I periodically tune into The Biggest Loser, but I don't routinely watch the entire season.
I'm excited for the people who have made the decision to drop weight. More power to them, but television also tends to skip over some of the very important factors that play into this show.
True, we see controversy. Heck, that's why so many of these 'reality' shows do so well when you put differing personalities into the same room and lock the door (Survivor, Big Brother). But what the audience sees on Biggest Loser are the intense workouts these contestants do.
This show is just not realistic for the average person trying to lose weight. For one, who really has eight to ten hours in their day to work out. That is how those people get those huge drops in the number on the scales. Think about it, it's a full-time job to work out on that show. The only people I know who work out that much have some sort of funding in the form of sponsorships, or are independently wealthy, or they own a gym, or happen to be a trainer to the stars . . . or manage to get a gig on The Biggest Loser.
I know the show has doctors monitoring the contestants. Some of them have to be monitored closely due to their health issues and the consequences of that much exercise on their systems--heart, lungs, and pancreas (considering most of them are teetering on the edge of diabetes).
But the part I wish they would share with the viewing audience is conveniently left off camera.
The nutritional aspect of the challenge of losing that much weight without destroying their muscles and their kidneys in the process.
The quantity of food these people are consuming changes when they start losing large amounts of weight. I want to see the nutrition classes where the chef teaches the contestant how to lean up a meal without losing the flavor. Or how much is too much. Or how many meals should these people eat. Three big meals is unrealistic, since they would be barfing up their food as soon as they started exercising.
Who cooks those meals? How do they learn to do it themselves?
It's all fine and dandy to tout "It's a life style change.", but what happens when they get back home and their a McDonalds calling their name? Or they start hitting the drive-thru at Starbucks? Or they simply don't have time to exercise due to trying to earn a living?
What really happens off camera after they go home?
What happened to the contestants from the first two or three seasons? Where are they now? Have they managed to maintain their weight loss, or did they succumb to the realities of their life.
What do you all think? Am I just spitting into the wind? Or do you think they need to start showing some of the food parts of this show?
Later, Peeps!
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
11/6/13
Weighty Wednesday -- Why walk?
1) you can cover the same distance in half the time.
2) you look 'cooler' running than walking
3) running shoes vs. 'walking' shoes
It isn't that I haven't tried running, I have. I just don't have the ability to run.
1) Breathing--I breath too shallowly to breath efficiently. It doesn't help that I have asthma, so when I breath too shallow, it exacerbates the situation.
2) I manage to hurt myself . . . every single time. If it isn't a pulled groin muscle, it's twisting my ankle or bunging up my knees
So I walk.
That is part of the reason I've successfully kept my weight off . . . well, except for the darn vacation pounds I gained in August and still haven't lost. . . . grrrrr.
The key is to find an exercise you enjoy doing, every day.
I look forward to my walks. Since I walk outside, I see the changing of the seasons. I hear a variety of birds throughout the seasons. I greet other bikers, runners and walkers on my trail.
It's my thing.
But if you enjoy shopping at the mall instead of nature, then go walk the mall. Make a point of walking first, then treat yourself to window shopping as you cool down.
Get into a habit of walking a certain number of laps and then challenge yourself.
Walk the same number of laps, but try to increase your pace for each lap. If you inadvertently slow down, you will know by your lap time.
1) increase your speed
2) increase your stride length
3) practice tightening your muscles
4) dress in layers
And just because you walk, you don't have to buy 'walking shoes'. Those things don't breath. They don't flex. And they weigh a ton!
Buy shoes that breath, flex and feel comfortable with an adequate amount of support. In other words, buy running shoes.
Dress in layers, especially in winter, because if you are working hard you will warm up and start sweating, which will allow you to strip off the outer layers.
And speaking of sweating, if you aren't sweating you aren't working hard enough!
So go out and enjoy the weather. I know I do!
Later, Peeps!
4/17/13
Weighty Wednesday -- Frustrations are Elevated
I've been tracking everything I've been putting in my mouth, counting points, measuring stuff, etc. Though this weekend we did take a trip to Silver Dollar City and ate Krispy Kreme donuts and Andy's Custard. I'm sure that didn't help!
I've been walking twice a day for three days a week (earning 10 activity points on these days), once a day the rest of the time (6-7 activity points), plus doing yoga (no points worth mentioning) once a week.
And I still can't seem to get my weight below my goal weight maximum line! Grrrrr! Yes, it's only a pound or two, but they have a funny way of multiplying like bunnies in the wild! You have to get a handle on it immediately.
No, I haven't made it to a meeting in April because of this issue. When you go to the first meeting of the month, you have to officially weigh-in. I would have to pay for the meeting if I'm over my goal weight upper range, and I'm cheap. I don't want to pay this until I am forced to do so.
I have two more weeks to get my act together. I have to focus to get this two extra pounds of padding off my body! I will attend the first meeting in May because I need the group support.
My hormones have been playing havoc with me for the last six weeks--It's no excuse, just an observation--and I wonder how much of this is causing my carb cravings.
That's it. Rant over. Time to focus.
Later, Peeps!
I've been walking twice a day for three days a week (earning 10 activity points on these days), once a day the rest of the time (6-7 activity points), plus doing yoga (no points worth mentioning) once a week.
And I still can't seem to get my weight below my goal weight maximum line! Grrrrr! Yes, it's only a pound or two, but they have a funny way of multiplying like bunnies in the wild! You have to get a handle on it immediately.
No, I haven't made it to a meeting in April because of this issue. When you go to the first meeting of the month, you have to officially weigh-in. I would have to pay for the meeting if I'm over my goal weight upper range, and I'm cheap. I don't want to pay this until I am forced to do so.
I have two more weeks to get my act together. I have to focus to get this two extra pounds of padding off my body! I will attend the first meeting in May because I need the group support.
My hormones have been playing havoc with me for the last six weeks--It's no excuse, just an observation--and I wonder how much of this is causing my carb cravings.
That's it. Rant over. Time to focus.
Later, Peeps!
4/6/13
Yoga
With all the cold rain we'd been having, I simply wasn't motivated to walk. In the past, I didn't mind walking in the rain, but since we went skiing I never could seem to warm up.
So I decided to do something I hadn't done in a couple of years--I went to the gym.
