Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Yesterday I had my ACE fitness health post. In it was the statements below & I asked you to come back for more today:

If you’ve ever watched the popular television reality show “The Biggest Loser,” you know that a healthy diet and physical activity is a winning combo for weight loss success; and even more critical in trying to maintain it. What the Hollywood producers don’t tell us, however, is that several contestants have ballooned back to their original weight or regained significant pounds months after leaving the show. That is because they no longer live in a controlled and supervised environment competing for “drastic and unrealistic” change. A true lifestyle change means slowly adapting to healthier behaviors in everyday living.

Now saying this, we know that many have kept the weight off too & most likely saved their own lives. But on the flip side, many have not kept it off. Back in November 2009, I wrote a post about Insanity and Weight Loss. I put this quote in that post: "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing year after year and expecting a different result." Please take a moment to read this post if you never got to OR re-read it if this statement is calling to you & sounds all to familiar.

Then, in November 2009, I wrote this post: Eating & Weight Loss Reality - Tomorrow Is NOW. In that post was the below:

BUT, we all know for every success story, there are many that put the weight back on & that was the case with Eric, a winner from a The Biggest Loser a few seasons ago. Eric has put on almost all the 200+ pounds he lost on the show. They met up with him and he said this about what he told himself: TOMORROW IS THE DAY THAT THIS DOES NOT GO ON ANYMORE AND I KEPT LETTING THE TOMORROWS GET AWAY FROM ME.......

Well, after the end of last season of The Biggest Loser, they invited Eric to come back at this season's finale & show that "he can do this". That he can get back to being healthy again. If I recall, Eric said that the limited diet & the crazy workouts were too stressful for him. Bob even told him that he has to find a better way. Find workouts he likes to do & take a more sensible approach to eating better. I think Eric was going to try the boxing workouts like what I did at LA Boxing.

So, I was watching something last week and low & behold, a story on Eric. Remember, he was going to take the slower sensible approach to losing that weight for this season's finale. So.... he was at The Biggest Loser Camp and per the show he was on 1100 calories per day & working out 6 hours per day!!! Doesn't this sound like exactly what he did on the show & did not work for him the first time!!! Insanity, I would say! Doing the same thing that did not work for him last time. How will he sustain the loss this time if he lost the weight the second time by not learning the slower & more sensible approach that he can live with day in and day out. He even admitted to the fact that this type of approach to weight loss was not right for him.

Listen, I REALLY REALLY REALLY hope Eric keeps the weight off this time. I like him a lot but I don't get that he went back to this type of way to lose weight. To me, I am thinking he was not going to meet a certain goal by the season finale so the "powers that be on the show" asked him if he wanted to do the Biggest Loser camp so he would look great for the finale. I may be wrong but that is the way my thought process goes! Personally, I would rather have seen him a bit heavier BUT losing the weight in a way every day folks do, not the 6 hours per day & very limited calories for him!

Monday, March 8, 2010



Don't we all want to feel as great as those people in the picture above? I saw this great article from the American Council on Exercise, ACE, and had to share. Definitely things to think about & help you through your weight loss & fitness journey which is LIFE LONG, by the way! I hope you can read it all the way thru & I have made my own comments in red. You don't have to do everything at once! Take smaller steps towards your goals. Just keep replacing not as good habits or bad habits with better ones little by little & before you know it, you are living the healthy life & jumping for joy like those people above!!

Whether you’re looking to shed extra holiday pounds or are ready for healthier living, you may be surprised to learn that a few small changes in your daily diet and activity level can pay huge dividends to your health.

Consider the analogy of saving for retirement in trying to achieve well-being: It takes patience, regular contributions and commitment, being able to ride out the lows and highs of the financial markets, and most of all, time, to reap the financial rewards to carry you through your golden years.

Drastic changes to your daily diet or a sudden burst of exercise could earn you some short-term health benefits, but the costs of regaining unwanted body weight or suffering an injury or burn-out from doing too much too soon can offset any gained benefits.

To reap the rewards of lifelong good health, start small.

Be Physically Active

Being active is critical for good lifelong health: According to government recommendations, healthy adults should exercise at a moderate intensity, such as a brisk walk, at least 2.5 hours a week and engage in muscle-strengthening activities twice a week.

