I’m Here! (And I brought along a “60 Minutes Australia” link)

I apologize for my absence. Clearly, I can’t blog and learn medical terminology, medical nutrition therapy, employment law, and the names of bacteria, viruses and tapeworms that cause food borne illnesses (which I can thank for my newly acquired hand washing compulsion) at the same time.
I feel like I’m in boot camp for the left-brain inept. Geez-oh-man… Summer offers no breaks, either. I just registered for five weeks of chemistry and lab and 10 weeks of algebra. And as if THAT won’t be enough fun, I’m registered for biochemistry and advanced algebra in the fall. Like my advisor said, “You know how to party.”

So if I’m not here much between now and winter break, I’m probably drooling in a corner somewhere begging to read Jane Austen.

Oh, I kid! Life’s not been all work and no “weigh.” My jeans are looser and my legs are stronger. I’m still committed to my food plan, exercise, meditation, and the people who keep me sane.

Here’s a bit of a summary:

Daughter Carlene and Boyfriend Ben got engaged! (No, it’s not a shotgun wedding. Carlene’s holding baby Mae in that picture.) Wedding date TBD, but next April seems likely.
Grandbaby Mae rode in my Jeep for the first time since being able to legally sit facing forward. My stepson Andrew moved into his dorm. He’s studying filmmaking at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. It’s good to have the boy so close. Claire helped.
Andrew’s brain food. When he was younger, we called him “Cereal Boy.”
I ate at bd’s Mongolian Grill with BF and his son a few weeks ago for the first time. Yum! 
Got the bike in to the shop for a much needed tune up. I upgraded her seat and pack, too. Comfy seat means longer rides. Longer rides means I have to pack more stuff than just a cell phone and Kleenex. I also went to see the Moody Blues with Larry (my ex-husband, for those of you who aren’t familiar with his name). Larry and I have seen the Moodies 9 times in 15 years, and it was at one of their concerts that I felt the weight of my 300 pounds more profoundly than ever before, and that feeling contributed to my decision to finally lose weight for the last time.
It was 2003. The Moodies were playing a concert in a casino in West Virginia. Larry and I checked into the hotel, played a few slots, had dinner, and then about an hour before the show, went to the lobby to wait for the shuttle that would take us to the concert venue. A few other concert goers began to gather, too, when Larry nudged me and whispered, “Look to your left.”
Standing next to me was Moody’s front man Justin Hayward, whose music is the soundtrack of my life. I don’t remember a time I didn’t know “Nights In White Satin,” “Tuesday Afternoon,” or “Question.” When I need to remember to believe in myself, I listen to “The Voice.” And the song “Forever Autumn”… Gets me every time. Justin’s shoulder was no further than a foot from mine. I wanted to say hello and to thank him for the gift his music had been to my life. Then I remembered I had  57-inch hips and I said nothing. At the concert, I sat in the second row, regretting all the choices that had brought me to such disappointment in myself. Disappointment not only in my size, but disappointment for feeling so unworthy as to not thank someone who’d contributed such depth of feeling to my life. I recall that unworthiness every time I see the Moody Blues, and each time, I vow that if I ever stand next to Justin Hayward again, I will tell him – no matter what I look like – “Thank you.” My former body and the me who occupied it continue to be the source of my determination. I would dishonor she who was me by giving up the fight, because she is the one who thought enough about herself to start that march down the scale. ??David Ballment, Richard Malone, me, Howard Sacre, Liam BartlettWhich leads me to the “60 Minutes Australia” piece I participated in. It aired last weekend and I just now had the courage to watch it. I’m OK with my part in it, but what surprised me was the almost defeatist attitude of the Australian researcher, Professor Joe Proietto. (Liam Bartlett is the “60 Minutes” correspondent.)
LIAM BARTLETT: So if we’re not completely obsessive, we’re just leading a normal life, we’ll probably put the weight back on? JOE: Yep, yep. And that certainly explains the experience of all of us who treat obesity – that it’s a difficult thing. Not so much to get the weight off but the failure rate after a few years is very, very high. Thank goodness for, Dr. Rena Wing from Brown University, one of the researchers at the Weight Control Registry, of which I and many maintainers are a part.  RENA: The Melbourne study was a very small study and I think that’s a very pessimistic message for viewers and listeners to hear because we know that many people are able to be successful at weight loss and so…LIAM BARTLETT: It may be pessimistic but is it reality?RENA: Ah, I don’t think it is. On average they’ve lost about 30 kilograms and they’ve kept it off about six years. One of the interesting things is that they report that they have tried many times before to lose weight unsuccessfully but this time they got it right okay.LIAM BARTLETT: So what was the difference?RENA: What they say is “this time I was more committed to behaviour change and this time physical activity was a bigger part of my regimen than it was in other approaches.”

