Day 87—Fuel Your Workouts February 10, 2010

What should you eat and drink before, during and after your workout?

To make the most of your exercise efforts, you’ll want to properly fuel your body. Consuming the proper foods at the proper times will boost your immune system rather than drain it, and build muscle rather than break it down.

Before exercise: Eat a small (100-200 calories) high-carb snack about an hour before exercise. Good picks: fruit, or bread with jam. Do drink at least 8 ounces of water before your workout.

During exercise: No need to eat unless your workout exceeds an hour; then, a small snack such as a power bar. Stay hydrated by drinking 6–8 ounces of water per 15 minutes, or a sports drink if you exercise more than an hour.

After exercise: Include protein to rebuild muscle, at a carb-to-protein ratio of 3:1 (eg: peanut butter and an apple; yogurt and fruit; turkey on whole wheat bread). And rehydrate within an hour with 16-24 ounces of water.

Day 84—Super Bowl Stress February 7, 2010

Would you call me a wet blanket if I told you not to get too excited about the Super Bowl?

I’ll admit it. I don’t get the excitement about the Super Bowl. I guess what I should really say is, I don’t get football. I never have. But that doesn’t mean I begrudge you or anyone else the privilege of The Mother Of All Football Celebrations.

I don’t even begrudge you the traditional calorie- and fat-laden football-game foods (think chili-cheese nachos smothered in sour cream…artery-clogging bratwurst and hot dogs in gigantic enriched-white-flour buns; gooey, creamy dips dripping off of oily, salty chips; peanuts and pretzels (hey, how did those get into the picture? They’re even kinda healthy!).

What I do begrudge you is the chance of getting so worked up about the game that you do what people in several sports-spectator studies have done: suffered from acute cardiac episodes.

After all, I like you. I want you around so I can enjoy you. So do me a favor: When the game gets so unnerving that you find yourself (for whatever reason, pro or con) jumping up and down screaming, take a breath. Don’t invest your life in the outcome.

To read an article that contains specifics, visit http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/health_news_detail.asp?health_day=635738 .

Day 82—Wellness Trivia: Earn Points For Your Answers February 5, 2010

Can you answer these three health-related trivia questions?

For those of you who know me, you’ll also know that the pictre above is not me. But I wish I was that healthy and fit! If you do too, get a head start on health by answering the three trivia questions below. Three right answers mean you know your stuff!

1. When exercising with high blood pressure, what’s the best advice to follow?

a. Always consult your doctor before starting an exercise program.

b. Start slowly, increase gradually and listen to your body.

c. Never hold your breath.

d. Use measures other than your heart rate to monitor your exercise intensity.

e. All of the above.

2. Uncontrolled, diabetes can lead to:

a. Blindness

b. Gum disease

c. Digestive problems

d. Kidney damage or failure

e. Amputation

f. Impotence

g. All of the above

3. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S.

a. True

b. False

To take the test online—and earn points for your right answers—visit http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/games_trivia.asp . And while you’re there, poke around. There’s a ton of valuable information there! 

Day 81—Dining Out: Healthy Choices February 4, 2010

It IS possible to find great-tasting, healthy restaurant meals.

Rush here, rush there—By the time your day is done, you’re exhausted and just want to … you know, “Have A Break Today!” and grab something to eat on the way home.

Take heart. You can give yourself a break, and still stay on your healthy eating plan. Here are a few healthy eat-out options:

Applebees: Offers low-point (Weight Watchers) choices in appetizer, dessert and entree categories.

Chili’s: Nutritional information for lower-fat Guiltless Grill selections are listed on the menu.

Jack in the Box: The chicken fajita pita has only 10 grams of fat. Without the shredded cheese it plummets to 3 grams.

Olive Garden: Offers whole wheat linguine, which has three times more fiber and about 17% fewer carbohydrates than traditional pasta.

Pizza Hut: Fit N Delicious Pizza, which contains less cheese and more sauce, contains as little as 3.5 g fat per slice.

