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With apologies to Frankie: Regrets, I've had a few; But then again, too few to mention. I did what I had to do And saw it through without exemption. I planned each charted course; Each careful step along the byway, But more, much more than this, I did it my way. Yep, I did Fit Club, but I did it my way. I didn't do it to lose weight (although I lost a few pounds). I didn't do it to please anybody else. I did it just for me as a lifestyle change. And it worked. It is now automatic that I make those healthy choices Sandi asked for each week. I no longer look for the closest parking space (unless I'm really, REALLY in a hurry). I bought a set of hand weights - and yes, I'm using them! If I feel the urge to snack I ask myself "are you really hungry, or just bored?" Hey, so what if I get strange looks for talking to myself? It's a question that needs to be asked! I won't go to lunch until I've walked at least 2,000 steps. Fit Club got me started, having...
One of the aspects of the Fit Club is making healthy choices. Taco Bell has made it easier for you to "choose wisely" (doesn't that always make you think of the Indiana Jones Pepsi Commercial with the Templar knight...but I digress). Check out the new Fresco menu from Taco Bell: http://www.tacobell.com/fresco/ You'll find nine great choices, all under 350 calories and all with 8 grams of fat or less. Some are as low as 150 calories. And, most importantly, they taste GREAT! Tender meat, fresh lettuce, zesty pico de gallo. Yum! Now, if you want to try out a few regular menu choices, and see how they work out, you can go here for the Taco Bell Nutrition Calculator. Plug in what you're thinking of having and you can compare it with various options. For example, let's say you decide to get the regular Chicken Ranchero taco. That's 270 calories and 14 grams of fat. Leave off the spicy avocado dressing? You've just dropped 80 calories and 8 grams of fat! Have...
Ha, ha, thought you got rid of me with the original SFC? No such luck!! So long as there is fitness to be had, I'll be there. (Man, am I lame or what!) Okay, let's be serious now folks; fitness is a serious matter for everyone. I've made it through the first week of the "new and improved" SFC2 and I'm on a roll. What's different this time than last? Well, first of all, I found I have gotten past my turning to "comfort foods" when I get upset or stressed. And this was a banner week for that. We implemented a new student system for the school district and it's time for mid-term progress reports and we are finding a LOT of problems. But, I seem to have finally gotten myself in the right frame of mind to deal with it without hitting the ice cream and cookies. How? Well, even though I don't have the whole weight thing straightened out yet, it seems good habits are paying off. I would much rather work the stress out, than binge it away. Exercise...
The new weight loss pill Alli is now available at your local Walgreens and other pharmacies. Is it worth it? What are the side effects? How much does it cost? This information is courtesy of Dr. Donald Hensrud at Mayoclinic.com Is Alli the solution to your weight-loss woes? A Mayo Clinic specialist discusses the effectiveness of Alli, an over-the-counter weight-loss pill. Donald Hensrud, M.D. Another drug is available soon to aid your weight-loss efforts, but this time you don't need a prescription. Alli (pronounced AL-eye) is meant for overweight adults who are struggling to shed excess pounds. With its easy access and weight-loss promises, is Alli your answer to losing weight permanently? Here, Donald Hensrud, M.D., a preventive medicine and nutrition specialist at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., answers common questions about Alli. What is Alli? Alli is the reduced-strength version of orlistat (Xenical), a prescription drug to treat obesity. It's approved for over-the-counter...
Want a good workout? Do some yard work! Mow the lawn, weed the garden, trim some bushes. Not only are you burning tons of calories, you are out in the fresh air and sunshine. And when you're finished what do you have? A nice looking yard and the satisfaction that your workout actually accomplished something. How's that for a bonus? Now, I don't have acreage - my yard is 42' x 210', but it involves not only mowing, but lots of trimming. Gotta love that Weed Whacker! And we've had some really good growing weather so not only the plants, but the weeds have shot up like crazy. When I was done with that, I planted a few perennials and spread some mulch. The great thing about owning a piece of property when you're trying to get yourself in shape is that it provides LOTS of opportunity for you to do so. If you're not mowing, you're raking or shoveling - or cleaning, painting, repairing....you get the picture. What if you AREN'T doing this as a workout?...
