Truth2BeingFit.com

Truth & Lies!

jody@truth2beingfit.com (truth2beingfit) — 2010-03-14T07:01:00Z

Sunday March 14, 2010

So, 266 honored me with this crazy "Creative Writer" Blogger Award award! The rules are:

1. Thank the person who gave this to you.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you.
4. Tell up to six outrageous lies about yourself, and at least one outrageous truth.
5. Nominate seven “Creative Writers” who might have fun coming up with outrageous lies.
6. Post links to the seven blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know you nominated them.

So, you all know I am not the "passing on" type of person BUT how about any of you out there that read my blog, do this exercise & let us guess the truth! Lots of fun! 266 - THANK YOU for this! Only problem is I am pretty boring in general so I had to dig deep for this!

OK, here we go. Can you pick out the true one????

1. Under Armour, Nike, New Balance, Saucony, Adidas and all the other sports/fitness clothing & equipment companies are pounding down my door asking me to be their exclusive fitness model AND I get to try out all their new shoes, clothes & gadgets for free as part of the deal!!!

2. Oxygen Women's Fitness & Muscle & Fitness Hers along with Shape & Fitness magazine want me to do full 3 page spreads working out.

3. Oprah AND Ellen have asked me to be on their shows to discuss fitness after 50. Oprah even wants me to be on the cover of her magazine with her!!! They even have What Not to Wear there to help me out of my fashion blindness!

4. Jillian & Bob asked me to guest on The Biggest Loser & I get to work out with them!!!

5. I have my own reality show coming out about crazy women 50 and over that compete in the gym with women half their age & perimenopause/menopause rage is not a reason to disqualify anyone!

6. The Housewives of Orange County asked me to personal train them and they are going to pay me SIX figures to yell at them & whip them into shape!

7. I have placed in & won a couple 5k's and competed & won two bodybuilding shows.

I KNOW! I made it easy on you but wanted to have fun with it!!! I would love for any of the first 6 to happen if any of you out there have ins!!!! Well, maybe not #6 cause I don't kiss a** so if they want me to help them get in shape, expect no mercy!

Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PS: I found a dress!!!! You will have to wait until after the wedding for me to show pics!

PPS: I know on the cake in yesterday's post! I took a bite from my oldest stepdaughter's piece. If my hubby had been there, I would have taken 3 bites from his!

Bridal Shower Update!

jody@truth2beingfit.com (truth2beingfit) — 2010-03-13T07:01:00Z

Saturday, March 13, 2010

So, you recall that a couple weekends ago I went to my youngest stepdaughter's bridal shower. I wrote about it here. It was a lot of fun & the house was decorated beautifully with flower arrangements & all kinds of pretty "stuff". I am so not good at that kind of thing! They also had hired people to make crepes.. food & dessert ones. I thought I would share some pics of the event below. Of course, that is the happy couple above! The wedding is in 2 weeks!!!!! I still am searching for a dress!!!!

THE BRIDE TO BE

THE FOOD TABLE - Crepes were being made outside to the right there. The oldest stepdaughter in town for this is in the purple. She will be back with the whole family for the wedding!

THE CAKE

THE BRIDE TO BE OPENING GIFTS

THE BRIDE TO BE & HER BOW BOUQUET WITH THE FRIEND THAT MADE IT

It was a fun time for all! I will have pics of the wedding after the big event!

Have a great weekend! I will be back tomorrow with truth & lies!

Protein & Protein Powder Recipes

jody@truth2beingfit.com (truth2beingfit) — 2010-03-12T07:01:00Z

TGIF Friday, March 12, 2010

So, many of you out there may use protein powder in your protein shakes. BUT, there are lots of other ways to use it. I add it into my oatmeal & non fat Greek yogurt. I have also posted about my homemade protein bars. Well, I came upon a couple sites with some very interesting ways to use protein powder. I have been experimenting with the recipes for a few weeks now & definitely like them! I sometimes make them as is & other times & play a bit even though I am NO cook! BUT, one of them involves NO cooking!!! Just protein powder, water & whatever else floats your boat! Check out a couple of the recipes from Foods of April below & then check out her site when you have time for more recipes.

