Simply Fit by Valerie

2010-11-06T17:31:00.005-04:00

Hello Everyone!

As I mentioned in a prior post, my entries would be few and far between because I needed to concentrate on a new path in my life ... getting my masters degree in business. I'm now halfway through my MBA program - and I'm still alive! Whew! :-)

This year has been tough in many ways - professionally, personally, and even in the area of fitness. A year ago, my life shifted dramatically from an active daily routine to almost totally sedentary. I started a new full-time desk job a year ago and began my graduate coursework simultaneously. Bam! Talk about going from active to sedentary? I work at a desk from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; spend three hours sitting in a car in the late afternoon/early evening while driving my children to their practices, meets, and events; read my textbooks every spare second I can grab, then plop myself down at a desk at 8 or 9 p.m. to study until midnight. I get the joy of then waking up and doing it all over again the next day. Add personal stress into the mix, and it's a recipe for fitness and health disaster!

Some of you experience similar lifestyles. I think of truck drivers who do nothing but sit for hours and hours, or people like me who work all day and take classes at night. Nothing we do will change the sedentary nature of our work - it's what we're given at the moment.

So what have I done with my fitness in the midst of this? First, I've worked hard to keep my nutrition in order. I will admit this has been more of a struggle than maintaining exercise. I go through spells when work is crazy and huge graduate class case studies are due, and I get lax in staying away from white flour or sugar. I can feel it when that happens. I don't manage my stress as well and I don't FEEL as well. I continue to load my refrigerator with healthful snacks and foods so that if I give in to mindless munching while studying, I don't do too much damage! But I think I'm weaker in being mindful of the foods I eat than in maintaing exercise!

I have remained diligent in my exercise. It's still my catharsis. It's the thing that allows a constructive and healthy outlet to all the stress that gets locked up inside me. But I will warn you - an hour of exercise a day does NOT offset a sedentary day. It just doesn't. Sorry, but true.

And that is one of my revelations (thank God we're never too old to learn!) Our bodies weren't designed to be lumps on logs. We were made to move and work. Think about the history of the human population and how they lived - they moved and worked to survive. My youngest daughter is the one who struggles with being active. She'd rather be inside laying on the comfy couch with a book than playing a game of PIG outside at the basketball hoop! I told her that the new word I want her to think of in her spare moments throughout the day is: MOVE. ("I like to move it, move it. You like to move it, move it. We like to....MOVE IT! :"- courtesy of the movie Madagascar!)

For myself personally, this means thinking of ways in which I consciously put my body in motion. Instead of collecting items for the end of the day to carry up the stairs once, I carry each item up whenever the need arises. I make an effort to stand in the evening whenever possible. Instead of sitting at the table working on my laptop, I place the laptop at my kitchen island and stand while I do computer work. If we have a movie night, I spend an hour of the movie moving (walking in place, stepping up and down on my aerobic step, etc.) and always fold laundry standing.

These are minor ways in which I can get my body in motion to offset the times I'm forced to be sedentary. Because as I mentioned, running on the treadmill for an hour cannot possibly compensate for 23 hours on my duff.... so creative thinking and planning must be involved!

While I'm not as trim as I was before my sedentary lifestyle descended on me, I'm still in shape - and working every day to be mindful of what I put in my body and what I do with my body.

Variety May NOT Be the Spice of Life for Weight Loss!

2010-01-30T07:03:00.002-05:00

According to Dr. Mehmet Oz (yes, of Oprah fame), eating the same meal once daily may very well HELP you lose weight. That's right. He claims that people who choose the same meal (say for lunch), lose more weight than those who shoot for variety in their meals!

That’s Fit website quotes Dr. Oz as saying “By decreasing the variety of foods you eat throughout the day, you'll decrease the chance for the hedonistic rampages that can be so dangerous."

Hmmm. So if you limit your choices, weight loss (or staying on track) is easier! Dr. Oz recommends choosing a healthy dish you like, and sticking with it. For example, if you really like grilled chicken Asian salad or veggie wraps, then use those as standard lunches.

My recommendation: If you’re afraid you’re going to get bored, don’t be! Simply tweak the meal! For example, switch up the ingredients you include in your salad. You might add different greens, water chestnuts, sesame seeds or apple chunks, or change the chicken to salmon…you get the idea.

I always tried to have a larger lunch and a much smaller dinner. It was my dinner meal that I kept the same a few nights during the week. My standby dinner was one whole wheat tortilla layered with beans, corn, and light cheese served with a small salad or fruit. I knew that if I was running and gunning, I had a meal I could count on that was healthy, quick, and easy. It took the guesswork out of a lot of nights! And if I got bored with it, I changed up the style of beans or the veggies I included. So in my experience, what Dr. Oz says is true! I think keeping the same meal a few days a week helped me stay on track in my dieting because I didn’t have to grocery shop for lots of different meals, I didn’t have to spend lots of time in the kitchen learning new recipes, and I could rush home with 10 minutes to spare before having to drive a child to a practice and still have a healthy meal ready without stress of “What do I fix now?”

The That’s Fit article also points out this no-brainer: “Bonus: Just as you plan your lunches, plan your snacks too and keep small containers of baby carrots, celery sticks, apple slices, nuts or dried fruit on hand to counter that mid-afternoon urge to hit the vending machine. ‘You're more likely to avoid unhealthy snacking temptations if you've planned ahead,’ says Dr. Oz.”

Ah, yes. The middle drawer in my office desk is my fruit/veggie/nut drawer! I load it up at the beginning of the week and raid it instead of the candy basket in my boss’s office!

You can do it! Plan ahead today.

Race Calendar 2010

2010-01-24T23:25:00.004-05:00

There's nothing like signing up for a race to force you into getting into shape and running! If you've been interested in jogging, but haven't had the guts, this is a way to give yourself a few months to train and prepare.

The Triple Cities Running Club posts an annual list of races in our vicinity. You can check out the list, choose a 5K race a few months out, and register. Voila! This way, you're committed to a date, and believe me, that's an incredible incentive!

Don't know how to begin training? It's EASY. Click here to read Coolrunning.com's article entitled: "The Couch-to-5K Running Plan." Then check out all the races in our vicinity - they're listed by month so you can target WHEN you think you'll be ready to experience a race.

See you at the finish line!

Diligence Guarantees Fitness Results

2010-01-24T07:55:00.008-05:00

So many of life's disciplines are intertwined ... what one learns in one area of life can easily transfer to another.

Being diligent is just one of those. Whether it's remaining on top of your finances, being consistent with your parenting, committed to investing into your retirement account, staying on top of your car's maintenance, or dieting and exercise, if you slack off for even a little while, you'll feel the consequences. Lack of diligence will show itself evident.

I have a friend who faithfully monitors her bank account daily - in fact, several times a day! She likes to know how much is in her account, which checks have cleared and when automatic payments/automatic deposits have been posted. Not only does she check her accounts frequently, she uses Quicken to track her expenses so she can know if she's over or under her budget and how her savings plan is stacking up. Let me tell you ... she's great at saving! Why? Because she's diligent in watching what she spends, how she spends, where her money goes, etc. I know for me, once I take my eyes off my own budget, I spend more. When you pay less attention, or are less diligent, then a laxness occurs that allows more variance in the outcome you want!

We've all heard stories of people who lost 50 pounds, then a year or two later, they've gained it all back again. It took diligence to lose the weight in the first place ... and it took lack of diligence to gain it back.

For four years, I have been diligent in getting some form of exercise six days per week - and I mean diligent. To the point there were nights I was on my elliptical machine at 10:30 p.m. because I couldn't fit it in during earlier hours. But it was that kind of diligence and dedication that whipped my out-of-shape body into shape! When you're overweight and far from being fit, a simple stroll a few days a week just won't cut it. Trust me, I know!

HOWEVER, the past few months have been very difficult to fit in the level of exercise I'm used to. I won't give you my excuses (because that's all they are when you get down to it!), but suffice it to say I didn't exert due diligence in fitting enough exercise into my daily life. Hand in hand with getting lax in the amount of exercise, is the laxness in the foods I allowed myself. Granted, I'm catching myself before I go back to the dark side (my fat days), but yes, I feel some consequences to not being as diligent. My jeans are tighter, I'm more winded when I try to run longer distances and I don't feel as strong in my upper body. I don't feel as good about my health. It's a direct correlation!

The answer? To remain diligent with those things that are important to you! I'm a firm believer that EVERYONE finds time, or the money, to invest in that which they think is important!! We just do. If it's weight loss and better health you want, laxness will keep the outcome you want out of reach, while diligence will guarantee results!

For me, I don't want to go back to the dark side. Diligence with exercise and diet WILL reflect itself in my health and fitness. I know what I have to do. :-)

One Easy Tweak Can Indeed Lead to Weight Loss!

2010-01-18T21:33:00.005-05:00

If you've been with me for a while, you know I'm a proponent of making small lifestyle changes over a period of time...that slow and steady wins the race! I know that in my own health journey, I made only two initial changes in my lifestyle - and those two changes resulted in a 40 pound weight loss over 6 months - and that weight has been kept off for four years! I began exercising 60 minutes every day, and I cut white flour out of my diet. Those two simple modifications ended up being more significant than I could have imagined! Instead of changing 20 different things in my diet or exercise (which we tend to do when we're thinking of losing weight - we try to revamp EVERYTHING), I focused on two changes, making it simple and not overwhelming.

I came across an article on MSNBC.com entitled, "Ten Ways to Drop a Size in 2010". But it wasn't the title that grabbed me...it was the subtitle: "Make one easy tweak a week to quadruple your weight loss."

Ah, making an "easy tweak." Now this I like. Little changes. Little changes are not intimidating, they're easier to stick with, and it's much more doable than 20 changes at once!

Click here to read the article and see if maybe one of these "tweaks" might be for you!

Handbook 2010

2010-01-10T07:45:00.004-05:00

I usually don't publish something unless I can give credit to the author - but I'm going to make an exception in this case. My sister sent me an e-mail entitled "Handbook 2010" and I thought it was worth posting! And if you've already seen it, it's worth a reread! So, here's to a healthier you in 2010.....

HANDBOOK 2010

Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5. Make time to pray, pray often and give thanks.
6. Play more games.
7. Read more books than you did in 2009.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 30 minute walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others... You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do.. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree...

Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give or do something good to/for/with others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32. Do the right thing! Integrity is not what you "believe" it is defined by how you live your life!!!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful. Your character is defined by the company you keep, what type of friends are in your core circle, are they assets or liabilities?
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change...
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come...
38. When you awake in the morning, thank GOD for it.

Junk Food Makeovers

2010-01-07T23:00:00.003-05:00

It's really not rocket science - the idea of taking a food that you love and giving it a "healthy tweak!" But sometimes fresh ideas for alternatives to our favorites is all we need to re-energize us and help us make better efforts at substitutions and healthy choices.

Joy Bauer, nutritionist (featured on NBC's Today show) and author, recently shared five kid-friendly alternatives to not so weight-friendly meals. But don't be fooled. These alternatives aren't just for kids! So whether you're seeking fresh ideas for you OR your loved ones, check out:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/34753673/ns/today-today_health/

Resistance to Change/Patterned Responses

2010-01-03T20:49:00.008-05:00

Who would have thought that one of my MBA courses would correlate to weight loss?! But lo and behold, like many things in life, lessons learned in one area of life can transfer to other areas.

This particular business class was covering the topic of performing periodic audits within a company to evaluate strengths, weaknesses and any areas needing improvement. Sounds reasonable and intuitive, right? But just like how driving a four-wheel drive SUV in the winter can give you a false sense of security, so, too, can audits. Dr. Barry Eisenberg, assistant professor in the MBA program at Empire State College, was quick to point out that audits, or evaluations, aren't enough. Even changing your mindset to embrace what an audit reveals, isn't enough! Hang on...

Get where I'm going yet?

Many of you are embarking on New Year's resolutions. You've evaluated whatever "health" or "fitness" weaknesses you may have in your life, you've pinpointed areas that need improvement... and you might be feeling really good that you've realized these things about your fitness.

I've always said that the weight-loss battle, or ANY battle in life, begins in the mind. Truly! But let's take this a step further. The following will take some processing - but once you get it, it can be life changing! The long and short of it is that while making a fitness commitment might feel good and have you pumped up with enthusiasm, if the change is ONLY attitudinal, without behavioral change to back it up, then you're maintaining the status quo in your life - keeping to what you know and what is comfortable. No true change can occur in this case. Here are words of wisdom from Professor Eisenberg (emphasis mine):

It’s easy to say that we resist change. We all know that. But we should not underestimate the degree to which this is true. We tend to accept or pursue change when the perception of the reward exceeds the perception of the effort that goes into achieving it. But systems theory (and for those interested, the second law of thermodynamics) posits that systems – groups, organizations – and people bend back toward the mean, that is, they seek homeostasis. That is one explanation for why we tend to repeat behavior when it appears ill-advised or when it produces the same results, notwithstanding how dissatisfying or frustrating those results may be.

(Prof. Eisenberg goes on to discuss organizations and their tendency to want stability by remaining the same):

But stability is a powerful human and organizational force. You have been discussing ways of resisting that force in order to engage yourselves in ongoing audits. The tools and awareness this program will provide will fortify your capability to achieve that objective. But so too will an awareness of how easily trapped we become by our patterned responses and how our organizations are motivated by the natural tendency to maintain things as they are.

(Prof. Eisenberg then discusses a hospital that tried to initiate changes according to JCAHO requirements)....

The point is that the hospital believed it conducted an audit and made the necessary changes. Rather, what really occurred is that they absorbed relatively minor changes into their existing structure, culture, and set of rules. Could we say they deluded themselves into believing they made change?

(OKAY WAKE UP - THIS NEXT PARAGRAPH SHOULD GRAB YOU!)

It’s not unusual for us to believe we are making change…and we even convince ourselves of it, when, in fact, change on the required order of magnitude has not occurred. Consider the smoker who declares he is quitting the habit. Once such a declaration has occurred, the person may come to believe that he has engaged in change. That is, the declaration itself is believed to constitute some measure of change. Why? Because the commitment represents some version of change. The commitment was not there one day, and the next day it was. Presto! Change. Even if the deadline comes and goes, the commitment remains with the person. In fact, if actually quitting the habit is too difficult, the person may go through in series of activities to help bring about the behavior change…nicotine patches, hypnotism, classes, etc. What sustains the person is that change did occur; however, it occurred attitudinally, not behaviorally. Yet, the person may cope with the dissonance of not actually quitting by coming to believe that the commitment to quit represents a change of sufficient magnitude. Sure, we may call this rationalizing. But it’s a very powerful psychological mechanism for resisting change. ... When we consider how continuous improvement can occur, it’s important to be mindful of the tendency to resist change so that we are more prepared to embrace it.

A Low-Cal Drink for New Year's Eve

2009-12-31T15:48:00.010-05:00

For those of you prone to welcoming the New Year with alcohol, don't blow your calorie intake with high calorie drinks - and all the ensuing snacks!

First, let me caution you to drink responsibly! Nuff said!

Second, you KNOW the drill. Choose diet soda for your mixed drinks. Stay away from full calorie beers and high-sugar drinks. Everything in MODERATION.

Let me share a yummy martini recipe - and low cal to boot - from fitnessmagazine.com!

Low-Calorie Drink Recipes

Pomegranate Martinis (orange and apple, too)

Start to Finish: 10 minutes Makes: 8 servings

1/2 of a medium orange, cut into wedges

Sugar1 1/2 cups vodka or gin

1/3 cup pomegranate syrup (grenadine)

3 tablespoons dry vermouth

Ice cubes

Small pomegranates (optional)

1. Rub orange wedges around rims of 8 martini glasses. Invert glasses into a dish of sugar to coat rims; set glasses aside. In a small pitcher, combine the vodka, pomegranate syrup, and vermouth. Place ice cubes in a martini shaker. For each drink, add 1/4 cup of the syrup mixture; shake. Strain into one of the prepared martini glasses. Garnish with a small pomegranate, if desired.

Nutrition Information per serving: 146 calories, 0g protein, 11g carbohydrate, 0g fat (0g saturated), 0g fiber

Orange Martinis: Prepare as above, except use 3 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed, in place of the syrup. Omit garnish.

Apple Martinis: Prepare as above except use 1/3 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed, in place of the syrup. Garnish with fresh orange peel curls.

Happy New Year 2010!

Yay, a Treadmill!

2009-12-02T00:26:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone,

Thanks for bearing with my sporadic posts! In case you didn't know, I'm pursuing my MBA degree and so my posts are much fewer during semesters due to my course load, working full time, and managing a family.

And while my time to post is much less, my passion for health is unchanged! Some of you know that I debated about buying a treadmill last year, and chose a membership at a local health club instead.

Well, I bit the bullet and bought a treadmill this week! I'm so pumped about it. It's my investment in our family's health. My daughter and I are diligent about exercise - and running. We run outdoors in good weather and daylight, and indoors on treadmills during inclement weather or evening hours.

My membership at the fitness club ran out at the end of November. What to do??? I could renew it for about $200. That's my membership only. If I wanted to make a family membership, we're talking a lot more money. So I put the idea of a treadmill up for debate again. I know for a fact that my daughter and I will use it faithfully, and I'm confident that my other children will as well.... With my MBA course load, I'm finding that I can't find the time to run until late in the evening - and I WON'T run in the dark. (That's another story!)

I already have an elliptical machine in my basement. I use that on days I take a break from running. I obviously have a flight of stairs into the basement - they're my "stairmaster" (my kids HATE that I run those stairs - ha!). And now I have the treadmill. I went down at 10:00 p.m. tonight and ran 3 miles and walked 1.5 miles. Yeehaw. And I didn't have to drive 15 minutes to the club and 15 minutes back home. I LOVE IT! Running is my number one choice of drug. Um, exercise! :-)

I refuse to let the busyness of life get in the way of my health. I've been overweight and out of shape before....and I don't want to go back. Living with energy and vitality is well worth the effort.

Maybe you don't have the funds for a treadmill, or an elliptical, or any other machine. That's not the point. What I hope to communicate is that you can find ways to integrate exercise in your life. It's not how much you spend (look at my "stairmaster" steps!) - it's that you don't allow excuses to keep you from pursuing good health! While a treadmill is what I chose as the instrument to continue my exercise in the circumstances of MY life right now, yours might be something else. Maybe you NEED a fitness club membership to give you accountability. Maybe exercise DVDs work better for you so you can follow someone else's lead in the privacy of your home. Or maybe home equipment is what will energize you and keep you on track. Whatever. But please don't let the busyness of life stop you from keeping your body strong and healthy.

You're worth it - and I'm sure your loved ones think so, too! You CAN do it.

Teaching Kids to Eat Green

2009-10-04T15:09:00.002-04:00

I absolutely LOVE this idea! This is a pilot program in NYC where students spend time in a garden planting their own plants. I know kids in our area get the opportunity in school to do the same thing. They reap and sow - and feel the intense pleasure of both. But not only do these kids get to harvest what they grow, they're also given lessons on how to prepare the food, too! They get to taste test and experiment.

Care to guess whether they enjoy vegetables more now?

How about adults trying this, too?! If you don't have access to your own garden, you can either plant in pots, or rent a plot of ground from a farmer or a food coop. You just might surprise yourself with how much more you eat of this food group than before!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Break Your Weight-Loss Goals Into Manageable Chunks

2009-09-29T22:30:00.011-04:00

I watched my teenager stuff her mouth so full of food, I was afraid she'd choke! Her cheeks were so packed that she could hardly chew! While it was funny, and we had a good laugh at her expense, it reminded me of goals. For this blog, we're talking weight loss and fitness goals. But goals are goals, regardless the subject area!

You see, a goal can seem huge, overwhelming, daunting and nearly impossible. We can psyche ourselves out and feel as if what we want to achieve is impossible. We might begin to wonder if we've bitten off more than we can chew. Yes, I think my analogy is becoming clear...

I'm currently a mother of many children, working a full-time job and taking two MBA classes this fall. There have been days, as I'm highlighting a textbook while working out on my elliptical machine at 11:00 p.m. at night, that I've wondered whether I've bitten off more than I can chew ... in over my head ... that MBA classes are the straw that broke the camel's back.

That's when I sit down and map out each little step I need to take to reach my final goal.

A large goal usually isn't met overnight with one event. It takes a series of events, repeated over and over and over, to finally attain your dream. For my classes, when I'm overwhelmed that I have 300 pages of text to read, one test, and a 25 page paper due in two weeks - I map out what I need to cover each day in order to finish in two weeks.