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Epic Week of Fitness

If you think you can’t have a flat stomach. Think again.

If you believe your legs will never be lean and sculpted. You’re sadly mistaken.

If you’re convinced your fatty parts won’t melt away. You need to think again.

Can’t? Never? Won’t?

Screw all that defeatest nonsense. You’re the one in control.

Commit to making this week an epic week of fitness. Only YOU can make change happen.

XO

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No flipping time for fitness.

I need more ideas or a smaller jar.

Ive ranted ad nauseum about how my workouts are brief.

The thing is, whether your workout du jour is 2 hours or 20 minutes,  it *still* requires you find.the.time.

What about those days where, no matter what you do, life conspires to steal your exercise time away?

Or the days where, despite valiant efforts, every.single.thing. goes wrong as you strive to steal some YOUtime? (not that Id know anything about that one).

I give you my 5 best tips for days when the world seems to be against finding time for a full-on traditional workout.

With special emphasis & “try this! try this!” for numbers 3 and 5.

1. Meditate. Too often we view meditation as an act which requires tremendous time commitment (not to mention oodles of preparation). This does not have to be the case. Steal two or three minutes to stop, pause, unplug, and just be still.  Use this time to wholly focus on releasing tension and capturing the same feelings you have after a challenging, sweat-producing workout.

2. Help others. Nothing makes us feel better than a good ole case of Helpers High.  No time to volunteer traditionally? Email a struggling friend a note of encouragement.  Heading out for coffee? Take a moment to see if you can bring anyone else a cup.  Hold the door for someone.  Heck, even a simple smile can be a kind act which changes someone’s day—and makes YOU feel better, too.

3. Laugh. (Or, if you’re me some days a tough customer in a grumpy mood, at least smile) Take a moment and grab whatever it is that makes you giggle. A silly movie. A television sit-com or even phone a funny friend. While exercise is fantastic for us laughter also serves as a powerful stress reducer.  A good guffaw relieves physical tension (for up to 45 minutes!), can help boost your immune system, increases your blood flow (always good for reducing heart attack risk!), releases those endorphins we all seek and burns approximately 100 calories per twenty minutes!

4. Take full, deep breaths. When we are stressed (as we can be on the days life steals our workout time) we shift to shorter, shallower breaths.  This manner of breathing causes fatigue, increased stress, and is even correlated with triggering anxiety/panic attacks.  If time forces you to skip your workout make the time to stop and focus on your breathing pattern. Check out your posture. Don’t slump or hunch which encourages shallow breathing. Inhale and exhale deeply. Allow your abdomen to move as you breathe. Slow frequency of breaths. I’ve found breathing in for 4 seconds, holding for 2 seconds, and then breathing out for 4 seconds provides me stress relief which can rival my recumbent biking.

5. Create a fitness jar. No time for a full-fledge workout? Make today when you finally create a fitness jar. Snag some scraps of paper & write down as many non-gym workout ideas as you can think of (skating, hula hooping, exercise DVDs, jump rope, walking, basket ball, playground time, biking, pogo-sticking are but a few).  Even if you dont have time for the workout TODAY you’re now all set up for success for the next time life has you harried.

Whats your approach when life gets in the way of fitness?

Do you chalk it up to a rest day or try, as I do, and fight back with “creative” fitness?

Would you be annoyed with me if I lovingly remind you 30 minutes of movement is only TWO PERCENT of your day?

please to hit us up with your suggestions, tips & whinings in the comments below.

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To those who can’t run, ride!

Hello Mizfit-ers. Thanks for letting me hang out with you guys today. I’m Morgan and I blog at Life After Bagels.

I write about everything health related – food, fitness, I do some recipes, I chat about meal planning, budgeting … oh and studying. I’m a mature student.

One of my favourite “healthy” things to do is cycling. I’m new to it, but man I love it. This will be my third summer with my bike. I call him Jason Bourne. (Yeah I seriously named my bike. Serious. And for the record my boyfriend has the same bike as me and has named it Ted Dibiase) … moving along …

Have you ever read a blog and fell victim to workout envy? When I first started blogging I thought that I was supposed to run. Everyone was running it, so I did it too. But my knees suck. They weren’t made for pounding the pavement. I kept having dreams of running a marathon but couldn’t get my mileage up to even run a 5k. I top out at about 2k before my knees just give up.