Protein Cookie Dough: The first pic is vanilla protein powder/1 tbsp PB. The second pic is chocolate protein powder & 1 tsp of PB.
From Jody: I used PB2 in mine to cut down on calories & fat depending on when I eat it. I also have added cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice & other goodies just to experiment.

Ingredients:

30 grams of protein powder (my favorite is chocolate!)

1 tbsp water

1-3 tsp peanut butter (crunchy is best!)

Cinnamon

Directions: Mix all ingredients together. You can stir in the peanut butter or eat it on top!

From Jody: I have made this without peanut butter too like April and it’s still yummy. I also have to play with the added water to get the consistency I prefer. I like it thicker but some may not.

Dark Chocolate Protein Batter: From Jody: I love this one too! I only have vanilla protein powder in the house so I add in 100% organic cocoa powder. Experiment to see how chocolaty you want it.

Ingredients:

30 grams (1 serving) of Biochem 100% Whey Chocolate Fudge Protein Powder

1 tsp 100% cocoa powder

1 heaping tbsp water

Directions: Mix!

Spiced & Plump Pancakes: Per April, the cream of tartar helps plump these a little. Also, spray your griddle even if it is non stick. I learned that the hard way! Play around with the ingredients or check April's site for other variations.

Makes 1 serving @ 220 calories, 15 net carbs, 21 grams of protein

Ingredients:

1/4 cup oats

2 tbsp psyllium husks

1/2 cup liquid egg whites

1 tbsp flaxmeal (ground flaxseed)

2 tbsp pure pumpkin

1 tbsp each low-fat cottage cheese or yogurt and water

2 packets stevia

1 tsp baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves (I actually don’t measure these)

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Directions:

Preheat griddle to medium-high heat.

Mix all ingredients with a blender, food processor, or hand mixer.

Pour onto the heated griddle and cook for about 3 minutes. Flip and cook an additional 2 minutes.

Enjoy! Top with a little something if you want!

From Jody: Lots more recipes on her site!

Keeping with this theme, Lori over at Finding Radiance had this recipe for Pumpkin/Ricotta protein batter on her blog the other day. That is my name for it as Lori did not "name" it.

Mix: ricotta, vanilla protein powder, pumpkin pie spice, heaping tbsp of pumpkin.

Over at Nourished Fitness, I found this yummy recipe.

Cinnamon Roll Quinoa Protein Muffins

1 c Cooked Quinoa

2 scoops BSN Cinnamon Roll Protein Powder

3/4 tsp Baking Powder

Cinnamon to taste

Stevia (2 packets, or dash of extract)

2 tbsp Coconut Oil

1/3 c Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1.5 tbsp Egg Whites

Pre-heat oven to 350 F and spray muffin tins with non-stick spray. Mix dry ingredients. Melt Coconut Oil. Mix Coconut Oil into dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients, then combined the wet & dry. Spin into 6 muffin tins. Bake for 15-20 min. depending on your oven.

Top with..

Fitness Frosting

1 scoop Cake Batter Protein Powder

1/4 c plain Greek Yogurt

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 packet Stevia or dash of Extract extract to taste

Other great toppings could include natural Nut Butter or sugar-free fruit preserves.

From Jody: I read in her comments that the nutrition facts do NOT include the topping. Also somebody asked about replacing the quinoa with something else. She had not tried that but suggested maybe oats. I guess you will have to play with it if you want to do that. And if you are like me & only have vanilla protein powder in the house, I guess you can add more cinnamon or play around with it for taste.

And of course the Nutrition Facts..

Hope you all enjoyed the shared recipes & there are more on their websites as well. Do you have a recipe you want to share? Let me know & I will do a post with your recipe & link love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dr. J and PLAY!

jody@truth2beingfit.com (truth2beingfit) — 2010-03-11T07:01:00Z

Thursday, March 11, 2010

“Dr. J”Dr. J offers his irreverent, slightly irrelevant, but possibly useful opinions on health and fitness. A Florida surgeon and fitness freak with a black belt in karate, he runs 50 miles a week and flies a Cherokee Arrow 200.