It's no different with your weight-loss goals! So you want to lose say, 50 pounds. Okay, does that sound like a huge amount? Overwhelming? Does your heart start palpitating when you think about how much that is? Take a deep breath. It's DOABLE! Yes, it is! But it won't happen overnight by eating healthy for only one day! I WISH!

No, it's going to take breaking that goal up into daily chunks that are manageable! For example: "I will walk for 30 minutes each day this week and eat three vegetable servings a day." Boom. You did it...you made a game plan for today that will get you closer to your goal! Instead of looking at 50 pounds, you've broken it down into something that will help you lose maybe 1 1/2 pounds this week.

Don't let the big picture scare you. While you have to plan for it, breathe and zero in on today. Then tomorrow. Then the next. Each day adds up until your goal is finally met.

You can do it!

Michelle Obama's Arms - Video

2009-09-19T20:24:00.002-04:00

Whether you like President Obama or not, it appears universal that women love Michelle Obama's arms!

Msnbc.com posted a video featuring just HOW the first lady does it. But to me, even more important than HOW she tones her arms, is the attention given to her fitness philosophy! She's a stickler for commitment to exercise and touts individual responsibility when it comes to one's own health. She's a proponent of the idea that each and every day is filled with health and nutrition choices that have a cumulative effect on one's own life and our national health.

Her physique is evidence of her fitness ideology! No more proof required ... she doesn't just talk the talk about health, she obviously walks the walk.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Orchard Granola Crisp - YUMMY Fall Recipe!

2009-09-15T23:07:00.004-04:00

Okay, I couldn't resist sharing this with you - a perfect fall recipe from the latest edition of Clean Eating magazine.

I LOVE fall. The smell of cool wind and changing leaves, the feel of crisp air, sweatshirts, bonfires...and apple picking! By now, you know my family and I head to the apple orchards this time of year. Mmmmm. Nothing like biting into a freshly picked Honey Crispin apple - it's so delicious - it tastes as sweet and satisfying as a dessert!

Any apple for that matter is worth picking. You just can't go wrong! And if you're as fortunate as we are here in upstate New York, your orchard might just also have pear trees to go along with this recipe.

If you're adventuresome and love recipes chockful of fabulous ingredients, here you go! ENJOY!

ORCHARD GRANOLA CRISP
By Joanne Lusted
Serves 8

Hands-on time: 30 minutes Total time: 1 hours, 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
FILLING
• 2 Granny Smith apples (or your favorite variety),
quartered, cored and thinly sliced
• 2 Anjou pears (or your favorite variety), quartered,
cored and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup unsweetened dried cherries, coarsely chopped
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup or raw organic honey
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp arrowroot powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch nutmeg, freshly ground

BASIL YOGURT CRÈME
• 1 cup low-fat plain organic yogurt,
strained overnight in cheesecloth
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Prepare filling: Combine all filling ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and stir well to combine. Pour mixture into a 2-quart oven-safe
nonstick baking pan (about 8.5 x 11 x 2), ensuring the mixture is evenly distributed. Set aside.
3. In another large mixing bowl prepare topping: Combine oats, almonds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. Add agave nectar, oil, cinnamon,
nutmeg and salt to bowl and stir well to completely coat oats and nuts with seasoning.
4. Spread topping mixture evenly over filling mixture in baking pan. Cover with aluminum foil and place onto a baking sheet to catch any liquid
that boils over during baking. Place pan into oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until mixture bubbles at edges and fruit is tender when pierced
with a knife. Remove aluminum foil and place pan back into oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until granola topping is crisp and golden brown.
Remove from oven and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes at room temperature.
5. While crisp is baking, mix strained yogurt and basil together in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until needed. To serve, slice crisp into 8
portions and serve immediately with a dollop of Basil Yogurt Crème.

NUTRIENTS per 1-cup crisp and 1-oz yogurt topping:
CALORIES: 280
TOTAL FAT: 11 g
SAT. FAT: 1.5 g
CARBS: 41 g
FIBER: 6 g
SUGARS: 23 g
PROTEIN: 7 g
SODIUM: 55 mg
CHOLESTEROL: 0 mg

GRANOLA TOPPING
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/3 cup whole raw almonds, lightly crushed
• 1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup or raw organic honey
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch nutmeg, freshly ground
• Pinch sea salt

I'm Still Here - Just Busy!

2009-09-09T21:09:00.002-04:00

Well, when life gets crazy, something has to go!

I've just started taking two online MBA courses, I have five children living at home AND I started a new full-time job. My plate is full - no pun intended!

I'm giving you a heads up that my posts will probably become more infrequent. That's the "something that has to go." UGH. I will try to post when time allows - so don't forget to check back and see if there's something to spur you on or tips for getting in better shape, losing weight and becoming fit! I remain passionate about fitness and will continue to encourage others to pursue getting in the best physical condition they can.

I might surprise myself and make more posts than I think possible. But if not, I don't want to leave you hanging, wondering where I am!

I'm listening to my own advice, even the midst of my schedule...I hopped on my elliptical machine last night for 45 minutes WHILE I read my "Strategic Management" textbook! Boy, highlighting is hard when you're moving! :-) I will continue pursuing my own fitness goals through the coming months - no matter how busy I am! It will call for more commitment, more creative problem solving when it comes to fitting it in and more perseverance. I hope you do the same thing.

Thanks for listening to me and thanks for sharing my posts with others! I'll still be here.

Valerie

Bento Boxes for Lunch?

2009-09-09T20:45:00.003-04:00

A friend sent me a link to an article about a fun, creative and artistic way to make lunches - and get a healthy meal in the process!

The New York Times article begins with Sheri Chen, a mother of a finicky 2-year-old girl. In order to get her picky daughter to eat, she decided to prepare bento boxes, a Japanese way of preparing and packaging a lunch!

According to the article, "With cookie cutters Ms. Chen makes her daughter star-shaped vegetables; and with decorative skewers, a plastic top hat and pieces of nori (dried seaweed), cherry tomatoes become smiley faced, mustachioed creatures. Her ruse includes assembling each meal in her version of a bento box, a Japanese lunch box, decorated with cute cartoon characters."

Hmmm, I don't know if I'd go to THAT kind of effort to get my kids to eat what I want them to eat! But the article states that this isn't just popular with kids. Adults are getting into this, too!

"It might seem like silly kids’ stuff, but that sense of fun has helped make bento boxes — obentos as the Japanese call them — increasingly popular with grownups in the United States, too. For dieters, they are an eye-popping form of portion control. Artistic preparation of ingredients can act as a pleasant distraction for health-conscious parents. For others, bentos are a way to make lunch pretty or indulge their love of things Japanese."

Jordan Smith, 20, a junior at Yale University majoring in East Asian studies and political science says he began preparing bento boxes while he was still in high school. The article states that while he was on the football team, he was interested in eating balanced and healthy meals. "He would group protein, rice and vegetables. 'I would usually use snap peas, tomatoes, carrots; basically things that were relatively colorful and not too bland tasting.' He endured a bit of ridicule — 'like, look at that white person pretending to be Japanese' — but that didn’t stop him."
The article also cites blogger Deborah Hamilton, 40, author of lunchinabox.net. She "makes boxes for her husband and 4-year-old son of, for instance, tamales, broccoli florets, cherry tomatoes and a strawberry. 'You can make these as intricate or fancy as you like,' she said, 'or you can make them plain and simple. You don’t have to get all kinds of Martha with it. My regular bento takes 10 to 15 minutes, maximum.' ”

Click here to read the entire article - it just might inspire you to prepare your own bento boxes - and eat healthier in the process!

Feel Crappy after Eating Junk?

2009-09-05T23:53:00.005-04:00

I visited my daughter at college today and she was excited to share a story that she thought I should place in my blog:

Her roommates went back to their respective homes this summer while my daughter remained in their college apartment. Since she only had to buy and cook food for herself, she made her meals quick and easy - but she concentrated on making them healthy as well. She explained to me that breakfast consisted of low-fat Stonyfield Farm yogurt with organic granola; lunch included foods like whole-wheat wraps with hummus and tomatoes; dinner remained simple with items like grilled fish and salad. She filled in with fruit and veggies for snacks.

Lo and behold, her roommates returned a few weeks ago for the start of the school year - and the refrigerator and pantry have been filled with not-so-healthy fare again. My daughter has resorted to cooking and eating typical college foods: processed and prepackaged.

She said, "Mom, you need to write about this in your blog. I have felt crappy for two weeks since I started eating 'junk' again. It's a direct correlation! My body became accustomed to ultra-healthy foods, and now that I've started eating unhealthy again, my body wants to reject it!"

From the mouths of babes . . . I can't say it much simpler than she did!

Your body CRAVES nourishment - from healthy and whole food. When it finally becomes accustomed to a regimen of wholesome food, it will in essence feel as if it's rejecting food that has no nutritional value! You might feel headachey, tired, fuzzy-brained, irritable and bloated when you eat foods heavy in sugar, white flour, additives and empty calories. Almost like withdrawal! YUCK.

Anyone who's fallen off the bandwagon of healthy eating knows exactly what my daughter is talking about. It's just not worth it! If you've veered off course, remember just how good your body feels when it's not attacked with sugar highs and energy lows - and let that lure you back into good, healthy eating habits!

Shaun T's Insanity versus P90X - Insanity VIDEO

2009-09-03T09:35:00.003-04:00

Some people have asked me what I think of Shaun T's Insanity workout program. It's a 60-day, 10-DVD home workout program offered by BeachBody - the same company that offers Tony Horton's P90X program.

If you've read my blog, you know I completed the P90X program and loved it. But I have not tried the Insanity program - so I can't give you a personal opinion about it. You can click here to read a side by side comparison of the two programs from someone who's done both, or look at the videos below to get a glimpse of what the Insanity program is about:

18 Quick Breakfast Recipes - Start Your Morning with Nutrition!

2009-09-02T11:26:00.002-04:00

I know, I know. You've heard me say that breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day - and the importance of starting the day with nutrition! But it's worth repeating! I know my own kids skip this vital element in their day if they're rushed or running late...

For those of us having to wake-up and be to work in the mornings, we know morning routines are already busy. Add school children to that mix (yes, school starts next week in upstate New York!), and the routines are even crazier.

Do yourself and your kids a favor by providing a power punch of nutrition to your breakfasts! Click here for 18 quick breakfast ideas - and plan ahead in order to avoid the harried mornings that lead to sugar rushes (Captain Crunch cereal or pop tarts!) or to skipping breakfast altogether!

Can Running Actually Be Good for Your Knees?

2009-09-01T15:10:00.003-04:00

If you're a runner, I'm sure you've heard the same "concern" from non-runners: "You'd better quit running - you're going to kill your knees!"

If I've heard it once, I've heard it a millions times! There are days in which my joints hurt and I think, "Maybe they're right!" But there are other days when my body feels terrific - and I think the naysayers are just saying it because they don't run themselves! Ha!

I recently came across an article by Tara Parker-Hope on the New York Times Web site titled: Can Running Actually Help Your Knees? She brings up some very interesting studies about running and the impact (pun intended) on knees.

Parker-Hope cites a study from Stanford University that seems to indicate runners are NOT prone to degeneration of the knees!

She says, "Instead, recent evidence suggests that running may actually shield somewhat against arthritis, in part because the knee develops a kind of motion groove. A group of engineers and doctors at Stanford published a study in the February issue of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery that showed that by moving and loading your knee joint, as you do when walking or running, you “condition” your cartilage to the load. It grows accustomed to those particular movements. You can run for miles, decades, a lifetime, without harming it. But if this exquisite balance is disturbed, usually by an injury, the loading mechanisms shift, the moving parts of the knee are no longer in their accustomed alignment and a “degenerative pathway” seems to open. The cartilage, like an unbalanced tire, wears away. Pain, tissue disintegration and, eventually, arthritis can follow."

In fact, Ross Tucker, a physiologist in South Africa and co-author of the new book “The Runner’s Body: How the Latest Exercise Science Can Help You Run Stronger, Longer and Faster,” says the "biggest predictor of injury is previous injury.” Hence, one of the best defenses against suffering a first knee injury, or any further knee injuries, is to participate in targeted strength training. Tucker says, "The hip stabilizers, quads, hamstrings and core must all be strong enough. As soon as there is weakness, some other muscle or joint must take over, and that’s when injuries happen.”

Click here to read the entire article. And for you runners, it will give you something to tell those naysayers!

Common Diet Mistakes - VIDEO

2009-08-28T09:01:00.009-04:00

Click here to watch the TODAY show's "Take It Off Today" segment in which some common diet myths are busted. Viewers wrote in with questions - the answers are provided by Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom, director of the Weight Management Center at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. You might just learn a thing or two....

Great Depression Cooking with Clara - VIDEO - Pasta with Peas

2009-08-28T08:11:00.005-04:00

Have you seen Great Depression Cooking with Clara? What a lady! She's a 91-year-old woman who shares how her family cooked inexpensive meals to get through the Depression. Well, "inexpensive" is a generous word. She explains that her family had nothing! While they couldn't afford much, and meals were lean, Clara stresses that her mother made sure it was at least nourishing.

I figure if she's made it to 91 years old - and with such spryness - then I can definitely learn a thing or two from her!

The reason I wanted to include this in my blog is twofold:

First, I know that we're in hard economic times. Costs have skyrocketed while jobs have become a hot commodity. People are doing whatever they can to make a dollar stretch. And I wanted to show that while you might be counting pennies for your grocery bill, there are ways to cook nourishing meals for your family AND keep costs in check at the same time. Keep in mind, you can spend a few extra pennies for things that weren't available during the Depression to up the nutritional value of your meal. Whole-wheat pasta wasn't available - now it is. You can buy frozen veggies instead of canned. You get the idea.

Second, I wanted to show that providing healthy alternatives for your family doesn't have to be extravagant. Granted, Clara uses canned peas and jarred spaghetti sauce. There's stringent health advocates out there who would be appalled that she didn't use fresh peas and homemade sauce. My point is that you do what you're able as far as providing a healthy meal. The meal didn't consist of junk food or fast-food restaurant fare! Every effort to provide "real" food is commendable!

You Athletes Over 40 Rock!

2009-08-26T12:11:00.009-04:00

One of my best childhood friends just completed her second triathlon. I'm SO proud of her!

Lori is no stranger to a busy schedule. She's a podiatrist in the Chicago area with her own private practice, the mother of three children (including one set of twins), part-time caretaker of aging parents and over 40 years old. YOU ROCK, LORI! She wouldn't call herself an athlete per se, but she DOES admit to wanting to stay in shape to be the healthiest she can be.

I know other women who sign up for 5K and 10K races, or even triathlons and marathons, as a way to force themselves into shape. They sign up months in advance and then begin training. There's nothing like a deadline to force you into an exercise routine!

Kudos to all of you who are pursuing fitness - whether through exercise classes, gym memberships, or lofty goals like triathlons! I'm always awed by women, especially over 40, who grab hold of life and choose to control their health.

If Lori can do it, you can too!!!

Good Health is a Treasure!

2009-08-25T09:26:00.004-04:00

I was in an oncologist's office with the my father last week and there was a sweet, elderly couple sitting in the waiting room. They were smiling from ear to ear and sitting very close to each other.

After taking care of paper work for my father, I turned to the elderly couple and smiled. The wife immediately bubbled up with their good news. "He's done. He had his last treatment and everything looks good." The husband bobbed his head up and down with that grin on his face.

I told him congratulations (if you know anyone who has had to suffer through cancer treatments, you know what a big deal that final day is!) and asked if they planned to celebrate. "Oh, yes!" she exclaimed. She proceeded to give details about a family gathering and the celebration they would share together.

I keep seeing this couple's face in my mind's eye. They were hopeful. They were thankful. They were fully appreciating his health. And I was impressed once again with how precious life and health are. It's when your health is threatened, or when it is decimated, that you realize how valuable it was in the first place. Suddenly, you don't take for granted the legs that can run and jump, or the heart that can pump life through your body or the lungs that process each life-giving breath!

Don't wait for a health crisis to scare you into getting healthy and fit. Get healthy and fit NOW while you can! While you are able! Each of us will encounter a health crisis at some point in our lives. That's a given. Our bodies age and we can be prone to disease and illness - and while we can't control genetics, we CAN control other aspects of our health! Do what you can to strengthen your body and improve your health so you can appreciate your health today and not wallow in regrets in the future.

Think of that couple smiling because of the husband's redeemed health. Good health is a true treasure!

Don't Let School Beginnings Sabotage Your Health!

2009-08-24T08:31:00.006-04:00

Can you tell what I'm thinking about from my past few blogs? Another school year is about to start...

I'm a planner. I just am. I like to have my ducks in a row and know what I'm up against. So is it any surprise that I'm planning how I will juggle the coming months?

A new school year means the lazy days of summer are over and a whole different schedule begins. There are early morning wake-up calls for the school children, healthy lunches to be planned and packed, jobs and deadlines that must still be met, school events galore (parent-teacher conferences, sports practices, sporting events, school activities) and mounds of homework to be accomplished - all on top of the normal tasks like house cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking, laundry, bill paying, lawn mowing.......tired yet?!

In light of this mayhem, have you thought through how to take care of YOU? How will you fit exercise into these new schedules? Where will you exercise? Will you have to change exercise classes or your exercise preferences based on new schedules? How will you fit nutrition into a more harried routine? Will meal preparation have to be adjusted to accommodate the new schedules? Don't let the craziness of children's activities and school schedules sabotage your health!

You know the old adage - if you don't make a plan to succeed, you plan to fail. As corny as that sounds, IT'S TRUE. Rarely do successful people achieve their accomplishments through chance! If you do, more power to you! But for the rest of us, success occurs through goal setting - and planning a strategy to achieve those goals. It occurs through perseverance to the plan, determination to see it through to the end and sheer hard work. Putting one foot in front of the other to do what needs to get done.

Before those kids stomp a foot on the school bus steps, strategize your plan for the coming changes in your daily schedules. Think through the upcoming months and plan how you will fit in daily exercise and maintain proper nutrition. NOW is the time to think through the appropriate adjustments before you're in the middle of the mayhem!

Processed Deli Meats - Cancer and Kids' Lunches

2009-08-21T15:05:00.003-04:00

For years, there's been arguments about the unhealthy aspects of deli meats - or should I say, about the nitrates and additives in the processed meat. In fact, research indicates a cancer link to deli meats.

I don't know about you, but with the new school year just around the corner, I'm in "planning mode." Yes, that includes planning my kids' lunches. They take a bag lunch every day, and I work hard to make those lunches healthy AND appealing! It seems a standard American bag lunch oftentimes includes a sandwich - with deli meat - because of the convenience and ease with which these can be prepared. But we need to fully understand the impact of this kind of lunch on our kids' health.

According to an MSN.com article, "The American Institute of Cancer Research (AICR) also urges that adults and children alike avoid processed meats, citing research that suggests that the risk of colorectal cancer starts to increase with any portion." The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) estimates that if people ate less than 2.5 ounces of processed meat each week, approximately 3,700 bowel cancer cases could be prevented!

The article goes on to say, "Instead of filling kids’ sandwiches with processed meats, parents could give kids healthier alternatives, such as poultry or fish, low-fat cheese, hummus, or small amounts of lean meat."

Yes, yes, yes!

Click here to read more about AICR's recommendations to avoiding processed meats. And start planning alternatives today!

Homemade Breakfast Bars

2009-08-19T22:23:00.004-04:00

I came across a recipe for homemade breakfast bars on CBS' The Early Show last year and it was a hit with readers. With the beginning of another school year upon us, I thought I'd republish it for those moms who will encounter those inevitable mornings of children rushing out of the house with their hair uncombed, backpacks forgotten and no time for breakfast!

I usually pack a granola bar in my kids' lunches. These homemade breakfast bars also serve as a "dessert" of sorts - or a snack - but with a healthy twist. They're a perfect granola bar alternative. So will you serve them for breakfast or lunch? Your choice!

Homemade Breakfast Bars

By Katie Lee Joel

1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine peanut butter, honey, and vanilla in a sauce pan over medium-high flame. Stir occasionally until melted. Remove from flame and pour in oats and raisins. Mix well. Spread mixture into a greased baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool completely and cut into bars.

