Gobble Gobble

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is probably one of The Skinny's worst enemies, right? A day centered around stuffing your face silly is not really conducive to healthy eating habits. However, here is my tip for today: enjoy it!

Now you may be saying "wait a minute...did she just say go ahead and have whatever I want?" and the answer is YES! Eat whatever you would like today because celebrating a holiday doesn't come but once each year...but there is a catch! Only enjoy one, maybe two, bites of each thing you are indulging in; this way you don't deprive yourself and drive your mind crazy, but you also don't stuff yourself and make your body crazy either. Just take the time to really savor one or two bites...then fill up with your normal, good, healthy foods. And if you start your meal by downing a big glass of water, then you will feel fuller to begin with and desire even less of those yummy holiday goodies- I promise one or two bites of each will be plenty!

Be thankful for your body and treat it well today...it is always doing so much for you! Good luck!

Scared of dieting? Take a little liquid courage!

Hahaha...I am so funny. I know that "liquid courage" usually references liquor, but I am not talking about alcohol! Not at all...and quite frankly it amazes me that so many people insist on drinking when we have medical evidence that it isn't good for the body- smoking too!

Anywho, on to the real post. Last week my insides were not working properly...my doctor recommended that I stay on a clear liquid diet for 48 hours to flush out anything that might be stuck in the kinks of the intestines that the baby is squishing. I was not happy about this- who really wants to give up food for gatorade and jello? So I put it off, hoping that it would clear up on its own. After 5 days of feeling not quite right, I caved. 48 hours and a whole bunch of empty bottles later, I feel great! :)

Now, I am not recommending that everyone get on a clear liquid diet (unless recommended by your doctor) but I am encouraging everyone to step up their liquid intake this week. I was so sure I was going to be starving living off chicken broth and mr. freeze popcicles (especially since I am eating for 1.2 now*) but to tell you the absolute truth would be that I wasn't that hungry at all! Sure food looked good and smelled good and was appealing when I was cooking for my hubby or at the grocery store, but my body wasn't crying out to me to give it food.

Scientifically we know that drinking water can curb your appetite, and I am here to tell you that it really does work! So this week make sure you carry a water bottle with you at all times and force yourself to drink up! I bet you will feel so full that you will pass on ordinary snacks that may not be good for you or simply eat smaller portions. Just make sure you listen to your body, not your mind!

Oh and kudos to Katie and Kathy for fitting into their "regular" size of pants! I was so encouraged when I read their posts about how excited they are to fit into size 8's and 10's...because it reminded me that just because I can't button up my size 4 jeans anymore, I am not a whale! It is all about perspective! We are all different and have different "normals" and it is so fantastic to see women excited about and celebrating feeling good and healthy instead of just focusing on numbers. I applaud their efforts and am already getting excited about losing my own baby weight in 6 months!

*Sorry ladies; you can't really "eat for 2" when you are pregnant. You really only need about 300 extra calories per day, which isn't very much at all. So instead of thinking about "eating for 2", think about "eating for 1.2" which is way more accurate!*

Cross-training with Pilates

I was so glad to hear that Kathy is becoming a runner. One of the best things about her training schedule is that it calls for cross-training. And we all remember last week when Katie was asking about what to do for her abs. Well, here is my solution to both our skinny ladies: the Pilates for Life DVD series! I check out the 20-minute abs and waist workout from the library and renew it as many times as I can. When all those weeks have gone by, I return it and check it out again. I practically own it for free!

Here are some reasons why I love it and you will too:

• The instructor lady Amy Brown has a fun Canadian accent.
• The whole workout is seriously only 20 minutes (warm-up and cool-down included).
• You don't get all dripping with sweat, but you still feel the difference.
• You tone your muscles without adding bulk.
• Pilates improves more than just the area you are working on. I particularly love how it improves my posture which greatly benefits my running.
• It has beginner and intermediate level workouts on the same DVD. The more you do it, the better you get and the more challenging it becomes so you constantly improve.
• And for practicality's sake, it is affordable (when you check it out from the library) as well as convenient to do when you have just a little time to squeeze it in.

So, check out your local library's selection of pilates DVD's. I have tried a few others that I enjoyed but they had longer workouts. Still, they are worth mentioning. I really like Precision Pilates with Jennifer Kries. Her workouts are 30 minutes and she combines dance, pilates, and yoga. I have also tried Pilates On The Go with Maria Leone. That was more intense and workouts lasted about 45 minutes. I only did that one once or twice because it was a real challenge. It wasn't as fun, but it did give results. It just depends on what you are looking for in a workout.

I'd love to hear if any of you try these out! Also, please share with us other DVD workouts you like!

There Is a Reason Why "Run" Rhymes With "Fun"

Hooray! Today I registered for the 27th Best Dam Run and Walk 10K. My sister registered for it a few days ago. This is her first race and we are training together. Now we will officially be running it together! I'm really excited to share this experience with her. Doesn't that sound fun? There is no better way to enjoy running than to do a race with someone. Or is there?...

