out so hard that I can’t get up the next day), and some Zicam.

When I get sick, I don’t play around. I hate being sick and I want to get better RIGHTTHATVERYMINUTE!

Of course, I also had to go and think about everything that was sitting on my to do list. I hung up the new curtains in the living room (I hung the ones for my bedroom yesterday and will hang Emma’s tomorrow), threw on some laundry (I actually need to go change it over, but I don’t wanna go downstairs to use the dryer), and cooked dinner despite the fact that I wasn’t hungry. What did I cook, you ask? Twice baked potato casserole, chicken tortilla casserole, Italian wedding soup, and chicken proscuitto ravioli. No, I didn’t eat it all (I couldn’t even eat that much when I was eating everything in sight!), I only had the Italian wedding soup (chicken broth on a sore throat is win), but the rest smells freaking GOOD. I cooked it all because I had to… I bought the soup kits (that I turned into casseroles) a while ago, and if I didn’t use them today, I’d have to throw them out. I bought the chicken proscuitto ravioli the other day and today was the use or freeze by date (I bought 2 packages, so I used one & froze the other – there’s a lot in the packages).

Apparently I don’t know the meaning of “go get some rest”. I still have to do some homework (two assignments due by 11pm tonight) and toss Emma in the tub. I hope Jason gets home soon so that I can have him toss the kid in the tub. I no longer have the energy to deal with it all.

Since this is my weight loss journal, I figure I should probably announce that I joined 24 Hour Fitness today. I have Richard Simmons, MTV Yoga, Denise Austin, Jillian Michaels, etc. DVDs, but come on – how often have I used them? I paid for three sessions with a personal trainer, set an appointment, and I’m going to go to the gym even if it kills me (although, if I try to go right now, it probably will).

My aunt Donna, cousin DeeDee, and my friend Ashley are all either getting ready to join or already are members of 24HF, and we’re all going to go together (or variations thereof… ie: me & Ashley, DeeDee & Donna, me & DeeDee, etc). I find that I do better when I work out with a friend. And going to see the personal trainer will give me an idea of what I need to do and how to do it safely.

Now playing: “London” – AJ McLean

[Via http://notsopleasantlyplump.wordpress.com]

Jesus Gets My Share of the Soda

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, a.k.a. the start of the Christian time period of Lent. I’ve spent the bulk of my life as a perpetually-lapsed Catholic, so generally, I haven’t paid more attention than the time it takes to make a derisive snort to others when they’ve said they’re giving something up for the duration.

Fat Lisa didn’t need Fat Tuesday in order to mow down an entire refrigerator’s worth of eatables on any given day. Fat Lisa saw absolutely no point in giving up any sort of the calorie-laden items she regularly binged on, and didn’t see why anyone else would want to, either. I mean really, who gives up Cheetos, Twinkies, and cheesecake voluntarily? Crazy folks, that’s who.

Well, as a bigger part of this WLJ, I’m trying to become a better person. And though I don’t post about it, reconnecting with my religion is part of that. I’m down with G-O-D, Jesus is my homeboy, and all that stuff along those lines.

So I’m going to give up soda.

I can hear you all now – “Awww, c’mon now, be more inventive!” I know, right? It’s what every person under the sun, their Uncle Ted, and their pet gerbil gives up for Lent. However, I think it’s perfect for me, because as my number of daily points has dwindled and waned, I have become a serious diet soda addict. Srsly.

For example, last weekend I went through an entire 12-pack of Diet Sunkist Lemonade. That’s six cans of faux-sugary sweetness per day. And, as my Twitter buds know, I’m also best friends with Sugar Free Rockstar (an energy drink), which (TMI) will make you pee the color of battery acid, but also promises to keep your chin from crashing into your desk at your 9-5.

Diet soda generally has less than 10 calories. It really doesn’t hurt your WLJ in terms of poundage. BUT, all things in moderation, and I’m certainly having no part of the “moderation” section of that saying right now. So really, this is a good thing. I hereby swear (on pain of… death? Lightning bolt straight from Heaven? I dunno) that starting tomorrow, not a single sip of soda will pass my lips until Easter Sunday.

Disclaimer: I take no responsibility if severe caffeine withdrawals cause me to become an incredibly crank-tastic Broad Broad. Read/Tweet from now on at your own risk.

[Via http://thebroadbroad.wordpress.com]

Food Journal Feb. 8th - 15th (weeks 5- 6)

Food Journal

Feb 8th – Feb 15th (weeks 5 thru 6)

8th –

8:30 am 2 oz. grilled chicken breast and a cup of ruby red grapefruit

10:30 am 2 oz. roasted turkey breast, 100% ww bread thin, lettuce, tomato, chipotle mustard

1:00 pm 1 oz. tuna steak (I tired to eat brussels sprouts but they were gross and I really wasn’t hungry…)

3:30 (1.5 hours before yoga) protein drink and a banana

7:30 (after yoga) 2.5 oz. grilled chicken breast, 1/2 roasted sweet potato, steamed green beans

9:30 pm some apple slices

Fit Day Calorie Counter ( I assume, in actuality, that these numbers are slightly higher): 

Calories, 1013 – Fat Grams, 16 – Carb Grams, 142.8 – Protein, 81.7

9th –

9:00 am 2.5 oz. roasted turkey breast and a cup of ruby red grapefruit

11:00 am protein shake, blended w/ 1/4 cup blueberries & 2 strawberries

2:00 pm 12 boiled shrimp cocktail

4:45 pm roasted asparagus, spicy broccoli and chicken sausage soup

8:00 pm 1 egg, 1 egg white, 1 slice turkey bacon, 100% ww bread thin

Fit Day Calorie Counter ( I assume, in actuality, that these numbers are slightly higher): 

Calories, 1032 – Fat Grams, 30.3 – Carb Grams, 106.2 – Protein, 88.6

10 th –

9:00 am  2 oz. grilled chicken, 12 blueberries, 6 raspberries, 2 strawberries

11:00 am 10 boiled shrimp cocktail

1:00 pm 2 oz. grilled chicken, raw broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber and carrots

3:30 pm protein shake blended with 2 strawberries, 1/3 banana, 1/4 cup blueberries

7:15 pm salmon patty, 100%ww bread thin, lettuce, onion, cucumber, yellow pepper rings, chipotle mustard

9:15 pm some apple slices

Fit Day Calorie Counter ( I assume, in actuality, that these numbers are slightly higher): 