I used to get upset. Why was everyone else running and training and racing?

And then I found cycling.

Hallelujah!!!

Cycling is way easier on the body and it gives you a major workout.

I use my bike for exercising, commuting, running errands, and for fun! My bike is a hybrid which means it’s tires are “in between.” They’re skinnier than mountain bike tires but fatter than road bike tires. It’s perfect for going to between our pothole ridden roads and gravel or dirt paths. Last summer I challenged myself to find new paths to ride on around my city. Toronto is a HUGE bike city. More than half of Torontonians are cyclists.

This year I get to join the most famous ride in our city. I’m so excited to be participating in the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s Ride for Heart fundraiser. On June 3rd I’ll be riding 75 km in the name of fighting heart disease and stroke. My fundraising goal is $1000. It’s a biggie! If heart health is important to you I would be so very appreciative of a donation towards my big ride

CLICK TO DONATE

Thanks for letting me invade your internet today. I hope you’ll check me out over at Life After Bagels or visit me on Facebook or Twitter.

So … holla if you’re a cyclist! What do you use your bike for? Anyone getting a bike for the first time this summer?

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It’s BADMINTON time, Baby!

I yammered lovingly on Monday about how I adore our morning routine.

Active play is a huge part of what I love about our trio & since we’re all morning people we tend to git our PLAYouts on before school rather than after.

Additionally, asolutely nothing sets me up for a better day than belly-laughing at how flipping uncoordinated I am some movement as a family.Some of our PLAYouts are sweaty-active like the SKIP IT.

Others are more, uh, games of strategy (oooh brain fitness) like the below:

(disclaimer: yes I am wielding a marshmallow gun.  in this highly organic morning PLAYout one of us shoots said ‘mallow gun in the air whilst the other 2 run around & attempt to catch plummeting ‘mallow with mouth.  I am nothing if not a healthy living role model.)

Yesterday morning’s PLAYout was, to my tremendous surprise, the mac daddy of them all (to completely misuse a dated phrase): BADMINTON.

We grabbed the rackets & birdie pretty much ONLY because they were blocking the back door on a whim & yet quickly discovered how, for us, badminton is PLAYout  perfection.

Allow me to share why:

There are rules, but we dont need no stinkin’ rules.  As a family we like to stick to athletic endeavors where there are very few rules and regulations. We’ve learned through trial & error this works best for us.  We have more fun.  We waste LESS TIME debating proper protocol.  We get RIGHT TO THE PLAYout & squeeze in more activity.  Sure there exist hard & fast badminton rules but, really, who knows them offhand? We just hit the birdie back and forth.  No out of bounds, or point system, or (if youre us) net.Anywhere works.  We are rebels.  We play STREET ‘MINTON (we neither endorse nor advocate this).  The older two of our “we” recall playing lots of badminton at cookouts with and without nets.  Pretty much anywhere from an empty parking lot, gymnasium or playground to a fancy grassy court will do!It’s working out without noticing you’re exercising.  Hence the fact the three of us deemed it PLAYout perfection.  You squat, you lunge, you run, you work on hand/eye coordination, you focus on balance, you tax your core as you LAUGH & attempt to keep the birdie aloft as you do so.  It’s full body exercise your  brain wont register as working out.  This fact is always a WIN in my book.It’s inexpensive.  Indeed badminton has been an Olympic sport since 1992, but let’s be honest none of us are headed that way.  Our “set” is from the Dollar Store.  It sat outside in the rain, and Texas sun for months before we FINALLY decided to give it a try and it STILL worked just fine for our needs.

(The Tornado is very proud of the posed pic above)

Now you.

When was the last time you played badminton? Was it an adult-organized game or more of the renegade Street ‘Minton (shhhh) we played?

And, if it’s been EONS or never since you’ve ‘mintoned, are you now sufficiently motivated to snag you a set at your local Dollar Store?

please to table the shuttlecocks & hit us all up in the comments below.

Pin It

Tags: family fitness, laughing, PLAYouts

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Weekend Quote: Clearly Defined Goals and My Anniversary

By the time you read this I’ll probably be in Ocean City! Tomorrow, April 28th, is The Husband’s and my 11th Anniversary.

wow.

We’ve been together as a couple now for 17 years. SEVENTEEN YEARS.

I feel old.

In those 17 years we’ve built quite the life together.