Actually, our fitness facility is very nice, with rooms to take various classes or lift weights, or do zumba, or simply work out on equipment. It used to be an old grocery store, so it's very open. The one thing I don't like about it are the fluorescent lights. There's something about them that bothers my eyes. Anyway, I knew I didn't want to simply walk on the treadmill, so I looked at their class schedule. There are all sorts of classes one could take, from seriously intensive to easier on the body.
I found a yoga class that timed well with my schedule.
My only experience with yoga--despite a yoga DVD I own and never played--is from the Wii Fit. The Wii Fit yoga leaves a lot to be desired. Oh, it helps you learn the name of the pose and how to balance the pose, but there is zero flow from one pose to the next. And there is a ton of time wasted between poses to see how you did, click on the next move, click past the 'instructional' part of the pose until you get to the actual exercise.
Well, this tiny bit of knowledge was helpful in my first yoga class.
It was a small group, only six of us and the instructor slowly went through a series of moves, holding each one for a period of time before going to the next one.
It was good in the sense that my back snap, crackled and popped and I felt freer in my normal movements . . . until the next night when my abs started screaming at me.
Wow! Who knew?
And then I took another yoga class on Friday morning, different instructor, larger group, different poses, and different muscles are now screaming at me. Though I have to admit my Wii knowledge has helped me in this learning phase.
I like it. It has zero impact and I don't feel like I need to kill myself to 'keep up with the instructor', though I did a pretty good job nailing the poses. Except one. It was an extension of the warrior pose. The feet are the same way, but the hands are palm together behind my back with a slight twist of the shoulders . . . ye-owch! I'm flexible, but obviously not in my shoulders!
I'll still walk, but yoga is a nice addition to the routine. I'm glad I decided to try it out . . . even though it doesn't add any WW activity points to my day.
Later, Peeps!
So I decided to do something I hadn't done in a couple of years--I went to the gym.
Actually, our fitness facility is very nice, with rooms to take various classes or lift weights, or do zumba, or simply work out on equipment. It used to be an old grocery store, so it's very open. The one thing I don't like about it are the fluorescent lights. There's something about them that bothers my eyes. Anyway, I knew I didn't want to simply walk on the treadmill, so I looked at their class schedule. There are all sorts of classes one could take, from seriously intensive to easier on the body.
I found a yoga class that timed well with my schedule.
My only experience with yoga--despite a yoga DVD I own and never played--is from the Wii Fit. The Wii Fit yoga leaves a lot to be desired. Oh, it helps you learn the name of the pose and how to balance the pose, but there is zero flow from one pose to the next. And there is a ton of time wasted between poses to see how you did, click on the next move, click past the 'instructional' part of the pose until you get to the actual exercise.
Well, this tiny bit of knowledge was helpful in my first yoga class.
It was a small group, only six of us and the instructor slowly went through a series of moves, holding each one for a period of time before going to the next one.
It was good in the sense that my back snap, crackled and popped and I felt freer in my normal movements . . . until the next night when my abs started screaming at me.
Wow! Who knew?
And then I took another yoga class on Friday morning, different instructor, larger group, different poses, and different muscles are now screaming at me. Though I have to admit my Wii knowledge has helped me in this learning phase.
I like it. It has zero impact and I don't feel like I need to kill myself to 'keep up with the instructor', though I did a pretty good job nailing the poses. Except one. It was an extension of the warrior pose. The feet are the same way, but the hands are palm together behind my back with a slight twist of the shoulders . . . ye-owch! I'm flexible, but obviously not in my shoulders!
I'll still walk, but yoga is a nice addition to the routine. I'm glad I decided to try it out . . . even though it doesn't add any WW activity points to my day.
Later, Peeps!
3/20/13
Weighty Wednesday -- A Few Things
1) With the time change, I've started walking twice-a-day a few days a week. Actually, it was supposed to be four days a week, but I don't want to overdo it. I've been taking it slow and walking four times around the path behind the middle school, which encompasses a football field, a baseball field, a park area, and a small basketball area. One loop around is about 0.85 mile, maybe a little more. I do know they have it posted that you have to walk a little more than one lap to reach a mile.
Anyway, I'm exhausted!
I love walking. I love walking in the evening. But I love walking with my hubs in the evening even more. Hear that hubs?? Quit working so late and come home to walk with your woman!
Thursday night I was saved because the school is finally fixing the asphalt trail. The last two summers have been brutally hot, cracking the asphalt so deeply that you could almost see through to the magma layer of earth! Most of the track had been torn up, leaving an uneven gravel path. I walked it once and threw in the towel. I was tired and I didn't want to hurt myself.
2) I purchased a couple of 'single serving' items recently-- peanut butter and hummus.
Now, we all know that these items are more expensive than buying a jar of whatever, but sometimes you have to take the financial hit to get a handle on serving size. Both of these are 2 oz., roughly 1/4 cup of product. One is worth 4 Weight Watcher's Points, one is 7 WWP. It's easy to guess which is which, and I'm not here to tell you which one I think is the 'healthier' of the pair. The key is AWARENESS. I'm also using this as a learning tool for my daughter. Unless you start measuring and being aware of an appropriate size and how many calories/carbs it is, then you will start eating out of the jar with a spoon . . . like I did. Learn this portion control lesson when you are younger, then you might not have a weight issue when you are older.
Notice I didn't say you won't have a weight issue? Too many factors go into the equation, but sometimes it's better to take the financial hit.
Personally, I like the hummus with baby carrots. It's 4 points, but I really like it. :-)
3) Remember that if you increase your exercise, but don't change your eating habits you might see an increase or a plateau with your weight. Don't 'fess yourself. This is perfectly natural. The key is to maintain the same level of eating while you increase your activity, and eventually you will see your weight decrease. If you don't see some change in a week, then concentrate on your diet. Make sure you eat ENOUGH food. Many times, believe it or not, we decrease our intake so much that our bodies think we are in starvation mode. And also make sure you are eating enough of the RIGHT kind of food. In other words, cut out the refined sugars and flours, and measure/weight you food as our eyes tend to see more than we should eat.
4) If you live in the Northern Hemisphere and have a rare day of sunshine, then go out and enjoy it. The sun is so weak at this point that you don't need suntan lotion, but you can be burned if you have sensitive skin or you stay out too long. Just soak up that Vitamin D--it's good for you!
5) Remember to change out your walking shoes before they look like this:
That's all I have for today.
Later, Peeps!
Anyway, I'm exhausted!
