Healthy Eating Mandates

You may have seen this news, that the Los Angeles City Council voted to ban development of new fast food restaurants in a low income South L.A. area. I'm not sure it's going to help much, but I understand (I think) the intent of the ordinance, which is that people will choose what's available.

There's some truth in that, as I've learned over the past year. Eliminating my "snack stash" of chips and dips and ::sob:: Little Debbie Swiss Rolls has changed how I think about snacking and what I (usually) reach for first when a snack attack occurs. When your only choices are fruit, almonds, sugar-free pudding, low-fat yogurt or cheese (or maybe a dark chocolate Hershey's Stick if it's one of those times), your mind and body begin to expect those types of foods to fill that between-meal void. When you've also built an exercise habit, your mind starts calculating the benefits of what you're snacking on. (Said the woman who is almost always short on protein!)

The problem I see in South L.A., besides cultural and socio-economic shifts, is that unless healthier and affordable eating establishments move in, the existing fast food options are just going to see a lot more business.

Your thoughts? Can we legislate healthy eating? Should we?

HYC Update - Week 30

Another good week. Survived my workouts (with only a couple of new bruises to show for it), ate mostly healthy stuff (one cookie), and met Laurie Notaro. Life is good.

Oh, that reminds me. Add 'Scored cheap Life is Good t-shirt on e-bay' to the list. I only discovered the Life is Good brand last year (I live in a cave) and hadn't seen this one in the stores. So cute.

And headed to my mailbox.

The scale caught up with me this week, and I lost two entire pounds in one week. No fractions, no smidgens, no itty bits. Whole pounds. Ahhh. Pardon me while I bask, because who knows what the damn thing will do next week. If it's kind, I will get another 0.6 pound loss and get new bling, but alas, it is outside my control. My job is to do and to record. And to move on. :)

Only one new thing on the agenda. I joined Diet Book's Labor Day Challenge. I'm copycatting V. and adding in yoga practice to my schedule. I'm shooting for twice this week, and there's no really good reason to think I won't do it.

I hope you all had a splendid week!

~

Makeover Monday: A Matter of Time

Planning for exercise and healthy meals takes a lot of time. In fact, almost every week there's a blog post (or three) about someone getting tripped up by a time or scheduling crunch. I had just such a moment a few weeks ago, and it was frustrating, to say the least. So I thought a Makeover Monday post with a smatterting of time management tips might come in handy just about now.

My favorite time management tool is one I adapted from zenhabits.net, and it's the concept of MITs – Most Important Tasks. From zenhabits:

It’s very simple: your MIT is the task you most want or need to get done today. In my case, I’ve tweaked it a bit so that I have three MITs — the three things I must accomplish today. Do I get a lot more done than three things? Of course. But the idea is that no matter what else I do today, these are the things I want to be sure of doing.

I first started using the MIT method last year, and for some reason, I used it only at work. Each day, before I left my desk, I would write my three MITs for the next day on an index card and prop it up on my desk. The following morning when I arrived at work, I knew what needed to get done first.

Fast forward to today, and my index card has expanded slightly--not in size, but in content. Each day I draw a line down the middle of the card. Work items go on the left, personal items on the right. On weekends, it’s household chores on the left, personal errands on the right. It's simple, and it's working pretty well so far.

Can you see how this method, when developed as a habit, would work well with moving toward a healthier lifestyle? By including things like exercising, grocery shopping, and preparing lunches on the MIT list, you greatly increase the chance that they WILL get done.

Beyond MITs, I accepted long ago that my to-do list would never be empty, but I do attempt to work on a few items each day. Many days I can find "hidden time" (morning commute, waiting for appointments, a slow blogging day *G*) to knock off some of the easier items on the list.

That’s a nice segue to another good time tip: On your to-do list, write an honest estimate of the time you need to complete each item. Your list might look like this:
1) grocery store (20)
2) bank (10)
3) clean out junk drawer (15)
4) mop kitchen floor (5)

And so on. When you find yourself with a few extra minutes, scan the list for something that fits the open time and squeeze it in there. You'll either get it done in the allotted time, or maybe you'll figure out that you over- or under-estimate the time needed to complete projects. Knowledge is power. :)

Another useful time tool is an online calendar. I like Google calendar, primarily because it can go where I go, but also because it allows you to have multiple calendars displayed in one view (think work, family, exercise, etc.) And get this, you can color code each calendar! (That makes me far happier than it probably should.) Click here for a look at my calendar for the coming week, so far. (I set up a 'motivation' calendar and each morning I'm greeted with "Have a healthy day!" as a reminder.)

That's it for this week. Just a few tips, but maybe there's something in there that will help you manage your time more wisely and ensure that your health and fitness needs continue to be met. And if they're not, it's not because you didn't have time for it. :)

Feel free to share any time management tips, tools, or technology that help make your life easier.

Idiot Girl Winner and Another Idiot Girl Goes to the Gym

bikinime is the lucky winner of the autographed copy of Laurie Notaro's The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Temptress of Death! I hope you enjoy it, bikinime, and if not, well, you can have your very own giveaway. :) I'll contact you via email for the particulars and get it in the mail ASAP!

In other news...

It was 140 degrees outside yesterday, give or take, so that meant cardio at the gym. That would've been fine if I'd stuck to the cardio, but no, I decided to work in some crunches on the stability ball. That, too, would've been okay if I'd left it at that, but no, I decided I had to try one of the exercises from Mark's excellent article on core work with the ball. Pushups on the stability ball seemed do-able for me. Really! I've done a gajillion pushups on the floor. How much different could it be on the ball?

Have you ever been right in the middle of a movement and realized what a really bad idea it was?

