10 Things in Candy I’m Not Sure I Want to Be Eating

Halloween is in two weeks and I’m already dreading it.

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Halloween — the spooky movies, dressing up, decorating the house. It’s not any of that.

It’s the CANDY.

Every year I think it’s not going to be a big deal. “I’ll just have one or two pieces,” I say and then the flood gates open. I find myself rummaging through the kid’s stash for Twix and Kit Kats after they go to bed. It’s sad.

I know all the tricks: Buy candy you hate, wait until the last minute, blah, blah, blah. It’s all good advice, but at the end of the day, I still find my hand in the candy bag.

So this year I decided to do something different. I decided to educate myself. I wanted to really learn what’s in this candy I’m eating so I can make an informed and conscious decision of whether I want to put it in my body.

Note: You may think I’m anti-candy but I’m not. I’m an “everything in moderation” girl. There’s only one problem: sometimes I have a problem with the moderation part. I hope this helps.

10.  Titanium dioxide, found in Skittles

… and sunscreen! That’s right. The same stuff we slather on our skin to prevent burns also happens to help make food white, which is why it’s also found in marshmallows. Oh, and paint. I don’t know it just doesn’t sound like something we should be eating either. Click here for more info.

9.  Carrageenan, found in Baby Ruth, PayDay

Apparently it adds texture and thickness but has NO nutritional value and has been shown to be destructive to the digestive system. Interesting enough it’s “natural”.  Check out this article on Prevention for more information if you are interested.

8. TBHQ aka Tert-Butylhydroquinone, found in Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Baby Ruth, Goobers

It’s a preservative that does not cause discoloration in food and it’s been deemed safe for consumption even though the FDA limits it usage to 0.02%. I’m not so sure I’d categorize something as safe when it has to be limited to such small quantities. Click here for more info.

7. Partially hydrogenated soybean oil, found in Snickers, Almond Joy, Tootsie Roll, Reese’s Pieces, Whoppers, Baby Ruth

According to some it’s quite possibly the most harmful ingredient in processed foods. Look, even Urban Dictionary says so.

I’m only partially joking here. It is a trans fat and it is bad for you. Click here to see what the Mayo Clinic has to say about it.

6. PGPR, aka polyglycerol polyricinoleate, found in Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Kit Kats, Twix, Peppermint Pattie, Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar, Mr. Goodbar, Hershey’s Special Dark

PGPR is considered safe for consumption, however, according to BeacauseNoOneAsked.com, PGRP is used to replace the expensive cocoa butter that is normally found in chocolate. So they take the stuff that actually may have some health benefit to us and replace it with what? A bunch of chemicals to mimic chocolate. Let me guess, it’s cheaper.

5. Carnauba wax, found in Nerds, Mike & Ikes, Gummy Bears, Swedish Fish, Skittles, Reese’s Pieces, Good & Plenty, Jolly Rancher Gummies

Another “safe for consumption” ingredient, carnauba wax is the same stuff used in car wax, shoe polish and cosmetics. Just thinking about that makes me reconsider grabbing that handful of Swedish Fish from The Husband’s stash. More info on FitSugar. 

4. Hydrogenated palm kernel oil, found in Milky Way, Skittles, Butterfinger

Contains less trans fat than partially hydrogenated soybean oil, but like carnuba wax, I’d much rather it stay in my cosmetics and candles than my food. I’m thinking it’s just best to stay away from the word “hydrogenated.” More on Ehow.com.

3. Resinous glaze, found in Reese’s Pieces, Whoppers, Milk Duds

Also known as shellac, it is secreted by an insect called the tachardia lacca beetle. According to vrg.org, it is also used in furniture polish and varnish, hairspray, shampoo, perfume, cosmetics, and paint. Yikes!

2. Yellow dye No. 5, found in candy corn, Starbursts, Nerds, Skittles, Butterfinger, Reese’s Pieces, M&Ms, Dots, Jolly Rancher Gummies

I decided only to pick one dye or my list would have just been filled with them. According to CSPI’s Chemical Cuisine, it causes allergy-like hypersensitivity reactions, primarily in aspirin-sensitive persons, and triggers hyperactivity in some children. It may be contaminated with such cancer-causing substances as benzidine and 4-aminobiphenyl (or chemicals that the body converts to those substances).