There’s no doubt I’m the catalyst. The Husband tends to be a more content person then I. He’s been working the same job since college. I’ve had 4 plus now my own Business. He wants to eat the same thing at the same restaurant every time we go out. I’m constantly looking for new places and new dishes. He wears pretty much the same clothes and even has the same hairstyle since college. I, well, let’s just say I’ve changed, a lot, my hair, my clothes, even my body. Honestly, I think he’d probably still be living in the same apartment if it wasn’t for me pushing for us to move and buy a house.

I guess you can say I’m the goal orientated one.

“In the absence of clearly-defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily trivia until ultimately we become enslaved by it.”
Robert Heinlein

That quote says it all for me. I don’t do well in the daily minutiae of life. I thrive off “the next thing.” I need to see something in my future or I start to feel stagnant, bored and depressed.

This is a blessing and a curse.

There’s no doubt I wouldn’t be where I am in life if it wasn’t for my goals but it’s hard for me to feel content. I recognize it in myself and it’s something I’m working on. The Husband helps. A lot.

Even though I get frustrated at his lack of motivation and foresight (seriously, he’s even the worst grocery shopper EVER because he can’t think passed what he wants to eat that day) I also, in a weird way, admire it. We are polar opposites and it works for us.

I push him. He grounds me.

Here we are 11 years ago on our Honeymoon.

I think he looks exactly the same. I barely recognize myself.

Ok, enough reminiscing. I have to go pack! We are leaving in a few hours and tomorrow is the OC Half Marathon. I’ll be back Monday with a full recap! My goal is to run it in 2:15 and record the experience on the gopro but I’ll be content with any time. ;)

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Food Trap Alert! Voskos Greek Yogurt, Dr. Praegers Sweet Potato Pancakes and Dole Fruit Smoothie Shakers

Voskos Greek Yogurt: Huh? Who? What’s this yogurt? Can it compete with that big dawg, Chobani? Voskos is thick & silky. Tastes pretty good, too. But it has less fruit chunks than Chobani and a bit more tangy tartness on the taste buds. That tang actually points to less sugar, but it also has less protein than Chobani. Voskos is nice and fancy with the “no GMO’s and no artificial hormones” hoopla, so why the hells does strawberry flavor contain modified corn starch? It’s more than likely used as a thickening agent. Because it can’t get thick on it’s own? Modified corn starch is like Viagra for yogurt. Be careful because the Voskos label warns that the product “contains milk”. Are there really people out there with such deep levels of stupid that they can’t figure that out?

Price Paid: $1.50, Calories 120, Fat Cal 0, Total Fat 0g, Sodium 50mg, Carbs, 16g, Fiber 0g, Sugars 15g, Protein 12g

Dr. Praeger’s Sweet Potato Pancakes: Excuse me, but no. These are not the kind of cakes you drench in a tsunami of syrup. These cakes are made for healthy snacking, a light meal, side-dishing, or something along those lines. They’ve won a place in my stomachs that can’t be beat by any other sweet potatoe-ish packaged product. They’ll remind you of a hash brown. Nice and hearty, too. Just bake it up for a few minutes on each side and begin to bask in tasty clean eating gone all kinds of wonderfully right. The fine list of acceptable ingredients is “Sweet Potatoes, Egg Whites, Potato Flakes, Onions, Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Arrowroot, Brown Sugar, Salt, Pepper”. Ahhhh. Now go. Go enjoy some for yourself.

Price Paid $4.29, Calories 80, Fat Cal 20, Total Fat 2g, Sodium 140mg, Carbs 12g, Fiber 1g, Sugars 6g, Protein 2g

Dole Fruit Smoothie Shakers:  This is a “fruit & yogurt kit” that you pour juice into. Then you shake it up and it transforms into a smoothie. No blender required. The concept is great, but there’s too many gray area variables that can screw with the final result. My freezer is apparently freezier than the one at the store. I had to semi-thaw out the contents before it would even shake & mix. You pour the juice of your choice up to the “fill zone” before shaking. I did that. But the shake tasted more like the juice than anything else. It did achieve an impressive smoothie consistency, but overall, it’s not a win. People who don’t usually do smoothies might think the world of Fruit Smoothie Shakers, but if you’re a smoothie-making connoisseur like I am, it might just piss you off.

Price Paid: $3.99, Calories 90 (w/o juice), Fat Cal 20, Total Fat 2g, Sodium 35mg, Carbs 17g, Fiber 3g, Sugars 23g, Protein 3g 

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