As it turns out, there is absolutely no correlation between a floor pushup and a ball pushup. None. Or at least not for me. I was fine in the 45-degree position, but the instant I bent my elbows . . . the ball started vibrating and wiggling wildly about, and that's when I knew what a really, really bad idea a ball pushup was for me. I was able to push myself up a fraction of a centimeter (a fractimeter) before the ball mysteriously catapulted itself about a foot to the left and I was suddenly in the fourteen-degree inverted Vee position with my right kneecap ensuring that my smaller-but-still-sizeable ass was propped in the air.

Fortunately there were only a half-dozen people in the gym at the time, and most were facing the other direction. The one young guy nearby was too wrapped up in trying to lift more weights than he was capable of, so he didn't notice a thing. I was so relieved!

Until I remembered the cameras. My gym has closed-circuit cameras so the attendant(s) can keep an eye on things. It occurred to me that it was quite possible that I was truly being filmed --not quite what I had in mind with yesterday's post, lemme tell ya. So far nothing has shown up on youtube, but I'll continue to watch out for it.

As for the floor show, I got back on the ball and did some more nice, safe, stable crunches with weights and then limped back over to the nice, safe, stable elliptical machine. The kneecap is bruised and tender, but I don't think there's any real damage. At least it matches the other kneecap, which has an ugly purple mark from a lunge gone wrong. Ah, symmetry.

I'll leave you with that. I hope you're all having a wonderful weekend. Be sure to stop in tomorrow--it's Makeover Monday!

For now, I'm off to continue my youtube surveillance. :)

~

Ready, Set...Action!

We've pretty much established that I'm slightly to the left of normal, in all things but especially so in the area of attempting fitness. Almost no trick or gimmick I can think of is too silly or corny for me to try. If it keeps me energized and involved, I'll do whatever I need to do to remain (mostly) on track, providing it's legal, moral, safe and healthy. And free.

This might not be so bad if I kept these gimmicks to myself, but no-o-o-o. I have to publicize them so that you can all see close to certifiable I have become. And this one, folks, will likely have the white coats pulling into my driveway within minutes of publishing this post.

But I'm posting it anyway. Because that's what we whacko folks do.

First, the set up: I've noticed a few bloggers having binge problems recently, and a few others who are finding it difficult to stay motivated for exercise, and still others who are growing bored or disenchanted with our friend, the Satanic Scale. All understandble situations but ones that, if not managed, can quickly lead to a fitness meltdown. Yikes!

Now to the embarrassing part, the idea: Sometimes when I'm not really wanting to do the right thing, I imagine I'm being filmed at that very moment. Whether it's the crew from Oprah or 60 Minutes or I'm stuck in some Truman-esque fantasy world--it doesn't really matter. The point of it is to imagine that there's a film crew with me and my actions are being seen. Double Yikes!

Silly? Yes. Effective? Always.

So my challenge to you is this: when faced with one of the aforementioned obstacles, stop and ask yourself the question, "How would I act or respond if I was being filmed at this moment?"

Would you have that bag of chips? Would you skip your walk again? Probably not, if you knew the world was watching. Speaking on behalf of your adoring audience, drama and angst have their place in art, but for you we want the swell of music as you achieve victory. We want the happy ending! We want to leave the theater sheepishly wiping away tears of joy, dammit!
Or maybe that's just me.

As you approach the weekend, don't be afraid or embarrassed to use a little creative visioning to inspire you past the temptations and tripwires. It just might work! And since I've already posted it, you don't have to humiliate yourself by telling anyone what you've done. It's between you and the camera. :) :)

Now, I'm off to imagine myself being filmed for an HGTV special on clean and orderly homes.

Ready for my close up, Mr. D!

~
ETA: Don't forget to sign up for the giveaway!

Oh, Happy Day (II) and a Giveaway

You may remember that last week I gushed a teensy bit about having the opportunity to meet one of my favorite humor writers at a local reading/book signing event. Well, tonight was the night, and it was one of the best events of this type I've ever attended!

Besides being a brilliant writer, Laurie Notaro is a charming, vibrant, and completely captivating woman who is as entertaining in person as she is in print. She's warm and open to questions (so much so that she's not above offering bribes for them) and seemed genuinely interested in the discussions. I was so at ease that I asked several questions, and I never talk at these things.

Plus, you gotta love a woman who brings chocolate Twizzlers to share. (I didn't even know Twizzlers were available in chocolate, which was probably a good thing. Deee-lish!)

And in that same sharing spirit, I offer you....no, not the Twizzlers, for goodness sake! This is better than chocolate! It's the opportunity to have your own autographed copy of Laurie Notaro's The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death. Sadly, there is only one copy available, so we'll go the tried-and-true random drawing route. If you would like your name in the hat, all you have to do is leave a comment saying so! I'll leave it open until Sunday (07/27/08) 6 a.m. (US Central Time) to allow the weekend readers a chance to catch up.

Oooh, my very first giveaway! I'm so excited! LOL

~

Healthy You Challenge - Week 29

Welcome to Pout Fest 2008! Actually, I think the festival ended last night because I wasn't pouting at the end of the day, but during the day yesterday? Pouting, in abundance!

1) Doctor did NOT change the blood pressure medication. "Not this time." With medication, my BP was 130/88, which is the high end of the normal range, so I know he's right, but still. I'm disappointed.

2) The doctor also wanted to take a 'wait and see' approach to my sports injury bad posture injury. I think that's because after only a couple days of trying to sit with my legs uncrossed, I can sense a definite improvement. Sigh. So close...

(For those who don't know me, I am seriously kidding about being disappointed with NOT having an injury. I will be quite happy if it's this simple to fix!)

3) I lost an entire half-pound (or so) this week! I'm certain it would have been lots and lots more if not for Mother Nature. I could've possibly lost an entire pound if not for the gifts of being a girl. Oh well, we'll get that other half pound next week, right? Right.