Schlotzky’s:

• Zesty albacore tuna wrap—311 calories, 7 g fat
• Chinese chicken salad—127 calories, 3 g fat
• Fresh fruit salad—123 calories, 1 g fat

Taco Bell: Ordering your entrée “fresco style” (salsa instead of cheese and sauce) cuts fat and calories by about 25%.

Wendy’s: Grilled chicken without the mayo contains just 310 calories and 8 grams of fat.

So on those nights when you just can’t stand the thought of cooking on top of everything else you’ve done all day, go ahead. Give yourself a break.     Just take a minute to check your options and make a healthy choice.

Day 79—Comfortable In Our Skin February 2, 2010

Gabourey Sidibe, Oscar nominee for "Precious"

I came home from the barn this morning just as Anne Hathaway and (someone) were announcing the Oscar nominees on GMA.

First, let me say that I’m disappointed that “Precious” never came to my hometown and I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to catch the movie on DVD. So I have nothing to base my admiration on except for the couple of times I’ve seen 26-year-old Gabourey Sidibe in brief interviews. But I find her so charming and down to earth. And even though she’s heavy, she emits an aura of being comfortable in her skin. I like that. And I can’t wait to see the movie.

Have you seen it? Tell us what you think!

Oh BTW, my exercise routine today consisted of 1 hr 45 minutes of stall cleaning and hay hefting. Hope to get to the strength training routine in a bit…

Day 78—I think I might write about Procrastination—later February 1, 2010

With all you have to do, where is exercise on your to-do list? (Oh heck, I just realized that I typed in 2009 for the date above. Sorry!)

I don’t know about you, but the tasks on my daily to-do list always outnumber the lines available to record them on my calendar. So it’s easy to look at that long list and think (’cause you’ve recorded tasks as they came to you—not in priority order), OK, what do I want to cross off my list next?

What’s your answer? For me, the answer is usually: What can I get done fastest and with the least effort?

So we all know where that puts a 30-minute (or more) run on the list: wwaaaayyyy down at the bottom!

I propose putting exercise at the top of the list. Whether that means making a “starter list” and transposing that in priority order onto your “real” calendar, or physically numbering your entries in the order you intend to tackle them, or…whatever. Starting today, exercise is my #1 priority each day.

If you have more tips to keep from procrastinating to the point of omission, please share!

Day 76—Half-Way Weigh-In January 30, 2010

It's drum roll day—again.

I’m amazed that I’ve already reached the half-way mark in my 150-day quest to lose 50 pounds. And it’s evident from the chart below that unless I do something drastic (does The Biggest Loser have an opening??),  I’m not going to be achieving that goal.

And yet, I’ve achieved other goals:

1. To be more aware of my health and fitness, and do more to be better to myself

2. To form a community of sorts to help and support each other

3. To give myself a daily writing fix

4. (I hope) to stir a chuckle or some other pleasant emotion in you

So thanks for reading, thanks for contributing and thanks for helping ME out. I’m not giving up (6.6 pounds is less than I’d hoped for, but it’s still loss)! Start that drum roll…

Weigh-in history:

Date    Weight    BodyFat  BodyH2O

Today       193         29.5      44

1/18/10     193        30.0%   43.0%

1/4/10     194        29.5%   43.5%

12/15      195.2      27.5     44.0

12/7        196.6     30.5     43.0

12/1        197.6      30        43.0

11/23      196.2      29        43.5

11/16      199.6       31        42.5

Day 75—Slimbesity: You Can Be Slim Yet Still Be Obese January 29, 2010

Can we look this slim and yet still be obese?

The old saying is true: Looks can be deceiving. We can be stick-slim, and yet still be obese. How?

Even when our weight falls within the normal range for our height, it’s not really the weight that determines if we’re obese or not. Or rather, it’s not only the weight. It’s also the percentage of that weight that’s body fat.

Enter the importance of resistance training in our daily fitness routines. Even when we do our cardio religiously, we can still be out of shape if we don’t build muscle as well.

NOTE—Don’t confuse body fat percentage with BMI. The two are quite different. For a good explanation, visit http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/fitness/a/bodyfatpercent.htm .