Many of you already know of Dr. J. He writes over at Calorielab here. Yes, he is back writing there again.. YAHOO.. BUT he kindly agreed to guest post here again! I am very excited to have Dr. J in the house! He even pokes fun of me! HOW DARE YOU, Dr. J!!!! Just kidding! Without further adeui, Dr. J on PLAY! Check him out playing in the pic!

Dr. J and Play!

Although it seems hard to believe with the way the weather has been this winter, spring is right around the corner! At least somebody’s corner. I just heard this morning that we have had one of the coldest winters in 100 years!

Now we all know what a serious, hard working-out woman Jody is. But I have a feeling that with a little scientific information to do the coaxing, it won’t be hard to convince her that it’s important to add play time to our lives!

The need for play

We live in a serious world! Just watch the evening news and see how serious that is! Some health care providers feel that to be happy, you should not ever watch the news! If you try this for a while, you will
find that you are really not missing much, except, perhaps things to be depressed about.

Recently, an article in the New York Times discussed the importance of play for children. Interestingly, Robin Williams, as a young child, was alone much of the time. Because of this he invented all these imaginary friends and voices to play with. Eventually this led him to develop his incredible
skill at imitation and brought him fame and fortune as a multi-faceted comedian.

In the Times article on play, scientists cast a serious look at play and what role it may have in our development.

Play, in their view, is a central part of neurological growth and development - one important way that children build complex, skilled, responsive, socially adept and cognitively flexible brains… Biologists generally have used phrases like “apparently purposeless activity” in their definitions of play. The definition proposed by Gordon Burghardt, an evolutionary psychologist at the University of Tennessee, refines that phrase a little. In his 2005 book, The Genesis of Animal Play, he wrote that play is an activity of “limited immediate function.”

Animals play, but only if they are “adequately fed, healthy and free from stress,” Burghardt says.“One popular view is the play-as-preparation hypothesis,” the Times article says. “In this perspective, play evolved because it is good preparation for adulthood. It is a chance to learn and rehearse the skills you will need for the rest of your lives, and to do so in a secure environment, where mistakes will have few consequences.”

Looking into it further, newer theories focus on the way that play “might contribute to the growth and development of the brain.” Without the benefits of play, we may be “less able to make subtle adjustments to the social world.” Or as we say, they won’t play well with others! Scientists believe that “play contributes to the growth of more supple, more flexible brains.” Or put more simply, think of play as “training for the unexpected,” as evolutionary biologist Marc Bekoff calls it. “Play, he says, leads to mental suppleness and a broader behavioral vocabulary,” which helps us achieve success in important ways.
In addition, “without play, there’s a sense of dullness, lassitude and pessimism, which doesn’t work well in the world we live in.”

It’s not just for kids.

This ain’t just childs’ play! Play develops your mind, and this process doesn’t just stop when you become an adult. The brain continues to develop throughout life, and play is an important part of this process. Add play to your life, seriously!

When I first began my flying adventures, I read a book of stories about aviation by a favorite author and pilot, Richard Bach, called The Gift of Winds. In one of the short stories, he comes to the conclusion that
“Flying is practicing what it is to be alive!” When Richard Bach suggested that, he might as well have been describing play!

So why do I fly? I just wants to have fun and play in the sky!

Maybe Jody and family will ride along one day!

Thx Dr. J!!! What do you all think? Do you get enough play or are you too serious or busy? I would stick around to discuss this all with you but Dr. J has convinced me that I need to go out & play. Leave your comments & I will get back to you after play time! Catch ya later!

Weight Loss Sanity! Happy Bday Sydney!

jody@truth2beingfit.com (truth2beingfit) — 2010-03-10T07:01:00Z

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

So, yesterday, I asked you to come back once again for more of my dieting reality & insanity post. And yes, there is more to come BUT first:

HAPPY 11th BIRTHDAY to Sydney!!! She is the first grandchild born & had like one year all to herself before the baby makers in our family started making more! Where has the time gone????? So, the pics are of Sydney now & cute baby Syd with my hubby, her granddad. The pic below is my fav pic of Sydney & I! We miss you & wish we could celebrate with you BUT will see you soon for Jen's wedding!!!!