4) It was 98 degrees at 11:00 yesterday morning! The temps got into the 100s at some point and were still hovering near there at 7:00 last night. And yet, people are out walking, running, biking--and not a water bottle in sight. I swear, some folks looked like they were staggering. Me? I sweated it out with Trainer Kevin (he who thinks lunge-lunge-squat is fun!) in the hot-ish studio and then headed home.

I know I had other things to report on, but they completely escape me now. This heat saps my brain....

Hope you all had a great week and are off to a great start this week!

~

Makeover Monday: Sitting Tall and Proud

As I might have mentioned once or twice, I might have a possible sports injury. While that's a romantic notion to the newly fitter girl, the problem is equally (or more) likely to be a possible bad posture injury. Not nearly so glam, is it?

To add to your Little Known Facts About Cammy file: Has bad posture habits.

I sit with my legs crossed—a lot. I also slouch/hunch forward, and it's worse when my legs are crossed. Finally, I lean forward and jut my chin out while reading the monitor.

I'm not sure when I developed these bad posture habits, but I can distinctly remember my mother telling me to "Sit up straight!" and "Stop slouching!" That was high school, if I remember correctly, a very long time ago. The advent of the computer age hasn't helped any. I spend hours at a computer all day and then often come home and do the same. I do get up frequently to do other things around the office or the house, but bad posture is bad posture, even in small doses.

Okay, enough about me and my problems (real or imaginery.) I spent an inordinate amount of time this weekend contemplating posture, and what I really want to do is share what I've learned about posture. Or maybe 're-learned' is a better way to say it, because I heard a lot of it from my mother many moons ago.

From the American Chiropractic Society website, here are some guidelines for good posture.

First for sitting:

Keep your feet on the floor or on a footrest, if they don't reach the floor.
Don't cross your legs. Your ankles should be in front of your knees.
Keep a small gap between the back of your knees and the front of your seat.
Your knees should be at or below the level of your hips.
Adjust the backrest of your chair to support your low- and mid-back or use a back support.
Relax your shoulders and keep your forearms parallel to the ground.
Avoid sitting in the same position for long periods of time.

Now standing:

Bear your weight primarily on the balls of your feet.
Keep your knees slightly bent.
Keep your feet about shoulder-width apart.
Let your arms hang naturally down the sides of the body.
Stand straight and tall with your shoulders pulled backward.
Tuck your stomach in.
Keep your head level-your earlobes should be in line with your shoulders. Do not push your head forward, backward, or to the side.
Shift your weight from your toes to your heels, or one foot to the other, if you have to stand for a long time.

And finally, my favorite position, horizontal:

Find the mattress that is right for you. While a firm mattress is generally recommended, some people find that softer mattresses reduce their back pain. Your comfort is important.
Sleep with a pillow. Special pillows are available to help with postural problems resulting from a poor sleeping position.
Avoid sleeping on your stomach.
Sleeping on your side or back is more often helpful for back pain.
If you sleep on your side, place a pillow between your legs.
If you sleep on your back, keep a pillow under your knees.

Other than mindfulness, there are other "helping tools", yoga and stretching.

A few helpful videos:
Williams' Flex Exercise for Good Posture

Shoulder Squeeze Exercise to Promote Good Posture
(Free Cammy tip: Don't forget to breathe during this one! I almost passed out. *g*)
One more (and one I *love*): Cat Stretch Exercise to Promote Good Posture

And for those of you who can't easily access youtube, the fine folks at sparkpeople.com have some online stretching demos that aren't quite as bandwith-intensive.

Good posture is important always, but especially so when we're adopting more active lifestyles. We want need our bones in alignment to support the development of strong, healthy muscles and ligaments. Funny how it's all interconnected, huh? :)

What are your bad posture habits? Do you think it/they affect your fitness efforts?
Any tips or suggestions for improving? I'm all ears. And limbs.

I hope you're sitting tall and proud this morning and that you'll walk with purpose (and in alignment) throughout the day and all the days ahead.

~

Drive By Update

Hot again today. (Sorry, Andrew!) I didn't manage my 5-mile ride/5-mile walk combo, but I did get the ride in and a little more than a mile for a walk. It was amazing how many people were out getting their walks/rides in at 6:00 a.m. Great minds think alike, I guess. Anyway, I got almost an hour of exercise and 40-oz. of water in by 7:00 a.m., so I'm pleased overall.

I spent too much time yesterday trying to deal with one of those victim-types, hell-bent on being offended, to the point of manufacturing words for me. Should have written it off as hopeless long before I did, but I do like to try for conciliation and harmony. Oh well, can't win them all.

Oh, sekret note to Manuela: I haven't explored the SucceedCaps any further, but I've made a note to print out the info and get some input from the trainers.

Am now adding a note to follow-up with an update later. :)

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

~

Weekend Randomness

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend and that it's cooler where you live than it is here in Memphis. We're nearing triple digits and you can see the air. Yuck! It's way too hot to think much, so if you'll pardon me, I'll just ramble a bit.

First, on the issue of my possible sports injury, I need to point out that I haven't been diagnosed with anything. I'm just pontificating based on 5-second observation by my podiatrist and my own internet "research." I see my GP on Monday and we'll go from there. I'm continuing to poke around articles and abstracts, and I'm going to keep poking around until I find one that says it's okay to cross your legs. A lot. (I swear, this is harder than losing weight ever was. Sheesh!)

I did find that there has been at least one study that showed weight loss can bring on this type of dysfunction. That'd be me. I think, though, that the cause was believed to be mostly poor nutrition, and we know that's not the case with me. (ptg, this may be where the diagnosis among the very, very thin comes in. I assure you that not only am I not very, very thin, I'm not even reasonably close to thin. *G*)

It will be interesting to see what the final diagnosis is. With any luck, it will turn out to be an ingrown hair or something equally ridiculous.

