Where ya' been?

Hi! This is Deanne's cousin Darla. She graciously offered once for me to post a blog on her Losing It site. And to be honest, I wasn't really sure what I'd say if I did.

But I do have a tip and Deanne is always the one with the great tips. I'm just so excited that I finally have a tip (that I'm sure she has known about forever but it's new to me), so here goes.

First thing is that I went back to the gym today. I say back because it's been awhile. The weather here in Houston has been as near perfect as it gets and so when I ran, I hit the bike trail by our house. (And to be totally honest, I only ran twice, so don't be impressed or anything.)

Today...even though it is gorgeous outside....I headed indoors. The treadmill pushes me harder than I do myself so it's good for me to go run there. When I arrived I got the dreaded...."Hey! We haven't seen you for awhile." I was both happy on the one hand that they knew who I was and embarrassed on the other that they knew I hadn't been there.

And of course I felt obligated to tell them where I'd been and so I mentioned the whole "running outside because it's such beautiful weather" thing.

And then I got my tip. You see, the fitness trainer/employee told me that running is great and important and necessary...in fact, he said cardio is the most important. But...and here is the tip...he said when you run you only burn extra calories for two or three hours after you finish your run. But he said that when you combine it with strength/resistance training you will continue to burn additional calories for as long as you are sore.

And that's good news for me. Because I decided to do some resistance bands to work on my arm strength. And I'm planning on being very, very sore tomorrow...so the calories will keep burning for several days! At least that's my plan.

And then...hopefully the next time I post...I can tell you about my own weight loss success story.

Three cheers for being sore!!!

Haters

You know how I feel about negative people. Don't have much time for them personally. More importantly, I don't understand it.

Valerie Bertinelli showed a lot of guts wearing a bikini on the cover of People Magazine last week. Anyone approaching the age of 50, irregardless of what their body looks like, shows a lot of guts wearing a bikini - period. For me, past a certain age, wearing a bikini falls into the category of "just because you can does not mean that you should".

42 and 9/10ths years is way past that point.

But, more power to her. I think it takes a lot for these celebrities to publicly attack their weight and lifestyle challenges. They live in a world where appearance is everything and to admit that you've been weak and are now taking control again is a major feat.

So I was very dismayed when I read the mailbag in this week's People. While most of the letters were very complimentary there was one that expressed her disdain with the celebrities who have personal trainers and special food delivered to their door. Made it sound like it was a breeze under those circumstances.

Yes, those things can help. But it is still up to the person to follow the program.

We know that weight can be lost without those things. All of us are living proof. Yes, it took me longer to lose my 50 pounds than it did her to lose her 43, or Marie Osmond her 45, and so on. I liked doing it this way because I felt like I was making the right changes in my overall lifestyle. The focus stayed on my overall health not just the number on the scale or the size on my clothes lables. I made the choices, did the research, and took ownership of my decisions.

But some people need the structure of the Jenny Craig program, or NutriSystem, or Weight Watchers. Some people need "forced discipline". They don't want to disappoint that trainer so they make their appointments and they try their best. Or they don't want to feel like they are wasting money so they follow through with what they signed up for.

Either way, you should be supportive of anyone's efforts to improve their health. Whether or not they follow the same path as you. And no one should think it is an easy process under any circumstances. It isn't.

I really felt sorry for that woman who wrote the letter. My guess is that she wishes she was in better health and so far has not been successful in making the right changes. But she shouldn't be so negative towards someone's success.

She is being a hater. And haters are just ugly. And ugly doesn't improve as the scale goes down. That has to be changed from the inside out. It takes a whole lot more than diet and exercise.

A lot more.

YEA!!!

I get excited when others get excited! I just got a comment about a 4.6 pound loss this week by someone who has been reading our support group blog.



And I had no idea she was reading it.



The other day one of our contributors told me she'd lost about 9 or 10 pounds herself. She hasn't posted it so I'm going to "out" her.



THIS is why I keep trying to find more and more people to join in. We can motivate and support each other. Sometimes we don't even know we are doing it.



I never wanted it to just be "my blog". It has always been about the whole group and whoever else we can drag in.



This excites me. It is less about what I'm doing for myself right now but how I (WE) can help others do for themselves. I know I'm rambling, but that is what I do sometimes, especially when I get pumped up!

SO - YEA for everyone out there that is trying to adopt a healthier lifestyle. I know you will succeed! YEA for us!

Variety is the Spice of Life

Remember, workouts don't have to be boring! And doing the same thing every day will actually lull your body into complacency and it will stop working as well.

I was in a hotel earlier this week and used the fitness room. At first I went to my old standby - the treadmill. But this treadmill had SERIOUS issues so I hopped off and jumped on the elliptical machine. 20 minutes later I was toast! Different muscles, different effort. But it felt good. A little sore later in the day, but totally worth it.

