Are they ever really that fun?

So my son is down in Miami for the Pro Bowl, and ran the South Beach marathon this morning - it was 70 degrees at the start (6:15 AM!!), so a long 3:51 minutes for sure - and HUGE nasty blood blister for a trophy. But congratulations to him - a very good time, especially as he has had a lot of injuries this year and hasn't been able to train as much as he would have liked. This is when the weather comes in handy - it sort of evens everything out. Anyway, onto the Pro Bowl - a few beers and a football game will make him feel better..funny thing is, he'll be doing another down the line - no matter how much they hurt, there's nothing like the feeling you get when you cross the finish line. It's not the end of the physical pain that is exhilarating, but the pure mental joy of being able to push through to the end when your body is screaming at you. That's determination, and if you want to reach YOUR goals, that may be what it takes. Whether it's endurance training, building muscle, or losing weight, it's a continual process, and you're the one that has to do the work. But how sweet it is when you look back and know you did it-there's nothing like feeling (and looking) like a winner! Hope you're having a good weekend - Melissa

What a joke!

I couldn't believe a commercial I just saw on TV advertising a "magic button". If you eat too much, and your pants are tight, this button stretches; it also said if you lose up to three inches in your waist, it'll tighten your pants. Are you kidding me?? If my pants are too tight, the last thing I want to look down and see is a stretched out button holding my pants up - think about it, if you can't button your pants, you can't zip them up either (not a great look...); if my pants feel tight, I'm going to cut back on my eating and drink a bunch of water way before I can't even button them! AND, if I LOSE three inches in my waist, that's a new pair of jeans - oh, happy day; no button is EVER going to make me feel THAT good! If YOUR jeans start to feel tight, take action immediately; if they don't feel good, you won't feel good, and you won't feel good again until you do something about it. Weight gained quickly is mostly water, so within around three days you can feel like your old self; don't wait until Monday, or next month - that button can only be pushed so far! Melissa

The "D" Word

There are many different ways to change your eating habits - what you eat and how you eat it. Say the word DIET, and immediately you think "I'm not going to be able to eat anything I like, I can't go out with my friends, or I'm going to be hungry all the time". But lucky for you, there is a whole world of nutritious, great-tasting food out there, and you can have a field day trying different things; yes, it's trial and error, but by experimenting with new products and modifying familiar ones, you can be successful. Every restaurant in town is competing with the next one to bring you healthier menues; yes, you have to read the menu and make the right choices, but the options are there. The more effort you put into devising an eating plan that you are happy with, the better chance you have of developing lifestyle changes that become your new habits. This brings success, which of course always feels great - and looks great! Melissa

Newspaper food...

I'm in Central Market today (HEB for some of you) and a lady is popping what looks like air-popped tortillas. It sounds like a popcorn machine and sort of smells like it, and people are buying them like crazy BECAUSE they have no fat, they're low in calories (15 per tortilla) and sweetened with Stevia, so no "sugar"; Weight Watchers lets you eat four of these for no points. So, of course, I have to buy some, get them home, and they taste worst than rice cakes - since rice cakes don't have any taste, how can these taste worse?? Well, at least rice cakes are crunchy; these disintegrate in your mouth before you have a chance to chew them. Your supposed to spread something on them - nutella, peanut butter, cheese, whatever - so then what's the point of a no-calorie, no-fat food? They don't taste good by themselves and they don't have any nutritional value so you could at least justify eating them. Just because they're low calorie, they are empty calories; no matter how many you eat, you won't satisfy your hunger because they aren't satiating -you'll just go looking for something more. Flavor means the world, especially when you are trying to cut back on calories and food portions; you want to eat foods that taste good and are good for you. I'm speaking from experience - I've eaten enough bland food to last a lifetime in an effort to lose weight, and I'd like to save you the misery. Smaller portions of your favorite foods spaced regularly throughout the day, eaten slowly so that you can actually taste what you're eating, will give you the results you want. Put the paper in the trash! Melissa

The good old days...

Remember Hi-C??? Well, it's grown up now, thanks to Clif (founder of the well-known Clif bar), AND it's the latest addition to the ever-expanding confusing world of enhanced water drinks. There are energy, vitamin, recovery, plain flavored, high calorie, low calorie, 0 calorie - pretty much anything you want. Many of these drinks have as their second ingredient high fructose corn syrup, which is an over-stimulated sugar that your body doesn't recognize, and therefore slows down the process that's supposed to benefit you. This sport drink from Clif uses cane sugar, a natural sugar that your body does recognize; it's also organic, has some electrolytes, and 90 calories for a 16oz. bottle (from the sugar, and also it's carbohydrate source). This is a perfect recovery drink after a hard, sweaty workout (so a SPORT drink). The first thing you need to do is replace fluid, salt and minerals lost through sweat and muscle exertion - in a liquid form, it's easily taken in and absorbed into the muscles, and quickly helps to restore the muscle and rehydrate the body. The faster you can get something into your system, the less fatigue and muscle soreness you will feel - paticularly the following day when you try to work out again. So, again, a great post-workout drink; as a water substitue during the day it's best to stick to a zero-calorie, flavored water, and get your calories from food sources. And the fruit punch (there are 14 flavors) DOES taste just like Hi-C!! Melissa

What a great idea!