Today I have a training tip that is intended for running but can be applied to any workout plan. An article on Active.com suggests, "Each day, let your training plan have one vote for the kind of run you do and let your body--your feelings of fatigue and readiness, enjoyment, confidence, and comfort--have two votes." This is talking about your mind-body connection. While it's great to have a plan set out, leave room for adjustments that your body demands. For example, I donated blood last Monday, so I took it easier on my training run Tuesday morning. The more you pay attention to your body, the better you will know when you can push it and when you should hold back. This is one thing that top athletes master, and you can too! It leads to more enjoyment as well as more accomplishment, which leads to even more enjoyment. It's an upward cycle. Enticing, right? If you want to read the rest of the article, click HERE. Otherwise, enjoy your workout, whatever it may be!

Kathy Week 27: I'm in love!!

Kathy's Week 27 Stats:

Today's Weight: 139

Last Week's Weight: 140

Starting Weight: 151

Total Weight Loss: 12 pounds

What a change in my eating and exercising this week! I'm in love...

...with my iPod touch!

Last week I was discouraged about my weight re-gain, and I promised to use the the mypyramid.gov website to record my eating. That lasted for one day. Something about that site is way too complicated for me. 

But then I got to thinking about my iPod touch. I bought it several weeks ago so that my husband and I could coordinate our calendars more easily. I've only gradually been learning to use some of the other apps that are available. I did a little research, and discovered that there was an app for tracking eating and exercise, and it came with great reviews!  And it was free!! Love that price.

If you're starting to tune me out because you don't have an iPhone or and iPod touch, stay with me, because the same program is available free to anyone on line!! It's called myfitnesspal.com, and it's a wonderful website.

I've been using myfitnesspal.com to record every mouthful this week. I love it because it has a huge database of foods, both generic and brand names, so I can type in what I'm eating and it comes up with the nutrition information. I can add my own foods if I want to. It remembers all of it, and when I go to add a food, it brings up the foods I eat most often automatically, which makes it quick and simple.

Back in January, I set a daily calorie goal for myself of 1600 calories per day. The myfitnesspal.com website recommends that a woman of my height and age eat 1200 calories per day to lose weight. Bummer. :( 

But then I realized that I can record my exercise, and it gives me more calories to eat, depending on how much I've exercised. Cool! :)

Guess what? I've been exercising more. Hahaha...I do love to eat. :)

So I started some great exercises from a little booklet that came when I subscribed to Prevention magazine. I'm still going to Curves 3 mornings a week, but in addition to that, I'm doing some moves like these. So far I've been using 5 and 10 pound weights, but next week I go up to 15 pounds on one of the days. Yikes! 

This is a lunge with 10-pound weights.

Here's a chest press with 10-pound weights.

We already had two 5-pound weights, and one 10-pound weight. Starting this exercise regimen meant buying three more weights (one 10-pound, and two 15-pound), but that was half the cost of our yoga classes, which we miss very much now that it's summertime. Can't wait to begin yoga again in the fall.

Here's a core exercise called the Hover. 

If you're interested in doing this Prevention program, just email me at haynieoregon@gmail.com with your mailing address, and I'll send you a copy of the pages from my booklet. I looked for the program on the Prevention website, but I couldn't find it. :(

I really like the way the exercise program is set up - it has strength and cardio training for a 28-day program, with a slightly different workout each day, to keep the metabolism revved. It's not complicated, but it's really making me work! My muscles are sore!

Oh, and one last thing about myfitnesspal.com: in the tools section, it has a cool "ticker" which you can customize and add to your own blog, facebook page, etc. Check out mine on my personal blog.

Have a safe and happy holiday weekend (if you're in the U.S.) and let me know how you're doing with your fitness and health goals!

Aye Aye Aye!

So I promise that I haven't forgotten about you Skinny readers...I really have just forgotten that it was Thursday for the past couple of weeks! And then I remember on Friday and I don't want to take up Frugal Friday's room to post- I am sorry!

I guess it is only too appropriate though- I have not been feeling 100% lately and thus my exercise and nutrition goals have kind of gone out the window...nuts. It is far too hot here and my runs are getting more and more difficult, but I am still slowly trucking on. One thing that has really helped me lately (I know this isn't new to most people but I hadn't made myself do it yet) was eating protein in my breakfast. Too often I am satisfied with a bowl of Fruity Pebbles or an applesauce for my morning meal...and then I wonder why I feel sluggish in the mornings!?!?!

So my challenge to you is to try and include protein in your breakfast this upcoming week and see if it makes a difference for you- do you have more energy? Are your workouts easier? Are you just plain nicer than normal in the morning hours? Try some protein and see what happens...

And I PROMISE that next Thursday I am going to have a really great post!

Fuel For Race Day

My half marathon is this Saturday and fueling is on my mind. Carb-loading can be complicated and controversial, but I like to keep it simple. The basic concept is to store up glycogen (an easily-accessed fuel) by increasing carbohydrate/starch intake and decreasing activity. This allows you to have energy as well as hydration because the carbs store water. Here are some carb-loading and nutrition tips from Runner's World magazines and experienced running friends of mine.

