8 Headed Hydra

You know you're on a diet when...

2011-07-19T22:22:00.012-04:00

You can differentiate the distinct flavors for Equal, Sweet-n-Low, Splenda, Stevia, Truvia, honey, brown sugar, cane sugar, and white sugar.

Same goes for Diet Coke and Coke Zero.

If you don't drink a Diet Coke every day you turn into The Hulk. (Maybe She-Hulk, but a hulk nonetheless).

You know the low calorie food options at Wendy’s (it’s the chili).

You consider the following cheat food: Corn.

You have counted out the 55 pieces that equal one serving of goldfish crackers and 140 calories.

You know how many calories are in one single Dorito.

You know what glycemic index means.

You know the glycemic index of a banana.

You have tried Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, and Nutri-system, and thought they were too expensive. At the same time, you’ve spent equal money and calories at Starbucks without a second thought.

Then you’ve tried Atkins, The Zone, South Beach, The Cookie diet, and the Paleo diet. You are pretty sure that diets that make you feel crazy must work.

You’ve had the South Beach flu.

You once drank cabbage soup for three days straight.

You've invented your own diet more than once. (See the George Clooney diet and the Star Trek diet).

You’ve considered cutting your hair to lose weight.

You don’t weigh-in until you’ve shaved and exfoliated. I mean really exfoliated. I mean shaved everything.

You count sex as exercise (and your husband isn’t complaining).

You caught yourself discussing your bowel movements with your co-workers. During lunch.

You have stayed up not once, not twice, but five times to watch the P90X infomercial at 2 a.m.

You’ve been dieting for five months and lost five pounds. Your husband goes jogging twice in a week and looses six pounds.

What are some weird things that you do when you are dieting? Let me know in the comments.

Weight in (July 5 to date): -5.6 lbs! Food journals and recipes coming soon! Happy eating and exercising.

LL Cool J Exercise Plan

2011-03-12T22:45:00.013-05:00

Remember the George Clooney Diet? This week I'm all about LL Cool J. I'm not ready to track my food yet, but I am exercising.

Wednesday - 1 hour yoga
Thursday - 40 minute interval walk/run
Friday - 30 minute interval walk/run, 30 minutes of yoga
Saturday - Soccer mom (there is no way to calculate this exercise)

The moral of the story is LL Cool J. As I ran, all I could think was "You're jiggling, baby." Which of course made me think of the song "Jingling, Baby." That made my running happy. The more I jiggle now, the less I'll jiggle later. Thank you, LL.

On a side note, two friends kindly emailed me regarding pilates and Zumba. Rule #1. Be sure to keep good friends by your side, the kind that reach out a hand and encourage you. I also exercised several times with my tweenaged niece. She's lazier than me, but she is a good motivator. Even sent me text messages to let me know what exercising she did on her own. A good kid.

As some of you know I gave up Facebook for Lent. There are always people out there waiting for you to fail. This is a reminder to those people that I need encouragement. Don't wait for me to fail or break my commitments. It makes me feel disappointed in you. Now you owe me an apology. Twitter is not Facebook. (And Facebook emails me updates once a week, so I can see you talking bad about me). Do 50 sit-ups, and I'll challenge you to an arm wrestle on Easter Sunday.

Until then happy eating and happy exercising. Even if you are jingling all the way. Was LL talking about Christmas in that song? What does jingling baby mean anywho? A point to ponder on my next run.

140 Words or Less

2011-03-08T23:15:00.000-05:00

(Pregnant me and monsters hiking at Amicalola Falls. I grudgingly got exercise even while gravid. It was What's-his-name's idea.)

Last year, I was about to get back on the exercise bandwagon, then poof! Nothing. A year of silence. Here’s what you missed.

I got pregnant and had a baby.

Yesterday, the baby turned 12 weeks old. To celebrate, I started a couch to 5K running program. 20 minutes run/walk intervals on Days 1 and 2.

I ate a Wheat Free Peanut Butter cookie from Karmic Kookies. Life changing.

I’ve given up the frivolous internet for Lent. I won’t be on Facebook, but you can still find me here and on Decatur Patch.

Despite my love of verbosity, edits on my novel will progress better if I limit myself to 140 word diet updates. Kind of like Twitter’s 140 characters only super-sized into a blog about getting skinnier.

Happy Eating and Exercising. Happy Lent!

Gong Xi Fa Cai

2010-02-21T22:40:00.000-05:00

I think the holiday season starts on with Halloween in October and ends with Easter in the April. A few weeks ago, I thought the holidays ended on Superbowl Sunday, but then I forgot about Chinese New Year. Then Valentine's Day. Then Lent started. Okay, I'm not Catholic (yet), but I am feeling guilty.

I love an excuse to not officially diet. Halloween, my birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Valentine's Day. I fill my year with days when dieting is taboo. Birthdays, anniversaries. They don't even have to be mine. Anyone's will do as long as there is cake. And winter. All of winter--cold, snowy winter--should be a holiday.

Good News: In all these months of slacking (four months worth!), I've only gained back 3lbs.
Bad News: I've been struggling for weeks to figure out how to get back to keeping a food journal and exercising.
Good News: I really have incorporated increased activity in my daily life. I do a lot of incidental walking to and from work, while at work, and around town. Parking a few extra spaces away really does make a difference.
Bad News: Stress has taken a hold of my life in ways I hadn't anticipated. Right now I am smarter about eating and exercising than I am about controlling stress in my life. Reducing stress will be my big focus over the next few lifetimes. . . I meant to say weeks.