Katie Lee Joel explained that she makes these ahead of time and freezes them. That's a feature I love. Guess what I'm going to make and freeze this weekend? :-)

Click here to see other quick and healthy breakfast ideas.

Will Mandating Restaurants to Provide MORE Information Lead to Healthy Choices?

2009-08-17T07:57:00.004-04:00

Does having more information about health and nutrition increase the likelihood of losing weight and becoming fit? Does it make the average person make better choices?

That's a tricky question - especially since I'm a blogger about health and fitness! My entire goal is to provide information and encouragement to those who want to change their health for the better or who want to maintain a healthy lifestyle. So I certainly hope the information I provide is not in vain!

HOWEVER, being a formerly overweight woman myself, I know I spent years knowing and accumulating information about nutrition and exercise, yet I didn't drop the weight.

Currently, the health care reform bill includes a requirement to mandate any restaurant operating at least 20 locations to disclose calorie data in menus. Obviously, restaurants and business owners are in opposition to this provision in the reform bill, while many consumers say it's a good idea - probably because we're an information overload culture that thinks information works magic.

Me? I think information is valuable WHEN someone is ready to receive it and is open to the opportunities that information provides. Notice in my second paragraph, I stated that one of the purposes of my blog was to provide information to those who want to change their health for the better. Otherwise, it simply goes in one ear and out the other. Think of the "Just Say No" campaign to drugs. Some kids listen, some don't. How about smoking campaigns? Again, some listen, some don't. To think disclosing calorie information on a menu will make or break the obesity epidemic in our culture is ludicrous. Lack of information is not our American culture's problem!!!

I obviously think there is power in information - or I wouldn't waste my fingertips typing this blog! But the people who are reading my blog are doing so because they're READY, WANTING, and CHOOSING to receive the information. Those who have no interest will simply skim it or click to the next desired topic on the Web.

So I'm not convinced mandating restaurants to post calorie counts on menus will be worth the cost to the business owners to provide it. Those who are already health conscious will probably be the only ones who actually make a menu choice based on the information! The rest will simply order what they want based on what they want... It seems like spending money to take a stab in the dark.

Share what YOU think!

A Success Story - Video

2009-08-14T07:24:00.000-04:00

As you know by now, I love success stories. They're more than inspiring. They give us hope that maybe - just maybe - we can accomplish a weight-loss/fitness goal, too! In that light, watch the following success story . . . YOU CAN DO IT, TOO!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Yoga Works!

2009-08-11T22:03:00.003-04:00

My sister is currently about halfway through the P90X program, which I recently completed. She was a skeptic at first. You see, she's an exercise fanatic. Talk about committed? That would be her middle name! She gets up at 5:30 every morning to get her exercise in before work and getting the kids up for school. So she thought the P90X program wasn't a big deal - that it would just like any of her other exercise DVDs.

Wrong.

She not only got hooked on it, but after taking 10 days off for a recent camping/hiking vacation in Colorado, she finally admitted that P90X had indeed worked to increase her strength and stamina. And the extra secret from her? She attributes the yoga in the program to being a large factor in the improvement in her fitness levels. She has a love-hate relationship with yoga like I do! I love what it does for me, but I hate doing it! How's that for honesty?

This is exactly what one of my blog readers encouraged me with when I was beginning the P90X program - that yoga would improve my running abilities, give me more energy, and increase my strength - and to expect the love-hate relationship with it!

So if you're skittish of exercise, and not sure what you should try, why not yoga? You can either join a class at a local gym or simply buy a yoga DVD. For those of you who are already on the road to fitness, you might note a marked improvement in your strength and stamina. For those of you new to exercise, the results from yoga might just surprise you!

"If You're Fat, It's Your Fault" - Video

2009-08-08T17:27:00.007-04:00

As you can tell by the title of the book "Die Fat or Get Tough," author Steve Siebold creates quite a stir with his outspoken philosophy: If you're fat, it's your fault!

This videotaped interview with Siebold is sure to polarize people! I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts. Do you think he's right on the money? Or dead wrong? This would make interesting "water cooler" conversation!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Avoid Sandwich Pitfalls - Video

2009-08-08T17:10:00.004-04:00

NBC's Today show aired an interview David Zinczenko, the author of Eat This, Not That. The simple premise of his book is that losing weight is easy if you simply know what it is you shove into your mouth - and then make appropriate substitutions.

This particular video highlights sandwich "snafus"... the surprise calories and fat packed into seemingly healthy sandwiches! Zinczenko shares common sense alternatives to these snafus, allowing you to have your sandwich...and eat it too!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Make a List of Your Excuses

2009-08-07T07:38:00.007-04:00

I get this question often: How do you fit in time to exercise? Especially with your busy schedule?

My answer? Just do it!

Yes, as much as we cringe at it, that Nike commercial rings true! It IS indeed simply a matter of "just do it." Exercise is my non-negotiable. It's NOT an option to miss it (unless of course some major catastrophe has occurred in my life or I'm running a fever of 103F!). Truly. That's why there are nights like last night - I was on my elliptical machine until after 11:00 p.m.! My day was so crazy that I literally couldn't fit it in until then, and since I don't allow myself the option to miss a session, I hopped on that big, black, metal beast late at night.

Trust me, I spent years performing sporadic exercise...thinking I was really working hard because I fit in three big walks during a week, or two runs another week. But I had really good reasons why I couldn't exercise on the other days (and some really good "not-so-good" reasons). The good ones? I was up all night with a baby and exhausted, or I had a busy schedule with the kids, or I had to work late to meet a deadline or company was visiting from out of town. The not-so-good excuses? My hang nail hurts, or it might rain, or I've had a hard day so I deserve to just sit on my tush on the couch tonight or my favorite show is on in ten minutes.

The cold, hard facts are your body will suffer in the long run (and probably the short run, too) if every other thing in your life takes precedence over exercise and health.

Make a list today of the good (and not-so-good) excuses why your exercise routine is either non-existent or sporadic. Be very specific. Think through a typical day and write down those secret thoughts that convince you not to exercise. Then make another list - the "why I can and should exercise" list. Put it in your purse, post it on your refrigerator or tape it to your computer monitor so the next time that dark voice tries to convince you with excuses to watch TV instead of exercise, you'll have a physical reminder of why you shouldn't.

My young friend who was determined to lose weight began walking...EVERY DAY. Not just strolling mind you - but power walking. She committed to an hour daily and within only weeks, she dropped 7 pounds. It took clearing her schedule and making consistency with exercise a priority.

I know it may not seem like it now, but trust me, once you get in the groove of making exercise an integral part of your daily life, you'll actually crave it. Really!

SUMMER VEGETABLE BRUSCHETTA

2009-08-05T08:16:00.005-04:00

Yep, another recipe from Clean Eating magazine has made it to my recipe box! It's what I'll be cooking for dinner tomorrow night - Summer Vegetable Bruschetta. Yummy! It's the perfect, easy recipe for all those fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and other veggies that are in abundance during summer! My 13-year-old daughter looked at the recipe with me, and she wants to be a part of preparing it, too.

According to the magazine, "This dish is all about the vegetables. For maximum flavor, use the freshest and ripest tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers you can find - ideally from a farmers' market, where the pickings are lush. If you have leftover bruschetta topping, serve it over a grilled chicken breast or fish fillet." Notice the twist on this bruschetta with whole-wheat artisan bread? Mmmm, can't you just taste it now?

SUMMER VEGETABLE BRUSCHETTA

By Jill Silverman Hough

Serves 8
Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
• 8 slices whole-wheat artisan bread (3/4-inch thick each)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp coarse kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 3 medium tomatoes, cored, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, halved crosswise

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Cut each slice of bread in half. Arrange on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake until
lightly toasted, turning at about seven minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Add tomatoes, cucumber, bell peppers,
onion and basil, tossing to coat.
4. Rub toast with cut sides of garlic. Top a slice of toast with 2 1/2-oz vegetable mixture and serve.

NUTRIENTS per serving (2/3 cup topping and 2 slices toast):
CALORIES: 200
TOTAL FAT: 5 g
SAT. FAT: 1 g
CARBS: 29 g
FIBER: 5 g
SUGARS: 7 g
PROTEIN: 8 g
SODIUM: 390 mg
CHOLESTEROL: 0 mg

Five Small Steps to Staying Healthy and Fit

2009-08-03T08:27:00.004-04:00

You might look at me and think being healthy and fit is effortless. I write a blog about it, I encourage others about it and I seem to always have the energy to get out there and work at it. Notice the word "seem?"

Little do you know that I'm no different than you, and most every other person that has to struggle to keep pounds at bay. Keeping my weight managed and staying fit is NOT easy - and I only achieve it through constant diligence. Read that again - constant diligence.

According to Rachel Johnson, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D. of EatingWell.com, there are a few simple strategies to implement every day that will go a long way to toward staying healthy:

1. Take advantage of healthy convenience food.
Yes, this isn't ideal. It's more expensive than homecooked and contains additives. But it's inevitable that you'll have evenings where you're on the run and just grabbing food to satiate hunger. If it makes or breaks the difference between shoving a bunch of junk food in your mouth when you're in a hurry or eating lean protein, veggies, and whole grains through a prepackaged healthy meal - well, the latter makes sense.

2. Schedule exercise into your day and make it non-negotiable.
Let's face it, we schedule everything else in our lives, right? Sometimes down to the quarter hour! If you can schedule in doctor's appointments, meetings and school conferences, then your health is no different. When you arise in the morning, pinpoint the time of day that will work for fitting in a workout. Some people are able to make it the same time, every day (like going to the gym from 5:oo-6:00 after work) and others (like me) have such a crazy schedule that each day is different and I fit in a workout at various times. But it's a non-negotiable that a workout will indeed occur that day!

3. Don't waste calories on bad food.
Have you ever eaten something just because it's served - even if it didn't taste well? Be choosy! If you only get so many calories allotted in a day, don't waste the opportunity to taste delectable food on something that tastes like cardboard! One Thanksgiving morning, someone brought over prepackaged pecan sticky rolls for a treat. One bite and I knew the stuff was cardboard! And knowing that I'd be eating some delicious food later in the day, I opted for a bit of fruit instead. Bypassing the sticky rolls that didn't taste all that great freed me up to eat some delicious food that I wanted later. Choices, choices, choices.

4. Never travel without gym clothes.
This goes for whether you're going to work for the day, or going on a trip. If you're prepared, then you will be able to sieze those opportunities of freed time that sometimes open up unexpectedly. And since you've made exercise a non-negotiable (right?), then being prepared is one more step toward fulfilling that lifestyle choice.

5. Weigh yourself - and often.
Research actually shows that people are more apt to be at a healthy weight if they weigh themselves regularly. We all know pounds creep up slowly. Like a stalker. A two-pound gain turns into a five-pound gain and so on. It becomes overwhelming if left unchecked. I've given myself a five-pound leeway. I know what my upper limit is and if I begin to get close to that, well then I get extra serious about measures to keep it in check (exercise a little longer, or a little harder, or skip a higher-calorie food choice, etc.) By keeping an eye on the scale, you're able to take steps of intervention before you put so much weight on that you're in despair and overwhelmed.

Each of us have strategies that work for our particular lives and circumstances. My daughter jogs during her lunch break at work. I try to never refill a plate (take seconds). Find out what it is that works for you and establish it as routine. Make those small steps a natural part of your life - and who knows? You might just make looking fit easy to everyone else!

I Did It! I Completed P90X!

2009-08-01T08:02:00.004-04:00

It's official. Today was the last day of my 13-week journey. I'm now a graduate of the P90X program! Yeehaw!

People frequently ask me what I have gotten out of the program. Sure, my muscle definition improved (biceps, triceps, deltoids, abs). But I got so much more than this!

I'm stronger. Let me stay that again - I'M STRONGER. During the program, you keep a log of your strength-training exercises - how many reps with how much weight. It's hysterical to look at how many push ups or chin ups I could do at the beginning of the program compared to the end. Or how my hand weights (dumbbells) increased from 5 pounds to 15 and 20 pounds.

Being a runner, I thought I had endurance down pat. Nope, I learned even more about overcoming limitations and fatigue. I pushed myself through upper body workouts that I thought would kill me! Didn't think I'd ever hear myself grunt through a pull-up routine...my daughter laughed at me through those! On days I jogged, in addition to doing the program, my endurance on the hills noticeably improved. That's a very good thing in mountainous upstate New York!

And commitment? I was committed to exercise before the P90X program. I guess that's a given because this program is for those who are already fit and in a healthy lifestyle of fitness. However, there were no shortcuts allowed here. Every day there was approximately an hour's worth of exercise - regardless. When I run, if I'm busy, I can cut my jog down to three miles instead of six if I need to. Or if I'm feeling under the weather, I can power walk instead of run. But being committed to this 13-week program meant rain or shine, sickness or health, I had to get through an intense hour workout - and over 300 abdominal exercises on certain days! Yikes.

Strength, endurance and commitment are invaluable lessons. Fortunately, they are transferable traits to other areas of our lives!

I challenge you to live a life of exercise. P90X isn't a miracle program. It's the COMMITTING TO A LIFESTYLE OF EXERCISE AND HEALTH that produces the "miracle."

How Three Women Broke Their Weight-Loss Plateaus

2009-07-30T20:00:00.001-04:00

If you're like the majority of us, you've hit weight-loss plateaus in your weight-loss journey at one time or another! Sometimes you get discouraged enough that you just chuck your diet plans out the window and all that hard work is wasted. At other times, you hunker down and fight harder to beat your discouragement and you persevere through the plateau.

I wonder: If people were armed with concrete techniques to break a plateau, would they be more apt to succeed?

I think, YES! Click here to read how three women actually broke through their weight-loss plateaus through the help of expert advice. See if their techniques could work for you!

Teen Abducted and Killed in Broad Daylight - Watch video for safety tips!

2009-07-29T20:56:00.003-04:00

This is a health and fitness blog...but I want to address something about safety. After all, being safe is a part of healthy living, right?

You might have read about the teenage girl who was recently abducted in broad daylight and murdered. Msnbc.com posted an excellent video about how to prepare your children (or yourself!) against a would-be kidnapper/killer. I strongly urge you to watch this and share it with your loved ones. It might save them one day....

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Portions Matter!

2009-07-27T20:27:00.002-04:00

A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine confirms something I've said all along. It isn't so much the diet you choose (reduced-fat, high-protein, low-carb) that determines weight loss; it comes down to sticking with a healthy eating plan and then let the math line up:

Calories Burned - Calories Consumed = Weight Loss.

You must eat less calories than you burn in order to lose weight. Simple right? (Let's make sure while we're at it that we're talking healthy, nutritious eating habits - not short-term fixes!) Researchers of the new study took 811 participants and assigned one of four calorie-reduced diets to each member of the study. Each of the four diets comprised a different percentage of energy from protein, carbohydrates and fat.

The results? After two years, there was a group of those who experienced weight loss - it was those who maintained their eating plans, regardless of whether they were on the reduced-fat, low-carb, or high-protein diets! The common factor was that they stuck with a calorie-reduced eating plan!

The bottom line? Once again, you have to eat less calories than you burn in order to lose weight. Interpret this as portion control!

How to Cut Pineapple

2009-07-25T20:10:00.005-04:00

Here's my rule of thumb...eat fresh (and local) versus frozen or canned, whenever possible. That includes foods such as corn, tomatoes, green beans, peaches, pears - and yes, pineapple. (Yes, I know pineapple isn't a local fruit for us. So the next best thing is to buy it fresh instead of canned!)

Some people are intimidated to buy fresh pineapple simply because they don't know how to cut it. It's easy! Watch this video and get the confidence to serve up fresh pineapple. It's so much more nutritious this way - and tasty!

Try Being a Vegetarian For a Day

2009-07-23T07:52:00.004-04:00

I could never be a vegetarian. I enjoy meat. Not a lot mind you, but enough that I don't want to give it up forever! I enjoy a moist chicken breast on the grill or in stir fry, and a juicy steak when celebrating. BUT, I don't eat it every day, either. Does that make me a part-time vegetarian? Or simply someone who isn't a meat zealot?

Either way, going without meat once a week won't kill you! And believe it or not, it might be good for your waist AND your pocketbook. Meat tends to be one of the most expensive things on your grocery list, and depending on the cuts of meat you choose, it can be of high-fat content as well.

If you'd like to shave a little meat out of your diet, try going vegetarian one day a week! This approach will keep it simple and won't be so overwhelming.

First, determine which day of the week you'd like to make your "vegetarian day." Since changing habits can be difficult, choose the day of the week that is the least stressful and least busy for you. There's nothing worse than having a packed day at work, a packed evening with the kids, and trying to do something new in the kitchen all at the same time.

Second, come up with some sample menus for breakfasts, lunches and suppers. If you have some predetermined meatless meals, you won't be floundering with what to prepare. The internet is a great resource for meatless recipes - be creative and research variations of meals. Cooked broccoli will get boring quickly. How about sauteeing it with a healthy sauce? Raw carrots will only hold their appeal for so long. How about baking them with a little orange juice and some seasonings? You get the idea.

Third, preparation is the key to success. Be sure to include your meatless menu ingredients in your grocery list and stock your pantry appropriately. You are most likely to succeed in keeping this weekly dietary change if you have all the ingredients readily available.

Fourth, make sure you know what you're doing as you plan your meals. While beans (lentils) are a great source of protein, they aren't a complete protein, like meat is. To get a complete protein, you will need to partner beans with a grain (think beans with whole-wheat tortillas or beans with whole-grain rice, etc.). According to Askmen.com, "Dairy products and eggs are high in protein, but so are nuts, legumes, seeds, lentils, and whole grains. Make sure to include a high-protein food in each of your meals. While protein is important, you’ll need to ensure you’re eating a variety of foods that will keep your body high in vitamins and minerals. To keep your iron up, make sure to eat dried beans, lentils, dried fruits, and dark, leafy green vegetables. To ensure your body is absorbing the iron, eat vitamin C-rich foods such as tomatoes, broccoli, strawberries, and lemons. Calcium should also be a part of your meals, and it’s found in spinach, kale and broccoli, among others."

Finally, the whole point is healthy eating, right? By cutting out your meat for a day, you'll be supplementing with more vegetables. Wonderful! Don't shortchange yourself and try "filling up" with junk just to avoid meat.

Here are just a few quick ideas for meals. You can also click here to see almost 3,000 vegetarian recipes!

Breakfast
Egg and low-fat cheese on whole-wheat toast or muffin, fruit.

Oatmeal with fresh chopped fruit and sprinkled with wheat germ.

Lunch
Bean soup with a few whole-wheat crackers.

A hardy green salad chockful of various veggies and sprinkled with low-fat cheese and sunflower seeds or walnuts, fruit.

Yogurt with fresh fruit and walnuts or almonds stirred in.

Supper
Whole-wheat bean burrito filled with chopped veggies, side salad, fruit.

Veggie stir fry, brown rice, salad, fruit.

Snacks

Walnuts
Almonds
Fruit
Yogurt
Popcorn

You'll Notice Big Differences When You Move Your Body

2009-07-22T07:29:00.002-04:00

Recently, a friend's 20-year-old daughter wanted to get in shape. Knowing my passion for health and fitness, she asked if she could join me in exercise at our health club.

"Sure! When I choose to exercise indoors, I'll give you a call and you can come along!"

So began Megan's (name changed, of course!) weight loss! I knew she felt intimidated in the gym by all the different machines and all the firm, fit bodies! If that's how you feel, too, don't worry - it's common! I simply took her to the women's section of the gym and showed her how to use the various machines. Once she tackled that, I took her out into the large gym area and had her use the machines out there, too. I wanted her not to feel trapped within one area of the gym: If all the elliptical machines are taken in the women's section, I wanted her to have the confidence to use the ones in the open gym.

I knew she wasn't a runner and had no interest in running. So on days I went running, she chose her own exercise. But on days I chose walks, she came right along beside me. If you know upstate New York, you know how big the hills are here! Yep, we walked four mile routes on some pretty intense mountain roads. And she did it!

Within a little over a month, she had lost seven pounds! I asked her if she changed her eating habits. She said that she tried to watch the junk food consumption, and she was turning down desserts. Yeah, Megan!

By simply exercising every day, and changing two poor eating habits, she watched the weight drop. YOU CAN, TOO! Once you begin to see your body change for the better, you'll be motivated to continue.

Yes, it takes discipline. Yes, it's hard work to exercise when you don't feel like it. But if you want to invest in your health, in your future, then this is what it will take. YOU'RE WORTH IT!