And the No. 1 Thing In Candy I’m Not Sure I Want to Be Eating is …

1. Sugar, aka high fructose corn syrup, aka almost anything that ends with -ose, found in EVERYTHING

I don’t want to start a sugar vs. corn syrup argument because that’s not the point of this. The point is to be a little more aware of what we are deciding (yes, deciding — what you eat is a conscious decision, or at least it should be) to put in our bodies, and the more time I spend thinking about it the more I want to reduce my overall sugar intake. If you really have some time, you may want to read this article in the New York Times about it.

Listen, I’m not an alarmist. I don’t think we are all going to die if we indulge in a few bites of candy this Halloween. But for some of us just having a “few bites” is a problem. So maybe, just maybe, if we are a little more aware of what we are eating, it will be a little easier to stop at a bite or even skip it altogether.

Now I feel like a big downer but I have to be honest, I’m not craving those Twix bars I know will be in the 8-year-old’s Halloween bag!

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10 ‘Impossible’ Things I’ve Accomplished

Me after completing the Baltimore Marathon 2009

This post (as with many) is for me. You may think I’m patting myself on the back or tooting my horn, but the truth is I’m struggling with a lot of self-doubt and this is how I move past it.

I’m not going to lie, winning the scaled CrossFit competition this past weekend was a super big deal for me. I enjoyed it more than I ever imagined. Maybe it’s because I’ve never, EVER been competitive athletically in my life. I’ve never really played team sports and the ones I tried I suck at — seriously, I couldn’t even make my high school softball team! Sure, I’ve been running in events for a few years now, but I’m slow as molasses when compared to “competitive” runners. I don’t even run to win; I run to move my body and enjoy the atmosphere at events.

This past weekend was different. Something in me was really excited to be there. I loved the nervous feeling I had before it was my turn to compete. I loved being in the moment and tuning out the noise to focus on my form and movements. I even loved the random “You’ve got this, Roni!” I’d hear from a friend on the sidelines even though it made me realize people were watching.

Since Saturday, I cannot get the thought of competing again, possibly even in a higher division, out of my head.

But you should have seen the girls in the division above me! They were SO strong and so fit. They have probably been athletes their entire lives — and that was the in “inner mean girl” was waiting for.

 Are you kidding? You can never be as strong as they are. You can’t even do a pull-up. You’ll probably NEVER be able to do pull-ups.  And Double-unders? HA! You’ve been trying to do those for months! Just admit it, you aren’t an athlete. You’ll never be an athlete. Do I even need to remind you that you have, like, 15 years on some of these girls? They are younger, stronger, and more fit then you will ever be. Stop being so ridiculous. It was a fluke you won. And what did you really win anyway? The lowest division possible? Does that even count? Keep dreaming, Roni. It’s not going to happen. 

I’m so TIRED of this voice in my head!

So I decided to focus on the things I have accomplished that at one time I thought impossible.  These are things the inner mean girl voice almost talked me out of.

10. Losing and maintaining my weight loss. For years, YEARS, I let the voice keep me in the yo-yo dieting cycle of hell. Weight loss wasn’t impossible for me. My darn perfection gene would just kick in and I’d walk away from my goals selling myself short once again.

9. Starting my own business. Quitting my full-time job was one of the hardest things I have ever done. So hard I actually went back to work just a few short months after because inner mean girl convinced me I’d fail. I got up enough nerve to try again and here I am three years in!

8. Publishing my own book. I talked about it for months, maybe even years, but inner mean girl always won and I kept making excuse after excuse. Finally I said the hell with her and just did it. I’m still selling a few copies a month!

7. Run. Period. Have you read my Pondering What People Told me Post? I convinced myself at a very young age that I could NOT run. I’d look at other runners like they were crazy. Now I run whenever I get a chance. Yesterday, I ran 2 miles like it was nothing. Now I am a runner and I actually enjoy it!

6. Buying *this* house. With our rent increasing every year, the Husband and I decided to buy a house way back in 2001 but the area we wanted to live in was ridiculously priced. So we bought a cheaper house a little farther out. We sat on that house for 8 years, saving and saving and took a chance in the middle of the housing crisis to sell. We took the money we made on the sale to buy a house where we wanted to live originally. I never thought I’d be able to afford to live where I live now but we did it!