It is especially critical for aging adults to meet these minimum recommendations to maintain health and basic functional capacity. However, greater amounts of activity are required to gain more substantial health and fitness benefits: Five hours of weekly moderate-intensity physical activity or 150 minutes of vigorous physical activity or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity. I think this is important. Yes, there are MINIMUM requirements BUT if your goals are to lose a good amount of weight or have muscles & be leaner or maybe try out a 5K or something like that, you are going to have to put in more time depending on what the goal is for you.

Being physically active on a regular basis is critical to achieve overall well-being. It will help you relieve stress and maintain or achieve normal body weight. Recent scientific studies also showed that being physically active has multiple positive effects on brain function, including improving one’s ability to think critically and resolve life’s challenges. Start your journey to a physically active lifestyle by making one simple change today and sticking to it.

• Find a physical activity you enjoy: If you don’t like an activity, you won’t stick to it. Once you find an activity you enjoy, try to engage in it on a regular basis, even if it’s just for 10 minutes at a time. Then, gradually increase the duration to gain more health benefits. Should “life” get in the way, resume the activity as soon as you can and don’t look back at what you’ve lost. Focus on moving forward and reinitiating your fitness quest. Good advice! Find something you love to do! There are plenty of things to choose from!
• If you’re a morning person, get up an hour early and walk, run, bicycle or hit the gym. It will energize you for the entire day. Studies have shown that morning exercisers have the highest success rate of sticking to a regular exercise routine. I am a morning person & love that once it is done, nothing later in the day can get in my way which often happens to us. BUT on the flip side, if you are not a morn person, forcing this can be worse & you end up hating it. Maybe you are an afternoon or eve person. Just find that time & COMMIT to it! DON'T make excuses!
• Every step counts: Walk during lunch, before work or after work. Use the stairs, not the elevator; park further away from the mall and your health club. Look for every opportunity to move more throughout the day. This is an easy one & I do it!
• Don’t fall into the excuse trap: I left my exercise clothes at home. I can’t find my running shoes. I’ve gained five pounds since I started exercising, so I may as well stop exercising completely. Don’t let these or other excuses trap you: Leave your workout clothes at work, in your car or at your entry door before you leave the house. Focus on the many benefits of exercise, not just weight loss.
  Enough said - stop making excuses!
• Find an exercise partner: Whether it’s walking your dog every morning, meeting your significant other at the gym after work or meeting a friend for a morning run, having a workout partner can do wonders for accountability. I am not one to need this but many people do. If you are a person that needs someone to make you accountable, be honest with yourself & ask somebody to help you OR find a workout partner that meets your same needs.

Eat Healthier

If you’ve ever watched the popular television reality show “The Biggest Loser,” you know that a healthy diet and physical activity is a winning combo for weight loss success; and even more critical in trying to maintain it.

What the Hollywood producers don’t tell us, however, is that several contestants have ballooned back to their original weight or regained significant pounds months after leaving the show. That is because they no longer live in a controlled and supervised environment competing for “drastic and unrealistic” change. A true lifestyle change means slowly adapting to healthier behaviors in everyday living. Come back tomorrow. I have more to say on this in a separate post!

Follow these tips and you’ll be well on your way to healthier living:

• Eliminate or significantly limit your consumption of sodas and other sugar-laden beverages: According to Calorie-counter.net one can (12 fl. oz) of Dr. Pepper, Coca-Cola or Pepsi Cola has 155 calories. You have to walk for 23 minutes to burn off one soda; or 45 minutes for drinking two a day. If you can’t live without soda, make it a weekly treat, not a habit. More people put on weight drinking sugary drinks & soda! Stop this for sure.
• Eat more fruits and vegetables: The government recommends 2-4 servings of fruit and 3-5 servings of veggies a day. Most people don’t eat enough of both. Increase your daily intake with mindful eating: One piece of fruit for breakfast; a fresh salad (add a low-fat dressing) for lunch; and veggie snacks during the day. Substitute veggies and fruits for sugary treats and watch your cravings for sweets slowly diminish or disappear altogether.
• Eat Less Refined Sugars/Sweets: Whether you’re a chocoholic, ice-cream lover or just plain crazy for sweets or unhealthy salty snacks, keeping these in moderation can be a tough balance. Who doesn’t love a sweet treat after lunch or dinner?  If you can't handle a sweet here or there at first, best to just not bring things in the house that tempt you too much. I have to go OUT for my special treats! I keep healthy treats in the house & portion control!