OK, back to regular programming! Dieting reality, weight loss help & stop the insanity! So Monday I had a bunch of great advice from ACE on "dieting", weight loss & healthy living. Great comments by all of you. Thank you!

Yesterday we talked about Insanity - "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing year after year and expecting a different result." I really think it is so important to get a hold on this! This is not saying that you should not reprogram your taste buds & try certain foods a few time. Most studies show that especially with children, it may take up to 10 tries of eating healthier foods to get them on board, especially after a family has been feeding them junk for years.

NO, I am not talking about that! I am talking about going on a low card diet too many time to count because you want to lose the weigh fast, then losing the weight & putting it back on because you love carbs so much that what you really need to do is make a food program that incorporates healthy carbs but also allow for some treats. The weight loss is slower BUT your chances of keeping it off are much higher.

OR, don't keep going back to the gym if you hate it so much that you stop every time. There are plenty of options to working out at home OR classes offered like kickboxing, martial arts, dancing and more! There are outside activities like bike riding, hiking, walking, rollerblading, swimming and more as well!

I love the gym & get better workouts there but not everyone is like me. I also am not the biggest fan of cardio BUT I do it & a lot of it. I don't hate it but I am not a big fan. BUT, I do like the accomplishment & how it makes me feel & look!!! As Dr. J wrote in the comments yesterday: I would like to suggest that when you are looking for an activity that you like, to realize that for most successful people, liking to exercise may have nothing to do with their "just doing it." Sometimes being able to say, " Just DID it," is the best you are going to get I suggest finding an activity that you can DO, is more important than liking it. Who knows, maybe over time you will like it, or like the results you get. Just saying.

Dr. J's approach may not be for everyone BUT I hate to say, I agree. For some, what they do may not be their fav thing BUT they may like the results enough to "tolerate" it but then end up really liking it. Definitely something to think about!

Also, find the time of day right for you. I am a morn person & love that... plus nothing can stop me later in the day. Many of you work & we know how meetings, family & kids can stop us in our tracks. SO, if you are a morn person, go for your workout then. If not, SCHEDULE it in like any other meeting & DO NOT SKIP IT! If you are asked to do something, say you have a meeting!

On Dr. Oz, I saw Deepak Chopra say something that I have wanted to write about for a while. I am paraphrasing but he said, people think about the now in terms of food. When that piece of cake is set in front of them and all those other foods they don't say no to, they are not thinking about how that will effect them in the future. They are not thinking that this weight on them will give them heath issues or possible a heart attack a few years from now. They can only think of the now & the enjoyment now. He asked for people to think about what it means long term before they put that stuff in their mouths. Think about how this will effect your life long term rather than right now. It was an interesting take on this.

I got a couple great comments on Monday post that spoke directly to this & want to share them with you:

From Roy, at Roy Cohen's Contemplative Fitness: For years my tag line was, "Every time we put a spoon to our mouth one of 2 signals goes off:

A) This is good for me and I'm going to eat it.
Or, This is NOT good for me and I'm going to eat it anyway.

After that, it's all about choices.

We know right from wrong, and we have a passion for choosing wrong.

From Jody: Now that says it right there! I am going to eat it anyway... we do this & maybe we have to stop & think first for a change! we DO have a choice!

From Jack at Jack Sh*t, Gettin' Fit: This journey is a lot like socking $$$ away for retirement. Unfortunately, a lot of folks don't (or can't) look down the road and see that the work and sacrifice they make today is what's going to make all the difference down the road.

From Jody: Again, think about that! Take stock out in your health & wellness! Think down the road in terms of your health!

Again, I ask for your thoughts on all this. Are you taking out stock in your health, wellness & life - lifelong? Are you taking stock out for your family, loved ones & kids as well? If we are taking care of us, then we are better for the family and a better example as well.

Dr. J is in the house tomorrow writing about PLAY! Check back!

Dieting Reality - Tomorrow Is NOW!

jody@truth2beingfit.com (truth2beingfit) — 2010-03-09T07:01:00Z

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!