5. Running a marathon. As I said, just being able to run was a huge accomplishment. A marathon? Not in a million years! But yet I did it. I freakin’ did it!

4. Completing a Tough Mudder. I’m not sure I thought this was impossible but I never thought I’d love it the way I did and I never, ever thought I’d be able do two in one weekend. TWO in one weekend? Unbelievable, yet I did it!

3. Hosting FitBloggin’ on the West Coast. First of all, I never thought I’d really be able to pull off FitBloggin’10! Then I did it again and again. But planning it 3,000 miles away? No freakin’ way. Impossible! Well, apparently not. Now I’m hoping to confirm yet another remote city for next year. I just needed to stop doubting myself and do it!

2. Handling 2 kids. This is hard to explain and some of you may not understand but I really only ever wanted one child. I was convinced I couldn’t handle two and be an effective parent. I didn’t think my marriage would survive. I didn’t think I had enough energy. I just didn’t think it was the right choice for me. Well, here I am raising two and I couldn’t be happier!

1. Winning a CrossFit competition. We covered this one, but I cannot stress enough how impossible this still seems to me and I’ve already done it!

Why do I still doubt myself, after proving that can I accomplish pretty much anything I set my mind to? Why is it easier to listen to the inner mean girl than have a little faith in myself?

I’ll bet you could also make a list like this. What have you accomplished that you previously deemed impossible? Is your mean girl trying to talk you out of something you really want to accomplish?

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10 Things You Tell Friends That You Should Be Telling Yourself

Why are we so hard on ourselves?

From hating our bodies to thinking we are aren’t enough, it’s time we stop being our own worst enemy and start to treat ourselves the way we treat our friends.

Here are 10 things I’m sure you’ve told a close friend at one time or another. Maybe we should show ourselves the same kind of kindness.

10. “You look great!”

I’m so guilty of this, it isn’t funny. I rarely dress up and when I do, I pick apart my outfit, my hair, my shoes, etc. I focus on everything I think is a flaw instead of confidently looking in the mirror and saying, “You look great!”

9. “Maybe you should take a break.”

It’s so easy for us to look at our friends’ lives and tell them to slow down. Yet I bet there’s always something more you HAVE to do.

8. “No worries. It’s cool.” 

Why does it seem exponentially easier to forgive our friends than ourselves?

7. “Oh stop, you aren’t fat.” 

I’m going to bet, regardless of how much your friend weighs, you never, ever agree with her when she calls herself fat. Why? Because fat talk is negative, destructive behavior and does no one any good. Next time you start to utter, or even think those three little words (“I’m so fat”), show yourself the same respect you show your friends. STOP IT.

6. “You’ve GOT this.” 

We confidently pat our friends on the back all the time because we know what they are capable of. We have faith in their abilities, yet we constantly doubt ourselves. Why?

5. “Everything will be OK.” 

Is that not the first thing you say to your friend in crisis? Next time, try to repeat it to yourself when things get rough.

4. “Maybe it’s time to try something new.”

Sometimes it’s easy to give friends advice because we are outside looking in with a completely different perspective.  And sometimes that’s exactly what we need to do for ourselves.

3. “You are amazing!” 

This needs no explanation. Say it to yourself sometimes, OK?

2. “You should do what makes you happy.”  

It’s advice always given to others, yet rarely done ourselves.

1. “Love you.” 

I don’t care how cheesy it sounds. Show yourself some love!

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5 non-fitness things that make a dude real man-sexy.

Ladies! I hope you know it. Muscles and good looks are NOT the epitome of man-sexy. I’ve come across a ton of aesthetically eyeball-pleasing men that were total douche bags. Tell me you haven’t.

A good looking douche bag is the ugliest man of all. But man-sexy has no physical requirements. Tall or short, chunky or lean, bald or with hair… they all qualify to hold the title of man-sexy if they come correct with the proper credentials.

List of sexy credentials that have absolutely nothing to do with male fitness or physique:

1. He’s Good With Tools: There’s nothing worse than man that can’t bang a hammer, swing a wrench, or put together a piece of equipment that comes with 300-pages of “self assembly required” directions. If he says “I can’t”, “I don’t know how”, or “I won’t”, then he is not man-sexy. He at least has to try. Ladies, if you are single and he doesn’t own a decent set of tools, that’s a classic sign you need to run the other way. You’re either gonna end up paying a repairman, or you’ll have to fix it your damn self.