I love walking. I love walking in the evening. But I love walking with my hubs in the evening even more. Hear that hubs?? Quit working so late and come home to walk with your woman!
Thursday night I was saved because the school is finally fixing the asphalt trail. The last two summers have been brutally hot, cracking the asphalt so deeply that you could almost see through to the magma layer of earth! Most of the track had been torn up, leaving an uneven gravel path. I walked it once and threw in the towel. I was tired and I didn't want to hurt myself.
2) I purchased a couple of 'single serving' items recently-- peanut butter and hummus.
Now, we all know that these items are more expensive than buying a jar of whatever, but sometimes you have to take the financial hit to get a handle on serving size. Both of these are 2 oz., roughly 1/4 cup of product. One is worth 4 Weight Watcher's Points, one is 7 WWP. It's easy to guess which is which, and I'm not here to tell you which one I think is the 'healthier' of the pair. The key is AWARENESS. I'm also using this as a learning tool for my daughter. Unless you start measuring and being aware of an appropriate size and how many calories/carbs it is, then you will start eating out of the jar with a spoon . . . like I did. Learn this portion control lesson when you are younger, then you might not have a weight issue when you are older.
Notice I didn't say you won't have a weight issue? Too many factors go into the equation, but sometimes it's better to take the financial hit.
Personally, I like the hummus with baby carrots. It's 4 points, but I really like it. :-)
3) Remember that if you increase your exercise, but don't change your eating habits you might see an increase or a plateau with your weight. Don't 'fess yourself. This is perfectly natural. The key is to maintain the same level of eating while you increase your activity, and eventually you will see your weight decrease. If you don't see some change in a week, then concentrate on your diet. Make sure you eat ENOUGH food. Many times, believe it or not, we decrease our intake so much that our bodies think we are in starvation mode. And also make sure you are eating enough of the RIGHT kind of food. In other words, cut out the refined sugars and flours, and measure/weight you food as our eyes tend to see more than we should eat.
4) If you live in the Northern Hemisphere and have a rare day of sunshine, then go out and enjoy it. The sun is so weak at this point that you don't need suntan lotion, but you can be burned if you have sensitive skin or you stay out too long. Just soak up that Vitamin D--it's good for you!
5) Remember to change out your walking shoes before they look like this:
That's all I have for today.
Later, Peeps!
3/19/13
Critter Tracks
After a nice, hard rain, there's a section of dirt and gravel that is near the bridge and curves around down to the creek. I've seen tracks and last week I decided to take a picture of them.
I know there are beavers and racoons along this creek because I've seen the coon and I've seen the toppled trees from the beavers. But I've also seen what I thought was a mink. And I'm sure there are opossums, since I've had them in my backyard about a mile away.
Here are the tracks:
Then I took a close-up of a pair and laid my key next to it to give me an idea of what size they were. My key measures 2 inches.
So then I start looking for images of what this critter might be and found these charts.
And no, they weren't dog tracks. The dog tracks usually are on parts of the trail that get muddy, but not this area. Since it was a weekday after a nice rain, I'm pretty sure these were uncontaminated.
Looking at these pictures on the second chart, I would guess that it was some sort of woodchuck, though its track pattern was more like the prints on the lower right corner. How about a weasel?
What do y'all think? Any suggestions?
Later, Peeps!
I know there are beavers and racoons along this creek because I've seen the coon and I've seen the toppled trees from the beavers. But I've also seen what I thought was a mink. And I'm sure there are opossums, since I've had them in my backyard about a mile away.
Here are the tracks:
Looking at these pictures on the second chart, I would guess that it was some sort of woodchuck, though its track pattern was more like the prints on the lower right corner. How about a weasel?
What do y'all think? Any suggestions?
Later, Peeps!
1/16/13
Weighty Wednesday -- You DON'T Have to Run
Last week, I kept reading newspaper articles, magazine articles, and Internet articles that encouraged people to run.
Basically, they were saying that once you get your weight to a certain place and your health to a certain place the next step is to start jogging.
WRONG!
I can testify--TESTIFY, I tell you!--that you do NOT have to jog to lose weight or get in shape.
To reiterate: I'm a 51-year old woman who lost 50 pounds. I'm wearing a size four jean--in fact, wore my daughter's jeans yesterday and had 'baggy butt' halfway through the day. I need to buy better jeans! And I did this through Weight Watchers and WALKING. I could flex my arm muscles and you'd be surprised to see muscle definition--deltoids and biceps--we won't get into the triceps and 'bat wings' today. Though I will mention the bat wings are smaller than they used to be.
If you don't want to jog/run to get in shape, you don't have to.
But remember just because you aren't jogging, it doesn't mean you don't have to sweat or breath hard.
You do. . . if you want the benefits of walking without risking injury with jogging.
Well, okay, I'll confess, I've done all of the above while walking, BUT it didn't put me out of commission for weeks of recovery. To recover, all I had to do was slow my pace down for a day or two and then I could amp it up again.
Besides every single one of those 'Have you--?" issues were flare-ups from previous injuries.
The benefits from walking are fewer soft tissue and joint injuries than from jogging or running. I couldn't run a half marathon this way, but I don't want to. I don't necessarily want to be in as much condition as I was when I was in my 20's or 30's . . . we won't talk about my 40's that was when I was fat and didn't care!
I'm good with being healthy, active and fairly fit, simply through walking.
But you do have to sweat and breath hard to gain the full benefits.
Guess what I'm going to do once the sun comes up . . . yep, WALKIES!
Later, Peeps!
Basically, they were saying that once you get your weight to a certain place and your health to a certain place the next step is to start jogging.
WRONG!
I can testify--TESTIFY, I tell you!--that you do NOT have to jog to lose weight or get in shape.
To reiterate: I'm a 51-year old woman who lost 50 pounds. I'm wearing a size four jean--in fact, wore my daughter's jeans yesterday and had 'baggy butt' halfway through the day. I need to buy better jeans! And I did this through Weight Watchers and WALKING. I could flex my arm muscles and you'd be surprised to see muscle definition--deltoids and biceps--we won't get into the triceps and 'bat wings' today. Though I will mention the bat wings are smaller than they used to be.
If you don't want to jog/run to get in shape, you don't have to.
But remember just because you aren't jogging, it doesn't mean you don't have to sweat or breath hard.
You do. . . if you want the benefits of walking without risking injury with jogging.