A contestant of the Biggest Loser show told ACE he had to control his love affair for multiple sweets by picking one favorite, and then, enjoy it in moderation. For some people, including me, not having treats at home or near your work space works best—as they say, out of sight, out of mind.

• Eat Healthy Grains: According to government recommendations, most adults should eat between 3-6 oz. of grains, with at least ½ of that being whole grains. Check food labels for whole grain products, such as brown rice, oatmeal, whole-grain corn, bulgur and graham flour. Foods labeled with the words “multi-grain,” ‘stone-ground, “100 percent wheat,” “cracked wheat,” “seven-grain” and “bran” are often not whole-grain products.
• Know Portion Sizes: Research has shown that Americans underestimate daily food consumption by as much as 25 percent, which contributes to the nation’s overweight and obesity crisis. I am so with the portion control! I know some don't do this but for me, I feel this is a huge point! Studies have proven that MOST people have no idea how much they are eating & when asked, they are way off on how many calories they are eating each day.. and it is not in a good way!

Here are some examples of a single serving size, according to the United States Dietary Association:

• Vegetables or fruit is about the size of your fist.
• Pasta should be equal to one scoop of ice cream
• Meat, fish, or poultry should be the size of a deck of cards
• Snacks, such as pretzels and chips, should be the size of a cupped handful
• Apple the size of a baseball
• Potato the size of a computer mouse
• Bagel the size of a hockey puck
• Pancake the size of a compact disc
• Steamed rice the size of a cupcake wrapper
• Cheese the size of a pair of dice or the size of your whole thumb

Calories In vs. Calories Out: If you love fast food, chocolate, ice cream, pizza, and Starbucks’ 890 calorie-Grande (2 percent milk) White Chocolate Mocha, be prepared to work out for hours to burn off these calories. You know my feeling on the calorie in/calorie out thing BUT this point is very valid!

Consider this: To burn off two slices of Papa John’s original crust “The Meats” pizza (700 calories), plus two Cheese sticks (520 calories) requires a 160-pound person to climb a ladder or stairs for two hours or to walk briskly for four long hours.

Tips for Developing Portion Control:

At home: Use smaller dishes and don’t go back for seconds. Never eat out of the bag or carton. I never eat out of the bag or carton. I portion out my serving size & the bag/container goes back!

In restaurants: Eyeball your appropriate portion. Avoid “all you can eat” places. Share your dessert and plan to take home leftovers. Stop eating when you’re full.

At the store: Don’t buy high-calorie food or snacks with little or no nutritional value. Make a grocery list and stick to the list while shopping.

Be patient. Start by making small changes. After you start eating healthier and become more physically active, you’ll feel more energized, less stressed and will love to hear those words:“Have you lost weight?” or “You look great.” It’s a secret to success worth sharing. How many times have I said the PATIENCE & CONSISTENCY words! Ya got to be patient!

So, what do ya think & anything to add?

 Wednesday, February 24, 2010



Many of the bloggers out there talk about their addiction to food. They know that if they start eating the wrong foods again, it will not turn out pretty. They acknowledge their addiction to food & some even decide not to do any "treats" because they feel they have not come far enough to overcome that addiction yet. They stick to a very controlled food plan for them. Some of us can do the treats & still be fine. ME!! We all have to be true to ourselves & know what is right for us.

Dr. Oz had an ambush eating show on Monday & the previous link is part one. Here is part two. He ambushed a group of people by "setting them up" with a buffet full of foods from the good to the bad choices. It was a very interesting experiment! Once the people knew it was a Dr. Oz deal, some even hid the food in napkins, blamed the food in front of them on other people bringing it to them and/or saying they got it for their friend or husband/wife. LOTS OF EXCUSES!!!