2. He Takes Charge: Man-sexy men know what they want. But even if he’s not yet reached his full potential, he’s on his way and going after it. He also takes charge in, eh-ummm, other ways, but this ain’t the kind of blog to be discussing such thangs.

3. He Fights Unfair: Meaning, it’s unfair to HIM, not us girls. Don’t we all love to have the last word when it comes to a disagreement? A man that will take the high road and let the woman have the last word sometimes is a wise & sexy man indeed. He will back down from an argument for the sake of keeping the peace when us gals are feeling bitchy or otherwise spitting estrogen-fueled venom in his direction. This kind of unfair man is very sexy.

4. He Will Cook You Food: Are you feeling lazy? Under the weather, perhaps? Or maybe he’s just taking the cooking-reins because he loves you. A man that can get down in the kitchen is a keeper. Give him 5,000 extra sexy points if the food he cooks is actually good — 10,000 points if he serves it to you on a fancy tray while you couch-azz.

5. He Will Kill Bugs For You: And vermin, too. He will also trap vampire bats, chase slithery anacondas out the backyard, and investigate that eerie claw-scratching noise (it’s probably Hogzilla) on the roof of the house at 2am in the morning. Whatever it takes. He will do it. He will keep you safe.

Ohhh, lawd Jesus! These things are very-very sexy-sexy-sexy. There’s other important things I could include, but I had to stop somewhere. Holla at me in the comments to add to this fancy list of man-sexy credentials. And a big shout to all the man-sexy men who are holding it down for their ladies. BOOM!

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Wednesday Weigh In – My 8 Things To Kick Off The New Year

I’ve been thinking about my plan to kick off the new year and how I don’t want to make resolutions as much as just refocusing to help capture the natural motivation that happens at the start of a new year.

So I’ve made a list things I’m trying to emphasize in 2013.

Scheduling workouts.Even go as far as putting repeating events in for classes that fit your schedule. Focus on the positive! I read so many negative comments in the last few days –I ate too much, I look horrible, the scale was was worse than I thought, blah, blah, blah– STOP! Just stop. It’s the first step to breaking the cycle. Tell your inner mean self to shut the heck up and move on. Prep and plan as much as possible.Cut fruit and veggies on the weekend, plan a few meals, freeze leftovers for lunch. Planning is more than half the battle. Get out of your comfort zone.Whether it be what you’re eating, what you’re wearing how your moving. Try new stuff. I did this yesterday with breakfast!Challenge yourself and get excited about it.Have fun with it. This is why I do #YogaADay and #PlankADay. It’s fun and challenging yet low commitment. You can find 1 minute to do a plank you just have to WANT to and that’s where the excitement comes in. Embrace it. Have fun with it. Get creative. Involve some friends. Decide what you’re ‘non- negotiables’ are.I wrote about this before. You can’t do it all but you can decide what gets done. Don’t put yourself at the bottom of the list!Value Sleep.By far my worst habit is staying up to late and eating something I regret in the morning. Don’t procrastinate bed time. All the work and chores will be there in the morning. And TV? Well that’s why they make DVRs. Accept that there is no perfect.Your diet. Your body. Even the number on the scale. It will never be perfect but that doesn’t mean you just stop. Keep moving forward. Perfect isn’t the prerequisite to reach your goals. Consistency is.

These things are helping frame my mindset as I work towards reaching my goals this year.

Speaking of, hopping on the scale this morning was, well, interesting. But before I go there let me just say I am FLOORED at the response of my NewYear’s DietBet. As of the writing of this post we are at 491 players and $9,760 in the pot!

That’s INSANE!

The challenge starts today and run through Jan 29th. To play with us you have to pony up $20 and if you lose 4% of your body weight by the end you split the pot with the others winners. Click here for more the details.

Now, I want and NEED to stress that in no way is the DietBet taking over my Wednesday Weigh Ins. I’ll still be here every week to weigh in with you and share my thoughts on losing and maintaing a weight loss. That’s not going to change. I just liked the idea of offering a fun twist to kick off the new year and get us motivated.