While preparing for tomorrow's semi-final round, I have been listening (excessively, I fear) to my POTC soundtracks. Now, I haven't picked up the new one yet, but I did make a great re discovery on my POTC: Dead Man's Chest soundtrack. Track 12 - He's A Pirate - Tiesto Remix is just over 7:00 minutes long. And it is a wonderfully, energetic, upbeat, driving version of the song. And in 7 minutes, you can certainly get your heart rate up to your goal rate. What a great start to a workout. Now, my CD happens to be from Best Buy, so the Tiesto Remix is followed by two Best Buy Exclusive Bonus tracks - the Pete n' Red's Jolly Roger Radio Edit and He's A Pirate - Chris Joss Ship Ahoy Tribal Mix. Together that adds up to 20 minutes of pulse-pounding, body-moving sound. Of course, there isn't much on either of the CDs that wouldn't serve you well for a workout, with its edgy beat and strong bass, it's built on the one-two-three-four that seems to find its way into just about every successful workout...
Okay, I know this may seem like a weird post for someone participating in the Fit Club, but stay with me on this. I started this out by getting on the scale every day, sometimes several times per day. I was completely obsessed with the " numbers". Then came the day when I was running late (yeah, okay, never heard the alarm go off) and I had to just get ready and head out the door for work. It was also the morning that my pants fit. Not just fit better, but FIT. Wow, I was so excited. I couldn't wait to get home at lunch time and get on the scale and see how much I had miraculously lost overnight. I didn't eat or drink anything all morning. Came home, got on the scale, BAM! It said I had actually GAINED a pound. What?!?! I picked it up, shook it, got on again. Same thing. Moved it around the bathroom to find a "better spot" to weigh myself. Nope, still up a pound. Stupid scale. What the heck? I was terribly disappointed. I just couldn't believe it. How could that be? How could I have gained...
When I first heard about Fit Club, I thought "Great, I want - no, NEED - to lose weight. This is perfect. I want to get down to 140 lbs." And then I started really thinking about it. I weighed 215 at the time, that would be a 75 lb. weight loss. Oh, man, 75 lbs? And suddenly it was overwhelming. So, I thought about it some more. Sure, I'd love to get back to 140 lbs. I'd love to get back to the 120 lbs I was back in 1990, for that matter. But it took me years of bad habits to get where I am today. How in the world did I think I could lose it in a few months. I kept thinking about that little tag line at the bottom of the Nutrisystem commercials "Results not typical". And that's exactly how I needed to look a things. I needed to set attainable, realistic goals. One that I could reach - not necessarily easily - with some good lifestyle changes. My first goal became breaking the 200 barrier. I remember how depressed I was when I passed it going the other way (and I was pregnant at the time...
I was ravenously hungry yesterday, and wanted something special. But not salty snacks or sweets. What I wanted more than anything was a big bowl of vegetable soup. Since I have an hour for lunch, which allows me to go home and let the dog out each day, and since they built a new grocery store just blocks from my home, I decided to see what I could do about that craving - one that a month ago would have been for something totally different, not a healthy lunch like soup. So, into the store, grab a head of cabbage, zip around to the soup aisle and buy some Orrington Vegetable Soup base (awesome stuff, by the way - and it's low cal/low fat, too) and home I went. Water into the pot, soup base in, chop up the cabbage and add some of my dried vegetable mix I get at the Spice House. It has carrots, onions, tomatoes, parsley, etc, etc. The house smelled wonderful as it cooked. When it was done, into a mug and back to work. It kept me going all afternoon. Then came dinner time. Since it was Monday...