One lady said that she didn't think anything was wrong with it & it was like being at a birthday party.. She said: "Who would turn down a piece of cake at a birthday party?" Ah, me!!!! I don't eat just because it is there. If we ate at every bday party we went to.. well, you know the answer to that! I have written a lot about this eating at every special occasion under the sun!!!

Another said "it was only one french fry... hmmm, we know that 1 FF turns into 5 plus a bunch of other stuff! All those little nibbles add up and I have posted about that too! You can't just not count the nibbles during the day!!!

So, Dr. Oz gave out some statistics after one lady said she was just out with friends having a good time & they are pretty sobering!!!!

1. Going out with 1 or two friends - you will eat 35% more food.

2. Go out with 7 or more people - you will double the amount of food you normally eat. If you go out, say 3 times per week with a group of friends, you can eat 72,000 extra calories per year - which adds up to 20 pounds in a year!

Some advice for these big group functions - be the last one to go up to the buffet for food & EAT SLOWLY. I have posted about this too. Mindful eating. Plus as we all know, it takes 20 minutes for the stomach to register fullness, so SLOW DOWN! You will also enjoy the actual taste of the food if you slow down. How many of you eat something so fast & can't even remember how good it tasted cause you scarfed it down? You can check out this post by Dr. Oz on how to stop emotional eating.

The mission of NEDAwareness Week

Our aim of NEDAwareness Week is to ultimately prevent eating disorders and body image issues while reducing the stigma surrounding eating disorders and improving access to treatment. Eating disorders are serious, life-threatening illnesses — not choices — and it’s important to recognize the pressures, attitudes and behaviors that shape the disorder.

What is NEDAwareness Week?

NEDAwareness Week is a collective effort of primarily volunteers, eating disorder professionals, health care providers, educators, social workers, and individuals committed to raising awareness of the dangers surrounding eating disorders and the need for early intervention and treatment.

How NEDAwareness Week Works

This year, NEDA is calling for everyone to do just one thing to help raise awareness and provide accurate information about eating disorders.  NEDAwareness Week participants can choose from a huge range of ways to contribute: Distribute info pamphlets and put up posters, write one letter for Media Watchdogs, register as a Volunteer Speaker or host a Volunteer Speaker, coordinate a NEDA Walk, or arrange interactive and educational activities such as panel discussions, fashion shows, body fairs, movie screenings, art exhibits and more. As an official NEDAwareness Week participant you can be involved in any way that works with your schedule, resources, community, and interests. These events and activities attract public media attention – on local, national and international levels.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010



This is tough love day. Nice Jody is gone! No, don't log me off yet!!!! I have something to say!

I read a couple great posts the past couple of days about how we should write a Valentine or love letter to ourselves. Make a point to tell ourselves how much we are worth. Many of you write about this too. It is an important message because I think most women are raised to put others first & that they come in behind everyone else. Yes, it is great to help others & I am not saying to not do that. BUT, at some point, being good to yourself first makes you a better person for everyone else around you.

Anonymous Fat Girl was talking about why people give up on their "health program" yesterday & it made me thing of the "joke" above. It is that time of year when all the new year's resolutions to lose weight & get fit start to fall by the wayside. People "give up". Why? Most of the time, it is too hard.

YES, this is hard work! Being tough again, get real. Listen, it took some time to put that weight on, didn't it? Well, the blatant truth is it is going to take way longer to take it off than it did to put it back on. And, the older you get, the tougher it gets because you have to fight aging, hormones and more.

Jack Sh*t once asked me for ONE piece of advice on weight loss. This is hard for me because as you all well know, I like to go on & on! BUT, what I said to him was consistency & patience. Yes, food is 75% plus of the equation but without consistency & patience, it will be tough going because this is a roller coaster ride! You are going to have the weight losses, but yes, you will also have times when you may gain & then come down again. There are plateaus. There are emotions that scream to us to stop this fitness crap & start eating all that food again. There are work issues & family issues & all kinds of issues to overload us & make us want to give up. BUT, this is life & you have to learn to work though it!