Rambling on...Today's exercise was...well, 'pitiful' is too kind a word for my elliptical experience. It was one of those days where I just didn't have anything for it. Those days will happen (especially during a heat wave), so I did the best I could and kept my heart rate up near the 130 mark (close to where it should be) for the minimum required time (by me) of 30 minutes. Good enough. I'm going to exercise early tomorrow morning before the heat of the day sets in. I hope to walk five miles and bike five miles, but I'm playing it by ear (and heat index). Completing one or the other will be good enough, but I'd like to do both.

More rambling...I got a pedicure today. My tippytoenails are nicely adorned in Essie's Escapades, which has been my color du summer for manicures.

And that is all I have. I didn't contribute much to the planet today, and I apologize for that. I'll do better tomorrow.

Oh Happy Day!

I'll try to post something fitnessish in a minute, but right now I'm just too keyed up! Do you know who's coming to Memphis next week? Do you? Guess!

Okay, I'll tell you. Laurie Notaro, that's who! She's one of my favorite humor writers EVER, and she's going to be signing books and reading from her new book next Wednesday night! I can't wait!

If you've not read Laurie Notaro before and you like talented, funky, funny writers, you can read an excerpt of We Thought You Would Be Prettier: True Tales of the Dorkiest Girl Alive here.

Okay, deep breath. It's almost a week away.

In other news, I might have a sports injury. For the past week, I've been having some numbness on the top of my foot and along the lower outside of my shin, and I mentioned it to my podiatrist today, and he said (after glancing at my knee) that it was peroneal nerve dysfuntion. And that was all he said about it before he assured me the numbness wasn't related to the toe surgery he performed last year. He said I might have a cyst in my toe that might or might not have to be removed in a couple of weeks. Apparently it would be a teensy, tiny incision, so I'm not particularly worried. Not much. :)

When I got back to work, I had to look up peroneal nerve dysfuntion and this might just be the problem. Either my fibula's broken (which I probably would have noticed) or I've suffered another trauma to the leg (7 million body weight squats is trauma!) or I sit with my legs crossed too much.

Hmmm, one of those is a distinct possibility.

I have an appointment with my GP on Monday to see if I can come off my blood pressure medication, and I'll mention it to him. I'm guessing I'll be shuttled off to another doctor. Until then, I'm sitting here with a ruler on my lap to remind me not to cross my legs. I'm determined that if there's an injury, it will be a sports injury. Badge of honor, and all that...

But right now I don't care about any of that. Laurie Notaro is coming to town!

I should go figure out what I'm going to wear!

Happy Weekend Eve!

~

Making Lemonade

I'm becoming obsessed with a craving for Cheetos. Not obsessed enough to even think about trying this product, but it's clear I'm rapidly reaching a point at which I am going to have to have some cheesy goodness.

Fried, not baked.

I will have them...and someday soon.

In contemplating the Cheetos dilemma, I realized that, over the past year, I have converted a formerly unhelpful tendency toward procrastination into a successful strategy (for me) for dealing with cravings. The proverbial making lemonade from lemons.

Or lemonade from Cheetos, if you will.

In the past when I thought about losing weight, many of my plans started with "Someday soon I'll..." You can complete the expression with any host of things: join a gym, go on A Diet, walk a hundred miles a day--uphill, etc. and so on.

And, of course, someday never came.

What I realized today is that I've been playing the "someday soon" game with cravings. Whenever a desire for something that's slightly (or more) on the other side of healthy, I've handled it by saying, "Someday soon, I'll have to figure out a way to work that into a meal." In most of those situations, as in the past, someday never came. The desire faded away. A very good thing, in this case.

There were (are) a few favorites, of course, that I did put thought and effort into seeing on my plate, even if rarely. When I wanted "real deal" pizza, I found a local restaurant that sold reasonably-sized pizza-by-the-slice. My desire for good old-fashioned southern barbecue led me to another local place that offers Barbecue Salad (I just order the dressing AND the meat on the side.) I pushed a craving for cheese dip away until the Christmas pot luck at the office, and then I had five taco chips with a healthy drizzle of dip.

I feel certain that had I indulged in these cravings at the exact moment I had them, I would have either (a) over-indulged, (b) experienced guilt, remorse, and/or shame for having "blown it", (c) both a and b. Deferring the cravings gave me time to think about (or forget about) it and work it into my plan in a relatively healthy way.

Kind of neat, huh? "Someday soon" used to be a curse; now it's a tool for managing my beloved splurgettes.

It's the same for another trait I have. I'm quite happy eating the same foods over and over and over. Not a good thing when those foods are nachos, pizza, cheeseburgerandfries, fishandchips, and Little Debbie snack cakes. But you can see the difference when the repetition becomes turkey, tuna, chicken, turkey, tuna, chicken, turkey, tuna, chicken, cheeseburger, turkey, tuna....well, you get the picture. It works out so much better this way, when the routine foods are composed of lean meats rather than fried and fresh fruit instead of calorie-dense (but oh-so-tasty!) snack cakes. :)

This line of thinking may partially explain why I've had success over the past year. I went with what is naturally part of my personality/lifestyle, but I changed the input.

But enough about me, I'm curious about you. Have you noticed any not-so-great habits or traits that are now working a little more in your favor? Think about it and let me know, here or your place. :)

Healthy You Challenge Week 28

If I could remember what I weighed last week, it might be easier to report how much I lost this week. I do know that the loss was just an itty-bit, mere fractions of a pound, but I'll take it. I'm at -92 overall, which is satisfying enough.

In flipping back through my calendar, I see that I netted no loss for the past 4 weeks, and I'm a little surprised that I'm not freaked out about that. In fact, I'm thinking this might be a good thing, this "pre-maintenance" phase. After all the months of practicing for it, I'm learning that I can live like this. Eat healthy foods I like (with enough splurgettes to keep me happy) and continue to challenge myself with exercise (to balance those splurgettes.) I'd still like to lose a few more pounds, but if I don't, I like where I am okay.