Are You Getting Enough Protein?

2009-07-20T21:13:00.003-04:00

This is something I wondered myself when I began pursuing fitness! I know for a fact there are many times when I don't get enough protein. Why is protein important? Because it contributes to important physiological functions such as building muscle and bone, and keeping cells working properly! In fact, when I began the P90X program, I started using a protein powder in my smoothies to make sure I was getting enough protein to repair/build muscle from my workouts!

But how much is enough? Of course, the answer varies based on sex and age - and the easiest way to calculate it is based on percentage of total calories consumed. And let's not neglect the source of the protein we choose to consume. That's another factor to consider!

Of the three macronutrients in food (protein, carbohydrates and fat), protein is the nutrient we can't store and use later. We MUST consume daily amounts of it - so we better understand it! If you're pursuing health and fitness, it's vital you understand these three macronutrients and begin to consume them within recommended amounts! Click here to read WebMD's advice about protein - and start analyzing your daily diet to see if you're under-consuming or over-consuming this vital food component.

How to REALLY Get Six-Pack Abs - VIDEO

2009-07-18T21:51:00.006-04:00

There's lots of hype out there about how to get "six-pack abs." You've probably seen ads touting products that are THE sure-fire way to achieve this toned status.

The following video articulates the most common-sense approach I've seen. To truly get these abs, it takes two things: LOSE WEIGHT and AB EXERCISES. And guess which of these is about 95 percent of the component? Yep, losing weight. You can do all the ab exercises in the world, but if you don't lose weight to uncover those muscles, they'll be hidden among layers of fat! It's a simple approach - but it takes hard work and discipline! Sorry - there's no magic pill or magic contraption to buy that will tone you this way!

So this video addresses both of these components. Scooby (the man in the video) even demonstrates the iPod touch/iPhone application called "Lose It!" by FitNow. It's an app for people who need help staying on track with their "diets" - their nutrition and calories - and who aren't conscientious with reading food labels. You simply enter your current weight AND your target weight. Next, input how much cardio you do and the app calculates the daily calories you need to achieve this goal. This is a simplified explanation - you have to watch his demo to really see the possibilities with this app!

The video is just over 11 minutes. Give it a shot - watch the whole thing before you decide what you think about the validity of what he says. It takes a little to get past Scooby's quirky personality - but his message is pretty solid. He's against the commercialization of diet plans and contraptions for fitness solely for the sake of turning a buck. He believes that good health and fitness can be achieved inexpensively, and through routine, common-sense methods.

Keep in mind, Scooby is a bodybuilder. I am not. You probably aren't either! But defining your abs, and getting fit in general, follows similar, common-sense principles. He also published this prior to July 4 - obviously! Just take it for what it's worth.

I'd love to hear what you think of his approach! Does this excite you about the possibilities for your own fitness?

Celery - The Forgotten Veggie!

2009-07-18T10:12:00.008-04:00

I ALWAYS keep celery in my refrigerator. It's a staple I remember to pick up at the grocery store when I shop. But celery seems to be an "outdated" vegetable in today's glitzy and flashy world! Why do I keep celery on hand like my mother did?

First, it's a great kids' food. They can put low-fat or natural peanut butter in the groove and place ants (raisins) on top for fun - and get a nutritious snack at the same time. They can even do science experiments with it! (Place a stalk in water with red food coloring and watch the celery turn color!)

But seriously, this veggie has wonderful accolades! Check out this nutrition chart from The World's Healthiest Foods (WHFoods) Web site:

Now that's some serious nutrition! We shouldn't be surprised though, right? Because food in its raw and natural state from the Earth is just that - natural and whole - and good for us! Celery is a great source of vitamin C and K as well as phthalides, which may lower cholesterol, and coumarins, which may aid in cancer prevention.

Celery is also a natural diruetic. According to the WHFoods Web site: "The seeds of celery's wild ancestors, which originated around the Mediterranean, were widely used as a diuretic. Today, we understand how celery, which is rich in both potassium and sodium, the minerals most important for regulating fluid balance, stimulates urine production, thus helping to rid the body of excess fluid."

Selecting celery is easy. You want to choose celery that snaps easily when pulled apart...crisp. Make sure it's free from brownish patches. Celery can be stored in a sealed container or even wrapped in a damp cloth. If you've prepared it already by chopping it into pieces (for stews, soups, etc.) or in long sections for raw snacks, make sure you keep it dry and free from water because water can drain some of its nutrients. Avoid freezing celery because it will make it wilt - but you can do this if you're planning to add it to a future cooked meal.

Advice: We've all left celery out at room temperature and watched it wilt before our eyes! To restore its snappy crispness, sprinkle it with a little water and place it in the refrigerator for a few hours. And don't forget to use the leaves! They contain the most vitamin C, calcium and potassium!

My mom always used chopped celery in our soups, stews, and salad. And we ALWAYS had raw celery on hand for simple healthy munching.

Here's a list of celery suggestions from the WHFoods site. Go ahead, eat some celery today!

Add chopped celery to your favorite tuna fish or chicken salad recipe.

Enjoy the delicious tradition of eating peanut butter on celery stalks.

Use celery leaves in salads.

Braise chopped celery, radicchio and onions and serve topped with walnuts and your favorite soft cheese.

Add celery leaves and sliced celery stalks to soups, stews, casseroles, and healthy stir fries.

How to Choose Dressing for Your Salad

2009-07-16T08:15:00.003-04:00

Let's face it...you can take a wonderfully healthy green salad and ruin it by the dressing you choose to slather on top of it! If you look at the added calories and fat, you might as well have chosen something sweet and naughty for the same calories! (I'm semi-joking - there's value in the nutrients a green salad provides over a slice of chocolate mousse pie!)

So the big question isn't: Should I eat a green salad? That's a no-brainer! The question is: If I need a dressing on my salad, what should I choose?

According to an MSN health article by Karen Collins, M.S., R.D., C.D.N., American Institute for Cancer Research, there are three nutrition factors to consider when choosing dressing: fat, calories and sodium. When looking at labels, the titles "regular, reduced fat and fat-free" simply denote differences in amounts of fat that usually correlate with calorie content. "Reduced-calorie and low-calorie" dressing labels are often reduced-fat and low-fat, too; it’s just a matter of what producers want to emphasize to consumers on their label.

According to Collins, "Most regular salad dressing contains 8 to 16 grams of fat and 80 to 140 calories in the standard two-tablespoon serving. Reduced-fat dressings often range from 4 to 10 grams per serving, which brings calories down to 20 to 60. Low-fat dressings must contain 3 grams or less of fat per serving. Fat-free dressings must contain less than 0.5 grams of fat per serving and calories usually range from 15 to 40, depending on how much sugar and starchy thickeners are added."

If you feel you MUST have regular salad dressing, MEASURE, MEASURE, MEASURE. You'll need to keep to 2 tsp or less. That's not much! But otherwise you're simply loading your salad with unnecessary calories and fat! My father insists on fat-free dressing for weight control, but keep in mind that having some fat "enhances absorption of certain nutrients and plant compounds like beta-carotene, and may increase your sense of fullness after eating," Consequently, reduced-fat dressings are a good compromise.

Let's not forget to look at the TYPE of fat the dressing contains as well as the amount of sodium! Olive and canola oils are great choices. But beware and read the labels carefully! Some dressings include olive oil in their name but when you read the label, another oil is present in greater amounts (the label will list another oil higher in the list than the olive oil)! You might find other common oils like soybean and sunflower, but "most of us already get plenty of the polyunsaturated fat they provide. Compare saturated fat content if you prefer creamy dressings," says Collins. For sodium, the 250 to 550 milligrams (mg) in a serving of many bottled dressings is 10 to 24 percent of the day’s recommended limit! Low-sodium options may contain from 50 to 140 mg per serving.

Finally, a sure fire way to make your dressing as healthy as you want it, is to make your own! It's soooo easy! Use canola or olive oil and skip the salt in favor of herbs, spices and garlic for seasoning. Follow these tips from Collins: "A classic vinaigrette uses three to four times as much oil as vinegar but you can reduce the oil to only double the acid ingredient with a few simple tricks. Instead of harsher acids like red wine or cider vinegar, try lemon juice or a milder vinegar such as rice, white wine or raspberry. To thicken the reduced-oil dressing try a little Dijon mustard or a dab of honey. For lower fat creamy dressings, experiment using nonfat or reduced-fat yogurt, reduced-fat sour cream or buttermilk."

4 Changes to Permanent Weight Loss

2009-07-14T23:25:00.007-04:00

I've shared numerous times that permanent weight loss occurs through slow changes in lifestyle habits! People who rush with impatience to change everything about their eating and exercise habits end up biting off more than they can chew - and within weeks, they've failed at keeping to all the changes and so they throw their hands up in defeat.

As I've said before, change one nutritional habit and one exercise habit and focus on that alone. Once you've gotten that change down, then pick another lifestyle habit to work on. You get the idea. This ensures you're making changes for the long haul! Rome wasn't built in a day. Your body didn't get out of shape in a day. It will take time and effort to rebuild your body!

In the recent edition of Women's Day magazine, an article focuses on how to "sleep better, eat smarter and lose weight" in 30 days. Now that's a challenge isn't it?

According to the article: "The key to making changes that stick: Go gradually. Tackle just one tweak a week, and at the end of 30 days, you'll be firmly on a new, healthier path. 'Building confidence makes change last, and you do that by meeting small goals on the way to the big one,' says Rhonda Britten, author of Change Your Life in 30 Days. 'Every time you're successful, it pushes you to do more.' "

Ah, I love when my common-sense approach to health and fitness is backed up by professionals! I would never mislead you with false information or encourage you to try unhealthy and rash weight loss plans! I want you to conquer your fitness woes once and for all! To experience freedom from the bondage of being overweight!

The article in Women's Day focuses on game plans for eating healthy, losing weight, sleeping better and toning up. The plans include ONE change to make in those topic areas each week in order to experience better health by the end of one month. I'll only cover the areas of eating healthy and losing weight here - you can find the magazine at your grocer's newsstand to read about the other two areas.

LOSING WEIGHT
"The math is simple: To lose a pound a week, you need to cut 500 calories a day. Go to caloriecontrol.org/calcalcs.html to find out how many calories you need to stay at your current weight, then subtract 500 from that number. To lose up to 2 pounds a week, step up the exercise as well (and try the "Tone Up" plan). As for diet, cutting calories isn't the only solution - or a long-term one. 'You need to figure out what bad habits sabotage your eating and exercise plans and change those,' says Pamela Peeke, M.D., author of Body for Life for Women. This month, follow Dr. Peeke's plan to break four of the biggest bad habits that stop people losing weight for good."

Week 1: Cut portions down to size
Meat should be the size of a deck of cards. A pancake should be the size of a CD. One serving of cheese is about the size of four stacked dice. To see other portion "cheat" reminders, go to womansday.com/cheat.

Week 2: Have a healthy breakfast
People who eat breakfast end up being those who lose weight best. Aim for a serving of lean protein, a little of "good" fat, and whole grain carbs/grains.

Week 3: Stop eating after dinner
Learn to reward yourself without food as the prize! After a long day, choose to call a friend, take a hot bath or go for a walk with a loved one instead of stuffing your mouth with a bowlful of Panda Paws ice cream! Drink water or have some hot tea, too.

Week 4: Curb afternoon cravings
From about 3 until 5 p.m. is when you're most likely to feel a dip in energy levels and be tempted to grab something for a "pick-me-up." Plan for snacks that are low-cal but nutrition-packed for just such events (fruits, nuts and low-fat cheeses are great energy boosters). Or save part of your lunch and eat the remainder as your "snack" in the afternoon.

EAT HEALTHY
" 'Eating well is about continually making good small choices,' says Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, RD, coauthor of The SuperFoodsRX Diet, who created this plan."

Week 1: Add a fruit, add a veggie
Plan to work your way to eating a fruit or veggie at every meal. You can start with adding a fruit to cereal in the morning. Remember, fruits and veggies are filling, while containing only minimal calories! Don't forget the nutrition punch of this food group, either - they are disease-fighting nutrients!

Week 2: Pump up the flavor
Try a new herb/flavor at each meal. By adding more flavor, you'll use less salt, sugar and fat. Get this: One tsp. of cinnamon equals the antioxidants of 1 cup of peomegranate juice! Wow! A 1/2 tsp. of oregano has as much antioxidants as 3 cups of spinach!

Week 3: Switch to low-fat dairy
If you're introducing low-fat yogurt into your new food habits - make it yogurt that contains "good" bacteria and is low in added sugar. I LOVE Stonyfield Farm yogurt! I also favor Cabot's 50 percent reduced-fat cheddar cheese.

Week 4: Eat for energy
This means not eating so infrequently that your blood sugar levels drop! Aim to eat food every 3 to 5 hours. This works out to basically three smaller meals with two small snacks in between. You'll also be less apt to binge if you keep a steady intake of "fuel" for your body.

There you have it - easy, eh? :-) Don't forget to check out the magazine for changes you can also make to better your sleep and tone your body. Remember, "slow and steady" wins the race!

Is Your Diet Making You Fatter? Try These Fixes!

2009-07-12T06:57:00.003-04:00

Boy, I've sure experienced this dilemma in the past! I've been on diets where I thought I was doing everything right, yet I was stuck at a number on the scale, or putting more on! Yikes!

It can be debilitating to say the least to someone who's already feeling discouraged. If you've been there, you know exactly what I'm referring to! I've now got three years under my belt of being healthy and fit. I lost nearly 40 pounds and I've kept it off. And in retrospect, I can now see what I was doing wrong in all those earlier years.

1. I didn't measure my food to really understand serving portions. I would just "wing it" and say, "Yeah, this looks about a cup's worth." Portion control is CRITICAL - especially if you're counting calories. Remember, losing weight is all about math! Calories Expended - Calories Consumed = Weight Loss. There are plenty of sites available where you plug in your weight and age and it will tell you how many calories you need to consume to either maintain your weight, or to lose weight. The concept is easy. The follow through is TOUGH!

2. Although I exercised, I wasn't consistent and I didn't exercise with intensity. I would think, "Gosh, I'm running, why aren't I losing weight?" Well, my exercise was sporadic. Life's busy and I let other things take priority. So I might only have exercised three days out of seven, but in my mind, it felt like I was doing good. And when I ran, if I felt fatigued, I would just stop and walk. I didn't push myself to try harder, to go farther, to improve. This I now know: You need to exercise at least six days out of seven - and for 30 to 60 minutes each time - with intensity, to change your shape and lose weight. Once you lose it and have revved your metabolism, it won't take such an investment to maintain your weight - but initially, it will take discipline and an investment of time and effort. But you're worth it!!

3. I didn't keep a food log. I would do only a mental tally of what I had eaten throughout the day instead of actually writing every morsel down and keeping track. I remember one day actually recording what I had eaten, and I was shocked! Those little snacks here and there add up fast! Once it's on paper, it's there in black and white - I couldn't "lie" to myself about it once it was written down.

4. I looked at dieting as short-term. In other words, I simply bought low-fat substitutes for things I didn't want to give up, instead of totally revamping my mind and diet with nutrition in mind! I needed a lifestyle CHANGE! Low-fat cookies, baked potato chips and low-fat sour creams are much better choices than the full-fat versions. HOWEVER, where did fresh fruits and vegetables come into play? Or trying to keep processed foods to a minimum and avoiding food additives/sugar substitutes. Or thinking of eating foods in their whole state? This is an entirely different mindset than just buying "diet" foods! Placing sound NUTRITION (with portion control of course) as a lifestyle choice will make the scale move!

On MSNHealth.com, there's a great article about three women who've experienced difficulty losing weight. Two diet experts, Dawn Jackson Blatner, R.D., author of "The Flexitarian Diet," and Katherine Brooking, R.D., a New York City-based nutritionist, review the women's weeklong food diaries to find out what they're doing wrong. But it doesn't stop there...the experts then give their opinions on how to fix the mistakes. Ah, now that's information we can use!

Click here to see if maybe you're experiencing the same mistakes - and learn how to fix it and move forward in your weight loss!

Fueling Your Exercise - Video

2009-07-11T08:20:00.006-04:00

If you're getting serious about your exercise, a common question is how to "fuel" your exercise. Should you eat before a routine? Should you eat after? What exactly is it you SHOULD be eating?

View Dr. Clyde Wilson's video for a clear explanation. I bet you'll change how you're fueling your exercise!

Hello Again!

2009-07-10T00:50:00.006-04:00

First, I'd like to thank all my coworkers for being so kind to me yesterday as I left the Press & Sun-Bulletin. I can't tell you how much that meant to hear your words of encouragement and to sense your authentic sadness that we'd no longer be working together. I was very touched and moved by your support. The newsroom can be an exciting, difficult, stressful and exhilarating place to work ... especially in these times in the industry. And my talented and dedicated coworkers in the newsroom made the job lighthearted and enjoyable. I will miss you!

Here's some things I didn't get to say before I left (and I say it with a big grin on my face):

Lori, you know the phrase I will miss the most! Jeff, who will bug me about Twinkies and Dancing to the Oldies now? Valerie, your sweet smile and caring touch will be greatly missed. Adrienne, I can still be your "mom away from home." Kristin, I'll miss you "popping" by my desk to check on me with your bubbly smile. Michelle, you've been so generous to me with flexibility....I know those tears were from the heart. Al and Calvin, you've gone to bat for me numerous times - for which I'm ever so grateful. Jen, I'll miss coming in on a terrible winter morning to see you at the computer furiously keeping up with the school closings. John and Becky - I won't be hearing "Jillian" news - I wish you the best...keep her half Iowan! David, I wish I could have worked with you more...the motorcycle was a very interesting twist for a man in a suit jacket! Bob, you always handled difficult calls with much grace - a wonderful quality (you, too, David)! Nancy, you're a pistol - full of energy - if only you could bottle it up and sell it (I will miss your laugh!). Doug, keep flying and ignore those air disasters - I regret I didn't get to see you much since you moved to that hidden spot in the corner! John and Vanessa, I wish you health and happiness on this new journey in your lives - change is exciting. My-Ly, thanks for trusting me so completely with my business page responsibilities. George, you've been so nice to me, thank you! Ed, am I supposed to miss you the most, like Ann? Connie, you are so thoughtful - I will miss that. Tom and Eric, I haven't gotten to know you as well, but I appreciate all your work. Chris, no more customer complaints to pass on to you - sorry! Dave and Skippy, I've missed you guys already by being off the copy desk... And Ann, that sturdy Iowan upbringing sure comes in handy, doesn't it??? To anyone I didn't list here, my apologies. There's only one thing I won't miss.....can you guess? Those phone calls - especially the ones that come in on full moons! My best wishes to you all, and thank you for making my time at the P & SB enjoyable.

Now, down to business! I hope many of my old Press & Sun-Bulletin readers are joining me today on this site. Hello, again! While my location might be new to you, my discussion about health and fitness will not be new ... you can count on me to continue discussing the topic as I always have!

This week has been a tad stressful. Just a tad. Ha! In the midst of it all, I've made sure to fit in my exercise. In fact, a former co-worker called me tonight to see how I was doing about not returning to P & SB and she caught me in the middle of the Kenpo routine for P90X!

Aerobic exercise is fabulous for releasing stress. Trust me, I know this! I've had tons of pent up energy and emotions this week - I just kicked a little harder and a little higher during my Kenpo routine! It felt good. No, it felt great! Was I still facing the same situations by the end of my routine? Obviously, yes. But with much greater calm and perspective.

If you're experiencing stress and anxiety, don't neglect exercise. Do yourself AND your loved ones a favor by handling your stress in a constructive and healthy way!

Not Eating Fruit??? Gasp!

2008-05-14T21:00:00.000-04:00

Egads. I was talking to a friend of mine who said she hadn't eaten a fruit in weeks. Yes, I said WEEKS!

I couldn't believe my ears!I fully recognize that many of us don't get the daily allowance of fruits and vegetables we should. But to go weeks without a fruit astounded me. From health classes in school, I knew early on that fruits, vegetables, dairy, lean proteins, and grains were integral to a healthy diet - integral to building a healthy body. I just can't fathom not eating a fruit, or vegetable for that matter, for weeks on end. I don't plan a meal without those components in mind! The truth of the matter is that your body needs a variety of foods EACH DAY! You need a little from each food group to stay strong and healthy! Here's what PBSkids.org has to say about the fruit food group:

What’s good about it:
Vitamin C helps us absorb iron and is important for healthy teeth and gums.
Vitamin A keeps our skin and hair healthy, and helps with growth and eyesight.
Potassium helps us work our muscles.
Fiber helps food move through our digestive systems, is good for our hearts, and may help prevent heart disease and cancer. (Keep in mind that fiber is only in whole fruit, not fruit juice.)
Carbohydrates, which our bodies like to burn as fuel, so they work as a source of quick energy.