• Carb-load for the week leading up to a marathon, three days leading up to a half marathon. There is a lot of debate over carb-loading for shorter distances. I say, there's no harm in trying it out.
• Get your carbs from a variety of sources: grains, dairy, fruits & veggies, and legumes. Everybody thinks of pasta, but potatoes are even better on the glycemic index.
• The last 2-3 days of carb-loading, 70% of your caloric intake should be carbs. Adjust (decrease) fat intake to allow this.
• Don't worry about gaining water weight while carb-loading because it will help more than it hurts you. Keep drinking that water.
• Favorite carb-loading foods: bagels (Thomas' whole wheat), apples, granola bars, oatmeal with raisins and cinnamon, carrots, fruit juice, and my personal favorite... french fries.
• No matter what, eat something for breakfast the day of the race. I like a banana and a bowl of raisin bran cereal. Plus a half of a whole wheat bagel if the race start time is a couple hours away.
• Rest the day before the race.
• Along with great food, be sure to get great sleep the week before the race.

I noticed a remarkable difference in my running when I carb-loaded for my marathon. My marathon felt a million times better than my 20-mile training run and I attribute it wholly to how I was fueling my body. I plan to carb-load this week starting Wednesday. Tomorrow I run 5 miles, then just two or three on Thursday. Carb-loading is exciting for me because it is the only time I am really strict with my food. I know it works. It prepares me and gets me excited for the race.

Do you have any experiences with carb-loading? Have you noticed a difference in your workouts as you change your eating habits? What foods have helped or hindered you in your exercising?

Making a list, checking it twice...

No, it is not Christmas. However one of my favorite things to do is check things off a list...I make lists for everything! I decided to capitalize on this and use this new format instead of trying to make myself write down things I eat in a food journal...which, while is a good idea and works for some people, it is like pulling teeth for me- I just hate it and can't make myself do it!

So I made this handy little chart for myself- some of the categories have more blocks than they really should, but it is so I aim high in those areas (yes, I know my own weaknesses very well!) Basically I check off a block for every serving of food I eat in the appropriate category. At the end of the week I give myself an overall grade in each category (just however I felt I did in each area, A to F...it is just a random, arbitrary grade) and then make a goal to raise my grade in at least one area the next week.

Click HERE to view the GoogleDocs Spreadsheet

For some reason this really works for me- it motivates me to get more fruits and veggies and water into my day and limit my snacks, candy, and dessert. I hang it on my fridge with a pen attached so it is really accessible. Maybe it will help some of you...try it out!

Have a great day!

Are you one of the 28% of Americans that (supposedly) floss daily?

Flossing is oh so important- not only to the health of your teeth, but to your overall health as well. Many diseases start in the mouth as the mouth is the gateway to the body. It is the only part of the body that is involved in food ingestion, digestion, breathing, speaking...and is the only soft tissue of the internal body that is constantly exposed to the outside world.

Your gums are loaded with bacteria- some good and some bad. Flossing each and every day will keep the good bacteria while getting rid of the bad bacteria. If your teeth are not flossed, even if they are brushed, bacteria can cause serious problems.

Not flossing can result in inflammatory disease throughout your body- studies have found links between not flossing and cardivascular disease (bacteria enters the bloodstream through infected gums and can cause heart disease, clogged arteries, stroke, and more), respiratory disease (bacteria in mouth can travel and settle in the lungs when you breathe), and even premature births (women with severe bacteria and inflammation in their mouth are more likely to give birth prematurely).

I know it can be hard to start, but after hearing a friend that was a dentist say that if you could only do one thing- brush or floss- he would tell people to floss, my husband and I decided to go for it. It has been over a year now and we hardly miss a day...it has just become part of our routine to go to bed!

So suck it up and try it out this week; the benefits may not be as visible as some other exercises, but your health will improve nonetheless!

Challenge: Try to floss at least 5 times this upcoming week!

Tri/Biathlon update: It is this weekend! Wish me luck on Saturday and stay tuned for pictures! :)

ACV

In the past week or two I feel like I've transitioned from cute pregnant to just massive...and it's a bit exhausting to think that I'll keep growing for six or seven (+) more weeks. My weight gain has been normal--nothing too crazy, but I am getting a bit chubbier everywhere and I know that it's not going to disappear when little baby is born.

I'm hoping that healthy eating and lots of walking will eventually get me back to normal, but I've also been reading about the benefits of apple cider vinegar in one of my classes and I'm looking forward to experimenting with it. Apparently, ACV works wonders with gout, diabetes, warts, reflux, and is great for weight loss (oh, and a really good shiny hair rinse).

Nobody really knows how the magic happens, but it's thought that the "nutrients, enzymes, and organic acids in apple cider vinegar cause weight reduction by acting as an appetite suppressant, by increasing your body's metabolic rate, by reducing water retention, and by helping you maintain a feeling of well being." (source)

It's important that the vinegar you use contains "the mother" (cloudy stuff at the bottom of the bottle)--most health food stores carry the Bragg brand or another good one. This shows that it's unfiltered an unpasteurized and that all of the enzymes are still alive.

It's generally recommended to take 1-2 teaspoons of ACV in a glass of water before each meal, with or without a teaspoon or two of raw honey to make it more palatable. You can also add it to fruit or vegetable juice.

It seems like such an easy little thing...what is there to lose (I'm refraining from the corny joke here)? And if it doesn't work, I can always pour it on my hair, use it as a facial toner, wash my faucets with it, etc etc.

It'll be a few months until I try it, but please do go out and buy a bottle and report your experience. I am so curious.