- Have you ever wheezed and can't catch your breath while walking?
- Have you ever suffered a groin muscle pull while walking?
- Have you ever hurt your joints while walking?
- Have you ever gotten shin splints while walking?
- Have you ever rolled your ankle because you didn't pay attention what you walked on?
Well, okay, I'll confess, I've done all of the above while walking, BUT it didn't put me out of commission for weeks of recovery. To recover, all I had to do was slow my pace down for a day or two and then I could amp it up again.
Besides every single one of those 'Have you--?" issues were flare-ups from previous injuries.
- I have allergy-induced asthma. When the pollen/mold count is high, I wheeze.
- When I tried jogging a few years ago, I pulled a groin muscle. When I was walking two-a-days for about 10 miles a day, I irritated it. I dropped back to one walk-a-day for a week and it fixed itself.
- Actually, it helped the bursitis in my knee due to old skiing issues when I used straight skis in the 1980's. It was all they had back then. The curved skis are totally better, shift your weight, cut across the mountain. Easy-peasy. Far fewer knee injuries.
- Shin splints happened when I pushed my stride and pace too much--old aerobics injury.
- This happened, but I shook it off and could walk the two miles home. If I had been jogging, I might have done greater damage.
The benefits from walking are fewer soft tissue and joint injuries than from jogging or running. I couldn't run a half marathon this way, but I don't want to. I don't necessarily want to be in as much condition as I was when I was in my 20's or 30's . . . we won't talk about my 40's that was when I was fat and didn't care!
I'm good with being healthy, active and fairly fit, simply through walking.
But you do have to sweat and breath hard to gain the full benefits.
Guess what I'm going to do once the sun comes up . . . yep, WALKIES!
Later, Peeps!
1/2/13
Weighty Wednesday -- What is YOUR Goal?
For the last two weeks, I've missed my Weight Watcher's meetings. The first week was simply because they were closed for Christmas Day, and yesterday, well, they were open for business on New Year's Day, but I managed NOT to be able to attend.
Why?
A couple of reasons, really.
One, I gained a serious amount of weight over the holidays. I'm pushing the top end of my +2 pounds above my goal weight--without the added weight of clothing. And I was almost 4 pounds BELOW my goal when I started the holidays!
Two, I haven't had a chance to exercise. Bronchitis, you know.
And to tell you the truth, it wasn't the horrible eating habits that I reverted to so much as the lack of exercise that packed on the pounds. Again, this is one of my constant observations about my weight gains over the years--when I'm active, my weight is held in check. When I'm NOT ACTIVE, the weight coats my body like an extra layer of fat on a Harp Seal. Yes, I'm that pale during winter.
As I feel like a role model in that group, I want to get a handle on this weight gain--well, actually, I want to put it in a choke hold and beat it into submission--before I face the reality of my meeting next Tuesday.
Weight gains happen. It's a part of the ups and downs of life, which is why we need to have a plan of how to deal with the inevitable.
I hadn't planned to gain weight, but then again, I hadn't planned to be coughing up lung puppies for over two weeks either!
Today is January 2. It's the perfect time to come up with a weight goal. Do you plan to lose weight or stay the same? Or for the one or two of my non-overweight blessed friends, do you plan to gain weight?
Whatever your goal, how do you plan to accomplish it?
I like to be on the leaner side of my goal weight, so I plan to go into weight-loss mode until I get to my natural size again, which means, I need to lose about 5 pounds. Then it's back to maintaining, which still has it's ups and downs. Walking figures heavily in this equation!
Here are the top two goals on my goals list for the year:
As I once again discovered, exercise MUST be a part of my daily regimen. And no, I don't go to the gym if I can help it. I simply walk about 4 miles outside. But on those yucky winter days, I have a new toy to play with--actually, it's my daughter's toy but she'll be at school and won't know I'm using it--Just Dance 4 for the WiiU. I can try to match the moves and keep my body going for a great workout without even leaving the house. I can mess up, look like a goober, or whatever, I don't care because I'll be getting my moves on.
So, what about you?
Have you figured out your health related goals yet?
Why?
A couple of reasons, really.
One, I gained a serious amount of weight over the holidays. I'm pushing the top end of my +2 pounds above my goal weight--without the added weight of clothing. And I was almost 4 pounds BELOW my goal when I started the holidays!
Two, I haven't had a chance to exercise. Bronchitis, you know.
And to tell you the truth, it wasn't the horrible eating habits that I reverted to so much as the lack of exercise that packed on the pounds. Again, this is one of my constant observations about my weight gains over the years--when I'm active, my weight is held in check. When I'm NOT ACTIVE, the weight coats my body like an extra layer of fat on a Harp Seal. Yes, I'm that pale during winter.
As I feel like a role model in that group, I want to get a handle on this weight gain--well, actually, I want to put it in a choke hold and beat it into submission--before I face the reality of my meeting next Tuesday.
Weight gains happen. It's a part of the ups and downs of life, which is why we need to have a plan of how to deal with the inevitable.
I hadn't planned to gain weight, but then again, I hadn't planned to be coughing up lung puppies for over two weeks either!
Today is January 2. It's the perfect time to come up with a weight goal. Do you plan to lose weight or stay the same? Or for the one or two of my non-overweight blessed friends, do you plan to gain weight?
Whatever your goal, how do you plan to accomplish it?
I like to be on the leaner side of my goal weight, so I plan to go into weight-loss mode until I get to my natural size again, which means, I need to lose about 5 pounds. Then it's back to maintaining, which still has it's ups and downs. Walking figures heavily in this equation!
Here are the top two goals on my goals list for the year:
- · Continue healthy lifestyle by portion control, more fruit and veg, and walking
- · Live in the moment--technology can wait, but family and friends can’t
As I once again discovered, exercise MUST be a part of my daily regimen. And no, I don't go to the gym if I can help it. I simply walk about 4 miles outside. But on those yucky winter days, I have a new toy to play with--actually, it's my daughter's toy but she'll be at school and won't know I'm using it--Just Dance 4 for the WiiU. I can try to match the moves and keep my body going for a great workout without even leaving the house. I can mess up, look like a goober, or whatever, I don't care because I'll be getting my moves on.
So, what about you?
Have you figured out your health related goals yet?
10/1/12
An Oxymoronic Idea
For the last couple of weeks, I've been in a quandary.