Calories, 917 – Fat Grams, 20.4 – Carb Grams, 97.6 – Protein, 90.2

11th –

9:00 am 2 over medium eggs

1:15 pm 6 boiled shrimp, 2 oz. grilled chicken, 1 cup ruby red grapefruit

3:30 pm (before yoga) protein drink blended w/ 1/2 banana, blueberries, and 2 strawberries

6:45 pm mushroom burger, 100% ww bread thin, onion, lettuce, 8 cherry tomatoes, 20 raspberries, chipotle mustard

9:15 pm some apple slices (mostly skin)

Fit Day Calorie Counter ( I assume, in actuality, that these numbers are slightly higher): 

Calories, 1017 – Fat Grams, 28.6 – Carb Grams, 128.3 – Protein, 70.6

12th –

9:00 am 2 oz. roasted turkey breast, 1/4 cantaloupe

12:00 pm 2 oz. grilled chicken, a cup of ruby red grapefruit

1:30 pm 1 energy bar

4:00 pm Portobello burger, 100% ww bread thin, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, pepperochini, chipotle mustard

7:00 pm 1.5 oz. grilled chicken breast, 1/3 roasted sweet potato, 1/2 cup broccoli

Fit Day Calorie Counter ( I assume, in actuality, that these numbers are slightly higher): 

Calories, 912 – Fat Grams, 22.9 – Carb Grams, 119.9 – Protein, 65.4

13 th –

10:00 pm 3 oz. grilled chicken breast, 1 cup ruby red grapefruit

1:15 pm spicy tomato, chicken sausage and broccoli soup

3:45 pm few cubes roasted butternut squash, onion slices, fennel slices (not very yummy…)

8:00 pm we went to a Valentine’s Day Dinner/Dance and after 6-weeks of being cheat-free I inhaled food like I’d been stranded on an island for 6 weeks.  I ate breaded chicken breast with sauce, mashed potatoes, buttered veggie, 4 chocolate chip cookies, a brownie, and a piece of rum cake.

12:00 am, still on my sugar high, I ate 4 LARGE shortbread cookies halfs dipped in chocolate.  I could barely shove the last one down my throat but I did.

Calories, 10,000? – Fat Grams, 1,000? – Carb Grams, 3,000? – Protein, 20  UGH!  Oh well.  40 days good and one day bad – No Biggie…  As long as I get right back on plan.  I will.  I’ve worked too hard and look so much better than I did 6 weeks ago!  Gotta keep going!

14 th -

I can’t wait to go to yoga and detox that sugar out of my system!

 10:30 am 3 oz. grilled chicken breast and a cup of ruby red grapefruit

12:00 pm (2 hours before yoga) protein shake blended with strawberries and a banana chunk

4:15 pm (after yoga) a Portobello veggie burger, 100% ww bread thin, lettuce, pepperochini, chiptole mustard, spinach salad with touch of olive oil dressing, 7 grape tomatoes, 4 cucumber slices

8:30 pm 2 chicken sausages sautéed with green peppers, onions, and grape tomatoes

Fit Day Calorie Counter ( I assume, in actuality, that these numbers are slightly higher): 

Calories, 1,088 – Fat Grams, 26.7 – Carb Grams, 144.7 – Protein, 74.8

15 th –

10:30 am 2 oz. grilled chicken breast and a cup of ruby red grapefruit

12:30 pm 1 egg and 1 egg white omelette with green pepper, onion, and cherry tomatoes

3:45 (a little before yoga) protein shake blended with strawberries and peach chunks

7:30 pm (after yoga) 3 oz. grilled chicken and a cup of ruby red grapefruit

9:30 pm some baby carrots

Fit Day Calorie Counter ( I assume, in actuality, that these numbers are slightly higher): 

Calories, 835 – Fat Grams, 15.2 – Carb Grams, 114 – Protein, 63.7

[Via http://isladeangela.wordpress.com]

Cycle Log: Intensity Phase Week 3

Week 3 is the final week of the first mesocycle of my Intensity Phase (click here for a detailed description of macrocyles, mesocycles and microcycles).  Because my training is based on 21-day mesocycles, the third week is always a recovery week, and in this case, a much-needed one.  Here are the actual workouts with the plan for the week of February 8 to 14, 2010 (click here to download my plan for the Intensity Phase).  I had one high intensity interval workout (VO2max & Sprint Intervals: Short), two Active Recovery rides and one Steady Spinning: Indoors workout.

Week of 2/8/10 Mon Tues Wed Th Fri Sat Sun Total Goal 1.25 VO2/SI:S 0.75 AR OFF 1.0 AR OFF 2.0 GR OFF 5.0 Actual 1.25 VO2/SI:S 1.0 AR OFF 1.0 AR OFF 1.0 SS:I OFF 4.25

 

I had a great interval workout on Monday indoors on my TT bike.  I performed 4 x 3:00 VO2max intervals with 3 minutes of recovery following each hard effort.  I followed this up with 5 x 20 second Sprint Intervals with 2:40 recovery.  Top speed for each interval was 31 to 32.5 mph.  I did my two active recovery rides on a stationary bike in the gym.  I had pretty tired legs for the first one, but was a little stronger for the second.  I felt close to fully recovered for my Zone 2 spin on Saturday, once again on my TT bike.  I should be back to full strength to begin my next mesocycle.  I’ll let you know how it goes!

NEXT POST – February 18, 2010

Cycling Performance Tip #4

[Via http://doctorholmes.wordpress.com]

Reality Bites

Stats: Started 164.5
Today:154
Blah, blah, blah.  Yes.

I know it is salt and water and not overeating.    I’m on my plan and have things I want to do today such as huddle up and play video games and clean the smallest amount of my messy house and finish reading a Song of Ice and Fire, at least the first book, and do my five mile walk and stop itching so I want to get this entry done and posted so I can stop obsessing over it.

I cannot stop.  I don’t have any interest in stopping.  I just have to keep on keeping on.  I can wear the size medium coat. I wasn’t going to buy the coat, because there were no size larges but I can fit the medium and my arms fit it in it and it’s good.   So.  I don’t know what I’m going to do about food today.  There’s some stuff about and I’m not terribly hungry and I’m not going out in the snow for anyone so there’s nothing to do but just accept the reality and do my best to not let it get under my skin.