Hershey's makes a wonderful product (yeah chocolate, DUH!) that is the perfect moment for me in my new "eating healthier" lifestyle. They're called Hershey's Sticks and I am particularly partial to the Rich Dark Chocolate flavor. Mmmmmmm. Not only are these tasty Hershey's chocolate, they are sized so there are only 60 calories per stick and being dark chocolate, they are a natural source of flavanol antioxidants. Studies show that dark chocolate can lower your blood pressure by an average of 5 points systolic, 3 points diastolic. And, as you know a study in the Journal of American Medical Association (Nov. 10, 2004) found that Norvasc (amlopidine) and Vasotec (enalapril) - two of the more popular anti-hypertensives, lowered systolic by 5 points and diastolic by 2.5 points. And this is Hershey's chocolate, so it is not only tasty, it's less expensive! I keep my box in the freezer, so it has a nice crunch when I bite into it, then I let it slowly melt in my mouth. As it says on the box...
I decided to try something new. We've all seen the vitamin-enhanced or caffeine-enhanced waters. Now, Coke gets into it, too. They've come out with Diet Coke Plus. Plus what you ask? Plus vitamins and minerals.
I felt so guilty today. I was really good until we had our scout outing tonight. Just a fun night at the arcade - with pizza. I wasn't going to have any. I was going to be really, really good. Just a bite, maybe. Well, just one piece. Oh, what the heck, two pieces. Two hours later, when I came home, I just had to try a piece of the chicken I had made before I left. Caribbean jerk marinated. MMMMMMMM. Then, I figured, I'd already blown it, so I added a cookie. When I went in to log everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING, I found I had made it with six calories to spare! It seems that I have gotten much better at being good. So much so that if I stray one day, I haven't totally derailed myself. The result? I am even more motivated to be extra good tomorrow.
Today I raked, mulched, weeded and planted. All in all, I spent two hours AT LEAST out in the yard getting old leaves out, cedar mulch down, bulbs in and seeds planted for cold weather crops. I put in radishes (both Sparkler and oriental), sugar snap peas, two types of leaf lettuce, half-long carrots and scallions. In about a month, I'll be eating radishes. About two weeks after that, I'll be having the first lettuce. That is, assuming, I am able to keep the rabbits and squirrels (grrrrrrrrr) from eating everything as it comes up. But, for right now, I got a really good workout, plus the satisfaction of a job well done. Just 30 minutes of gardening burns 216 calories. Thirty minutes of raking? 192 calories. I love gardening and working outdoors. When I was finished, I felt great!
Okay, so I don't have the most awesome exercise equipment. But, I found you can still get a great workout with a little improvisation. I decided to do some stair steps. I wanted to do something to 'kick it up a notch', so I grabbed to cans of tomato soup - just the right size to hold onto. To the basement stairs! (Not quite as cool as "To the Bat Cave!" but hey...) I started out with 50 reps. Left up, right up, left down, right down. Swinging my arms and counting it out at the briskest pace I could manage. When I finished, I had to literally crawl up the stairs. I added 5 the next day, and 5 again yesterday. I'm going to keep adding 5 at a time until I can do this for a full 30 minutes. I'm also doing something I've always called "black cats". Down on all fours, arch your back as you bring your right knee to your chest, then extend it all the way back. Repeat till you're ready to collapse, then onto the other side. Of course, the point of collapse comes REALLY quickly when you are first...
Photos will be up later, but here's how the weigh-in went this morning: Go in the bathroom, lock the door, get out the scale. Move the scale, unlock the door, go get the camera. Back to the bathroom and lock the door again. Get on the scale, focus the camera. Sigh, turn off the camera, unlock the door, go get some socks! Back to the bathroom for a third time. Get on the scale, turn on and focus the camera. HANG ON, I'll be right out!!! Turn off the camera, unlock the door. Glare at my son as he heads into the bathroom. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Knock on the bathroom door. "Sometime today, please!". Okay, back in the bathroom again, lock the door. Get out the scale he put away. Has to be the only thing the kid has put away the whole year. Get on the scale. Crap, where's the camera?! Oh, never mind. Focus the camera. Dang, that can't be right. Off the scale, reset it to zero since some very funny person set it to 12 pounds. Back on the scale, focus the camera again. Wow, 209? Really? Totally...
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