Anyway, so my interesting scale showed this this morning…

Which is funny because it showed this 2 days ago when I weighed in for DietBet…

Umm yea, that makes NO sense and I’m not letting it bug me. It’s just a number and I know it will catch up to reflect the good choices I’ve been making. I KNOW it will, but still, that scale really likes to mess with our heads, doesn’t it?

Anyway, happy weigh in day. I hope you all had a great holiday break. I have so much work to catch up on today it’s making my head spin, but I’m looking forward to getting back to some routine.

How’s your post-holiday weigh-ins going?

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Greedy Giveaway! Win Josie’s “Favorite Things” Prize Packs

Update 5/28/12: Congrats to Angela (@goodfairyofny), Cassie and jbunny. You win prize packs!

Howdy ho, and welcome to the new look of the blog! You ready to win some stuff? Three random, greedy winners will each score one prize pack filled with some of my favorite things. Now let’s git ‘ta winning prizes!?!

BEAST MODE PRIZE PACK

Shakeology 2-Pack Sampler (Tropical & Chocolate)Gymboss Interval TimerBob Harper Totally Fit Core DVD

ACTIVE REST PRIZE PACK

Shakeology 2-Pack Sampler (Tropical & Chocolate)Rodney Yee Yoga Ultimate Power YogaLeslie Sansone Walk at Home DVD

GREEDY GOODNESS PRIZE PACK

Shakeology 2-Pack Sampler (Tropical & Chocolate)BelVita Golden Oat Breakfast BiscuitsBack to Nature Chocolate Chunk Cookies (they’re delicious!)

How To Enter

Leave a comment and brag a little about your fitness plans for this week. Lazy-bones and excessive couch-assers with no plans to do nothin’ need not enter.

Your chance to enter ends Friday,  5/25/12. Winners announced by 5/28/12. United States entries only. Totally null and void where prohibited. M’kay?

Ready? Set. PRIZES!!

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Ten Little Things That Mean A Lot To Your Fitness Goals

One less hour of staying up way too late at night.

Two less bites of your favorite decadent food.

Three more reps to go! Don’t stop now. Just finish it.

Four excuses you kill and don’t allow to hinder you anymore.

Five consecutive days of consistency with your fitness.

Six minutes to plan tomorrow’s workout and healthy food choices.

Seven reasons you’re going to make it happen for real this time.

Eight ways you end the self-neglect and finally make yourself a priority.

Nine extra gulps of water throughout the day.

Ten less minutes of bullshitting, procrastination and staying stuck in your situation.

These ten little things will have major impact on your fitness, but they’re not so hard to do. Get your booty in gear and make it happen. Don’t just read this and then go off somewhere and do nothing…

XOXO,

Josie

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Not Doing These 8 Things? Your Fitness Will Suffer (warning: eye bleach not included)

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

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Finish It Monday: Prune Away The Unfruitful Things For More Growth And Progress

prune

1. trim or weed out unwanted or unnecessary things

2. cut off or cut out for the purpose of improving growth

3. do away with, terminate or eliminate

You gotta prune away the things that don’t matter; the things that waste time and get in the way of you achieving your goals. Those time wasting activities and bad habits. The things that don’t contribute to your growth, but instead, hold you back, keep you down and prevent you from getting what you want; the things ‘n stuff that distract and prevent you from making consistent, goal oriented moves.

Don’t cleave to the unfruitful things in your life. It’s holding you back. So get rid of it.

Josie’s “to prune away” List

Up late, past 11:30pm. Because it causes me to have a sub-par, next day workout.Wasting way too much time on celebrity gossip websites (yeah, I do that). It’s a distraction. My time could be better spent.B!tching and whining about stuff completely out of my control (like dealing with incompetent people and situations that “aren’t fair”). It’s a waste of time to keep complaining; a distraction that drains my positive spirit and makes me to lose focus.

Now it’s your turn.

But don’t just write a list and forget about it. Make like a gardener and start pruning away the “dead” things in your life right now.

To all of my Finish What You Started Challengers: You earn one bonus star for every dead ‘n idle activity you successfully keep pruned all week long. Stay in it, guys! This Challenge is NOT over yet. You’ve got things to accomplish. If you’ve allowed your challenge goals to fall by the wayside, jump back in right now. Re-starts, do-overs and picking up where you left off is totally encourage. But quitting is NEVER allowed.