How much you should eat: 1.5 to 2 cups every day.

Soooo, if you're like my friend and find you're passing over fruit more than a day at a time...think again!

Do something healthy for YOU!

Food for Fuel

2008-03-15T23:56:00.000-04:00

When I began to focus on getting healthy and fit, I examined the foods I ate. Hmmm, Snickers candy bars, fresh potato rolls and chocolate cake are not nutritious fare – delicious, yes, nutritious, no! Darn it! Instead of looking at food as the foe that I had to deny myself – the enemy that I had to defeat – I began to look at food as my ally. Correct food would fuel my body in a way that would maximize my fat loss and give me the energy to pursue increased physical activity – which would be required to reshape my body.

Now when I plan my snacks or my meals, I do so with nutrition in mind. I stay away from “empty” calories (foods that have no or little nutritional benefits for my body – sodas, sweets, chips, packaged and processed foods) and instead try to choose foods chockfull of nutrients. Am I successful all the time? No. But I definitely strive to make conscious decisions about my food before it goes into my gaping mouth!

Here are some of my favorites I eat to fuel my body:

Stonyfield Farm yogurt with a handful of walnuts stirred in.
A handful of almonds.
A whole-wheat tortilla, filled with beans and cheese, and warmed till cheese melts.
Bran flakes cereal with a handful of walnuts and skim milk.
Fresh fruit.
Fresh veggies.
Whole-wheat toast topped with some peanut butter.
Whole-wheat pita bread stuffed with tuna fish salad (made with a little light mayo) and veggies such as lettuce, bean sprouts, celery and cucumbers.
Water, water, water.

These are just a few of the items that fuel my body. I love looking at recipes and other people’s ideas for healthy foods. Have any healthy snack and food ideas?

You Have Healthy Food Choices - Even at McDonald's!

2008-03-07T20:21:00.001-05:00

Okay, I ate a healthy breakfast this morning, but was running late for work, therefore, I didn't get a chance to pack anything for lunch. So I reached in my fruit bin and pulled out an orange. As I'm typing this, it's almost 2:00 in the afternoon...and that was my lunch.

Lest you misunderstand me, that's NOT a good thing! Preparing what you will eat for the day is VITAL to staying on a healthy eating plan. You know, "proper planning prevents poor performance!"

I have to run my children around all afternoon and so I will not be walking in my door until 6:30 tonight. You've been there - some days are crazier than others! What to do?

To starve myself is stupid. But I don't have time to eat at a restaurant and order something "healthy" tonight....this means fast food. Before you act shocked that I would eat at McDonald's, hear me out.

First, I don't make it a habit to eat at fast food places. Second, as much as I'm famished at the moment and want to inhale a Big Mac, large fries, and a Diet Coke (yes, I know the irony), I will order the Asian chicken Salad. Yummy. A MUCH better choice....I will not use the dressing and I will ask for the chicken to be baked. That will give me something nutritious while meeting my hunger pangs...and tide me over until I get home. Once I'm home, I will fill in with a fruit and maybe a slice of whole wheat toast. Perfect.

How do you make healthy food choices when you've let yourself get too hungry?

Are Your Pants Too Tight?

2008-03-06T20:19:00.000-05:00

I was thinking today how easy it is for 10 pounds to creep up on me. That's how I ended up 30 pounds heavier after six children! I woke up one day and thought, "Who is that fat lady in the mirror?!"

Yep, it was me all right. Same face, albeit much rounder and fuller. Same hands, but fingers more like sausages. It was me for sure.

Now having lost 30 pounds, I KNOW to watch for little upward increments in weight. I'm not obsessed by it - I don't let it control me. But I keep a wary eye on how my pants fit - and on the scale. People who've lost weight always say that maintenance is actually the hardest part of the process.

It's been 1 1/2 years since I slimmed down and over two years since I determined to live a healthy and fit life. Now, I KNOW to nip a 3-5 pound weight gain in the bud early...to avoid a repeat of my "fat lady" days. I increase my exercise or moderate my food choices when I notice the scale inching upwards.

Don't obsess over every pound. But by all means, keep a watchful eye on your body. It reflects how you treat it! An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure...you know what I mean! :-)
How do YOU maintain your weight/fitness goals?

How to Get the Results You Want

2008-03-03T18:33:00.007-05:00

I once heard the definition of stupidity as doing the same thing over and over and over, yet expecting a different result.

Boy have I done that numerous times in my life! Think about that... It's soooo true. Why do we expect to lose weight, or get fit, trying the same old, same old, just in different packaging? We try this latest fad diet, or that latest fad diet, expecting a miracle food plan...all while hoping to not have to give up our gluttonous and sedentary lifestyles long term! We hope that by eating a particular food combination, or eliminating something, we can even lose weight while not having to get off our couch and lift a finger in exercise. We want a quick fix, not an overhaul. Believe me, I've been there!

Achieving success, or changing your life, means doing things the way you've never done them before.

It requires more than just hard work! We are human beings - we form habits because they give us comfort and security; we know what to expect. So to break our patterns of behavior - our habits - requires an overhaul in our resolve and mindset:

RESOLVE: (Click here to see my Dec. 27, 2007 post) Determine what your new course of action will be - complete with a game plan and goals. Determine why you want success. Determine your purpose, the benefits of your success. And it doesn't have to be complicated - just a simple list of the few things you will need to do from this day forth to reach your goal. Resolve yourself to what it is you truly want.

CHANGE YOUR MINDSET: Keeping your same mindset about your weight or fitness will NOT lead to change. To achieve your new goals, you're going to have to think differently about nutrition, about exercise, about your priorities, about your future. In the past, I WANTED to lose weight, I wanted to get fit, but I never acheived it because I wasn't willing to change my mindset from the temporary to the permanent.

So as we pursue adding exercise, or increasing the intensity of our exercise, let's understand that this is for life. Long term. From this day forth, exercise WILL be a part of your everyday life - even after you've lost weight. Begin to go about pursuing better health in a way you've never done before..both in determination and mindset.

I, for one, don't want to be "stupid!"

Short on Time for Exercise?

2008-03-02T16:42:00.000-05:00

Is lack of time an issue for you? I think I hear a resounding, "YES!!!" Especially when it comes to exercise...when the hour glass of time is almost running out in our day, it's exercise that gets canned.

But in essence, exercise is one of the more important things we need to make sure we carve time for on a daily basis! It increases our strength, improves our health, keeps our weight in check, clears our mind, and actually gives us energy! We run around serving everyone else all day, and end up neglecting our own nutrition needs and fitness goals. So when we get up the next morning to repeat our crazy schedules, we're even more depleted and less fit than the day before, and so the cycle goes. We end up cutting our noses to spite our faces. NOT exercising, so we have more time to serve our loved ones, only leaves us less able to serve them to the best of our ability. Not to mention shorting ourselves on our health!

For me, my goal is to exercise in hour segments. I know, that sounds like a lot. And it is when you look at all the things you have to fit into your 16 waking hours. When I was 30 pounds heavier, I knew it was going to take an extra measure of effort to change my metabolism and lose that much - so I committed to an hour. It worked. However, there are many times when I can only carve a half-hour chunk of time - so I don't beat myself up...I do the half hour and am happy. When I wake up at 5:45 a.m., get school lunches made, get five children and myself dressed and ready for school and work, get the last child on the bus at 8:10 a.m., leave for work at 8:11 a.m., rush home at 2:30 p.m., do homework and make dinner, run a child to gymnastics at 4:15 p.m, come home and feed who's left at home, leave again to take another child to dance at 5:30 p.m., stay with her until 7:00 p.m., rush home to pick up another child for swimming at 7:30 p.m., pick up the gymastics child at 8:00 and bring her home, then run back out at 9:00 to pick up the child from swimming, then I haven't really been home to exercise, have I?

Here's where getting creative and COMMITTED comes in. I will do one of two things. First, I will change into exercise clothes before I leave to run kids to their activities so I eliminate excuses....then I either walk or jog near the place where my daughter is at dance (since I have an hour in town to kill) or I will come home at 9:30 p.m. and force myself to go on my elliptical after I get everyone to bed. The key is - I don't give myself the option to flop on the couch and tell myself I'm too tired. I won't do an hour if it's that late at night - but I definitely do the half hour. I've made a rule for myself: A half hour of exercise is my minimum - it's a MUST daily.

I know, you're feeling like you're going to have to rob Peter to pay Paul in order to even fit in a half hour. Well, if it seems insurmountable to fit in a half-hour chunk of exercise, don't lose hope! There's an alternative. Go to this site titled: Fast Track Your Fat Loss! 10 minute workouts that slim you down and tone all your trouble spots. http://health.msn.com/fitness/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100183101&page=1

It's a suggestion on how to work in three 10 minute segments of exercise into your day to meet your 30 minutes of exercise. Think about that...does it seem more feasible for you to split it up over your entire day instead of one large chunk? If so, go for it. What works for one person may not work for another. I need at least a half hour of exercise to make me feel an energy boost, to sweat a bit, to clear my brain, and to feel that cardio intensity. But you have to do what works for YOU. The key is to find what works personally so that you STICK to it. Only consistency and permanent lifestyle changes result in lasting improvements.

How do you overcome the time obstacle for exercise? We're all busy women - you're no different than me! What has worked for you? What hasn't worked? Your suggestions might be just what someone else needs to hear!

Weather Nixing Your Exercise?

2008-03-01T16:14:00.007-05:00

It's March 1 and in my part of the world, six inches of snow dumped overnight. And talk about cold? It was -2 degrees a few mornings ago! Trying to exercise amidst these conditions is tough, let alone finding the gumption to deal with such conditions.

Is this an obstacle for any of you? It certainly is for me. I've have to get creative when the nasty weather flies. I've become a runner again over the past two years. I thrive on it and enjoy it - immensely. BUT, at -2F, no thank you! I admit it - I'm a wuss in either extreme cold or extreme heat.

So my solution? I bought a $90 Nordic Track elliptical machine on clearance, I joined the YMCA, and I have my tried and true exercise videos. If I can't exercise in inclement weather now, then I'm just filled with excuses!

If I feel particularly wimpy about the cold, I skip the pool at the YMCA and opt for their treadmill for a run. If I don't want to venture out in a snowstorm and risk my life coming down my winding, twisting, mountain road, then I opt for my elliptical machine in my basement or a cardio video. On the rare day we get sunshine and it hits above 35 F, I might run outside or go for a power walk. (If I was a skier or a snowshoer, winter exercise would be easier!)

Is winter weather holding you back from just moving it? Does anyone else have any real-life examples and suggestions to breaking winter's grip on your exercise motivation? We have at least another month of some pretty difficult weather. Let's figure out a way to do this and jump start your spring!

Better Health = Better Quality of Life

2008-02-27T21:45:00.007-05:00

Recently, I was asked to describe my blog, or its purpose, in just a few sentences. (Did that person realize how difficult that is for a person who can taaaaaaaaaalk????)

Hmmmm. Here goes: It's not about tooting my own horn, or yours....it's about using our success stories (yours and mine) as well as our experiences to encourage and motivate women to pursue good health - to not give up hope that it IS an attainable goal! It's about focusing on improving our quality of life as women through improving our health - we become more energetic mothers, more productive workers, more fun as friends, and better lovers when we are healthy. It's not about addressing our outward appearances, but rather our entire person - fitness and health, inside and out.

Breast cancer runs in my family. I can't change my gene pool. But what I CAN change is my current health status - my weight, exercise, and nutrition. Should I ever develop breast cancer, I at least will have the comfort of knowing that I did what I could to make sure it wasn't because of my poor health habits. What a burden of regret to carry if one were to develop a life-threatening illness because of one's choices in lifestyle. In otherwords, take control of the things you can, and let go of the things you can't.....

Since there are many aspects of becoming healthy, let's focus first on getting ourselves motivated and moving. In later posts, we'll discuss food, nutrition, exercises, fitness, strategies, tips, etc. etc. etc.

For any of you who have made the journey from unfit to fit, there were obstacles to overcome in getting yourself moving - to actually getting yourselves in an exercise habit. What were your obstacles (childcare, money, time, motivation, lack of self control?) And more importantly: What did you do to overcome those obstacles???

Share your insights won't you? It just might influence someone to get off the couch!

Willie's Wisdom

2008-02-19T07:16:00.002-05:00

In a recent interview, country music icon Willie Nelson said, "Well, I have started running. What I was trying to do was do at least as much good in the daytime as I was destroying in the nighttime. But it got to the point where I was losing ground. I had to start trying to stay alive or I was going to die. So I've had to give up the smoking and drinking. And when I quit that and started running, I got a lot healthier."

Hmmm, from the mouth of Willie! My own experience (sans the drinking and the smoking to begin with!) was that running had the biggest impact on changing my body shape.

I'm not claiming everyone needing to lose weight and wanting to be healthier needs to run! But, you DO need to amp up your daily exercise from what your current routine is. If you're sedentary, walking will be enough of an "amping up" to make an initial difference. If you're used to daily walking, maybe start by increasing your pace - instead of a 20-minute mile, strive to walk a 15-minute mile. Or instead of walking 2 miles, increase to 4 miles. If you've already been doing that, amp it up some more. Change to 1/2 hour on an elliptical machine or try jogging. And jogging can be added slowly - walk 5 minutes, jog 2, walk five minutes, jog 3, on and on it goes. You get the idea. But AMP IT UP.

If you're overweight, you know full well the fat won't melt by a miracle. If you're truly honest with yourself, you KNOW it's going to take an investment in sweat and exercise - an investment in YOU. Don't be afraid of it - embrace it....it's what will lead to a healthier you! And hey, if Willie Nelson can amp up his exercise, so can you!

Here is an excellent Web site for someone interested in learning about jogging for the first time. One article is titled "From Couch to 5K Running Plan". It has all kinds of resources for new runners - or just a place to find answers to the unknown if you've never ventured into the world of jogging before. http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

Just move it! :-)

A Permanent Fix to an Unhealthy Body

2008-02-18T22:30:00.002-05:00

There is a Chinese proverb that says, "One cannot refuse to eat just because there is a chance of choking." The meaning is that you shouldn't be afraid to try something just because there is a slight chance you'll fail.

We've all heard the claim that we need to stop dieting ... and instead make lifestyle changes to our daily routines and habits. And it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know it's true - LASTING changes in our body shape and health only occur through permanent changes in our lifestyle. But how frightening does that sound? It takes us out of our comfort zone! That's why people continue to try diet upon diet upon diet. Because it seems "short-term, doable, less painful than a full-scale lifestyle change." But in reality, it's the yo-yo dieters who suffer in the long run. The goal, if reached at all, is usually short-lived. Once the diet is over, old habits and lifestyles reign again. And lo and behold, the weight and poor health come back with a vengeance.

My challenge to you is to not be afraid of failure. Yes, there's always a chance we'll fail at anything we try, but the courageous are not deterred by that chance. The only thing you have to lose if you fail, is you remain overweight and in poor health. The thing you have to gain if you succeed is an entire new life with a healthy body and a healthier future.

So get out of your comfort zone and get away from the old-school notion of dieting. Do yourself a favor and don't be afraid to "choke." Make one healthy lifestyle change today...just one. And do it for a few weeks. It could be as simple as choosing to park farther away from work, or taking the stairs to your apartment, or walking a half hour every day, or drinking an extra glass of water, or adding one fruit to your meal... Simple, small changes. Begin to feel the success. Then build upon your success - until your new lifestyle choices have become your "old" way of doing things. The only permanent changes that will occur with your body are the ones that result from lasting, healthy, lifestyle choices.

One cannot refuse to eat just because there is a chance of choking.

Determined to Succeed?

2008-02-15T20:49:00.002-05:00

Getting healthy starts with your frame of mind. Many people's journey toward better health and weightloss begins as a failed mission from the git-go.

One trainer mentioned that he could tell when a client wasn't going to succeed in her goal. When asked how he could predict that, he gave an example: During one initial evaluation with a client, she was already making excuses for the times she wouldn't be able to exercise due to her schedule, and how she couldn't stay away from certain foods because her ethnic background was such an influence on her. In the same breath, she expressed her displeasure with her weight and teared up when discussing her frustration. His claim as to the client who would succeed? The one who not only came in frustrated and discouraged about her health, but also came in determined that she was ready to do what it would take to better her life, no matter what.

Are you there yet? Are you determined to actually DO what it will take to succeed in your dreams, in your goals? No excuses? That's what success takes.

And that is exactly why I suggest you make the changes in your lifestyle slowly - initially choosing to ax only one poor nutrition habit and choosing some type of exercise to integrate into your daily routine. I can't stress this enough. The two must be joined together - better nutrition AND daily exercise. As you conquer this little bit, you can add more challenges and changes to your lifestyle....master other poor nutrition habits and intensify your exercise as time goes on. Just remember that slow and steady wins the race. Those who burst out of the starting gates at full speed with miles ahead of them will inevitably tire and lose the race. Your goal is to actually MAKE it to the finish line! Put one foot in front of the other and move forward step by step.

Need more encouragement? Read my Oct. 7, 2007 post. Go get 'em....and this time, no excuses.

Sticking to It?

2008-02-08T07:31:00.001-05:00

Well, it's February 8, over a month since the start of the new year - and all those promises you made to yourself! How are you doing? Are you encouraged by your progress? Are you remembering to join exercise WITH better eating habits? Great! Or are you feeling discouraged....have you not adhered to what you said you would do and feel like giving up?

Here's the truth of the matter. Nobody arrives to their destination without taking all the little steps it takes to get there. If I want to drive from New York to Oregon, I have to drive mile, by mile, by mile to get there. I might take a detour, I might have car trouble that slows me down, but if I keep going forward in those miles, I'll reach my destination.

So it is with your journey to better health. So, while you may hit a detour here and there, if you don't give up, if you keep chipping away at your exercise and eating habits, you will see improvement; you will get there. Perfection is impossible to maintain. You will NOT exercise every day for a year the way in which you set out to do. You will NOT keep away from that one food forever that you said was off-limits. But that is NO reason not to TRY.... it is no reason to fall off the wagon and stay on the ground! Dust yourself off, get back with the program, and continue...for YOUR sake! If you keep to what you set out to do even 90% of the time, then you're headed in the right direction!

Nobody has as much a vested interest in becoming healthy than YOU. Becoming healthy, losing weight and changing habits is NOT impossible. It's up to you.

Tip for the day: Try to eat one extra fruit and one extra vegetable today. And while you're at it, down a glass of pure, refreshing water. Here's to you!

Make Metabolism Your Friend!

2008-01-08T20:17:00.000-05:00

After you've adjusted to changing a few of your habits and exercising more, there's another thing to contemplate....metabolism!

According to Lisa Balbach, "Metabolism is the amount of energy (calories) your body burns to maintain itself. Whether you are eating, drinking, sleeping, cleaning etc... your body is constantly burning calories to keep you going.

"Metabolism is affected by your body composition. By body composition, I mean the amount of muscle you have versus the amount of fat. Muscle uses more calories to maintain itself than fat. People who are more muscular (and have a lower percentage of body fat) are said to have a higher metabolism than others that are less muscular. For example, let's say you have two people who are the exact same height and weight. One exercises on a regular basis with weights, in addition to aerobic exercise, and has a low percentage of body fat. The other never exercises and has a higher percentage of body fat. The first person who exercises will have a higher metabolism than the second person. What this basically means is that person #1's body will use more calories to sustain itself than person #2."

So, metabolism is your friend, or foe, based on how you nurture it. There are things you can do that will rev it up (hence, increasing weight loss) and things you can do that will slow it down (hence, making fat stick to you like molasses)!

Here are the top 4 ways to rev your metabolism according to AOL Body:

1. Rev up your aerobic workout: Your metabolism may stay revved up to five times longer after a vigorous aerobic workout than after an easy one.

2. Eat mini-meals: Physically, eating small amounts every two to four hours helps keep your blood sugar on an even keel and may even help your metabolism to keep burning at a higher rate.