I didn't want to write on my two new stories, nor did I want to write on my weight-loss project, I simply made candy. Taking recipes that I found and changing them up a bit.
And it wasn't until I was commenting on Marilyn Pappano's blog--re: a typical day in the life of an author--that it struck me. . .
I write a blog on Wednesday's about health, weight-loss and general exercise, while on Friday's I write a post about food, more specifically--making candy.
I thought it was kind of funny in an oxymoronic sort of way.
Here I am, your basic schlub who lost 45 pounds touting the benefits of good health and exercise, while I crave making candy. I really, really enjoy the creating process of candy making. Numerous writing friends have suggested that I write a non-fiction book about my weight loss, while others have mentioned that I need to write a cookbook about making candy.
Well, I have zero platform for either of those endeavors. I'm not some exercise guru like Jillian Michaels, nor am I a candy/cake diva like Kerry Vincent (she's a hometown gal, so I feel I must throw her name around!), BUT what if I found a way to combine the two.
Wouldn't that be a laugh?
So I mentioned it in a tweet that I had this thought while on my daily walkies . . . and I actually had a few people mention that they would buy the book.
Cool!
I have lots of material from my blogs, but it will take some time to make it a cohesive type of book.
So if y'all have any suggestions for chapter titles and their contents, I'm all ears.
I've only thought about one chapter idea--The Fudge Factor--yes, the recipes would be fudge, but the chapter topic would be how we try to cheat ourselves on our weight-loss journey.
All I have to say is that blogs are easier to write since all I have to do is brain dump a single topic. Writing coherent chapter from a bunch of brain dumps is harder to organize!
So sayeth the writer of the Virgo sign, whose mission in life is efficient organization!
Chat with y'all later, I have some blogs to organize!
Later, Peeps
I didn't want to write on my two new stories, nor did I want to write on my weight-loss project, I simply made candy. Taking recipes that I found and changing them up a bit.
And it wasn't until I was commenting on Marilyn Pappano's blog--re: a typical day in the life of an author--that it struck me. . .
I write a blog on Wednesday's about health, weight-loss and general exercise, while on Friday's I write a post about food, more specifically--making candy.
I thought it was kind of funny in an oxymoronic sort of way.
Here I am, your basic schlub who lost 45 pounds touting the benefits of good health and exercise, while I crave making candy. I really, really enjoy the creating process of candy making. Numerous writing friends have suggested that I write a non-fiction book about my weight loss, while others have mentioned that I need to write a cookbook about making candy.
Well, I have zero platform for either of those endeavors. I'm not some exercise guru like Jillian Michaels, nor am I a candy/cake diva like Kerry Vincent (she's a hometown gal, so I feel I must throw her name around!), BUT what if I found a way to combine the two.
Wouldn't that be a laugh?
So I mentioned it in a tweet that I had this thought while on my daily walkies . . . and I actually had a few people mention that they would buy the book.
Cool!
I have lots of material from my blogs, but it will take some time to make it a cohesive type of book.
So if y'all have any suggestions for chapter titles and their contents, I'm all ears.
I've only thought about one chapter idea--The Fudge Factor--yes, the recipes would be fudge, but the chapter topic would be how we try to cheat ourselves on our weight-loss journey.
All I have to say is that blogs are easier to write since all I have to do is brain dump a single topic. Writing coherent chapter from a bunch of brain dumps is harder to organize!
So sayeth the writer of the Virgo sign, whose mission in life is efficient organization!
Chat with y'all later, I have some blogs to organize!
Later, Peeps
2/8/12
Weighty Wednesday -- What is CORE? And why do I care?
**DISCLAIMER: I am not a trainer, doctor, exercise physiologist or any other person who has been trained in the field of exercise physiology. These are simply my observations and various tidbits of knowledge that I've garnered over the years through college studies, teaching aerobics, general exercise, reading and horseback riding. **
Unless you've played an ostrich the last couple of years, you would have heard various exercise enthusiasts and trainers throwing the term CORE around.
So what is core, why is it big deal, and why should you care?
Many trainers will liken the term with strengthening your abs, but core is much, much more than that.
Let's take a quick look into basic human physiology. The bones provide the structure of our bodies, the joints (cartilage) allow various bones to 'hinge' and move, while tendons attach our muscles to bones or other muscles. If you remove our appendages, you will be left with your torso, also known as your core.
Now, you have your ribcage which protects your vital organs of heart and lungs, while nothing protects your guts except a variety of overlapping muscles. And the bones below your gut is the pelvis, which cradles the guts and give support to the muscles surrounding the intestines.
The reason you want to straighten your core is to keep everything in place. If you allow your abdominal muscles to grow lax, then all sorts of problems (hernias) can ensue. Yes, pregnancy also causes numerous changes, but I can't go into that here. Another reason to strengthen your core is to aid in the support of your spine.
So your mother telling you to stop slumping actually had a purpose of protecting your posture and spine.
Years ago when I started horseback riding, I read a book called CENTERED RIDING by Sally Swift. The key to being centered is to find the most balance and effective position, depending upon the exercise. This is the reason so many therapeutic riding facilities are so successful with their clients, though many are going out of business due to lack of funds. When a horse walks, its entire body moves. Those of us who have ridden bareback and attest to that! If you are a stiff rider, you will feel the pain . . . especially when you tumble off. But those of you who have a well-developed core will allow your body to work with the movement in a relaxed way.
When a horse trots up hill, the rider must lean slightly forward and stand in their stirrups to aid the horse as it uses its back and haunches to push up the hill. Traveling downhill, the rider must shift her weight toward the rear of the horse. If you leaned forward, there would be too much weight on the horse's front end, resulting in unbalancing the horse.
So how does this work with real life?
A strong core burns calories more efficiently, along with stabilizing the body. This is why I prefer walking outdoors where the variety of the terrain forces my core to compensate--incline, decline, strong wind, uneven terrain.
Many people who use the treadmill do NOT use the machine appropriately. And yes, I have another whole blog about this!
But how can you get the benefit of core exercise without doing endless sit-ups?
There is one simple exercise that is amazingly painful and efficient. It's called THE PLANK. And here is a picture of what it looks like. Simply get into position and hold it, be sure to tighten your abs so they don't sag. That's it. Simple, huh? At about 10 seconds my entire body is shaking. But try to do this and hold it for 30 seconds daily.