And that's it for me, this week. I hope you all had a wonderful week and are looking forward to another great one ahead!

Makeover Your Morning

Mornings can be frantic, especially Monday mornings. Despite having had all weekend to take care of things, we frequently don't tackle them until we're forced to. Or we skip them completely and suffer the consequences. (How many times have you blamed a lack of time on packing lunch and ended up eating something unhealthy at noon? C'mon, it's not just me!)

It's bad enough I have to get up and go to work; I don't want to make it even more maddening by rushing around like a chicken without a head. I want a calm transitional period between home and outside world, time to convince myself I'm lucky to have this job and stuff like that.

For quite some time now, I've been trying (mostly successfully) to follow an action plan that helps the process. The beauty of this plan is that it's actually executed the evening before. Here's what I do:

-check calendar for any upcoming appointments I might have forgotten
-pack lunch (I have only my own to prepare. If you have other lunches to prepare, get them done the night before.)
-get work clothes ready (Mine are on a hanger on my bedroom door right now.)
-get workout clothes ready (Eliminates the "didn't have time to pack my bag" excuse for NOT exercising)
-transfer to the car anything that needs to go with me the next day, unless it requires refrigeration
-make sure car keys are by the back door

Simple little things, but not having to deal with them early in the morning was one of the best makeovers I've done yet! And it gives me a few minutes for blogging first thing in the a.m., and that's always a fun way to start the day.

What makes your mornings frantic? Maybe we can put our heads together and figure out a solution. Or, have you already uncovered tricks of your own you might want to share?

Linkety-link-link

If you live anywhere near me, take my advice and RUN!!! I'm grumpy with a capital GRUMP this evening, and I have no idea why. I had a rather bland (and enjoyable) day: a 1-hour zoo walk this morning, Target run, nap, Best Buy (bought a new flat screen TV for my home office as a reward for...well, I'll think of something), then to the gym for a 30-minute bicycle ride, and then the grocery store. Somewhere between the gym and the grocery store, I did my Incredible Hulk thing and turned into a raving lunatic. I swear it must have been "Stop my car/cart right in front of Cammy Day", because every time I turned around I was being boxed in by someone. Then, worst of all, Kroger doesn't seem to carry melba toast! What the heck kind of grocery store doesn't carry melba toast?!! Sheesh!

Okay, rant over (and I thank you for sticking it out.) Time for the real purpose of my post: the sharing o'the links! I stayed in last night and finally got caught up with my Google Reader. Well, except for the technology folder and that one I don't mind catching up on at work. Thought I would share some of the more interesting articles I found:

From The Office Diet: The Unwritten Rules of Office Food
I must say these are definitely true of my workplace. The food "noise" and aromas are two of my biggest irritants. Burnt microwave popcorn will stink up the office for days. Fortunately, the person who burned it most frequently has transferred out of the office.

Going a completely different direction, this link discloses Peanut Butter Boy's own personal method of stirring/enjoying natural peanut butter.

From the fine folks at Lifehacker, this article: Calm Your Fears to Avoid Late-night Eating. This is one that hits me where I live.

Alex Shalman, guest blogging on zenhabits, theorizes on why it's not our fault we're overweight. He makes some interesting (and accurate) points, but it's still within our power to change, IMO. He offers some rather run-of-the-mill ideas on that, too.

Since I turn 50 in a month, this article from Dumb Little Man on how to shed 10 years off my age caught my eye. I'm going to try a couple of these, I think, and a couple others I'm already doing. If these don't work collectively, I think I'll just take the easy way and lie about my age.

Green link: TipNut shared 12 Ways to Reuse Newspaper around the House.

Some frozen treats for the hot summer days: Margarita Ice Pops from epicurious (via TipNut) or these treats from Lifehacker.

And finally, my favorite link of all, Jonathan Fields, Awake @ the Wheel, wrote this brilliant little piece of prose. I'll be reading this one to the woman in the mirror every morning. She needs to hear it now and then. :)

All right, I'm off to soak my feet...and possibly, my head. Grocery store trip aside, I had a fantastic weekend, and I hope you did too!

~

Letters from Home

I've always loved living in Memphis, but there are days....

From an article in today'sThe Commercial Appeal, our local newspaper:

At 4:37 p.m. Thursday afternoon, Rachael Vint found a stop-work order on the door, a piece of paper threatening to put an end to her new business, not to mention ruining her evening.

Vint and her partner, Kyra Bailey, were a day away from opening Eccentric Studios, a dance studio at 2810 Bartlett.

For the past three years, Vint has been teaching "Strip To Fit," a fitness program that shows women 18 years or older the art of burlesque, strip teases, pole dancing and "sexy stretching" at various fitness facilities around the Bartlett area.

"We've been at this for three years," Vint said. "Starting our own business was the next logical step."

The stop-work order said the address was not zoned for a sexually oriented business, a presumption Vint doesn't agree with. "There's nothing dirty about what we do. This is a natural expression and a great way to exercise," she said.

Sigh....Life here can be so infuriating. There are great people here, in all walks of life, but they are so often overshadowed by the idiots.

In better news, Memphis (which has been ranked one of the nation's worst cities for bicycling) is finally parsing a clue and installing some bike lanes. 'Bout time. We have enough cyclists to merit them, but the idiots have had their heads up their collective....well, you know.

Super hot here today, sending me to the gym for my daily dose. Once there, I completed a TriCammython--20 minutes on the elliptical, 20 on the recumbent bike, and 20 on the treadmill. I didn't set any land speed records, but it was a good workout. No time to get bored with any of it. I think I'll try this for a few sessions, before beginning to add in additional "cycles." As long as there's something interesting on The Learning Channel, I can go all day. (Okay, no I can't but I'm probably good for a couple of hours.)