(photo credit)

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Things Ive learned since losing almost half of me (guest post).

You have to start out small. Do not look at the big number you need to lose by the time you are done. Set small reachable goals like 5% of your weight or 5 or 10 pound increments. Each time you reach one celebrate! Chipping away at 120 pounds was easier when I looked at it 10 pounds at a time.You will sustain change over time by making 1-2 small changes every week or 2 and building upon them. I did not go from eating out every day to paleo in a week. It took a good year to instill each healthy living habit I live today. Every week I pushed myself harder and worked more towards an end goal: to cut out all the processed junk and eat whole, natural foods.Exercise is not always what the body wants but it is what the body needs. Our bodies were built to exercise, our ancestors walked and ran everywhere no cars, no planes. I do not always want to get up and workout but after a workout I feel so good that it keeps me excited for the next one.Living healthy is not the easiest choice to make. There is so much cheap quick diet fixes out there and it can be tempting to try them, I did I always failed long term. Weight Watchers is what worked for me because it taught me to eat healthy balanced meals and control my portions. Losing an average of 8-10 pounds a month was the healthy way to do things and it has kept me consistent, to lose 100 pounds in 14 months.Keep setting new goals and achieving them. I mix up my workouts, I look for new challenges. It keeps the body guessing and me working harder and harder every month. I like to find new challenges and set new obstacles for myself to overcome.Most Important: You can do anything you set your mind to. At 272 pounds I never ever would have thought I would one day we running half marathons and training for a full. But thankfully I am and I know that no matter what challenges I face it can be done.

MizFit comment: I love me some Colleen.  Ive had the opportunity to meet her in person and beg her for a guest post and she’s as amazing IRL as she is on her blog.

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Wrapping up my Week and Announcing 2 Things I’m Working on.

I feel like I’m starting to slow down as this pregnancy comes to full term. I’m still just doing what I can when I can but what I’m doing less and less while trying to sleep and rest more.

That being said, this is what I did all week…

Repeating: Nothing. Nada. I need to carve a day out each week that’s devoted to the community but I don’t see that happening until AFTER the baby and the conference.

Honestly, I haven’t been reading much of anything. My own work has been keeping me busy.

None. I told you.. not really doing much these days.

So I’ve been working on two HUGE things. First, a book outline. I don’t want to talk about it too much until I have the idea completely flushed out BUT I’m working with a Literary Agent and I may be taking the leap to a traditionally published book. The second, I mentioned on this weeks podcast. I may be blogging all about Evan’s first year on Babble.com. It’s not set in stone but I’m excited about having an outlet just for baby talk so I can focus on my weight loss and training here on Roni’s Weigh.

That’s is. That’s all I have in me tonight. I’m exhausted and honestly, uncomfortable!

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Wrapping up my Week and Announcing 2 Things I’m Working on.

I feel like I’m starting to slow down as this pregnancy comes to full term. I’m still just doing what I can when I can but what I’m doing less and less while trying to sleep and rest more.

That being said, this is what I did all week…

Repeating: Nothing. Nada. I need to carve a day out each week that’s devoted to the community but I don’t see that happening until AFTER the baby and the conference.

Honestly, I haven’t been reading much of anything. My own work has been keeping me busy.

None. I told you.. not really doing much these days.

So I’ve been working on two HUGE things. First, a book outline. I don’t want to talk about it too much until I have the idea completely flushed out BUT I’m working with a Literary Agent and I may be taking the leap to a traditionally published book. The second, I mentioned on this weeks podcast. I may be blogging all about Evan’s first year on Babble.com. It’s not set in stone but I’m excited about having an outlet just for baby talk so I can focus on my weight loss and training here on Roni’s Weigh.

That’s is. That’s all I have in me tonight. I’m exhausted and honestly, uncomfortable!

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What 5 things would you tell yourself? (Rewind)

I’m doing a sort of double rewind for this weeks question. About 3 years ago I asked What 5 things would you tell yourself? to help face some stuff from my past. I think as we age we need to remind ourselves where we come from and the experiences we had. It helps us figure out who we are and gives us the ability to look at the present and future differently.