Just saw this from Men's Health - a triscuit sandwich! It's fast, portable, nutritious, filling AND crunchy - you really feel like your eating something. Try this tomorrow - pack eight triscuits (reduced fat, of course; dr. krackers work great too!), a slice of lowfat swiss cheese (quartered) and two slices of turkey (halved). Steal a couple of squeeze packets of mustard, put everything between the crackers and you have four little sandiches! Wow. Add a cup of soup and/or a medium apple, and you'll still be under 300 calories. If you don't eat eat it tomorrow, it will keep until the next day. For some reason, eating something crunchy is mentally more satisfying, but you can't just live on carrots and pickles - who wants to, anyway? And it's cheap! Melissa

Good Morning!

Not sure why I feel this way - Cowboys lost, we woke up to a busted water pipe, and the Golden Globes were boring...however, it's sunny, didn't gain my usual weekend pounds, AND my husband is starting a new job this week that he's really pumped about. Congratulations to him! When you love what you do, it spills over into everything else - your energy levels are higher, you sleep better, and your golf game improves (just made that up, but I'll let you know!). Anyway, I'm sure he'll have some long days and late hours, so I'm excited about this new frozen meal I found (don't worry, I get excited easily - it's pretty far down the list...) - anyway, it's a chicken stir-fry from Contessa - white meat chicken breast, lots of great vegetables, and the sauce is on the side; it's lowfat, healthy and quick - and tastes JUST LIKE Chinese take out - I'm not kidding. The whole bag without the sauce is under 600 calories, so perfect for two - I did actually add a little extra seasoning because I'm a huge seasoning person and I didn't want the extra calories of the sauce, but it's not that much, and you can always cut it a bit with some low sodium soy sauce. Perfect, perfect, perfect. Hope your day is going well too - Melissa

Your Diet Plan

Along with picking out a gym, you need to develop a food plan that also fits your needs. The honest truth is they go hand-in-hand; one is only moderately successful without the other. Your goal might be to improve your overall diet (less junk, more fruit, up your water intake), or it might be to lose weight (eat smaller portions, less fat, cut out the sugar). If your goal is to gain weight, you're so lucky - go get a doughnut (just kidding, sorta...). For some of you, doing it on your own might be overwhelming; you weren't successful with your last diet because you were hungry all the time, or you missed your favorite food, or didn't have time to fix whatever you were supposed to be eating. All of these are important factors when choosing something you can maintain, and be happy and healthy at the same time. CBS Moneywatch.com (Jan. 4, 2010) compared several of the popular diets, reviewing their cost, success and taste (if ordering their food was part of their plan). It would be worth taking a look at this; even if you don't want to spend the money, or belong to a group, it will give you an idea of the type of plan you want to follow. Again, if one doesn't give you the desired results, don't give up - remember your goals, and find another way to get there. Getting in shape motivates you to eat better, and eating better makes you want to be in better shape. As with exercise, nothing extreme is going to be long-lasting; while it's great to lose 10 pounds in the first two weeks, you don't want to see them again the beginning of February. This is the year to do it the right way! Melissa

Just pick one!

There is a great article on choosing the right gym for you in the Guide section of the Dallas Morning News today; those of you who don't read the paper or can't get it can probably get it online if you want, but I'll summarize it for you. Pick the one that suits your needs - if the first one doesn't have the classes you want, or babysitting, or you don't want to work out in front of the opposite sex, move on - there is one specifically designed for you in your city. Make sure it's close to your house or your work - if it's not convenient, you won't go. Try it out first (they'll all give you a certain amount of free passes) and take a few classes - if they aren't fun, you won't go. Walk around and check out the cleanliness of the locker rooms or the nursery - you won't use the facilities if you're creeped out by the way they look. Just don't let this year be like last year - you tried one or two gyms and gave up; this is why you feel like you do. Make the effort, and it will show - mind and body will thank you! Melissa