There is another version of the plank that helps your side muscles. Do this on both sides. Uh, I'm not so studly that I can put my free hand on my waist. Usually I have it lightly touching the ground in front of me to keep me from falling over.
When I started searching the Internet for some pictures, I came across numerous sites with many advance versions of this exercise. Start easy and then work up from there.
Will this give you six-pack abs?
No, but at my age, I don't want them. Actually, they would be just plain creepy on an old broad like me! But I do want to be toned and healthy. So I better get out of my chair and do a set of planks for the day!
Later, Peeps!
Unless you've played an ostrich the last couple of years, you would have heard various exercise enthusiasts and trainers throwing the term CORE around.
So what is core, why is it big deal, and why should you care?
Many trainers will liken the term with strengthening your abs, but core is much, much more than that.
Let's take a quick look into basic human physiology. The bones provide the structure of our bodies, the joints (cartilage) allow various bones to 'hinge' and move, while tendons attach our muscles to bones or other muscles. If you remove our appendages, you will be left with your torso, also known as your core.
Now, you have your ribcage which protects your vital organs of heart and lungs, while nothing protects your guts except a variety of overlapping muscles. And the bones below your gut is the pelvis, which cradles the guts and give support to the muscles surrounding the intestines.
The reason you want to straighten your core is to keep everything in place. If you allow your abdominal muscles to grow lax, then all sorts of problems (hernias) can ensue. Yes, pregnancy also causes numerous changes, but I can't go into that here. Another reason to strengthen your core is to aid in the support of your spine.
So your mother telling you to stop slumping actually had a purpose of protecting your posture and spine.
Years ago when I started horseback riding, I read a book called CENTERED RIDING by Sally Swift. The key to being centered is to find the most balance and effective position, depending upon the exercise. This is the reason so many therapeutic riding facilities are so successful with their clients, though many are going out of business due to lack of funds. When a horse walks, its entire body moves. Those of us who have ridden bareback and attest to that! If you are a stiff rider, you will feel the pain . . . especially when you tumble off. But those of you who have a well-developed core will allow your body to work with the movement in a relaxed way.
When a horse trots up hill, the rider must lean slightly forward and stand in their stirrups to aid the horse as it uses its back and haunches to push up the hill. Traveling downhill, the rider must shift her weight toward the rear of the horse. If you leaned forward, there would be too much weight on the horse's front end, resulting in unbalancing the horse.
So how does this work with real life?
A strong core burns calories more efficiently, along with stabilizing the body. This is why I prefer walking outdoors where the variety of the terrain forces my core to compensate--incline, decline, strong wind, uneven terrain.
Many people who use the treadmill do NOT use the machine appropriately. And yes, I have another whole blog about this!
But how can you get the benefit of core exercise without doing endless sit-ups?
There is one simple exercise that is amazingly painful and efficient. It's called THE PLANK. And here is a picture of what it looks like. Simply get into position and hold it, be sure to tighten your abs so they don't sag. That's it. Simple, huh? At about 10 seconds my entire body is shaking. But try to do this and hold it for 30 seconds daily.
Will this give you six-pack abs?
No, but at my age, I don't want them. Actually, they would be just plain creepy on an old broad like me! But I do want to be toned and healthy. So I better get out of my chair and do a set of planks for the day!
Later, Peeps!
12/14/11
Weighty Wednesday--The Dreaded 'E' Word
Yep, it's time to talk about it. The horrible 'E' word -- EXERCISE.
But before I go any further, I want to point out that I lost almost 40 pounds simply by WALKING.
It can be done. You can do it, too.
First off, if you are morbidly obese or have other health issues, please see your doctor first. It's my intention to encourage, not hurt anyone.
If you haven't done any exercise other than lifting the TV remote control, start easy by walking and build up your time, speed and incline. If you don't like to walk, but you love to dance then join a zumba class or dance while cleaning the house. Just start moving!
There are a number of reasons most people fail at an exercise program:
So I decided to start walking. It was summer. I could walk early in the morning. It was cheep. I didn't need any special clothes. I love the outdoors. It was ideal.
--though I would recommend you spend some $$$ money on a good pair of shoes. I don't wear walking shoes (they press on my bunions and are too stiff and hot), but I wear running shoes (larger treads, lighter weight, wide toe box, made from breathable material) with a metatarsal insert.
Chose a location. Plan a period of time. And start walking. Even if you have to park at the North Forty at the mall and walk in, then you've accomplished something that you didn't the day before.
There are a few things you should notice:
It doesn't take much to get moving. Go enjoy what nature has provided for you.
Later, peeps!
But before I go any further, I want to point out that I lost almost 40 pounds simply by WALKING.
It can be done. You can do it, too.
First off, if you are morbidly obese or have other health issues, please see your doctor first. It's my intention to encourage, not hurt anyone.
If you haven't done any exercise other than lifting the TV remote control, start easy by walking and build up your time, speed and incline. If you don't like to walk, but you love to dance then join a zumba class or dance while cleaning the house. Just start moving!
There are a number of reasons most people fail at an exercise program:
- They hit it too hard, too fast--using heavier weights won't make you stronger if you are flabby to start with. All it will do is built up the lactic acid, making you sore. Or jack up the incline or speed on the treadmill won't make you lose weight faster. .
- They pick a style of exercise they don't enjoy--just because someone tells you that you need to cycle doesn't mean you need to cycle if all it does is make parts of your anatomy go numb. Don't lift weights if you don't want to lift weights. When I started walking, hubster told me to start lifting weights to work on my upper body. I didn't want to. Just carrying my full water bottle is TWO POUNDS. I can do bicep curls, deltoids lifts and triceps stretches with my stinking water bottle!
- They injure themselves -- see #1
- They expect instant results -- see #1
- They quit -- see #3 and #4
So I decided to start walking. It was summer. I could walk early in the morning. It was cheep. I didn't need any special clothes. I love the outdoors. It was ideal.
--though I would recommend you spend some $$$ money on a good pair of shoes. I don't wear walking shoes (they press on my bunions and are too stiff and hot), but I wear running shoes (larger treads, lighter weight, wide toe box, made from breathable material) with a metatarsal insert.
Chose a location. Plan a period of time. And start walking. Even if you have to park at the North Forty at the mall and walk in, then you've accomplished something that you didn't the day before.