This post isn’t about go back and changing anything. It’s about celebrating what we’ve learned about ourselves and others over the course of our lifetime. Whether we are 25 or 45 our experiences are valuable and they shape who we are today.

Here’s my original post from April 22, 2008 where I rewind to 1991.. NO LAUGHING! ;)

I can’t take credit for this question as I know there was a meme going around awhile back asking bloggers to write a letter to their younger selves. Like, if you went back in time what would say to the high school version of you? I thought it was an interesting activity but I didn’t have time to participate then, so I’m stealing the idea for this weeks question and changing it up a bit. Instead of a letter, I want us to think about 5 specific things we would tell ourselves if we could go back in time.

They don’t all have to be weight related but I think we’ll discover even the non-weight issues are relevant to self-esteem, confidence, body image and a host of other things that may manufacture themselves as “weight issues”.

So travel back in time with me.

The year is 1991 (HOLY CRAP) I was 15, wearing my cuffed jeans, hot pink BUM wind breaker, listening to Def Leppard and Boyz II Men. Don’t believe me? Look at this… (Sorry Jen – Don’t Kill me :~P)

The sad thing is, I was already “dieting”, not happy with my body and envious of my skinny friends. Notice I was hiding myself in the picture, that’s a pretty common theme in my old photos starting at about age 12.

What do I tell myself?

Stop being so preoccupied with your body. You are young, fit, active and beautiful (that was really hard for me to type) Love who YOU are and stop comparing yourself to others, it’s not worth it, life is too short. Wear clothes that FIT YOU!! I know you don’t believe it but baggy is not better and it makes you look much bigger then you are. Stick to the salads at McDonald’s! (I worked at MickeyD’s for 5 years and ate WAY to many quarter pounders on my lunch breaks) HAVE FUN! Life is too short to miss out on things because you are worried what you look like. Throw that bathing suit on, get in the ocean and SWIM! Enjoy it now before you are running after a 2 year old on the beach Don’t wait until your junior year of college to take a computer class. Get into it early, you have a knack and one day you’ll make a career out of making web sites. Oh! you don’t know what a web site is, don’t worry you will soon enough. :~)

Your turn. :~)

I originally got a little humorous on that last one so I’ll add another.

Your body is capable of AMAZING things. One day you will have children and realize this. In the mean time treat it and yourself with kindness. Embrace who you are and don’t be ashamed of ANYTHING. Confidence is a hard thing to master. Start now.

ok, NOW it’s your turn. I’m curious what your 5 things are.

Click here to see the comments on the original post as well. Lots of great stuff!

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What 5 Things Would You Do Everyday?

I have a fun question this week based on a last week’s podcast. Kate asked an interested question that I answered in the video (see below) and I’m still thinking about! Even after a few days of pondering I’m sticking with my original response. Let me recap as I know not everyone listen/watches the podcasts. Kate asked…

Roni,

I really admire how you’ve adopt such a balanced and healthy lifestyle – whether you were caring for a newborn, working full time, or doing both!  If you could get just 5 things done for your health each day, what would they be?  I am curious to hear what your (and readers’) must-do checklist would look like.

Kate

My response in video…

To summarize…

Run Not only for the physical benefits but the mental as well. Since starting to run about 3 years ago I look to it as MY time. Just 30 minutes, some music and sunshine. It does wonders for my soul! Healthy Smoothie My diet isn’t perfect. It never will be but I’d love to get in one nutrient packed smoothie a day full of fresh/frozen fruits and a huge helping of leafy greens. Who needs V8? ;) Click here to check out some of my smoothie ideas.Uninterrupted Time with Loved Ones Kids, spouse, significant other, friend, it doesn’t matter. Unplug and just BE with another human being at least once a day. I think it does wonders for me and my relationships. Go to Bed Early SLEEP! I don’t get enough. Does anyone? I think I can do wonders by just going to bed a little earlier. Brush and FlossI’ve confessed my horrible teeth hygiene habits on the blog before. My last thing would be to simply take care of ME. Brush, floss, wash my face, cut my nails, etc. I know I’m not the only one that lets these things slide when I get too busy taking care of everyone else.

There you have it, my 5 things. Now it’s YOUR turn. If you could get just 5 things done for your health each day, what would they be?

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Eat your fruits and…what were those other things?