3. Sip green tea: Researchers believe that flavonoids in the tea are responsible for a metabolism boost.

4. Have a cup of coffee: The amount of caffeine (about 135 mg) in an 8-oz cup of brewed coffee is enough to raise your metabolism for more than 2 hours. Drinking it before a workout may give you an extra kick. Caffeine may help free stored fat, so your body can burn it for energy as you exercise. (If you have high blood pressure, avoid caffeine before exercise.)

Here are the top 4 ways to sabotage your metabolism according to AOL Body:

1. Eat too few calories: When you deprive your body, it thinks you're stranded on a deserted island. The result: Your metabolism slows so you don't have to resort to eating rats to stay alive.

2. Skip breakfast: Not eating breakfast may cause your resting metabolic rate to dip by 5 percent - a small decline, but one that may creep up to a 10-lb weight gain in just a year's time.

3. Extreme stress

4. Neglecting strength training: A 10-week study of more than 2,000 women found that those who participated in a simple twice-weekly workout (20 minutes of strength training and 20 minutes of aerobic exercise) not only shed 4 pounds of fat but also regained 3 pounds of muscle they'd lost during the aging process. One set is fine, just make sure the weight is heavy enough to fatigue your muscles after the 12th rep. Remember: As you lose weight, you may also lose muscle, leading to a slower metabolism, so always remember to challenge your muscles.

There you have it - plan to make metabolism your friend! Rev up!

On Your Mark, Get Set, Go!

2007-12-27T09:35:00.002-05:00

I know, I know, all this talk about New Year's resolutions can get redundant. I personally shy away from making these resolutions because the statistics show a majority of us don't keep them - and we fail at them within a very short time of January 1!!! However, seeing as how it's a part of our culture, and a new year can indeed trigger hopeful thoughts -thoughts of new beginnings, new roads to travel, new habits to start, a year with no mistakes in it yet - it's worth discussing.

So...if you're choosing to make a resolution for 2008, plan for it. Wanting to get back into size 8 jeans, without a plan, won't magically happen. Just because you wish it, and make it a resolution, won't make it happen!!! In fact, the word resolution means: the mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute; firmness of purpose. And the word resolution comes from the word resolve, which means: to come to a definite or earnest decision about; determine (to do something).

There you have - you cannot just state that you will do something about your health for your resolution...you have to come to an earnest decision about it, be resolute in your mind about it, have a firmness of purpose, and determine to do it! That's a tall order - but very doable with the right attitude and planning!

If you've read my other posts, you know I'm a proponent of a very simple philosophy - change one poor food habit and increase your activity (exercise) daily and voila - weight loss and better health will ensue. (See my October 31, 2007 post for more detail.) It's the simple math of decreased calories plus increased activity equals weight loss. And as you begin to conquer this little bit, you'll be encouraged to conquer more!

Now, with that in mind, make your plan TODAY. It's Dec. 27, 2007. You have four days left till January 1. Use these four days to "get your ducks in a row." Gird up your mind - strengthen your mind in what your purpose is. If you've pinpointed a weak food habit - take care of that this week. Purge your pantry or refrigerator of it. Or go out and buy the better food that you're determing to introduce into your daily routine. Figure out now what kind of activity you're going to engage in...will it be walking? A videotape? An elliptical machine? Swimming? Whatever you've chosen, have everything in place and ready to go - including a realistic idea of when you can do this activity in the midst of your busy schedule and the proper clothing or footwear to do it. Gather the support and help of your family - now. Let them know that one hour a day is going to be set aside for your exercise - no compromise on it. It's not only for your own health, but for their utlimate good as well! And inform them of the food habit you intend to change - and how you're going to go about it. (Example: Under no conditions do bags of chips enter our house, or I will no longer eat after 7 p.m. so please be respectful of me and don't flaunt food in front of me after that time, or I am going to eat at least one fruit a day, so please leave one fruit in the fridge at all times for me, etc.) Plan your "work" and work you plan!

You CAN make these changes in your life lasting and permanent - you don't have to end up one of the statistics - one of those many resolutioners who are back to their old ways by January 15! If you've planned and determined how to proceed with your goal, and you've been very realistic with the steps and expectations - success is the direct result. And don't forget to attend to your WHOLE health - body, mind and spirit! You are more than skin deep...

Here comes 2008 - Bring it on!

Health of Body, Mind, and Spirit!

2007-12-20T19:51:00.000-05:00

So, it's that time of year again...just a week from January 1 and the dreaded New Year's Resolution. I'm sure there's been polls given to sample the percentage of the population that lists losing weight as the number one resolution. And I'm sure the percentage is high! That tells me two things. One, we're an obese population. Two, we are extremely focused on how our bodies look - our outward "beauty."

My counsel to my 18-year-old son? Find a woman who is beautiful on the inside first. It's not that outward beauty and inward beauty are mutually exclusive...but they CAN be! We can all list some Hollywood beauties whose lives are a mess, they appear selfish and rude, and they accomplish no "good" with their status. Their beauty is skin deep. There are other women in Hollywood who are dropdead gorgeous AND generous, kind, and responsible human beings. Each of us has the potential to both, neither, or one or the other!

So let's do something different this year - let's focus on the HEALTH of our whole being! Not just on being skinny or getting into size 8 jeans! Let's focus on the beauty of who we are as God's creations...not just as physical beings, but as emotional and spiritual beings as well. Your health goals for your body will be much easier to accomplish when you're attentive to your faith and the wellness of your mind. Notice how when one is out of kilter, it has a trickle down effect on the others...

So decide that THIS year, you will make efforts to be healthy in body, mind, and spirit. Yes, plan to exercise and choose healthier foods. Go for it. But also determine to give forgiveness and receive forgiveness, join a Bible study group, or join a local ministry to reach out to others beyond yourself. And if depression or negativity plague your mind, share that struggle with someone close to you and ask for their assistance in helping you improve in those areas. You might need to seek medical attention. Attending to your body and spirit may very well improve the wellness of your mind!

By all means, make this a year to strengthen your body, mind, and spirit. Get beyond seeing yourself as skin deep and dig to the core of who you are - your health and wellness are worth it!

Overcoming Emotional Eating

2007-12-09T21:12:00.000-05:00

It's Christmastime again, and for as much as the Prince of Peace came to bestow peace, we can feel an unusual amount of stress during this time of year! And if you're already prone to being an emotional eater, well hang on, because the next few weeks can be a time for immense overeating, causing even more stress. Or not!

According to Joy Bauer in a 12/6/07 post at TODAYShow.com, emotional eating is when emotions drive you to eat instead of hunger, usually to banish negative emotions. The triggers for emotional eating can vary: "stress, anxiety, sadness, boredom, anger, loneliness, relationship problems, and poor self-esteem." When these emotions form your eating habits instead of your stomach, it obviously leads to overeating, weight gain, poor health, and usually....guilt. Bauer lists six strategies one can use to overcome emotional eating. This will be work, indeed. But definitely not impossible! You are not a victim ... there are choices you can make and plans you can set in place. Plan your work and work your plan for this holiday season...start today!

Joy Bauer's Six Strategies:

1. Learn to recognize your hunger before you automatically pop something into your mouth. Rate your hunger on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being ravenous and 5 being full. Make every effort to avoid eating when you’re a 4 or a 5.

2. Find alternatives to eating. Prepare a list of activities that are personally appealing and handy. Perhaps go for a walk, call a friend, listen to nostalgic music (anything that brings you back to a happy time), take a hot shower or bath, clean your house, polish your nails, surf the Internet, schedule outstanding appointments, watch something on TiVo, clean your purse, organize your closet, look through a photo album, etc.

3. Keep a food journal. Logging your food will help to identify your toughest time frames. It will also make you accountable, so perhaps you’ll be less apt to reach for unnecessary food.

4. Three-food interference. Make the commitment to first eat three specific healthy foods before starting on comfort foods (i.e., an apple, handful of baby carrots and a nonfat yogurt). If after that, you still want to continue with your comfort foods, give yourself permission. However, most of the time, the three foods are enough to stop you from moving on.

5. Exercise regularly. Daily exercise relieves stress and puts you in a positive mindset, which provides greater strength to pass on the unhealthy fare.

6. Get enough sleep. Research shows that sleep deprivation can increase hunger by decreasing leptin levels, the appetite-regulating hormone that signals fullness. Furthermore, with adequate sleep, you’ll be less tired and have more resolve to fight off the urge to grab foods for comfort.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22127030/

Mindless Eating - Tips for the Holidays

2007-11-26T07:24:00.000-05:00

Yes, we've all done it. Sitting in front of a TV, at a party, at our desks in midafternoon, even at the dinner table while conversing with friends and family... mindless eating. It's not necessarily a mealtime, or even snacktime. It's just that the food is there, or we're bored, or we're socializing. And somehow, we pop in an extra 500 calories or more into our gaping mouths without a thought.

It's easy to hit 400 calories per meal. By time you have a lean piece of meat, some fruit and salad, and a whole-grain bread, you've reached it. So three meals a day at 400 calories each is already 1200 calories. Add two snacks of 100 calories each, and you're at a common dieting goal of 1400 calories per day. Now, throw some mindless eating into the equation, and that diet is suddenly in dire straits!

It is my hope to accomplish two things with this blog: The first is to give you information that will arm you with knowledge about health and fitness. The second is to actually encourage you to act upon that knowledge to revolutionize your health.

In that light, here is a Web site that has some wonderful tips to avoid mindless eating - especially during this holiday season. Plan NOW to avoid the season of overindulgence!

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21826056/?GT1=10547

Post Thanksgiving Blues

2007-11-24T10:21:00.000-05:00

Here we are ... the Saturday after Thursday's food fest. Yes, Thanksgiving is over and so is Halloween ... we're on the home stretch to Christmas and New Year's! How did you do so far? Are you sitting at the kitchen table today feeling downcast and sick to your stomach from overindulgence? If so, fear not! It's never too late to pick yourself up and change directions. I mean that! I'm proof in the pudding.

Let's forget the past few weeks and focus on the next five weeks. The weeks ahead have no mistakes in them yet. They are like clay at this point - ready to be molded and shaped the way you want. That's right ... they way YOU want. Only you can determine what you will eat and what you will do in the days ahead. The past is done, you can't change it now. But the future is open with wonderful opportunities! So ... sit down today and make a game plan for yourself. Get as detailed as your personality needs. For some, that means you only need the ideas in your head and you'll act on those. For others, you'll need to physically write down foods that you'll choose to eat, meal plans, and even time slots for exercise with a list of which exercises you'll do. How detailed you get in your plans is an individual thing - however, a game plan, regardless of it's physical formation, is essential to achieving success in health and fitness!

One thing you could try: Game plan what you will NOT eat in the coming weeks. You see, we all have poor nutrition habits of some sort. Pick one and determine to avoid it for these five weeks. That way, you'll have conquered something that's already been an issue for you instead of trying to come up with something new to do in a nutrition regime. It might be eliminating soda, or eating after 7:00 p.m., or eating more than one dessert, or snacking on junk between meals, etc. YOU know yourself.

After you've game planned the one poor nutrition habit you can eliminate these next five weeks, game plan an activity that you will commit to for these five weeks. Do you have an exercise tape you like? How about a stationary bike or treadmill? Is your climate temperate enough that you could fit in a daily walk? You will be amazed at how much holiday stress you alleviate when you've got your body moving - it increases serotonin levels which is the chemical that boosts your "happy" mood. And don't forget, you can ALWAYS incorporate smart choices into your daily life...taking stairs instead of elevator, take a parking spot at the back of the lot, getting that "thing" from across the room instead of asking your child to do it, etc.!

The one thing that will revolutionize your body shape the most is boosting your metabolism. Your metabolism is the level at which your body burns calories, and the more efficient your metabolism, the better it burns those dawg-gone calories you eat! Click on this Web site to see some great tips to revving up your metabolism: http://body.aol.com/diet/basics/metabolism-boost

It is my wish for you that you see hope for your health in these food-crazed weeks leading to Christmas and New Year's. Remember, you can't change the past, but you can certainly change the future!

Outstanding Beginner's Plan

2007-11-11T19:51:00.000-05:00

Here's a beauty of an exercise plan if I've ever seen one! It's for those of you who are real beginners to the whole exercise concept and wonder: Just HOW do I begin exercising? This plan is from Runner's World (see Web link below) and it's a very nonthreatening program to get yourself running.

First, you may wonder why I keep bringing up running? Good question! It's because in my own personal experience, running was the ONLY exercise that made a difference in my actual body shape. It not only helped me lose weight, but it reshaped and toned my body, as well as boosted my metabolism! That said, I'm sure running isn't the magical exercise. What's "magical" is finding an exercise for you that is INTENSE. At least more intense than what you're currently used to! You need to amp up your effort and work your body. That truly is the way to rev your metabolism, burn fat, and build muscle! Diet alone won't do it. A stroll through the park won't either! So find that "magical" sport - it could be swimming, power walking, an intense exercise/cardio video, rowing, bicycling.....you get the idea.

Here is the beginner program for jogging (and walking), called the 30/30 Plan, according to Runner's World:

1. You will exercise 30 minutes for the first 30 days. Walk out your door and walk 15 minutes one direction and then turn and walk 15 minutes back to where you started. (This is where I will modify their plan: exercise 30 minutes the way the program tells you - but ADD another 30 minutes of walking - or some other movement - to the program after you've finished their routine. Aim for a whole hour of exercise a day if you want to really rev metabolism and change body shape).

2. For the first 10 minutes of your workout: Absolutely no running! Only walking. For the last 5 minutes of your workout: Absolutely no running! Only walking.

3. During the middle 15 minutes of your workout: You're free to jog or run - just as long as you do it easily and don't push yourself. During these middle 15 minutes: Jog for 30 seconds, then walk until you feel recovered, jog 30 seconds again, walk until recovered, and so on. Jog, walk, jog, walk....

4. Once this has become comfortable, adapt a consistent 30/30 pattern: 30 seconds jogging, 30 seconds walking, 30 seconds jogging, 30 seconds walking, and so on.

5. If you follow this 30/30 pattern for 30 days, (and train continuously every day), you can complete this stage in a month. If you follow this routine, you will be able to cover between one and two miles walking and jogging. You are now ready to progress to the next stage.

Listen to your body. Everyone is different in their ability to adapt to exercise. You might find this routine is too slow in progressing and want to amp it up more. Go ahead! Or it may suit you perfectly as is - stick to it! Either way, you're working your way toward health!

http://body.aol.com/fitness/running/beginner-workout

Fight Global Warming AND Weight? It's a Win-Win!

2007-11-10T20:23:00.000-05:00

According to an Associated Press article by Seth Borenstein, there might just be a link between America's obesity epidemic and global warming! Experts suggest that people can fight them both by cutting calories and carbon dioxide simultaneously.

The article states: "Get out of your car and walk or bike half an hour a day instead of driving. And while you're at it, eat less red meat. That's how Americans can simultaneously save the planet and their health, say doctors and climate scientists."

Although unlikely to happen, the payoffs could be huge. One calculation indicates that if all Americans between the ages of 10 and 74 walked a half hour a day in place of driving, annual U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, the chief greenhouse gas, would be cut by 64 MILLION tons. That translates into about 6.5 BILLION gallons of gasoline saved and Americans would shed more than 3 BILLION pounds overall!!! Now those are big numbers!

According to Dr. Howard Frumkin, director of the Centers for Disease Control's National Center for Environmental Health, "A simple intervention like walking to school is a climate change intervention, an obesity intervention, a diabetes intervention, a safety intervention." Wow, that's called getting some bang for your buck!

The CDC is considering promoting the "co-benefits" of attacking global warming and obesity-related illnesses through everyday exercise (such simple things as walking to school or work).

For my family, walking to school or work is out of the question, as it is for many Americans. For those of us who live in rural areas, there is no mass transportation we can tap into, and a ten-mile walk to school or work is not feasible. At least not practical for most. (However, I do have a friend who rides his bike nine miles to and from work each way during the summer months - his workplace has showers available for its employees!) So changing our daily activities to make an impact on our health AND environment might be: commute to work with neighbors - walk to the neighbor's house to catch the ride; once in town for shopping, park in one place in a plaza and walk to all the stores instead of getting in and out of the car to drive short distances; buy in bulk to save on trips to town, and then store food in basements - where retrieving items takes effort by climbing stairs, etc.; or get permission from school districts to have a central bus stop for the children instead of stopping at each individual driveway - children can walk to the central bus stop within a reasonable distance.

Need any more incentives to improve your health? Get creative today!

10 Ways to Cancer Prevention: NEW RESEARCH

2007-11-03T10:15:00.000-04:00

The World Cancer Research Fund just released its expansive 2007 Expert Report which gathered incredible findings correlating cancer to diet, physical activity and weight. The research on cancer prevention included over 100 researchers and institutions worldwide.

A key finding in this report was the link between body fat and cancer! Fighting cancer includes maintaining a healthy weight.

Here are the top 10 ways according to the research to engage in cancer prevention. After losing my mother and sister to cancer, if there's anything within my control to fight this insidious disease, I'll do it!
How about you?!

1. Be as lean as possible without becoming underweight.

2. Be physically active daily for at least 30 minutes.

3. Avoid sugary drinks. Limit consumption of energy-dense foods (particularly processed foods high in added sugar and fat, or low in fiber).

4. Eat more variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans.

5. Limit consumption of red meats (such as beef, pork and lamb) and avoid processed meats.

6. If consumed at all, limit alcoholic drinks to two for men and one for women a day.

7. Limit consumption of salty foods and food processed with salt/sodium.

8. Don't use supplements to protect against cancer, opt for a balanced diet.

9. It's best for mothers to breastfeed exclusively for up to 6 months.

10. After treatment, cancer survivors should follow the recommendations for cancer prevention.

http://www.wcrf-uk.org/research_science/recommendations.lasso

Let's Face It

2007-10-31T07:37:00.000-04:00

If you're serious about turning your life around, about getting healthy, reshaping your body, and taking responsibility for your life and health, then you need to have a realistic view of what it will take.

The cold hard facts are that it WILL be hard and take lots of work. There is no miracle diet pill that will reverse a lifetime of poor choices. There is no miracle diet where you can "eat everything you love and still lose weight" and have it last. Until you understand that, and embrace the work involved, you won't succeed. Here are the realities to reshaping your body and taking control of your health....you CAN do it!!!

1. Let's face it, you need to get your body moving in a big way to see any visible change in your shape. Taking a 1/2 hour stroll three days a week is good, better than nothing, but it WON'T produce a drastic change in your shape. To actually build muscle and burn fat, it will take exercising about an hour a day, in a very aerobic way (you should be working out hard enough that you can still talk to someone near you, but you don't want to because of the exertion). This scares people who aren't used to exercise. But there's really nothing to fear....remember: You can build up slowly! Start with an hour of exercise a day - but make the exertion level heavy for only as long as you think you can take it, then back off until you feel you can amp it up again. But keep to an hour no matter what. Before long, you'll be finding you can keep that exertion level up longer and longer for that hour. And as you build muscle, you will begin to rev up your metabolism - you'll be amazed at how much better your body burns fat!

2. Let's face it, you will need to sacrifice and change what you're used to eating. Yes, that daily chocolate bar or bag of chips is NOT a good thing! Eating those batch of freshmade chocolate chip cookies dipped in whole milk in front of your favorite nightly TV show is NOT a good thing! Munching weekly on fried chicken from the local KFC is NOT a good thing! This is not healthy for you, nor are they positive habits. You WILL have to "give up" some poor habits - but instead of looking at it as "giving up", look at it as "learning better!" Look at it as moving in a more positive direction! Look at it as taking control of your life! You will have to make some hard evaluations here - some honest assessments. Again, you can start slow here, taking some baby steps. Change ONE poor nutrition habit. Get that down well, then begin changing another poor habit. You'll be amazed at how strong you feel when you conquer your desires and when you notice your desires change over time! Fresh fruit suddenly becomes something you crave instead of a Snickers bar. A fresh salad hits the spot over a greasy burger. Yes, that does happen - but not by chance. It takes chipping away at your weaknesses and at your lifetime of poor choices little by little. But IT'S TOTALLY POSSIBLE AND IT'S ALL UP TO YOU!

If you acknowledge that reshaping your body and taking control of your health is going to be work, and you're ready to embrace the effort and control it will take, CONGRATULATIONS! Your success is virtually guaranteed with that attitude! You are ready for the adventure of your life. Get mark, get set, GO!