The Sunshine Vitamin

We've all heard of osteoporosis, but a much more common problem is osteomalacia; osteomalacia results in bone pain, muscle pain and joint pain. It's a little like chronic fatigue in that it's an overall, general feeling which is constant; it's hard to pinpoint where it is - one day you'll feel pain in your shoulders, but the next you'll feel it in your arms or legs. This is the reason you want to make sure your diet is supplemented with Vitamin D. Vitamin D keeps your bones strong; it aids in the absorption of calcium and phosphorous, and it stimulates the production of MSH - a hormone involved in weight loss and energy production (which burns calories and increases your metabolism!!). Vitamin D is obtained naturally through sun exposure; it's in the UVB rays (also responsible for sun-burning when over-exposed). But it's very hard to get in the wintertime because the days are shorter, and the sun is lower - if it's even out (no where in the United States is there enough UVB rays in the wintertime for you to obtain the amount of Vitamin D you need). Altitude, latitude, length of exposure, amount of skin exposed and the season all regulate the amount of vitamin D production; working indoors, sunscreen, and driving to work make it hard to get even in the summer. It's not typically in foods naturally, so your body has no way to produce it on it's own, so needs to be supplemented. For most adults, the recommended amount is 10,000 mg. per week - you can get it in 1,000 mg. and take twice a day for five days. If you take a multi-vitamin, see how much is already in there, and adjust the dose. This and some weight training will give you a healthy, strong body! Melissa

Yeah! It's Freezing!

What a perfect time for it to be this cold - after the holidays! Your body responds to the cold by trying to keep warm, and one way is to burn your BROWN FAT - intramuscular fat that you have managed to hang on to from birth to now (hmmn, this is a good thing?). Brown fat is heat producing, calorie burning fat that babies need to regulate their body temperature, and most goes away as you get older. So take advantage of getting out a little at a time - your body will shiver, your blood vessels will constrict, and your blood will go deep inside to keep your organs warm. Shivering is actually a voluntary small muscle contraction that generates heat - which requires energy (hence, the burning of brown fat), and raises your metabolism (which burns calories). All of this, of course, can help you lose a few extra pounds, as long as you don't rush inside and eat fondue sitting in front of the fire for most of the day. This unfortunately will just result in abdominal fat, which doesn't help ANYTHING! Remember to dress for the cold weather, and go out for short intervals - when your blood goes deep inside your body, there's not much to keep your fingers, toes, or ears warm, so the fluid around these parts freezes, resulting in frostbite. Don't forget your mittens! Melissa

Get Going!

I have one son that can jump out of bed and hit the running trail at 5:00 a.m. if he has to; he does whatever it takes to get his workouts in. I have another son who thinks its hectic just getting out of bed in the morning, so no chance there of him hitting the gym early (early being anything before 2:00 p.m....). By then, life gets in the way, and working out gets pushed aside. If you are lucky enough to be one of the those self-motivated early risers that enjoy working out, or at least enjoy the benefits of working out, you know you will get your in your workout no matter what else is going on that day, usually anyway. Because of this, you are usually more fit, more energetic, and happier - your endorphins are up and running, making you feel good all day. The rest of you can train yourselves to be one of these people. While you may never truly like getting out of bed to work out, over time it becomes a habit; when you see and feel the results of this effort, it's worth it to you to go to bed a little earlier and get up a little earlier. Other things that take up your day don't get in your way of a workout when you do it early. Try it tomorrow morning - give it three weeks, and see if it doesn't become your new routine. You'll get to see the sun come up, you'll beat the traffic, and you'll be amazed at how much better you feel. Have a great day! Melissa

The cherry on top...

It wasn't the cherry that put on those lbs on over the holidays - it was the big bowl of ice cream underneath; it also wasn't poking your finger in the icing that made your jeans feel tight, but that second helping of grandma's famous cake (three days in a row). The thing is, you can have a LITTLE of everything - anything you want; it just takes discipline and portion control. Now that the holidays are over, it doesn't mean that you can't treat yourself to your favorite foods for another year. In fact, you have a better chance at portion control and maintaining your weight if you allow yourself to eat a variety of foods when you want them. Just remember to keep the serving small - use a little dish, a little spoon, and little bites. Your little self will thank you tomorrow! Melissa

Happy NEW Year!

It IS a new year - you might not have reached your fitness or weight goals, but even if you had, you'd want to challenge yourself to new ones anyway, so don't spend any more time thinking about last year. Set new goals; perhaps the old ones were unreasonable or unattainable. You might want to work with a trainer or dietician to develop a program more suited to you individually; they can give you new ideas that challenge and motivate you. You can get a new training partner - it's always more fun to do anything with someone else; it's a lot harder to sleep in when you know someone else got up just to see you, and you can push each other to work out harder or longer than you would on your own. You can get a dog. You can try a new activity - trail running, boxing, water aerobics (it's way to cold for me, but you're welcome to try it), or really, anything. New is always stimulating, and the rewards come quickly in the beginning. Same thing with your diet - if you haven't been getting the results you want, or want a jump start, or just want to feel better and improve your eating habits (or all three!), experiment with your diet and see what works best for you. We all respond differently; what works for your sister, friend or work buddy is great for them, but might not be for you. As long as you are taking in the right amount of calories, with the right balance of protein, fats, and carbohydrates that provide the necessary vitamins and minerals, it doesn't matter what you pick. The important thing is that whatever you choose helps you to meet your goals for 2010, so pick something and go for it! Melissa