BUT, there is also death! Yes, tough love again. Isn't your life worth this! Aren't you worth this! If you can't do it for yourself right now, think about those you may leave behind if your health issues take the final toll. Think to some friends or maybe even you after you have lost a loved one. The people left behind are the ones that live this hell of losing their loved one. Sure, I would rather have you do this for yourself first but if you have to think about those left behind to get you started, I am fine with that. Eventually you will be doing it for you. I have been here & believe me, the people left behind are feeling it the most! A caveat- I debated posting this after Steve lost his father suddenly but in the end, I decided it was a good message & so I left this post for today.

So, if you have already given up that new years resolution OR you have not even started, think this thru & think about the "joke" above: What fits your busy schedule better (or your lack of patience & consistency), exercising 1 hour per day or being dead 24 hours per day.

Now saying that, the exercise & food program should be one you can live with long term, a lifestyle change, so find that & go with it. It will change over the years but always change it to something you can live with & do long term. I have been doing this all along for 25+ years. I have changed things many times but it is always something that is right for me & not the big gym dude telling me what to do OR a person that says their way or the highway. It does not work that way. We are all different & unique. Find you!

Monday, February 15, 2010

“As quirky as we are – and we’re all pretty quirky – you will find you don’t need anyone else’s approval for how you live your life. You aren’t dependent on anyone else’s opinion of your clothes, hair, weight, demeanor. In return, you are less judgmental of everyone else. Your capacity to simply accept everyone as they are grows.” Geri Larkin, The Chocolate Cake Sutra

Megan, over at It's All About Joy wrote a great guest post on The Journey of Life. It is all about acceptance & embracing the dorkiness in ourselves! Well, those are my words but read this really cool post below. I remember the days when I was younger & I would not step outside the door unless everything was just right with the way I looked... clothes, make-up & more. Unfortunately I have gone the complete opposite now so I need to find a mid point on this! But the quote above, her post & the story she relates really puts it all in perspective! Enjoy!

Acceptance And A Pair of Tiny Black Underwear

As a recovering perfectionist (aka, an incredibly fearful person), when I first read the paragraph above, I loved it. As recently as a few years ago, though, had I read that same paragraph, I wouldn’t have understood it.  

Let me set the stage a bit better: I’m the girl who used to put on lipstick and earrings to go for a run. I’m the one who, as a kid, took two hours to do her hair… for school. I think I singlehandedly supported the hairspray industry from 1985 – 2000. And for God’s sake, don’t touch my hair! (Sheesh) I’m the one who always carried a little mirror with her in the event that one suspected they had something stuck in their teeth or nose, and I’m also the friend who would tell others if that was the case.

To say I was a fuss budget doesn’t quite do it justice, but it’s a start.

I cared what other people thought of me. I cared so much that at times I let it rule my thoughts and affect my actions. I wanted to feel safe and secure, and was convinced that validation came from the outside.

These days, I’m a bit wiser. I recognize that the only person’s opinion that truly matters – the one I need to be able to live with at the end of each day – is my own. And the older I get and the more I open my mind and heart to the world around me, the easier self-acceptance becomes. It’s such a beautiful two-way street, too. The less I judge myself, the less I judge others. And the more I view others with compassionate, loving eyes, the easier it is to view myself that way, too.

Huzzah!

And that leads to stories like the one I encountered the other day, which, had it happened ten years ago, would have mortified me. Now, though, it just makes me laugh.

Here’s what happened: After spending three hours out and about, I returned home and decided to change into my most comfortable pajamas. As I took off my pants, I noticed that a pair of tiny black underwear had fallen to the floor. I thought, “That’s odd. I’m not wearing black underwear today.” After a few seconds of sizing up what might have happened, I realized that while I may not have thought I was wearing black underwear that day, static cling being what it is (God’s substitute for duct tape), there was a good chance those tiny panties had been wearing me! Lord only knows who saw them stuck to whatever part of my pants they decided to make as their home as I trounced here, there and everywhere. Gracious, can you even imagine?!

Ah, but our own quirks and imperfections are what make it easier for us to relate to the quirks and imperfections in others. And as I accept my flaws, black underwear and all, I find it infinitely easier to embrace yours. I don’t know about you, but to me that feels like such a beautiful, joyful and connective way to live!