So.  Yeah.  Valentine’s Day.  I’m not seeing anyone, but I have a few things on the horizon, on the books, as it were.  It’s much better than Valentine’s past.  I’m okay with acknowledging the date this year and not sneering at it or feeling a titanic weight on my chest over it.  It’s just like this pathless journey, it’s a marker, but it being this day or tomorrow or December 6 doesn’t change anything if you don’t imbue it with meaning and judge yourself for it.

I really want to judge myself for my shortcomings because then I can feel guilt and shame and all these big, ungainly things that have to be managed and I can justify not thinking clearly about my goals and working towards them.  I’ve written a post every single day since I started this in January.  It’s only six weeks and I’m terrified, but I’m here.  I’m going to see my friends in July and I want more than anything to just enjoy the time, to not feel awkward and disappointed in myself.  I want control of this journey.

And maybe I can’t have control.

Which is hard as hell for me to take or understand or accept.  I control my own chaotic life by a knife’s blade.  I don’t go crazy or take big risks generally.  I am quiet and hold back things I mean to say, and I pre-eviscerate events where I am not sure of the outcome to keep myself from any uncontrolled emotion.   Because the outcome could take my life somewhere and it’s like I have no inner will to change things.   That if I let myself feel love, I will end up with the wrong person and I’d have to make a painful escape or live somehow with never finding the right, magical person who is out there and I would feel perfect about.

Well, clearly, despite the scale, I can manage to make change and stick to things and adapt.  I can do it.  I just have to convince my head.

And drink some damn water.

[Via http://lustrata.wordpress.com]

Day 14: It's a Beautiful Mornin'

Beautiful Mornin' -- Again!

Well, Mother Nature has done it again — yet another morning pastel wonder to behold.

Did yoga and went for a long huffing and puffing hilly walk with the dogs.

Breakfast: Two poached eggs on Ezekiel toast. Coffee with whole milk.

Lunch: Smoked Trout with Lemon-Pepper and Garlic, Millet with veggies:  beets, carrots and parsnips.

Snack: 1/2 pear.

Dinner: 1/2 turkey sandwich with vegenaise, avocado, a whole lotta sprouts, on 7-grain bread.  Carrot and celery sticks.  Red Chai Tea (no caffeine).

[Via http://gofigurechallenge.wordpress.com]

there's nothing better than swimming

in the rain!

it’s wet season here! It’s been raining heaps lately! I love swimming in the rain (apart from frogs) and at night time! I swim underwater, to not get wet – hahaha!

Looking forward to tomorrow, good day actually; cause prissy has the day off, so she can do up her blog! Then when i finish work at five, we can go swimming!

Got new boxing gloves the other day, they are so cool! And a soccer ball, might see if my bro’s, prissy and i can play soccer tomorrow too, in the rain, backyard! sounds splendid!

Well, I best be off, got housework to do … Housework is a thankless job and i’m sick of doing it haha! Now i know how my mummy felt! Although I’m glad i did help her I know she appreciated it! I’d give anything to be able to help her now! (love you  miss you mum)

[Via http://fitforpinknelle.wordpress.com]

Weight Loss Program Round 2 Day 1

Today is Saturday, February 13, 2010. Valentine’s Day Eve. I am starting my weight loss program with Essential Health Hawaii today. I am so excited. The last time I lost about 20 pounds in 5 weeks and I’ve been able to keep off most of it. I gained back around four pounds, but this time I am serious. Although I think keeping the 15 pounds off was good, I want to be THIN!!!! I am determined to lose at least another 20 pounds. Brandy is so good. I love working with her. She said this time around, we are going to work on what keeps me addicted to sweets. We are going deep man! I love it!

This morning at 4:30am I weighed in at 150.5. I start my two loading up days. This is where I get to eat as much as i want! She wants to me load up on fats, calories and junk! Not sure how this fits into the program, I just know it works. Well, here goes. I am going to take my magic drops now and EAT! Stay tuned. Next week the pounds should start melting away as I do!

[Via http://veronicayamagata.wordpress.com]

Day 12, February 12th, 2010

So today, overall was a good day. Of course, the whining and complaining about waking up… but I went out today and bought more gourmet coffee creamer so now hopefully my mornings will be a little cheerier Today was supposed to be a day off, but I’m heading out of town this weekend so I’m going to be missing two days, so I’m just going to do 4 days on, then 2 days off. The only thing though is that my knees have been hurting… not sure if i’m doing something wrong or if it’s just the slate flooring I’m working out on, or just the fact that I’m actually getting off my ass to do something, lol.

EXCERCISE

So I burned 124 calories…. it would have been more, but about halfway through my exercises I was doing shoulder raises and sure enough my resistance  band snapped so I ended up double fisting myself in the face. Yep. That was awesome. One in the lip, the other on my cheek bone. My lip still hurts, but thankfully no cuts or bruises. So I was so pissed I did all my exercises half assed and skipped anything that used the resistance band. Ah well.

DIET

Missing my water today… only 1 glass so far… need to get on that….

100 cals     Grapefruit

560 cals     Mac N Cheese with Facon Bits

100 cals     Injera

200 cals    Home Made Chicken Fingers

278 cals   Home Made Fries

60 cals      Booze

20 cals      Two Sugar Free Red Bulls (*drools*)

TOTAL CALORIES FOR THE DAY:     1318

MEASUREMENTS

Well, so far so good! I weigh the same! 200 lbs.

[Via http://wiislim.wordpress.com]

Finding the house of my belonging, Part Deux

I seem to be changing my relationship to food. My awareness is shifting. Earlier this week, I wrote about feeding more. I am more conscious of the elements in my life—from my relationships, to my activities, to the written word and even my thoughts that all play a part in feeding me. All of these, I now accept, enter my body and mind, heart and spirit. (and, they are all choices!) I love the similarities of all the words normally associated with eating, (and with the mouth), that also apply to all of these parts of my life. These activities, experiences, all part of my life-style are also my life’s ‘diet’, content to digest! Does what I am doing or reading or producing feed me, does it nourish? How is it to digest? I even had a dream recently where a large stomached man with a mustache (irrelevant detail?) winked at me and said, “The heart is the true stomach.” Chew on that why don’t you?  