Oh, and before I went to the gym, I made a run by a local thrift store, where I scored 3 pairs of pants for a total of $15! I love when that happens. :)

I hope you've all had a most marvelous Saturday!

~

Reader Inquiries

I was going to call this post something cute and catchy, like "Viewer Mail", but somebody already took that. :)

Top of the World Challenge
The lovely Shanna asked (and quite politely, I thought) if I would share my unpatented Top of The World Challenge. Now why didn't I think of that? Thank you, Shanna! Your wish is my command. Here you go:

For every story we climb, we earn an equivalent story in (or on) a national or international landmark. Reach the top of one landmark and earn a sticker. Then start over to scale a new landmark. The landmarks:
St. Louis Arch – 60 stories
Eiffel Tower – 75 stories
Empire State Building – 102 stories
Sears Tower – 110 stories
Grand Canyon – 800 stories (400 down, 400 up)
Mt. Everest – 2040 stories

(Note: these numbers were not computed by a mathemetician or scientist or even someone who did better than barely pass those subjects in school. They're meant to be representative of the landmark heights.)

A "story" is the two flights between floors. You earn a story by going up; going down doesn't count for the purposes of this challenge. Even if it's just one story, add it to your daily total.

There is no time limit or guideline. The goal is to challenge yourself, andf or some of us, that means starting off slowly and building endurance.

On a personal note, I managed 45 stories this week! We've got two climbers who have already climbed the St. Louis Arch and are on their way up the Empire State Building. Even better news, I added four new climbers today!

Getting There
Another question, this time from the always delightful Katschi:

I noticed, Cammy, in your blurb in your profile that you "doubt you'll ever get there". I don't believe that YOU believe this anymore, do you?

Excellent observation, Katschi, and I thank you for the huge compliment! I've toyed with the idea of rewording that little bit, to better reflect what I've learned, but so far I haven't come up with the right words. Although I didn't know it at the time I wrote the blurb, those words hold (for me) a fundamental truth about fitness. I sort of figured it out earlier this year, when I
discovered that there will be no finish line, no magical moment when I'll be able to declare myself "there." Those small, gradual changes that were my initial goal will continue for the rest of my life. The joy of that is not only in the improved fitness (and lower weight), but in the journey itself. I'm proud of what I've accomplished, but I'm eagerly anticipating more achievements in the future. In the words of one of my favorite BTO songs, you ain't seen nothin' yet! :)

So I guess the literal answer is that I don't believe I'll reach the finish line, but to answer the intent of your comment, I absolutely believe I will continue on the journey!

Thank you again, Katschi! Now if you could just reword it for me? (I know, I know, if someone else does my work for me, how will I ever learn?)


That's it for me tonight. It was a lonnnnnngggg week, and I think I'm going to put my feet up! I hope you all have a most wonderful weekend. Remember the sunscreen!

~

Updates: Mom, Nutrition Class

I've got a few loose ends to tie up, and now seems like a good time.

First, my Mom is home from the hospital and at last report, soaking in a real tub and getting ready to get in her very own bed. No evidence of a stroke or of blockage in her neck arteries. They did observe some minor instances of plaque behind the brain, which will be handled through her blood pressure medication. (If I understand correctly, that is. Remember, my medical knowledge comes mostly from Reader's Digest.) Thanks for your well wishes for both of us! Kelly and June, know that you and your families are in my thoughts.

Up next, the follow up to the nutrtition class I took. First half notes are here, but I totally forgot to post what we covered in the second half of the class. That's mainly because we spent most of the class discussing how to read food labels, which I already knew about. :( But, I did enjoy the class overall and I'm glad I took it. For one thing, that moment of joy when I fit into the chair (with room to spare!) was one I'll never forget. Ever!

Leslie did share some useful weblinks with us, and I'll share them here, just in case you haven't seen them before:
— http://www.mypyramid.gov/
— http://www.nutrition.gov/
— http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/
— http://www.eatright.org/
— www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/nutrition

One other interesting thing she discussed briefly in class was the increase in portion sizes in the U.S. over the past 20 years. She even had pictures of a 1970s ad for an order of fries as compared to an order of McD's super size fries. Amazing! According to Leslie, if you want the proper portion sizes, at most restaurants you'll want to order the kid's meal. (I've been doing that for years, anyway. ::pats self on back::)'

And finally, following up on the two fitness challenges I started at work, I'm pleased to report that I have 21 people climbing stairs with me and 10 people joined in on the Hundred Pushup Challenge. Plus, some folks on other floors in the building are expressing an interest in the stair challenge. For the stair challenge, I've made everyone badges that fit on top of their nameplates, and I made stickers for the 100 pushups. I get reports all day long of how many stories people have climbed. I'm at 27 stories through today, which puts me on track to reach the top of the St. Louis Arch by Monday. :)

Does that catch me up with follow-up stuff? I can't remember anything else, but then again, I have difficulty remembering yesterday.

In new news, I'm mourning the loss of a long-time fast food favorite from my past life: the Taco Bell Burrito. I had one today for lunch (strange circumstances), and it was the last one I'll ever have. The lettuce and tomato were nice and fresh, but the rest of it? Greasy, greasy, greasy. Maybe it was just this one, but I suspect they were that greasy all along, and I just didn't have a clue. If I'm caught at TB again (which I hope I won't be), I think I'll follow a tip I read somewhere, which was to get a couple of Fresco tacos and merge the fillings into one shell. But I really think I'll limit my Mexican food to homemade or a couple of local places that go heavy on the veggies and lighter on the greasy stuff.

Other than that, nothing really new to report. I had a great workout with Trainer Kevin tonight, who murdered my poor widdle arms. Really! And he did it gleefully, too!