There are a few things you should notice:
- you will feel your muscles as they warm up and stretch. If you feel it in your joints, stop and get checked out by a doctor. I must confess that I have a bum left knee (previous aerobics injury that caught up to me in my old age), and yes, I have had it checked by a doc--it's bursitis--I walk through the stiffness and soreness. My feet will warm up, too. Not like forming a blister warm, but a happy warm.
- your respiration will increase. You will be taking deeper breaths more times per minute than at rest
- you will feel your hear rate increase. You can have all those new fangled gadgets monitoring it, but you don't need them (unless you have health issues and your doc wants you to wear one). You can feel it beat quicker. If you want to time it, then take your neck pulse for 10 seconds and multiply times 6. If you want to do this, you need to know what your resting pulse is too.
- you will sweat. Yes, even in below freezing weather, you should be sweating--armpits and back for sure.
It doesn't take much to get moving. Go enjoy what nature has provided for you.
Later, peeps!
6/29/11
Scattered
I have been seriously scattered these last few weeks. I thought that once the kidlet and I got into the rhythm of summer, then things would get better.
--on an aside: If I hadn't corrected the SIX typos in the first two sentences you would really know what was going on--shoot! I had SEVEN in this one sentence.
*le sigh*
It could be a combination of things:
And I'm sure your asking yourself, "Why are you complaining about TROLL, didn't you just finish gritching about FAERIE?"
Why, yes, young padawans, I did.
BUT (you knew there would be a 'but', didn't you?) I had written TROLL in May 2010 and NEVER LOOKED AT IT UNTIL THIS MONTH. So the changes that I made in GNOME and FAERIE adversely effected some of the stuff I wrote in TROLL.
And I gots (misspelled on purpose) to fix it. And at this moment, I don't have a clue HOW.
Don't worry. I'll figure it out.
Until then, I'll simply remain SCATTERED.
Later, Peeps.
--on an aside: If I hadn't corrected the SIX typos in the first two sentences you would really know what was going on--shoot! I had SEVEN in this one sentence.
*le sigh*
It could be a combination of things:
- the freakin' heat--we hit 106 two days ago. For us, this is normally August heat, not June.
- Weight Watchers and the lack of calories--now this doesn't mean I'm not full, I am. Just not on fried food, sugary stuff and peanut butter . . . yum, peanut butter . . .
- the exercise that I'm now doing--yeah, hoofing it around the school (1 lap is 8 mins) while kidlet is in swim camp might be part of it. That and the 98 degrees at 10:30 in the morning!
- the stars are out of alignment--possible, my horriblscope is usually 4 or 5 stars instead of 2 or 3
- I'm truly a blond underneath my brown hair--NAW-nix this one. I'm a graying brunette, with nary a blond hair in sight . . . those are gray puppies.
- I managed to get sidetracked by judging another contest--only 3 historical entries, but they took longer than I anticipated.
- I volunteered to beta read a YA for a friend--and it was slow going in the first 50 pages. AND I know my comments hit a brick wall, since she doesn't plan on altering her self-pubbing timeline. She wants it to be a trilogy, which is why its stung out. AND I didn't care for the way she left her main character in a dire situation at the end of book one. I don't think that's playing cricket, yanno. When I was reading paperbacks somthing like that would have caused me to fast pitch the book into the wall.
And I'm sure your asking yourself, "Why are you complaining about TROLL, didn't you just finish gritching about FAERIE?"
Why, yes, young padawans, I did.
BUT (you knew there would be a 'but', didn't you?) I had written TROLL in May 2010 and NEVER LOOKED AT IT UNTIL THIS MONTH. So the changes that I made in GNOME and FAERIE adversely effected some of the stuff I wrote in TROLL.
And I gots (misspelled on purpose) to fix it. And at this moment, I don't have a clue HOW.
Don't worry. I'll figure it out.
Until then, I'll simply remain SCATTERED.
Later, Peeps.
1/13/10
New Phones Lead to Dieting . . .
Trust me, I'll segue into the the topic in my usual roundabout way.
In November, we had to buy new phones for the house when we were finally able to move our number over to Vonage from the local carrier--long distance is no extra charge. Well, we were having issues with our phone, so it was cheaper to buy a new phone, than to fix the old phone.
--Actually, that's how I got a new 11-cup food processor. I needed a new bowl--the latching hinge was broken--new bowl-- $90, new food processor $110. Yep, I got the new food processor for Christmas.
--My hubster (who never reads my blog, except for today) feels strongly that it should be noted that I REQUESTED the aforementioned food processor for Christmas.
There--satisfied now? Hmmm?
Back to phones. If you haven't gone phone shopping recently you'll soon discover that they don't have 'wall phones' any more, at least not in the type of phone we needed.
I have a phone on my desk in the kitchen--like I need any more crap on my small desk--but I do like the fact that I don't have to get up only to discover some nimrod ignored our 'do not call' instructions. Now, I can simply ignore it or hit Talk and then hang up. :-)
So we have new phones, BUT we also have a postcard size cover on a major wall in our living area where the wall phone used to reside. EVERYONE who comes into my house will see this thing in the wall. It's in the living area, next to my kitchen and you have to walk by it everytime you go anywhere on the lower level.
Hubster's response to this problem: buy photo frames for Christmas. Three of them.
He had set up digital photo frames for two lobbies at work. Actually, six large photo frames and subsequent technology needed, were less than 25% of the budgeted monies for frames and decorations. He works for a small company and they take pride in their 'family-oriented' outlook.
Anyhoo, he bought the frames. Now he has to go through our pictures, cropping, turning, and deleting. I think we got our first digital camera about the time the kidlet was born. Earlier pics will have to be scanned in and fixed. We've had fun looking at the old pictures, but it has brought home how out of shape we've let ourselves become.
Okay, I'm out of shape. He's just had snow thrown on his hair.
I'm always reminded of the quote by Edna Mode in THE IMPOSSIBLES when she sees Mr. Incredible for the first time in years as he's waiting to be let in at the guard gate. "My God, you've gotten fat!" she says in her German accent. Yeah, that's me.
Both of us are working out. I've just started measuring my portions and writing it all down in a food diary. I like the idea of giving myself a year to lose the weight. I'd like to lose 40 pounds, but any loss is better than none.
So that's how photo frames became the reason for my dieting.
After I workout today I'll . . . Write On!
In November, we had to buy new phones for the house when we were finally able to move our number over to Vonage from the local carrier--long distance is no extra charge. Well, we were having issues with our phone, so it was cheaper to buy a new phone, than to fix the old phone.