I am really curious to hear your thoughts on this. Did anyone else see this story on Eric? I understand the premise of the show but the point with Eric was to get him off the roller coaster ride that did not work for him the first time. We all have to find the right way for us. There is NO ONE RIGHT WAY. The way that is right is the one that is going to help you get off the roller coaster & sustain health & fitness life long! Let me know what ya think!

So, as you are probably guessing, I have more to say on this tomorrow but a little different take for your minds so please check back!

Diet & Fitness Health!

jody@truth2beingfit.com (truth2beingfit) — 2010-03-08T07:01:00Z

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!!

<:od>Make One Simple Change A Day in Your Diet and Your Fitness: Gain a Lifetime of Health

With daylight savings time rapidly approaching, it is time to awaken the body and get out of hibernation mode. Spring forward means more skin to bare and more time to play outdoors after hours.

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.

If you need motivation to get started on a regular program of exercise or are looking to get the most out of your workouts, consider hiring an ACE-certified fitness professional in your area. If you have an existing health condition, always consult a physician first.

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

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?

Gardening Fun

jody@truth2beingfit.com (truth2beingfit) — 2010-03-07T07:01:00Z

Sunday, March 7, 2010

An old Italian lived alone in New Jersey. He wanted to plant his annual tomato garden, but it was very difficult work, as the ground was hard. His only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament:

Dear Vincent,

I am feeling pretty sad, because it looks like I won't be able to plant my tomato garden this year. I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. I know if you were here my troubles would be over..? I know you would be happy to dig the plot for me, like in the old days.

Love, Papa

A few days later he received a letter from his son.

Dear Pop,

Don't dig up that garden.. That's where the bodies are buried.

Love, Vinnie

At 4 a.m. The next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies.. They apologized to the old man and left. That same day the old man received another letter from his son.

Dear Pop,

Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That's the best I could do under the circumstances.

Love you, Vinnie

Hope you all had a good laugh! Happy Sunday to you!

Feel Good Stuff!

jody@truth2beingfit.com (truth2beingfit) — 2010-03-06T07:01:00Z

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Thx to my sis Bethe for passing this on to me. TOO CUTE!

UNTIL ONE HAS LOVED AN ANIMAL, PART OF THEIR SOUL REMAINS UNWAKENED" Unknown

Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Treadmill Challenge; Towel Giveaway Winner!

jody@truth2beingfit.com (truth2beingfit) — 2010-03-05T07:01:00Z

TGIF, Friday March 5, 2010

I think many of you realize by now that I do like my challenges! Yes, I do like challenges when it comes to fitness! So, when I was over at GirlGetStrong, I saw this unbelievable & amazing treadmill workout video! Now that is one friggin hard challenge! I don't see myself doing it that fast any time soon... but, I hate to say, I thought: Mmmmmmmmmmm, can a try a couple of these moves at a very slow pace just to try & challenge myself. Is that crazy or what!!!??? When you see the video, you will understand why I say that I may be crazy to try these even at a slower pace BUT some of it just calls to me! I will let you know if I get brave enough! Check out the video here or here. I MEAN IT... YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS TO BELIEVE IT!!!!
OK, who is with me to try a slow edition of a couple of these moves? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

NOW for the towel giveaway winners!!!! And again, thanks to all of those that voted & supported me! You know, at first I was going to try to choose the winners based on the comments BUT they were all so good that I decided on random number generator! It made me feel great to hear how many of you out there love the weights but even more so was the why. So many of you said lifting weights & having muscles made you feel strong, like you could do & accomplish anything. I LOVED IT! I may do another one of these so not to worry if you did not win this time!

So, the winners are: Miz and AFG
Please email me your full name & address to I can send the towel out to you! My email is jody@truth2beingfit.com

HAPPY WEEKEND TO YOU ALL! I will be posting this weekend with just fun stuff but a peek at next week:

Dr. J will be in the house again!!!!

Some cool exercise help to pass on to you that I picked up here & there.

An update on the bridal shower. Crap, I have to find a dress! Don't worry Jen! I will find one & will not embarrass you!