And to read more about the subject of slimbesity, go to http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/HealthyLiving/people-considered-average-weight-normal-weight-obese/story?id=9671590 .

(And BTW, thanks to my oldest daughter Kristin for the use of her photo above. She religiously works out and is nowhere near obese.  )

Day 74—Healthy Pizza: NOT An Oxymoron January 27, 2010

Here's a healthy pizza recipe, compliments of my daughter Lauren.

It’s time for a great-tasting and healthy recipe. Feel free to make it your own by modifying ingredients to suit your tastes! And, feel free to comment and let everyone else in on your new secret recipes!

Lauren’s Healthy Pizza

1 whole wheat Boboli pizza crust
1 tsp. EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil)
1 tsp. minced garlic
spinach (fresh)
turkey pepperoni (about 40 pieces)
1 large tomato – diced
1 cup mozzarella cheese
crushed red pepper
Italian seasoning / basil / oregano (whichever you prefer)
* Preheat your pizza stone-I think the Boboli directions say 450 (check package to be sure). If you don’t have one, use a baking pan.
* While it’s preheating, brush EVOO all over top of crust
* Spread garlic evenly all over crust
* Cover entire crust with 1-2 layers of spinach leaves (depends on how much you like spinach & how much extra nutrition you want—I see no crust when I’m done with the spinach)
* Cover entire crust with turkey pepperoni—I literally have all pepperoni pieces touching from the edge of the crust to the middle—I want every ingredient in every bite. Just a personal issue, I guess
* Spread/drop tomato evenly across pizza (no need for pizza sauce—the fresh tomato will make up for it)
* Evenly cover with mozzarella cheese
* Sprinkle crushed red pepper and/or Italian seasonings as desired
* Bake 8-10 minutes (according to package directions)

Here’s the nutritional info—Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts Lauren’s Healthy Pizza
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories		198.4
Total Fat		10.3 g
	Saturated Fat	5.0 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	1.3 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	2.5 g
Cholesterol		51.9 mg
Sodium		816.4 mg
Potassium		306.2 mg
Total Carbohydrate		9.1 g
	Dietary Fiber	1.6 g
	Sugars	0.4 g
Protein		18.0 g

Day 73—Free Money For Fitness January 27, 2010

Are finances an obstacle to your health and fitness goals?

Some people (who shall remain nameless but whose initials are GOV) don’t seem to get the concept of living within your means. You can’t spend money you don’t have unless someone—you or your heirs, usually—pay back a whole lot more in interest.

Now I’ll step down off my soap box. But seriously, if your resources are stretched to the max, how do you invest in things like better nutrition, medical care, gym memberships and fitness equipment?

You may be able to redirect the dollars you already have. How, you say?

My friends at GMA outlined some steps that can keep more money in your pocket:

ENERGY—

1. Power down your rate. Check out alternative energy companies called Retail Energy Providers (REPs) that are allowed due to deregulation in some states. They may lock in a lower power rate for you (but be careful to check the reputation of any REP you consider).

2. Take back your taxes. Invest in energy-efficient appliances, heating and cooling systems, doors and windows  if yours need replacing (also included: insulation). There’s a federal tax credit of up to $1,500 in it for you through 2016, plus the possibility of state and utility company rebates.

CELL PHONE SERVICE—

1. Pick your plan wisely. Don’t pay for services you don’t need or use. You can track your talk time at overmyminutes.com .

2. Tap your boss. Participating in employer plans may get you a discount.

CABLE TV—

1. Secret service. Cable companies don’t advertise that they may offer below-basic service. “Lifeline” channels (2–14 only) come at a reduced rate if all you want are major networks and better reception.

2. Save a tree. Going paperless can save you as much as $1 per month on your bill.

3. Opt out. If you’re really determined, cancel your service altogether and use your Internet connection to watch your favorite shows.

You can watch the entire Elizabeth Leamy segment (it contains even more tips and related links) at http://abcnews.go.com/gma . Click on the Tuesday tab, then on Save Money On Your Household Expenses. Or enter the article name in the search box and hit Enter.

Wouldn’t it be great to have a few extra dollars to invest in your health? You’re sooo worth it!