True Beauty

2007-10-28T19:37:00.001-04:00

We Americans sometimes have a very warped sense of beauty. My friend, Vreni, from Switzerland taught me this - not by her words, but by her actions.

When I met Vreni, she was here for a two-year stay because of a temporary work assignment her husband, Peter, accepted here in the States. Having no English language skills, she packed up her four children and some of their belongings, and bravely crossed the Atlantic for an adventure. And oh, how blessed I was, to be included in her experience!

Vreni is one of the most brave, strong, and loving women I have ever met. But she's no striking European "beauty." She's athletic and in shape with boundless creative energy. Her youngest daughter is a Down syndrome child and Vreni never tires of the constant training, teaching, and caring for this little girl. I guess you could say Vreni is "plain." She doesn't pluck her eyebrows, spend time with designer hair styles and cuts, color her hair, wear much makeup, or bother with looking trendy with the latest fashions. It's not that she doesn't appreciate outward beauty or the use of cosmetics and fashion to enhance looks, but it's not her focus. She's beautifully plain - her life is consumed with more vital concerns.

Vreni once told me that what she noticed most in our culture was not only how overweight the population seemed, but that we seemed obsessed with "fixing" ourselves superficially. In other words, instead of taking care of the body and being active and healthy, working on ourselves from the INSIDE OUT, we spent lots of money on fixing our ourselves from the OUTSIDE IN (botox, liposuction, makeup, designer-label clothes, fad diets). She knew that a healthy body on the inside reflected on the outside!

European women tend to eat much less processed food than us, they understand moderation much better, and while they can be some of the most glamorous women in the world, they exude beauty from their health. You see, Vreni focuses on internal beauty - not the outward adornment and trappings, but the inner strength of health and character.

Being of sturdy health is important and evident in how she feeds her family and in the activities her family enjoys. Bikes are used as transportation everywhere and for "holidays," they spend their time skiing, hiking, mountain climbing. They enjoy the beauty of nature, fresh air, and handgrown gardens. Breakfast is muesli and fruit. Lunch is the bigger meal of the day, usually filled with vegetables, some fresh bread, fresh fruit, and lean meat. Supper is their light meal, sometimes consisting only of whole-grain bread and cheese. That's it! Their desserts are not nearly as sweet as ours, but delicious nonetheless. Food doesn't consume their thoughts. They seem to have a grip on eating to live, not living to eat, yet still enjoying food and the company with which they break bread.

In the midst of exhibiting a healthy body on the inside, Vreni displayed another inner beauty: character...hard work, kind-heartedness, and honesty. Not once in Vreni's two years here did she become influenced by the ads bombarding her all the way from billboards to TV: "Diet your way to being thin AND beautiful, botox and liposuction your way to a flawless physique, happiness is found in physical appearances, beauty is skin deep." No. She stayed true to understanding the big picture of a woman's beauty: her love for her family, her care and concern for their health as well as her own, her loyalty to her friends, her faithfulness to her loved ones, her talents and skills.

And what Vreni gave to me in her gift of friendship, was her encouragement to me as a woman! She wasn't put off by my outward appearance. She never made me feel uncomfortable with my weight, but she made me look at a new side to eating healthy and becoming more active. And she didn't condemn me for my choice in using makeup or fashion to try to look "beautiful," because she understood that I wasn't finding value in myself through it, just enjoying how I looked with it. But she didn't just let me be... she always focused and appreciated on who I was as a person. She complimented my parenting, my family, my new skills in knitting, my cooking, my intelligence, my faith, all while encouraging me in an active lifestyle and healthier eating by her example. She knew me. Inside. And that is the greatest gift of all. She gave me a balanced perspective of myself. Yes, I was overweight - and for health reasons (NOT beauty) - she showed me that I needed to attend to that. But more than anything, I needed a balanced perspective about myself - and one that was not skin deep. I needed to reject my culture's idea of beauty, and instead embrace a strong and beautiful inner body - in health and character.

So in your quest for weightloss, keep your perspective untainted and clear. Do not define yourself by this culture's definition of beauty! Instead, focus on the inside out, pursuing the beauty of health and character!!

12 Ways to Boost Your Will Power!

2007-10-20T21:15:00.000-04:00

There WILL be times when will power isn't enough to keep you on the straight and narrow. We all know that - we've all experienced it. It's that incredibly overwhelming, spine-tingling desire for chocolate or sweets that suddenly grips you as you come upon a Dunkin Donuts store, causing you to cut off the person beside you in your manic attempt to cross two lanes of traffic to make the entrance to the eatery...as if this is the only chance to eat chocolate you will ever have again in your life! Or the way you convince yourself that you deserve a night off of exercise because your boss yelled at you in front of your co-workers, your teen spilled soda on the keyboard of the brand-new computer, you had a flat tire on your way to little Katie's soccer practice, and Fido had trouble controlling his canine functions all day. So before "life happens", here's some tips to help boost your will power in advance:

1. If by chance you cave, and eat that candy bar or skip that workout, it DOES NOT mean you've failed and have ruined everything. All it means is that you've been reminded you are human and you've had a bad day. The next day is a new day with no mistakes in it yet! Dust yourself off and start fresh again. Just try to control the thought: "Well, I've already eaten two donuts tonight, what's three more going to hurt?"

2. When you're not sure you're feeling hungry but you feel like putting something in your mouth, try drinking a glass of water first. We are terrible at keeping ourselves hydrated, and we mistake hunger for thirst. Wait 10 minutes after the drink to see if you still feel hungry.

3. Try brushing your teeth when you feel a craving. That fresh minty breath doesn't go well with a bag of chips!

4. The earlier in the day you get in the habit of exercising, the less likely you'll find reasons to postpone and cancel the workout! And try always to have something you can fall back on when there's inclement weather - an exercise DVD, a stationary bicycle, a treadmill, etc. Remember, better health isn't all about just changing diet - it's about exercise (moving your body more), too. This can't be stressed enough!

5. When you're unpacking groceries, cut up the raw vegetables and wash the fruit before you even put them in the fridge. You'll be more apt to snack on cucumbers, carrots, grapes, broccoli, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe, etc. if they're handy and ready for when your cravings strike. I never put a watermelon or cantaloupe in my fridge until I've cut it up. I just have made it a habit to cut them up in bite-size pieces and place them in a storage container before they see the light inside my fridge! And with today's marketing, you can purchase precut veggies and fruits for those of you who wouldn't spend the time to prepare these fresh items for snacks.

6. Don't skip breakfast. I'll say it again. Don't skip breakfast! We've all heard that before, but it's true....you will want more later if you starve now. And you'll be more likely to reach for something quick and unhealthy to satisfy that hunger once it hits. By the way, coffee does not constitute breakfast! And fried hash browns and cinnamon rolls would not be a healthy choice - delicious yes, healthy, no! I'm usually not hungry in the morning, but I force myself to eat a fruit (usually a banana) and sometimes some healthy grain, like Bran Flakes or oatmeal. It's not a lot either - not a heaping bowlful - just a 1/2 cup or so to make sure I'm getting fiber, which will help me feel full longer and provides me with wonderful nutrients to fuel my body. And pleeeeeease, don't load up on sugary cereal, either. You will end up hungry in no time and have not given yourself the proper fuel to get through the bulk of the morning!

7. Drink water, and lots of it! Don't just save drinking water to avoid a craving. Drink throughout the day! Morning till night. Eight 8 oz. glasses of water is the recommended amount. It's not much if you space it throughout the day. I like to buy bottled water in the ginormous size and sip on it all day long. Then you have the goal right in front of you without counting individual glasses of H2O. This will help curb your appetite, flush impurities from your body, and even improve your skin! Look at that - an anti-aging formula right out of your sink!

8. Place your workout clothes next to the bed. You'll be less tempted to skip that workout if all you have to do is roll out of the bed right into your sneakers and slip on your clothes then and there.

9. Better yet, partner up for your exercise! My friend Tina and I would run every morning together at 6:00 while we were in college. We'd be done by 6:30 and be the first ones in the eating hall. Yes, you read that right....college girls getting up at 5:45 a.m. to hit the pavement by 6:00 a.m.! You see, we planned that on purpose. If I knew she was getting up at that ungodly hour to exercise for me, then I had better well get my buns out of bed and not keep her waiting. And she felt the same responsibility toward me. I'll tell you what - there were many a morning that burrowing under my covers would have been my choice - but knowing Tina was down the hall getting her running clothes on when my alarm went off made me get my rear in gear!

10. Pick only two things to change about your health at once. Stick to changing only one poor nutrition habit and only one thing for increasing your activity level, until you get those two things under control. Once you've conquered those two goals, you can make two more, so on and so forth. These can be as simple as "I will not eat after 7:00" and "I will park in the farthest parking lot at work," to "I will not eat products with white flour" and "I will walk 45 minutes six days a week. " The range of goals will depend on your current state of health - remember, these are individual goals, but the end result is the same - healthier bodies!!!

11. Try eating several small meals throughout the day instead of three large ones. If you keep your blood-sugar level constant throughout the day, you'll be less apt to binge. And you keep it constant by eating proper foods every few hours (sugar only wreaks havoc with this level). Proper foods would be lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, and whole grains. It might look like this: 7:00am (banana and wholegrain cereal) 10:00am (a slice of low-fat cheese and a few multigrain crackers) 1:00pm (some baked chicken slices thrown in a salad chockfull of different veggies - spinach, lettuce, cukes, tomatoes, onions - some sunflower seeds, and a small apple) 3:00pm (a small yogurt - Stonyfield is my fave because you can buy it at your local grocery store and it has the least amount of sugar and no artificial sugars - and toss some walnuts or almonds in it) 6:00 pm (a lean protein - fish, chicken, turkey, soy - steamed veggies, broccoli anyone? and some wild rice).

12. If you do eat traditional meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner), then make lunch your larger meal! If you make a mistake and eat too much earlier in the day, you still have the rest of the day to counter it with more activity. But if you binge in the evening, you'll just go to bed and wake up feeling "hippy" - literally.

You CAN do this!!! Understand your weaknesses and temptations, and confront and conquer them with well-laid! You will fall once in a while, but have the courage to get back up and try, try again.

The choices you make today determine your tomorrow!

Knowledge is Power, Right?

2007-10-09T08:28:00.002-04:00

I was once told that there's a key difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is simply being in the possession of information. Wisdom on the other hand, is not only having knowledge, but then acting upon that knowledge (information) to do the right thing. Wouldn't it make sense then that the opposite of wisdom is foolishness....having knowledge but refusing to act upon it or refusing to do the right thing with the information given?

Swallow that for a minute (it'll be the most nutritious thing you do today)! I hate to go against current trends, but I disagree with the notion that knowledge is power. Simply knowing something isn't enough! It's what you DO with that information that's powerful! I know many individuals who hold high degrees and yet they seem to make very foolish decisions in life. So knowledge per se hasn't done anything for them, other than maybe put them in a higher pay bracket at work! But it's the individuals (and not necessarily those with higher degrees!) who take knowledge and apply it that seem to benefit the most. So I think a more accurate statement is "Knowledge that is followed through with correct action is power." How's that?!

Okay, so what does this have to do with diet, fitness, health, etc.? Well, let me list a few statistics to arm you with, um, knowledge.....

1. "An unhealthy diet and physical inactivity can increase your chances of getting heart disease, cancer, stroke, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, breathing problems, arthritis, gallbladder disease, and osteoarthritis." (women'shealth.gov)

2. "Being overweight or obese accounts for 20% of all cancer deaths among women and 14% among men, notes the American Cancer Society. Plus, losing excess pounds reduces the body's production of female hormones, which may protect against breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancers. Even if you're not technically overweight, gaining just 10 pounds after the age of 30 increases your risk of developing breast, pancreatic, and cervical, among other cancers." (AOLbody)

2. "For most women, carrying extra weight around their waists (larger than 35 inches) raises health risks like heart disease, diabetes, or cancer more than carrying extra weight around the hips or thighs. Obesity can also affect medical care. Too much fat can obscure imaging tests, like X-rays, CT scans, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). For example, in an ultrasound, the beam may not be able get through layers of fat to get an image of a person’s appendix, gallbladder, or kidneys. Too much body fat can make it harder for a doctor to make a medical diagnosis and treat a patient." (women'shealth.gov)

3. Of women in the U.S. 20 years old and older, over 64 million are overweight and over 34 million are obese. Body mass index (BMI) measures obesity based on weight and height with relation to body fat. A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight, while a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese. (women'shealth.gov)

4. In 2005, the leading cause of death among women was heart disease (28.6%) and cancer (21.6%) according to Women's Health USA.

5. "Nearly twice as many U.S. adults are obese compared to Europeans, a key factor leading Americans to suffer more often from cancer, diabetes and other chronic ailments." (Reuters Health 10/2/07)

6. "Treatment of these and other chronic diseases adds between $100 billion and $150 billion to the annual health care tab in the United States. The United States spends significantly more per capita than any European country on health care, about $2 trillion annually, or 16 percent of the gross domestic product." (Reuters Health 10/2/07)

7. There is no one cause for type 2 diabetes, but it seems to run in families, and most people who get type 2 diabetes are overweight. (women'shealth.gov)

8. You can reduce your risk (of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, etc.) by eating heart-healthy foods, getting regular exercise, keeping a healthy weight, and quitting smoking. (women'shealth.gov)

Which would you rather be: wise or foolish? You now have some knowledge about women's health.......what will you DO with this knowledge???

Strong Mind Leads to Strong Body!

2007-10-07T20:29:00.001-04:00

My theory is that the first battle of weight loss and fitness is waged in the mind. Once you've conquered the mind - at least overpowered it to work for you instead of against you - then your body naturally follows. Hence, in my last post (Oct. 4, 2007), I shared with you the story of Dick and Rick Hoyt. Dick subjected himself to rigorous physical training in order to provide a dream-come-true experience for his handicapped son, Rick. This man wasn't a runner, and I don't think he really even knew how to swim. But for the sake of his son, he took the challenge of training for races, later for marathons, and then unbelievably, ironman competitions. He had to gird his mind to force his body to comply with such training; if his mind wasn't fully engaged in it, he wouldn't have succeeded!

Well lo and behold, my newspaper published a story today about the "true grit" of a local U.S. soldier who was severely injured in Iraq in September 2006, and finally returned home a few weeks ago. The incredible part of Rick Yarosh's story is not the explosion that burned and scarred his face so terribly that his nose and ears are gone, or that he rolled into contaminated water to put out his fire only to have the bacteria in the water cause cholera and skin fungus, or that his shattered right leg had to be amputated below the knee, or his hands are mutilated, or even that he's had to be away from family and friends while in Texas at a military hospital and rehabilitation for a year. No, the absolutely incredible and beautiful part of this story is this man's attitude, his strength of mind to focus on his little improvements and what he can do, instead of on the long, long difficult road ahead of him and the things he can't do. It's absolutely awe inspiring.

So once again, I'm providing a link to a story of another human being who has overcome overwhelming circumstances. And my point? To remind you that whatever problem you're facing, the battle to beating it begins in the mind! We can relate this idea to health and fitness. Once you dig down deep inside you and find a reason for WHY you should pursue better health, then conviction grabs hold and you've got half the battle won. The next step is to then move your body in an "amped up" way from what you are used to - and not leisurely for just a few days a week! Commit to 45 minutes to one hour at least five days a week! You might as well face the music now - changing your shape and health is going to be hard work. If you can accept that, then you're on the road to progress. Last, change one poor nutrition habit - and there you go, take baby steps forward toward your goal. Focus on how you're improving and not on the long road ahead of you!

Can't Get Much More Inspiration Than This!

2007-10-04T14:24:00.000-04:00

All of us need inspiration to pursue our goals at one time or another. To achieve better health, it takes commitment, hard work, discipline, and desire. After looking at these two videos, I think you'll agree that you can't find something much more inspiring than this. This is a true love story between a father and a son...a father who gives his entire self to helping his handicapped son reach his goals. The first video is a little over five minutes and the second is a little over four. If this video makes you want to grab life today, commit to something difficult, and gives you courage, then it will be the best 10 minutes you've spent this year! In your moments of weakness, remember: Anything is possible!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPSUrR3ipQc&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gm7XwtIJdM

Get off the sidelines and live life! You CAN!

Life's Not a Dress Rehearsal

2007-10-03T11:37:00.001-04:00

I don't know who originally said this, but this came through on an e-mail today and it's definitely worth repeating:

Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift, that's why it's called the present. Live and savor every moment...life is not a dress rehearsal.

Life is not a dress rehearsal. Life is not a dress rehearsal. Life is not a dress rehearsal. Got that? Such a simple statement but so profound. How many of you watch others live life (on television, in movies, in books) instead of living it yourself! How many of you wish and wish and wish for better health, to be more in shape so you have the energy and stamina to actually go out and do the things that look like fun, but don't have the courage to step out and make the changes necessary to get your wish? (By the way, wishing hard enough won't make it happen - YOU have to make it happen!)

It's possible! Yes, it is. Don't play the victim anymore. Refuse to listen to lies that hold you back from accomplishing your health goals. For some reason, we have this mentality that we can only pursue better health if we're 100% sure that we won't fail, or slip here and there. If we think we can't be perfect at our pursuit of weight loss and fitness, then we don't even try in the first place! We don't see that little steps are just as important as giant leaps!

Picture this: Getting anywhere takes placing one foot in front of the other. Sometimes we have to back track before we can go forward again. Sometimes we stand still in place and regroup. But then we march forward again. And each march forward puts us closer to our destination.

Pursuing your health goal not only starts with this kind of a journey, but it ends up being a lifelong journey. Now don't let that scare you! That's not a bad thing; it's a beautiful thing! I have come to terms with the fact that until the day I die, there will not be an "Aha, I've done it, I've arrived, I've now reached my health goal and I'm done!" You see, choosing to eat healthy, choosing to exercise, choosing to LIVE my life instead of watch others live it is a daily decision. Daily. And you know what? That's a blessing. As I look at individuals who struggle with handicaps and illness, I realize what a blessing and opportunity I have to be able to use my two good legs, and two good arms, and healthy heart and muscles. Let me be a good steward of them (see my 8/28/07 post)! And for those individuals struggling with handicaps or illness, being in the best possible health you can be in is even more vital.

Life is not a dress rehearsal. This is the real show. Now go live it!

Lose a Jeans Size in Four Weeks???!!!

2007-10-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

I just found a site for those who want more structure in their quest to drop a jeans size...and a support group to boot. I tend to be more of a loner, and I need flexibility. But there are those who thrive on a community of fellow fitness hounds and who desire a list of "to dos". If that fits you, check out this Web site sponsored by Fitness Magazine. It's a national challenge to lose a jeans size in four weeks.

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/ycdi/?psrc=fitycdihp

I ask you to remember one thing: Pleeeeease keep more focused on your overall health than on the number on your jean's tag. Go ahead and glean from the site ways in which you can incorporate healthier choices into your everyday life. Exercise must be one of your priorities as well as healthier food choices. (Don't let the idea of exercise intimidate you - just start moving your body every day in a manner that's "amped" up from what you're used to!) And maybe this challenge is just what you need to jump start your motivation for change.....

And again - You CAN do it! :-)

Lies, Lies, and More Lies!

2007-09-30T21:49:00.000-04:00

Admit it, you're lied to several times a day, if not a hundred! And by who? Yourself! Yes, that's right, and even worse, you listen to those lies and eat them right up - pun intended!

Here are just five lies we tell ourselves which discourage us from reaching our health goals, or from even stepping out in faith to start the journey in the first place! Once you realize you've been lied to, you can then step out in truth! And from this day forth, see if you can pinpoint other lies as they pop into your mind...

1. LIE: You really can't do this. Who are you kidding? You've tried a zillion diets before. You're just too fat, too beyond help. You just need to live this way.

TRUTH: You CAN do this. If you've ruled out health issues (thyroid, pituitary tumors, etc.), then it's possible to achieve weight loss, but even more importantly, it's possible to achieve better health! Here's a scientific fact:
decreased calories (better nutrition) + increased exercise = weight loss (better health).
Follow the formula and you're a winner!

2. LIE: I just want to lose some weight so all I have to worry about is restricting my food.

TRUTH: The reality is you can choose to only restrict your food intake and not necessarily make more nutritious choices, and choose not to implement exercise into your life. And you might lose some weight. But two things will occur: You won't keep the weight off (it'll come back, and usually with a vengeance!) AND you haven't improved your health. To be truly healthier, there should be an increase in your cardiovascular endurance; a building and strengthening of muscle; and good nutrition pouring into your body to feed it efficiently, to regulate your blood sugar levels, to give it a wide array of minerals and vitamins, and to provide the types of foods which will benefit your digestive system.