My word, I can ramble on, can't I? Sorry about that. :) I'm off now to continue catching up on blogs. It's so easy to get behind, isn't it? I also have to start shopping for a virtual outfit for the party Ready Maid is throwing me when I hit the three-digit mark. Okay, maybe it's a little soon. At my current rate, we may be in fall or winter wear by that time. LOL But that's okay, too.

Hope you're all having a wonderful second half of the week!

~

HYC Check-in Week 27

Going through a bit of a stress test this week. My mother was admitted to the hospital yesterday after suffering an "episode" over the weekend. The doctors can't see evidence of a stroke, but they're still running tests. Also possible: an insulin plunge or a reaction to some medication she was taking. Hopefully we'll know more tomorrow. I'm not going to bother asking for your good wishes for her; I already feel them, and I thank you. :)

On the lighter, brighter side of life, I'm managing to get my workouts in. I did a strength training session last night and an elliptical 5k tonight (29:05!) Exercise definitely helps during times of stress, lemme tell ya. Also helpful: Nature Valley Granola Bars in the ER vending machine.

I weighed in last night, but promptly forgot what the specific number was. I know I was up, but it was less than a pound. (All together now: Stupid scale!) That leaves me at -91 and change, so I'm not complaining too much.

Oh, and thanks so much for the kind comments re: my latest photo post. Let me assure you that I look a little less like a linebacker most of the time. The photo was taken just after my workout, so the muscles were all primped up.

And that's it for me. I hope you all had a marvelous week. I guess I'll find out in a few minutes when I begin my blog blitz! :)

~

Makeover Monday: The Hot Body You Don't Want

Raise your hand if you saw this post coming. Onetwothreefourfive—okay, most of you guessed it. Very perceptive. Yes, it's the Be Careful While Exercising Outside in the Summer Heat post, and it's so important to me that I'm using it for this week's Makeover Monday.

I don't know about you, but I love exercising outdoors. After being cooped up in a cell an office all day, the urge to be outside is compelling. But not compelling enough to risk heat stroke, and that's a big threat in the summer weather.

Because I value you all and would hate to lose you when we've only recently met, I'll share these tips for exercising in the heat:

Check the weather report first! If the temps are going to be above 90F/32C and/or your humidity is expected to be at or higher than 75%, it might be a good idea to move your workout indoors. Also be mindful of the air quality. In problem areas, the weather forecasters will include any ozone warnings. If you don't belong to a gym, consider going to a mall to walk or to a multi-story building for some stair-climbing. At minimum, you may want to search out shaded trails or parks for your workout.

Watch the clock. Sun exposure, humidity and ozone issues are most intense midday. You're better off exercising early in the morning or late evening, before 9 a.m. and after 7 p.m.

Hydrate yourself Despite the rumors, it will not make you go blind. :) Drink more water than normal, and make sure you drink it before, during, and after your workout. If you're going to be exercising for longer than an hour, you may want to add in one of the sports-type drinks to replace electrolytes. (Last year I drank Smart Water, which supposedly contains minerals needed to restore electrolytes. It could have been a mind game thing, but I swear it made a difference. I'm not sure what I'll do this year, given my moratorium on bottled water. I'm thinking of giving these a try. Would appreciate any info if any of you have tried them before.)

Dress appropriately. Wear fabrics that contain wicking, which will help pull moisture away from your skin. Light-colored fabrics are best to reflect the sun's rays. A cap will help shade your face and protect the top of your head. Sunglasses will protect your eyes. Oh, and sunscreen! Lots and lots of waterproof sunscreen, SPF 30 or higher. (Here's a secret Cammy tip: keep a couple of damp washcloths in the freezer. When you get ready to exercise outdoors, grab a cloth and drape it across the back of your neck. Keep the other cloth for when you return home.)

Mind your transitions. Acclimate yourself to the heat. Start by exercising outdoors for just a few minutes each day and gradually increase your time. When you've finished exercising, ease your transition back into the cooler indoor climate. (I grab the remaining freezer cloth and a fresh glass of water, straight from the refrigerator door, and sit on my patio for a good 15 minutes. It's during this time that I gloat over my success.)

Finally, pay attention to your body. Monitor your heart rate and if your intensity level rises above your target range, slow down or stop exercising for a bit. We rejoice in our improved fitness levels, but during times of extreme heat, it's a really bad idea to push too hard. Looking on the bright side, you have a built-in excuse for taking an extra break or two. If you have any signs of heat illness (more on that below), stop immediately.

Danger Signs to Watch For
When heat/humidity rise, sweat can't evaporate as quickly from our bodies, which can lead to overheating.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion include weakness, muscle cramps, dehydration, dizziness, confusion, rapid heart rate and headache. If left untreated, things can rapidly go from bad to worse, possibly resulting in heat stroke.

Heat stroke can be fatal and requires immediate medical attention. Symptoms include loss of consciousness, vomiting, respiratory distress, and hot, dry skin (your body's signal that it's not sweating properly).

Scared straight, I hope? Exercise is important, but exercising wisely is key. Please be safe so that you can be here. I, for one, would miss you if you were gone.


(photo:Andrea Dunlap via Flickr)

Lucky Sunday

Pausing between morning walk and errands to wish you all a happy Sunday!

I've had a good weekend. Yesterday, I returned to the scene of Friday's crime and worked out on the elliptical machine at the gym. It was soooo humid outside, plus I wanted to watch Property Ladder on TLC. :) I did 5k on the elliptical in about 32 minutes, which is a pretty good time for me. I also did some ab crunches on the ball. Decent workout day.

This morning I had an amazing walk! Not the time or distance, those were fairly sluggish, but the temp starting out was low 70s, the sun was shining, birds were singing--perfect walk setting. I walked a 5k in about 57 minutes. I think I did not allow enough time for my legs to recover from the elliptical yesterday. Oh well, it was a great walk anyway.