With the weather getting so nice, and it isn't brutally hot - yet, use this time to vary your workouts. Get outside and soak up the sunshine while you run, or walk the dog, or garden. Your body will thank you.

At least it will eventually.

Tip for Today #10

Remember - even baby steps are still steps forward.

GOOOOOOAAAALLLLLL!

OK, it may be a little early for this post but I'm excited. According to the Wii, I am 1.3 pounds away from my original goal. 53 pounds, set over 2 years ago. I know I could rebound a little and it may take me a little longer to get there but it IS in sight.

As much faith as I have in myself, I have to admit that having only lost 5 pounds since January I was beginning to think I was done. And I was fine with that. Losing 48 or 49 pounds is beyond wonderful and so what if that was all. I haven't seen numbers like that on the scale since probably college or right around the time I got married.

But I got a little kick last week when I first tipped over that 50 pound mark. I sent my sister a text. But I didn't want to say too much because, like I said, I know my history and my patterns. My body will bounce up and down with the same 3 pounds for a while and then drop 3 or 4 and then go through the same thing with that group of 3 or 4 pounds. I may hover at 52 pounds for a month before I drop that last one.

But I'll get there. I can see it. And with a lot of added stresses in my life right now I haven't been working at it very hard but I know that it is a result of the lifestyle changes that I've made over the last 2 years. I no longer have to think about things because they are automatic now. I've surrounded myself with good food choices and I think before I eat and when I need to let things go I do so without guilt. (That was yesterday coming back from LSU. A Wendy's premium fish combo - mmmmmm. Probably a day's worth of calories but it was good! Sometimes you gotta have a day like that.)

So, this is not out here to brag but I hope to inspire. I was 40 years old when I started this so I don't believe in using age as an excuse. I was a diagnosed diabetic and more than 50 pounds overweight which put me in the obese category. And I'm the world's pickiest eater.

I had a lot of things working against me. But I did it. No tricks, no shortcuts, no pills, no easy way out. Lots of hard work, support, dedication and a true desire to make a change.

Everyone out there can reach their goals. You've just got to set them. Work towards them, and, as I've said before: NEVER GIVE UP!!

Now, go have a great day!

Rock Those Abs!

Well, Denise Austin beat me on this one. I've been wanting to post this tip for a while but kept putting other things ahead of it. I learned this my first year going to HealthQuest and have tried to keep it in the back of my mind because it really does work. So, here is her newsletter for today. She says it better than I could anyway.

Is getting a flat stomach one of your fitness goals? If it is, I'm going to let you in on a little secret: You can work your ab muscles all day long and achieve great results - just by going about your daily life! By paying attention to your posture and pulling your abs in tightly, you'll be giving your abs a continuous workout for hours at a time.

Does it sound too good to be true? Well it isn't! You may think that sexy abs can only come from doing hundreds of crunches a day, but you'll achieve more noticeable results much more quickly simply by standing up straight and tucking everything in.

Give it a try right now! Sit or stand up super straight. It might help to imagine that there's a string attached to the crown of your head and it's pulling your whole body upward. Picture your spine getting straighter and longer. You'll soon notice that your hips automatically tuck under and your tummy squeezes in - quite the opposite of how your stomach protrudes when you're slumped over.

Standing upright like this works your abs - and, if you can keep it up all day, just imagine how 16 hours of ab work will strengthen your core! Even better than that rock-hard stomach you'll achieve will be the way you look slimmer and more confident with that excellent posture. Go for it!

Now, with shoulders back and tummy tucked in, go have a great day!

Raising the Bar

I have noted before that one of the things that I don't like about going to Health Quest or watching shows like the Biggest Loser is that they set up competition among the participants. To me, we should only be competing with ourselves. Pushing ourselves to make us better, healthier, stronger.

But I recognize that some people like that competition. They need a goal. Something they can aim for and beat.

So, in that vein and that vein only I pose the following, just in case anyone is interested. The Wii soccer points this morning: 490.

The bar has been raised.

Recipes

Here is something I never thought I'd say. My sister and I talked recipes last weekend.

Really.

Truly.

You see, cooking is really not her thing. Matter of fact, I received an email earlier this week that said "Sit down before reading". She had made meatballs - homemade ones! She was most pleased and you know they were good because the almost 16 year old human garbage disposal that lives in her house loved them.

Anyway, it got me to thinking of adding an element to the blog. Sharing recipes. If I can figure out a way to make it easier I will but for now I will just post them in a regular blog. Since I get copies of all comments emailed to me if anyone wants to leave a recipe in a comment box I will copy and post it in the blog - with full credit going to the owner, not to me.

Here is Andrea's contribution. Please correct me if I get it wrong.

Apple Snacks

Start with two multi-grain tortillas. Spread on a layer of peanut butter (she uses natural but I'm allergic so I'll stick to my low sugar variety). Slice up an apple (she says you can also use a banana) and lay the slices on the peanut butter. Drizzle with honey. Roll up like a burrito and eat!


