Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Frustrating

June is almost over and I'm still pretty much stuck on this plateau. I've been in the gym every day and I'm working hard. I was really hoping to see a significant movement on the scale.

I think I can see my body changing shape....a little...in my arms and shoulders. I want to see it in my stomach, waist, butt, thighs. I just need to be patient.

I rode 6 miles on the bike and walked 2 on the treadmill today. Spent a half hour on various weight machines. I'm averaging two hours in the gym each day.

One day at a time.....

Saturday, June 23, 2012

The Summer of Me Continues

Yesterday was definitely a feel good day! It started with a morning appointment at the chiropractor. I had my doubts when I began there, but I really feel better. While he can't fix the arthritis in my neck and back, he did do something about the way my body feels. I'm moving better, feeling better, and I get out of bed a lot qicker and easier each morning!

Next stop was the massotherapist. I've been treating myself to a once a month trip. She worked out knots and kinks and sore spots. I've been wearing new shoes...New Balance 1050's. They have a lot of support which is good for the feet, legs, and back...however the legs are not happy about being forced into a correct posture. She took care of that, too

And the last stop was the gym. 5 miles on the bike and 2 miles on the treadmill.

Life is good!

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Gym Experience and a New Breakfast

This morning I was out the door and on the way to a gym by 6:00 AM. My cousin is a member and got a guest pass for me to try it out. Two and a half hours flew by as we talked and worked out. I walked 2 miles on the treadmill, rode 5 miles on the bike and did 3 repetitions of 15 on three different arm machines and three leg machines. And it felt good!

I love summer when I'm not teaching. I'm up by 7:00 AM each day, work out, do laundry, and by 11:00 all the housework is done , I'm showered and the day is mine!

This morning (actually, last night) I tried the following recipe I found one of my favorite blogs, Skinnytaste.com. It truly was yummy. I substituted my vanilla Greek yogurt for the almond milk and left out the cinnamon and sweetner. I took the jar out of the fridge before I went to the gym as was suggested on the blog. The chill was off by the time I got home. No need to warm up...just refreshing goodness on a hot summer day!


Skinny Overnight Oats in a JarSkinnytaste.com
Servings:
1 • Serving Size: 1 jar • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 6 pts
Calories:
244.9 • Fat: 10.8 g • Carbs: 35.4 g • Fiber: 8.5 g • Protein: 6 g • Sugar: 12 g
Sodium:
94.7 mg


Ingredients:
  • 1/4 cup quick oats
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or skim, soy)
  • 1/4 medium banana, sliced (freeze the rest for smoothies!)
  • 1/2 tbsp chia seeds
  • 1/2 cup blueberries
  • 4-5 drops NuNaturals liquid vanilla stevia (or your favorite sweetener)
  • pinch cinnamon

optional toppings:

  • 1 tbsp chopped pecans (or any nut)

Directions:

Place all the ingredient in a jar, shake, cover and refrigerate overnight. Add your favorite crunchy toppings such as nuts, granola, etc and enjoy the next day!

Friday, June 15, 2012

Choosing What Food to Eat

  • Look to Your Ancestors
Trying to figure out what foods are healthy? "Don't eat anything your great-great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food," wrote Michael Pollan in a January 2007 New York Times Magazine article.

I love this quote! It simplifies food choices. While not always practical in this day and age, it can be modified somewhat. But the first thing it does is eliminate processed food. I have learned to find time to cook. And I incorporate as many fresh raw foods as I can.
 
Healthy living means becoming a label reader. Take a trip to the grocery store and plan on spending 2 or 3 hours there. Read labels. Compare brands. Better yet, find a Farmer's Market and go fresh. Summer is the best time to visit a local market.
 
My fridge looks like a mini market this morning: blueberries (of course!), blackberries, watermelon, pineapple, cherries, carrots, broccoli (of course!), green peppers, scallions, celery,and  red sweet peppers.
The fruit bowl spills over with bananas, peaches, nectarines, and plums.
 
The grill gets a workout during the summer, also. Truthfully, it gets used a lot when it's snowing here in NE Ohio, too! I have cut way back on my meat intake, but my husband likes salmon and chicken on the grill, and I like veggie kabobs.
 
Eliminate as much white from the diet as possible. Whole grains, wheat, oats, nuts, and seeds would all be recognized by our ancestors. They are so much better for you and they add much needed fiber to the diet.
 
Water, water, water! I've read that often times we think we're hungry, when really our body is telling us that we need hydrated. Drink water all day. It cleanses and flushes toxins from our body
 
It's working. I feel better. I'm losing weight. My blood pressure is down. My cholesterol is down. My smile is up!

Thursday, June 14, 2012

What a Difference a Day Makes

Yesterday I started walking again. Yesterday I felt better than I have in a week...since the doctor told me to stop walking for awhile. This morning I walked again. I am modifying the steps. He said I shouldn't be lifting my legs so I don't do the knee lifts, but I do the steps and the kicks and the arm work. And I feel good. It took three weeks to build up the endurance and there was no way I was going to let it all go to the wayside and have to start over again.