As a result, I am less attached to food as a source to fill me. (It may sound cliché, but this is the stuff of daily habits and on the surface, not easily ripe for change). Living from home for seven whole days during this snow storm has helped a lot. No stress or time lost with food storage, transport, reheating, which has been very stabilizing. I am conscious of simply filling myself with less food– a bowl of home cooked chicken soup for a meal, rather than whatever my notion of a full meal was before. Right now, I am eating anywhere from 120-300 calories per meal (400 with some indulgence). Now the import of this is not that I am doing it, the import of this is that I am doing it organically. That is, making this choice doesn’t feel like deprivation or delayed gratification. It actually feels as if feeding myself in other areas of my life is snapping or draining that feeling of deprivation inside and organically loosening up my ties to food. It feels peaceful, without conflicts or fears inside me about attaining external goals. I woke up this morning to find I have lost 6 pounds, almost 4 this week. (More of that, please!)

That does keep me motivated to remain conscious around eating, particularly eating less. Its as if my ‘unconscious’ eating is a mental construct rather than a biological construct. Its definitely about regaining awareness of it as a biological source of intake. Of course, this part of the approach applies to my particular life, because I have achieved the worst of modern comforts: a highly sedentary life. I am carrying more weight than is right for my body and doing all of this helps me while I cultivate a stronger habit of exercise. I am even beginning to get comfortable with just letting myself feel hungry for a little bit. I never ‘thought’ this was an option before and is rather exciting in its own way.

What is my other food these days? Meditating, and reading 2 David Whyte books: the House of My belonging and Three Marriages, and giving myself up to my love of words. Maybe even the possibility of giving myself up to pLaY.

[Via http://inlets.wordpress.com]

Be picky! 4 Simple food-selection tips

As a former cheese-fry eating contest champion and probable record holder for most Lafayette Coney orders in single week, I certainly know what bad food tastes like. I lived it, man. For example, I promise you the following Taco Bell drive-thru order actually took place in my younger days. I still have friends that bring it up as legend over beers back home…

“I’ll take a nachos bell grande please, no tomatoes, no onions, but extra cheese. And I mean extra. I’ll pay for double or triple extra or whatever you feel up to charging me. I want it gross, man. Have fun with it.”

I think I got fatter just remembering that order… haha! When the guy came to the window, he was laughing. You could tell he felt guilty handing it to me, he said something about not being able to tell what was below the cheese as my friends and I all stared in awe at the plastic trough in front of me.

And I’m sure I used whatever spork or foon they put in the bag to get every last drop of that cheese. That, my friends, is how Old Trau rolled.

But as this blog is evidence of, those days are far behind me. These days I wouldn’t even be comfortable if some of that cheese sauce touched my skin, much less made it into my digestive tract.

Since giving up my Old Trau ways, I’ve become keenly observant of the awful, horrible things the good people around me consume on a regular basis. Some of it is blatantly bad for them, some is masked in healthy-looking packaging.

One of the most crucial elements of a healthy body is a picky, skeptical sense of appetite. I’ve come across some solid, no-bullshit guidelines that I think are a good starting point to help the person a bit stymied  by all the “healthy” food out there make better choices.

Suspicious Package Rule:
If it comes in a box, wrapper, can or bag, be skeptical. Don’t immediately discard it, but processed, chemical-laden foods come in packages. That’s how they roll. And if it had a package, it has nutrition facts. Read up. Focus on the ingredients more than the percentages. Some great foods come in packages, so I will emphasize that the point is to be skeptical, not dismissive. Only dismiss once you’ve considered the following rules…

Dawn’s Classic “Rule of Thumb”
Now I don’t know if my friend Dawn invented this herself, but she introduced it to me, so it’s hers as far as I’m concerned. The rule: On any packaging that lists nutrition facts, if you can lay your thumb horizontally over the ingredients list and still read some of the ingredients, that’s a bad sign. Read the list now. Granted, it could be something like a trail mix where the long list of ingredients are all whole foods and totally welcome in your belly… but is there anything in there you can’t pronounce? Let’s move on to the third rule…

Pronunciation vs. Digestion rule
So you’re reading an ingredients list, everything looks good for the first three, then you get to some collection of nouns and vowels that resembles a word… You’ve just stumbled upon a chemical. A sweetener, a thickener, a preservative. Sure, the good people at Whatever Co. deemed it safe enough to go into a food product, but that doesn’t mean it’s good for you by a long shot. If you can’t pronounce it, who’s to say you can digest it?

Piece-by-piece rule
When you’re trying to cook up an alibi for the unpronounceable item in your packaged food, consider this: If all the ingredients in that list were separated and laid out on the counter in front of you, would you be comfortable taking an equal spoonful of each into your mouth? A heaping bite of partially hyrdogenated cottonseed oil perhaps? A shot of sodium pyrophosphate anyone? Hell no. If you wouldn’t eat it alone, or even stir it into a home-cooked recipe, don’t let those bastards at Whatever Co. slip it into your mouth either.

It takes a little practice to make all of these things habit, and maybe a bit more scrutiny than some folks can afford to devote to their diets. But for me, what I put into my mouth gets as much scrutiny — if not more — as anything I would be trying to put into any other orifice in my body.

So, how will you treat YOUR orifice today?

TRAU

[Via http://howtraudoesit.wordpress.com]

Does Swimming Work for Weight Loss

Make Swimming Work for Weight Loss

Swimming is an amazing cardiovascular exercise that involves the entire body. Unfortunately it does not seem to be an exercise that is effective for weight loss.

A lot of earlier research has shown that swimmers have less weight loss than runners or cyclists. Effective weight loss can only be achieved if the calories consumed are less than the calories burnt. It seems that this could also be the reason most swimmers do not get weight loss.

The Earliest Research

A lot of research has been carried out on the effectiveness of swimming for weight loss.

Some of the earliest research was done by Dr Grant Gwinup. His findings were presented in a paper entitled “Efficacy of different forms of aerobic exercise”

Dr Gwinup enlisted minimally to moderately obese women who wanted to lose weight. They were made to do the following 3 exercises;
- Brisk walking
- Stationary bicycle
- Swimming laps

All women slowly but progressively increased the time spent in daily exercise to 60 minutes. After 6 months , the women assigned to walking lost 10% of initial weight, the women who cycled lost 12%, but the women who swam lost no weight at all.

Swimmers Carry More Body Fat Than Runners

Jang published a paper in the Journal of Swimming Research in 1987 that consisted of college swimmers and runners. He stated that despite the exercise energy expenditure of the runners and swimmers being similar, the swimmers carried more body fat. Male runners averaged body fat of 7% as compared to male swimmers at 12%. Female runners averaged body fat of 15% as compared to female runners at 20%. One of the shortfalls of this study was that it depended on the participants to self-report food consumption. Research has shown that people under-estimate food consumption by up to 40% when self reporting.