--Actually, that's how I got a new 11-cup food processor. I needed a new bowl--the latching hinge was broken--new bowl-- $90, new food processor $110. Yep, I got the new food processor for Christmas.
--My hubster (who never reads my blog, except for today) feels strongly that it should be noted that I REQUESTED the aforementioned food processor for Christmas.
There--satisfied now? Hmmm?
Back to phones. If you haven't gone phone shopping recently you'll soon discover that they don't have 'wall phones' any more, at least not in the type of phone we needed.
I have a phone on my desk in the kitchen--like I need any more crap on my small desk--but I do like the fact that I don't have to get up only to discover some nimrod ignored our 'do not call' instructions. Now, I can simply ignore it or hit Talk and then hang up. :-)
So we have new phones, BUT we also have a postcard size cover on a major wall in our living area where the wall phone used to reside. EVERYONE who comes into my house will see this thing in the wall. It's in the living area, next to my kitchen and you have to walk by it everytime you go anywhere on the lower level.
Hubster's response to this problem: buy photo frames for Christmas. Three of them.
He had set up digital photo frames for two lobbies at work. Actually, six large photo frames and subsequent technology needed, were less than 25% of the budgeted monies for frames and decorations. He works for a small company and they take pride in their 'family-oriented' outlook.
Anyhoo, he bought the frames. Now he has to go through our pictures, cropping, turning, and deleting. I think we got our first digital camera about the time the kidlet was born. Earlier pics will have to be scanned in and fixed. We've had fun looking at the old pictures, but it has brought home how out of shape we've let ourselves become.
Okay, I'm out of shape. He's just had snow thrown on his hair.
I'm always reminded of the quote by Edna Mode in THE IMPOSSIBLES when she sees Mr. Incredible for the first time in years as he's waiting to be let in at the guard gate. "My God, you've gotten fat!" she says in her German accent. Yeah, that's me.
Both of us are working out. I've just started measuring my portions and writing it all down in a food diary. I like the idea of giving myself a year to lose the weight. I'd like to lose 40 pounds, but any loss is better than none.
So that's how photo frames became the reason for my dieting.
After I workout today I'll . . . Write On!
5/8/09
Friday's Mish Mash
We had a few rays of sunshine yesterday! Yay! Hubster mowed the lawn while I took the kiddo to soccer practice. I used to read in the car, but the practice area is on a grassy section of a large church property, so I began to walk the property on her practice days. I can hoof it around the perimeter five times and it takes me about an hour--yeah, it's that big! They have most of it poured for a walking trail, but it stops about halfway around a pond, so I walk to the end, do a U'y and walk back. I really enjoy it when hubster can walk with me--we can really reconnect and talk about adult stuff. We also do family walks on the other nights of the week. It's great exercise and it has helped the kiddo's endurance during the soccer games.
I just checked on my afghan and it is up to $75! Yippee! Let's see if it will get to $100. Remember, it's for a good cause.
NaPiBoWriWee was an experience. No, I didn't write any picture books. :-( BUT I did write down some ideas that I can percolate over the summer. It was a good challenge, but next year I need to be prepared in advance.
I started going to town on my MG novel this week--the one I need to finish by the end of this month! I'm getting pretty excited about it. I know I'll probably have to change the POV in the first chapter (it's in the mom's POV), but I'm leaving it in right now.
I also belong to a BIAW (Book In A Week) yahoo group that Barbara does once a month. And next week is the week. I really want to crank out this story, so I can let it sit before I start my layering and revisions. In preparation to this plan, I'm going to read the first Percy Jackson and the Olympians book, a middle grade novel that has turned into a series. We are heading out of town so I plan to read in the car. Hubster hates it when I do that because I'm 'supposed' to entertain him and keep him awake---isn't that what those Monster drinks supposed to do?
Hubster read the rough draft picture book out loud the other day to the kiddo. Of course, I was listening with my eyes closed to hear all the nuances, etc, and found many places that I can cut. So I'm really happy about that. There are also a lot of places that need some serious work. Since my eyes were closed I didn't see my kiddo's reaction. Hubster said she was really interested and reading along with the story. Right off the bat, the consensus was to cut Piper's brother--whoops, he's gone! See how easy that was? :-) I need to tweak this story so I can let it sit over the weekend.
So many things to do and not enough time to do them. I also volunteered at my kiddo's school and that will eat into my writing time today, but that is partly the reason I quit working to help out with her and her class. Maybe it will make me more focused and I won't get sucked into those reality judge shows. Yes, I am addicted. But isn't acknowledging it the first step??
Write on!
I just checked on my afghan and it is up to $75! Yippee! Let's see if it will get to $100. Remember, it's for a good cause.
NaPiBoWriWee was an experience. No, I didn't write any picture books. :-( BUT I did write down some ideas that I can percolate over the summer. It was a good challenge, but next year I need to be prepared in advance.
I started going to town on my MG novel this week--the one I need to finish by the end of this month! I'm getting pretty excited about it. I know I'll probably have to change the POV in the first chapter (it's in the mom's POV), but I'm leaving it in right now.
I also belong to a BIAW (Book In A Week) yahoo group that Barbara does once a month. And next week is the week. I really want to crank out this story, so I can let it sit before I start my layering and revisions. In preparation to this plan, I'm going to read the first Percy Jackson and the Olympians book, a middle grade novel that has turned into a series. We are heading out of town so I plan to read in the car. Hubster hates it when I do that because I'm 'supposed' to entertain him and keep him awake---isn't that what those Monster drinks supposed to do?
Hubster read the rough draft picture book out loud the other day to the kiddo. Of course, I was listening with my eyes closed to hear all the nuances, etc, and found many places that I can cut. So I'm really happy about that. There are also a lot of places that need some serious work. Since my eyes were closed I didn't see my kiddo's reaction. Hubster said she was really interested and reading along with the story. Right off the bat, the consensus was to cut Piper's brother--whoops, he's gone! See how easy that was? :-) I need to tweak this story so I can let it sit over the weekend.
So many things to do and not enough time to do them. I also volunteered at my kiddo's school and that will eat into my writing time today, but that is partly the reason I quit working to help out with her and her class. Maybe it will make me more focused and I won't get sucked into those reality judge shows. Yes, I am addicted. But isn't acknowledging it the first step??
Write on!
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