PS: One of the great things about ACV is that it's totally natural and completely full of goodness. It wouldn't be harmful for me to take now, but I don't really want to be messing with my natural appetite at a time like this... anyway, yeah--try it!

Runner's Forum

Do you wish you knew more about running? Do you have this itching desire to try something truly challenging for your mind and body--like running a marathon? Do you have questions about training, racing, or running in general?

     This is the perfect place to ask your questions. Two weeks ago I opened up to questions and two brave souls asked away. Here is the first of what will hopefully be many Runner's Forums here on The Skinny. Please leave your questions in the comments section and be assured that you are doing a huge favor for all the other people who have the same question but are too afraid to ask it.

Q: Kathy asked about tips for "rank beginners." Her concerns are that she feels awkward while running and tires easily. She also asked what kinds of goals are good for beginners.

 

A: These are great questions for someone who is just getting interested in running. So first I applaud Kathy for trying something new and for not being afraid to ask for help. Kathy, you are a star! As for feeling awkward while running, I think that will fade away as you run more. It seems that Mark is probably already helping you a lot with that by showing you some form. Tiring easily is common for new runners. That is why the best way to start running is by alternating walking and running like you have been. A great beginner goal is to extend the length of time you can run without walking. Perhaps you can run about 15 seconds without feeling too uncomfortable; set a goal to work up to running a minute without stopping. Here's how the workout might look: walk for three minutes to warm up, run 15 seconds, walk a minute, run 20 seconds, walk a minute. Continue alternating for about 20 minutes and then cool down by walking for about 5 minutes. It is going to depend on your own situation whether it takes you one workout to get up to running a minute straight or a few workouts to get there. Then set a goal to run for 2 minutes without stopping. As with any goal, keep setting new ones to challenge yourself but don't be ashamed that you still walk for part of your workout. Focus on your progress. Wouldn't it feel great to be able to run for 30-45 minutes without stopping to walk? That's about how long it takes most people to run a 5K. So register for a race. After you have a race under your belt, you are no longer a beginner in my book!

 

Q: Katie asked about how to become better at running. She wants to be able to run longer without stopping to walk. She is registered for a 5K and would like to run the whole distance, but isn't sure how to build up to that.

 

A: I'm so excited for you to run this race, Katie! You are really challenging yourself and this will be a great accomplishment. Are you currently following any type of training schedule? Your race day is the same as mine! So we've got about 4 weeks to go, right? I strongly recommend you run 3 times a week. Running regularly makes a huge difference. Especially when you are getting (back) into running, taking more than 2 days off from running significantly increases your chance of soreness. That just turns into a downward spiral.
     Another tip I have for you is that you consider your pace. You were running before that miraculous phase of life called pregnancy. Now that you are saying goodbye to all those extra pounds, you probably feel like picking up where you left off on the running. However, after such a big change in your body composition you likely need a slower pace than you ran before. Picking the right pace will allow you to run longer without stopping. Runner's World magazine (Jan. 2007) puts these definitions on pace:

• Easy: at this pace you could last all day, no labored breathing, speak in long sentences.
• Medium: still comfortable, but working harder, can still finish a sentence.
• Hard: uncomfortable, pushing your limit, can't get out 2 words without a big breath between them.

So find the pace for you that is around the medium mark. It is probably slower than you have been running recently, but it is more sustainable. You will find yourself running longer distances without stopping. Even if it takes you longer, you get that sense of accomplishment by doing the whole distance without slowing to walk. This is another reason why I love having a running partner; we keep a reasonable pace because we talk. And because we talk, the distance is more enjoyable.


     As a closing comment, I would just like to explain that these answers are opinions based on experience and some research. I discuss the questions with my running partner and refer to Runner's World magazine (2007 issues that I picked up for free from the local library that is relocating and down-sizing!) for more information. Helpful comments and positive input are always welcome here on The Skinny.

Kathy: Week 19: Blehhhh...

Week 19 Stats:

Today's Weight: 140

Last Week's Weight: 140??

Starting Weight: 151

Total Weight Loss: 11 pounds

Not much movement, as you can see. I am stuck here in 140-ish land, where I've been since early March. Blahhhhhh... Now what?

Here are this morning's photos. I think I look way better than I did back in Week 1. But I don't honestly see any difference at all between today and Week 13.

Duh. I weighed the same this morning as I did back then.

I've known for a while that it is probably time to keep a food diary. Sigh. That always seems so nit-picky, to write down every little mouthful. But then I read about a study where the people who kept a food diary were the ones who lost weight and kept it off.

So I've decided to take this one week at a time. Dear Skinny readers, I promise to keep a food diary for this week, and tell you about it next Saturday. I'll be keeping it simple, but I WILL be keeping it. Promise!

This morning I learned an astounding fact. Our stomachs are only as big as our fists! Whoa! I've always thought of it as kind of balloon-sized. But no. A fist. That's an empty stomach. It's stretchy, and we can eat up to about 1 liter of food at a time. But I'm going to be looking at my fist with every meal, then eyeballing my plate, to decide just how much I want to fill up that little fist-sized munchy-musher inside of me.