Swimmers and Runners Have Similar Energy Expenditure During Training

It was also postulated that difference in hormonal patterns and fat oxidation mechanisms may explain the difference in fat levels in swimmers and runners. Flynn published the findings of his study in the International Journal of Sports Medicine.

Both the swimmers and runners showed no difference in total energy expenditure during training or recovery. There were some differences in substrate utilization and hormone levels. Flynn found that swimming resulted in lower blood glucose levels than running. There was apparently a greater reliance on carbohydrate as a fuel during swimming. Also, it was found that fat oxidation tended to be greater after swimming than running. Flynn concluded that  these differences were small and could not explain why swimmers have higher body fat levels.

The Effects of Swimming on Body Weight

Tanaka conducted a study in 1997, where one of the objectives was to investigate the effects of swimming on body weight. The training group swam at 60% of maximal heart rate reserve for 45 min per day for 3 days per week for 10 weeks. The control group remained sedentary. Tanaka did not find any substantial decrease in body fat.

“It is regrettable that swimming does not seem to be as effective as other exercise modes in reducing body mass or body fat since swimming would be an ideal exercise for obese individuals”, Tanaka said. Incidentally, Tanaka is conducting a further study to investigate the effects of swimming for body fat reduction and cardiovascular health improvements.

Swimmers Need Land Training to Trim Fat

Dr Louise Burke, head of Nutrition at the Australian Institute of Sports has quoted in his article as follows;

“Swimmers, especially female swimmers, face an energy balance conundrum. Elite swimmers typically undertake 4000-20,000 m per day in training, burning thousands of calories. However, the typical body fat levels of these athletes are significantly higher than runners or cyclists who spend similar or even smaller amounts of energy in their training. Many female swimmers have fought well-publicized battles with their body fat levels and with their coaches! They are generally prescribed “land training” (running or cycling) in addition to their many laps of the pool in the belief that it is a necessary treatment to produce lower skinfold levels”

Do Not Discount Swimming Yet

Swimming is still a fantastic exercise. It is very energy intensive and is extremely beneficial for weight loss. Watch out for Part 2 which elaborates further on how someone could actually make swimming work for exercise.

[Via http://correct-weight-loss.net]

Back in the Saddle Again

It’s been a long time…..  New year… New Job… and oh yeah,  new 8 pounds added to my body!!!!!  I added about three pounds over the holiday season and then in January, I started a new job… and there came the extra five pounds.  So now, I’m back in the saddle again.  I haven’t been in this position for quite a few years.  But here I am again.  Time to shed these ridiculous pounds!  As for the running.  I’m only getting in about 3 runs a week and they are all treadmill runs – definitely not my favorite.  So… here’s the plan.  Very simple, but not always easy to execute.  I can stick with the three runs a week until we are out of the snow season.  I think, no actual I know for a fact, that it has been my eating that has gotten me into trouble.  So now…. here are the rules by which I promise to live by…. and may I blow up completely if I break these rules: 1.)  Three meals a day and only three meals a day.  2.)  No more than a total of 12oo calories per day.  3.) In the words of a wise man, “Eat Food, Not Much, Mostly Plants.  I think that should sum it up pretty well.   I’m giving myself a deadline of exactly one month to shed these god-forsaken pounds.  So, that means that if today is February 10th.  I have until exactly March 10th (5 days before my43rd birthday) to be 8 pounds lighter.  The challenge is on…. maybe I’ll even be 10 pounds lighter by then…. why not?  And to keep myself honest, I think I’ll use this blog as a sort of tracker – posting my weight and any exercise done with every blog post.  So here goes…. today, I weighed in at 126 pounds.  No running today (major snow storm/blizzard instead), but I did 25 minutes of upper body strength training/weight lifting.  My eating was horrific today, but that should be the last time that I have to confess to that mistake.  As of this moment, I am back in the saddle…..

[Via http://runsinthecity.wordpress.com]

Lose Yourself: Cashing in on the rewards

LOST!

10lbs of baby weight

Fleshy, soft, covered in stretch-marked, caramel brown skin

Last seen lying low in back, thigh and abdominal area of muscular young mother

Answers to the aroma of baked goods

If found, DO NOT return to owner

**$75.00 cash reward**

It’s not uncommon to see a reward offered for the safe return of a lost item or loved one. But what about a reward offered for safely losing a not-so-loved-one? A reward for getting rid of baby weight sounds good to me!

When it comes to getting  in shape, I hardly lack motivation. I’m fired up just knowing what my body is capable of.  Every day I’m driven by the recollection of my pre-pregnancy self.  Still, I like the idea of a fun treat to mark my achievement. A little extra incentive can’t hurt, right?

My ultimate goal is to weigh 140 lbs max and fit into my size 28 jeans. That will take time.  By “expert” calculations, I shouldn’t count on sporting my old Mavis until early-mid summer. A season spent strutting  in my “skinny jeans” will be a prize in itself. Until then, there are smaller goals I can aim for along the way.

Fitness professionals suggest breaking long-term goals  into smaller chunks. They also suggest celebrating weight loss achievements with a non-food gift to yourself. Darn, scratch dinner at Chiado off the list. I would also add that the gift should be meaningful and enticing enough to keep you in pursuit.

So I’ve made a deal with myself. Upon reaching the half-way point, I will treat myself to a $75 mini shopping spree. Now I just have to determine what the half-way point is. When I started writing this, I set my target at 150 lbs (the mid-point between 160 and 140 pounds). Then I stepped on the scale at GoodLife. 166lbs. Okay, change of plans.

See, the scale doesn’t tell the whole story. It’s possible to make good progress without seeing a big change in weight. For instance, the fit of my clothes says I’ve definitely lost inches while the change room scale says I’ve gained pounds. Stupid scale. It’s muscle, I knoooww. The scale is still stupid!

Okay so here’s the new deal. It’s all about my  fitness assessment in April. I expect that assessment to reveal a few successes – lower heart rate, improved cardio, better body composition, smaller waist size, etc.  These are all important indicators of fitness level – just not the sexiest ones. Can’t say I’ve ever  faced the fitting room mirror and praised my awesome heart rate. In any case, if I hit any of the targets below, I collect on my shopping spree reward:

• 150 lbs
• 25% body fat (down from 35%)
• 32 waist circumference (down from 40)
• Comfortably and attractively fitting into my size 29 Twiggy jeans i.e. no muffin-topping and wearable waist-exposed in public

I haven’t decided how to spend my reward but there’s no shortage of options. Maternity leave has forced me to sacrifice a few fun luxuries along with my full-time salary. My esthetician or hair stylist might send a search party out to  find me any day now.