Here is something that I've come up with. It is very customizable so the ingredients will vary.

Dinner Pouches

I've made these with both chicken breast and salmon.

Take a large piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper. Spray with a little non-stick cooking spray in the middle.

Take a thawed skinless boneless chicken breast and slice into long strips and then cut the strips in half. If you use salmon just leave it as the fillet that you bought. Throw the strips in a large bowl.

Slice up your favorite vegetables - I've used onions, bell pepper, tomato, potato. Would also be great with carrots, squash, zuccini, whatever like. With carrots and potatoes be sure to cut the pieces small. Toss into the bowl with the chicken strips. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Add salt, pepper, and other seasonings that you like (Cajun, Italian, Greek, Jamaican, etc.) Toss it all together to spread the olive oil and seasoning. Spoon into the center of the foil. Bring together the sides along the top and roll down. Roll the ends up to seal. Leave a little room along the top between the foil and the food for the steam to work around. Put the packets on a cookie sheet and bake for about 30 minutes at 375 degrees. Salmon will take a little less time usually.

This is a healthy preparation with a good oil. When ready to serve you can either pour off the juices or serve in a soup plate to catch the juice. You have your meat and veggies all in one place. To clean up, just toss the foil in the trash. They can also be made up in advance and kept in the fridge until cooking time. This actually gives the seasoning more time to work.

Share with us some of your favorite healthy recipes!

7 Rules for Eating

This came from today WebMD newsletter - I only formatted it to fit this space. I particularly like #7.


Choose Food Over Food-Like Substances, Food Writer Michael Pollan Tells CDC
By Daniel J. DeNoon WebMD Health News Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

March 23, 2009 -- We Americans suffer a national eating disorder: our unhealthy obsession with healthy eating.

That's the diagnosis delivered by food author Michael Pollan in a lecture given last week to an overflow crowd of CDC scientists.

As part of an effort to bring new ideas to the national debate on food issues, the CDC invited Pollan -- a harsh critic of U.S. food policies -- to address CDC researchers and to meet with leaders of the federal agency.

"The French paradox is that they have better heart health than we do despite being a cheese-eating, wine-swilling, fois-gras-gobbling people," Pollan said. "The American paradox is we are a people who worry unreasonably about dietary health yet have the worst diet in the world."

In various parts of the world, Pollan noted, necessity has forced human beings to adapt to all kinds of diets.

"The Masai subsist on cattle blood and meat and milk and little else. Native Americans subsist on beans and maize. And the Inuit in Greenland subsist on whale blubber and a little bit of lichen," he said. "The irony is, the one diet we have invented for ourselves -- the Western diet -- is the one that makes us sick."

Snowballing rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease in the U.S. can be traced to our unhealthy diet. So how do we change?

7 Words & 7 Rules for Eating

Pollan says everything he's learned about food and health can be summed up in seven words:

"Eat food, not too much, mostly plants."

Probably the first two words are most important. "Eat food" means to eat real food -- vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and, yes, fish and meat -- and to avoid what Pollan calls "edible food-like substances."

Here's how:

Don't eat anything your great grandmother wouldn't recognize as food. "When you pick up that box of portable yogurt tubes, or eat something with 15 ingredients you can't pronounce, ask yourself, "What are those things doing there?" Pollan says.

Don’t eat anything with more than five ingredients, or ingredients you can't pronounce.

Stay out of the middle of the supermarket; shop on the perimeter of the store. Real food tends to be on the outer edge of the store near the loading docks, where it can be replaced with fresh foods when it goes bad.

Don't eat anything that won't eventually rot. "There are exceptions -- honey -- but as a rule, things like Twinkies that never go bad aren't food," Pollan says.

It is not just what you eat but how you eat. "Always leave the table a little hungry," Pollan says. "Many cultures have rules that you stop eating before you are full. In Japan, they say eat until you are four-fifths full. Islamic culture has a similar rule, and in German culture they say, 'Tie off the sack before it's full.'"

Families traditionally ate together, around a table and not a TV, at regular meal times. It's a good tradition. Enjoy meals with the people you love. "Remember when eating between meals felt wrong?" Pollan asks.

Don't buy food where you buy your gasoline. In the U.S., 20% of food is eaten in the car.

Some excellent things to remember! Food and eating properly should not be seen as a chore or a necessary evil. "You are what you eat!" Don't know who said it, but I remember it from elementary school. Fueling our bodies for our day's work should be a pleasant experience and one to be savored. If our days are so full that each meal is a grab and go then maybe, just maybe, we should take a step back and take a good look at what we're doing. Stressing ourselves with too many activities or responsibilities can create so many more problems, not just in our health, that it isn't always worth it.

Now, go and have a great day!