One more thing I'm trying out this week: I'm trying to learn how to run. I can't wait for Emily's next post to give me some hints! When I told my husband that I wanted to be a better runner, he said, "I know how to run." And you know what...he does! We went over the the track last night, and he coached me for several laps. (No, I did not run all that way...I mostly ran the straights and walked the curves.) Gosh, there are so many things to think about that I do wrong! But it feels better when I get closer to doing it right. He was coaching me on how to hold my arms, and how high to bring up my heels and knees, and...there was more, but I can't remember right now. So I'm going to drag him over to the track several more times this week, and see if I can begin to learn how to run.

Those are my three goals for the week:
1. Keep a food diary
2. Visualize my stomach the size of a fist
3. Learn how to run

What do you think? Any suggestions or tips for me?

And, to wrap up this post, here's a yummy dessert recipe I found in Prevention magazine this month. I'm going to make it for our family Mother's Day dinner tomorrow.

Frozen Strawberry Pie

I haven't made it yet, but here's what the magazine says: "Loaded with sweet berries, this luscious pie doesn't need full-fat cream cheese to taste delicious. The buttery cookie-crumb crust saves calories over a regular pastry. You can make and freeze the pie up to 2 weeks ahead. Just defrost at room temp for 35 minutes before serving."

Work time: 20 minutes

Total time: 50 minutes + chilling times

Servings: 8

Crust:

6 1/2 oz vanilla wafers (about 3 cups)

2 Tbsp butter, melted

2 Tbsp canola oil

Filling and Topping:

8 oz reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel), at room temperature

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1 lb strawberries, hulled

1 Tbsp granulated sugar

1. Make crust: Crush wafers to fine crumbs in food processor. Mis crumbs, butter, and oil together until combined.

2. Pack crumbs on sides and bottom of 9" pie plate. Chill crust at least 20 minutes or up to a week.

3. Heat oven to 325. Bake crust until golden, 15-18 minutes. Cool completely.

4. Prepare filling: Beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar at low speed. Beat thoroughly at medium speed to combine.

5. Puree one-quarter of the strawberries in food processor. Fold puree (about 1/3 cup) into filling, saving any extra puree for topping. Pour filling into crust (will not reach top).

6. Freeze pie until just firm, about 1 1/2 hours.

7. Make topping: quarter or halve remaining berries. Toss with granulated sugar in medium bowl. Let stand at least 5 minutes. Serve toppings over slices of pie.

Nutrition (per serving): 283 cal, 4 g pro, 31 g carb, 2 g fiber, 17 g fat, 7 g sat fat, 206 mg sodium

Have a great week! And Happy Mother's Day!!

Is it really "no pain, no gain"?

Once upon a time there was a girl who decided to run for exercise/weight loss. She had always bought cute athletic shoes before as they were only used for walking around and light physical activities...and lets just emphasize that this girl really loves shoes! So after she had run for a few weeks and knew she would stay with it, she decided to buy some real running shoes. She went to the local sporting goods store and bought the brand of shoe that her mother (a real runner for many years) had said were her favorites.

Now these shoes weren't the prettiest, but they did the job. This girl ran many miles in these shoes until one day there was absolutely no tread left at all. So, being the shoe enthusiast as this girl was, she was excited to go back to the sporting goods store and this time buy prettier shoes. She settled on a new brand of shoe that would match her new running outfit and made her legs look good.

A little while after the girl got her new shoes, she experienced some pain. First in the knees here and there, then in the heels. She bought knee bands and gel insoles, but still there was pain. The knee pain was sporadic and wasn't too much of a problem, but the heel pain was terrible and once even caused her to limp for a few days afterwards. She saw doctors, talked to other runners, read articles...nothing really solved the pain. She had figured out how to manage it when the tread started falling off the cute running shoes.

Back to the sporting goods store she went, this time determined to buy the first brand of shoe no matter what they looked like just to see if this helped the pain at all. It has been weeks since the girl got her new, not as cute but comfortable shoes and she has yet to experience any kind of pain. The end.

Moral of the story: Working out isn't about being cute; you exercise so you can be cute later! Forget shoes and outfits and gadgets that make you look good- stick with what works! Check with sporting goods stores as some have policies that let you try out shoes (in real situations, not just walking around the store) and still return them. Make sure you buy shorts that don't ride up or that your legs won't rub together or in...go ahead and look silly and take a lap around the store- it sure beats hurting later! Pain isn't always good- pushing yourself is great, but real pain means something is wrong. My doctor told me that when you have pain it is your body's kind way of letting you know something isn't right. Learn to know the difference in your own body between getting sweaty and pushing yourself and an injury...only you can know.

We aren't supposed to be gorgeous when we exercise- we should sweat, turn red, breathe hard, make weird noises. Don't be afraid to get dirty...that is why there are showers (sorry Katie- get over it and shower!)

You can look like a 5 all the time, or you can look like a 3 when you are working out and look like a 10 later when you get cleaned up...it is up to you! I challenge you this week to have at least one workout that really pushes your limits, either mentally or physically. Go get 'em!

P.S. Did anyone try my simple trick from last week? I focused on it this week and am down one pound- woohoo! Plant foods, here I come! :)

K.I.S.S.

We have a little saying the in dance business...K.I.S.S. This stands for Keep It Simple, Stupid. Why on earth would we have this little saying among us teachers? Well because, whether it is dance or anything else, we know that people won't do it if it doesn't seem fun and easy. Now this isn't to say that people can't do things that aren't simple, but who will really want to?