Maybe I’ll get a much needed mani & pedi. Or perhaps an update to my make-up case. A new mommy make-over would be great. I could also go for new workout wear. Oh, but lingerie might be better since I’ll probably be spending hubby’s money hee hee. Whatever I choose, it will definitely be something to look forward to.

So that’s that. More baby weight will be lost. And come April, I will find myself looking svelte, feeling accomplished, and relishing my special treat. Check out my 3-month assessment post to see how I do.

How do you reward yourself for a job well done…New shoes? Spa day? Day off?

[Via http://babiesbelliesandbarbells.wordpress.com]

Who needs the gym, when you have two feet of snow!?

It’s been a couple days since I updated, so I’ll just have to summarize the weekend.

We woke up on Saturday to two feet of snow!! It was unbelievable. Absolutely beautiful. Obviously, we couldn’t go anywhere. Roads weren’t plowed yet, a state of emergency had been called, and even if we could go anywhere nothing was open (nothing – groceries stores, drugstores, the Y, etc). All this would not have been so bad if only we had power! It went off sometime before 4am, and with such a big snowstorm, we had no idea when it was coming back on. It is really amazing how many things that I take for granted require electricity, including the foods we normally eat. No stove, oven, microwave, and I wanted to open fridge/freezer as little as possible. So all we had to eat were crackers, chips, salsa, candy, marshmallows, and high-calorie homemade sourdough bread. After eating a really early dinner on Friday, I woke up very hungry Saturday morning. Unfortunately I took this situation as license to eat basically whatever I wanted. That’s the not so good part. However, I did want to get some exercise, so I dug out one of cars – took a good 45 minutes of shoveling, worked lots of muscles, and burned some calories! Luckily our power was restored in the early afternoon!

Pic of snow near our house:

Sunday, I am happy that I worked out using exercise DVDs at home (Y isn’t open on Sun morning). Burned a lot of calories and had a decently intense workout. I did Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred for the first time. It really is a good 24 minute workout. And I was very sore from it today! I also did another video to get some extra cardio in. Unfortunately my resolve to make good food choices waned steadily throughout the day. By the time the superbowl party was ending, I dug into the cookies! Whoops! All told, my weekend was definitely high on the calorie side. And also very difficult to count since I ate at other people’s houses. I would guess 2500 or so calories Sat and Sun minus the exercise calories of course. So, bottom line, my calories for the week overall were probably a slight deficit, but not too much. Which brings me to the next topic:

This week’s weigh-in: -0.0, stayed exactly the same. Funny, worked out exactly as I thought it would. Unfortunately this week doesn’t look to be a stellar week calorie deficit wise. Leaving Thursday night to stay with a friend, so I won’t be able to work out Thurs, Fri, or Sat plus the food probably won’t be as healthy as if I were eating at home. However, I’m going to continue to do the best I can this week. I really would like just a slight lose, and then I can really pick up my intensity next week.

Which brings me to today. I did a killer bootcamp class at the Y. Once again, I made a fool of myself and couldn’t keep up, but I did burn some calories. And I’m liking trying all these new classes. I’m also getting a bit of weight-training which I never did on my own. I burned about 500 calories in 56 minutes. Most of the workout was cardio drills (Jump rope, jogging, sprinting, suicide drills, etc) followed by leg/arm combo moves with weights and a few stationary arm exercises. The last 10 minutes were ab work, and although my abs got a killer workout, ab work doesn’t really burn many calories. The heart rate is really low. Plus, with so much weight to lose, I won’t even be able to see muscle definition until I lose another 70-90 pounds.

Anyway, here’s todays stats:

[Via http://laurajane.wordpress.com]

How Do You Warm Up Before Exercising? This Article Will Tell You How

Nowadays it’s tough to fit exercise into our busy schedules. Some may be tempted thanks to not having a lot of time to skip warming up. This is NOT a sensible idea. Many injuries are caused by individuals pushing themselves too hard without warming up their muscles first. Without your warm up you may also be stiffer when exercising that will make it tough to exercise the subsequent day.

Warming up doesn’t have to eat up the time you allotted for exercise into your day. In reality, a good workout solely must be 5 minutes long to try and do its job. It doesn’t have to be tedious either you’ll mix up a range of great moves to make your warm up as fun as the rest of your exercising. Bear in mind that a sensible warm up gets all of your muscles moving, even if you don’t suppose that you just will be intensely working out a group of muscles on any particular day. Warming up is also vital no matter if you’re doing cardiovascular exercises or lifting weights. Essentially, any calisthenics that you propose to try and do should begin with a warm up.

The moves you are doing for a warm up shouldn’t necessarily be tough or make you break a sweat. The chief ambition of the warm up isn’t to become a part of your workout, but merely to slowly move muscles that you just haven’t really thought of all day to wake them up. Good moves, therefore, include things like jogging in place, doing jumping jacks, lunging, and jumping rope.

A sensible warm-up can also include slowly stretching your muscles in a variety of ways, although this is sometimes additionally effective for a cool-down. When you are doing stretch, make certain that you just don’t bounce into the stretch, but rather, just slowly stretch your muscles and don’t push it too hard. Also think about exercises that work on balance and form in order to prepare you for the exercises you may be doing in the workout.

If you’re extremely short on time, why not attempt warming up before you even get to the gym. Unhurriedly jog or power walk to the sports hall, park as far away as possible and lunge to the door, and take the stairs instead of the elevator. That way, when you get to the gym to workout your warm up routine is already half way done.

A sensible workout continuously varies in strength. You would like to keep your muscles working. This is the best way to lose weight and maintain your weight reduction. Begin with a warm up routine and after that get into the main exercise. Change up your exercise each few days this challenges you muscles and increases your muscle mass and helps you burn those additional calories.

Try out these blogs for up to date knowledge on healthy dieting and weight reduction: Healthy Diet Plan

and
Healthy Diet Plan

[Via http://blenheimj.wordpress.com]

The Single Most Important Nutritional Factor for Fat Loss

     Fat loss is probably the most common health and fitness goal today and there are so many different products and programs designed to make people lose fat that it is virtually impossible to keep track of them all. Having different options for achieving fat loss is important, because no single approach will work for everyone, although some fat loss strategies definitely work better than others.