One thing I realized (yet again) as I walked is what a privilege it is to exercise. As much as we bitch about it, we're really lucky to have the capacity for it. So many people don't. And as I was obsessing (I can walk and obsess at the same time--I'm talented that way) about my saggy knee skin jiggling beneath the hem of my shorts, it occurred to me that there are probably more than a few amputees out there who would be thrilled to have my knees. Same with my sagging other parts. I'm damned lucky to have all my parts and never had to suffer the ravages of chemo/radiation or the pain of reconstructive surgery. Too many people didn't draw that card. So this morning I walked with purpose, a sense of obligation to do it for the people who can't and to acknowledge the gift of having all my working parts in tact, and while I walked, I remembered a proverb, or saying, I read many years ago:

I cried because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet.

I'm off to continue my day now, feeling stronger and blessed with so much good fortune that it's almost painful to bear. I wish for you the same, minus the pain. :)

Daredevil Fitness - The Results

I did it! I exercised in Manville in my spiffy sports tank, and this photo is proof.

It's also proof that I need to continue exercising regularly, especially that pesky midsection, but that's kind of the whole point. And finally, it's proof that I've come a long, long way.

There was almost no one in the gym for the duration of the workout. One guy was in Manville, and he was mostly watching TV. Every now and then he'd lumber over to a weight rack and lift a gazillion pound barbell a couple of times, then he'd go stand in front of the television again. I really don't understand the rationale behind that method, but lots of guys do it and what do I care anyway? It's only the ones who scream while they're lifting that bug me.

But thank goodness for ESPN and plasma tv's on every wall. My chubby bellied-sports tank and I were way under the radar.

I had a good workout that lasted about as long as the trainers' workouts with me. Not surprising, considering I patterned it after Trainer Kevin's workouts, which I enjoy immensely. The goal was a full body workout, and I think I got there. Mostly.

Here's what I did:
Warm up (straight from Kevin's workouts):
wall sit - 30 seconds
wall pushups - 12
body weight squats - 12
wall pushups (close hands) - 12
front-to-back lunges - 5 each leg

Then the workout (3 sets of each, with reps x weight, or count, listed)

Lunges with weights (split between static, front, and back lunges) - 10x10, 10x12.5, 8x12.5 (I tried 15 on the last bit, but...no.)
Shoulder presses - 12x12.5, 10x15, 10x15
Jumping Jacks - 30 each round

Rest 90 seconds (jumping jacks wear me out)

Squat Curls - 10x12.5 3 times
Lat Pull downs - 12 x25, 6.x40, 12x25 (there was nothing between 25 and 40, so I thought I'd give it a try. Too much.)
Incline Flys - 12x12.5 3 times

Rest two minutes, but I spent most of it walking around trying to find a pull-up place. I did!

Hanging leg raises - 8, 8, 10
Pull-ups - 8, 8, 10
One-arm rows - 10x20, 10x25, 8x30

Rest 90 seconds

Face pulls - 12x15, 12x20, 12x25 (double-handled rope on pulley, right up to the face, arms up high)
Situps on the ball - 20, 3 times

Some stretching, a bathroom break, more water, and then 11 minutes of elliptical.

And that was my workout. According to my heart rate monitor, I burned about the same number of calories as a trainer workout, so I was pleased. I felt tired, but I wasn't exhausted at the end. I think maybe I was a little too careful, but I definitely didn't want to try to blaze new trails my first time out. Survival was the biggest goal. :)

I'm also not sure about the mix of exercises, which ones it's better to group together. That was another reason I didn't want to push too hard: what if I had some toxic mix of chest and bicep exercises that would paralyze me or something? I'll show this to the trainers on Monday and see how they grade it. (I'm going with a B+ myself.) Your input is welcome as well.

Besides working 10 hours, that's how I spent my 4th. I hope you had a wonderful day!

Daredevil Fitness

Tomorrow is a Very Big Day for me. As I mentioned earlier this week, I have to build and execute my own strength workout. In the past when I've had to do this, I planned for a "make do" workout, just enough to satisfy the strength-training requirement. And that was fine. I'd be tempted to do the same this time, considering it's a holiday, but with my personal trainer sessions coming to an end, it's more important for me to know that I can do this on my own.

And I can, you know. :)

If that wasn't enough pressure, I'm raising the bar by
1) going to the gym for this workout
2) going to the weight area (a.k.a. Manville) of the gym
3) going to the weight area of the gym while wearing my sports tank, previously worn only in the privacy of my own home and once in the backyard (but never the front yard)

Ah, the drama! The angst! Surely this is enough stress to take my mind off the actual workout. :)

I hope you all have safe and healthy weekend!

HYC Update - Week 26

Be careful what you wish for. I wished I would lose the totally unnecessary 2.6 lbs. Mother Nature passed me last week, and my wish was granted. Not an ounce more, not an ounce less. I'm back at -92.6 lost. I should've wished I would lose 3 lbs. or 5 lbs. or something huge, but no, I had to go and wish for the minimum. I considered throwing a hissy fit, but while I reserve the option to pitch one later, I think I'll just tippy toe off into the sunset and consider myself lucky. With a bit of grateful and successful in there, too. :)

Nothing unusual or remotely interesting, for that matter, to report for this week. I have to work the holiday, or most of it, and then I'm on my own for my Friday strength training. I shall miss Trainer Kevin's post-workout stretching, but I'm looking forward to seeing what I can do on my own. Wish me luck!

And that's that. I'm off to check in on your week and hope to catch up by tonight. Oh, and if you've read this far, I challenge you to find two blogs you haven't visited before, or maybe just recently, and leave a cheery comment this week. Share the energy, so to speak!