In the book Food Politics it talks about how the American public is so confused on what to eat even though the dietary recommendations have stayed the same for decades. Once people start talking about carbs and protein and fiber and such, most people just lose interest. It isn't that they don't want to be healthy, but unless it is simple we aren't usually willing to add it to our already full plates (no pun intended!). Diets and exercise programs can overwhelm people, especially if it isn't what you are focusing on...lets be honest- not a lot of us have multiple hours per day/week to analyze

nutrition information, do workouts for each part of the body, plan and prepare meals that will give all the nutrients needed, etc.

So here it is- my very simple tip to help you make your food choices. Assign each food you eat to one of two groups: animal or plant. Animal foods are those that come from animals...meat, fish, cheese, milk, eggs, etc. Plant foods are those that come from plants...fruits, veggies, grains, etc. Each and every meal you eat, make sure your plant foods outweigh your animal foods. That is it! How simple, quick, and easy is that? It isn't eliminating any foods, just making sure that you have more of the great foods for your body and less of the just okay foods. I dare you to try it out this week; I can guarantee you will be making healthier food choices without looking at any labels, counting any calories, etc.

(Side note: do not try and make the argument that cookies are good for you because they have plant foods like flour in them...they still have a lot of animal foods in them too, like butter and eggs. I tried making that argument already but my husband shot it down!)

Triathlon Update: The last two weekends I have run a race: a 5k and a 10k. They were really fun (for more on the races check my blog at HERE). I am feeling good and strong and am starting to add in more and more bike rides along with my runs. I got new shoes which have eliminated the heel pain (more on that some other day). I think I will be ready to do the Biathlon on May 22nd! )

Portion Control

Lets talk about portion sizes. Obesity is a huge problem and it is partly due to the fact that people over eat. I do not believe there are any "evil" foods that you should never ever eat. With that being said, I do know that you should eat only little amounts of good things. This chart may be able to help some of you visualize your portion sizes.

Or perhaps this will help- try associating a portion size to an object, like below:

1 cup - baseball

1/2 cup - lightbulb

1 0z. or 2 Tbsp - golfball

1 Tbsp - poker chip

3 oz. meat - deck of cards

3 oz. fish - checkbook

This week I heard that the U.S. military is starting to join in the battle against obesity. Their recruiting numbers are down and they are attributing it in part to the fact that the rate of overweight and obese 17-24 year olds (their main recruits) has increased significantly over the past few years. Interesting, huh? It must be a big deal if even the military is getting involved- especially when they have so much to do elsewhere.

So take a moment and study up on your portion sizes- make a little guide for yourself or print one off (WebMD has a wallet-sized one here) and vow to stick to it for at least a week. This way you get to enjoy all of your favorite foods and still keep that waistline down! You will be surprised at how little you can eat and feel just great!

Triathlon Update: Well, today is the day I have to register (or else the price goes up). After much thought and consideration, I think I am going to make my first tri a bi instead. I just haven't been able to train as I was hoping to and I really don't want my first experience to be a terrible one because I am forcing myself when I am unprepared because then I know I won't want to do it again. Plus this event has the option of doing 2 out of the 3 events...so May 22nd will be a biathlon and I will be doing a real triathlon sometime later this summer (I will let you know the date once I do a bit more research.)

Running Gadgets and Gear Part II

Remember all those nifty things I recommended in my post two weeks ago? (Click HERE for a refresher with pictures!) Now it is time that I share with you some gear and gadgets that I do not recommend for running. They might seem great and useful, but most people don't need them. Life gets so complicated with accessories sometimes; running brings us back to simpler times. It is a minimalist sport. Some people don't even wear shoes while running! (Although those people are not typically running on paved sidewalks and paths like the rest of us.)

          So here's the list:

• running socks
• water bottle belt
• heart rate monitor
• personal alarm

Here's why:

You may find that you get blisters or have issues with your socks while running, but you may not. I haven't had any problems with this, but my running partner has. She develops blisters on runs longer than 10 miles. So she has specific socks that she wears, but they aren't some expensive set that she found at a specialty running store. She just figured out a particular type that work for her. I wear regular athletic socks and they are prefect for me. So before you go out and buy fancy socks, try what you already have. Make adjustments as you need to. The same goes for gloves and hats. Keep it simple. Or make it fun with some cool shark socks like these.

I discussed the water bottle belt in my last post, but I have decided to officially add it to this list of things I don't recommend. No, I haven't tried one out yet. However, the more I read and hear about other runners' opinions on this the more I see it as superfluous. And obnoxious. And just another expense.

Heart rate monitors are distracting. I can understand having one if you have a condition that you need to monitor, but otherwise it just keeps you thinking about the work your body is doing rather than the fun you are having. It turns a liberating activity into a strenuous workout. To that I say, "No thanks!"

Last is the personal alarm. These are marketed for women in particular and emit a loud siren when you press the panic button. It is designed for safety from predators, but I believe in other methods that also happen to be more affordable and possibly more effective. Fortunately, I haven't had to put these methods to the test, but they are: always have a buddy or group and always run during daylight hours, preferably in very public places. Sometimes a training schedule and time constraints will cause you to run when visibility is low. You can pick up reflective belts or other accessories from military surplus stores for cheap. Still take extra precaution by having one or more person with you, though. These alternatives to the personal alarm will help you to avoid danger and high costs of running accessories. Win, win!