     I hope this is obvious, but any good approach to long-term fat loss must involve making improvements in your nutrition and any product or program that promises fat loss without addressing nutritional issues is almost certainly a gimmick and a waste of money. The good news is there are many different fat loss programs that are effective. Interestingly, even though some of these programs involve very different eating habits, they often have some of the same fundamental strategies at their core.

     Some of the more popular nutritional strategies involve minimizing insulin level fluctuations, eating natural (unprocessed) foods, eating small meals throughout the day etc. The multitude of nutritional strategies and diets, along with the current obesity problem, has resulted in a lot of research being done to learn more about the process of fat loss. Many studies have compared various eating strategies to figure out which ones work better than others and analysis has been done to determine what nutritional factors are most strongly linked to fat loss.

     Of course, there are many factors that influence whether or not a fat loss program will be successful, but some things have been shown to be more important than others. One of the commonly studied factors is the percentage of calories consumed from fats, protein, and carbohydrates, otherwise known as the macronutrient profile. The macronutrient profile is one of the most obvious differences between nutritional programs or diets, with different programs focusing on things like minimizing carb intake, minimizing fat intake, having a balance between all three, etc.

     So many programs suggest that theirs is the best for fat loss because of the particular macronutrient profile of the foods, but it turns out this is not the most important part of a meal plan, at least from a fat loss standpoint. When it comes to weight and fat loss, the number of calories consumed is more important than what type of calories you are consuming. Of course, the type of calories you consume is very important for your overall health, but eating for health and eating for fat loss are not always the same thing.

     Even though the number of calories you consume is more important for weight and fat loss than the type of calories consumed, calorie consumption is still not the factor that is most strongly linked to fat loss. The single most important nutritional for fat loss is actually something called caloric density. Caloric density is a measure of how much a food weighs compared to how many calories are contained in that food. Simply stated, foods that weigh more and have fewer calories are better for fat loss than other foods.

     Researchers have found that the weight of the food you eat has more of an effect on how full or hungry you feel than the number of calories contained in the food. In other words, if two people with similar appetites each eat a pound of food, they should both feel equally full, even if one person ate twice as many calories as the other person. By eating foods that have fewer calories by weight, you will be able to minimize your feelings of hunger, which is one of the keys to long-term fat loss success.

     I should point out that while caloric density does not measure where the calories come from (fat, protein, carb), foods that have good caloric density scores usually have healthy characteristics. This is because many healthy components of food, such as water and fiber, have weight but do not add calories, so they will improve caloric density. On the other hand, foods that are very high in fat will have low caloric densities, because fat has more than twice the number of calories per weight than protein or carbs.

     By taking a look at the things that influence caloric density, we can see that while it does not directly measure calorie content or macronutrient profiles, the caloric density of a food is essentially a partial measure of both things. Another interesting thing is that many foods with the best caloric density scores are healthy vegetables, which are considered good foods to eat on virtually every type of nutritional program or diet.

     It is important to keep in mind that eating foods just based on their caloric density will not guarantee you will have a well balanced diet. You still need to include a certain amount of fat, particularly healthy fats (omega-3 oils), and quality protein if you want to achieve fat loss and good health. However, other things being similar, a person who eats foods with good caloric densities should lose more fat than a person who eats foods with poor caloric densities.

     Finally I want to point out that caloric density and nutrition in general is only one component to fat loss. The most successful programs always incorporate both nutrition and exercise. Following a nutrition program that focuses on eating a well-balanced combination of foods with good caloric densities should result in fat loss, but your results will be significantly better if you consistently include challenging workouts into your routine as well.

[Via http://austinpersonaltrainer.wordpress.com]

Wow! What a weekend

Wow! I can’t believe i forgot to write this whole weekend! I woke up Saturday and went straight to the gym knowing that I wouldn’t get another chance to go as I was going out Saturday night. I ate fairly healthily Saturday night but then drank copulous amounts of alcohol so that might have voided it!

Sunday I was still over the limit so couldn’t drive to the gym. I planned to do exercise at home but that didn’t happen so instead I had a lazy day. I think I missed the gym though… After going every day, I noticed not going… I also had an eat whatever I want day today and so I ate fairly unhealthily all day…

Tomorow I will make up for it though as I’m planning 2 gym visits in the day. My weight loss goal is to get down to 138kgs by Friday. Wish me luck!

[Via http://mynewhealthylife.wordpress.com]

Seven Weight Loss Tips For Beginners

Read on for seven weight loss tips you need to know

1. Set Goals

You need to have a reason to keep pushing when temptation arises or you simply don’t feel like doing it anymore. The goal/s need to be both physical and emotional. For example your physical goal may be to lose 20kg (44lbs)  but this isn’t strong enough to motivate you when you don’t feel like continuing. An emotional goal such as ‘to be able to play with the kids’ or ‘to enjoy life to its fullest’ will ensure you keep focused to achieve your ultimate weightloss goals.

2. Start Exercising

If you are a complete beginner, start with something light like 30 minute walks, 4 times/week and build from there. Don’t rush into exercising to quickly. Build up gradually to allow your body to recover and grow stronger.

3. Include Resistance Training

Resistance training is becoming increasingly popular among the general population and for good reason. It increases muscle mass which means your body burns more calories while at rest. It also improves insulin sensitivity which means less insulin is released by the body, resulting in less fat storage. Another benefit is its nutrient partitioning effects – put simply it means the foods you eat get put to use as energy for muscles rather than being stored as fat.

Benefits not limited to weightloss include reducing elevated blood pressure, preventing osteoporosis, strengthening the immune system and improving posture.

4. Take Control Of Your Diet

Nutrition can be very complex and the ‘ideal’ diet for each individual varies greatly due to differences in size, preferences, goals, age, activity levels and a host of other factors. Having said that there are a few key factors that are universal for all people who want to lose weight. The first is that you must burn more calories than you consume either through diet and/or exercise. Next you need to make sure that what you do eat covers all your nutritional requirements. This can normally be achieved by eating a variety of foods but in some cases supplements may be necessary. Finally, your diet needs to be enjoyable! Associating the words ‘diet’ and ‘enjoyable’ may seem odd but an enjoyable diet translates to a sustainable diet. And sustainability will mean you not only lose weight but keep it off.