After looking at the food diary I’ve been keeping for the last two weeks, it’s hard to figure out when the last time was that I ate a vegetable. Fruits? Check! I have devoured pears, mangoes, and even little pineapple bits in my yogurt. Vegetables? Hmmm, well the Subway sandwich had some lettuce, tomato and red onion on it, so technically that counts. And the Palek Paneer I got at Whole Foods was full of spinach, but I was eating it more for the cheese.

I used to snack on baby carrots and hummus, but I can’t seem to find the baby carrots at the grocery store I visit most often, so either they’re hidden or the baby carrots grew up fast like kids do these days. I also used to snack on celery, mostly because of that delightful crunchy texture, which is almost worth getting celery veins stuck in my teeth. I just haven’t bought any lately. Otherwise, I’m not much of a veggie fan, mostly because of the work involved to make them taste good. I enjoy eating most fruits without any preparation, but to make vegetables palatable I have to sautee them, roast them, or sprinkle them with spices or seasonings. Honestly, that’s not that much extra work, but it’s enough to make me choose an apple instead.

So, mental note, more veggies! They have important vitamins and nutrients. They are typically not calorie dense and fill you up. One question though, does popcorn count as a vegetable?

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Ask Roni_v43: Weight Loss without Working Out, All or Nothing Mentality, Starting a Weight Loss Blog, Keeping Things Fresh, Life is a Struggle.

I’m back this week with a video! Space issue temporarily solved. And yes.. yet another new hairstyle/color. What can I say? I needed a change. ;)

Topics covered in this weeks video/podcast…

Weight Loss without Working OutBalancing working out and time with family. Preventing the All-or-Nothing mentality. Starting a Weight Loss BlogHow do I keep things fresh in the snack department?Life is a Struggle? How I found my way.

Links mentioned in video…

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3 Things People Treat Better Than Their Bodies

Some people love things and stuff, and maybe even other people more than they are willing to love themselves through self-care. Join me as I bitch about it just a little bit.

1) Hair and Nails ‘n Stuff

Well, yes. These things are technically part of the body, but it’s a crime when someone is so caught up in their hair and nails that they neglect to care for the other parts of their body that are screaming for healthy attention. This brings to mind some obese woman who take great pride in their appearance, but only limit it to their hair, nails, trendy clothes, designer handbags and shoes, while neglecting to address a more serious matter – their obesity issue. Why spend 2 hours in a hair salon or 4 hours shopping, but not so much as 15 minutes on exercise?

2) Automobiles and Electronics

Some people (mostly guys) go to great lengths to ensure the proper maintenance and protection of their car and electronics. They get regular oil changes and you won’t find a speck of trash in their vehicle. If the Xbox isn’t working right, they’re quick to troubleshoot the problem and get it back in action asap. But as for their body’s proper maintenance? No way. Will they troubleshoot their weight gain with healthy solutions? No again.

3) Kids and Animals

These two can be interchanged, of course. Because my own kids are a BUNCH OF FRACKIN’ ANIMALS….and vice versa.

I’m not coming down on the people who are good to their kids. You should be good to your kids, dammit. But don’t sacrifice your own well being in the process of caring for your children. They should not be blamed for why you are not caring for yourself properly – whether it be physically, emotionally, or whatever. This type of self care is a decision, and you have to make room for it.

There are lots of moms I hear whine about not being able to shower on any given day, because their baby is too demanding and somehow won’t allow it. Well put the baby in the crib – she won’t melt if she cries – and then go wash up, or take 30 minutes to do an exercise DVD or fix your hair and pluck your chin hairs. If you have kids, please, take care of yourself. I see a lot of spiffed up, vibrant kids walking around next to a run down mom whose weight is climbing as she dons a tumbleweed hair-do and baby food stains on her clothes. That needs to stop.

And then you have the animal lover whose canine gets regular vet checkups and the best of dog food life has to offer. But the animal owner himself hasn’t been to the doc in years and eats McDonald’s for dinner.

Even as I rant about what other people aren’t doing right [insert free speech disclaimer here], I’m also using this an as opportunity to examine where I fall short. My weakest area is putting other people before myself way too often. The negative impact of this self neglect many times shows up in my attitude, my energy level and my physical appearance. But this is going to change….immediately.

I WILL do more to treat myself better. Won’t you join me in this promise?

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