3. LIE: I tried to watch what I eat and I even moved my tush for three weeks, only to lose a measly 1 pound. It's just not worth it.

TRUTH: ANYTIME you do something healthy, it's worth it!!! Whether you see the pounds come off or not, you're better off exercising and eating healthier foods than if you didn't!! You strengthen your heart, build muscle, and build endurance. It's a win, win. If you have this attitude, you won't lean toward discouragement over slow weight loss because your focus will be overall health, and not just numbers on the scale! Eventually, you'll retrain your metabolism and you will lose weight on your journey to better health. Just persevere!

4. LIE: I'm not that bad. Sure, I'm bummed I can't fit into my favorite jeans, but it's okay.

TRUTH: While that may be the truth for some of you, for the majority of us, it's just an excuse to put off hard work. And deep down, we are very bothered and sad that we've let ourselves get into this state. Honestly, but realistically, assess how you feel about your overall health and weight. It seems as if we were young and fairly in shape and then BAM, one day we woke up, and found ourselves 30, 40, 50 + pounds heavier than in our youth! Just like that! But it wasn't overnight; it was ever so insidiously gradual like the frog in the boiling water. We became acclimated to each 5- and 10-pound gain, until we're where we are today. Change IS hard. Exercise IS hard. Modifying what we love to eat IS hard. Yes, yes, and yes. But don't focus on what's hard and run from it. Focus on what's right and good for you, and then do it!

5. LIE: I'll just start buying low-fat, sugar-substitute foods to achieve weight loss.

TRUTH: Yes, those things can help you get over hurdles if you find you will cheat if you can't have something sweet, etc. However, in the long run, if we're talking health - those things don't constitute nutritional food - and you have slyly found a way to get your cake and eat it too! However, it won't work. You haven't changed your mind or your body to focus on nutrition and health - you've only tried to fool it by "substituting" one bad thing for a lesser bad thing. Please don't forget the importance of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, low-fat dairy, grains, legumes, and even water! And I'm not talking artificially flavored water either! Just pure, plain, refreshing water. Don't get caught up in the "diet" mentality where you're filling your body with artificial sugars and flavorings just so you can say you're eating low-fat and "no sugar"! Permanent weight loss and better health will occur when you're willing to put value on nutrition and exercise.

Go ahead. Grab hold of the truth, reject the lies, and start your journey toward health today!

Plan Ahead: How to Stay on Track During the Holidays!

2007-09-20T07:12:00.000-04:00

The holidays are looming ahead, and we all know what that means..... FOOD FEST! EAT TILL YOU BUST! Believe it or not, it all starts sooner than Thanksgiving...it starts so innocently with Halloween. You know... that innocuous pillowcase bag of goodies that Johnny brings home from trick or treat? Before you can even tuck little Johnny into bed after his sugar high, his goodies turn into your temptation's worst nightmare! You hear screaming coming from the bag: "Chooooocalllllllate here! Choooooocallllllate - free for the taking!" And suddenly, you have an out-of-body experience as you hear yourself telling Johnny not to worry about his bag, "I'll put it in a good and safe place for you so nobody gets into it. " You can almost hear yourself cackle with laughter like the 10-year-old witch who came knocking at your door earlier in the evening! Of lesser significance, but equally tempting, are the bowls of candy corn and chocolates your skinny co-worker places next to your computer this time of year, let alone the treats you need to make for Johnny's third-grade class!

Only a few weeks later is Thanksgiving. Yep, cooking and baking and baking and cooking - and a little, or a lot, of test-tasting along the way! Apple pies, pecan pies, pumpkin bars, carrot cake, zucchini bread, sugar cut-out cookies... (by the way, some of the listed desserts contain fruits and vegetables - they do NOT constitute a healthy serving of either!!!!!) The actual day is filled with indulgence - gorging yourself until you sit at the table with the button to your pants undone. Of course, sitting around the table visiting isn't exercise. So it's a double whammy. And if you have friends and relatives who travel a distance to your home, then you will spend the next few days continually preparing yummy treats for your guests, with the visiting revolving around eating, LOTS!

Lo and behold, the Christmas season pounces upon us immediately after Thanksgiving. Not only is the day itself another feast-laden event, but the weeks leading to it are inundated with Christmas dinner parties, work parties, Christmas baking, Christmas cookie exchanges, co-workers being generous with their homemade concoctions, cocktail parties, etc. etc. etc.

Let's top it all off with New Year's Eve and New Year's Day - just to plunge the knife in a little deeper and give it a twist! The average person gains 10 pounds during the holiday season. Ten pounds! That's a whole dress size!

The POSITIVE part of all this - is it doesn't have to be this way!!!!! You can stop the holiday-binge cycle that you're used to. We've all done it. It's part of American holiday tradition! Food, food, and more food. Sit and watch football, sit and visit, sit and eat. But you can start NEW traditions. A new way of celebrating holidays. And the beautiful thing about that? You can start teaching your children, by example, a better, healthier way to manage the holiday season!

You may be thinking, "Gee whiz, it's only the end of September and we're talking holidays already?" But remember, this battle for a healthier you is waged in the mind first. Take the time NOW to plan, to organize, and prepare yourself for the season that will be here before you can say, "Snickers!" With that, let's get down to the nuts and bolts. What exactly can you do to arm yourself against this holiday onslaught??? Here's some fab Web sites with great ideas:

http://www.netwellness.org/healthtopics/diet/nutribyte2003dec.cfm

http://www.ynhh.org/online/nutrition/advisor/holiday_eating_tips.html

http://www.thedietchannel.com/Holiday-Eating-How-To-Avoid-Gaining-Weight-During-The-Holidays.htm

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

2007-09-17T14:46:00.001-04:00

Fall is here in my part of the world. The nights are cold, hoodie sweatshirts are perfect attire for the day, crackling bonfires light the weekends, and the leaves are holding their annual colorfest. So as I see this change in season, it reminds me that winter is around the corner. And with winter, the dreaded New Year's Eve resolution.

I HATE New Year's Eve resolutions! I understand the rationale....a new beginning, a new chance to start over, a new outlook on life. I've held several of my own. Aside from the statistics that show the majority of us don't stick with those resolutions (including myself!), I think there's something to be said for NOT feeling forced to make a change in our lives just because everyone else is! Hopefully, we should act upon changing when the need is there - not wait for a particular time of the year to fit it in!

That said, don't put off tomorrow what can be done today! If you've been feeling the need to change your fitness and health habits, do it NOW. Don't wait for January 1. There truly IS no time like the present. Start slow - don't conquer the world in one day - but by all means, start! Quit beating yourself up for your past mistakes, for making past decisions that put you where you are today, and instead, grab hold of today and tomorrow. Choose today to continue living the way you have in the past, or make a course correction and grab hold of a different future.

My father used to say that I could have the "world by it's tail." That I could "do anything I wanted." To an extent, some of that is true. So why not grab hold of the true part?! Yes, we all make daily decisions. So take those daily decisions you make, in particular those having to do with your fitness and health, and begin to make different ones - better ones. Again, you don't have to conquer this mountain at once. Mt. Everest is climbed by putting one foot in front of the other. Choose ONE thing today that you will change in your lifestyle choices, and DO it. Do it that way today, tomorrow, and the next. Think simple things: Take the stairs instead of elevator. Park farther away in the parking lot; don't waste 10 minutes circling for that close spot when you could walk for only two minutes from a further spot. Don't put food in your mouth after 7 p.m.....not even popcorn or cereal! Drink an extra glass of water than what you're used to. Pack a bag of carrots in your lunch. Walk 30 minutes. Hide the remote or better yet, give it to a neighbor for a set amount of time for safe keeping, but tell them not to give it to you, even when you come begging with a plate of brownies as a bribe! And when you feel you've made your one change well enough over a bit of time, pick the next modification you can make. On and on it goes, until over time, you realize that you have indeed kept to a "resolution." Remember, slow and steady wins the race!

One other word of encouragement: Try picking one "food/nutrition" habit and one "exercise/get your body in motion" habit to modify. That way, you'll work on both aspects of health (nutrition and exercise) to produce a healthier YOU.

START TODAY!

Run a 5K??? YES! You Can!!

2007-09-12T14:28:00.000-04:00

Depending on your current fitness level, running a 5K may sound insurmountable. The important thing is to honestly assess your potential and plan accordingly. If you've been leading a sedentary lifestyle, and you're 25 + pounds overweight, your immediate goal will have a softer edge. The goal might be to start walking 20 minutes a day. After a few weeks, increase to 30 minutes and so forth. Keep doing that, and you WILL get to the point where running a 5K is totally possible!!! For those of you who have been moderately active, running a 5k is a goal you can reach for right now. No more waiting. No more excuses! What I think about is the feeling I'll have after I complete such a goal: confidence, achievement, success. Great, great feelings. But for most of us, we wonder how do we go from walking a few days a week to actually competing in a 5K race? Well, there's LOTS of information on the Web to help you. I want to start equipping you find the information you'll need to motivate yourself, to encourage yourself, and to give you ideas into the health world that you never thought about before!

This first Web site is great! It's all about how to train and get yourself to the point that you're fully capable of running in a 5K race:

http://health.msn.com/dietfitness/runningarticlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100166036

This second link is a "running" Web site - with loads and loads of great information! But it doesn't just discuss running itself.....there are tabs to click for info on "motivation", "nutrition & weightloss", and "training" among a few.

http://www.runnersworld.com/0,7118,,00.html

Go ahead, I dare you. Take the plunge. Get more knowledge about what you can do to get healthier in both nutrition and exercise, and then DO IT. Give yourself the knowledge you need to succeed. You can do it!!!

Thoughtlife Leads to Action!

2007-09-11T13:13:00.000-04:00

Okay, here we go again....let's repeat something worth repeating: Getting healthy begins in the mind! Your body will follow whatever your mind tells it to do. And it's not just with exercise or eating healthier, either. Refraining from using your credit card, biting your tongue before someone bites you back, or writing those thank-you cards from last Christmas....all these things CAN be done. But it's a matter of WILL they be done. Will your mind play the game of convincing you why you shouldn't, or can't do such things? If so, you've got the battle of the mind going on. You act upon your thoughtlife. Let me say that again: YOU ACT UPON YOUR THOUGHTLIFE. Therefore, where do you allow your thoughts to go? You're not a victim! You can give into certain thoughts, or fight them. So in honor of that idea, I thought it would help to make a list of ways to motivate yourself to exercise and strive for health. Please refer back to this over, and over, and over as needed.

You CAN do it! Hit this link to read about some great ideas (keep in mind this article is geared toward men, but the principles listed can be applied to all).

http://health.msn.com/dietfitness/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100169435&GT1=10412

Need Motivation?

2007-09-03T20:39:00.000-04:00

If you're looking at this blog, you've shown that you have an interest in your health...and most likely, this isn't the first time a "weightloss" article has caught your eye. Maybe you've struggled for years with trying to lose weight. Maybe you're prone to those magazines in the grocery aisle that claim "Lose 20 lbs This Week Without Giving Up Your Faves". If so, let me encourage you.

First, congratulations on acknowledging you need to do something different in your life as far as your health goes. Being aware of a problem is the first step toward solving it!

Second, you need to begin evaluating exactly what your problem is! And it's easy here to gloss over reality. "But I exercise every day for 30 minutes"....except for when I'm too tired to do it one day, or the babysitter fell through so I couldn't do it today, or I started my period yesterday so I skipped it... You get the picture. We generalize and tell ourselves that our eating habits aren't that bad or that we indeed move our bodies. But if you're overweight, outside of some health issue such as a thyroid condition, then you probably aren't being totally honest with the reality of your daily habits. So, if you're painfully honest with yourself, do you have a problem with eating before bed, or eating too much fast food, or drinking three sodas a day, or eating mostly processed foods - rarely fresh or raw foods, or eating until you're stuffed, or choosing portion sizes fit for a king, or eating all your kids' leftovers for fear of "waste not, want not", or driving in a parking lot for 15 minutes waiting for a close parking spot, or waiting for an elevator for five minutes when stairs would only take two, or finding after dinner, you mostly enjoy your remote control for company until bed? Be brutally honest here. So what if the answer doesn't cast you in the best light? YOU'RE the only one asking the question, so YOU'RE the only one who needs to know the answer! But it's imperative you evaluate yourself....you can't make improvements if you don't know where to improve!

Third, resist the "easy" way out. Those advertisements promising weightloss while still being able to eat all your favorite foods... C'mon, you're not that gullible are you??? Or ads telling you to take one pill a day and watch the fat melt off? Let's engage the brain. There is an order to our human bodies, a logical, scientific way our bodies operate. Here's a formula: Decreased calories + exercise/movement = weightloss. OR: Change one poor eating habit + exercise/movement = better health. Simple. It's not a glitzy slogan and it involves self-discipline, so it's a hard sell. But it's truth. Don't lie to yourself any more. Be willing to embrace truth, and once you've discovered truth, act upon it. You didn't get in your unhealthy state overnight - and you're not going to get your health back overnight. Be patient, but be true to yourself.

Fourth, let me encourage you to focus on the big picture. Don't be deceived into the tunnel vision of the weightloss mentality. Set your sights and your goal on improving your health! If you're only concerned about weightloss, you'll load up on diet sodas and eat processed "nonfat" cookies, and be tempted to skip exercise since you're eating "nonfat" foods, etc. If you focus on health, you'll begin to be discerning in what you choose to put in your mouth....you might pass on a diet soda in lieu of a water. You might choose whole-wheat toast instead of white. A big bowl of strawberries might suffice for dessert instead of "nonfat, low-sugar" ice cream. AND, you'll still realize the value of moving your body (exercise) since that is part of the equation to a stronger, healthier body.

Fifth, you CAN do this. Every year, there are thousands of women who begin to take control of their health and change their lives for the better. They say no to lying to themselves about the reality of their daily habits and they begin to show respect for themselves by caring for their bodies. The impetus for change is different for each woman - but something clicks within that causes the desire and motivation to make a lasting change. For me, it was my mother's and sister's death. For you, it might be not being able to keep up or play with your children, maybe your children's friends have made comments about their mommy, maybe you're beginning to experience health problems and realize it's because of choices you've made in the past, or maybe it's as simple as seeing age taking it's toll on an out-of-shape body. Again, the reasons will vary, but you need to dig down deep within yourself and find the reason why it is worth making this effort toward a lasting change. If you have to, write it down, post it on the mirror in the bathroom, or on your scale. Remind yourself as often as necessary WHY you need to better your health...

Respect yourself! You are valuable and worth the effort!!!!!

Be a Good Steward of Your Body

2007-08-28T12:18:00.000-04:00

What does being a good steward of anything mean? It means taking care of, being responsible for, the well-being of what is in one's charge. To be a good steward of one's finances means handling one's money/spending wisely and responsibly. So to be a good steward of one's body, means taking care of one's health and well-being to the best of one's ability.

We've been blessed with life. And every decision we make affects our lives. Whether we choose to smoke, drink, drive drunk, overeat, work too much, sleep too little, etc. Likewise, we have choices like eating moderately, exercising, being active, saying no to drugs, balancing our work life, etc. Choices. You reap what you sow. A farmer who plants pumpkin seeds does not grow apple trees. Someone who eats too much, eats junk food, and isn't very active, will reap a body that is out of shape, heavier, and unhealthy in the long run. Only you can be the steward of your body. And you can choose to be a good steward or a poor steward.

If you're discouraged by your weight and shape, ask yourself what kind of steward you have been! And be honest with yourself. It is NEVER too late to change. You can make little modifications to your lifestyle that make you a better steward of your body... you don't have to start with being the best. As you get better at making smart choices in taking care of yourself, you'll be encouraged to continue improving your stewardship!

Remember: You reap what you sow........

Why "Just Move It?"

2007-08-22T22:13:00.000-04:00

Why is this blog titled "Just Move It?" Well, if you read about me, you know that I'm a 40-something mother of six. Yes, I've struggled with being overweight and out of shape. Five of those children were born in seven years, with the last one born a little over three years later. That'll do a number on a body! I oughtta know!

I was in track in high school and I jogged throughout college to stay in shape. But once I had my babies, jogging again just didn't materialize. I walked. I joined clubs and took part in classes. I did a few videos. But the last 10 pounds of each pregnancy's weight gain stuck like glue on a preschooler's finger! Yuck. And my appetite grew as well. How do you turn down those last delectable, salty fries your child just can't seem to finish? Times six? Or those ice cream cones that just need a little cleaning up? "Here honey, let Mommy just lick it a bit to clean it up for you. We wouldn't want it melting all down your face, now would we?" Oh yeah, the weight stuck.

I remember distinctly one day crying over my weight. Of course, that was after I had eaten a Snickers bar and then immediately regretted it. My husband came up with some words of wisdom: Either learn to be happy with the way you are and get on with living, or change your life and do something about your weight. Humpf, like I wasn't trying to do something about it?! What about all the walks in the neighborhood? The stupid diet foods in the freezer? And my stash of cookies and Little Debbies hidden in the pantry's top shelf in the back behind the tea tray? Ooops, busted.

Still more years went by with the same woes and complaints. And as I saw fit women, I consoled myself with thoughts of, "Well, she hasn't had SIX children." Or, "But she's not pushing 40." Or, "Sure, if I had all the money in the world to hire a trainer I could be fit, too." Or finally, "Let them try taking care of a household of eight, homeschool, deal with three teenagers, and keep a professional part-time job and see if they could fit in time or energy for any significant exercise!"

Finally, it took two tragedies in my family to wake me up to the significance of my overweight state and the fact that if I didn't do something to change it NOW, I would only be in further ill health as I got older. The first was when my sister succumbed to breast cancer at the age of 43. Younger than I am today. It made me look at reality. My grandmother died in her 30's from breast cancer, as did my aunt, and now it was my sister's turn in her early 40's. Hmmmm. You'd think I'd have changed my habits right then and there. A little bit, yes, but significantly? No. Seven years later my mother passed away from lung cancer. Okay. Wake up call again. This time it took. My mother was a petite woman. Only 4'11", maybe 5'0", and about 100 lbs soaking wet. But she wasn't healthy. She drank too much coffee, smoked, and while she was active when younger, she didn't exercise. Good lesson for my daughters: Just because you're thin DOES NOT mean you're healthy! And our goal should be HEALTH. And as I watched my father have to care for her the last decade of her life, I realized that if I continued in poor health, MY husband would be having to take care of me at a time when we should be enjoying the grandchildren and the slow pace of life!

Then and there, at my mother's funeral, I made a decision. You see, the battle begins in the mind. Think about anything that is difficult in life. Any temptation, any weakness, any decision to do something. The mind has the power to say, "Yes, go for it, you can do it." Or, "What are you thinking? You've lived like this happily enough. It's just too much work to change."

So I evaluated how I had failed in my health after having children and decided to change only two things. That would be doable. It's too hard to stick to something when you have 10 or 20 items you need to totally revamp in your life. First, I would change just one poor nutrition habit. I chose to cut out white flour to the best that I could. I'm such a sugarholic that if I told myself I couldn't have sugar, I would just binge and want it all the more (see, the battle is in the mind)! But cutting out white flour didn't just mean desserts (think about pastries, cakes, Little Debbies, etc.) but it also meant changing to whole-wheat or multi-grain pastas, breads, crackers, etc. Secondly, I would exercise one hour a day for at least six days a week (I gave myself a three-month reevaluation goal). But I had to amp up what I was used to. I had been walking for years and years without any noticeable change to my shape. That's when I decided to jog again. Sure, I could only jog five minutes when I started this crazy plan of mine, and so I would have to walk the remaining 55 minutes. But within three months, I was jogging five, six, eight miles a day. I just increased little bit by little bit - with the clock being my friend. Get that hour in no matter what. Once I was increasing my mileage, I was easily going over the hour, sometimes jogging and walking for 1 1/2 hours! I am now 30 pounds lighter and have kept the weight off for over a year. And remember, this wasn't about losing weight as much as about getting fit, getting healthy. That's why I joined the exercise with the nutrition! And after all this, I think a large part of the transformation of my shape was from just moving this tush in an intense enough way that I worked up a sweat and got my heart pumping for a significant amount of time every day. Hence, "Just Move It!"