5. Include Variety

This goes for your exercise and nutrition. Variety will prevent boredom and means you will continue on your quest to lose weight.

Adding variety to your exercise program is easy. You can change the exercises, rep ranges or even the type of exercising. Instead of running you could swim. You could replace cycling with a boxing class. Or start a sporting team with friends.

Including variety in your nutrition is a little more difficult. When replacing one food with another you need to make sure it still fits into your calorie and macronutrient goals. You also need to control the portion size. However, doing so will make sure your ‘diet’ doesn’t feel like a diet at all.

6. Continue to Learn

If you are reading this article then you are already putting this important step into action. It is can be very handy to continue learning about different ways to exercise and eat in order to lose weight. You don’t have to hit the books but simply talking to others in the gym who have achieved what you want to achieve may help.

(Note: I emphasise may help. There is a great deal of myths and mumbo jumbo out there so be careful when taking advice from someone who got their information from ‘a friend of a friend.’)

7. Consistency Is Key

Put the first 6 steps into action and then be consistent. The only way to continue to lose weight is to consistently do what needs to be done. For some of you there may be a fairly large amount of weight that you need to lose before you reach your goal. To do so you will need to be consistent. Don’t fall into the trap of TV and magazine commercials offering instant success with the latest ‘AB-pro’ or ‘jiggle machine.’ These types of advertisements are simply trying to take advantage of your deep desire to lose weight. Instead, find out what needs to be done and do it consistently. If you do I guarantee you will lose the weight.

Feel lost, disheartened and discouraged on your weight loss journey? Need help, guidance and motivation from a professional? Then check out www.slimdownshapeup.com for online personal training. Or if you live in the Hills District, Sydney enquire about mobile personal training today.

[Via http://slimdownshapeup.wordpress.com]

Law of Thermodynamics: Keep it Simple

I wanted my first post to be about obesity, because it was my personal struggle. I wanted to keep this very simple and short because there is no magic pill for weight loss. All diets, nutrition plans, trips to McDonald’s and Subway sandwiches apply to the Law of Thermodynamics.

Law of Thermodynamics: Weight reduction can only take place when there is more energy burned than consumed.

You will not lose weight if consume more calories than you burn. There are a number of ways to increase the “energy burned” that I will discuss in later posts. All of them require that you eat healthy foods and exercise. Women should never consume less than 1200 calories and men should never consume less than 1600 calories. Your body has to have these calories to function properly. There is no reason to buy supplements, diet pills, etc. God has created EVERYTHING you need in nature. Do not over complicate the process. Drink a minimum of 96 ounces/3 Quarts of Water and consume fewer calories than you burn to lose weight. Through God’s love he has provided everything you need to stay healthy. Are you willing to embrace it?

[Via http://christianathlete.wordpress.com]

Biggest Loser or Big Loser?

6 weeks of working out=6 pounds lost. 

I’ve eaten yogurt and granola when I wanted cinnamon crunch bagels and cream cheese.

I’ve eaten turkey wraps and vegetable soup when I wanted a cheeseburger and french fries.

I’ve drank loads of water when I wanted loads of coffee.

I’ve gotten up at 5 a.m. to exercise with the Wii version of Bob Harper when I wanted to cuddle up to my husband and sleep.

I’ve done all the right things but I have 6 pounds and bags under my eyes to show for it. 

I’ve fallen off the wagon this week. Increased work responsibilities and a sick child derailed working out and quite frankly, I don’t care.  I’m tired of it. 

Do you get like that?  Results don’t happen as quickly as you want?  A couple of set backs make you want to quit?

What do you do to stay motivated?  Have you quit?

[Via http://reclinerreflections.wordpress.com]

Shovel out of Winter Weight Gain!

Keeping you from your fitness goals are a series of obstacles which pile up like the amount of snow this winter. Thanksgiving and all the big winter holidays are gone.  Snow-storms after snow-storm and torrential rainfalls have hit many U.S. states. Frigid temperatures don’t inspire walking  to the car much less driving in bad weather to get to the gym.  While at home experiencing the winter blues,  comfort comes in the form of various carbs.   After awhile the comfort food begins to make you uncomfortable with your body when the results are a donut around the waist. As surely as it takes time to shovel your car out of the accumulation, shoveling out of the weight gain mess takes time and can be achieved. Clear the road to weight loss success with small steps.

• Make your liquids non caloric whether tea, water or diet soda.
• Low-fat Desserts: Yogurt pie, fruit parfait, and smoothies are great options(add your cultural flair with mango, kiwi, lime, etc)
• Stock up on Exercise DVD’s.  Have a variety to avoid boredom
• Wii fit games like boxing
• Weight train at home.  Make those arms look gorgeous.
• Soup is a great comfort food.  Avoid high sodium soup and make homemade.
• Stock up on snacks such as carrots, celery, jicama, nuts and fruits. 

Weight Watchers Strawberry Trifle

• Need the taste of cake: Angel food is lighter.  Use a light whip cream and strawberries.
• Don’t forget 1 hour of snow shoveling can burn off at least 400 calories!

Click Here to visit:  Healthy Living Section

Click Trifle Recipe

Article by Crystal A. Johnson

[Via http://multiculturalcookingnetwork.wordpress.com]

National Wear Red Day!

“The sweet spot = when your personal and professional worlds not only intersect, but exist symbiotically.”

This has become my mantra lately, and it’s even scrawled on my Facebook page.

At work recently, I’ve been able to combine my off-the-clock passions for healthy living and social media as I’ve become involved in our work for the American Heart Association.

You might recall a few weeks ago I did a post about American Heart Month.

And if you become a fan of the American Heart Association on Facebook (or follow AHA on Twitter @American_Heart), I’m the “voice” communicating with you, also known as a “community manager.”

Well, tomorrow is National Wear Red Day! And since I know I have a captive audience of (mostly) women here who are likely concerned about their own heart-health (and overall health) I thought I’d use this “reach” for a good cause today.

Too many women die each year because they are unaware that heart disease is their No. 1 killer. So if you’re on Facebook, please make your profile picture red and Speak Up for women’s heart health.  You can learn about the cause here. And if you have a blog, would you consider linking to this post, or doing a post about women’s heart health?! Thank you for all your support!

Let’s Go Red For Women! We’re worth it!

[Via http://talesofadisorderedeater.org]