I was less hungry all day. I felt motivated. Everything you read about exercise becoming an addiction is true. I never would have believed that a 45 minute 3 mile walk could make such a difference in the way I feel. The PT told me that I have to keep moving and that I need to do light lifting....low weight, more reps. I can start to see some definition in my shoulder area and arms.

I have come to believe that attitude makes all the difference. You have to want it and you have to believe it. I can do this. I am a happier person now that I am on the good health track. And I'm really happy that I'm getting my husband to join me. He is taking small steps, but it's already making a difference for him. He has cut way back on his caffiene intake. He is eating way more veggies and fruits, and he's cut way back on his fats and salts. I can see his face slimming down and his stomach starting to shrink. He's been at this for 3 weeks and he's lost about 15 pounds. The biggest plus for him is that he has started going to the Y and working out in the pool.

Another tip that I make sure I stick to religiously is to increase the fiber intake. The more fiber a food item has the better it is for you. You can eat a higher calorie food as long as there is a high fiber percentage. Fiber helps to burn off the calories quicker. It helps rev up the digestion process. I don't waste calories on low fiber foods.

For example, I used to think eating salads was so good for me, but I didn't pay attention to what was in the salad. A bowl full of lettuce really has very little nutritional value, especially if the choice of lettuce is mostly water based. Now, I make my salad out of all the crunchy fiber filled veggies and leave out the lettuce. Tonight's dinner will be grilled talapia, a baked potato with Greek yogurt, and the salad pictured below.



Ingredients:

broccoli
cauliflower
baby carrots
celery tops
red peppers
sunflower seeds
feta cheese
olive oil, red wine vinegar                                                                   






Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Non-Compliant

Forget this. Today I start walking again. I'm eating more than I should, my routine is off, and I don't feel as good. The tape is in and I'm ready to go!

Friday, June 8, 2012

My Visit to the Chiropractor

So, this morning I had my first appointment with a chiropractor. He came highly recommended, but still I was nervous. I hurt too bad to have someone grabbing, twisting, and making my neck and back crunch. To my surprise there was no twisting, jerking, or loud crunching noises. He used this hand held gadget that had a trigger release which kind of "thunked" against the area he adjusted. I also had electric stimulus...sort of like an instant massage on my neck and back. The end result was that I walked in with a headache and walked out without a headache. Oh happy day!

Now the hard part is being compliant with what the doc says. He told me to stop doing my walking tapes for a week! Is he kidding? I just built up my endurance! Not to mention if I can't excercise I have to cut way back on the calorie intake. I may be living on darkberries and broccoli and Larabars!

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Feel the Burn

Why is that the mantra of exercise enthusiasts? Does it intensify the calorie burn to say that? If it does I'll shout it from the rooftops! I am religiously doing the Leslie Sansone 3 Mile Walk Away the Pounds video each morning. I use 2 pound weights during the walk. I know that's nothing to most people, but for my weak arms I need to start somewhere.

I've had x-rays on my back and neck and an EMG test (Who goes to school to torture people? Electric shocks that roll the muscles and make the entire body twitch! Then they stab you with these little thin needles for God only knows what purpose!) Getting out of bed is rough, but once I complete the three miles I really do feel better. Sounds crazy, I know.

The doctor has given me prescription strength Motrin, a muscle relaxer, and Gabapentin (a drug that helps with nerve pain). I hate being a druggie. Excercise and weight loss has to help. I refuse to live on pills the rest of my life.

I think I'm going to incorperate the Wii into my day, also. I walk each morning at high intensity. I'm going to try low to medium intensity in the evening. My hope is to quicken the pace of getting toned. Time will tell.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Summer is the Best

Summer gives us the best fruit choices. Apples and oranges are good, but it is summer fruit that makes you feel healthy just looking at it! Plums, peaches, strawberries, watermelon, blackberries....they all add important vitamins and fiber to the diet. And they taste good, too! They fulfill the craving for sweetness.
Find a Farmer's Market close to you and visit it twice a week...your fruit will always be fresh and at its best.

Fruit is the perfect between meal snack to keep your metabolism going. A plum or a peach, or a cup of berries along with a half cup of trail mix is the perfect fuel to keep you going and burning calories. But be careful about your trail mix...it shouldn't include chocolate candies, and sugared fruit bits. I make my own.

The Eat This, Not That No Diet by David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding has a phenominal trail mix matrix. It gives several choices of nuts, seeds, crunches, and sweetners. Choose one of each and make the perfect trail mix for you! My current favorite is almonds, raw natural sunflower seeds, General Mills Original Fiber One Cereal, and carob chips.

Breakfast Is the Most Important Meal of the Day

I have learned that you have to eat to activate your metabolism. A simple fact it took me 50 years to understand. You need to add fuel to your body every three hours or so. That doesn't mean eat complete meals, gorge yourself in carbs, or chow down on snacks. It simply means refuel.

For me, I have found that a breakfast of fruit, granola, and yogurt works the best. A simple combination of a small banana, blueberries and blackberries, vanilla greek yogurt, and a sprinkling of granola is my standard breakfast. After reading labels and taste testing, I have settled on Chobani Vanilla Greek Yogurt. It has the lowest cholesterol and fat of all the others. My favorite granola is Cascadian Farms Organic French Vanilla or Nature's Path Organic Pumpkin Seed and Flax.