So there are still plenty of other running accesories out there and I haven't tried most of them. My message is that a vast majority of them should be called excessories. I see them as a waste of money.  Running is meant to be simple, so keep it that way. Just as all the authors on here have already demonstrated, healthy living does not have to be complicated, nor does it have to be expensive.

The journey of a 1,000 miles begins with a single step!

Well hello faithful readers...if I didn't scare you all away last week! :) I apologize for having a bit of a breakdown- it had been a really stressful and quite frankly terrible couple of weeks and it just came out...sorry. The good news is that I am over it and feeling a lot better. Thanks to all of you who offered suggestions; I will keep them in my bag! (Callie: Nick and I did decide to make our menus on Sundays now...we would try and do that before, but we didn't have a set time we did it and so it often got overlooked. So thanks for that tip!)

So, what happens when you have a breakdown? What happens when you just get off track for one reason or another? Or when you get really busy and things fall apart...or you have a vacation...or, well you get the point. It is easy for us to control what we eat and our activity level when we are in control, but sometimes we just aren't. We could feel sorry for ourselves and get into a slump, or feel like we failed and stop trying, or we could push on. (How many of us have done the first two? I know I am guilty!)

The way I see it, it took time to get into good habits. And even though we can get out of them super quickly (which sucks), we can get back into them if we give ourselves time again. Try focusing on just one or two things to begin with- once you feel like you are mastering them, add a couple more. Continue on until you are back to where you were before (or better!)

See, I had a few terrible weeks. My workouts suffered; my meals suffered; everything suffered. And it was easy for me to say "well I just undid everything I had been working towards so I might as well not try anymore." I knew that I wasn't just going to wake up one day and all of the sudden be back to all of my wonderfully healthy habits. So I picked two to begin with- drinking water and a bedtime for the kitchen.

I know that when I drink lots of water my body can get rid of its toxins and my skin looks better. It also helps me to not be so snacky. A good rule of thumb I have heard is to drink half of your body weight in ounces each day. This is my minimum. Add some Texas heat, running, and dancing and you can often catch me drinking my entire body weight in ounces throughout the day. It just makes me feel great.

Secondly, I need a specific bedtime for the kitchen or I will snack right up until bedtime...and I know I don't have time to burn those last minute calories I jam in before laying still for hours! This one is particularly hard for me as I often get home at 10pm and haven't eaten since 4pm or so...I just can't seem to make myself go to bed hungry! However I put the kitchen to bed at 9pm now- and that is it. Sorry, but the kitchen is sleeping and there isn't anything I can do about it! Knowing that it isn't even an option helps me to resist temptation.

Those are my two things for this week- we will see how I feel next week and maybe I will add a couple more. I suggest for any of you that are this healthy thing just isn't going to work to make a list of a few things you can do to make yourself healthier- then just pick one to focus on at a time!

Triathlon update: I have been very terrible due to my "slump". However this week I did hit the gym hard already once and have added some new strength training exercises to my regulars. I haven't made myself get in the pool again (which is long overdue) but I am running regularly and have been biking both indoors and outside on a real bike. This Saturday I am running a 10K in beautiful Texas Bluebonnet country...so wish me luck! :)

Food Politics update: Who knew that the Food Guide Pyramid was so controversial? I definitely do not remember it being a big subject in the news in the 90's, but I also was a kid that probably didn't pay much attention to the news. The drama started in the mid 1970's to create a guide for the public that could inform them of nutritional information. There were debates on which department got to oversee it (why was the Dept. of Agriculture giving nutritional advice instead of the Dept. of Health, Education, and Welfare/Health and Human Services?) and how to advise people to essentially eat less while not sending the message to "eat less" (corporations/committees wouldn't let anything pass that recommended eating less of its products). Eye opener for sure- don't just blindly follow the Food Guide Pyramid...it has corporate interests at heart!

P.S. The Giveaway will close at midnight on Saturday! Over $150 raised for Clean Water so far!!

Here's the the link.

Running Gear and Gadgets (Recommendations)

Weren't those some incredible peaceful thoughts yesterday? I hope you all had a great Easter and took time to think about why we celebrate it.

In other news, I followed Kathy's link to one of those cool websites and calculated my RealAge. It was surprising to see my result and what things I can improve on. I highly recommend it. It does take a little longer than I expected, though, so give yourself some time to answer it as thoroughly as possible. It's worth it! (And I have always been a fan of MapMyRun.com. Did I not mention that one in my post about running routes? I don't remember. So thanks for sharing it, Kathy!)

On to some running. Are you training for a race that you haven't told us about? We'd love to hear! Congratulations to everyone who is currently training. I can't wait to hear all your results. I will be running the Helvetia Half-Marathon on June 12th with my amazing running partner. We may just achieve some new PRs for ourselves. Then we will decided whether or not to go on and do a full marathon in August or September.

Now it's time to talk gear and gadgets. Really the most important thing you wear while running is a pair of shoes, but we have talked about that before. Next, have a hat, sunglasses, and sunblock. Especially if you are running longer distances and in direct sunlight, remember that your eye and skin health can be affected.

Most people use a GPS watch when training so they can track mileage as well as their pace. My partner and I borrowed one from a friend because these generally cost over $100. They are very useful, so a serious runner/racer should invest in one.

Some runners have water bottle belts to carry water with them. You can clip up to six water bottles onto your waist. It's pretty nifty and you can find these for $20-$30. The only downside is that you are carrying that extra weight with you. I have gotten away without one of these because I plant water bottles along my route about every 2 miles.

One final piece of gear is the running skirt. Obviously this is not necessary, but it is really fun for women, in my opinion. I don't have one, but it is on my wish list. I've heard that they are just as comfortable, if not more comfortable, than running shorts. Plus, they bring a little bit of femininity back to the running world. They are pretty trendy right now and I think they are super cute. The price on these varies on the brand and store (I saw a Brooks skirt at REI for $46), but maybe I can find one on clearance like I have with all my other running clothes!

That's it for my gear suggestions for today. I will add pictures later today; I haven't figured out how to do that from the public library computer yet. Also, come back on the third Monday of the month and I will talk about gear and gadgets I do NOT recommend.

Kathy Week 14: Two Great Websites & Cauliflower Soup

Current Weight: 141

Last Week's Weight: 141 

Starting Weight: 151

Total Weight Loss:  10 pounds

Yawn...Same ol', same ol'...

Ok, so weight loss has gone weird on me. I'm still eating 1600 calories a day. I'm exercising more than ever. But I weigh the same I did a month ago.


And yet...my clothes fit waaaaay better than they did in early March. What on earth is going on??

I don't know. Sometimes weight loss is just plain weird. I went in to have my measurements taken at Curves this week, and here are the numbers:

	Jan 29, 2010	Mar 31, 2010	I lost…
Bust	37 ¾”	37”	¾”
Waist	33”	30 ¾”	2 ¼”
Abdomen	42 ½”	41”	1 ½”
Hip	42”	40 ½”	1 ½”
Thigh	22 ¼”	21 ¼”	1”
Upper Arm	13”	12 ½”	½”

And...not only am I more slender now, but I feel so much stronger now than I did a month ago!

So here's my theory: for the time being, while I'm in training for the Goat Mountain Gallop, my body is busy converting fat to muscle, and building more muscle in general, and weight loss is just not happening for now. I don't want to reduce my calorie intake while I'm in training, and while I do want to eventually get to my "happy weight" goal of 134 pounds, for now I'm thrilled with getting stronger and leaner.

I'd welcome any comments or suggestions about my theory. What do you think? Am I on the right track, or am I just kidding myself?

But enough about me, because now...drum roll please...
Here are two great websites I want to share with you!

MapMyRun.Com
I've been using mapmyrun.com to calculate how far I'm walking on my training walks. It's really easy to use. I just type in my home address, and then click each corner where I turn. It tallies the mileage for me. Pretty slick! Try it out for your neighborhood. Then, when you go walking in circles, you'll know how far you go.

RealAge
The RealAge  website is great for assessing your overall health. It asks a series of questions about your eating, exercise, family health history, and some miscellaneous questions that tie into whether we are truly younger than or older than our calendar age. Guess what? I'm the same "real age" (49.8) today that I was a year ago! Does that mean that I get younger as I get healthier? Maybe so...

The RealAge calculator will give a more accurate result if you know a few facts about yourself ahead of time. Your resting heart rate (here's how to calculate that), your blood pressure (I checked mine last week at the local pharmacy in their funny machine that you stick your arm into), your cholesterol levels (ummm...not sure, but it's a good reminder to get mine checked again), etc. If you don't know those things, you can still put your information into the calculator, but some of the recommendations they give you will be a little more vague.

Well, all those interesting numbers can make a body hungry, so here's a great recipe to add to this week's menus. We had it for dinner last night, and it was quick to make and deeeeelicious! And I'm not even a big fan of cauliflower!

Cauliflower Soup
Diane magazine, Winter 2009, pages 17-18

(Do you like potato soup? This has many similarities, but it has more fiber, more vitamins A and C, and fewer calories! The smooth flavors of the vegetables are complemented by the kick of the spices. Yum!)

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 large potato, peeled and cut in chunks
1 head cauliflower, cut in florets
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1-2 teaspoons paprika (I use 1)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium-to-high heat. Add the onion and carrot. Stir and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes.
2. Add the stock, potato, and cauliflower, and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Remove 3/4 of the soup and in small batches puree in a blender until smooth.
3. Return the soup to the saucepan and stir in the remaining ingredients. Heat again for 3 minutes over low heat. Divide among 4 bowls. Lightly sprinkle with paprika.

Serves 4; Per 2-cup serving: 198 calories, 11 g protein, 31 g carbohydrate, 5 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 6 mg. cholesterol, 6 g fiber, 921 mg. sodium.

Well, I'm spending some time with my sweet husband today, and then I'm headed out this afternoon for a 7-8 mile training walk...getting ready for the Goat Mountain Gallop! My dear friend Dorothy (Walking in Circles) has agreed to walk in a BIG circle with me today. The forecast calls for sprinkles, so we'll be in our rain gear, and you can bet that we'll have our cameras in our pockets...watching our step and watching out for the Easter Bunny!

Have a great weekend, everyone, and Happy Easter tomorrow!