The Extra Good News and The Answer: My blog. I went back and read over some of my thoughts about weight loss and dieting since July. I'm so glad I wrote down what I did. I'm so thankful for this blog. I wasn't writing it for then. I was writing those words for today. A day when I needed it the most. And I wasn't writing it for you (though I do wish you happy health and weight loss and a peaceful life--okay sounds like a Vulcan greeting, but I do meant it). I was and am writing this blog for me. The only motivation you need is yourself. You don't need me. You don't need to know what I think. You need to know your personal motivation and diet needs.

New Year New Goal: Same as before. Lose 10%. I could lose 20% easily, but I'm still trying to do things slowly so the weight stays off and my body learns to be new. Or learns to be its new self. 10% in 2010.

Let me know what you've been doing and what you want to start doing to be healthy. Let's motivate each other. I'm a tiger (Chinese Zodiac-wise) and this is my year. Gong Xi Fa Cai, Happy New Year! Happy Health, Eating, and Exercising. And Peace.

10 Presents to Myself

2009-11-04T00:00:00.004-05:00

Little Miss Can't Be Wrong. Nicki age 2.
Today is my birthday! I love birthdays. I want to thank my parents, and especially my mom for enduring not just my delivery at birth, but also my delivery from many of life’s trauma. Happy birthday to you, mom, and thanks for everything. Today is really a day I celebrate you!

I recent celebrated my sister's 40th birthday. We spent the weekend with her best girlfriends at Château Elan for nice food, wine, and spa fun. While the other ladies were getting their spa treatments, I wrote by a fireplace and enjoyed a rare block of time free of demands. I knew that what I needed more than a massage was time to write. It was a gift I gave myself.

A few years ago, I started a book I called “30 Presents to Myself”. It was a comedy and here is the synopsis: A woman on the eve of her 35 birthday finds the list of things she was supposed to have done before her 30 birthday. She hasn’t completed any of the things on the list, many thankfully so, but now she wants to give herself 30 presents. Each chapter is a funny contrast between what she thought she would need at 30 and what she realizes she really needs to be happy at 35. Even if it is five years too late!

Here’s is my confession. Today is my 35th birthday, and I never finished writing that book. Every once in a while I write a chapter or tweak the plot. I think I'll go back to working on it. As for today I will give myself 10 presents. Hopefully, you can share some of these presents with me, too.

Sweet 16. Same blingy smile, different birthday!

Ten Presents to Myself

10. NaNoWriMo. November is National Novel Writing Month. What a great birthmonth present. Even if you aren’t officially signed up take the time to write. Best present you can give yourself if you are a writer.

9. Don’t be ashamed of yourself. For this day forward, I would like to be able to proudly state my age AND weight for the rest of my life. I’m 35 years old and 160 lbs. I could still stand to lose another 20lb, but remember I’m doing it slowly. When I’m 70, I’m going to want to remember how much I enjoyed being 35 not how much I lamented it. I've also been heavier and lighter and the last thing I want to worry about is my weight. On another planet, I'd only weigh a few pounds!

8. No gifts please. I don’t like birthday presents. Presents make me feel uncomfortable. So do greeting cards. Trees die, papers wasted. But I do like to know how my friends are doing on this day or any day. Tell me something good you’ve done for yourself and that will make my birthday a happy one.

7. I'm going to take a walk. I'm going to renew my energy in eating well and exercising.

6. I treated myself to a DuMore Improv Women’s Retreat workshop last month. I realized that my hesitation has to do with my fear of doing things wrong. I learned that the art of comedy (and creating) has to do with letting go, listening, and reacting positively to what you hear. Creating and comedy and improv are also about reacting in unexpected ways.

5. I sent out 7 query letters. Two agents have kindly declined. Two have requested the full manuscript. I’m waiting on the rest. My next birthday presents to myself will be sending out more queries and the final manuscript.

4. I wrote the last chapter of my book, but I am still writing (and re-writing) and still filled with self-doubt and hope. Self-doubt and hope are enemies, but they also work together to keep you from achieving your dreams.

Nicki at age 34.9 as Uhura. Sexy Geek!
3. Thirty days later and my life has calmed down enough to realized the great gift I received with my Maggie Award. Best. Birthday. Present. Ever.

2. Celebrate every birthday as though it is better than the one before. The American Cancer Society has a cool birthday campaign out right now. Do you know what some people would do for another birthday? Treasure yours. (On a side note, the third Thursday in November is the Great American Smokeout. Consider quitting smoking or encouraging a loved one to quit. You might help save their life or your own.)

1. Say a pray for someone else. I’m probably here today because of other people's prayers. Mostly my mom and dad. Maybe family or friends. Maybe even the prayers of strangers. If you are the kind to pray or meditate, could you spare a moment from my dear friend Christina Crook and her husband Mercer Crook today? They need prayers more than I need birthday wishes today.

I hope you have a wonderful day and birthday and writing day! Happy NaNoWriMo. Get writing and enjoy it.

10 Absolutely Ridiculous Reasons Why

2009-10-14T00:00:00.002-04:00

Two months ago, I told you 36 reasons why I didn't/shouldn't/couldn't lose weight and only 2 reasons why I would. I've lost 10 lbs since that blog and my perspective has changed quite a bit. I can't really think of any reasons why not to lose weight anymore. (Don't worry. I've still got mental problems like why I'm not putting my novel in the mail. . . )

10 Absolutely Ridiculous Reasons Why I'm Losing Weight

10. Toilet seat is roomier. Coach class seat on airplane doesn't quite feel like first class, but it feels like business class on a crop plane.
9. My waist is getting lower. My pants are getting longer.
8. I can see myself a little more clearly. I'd expound on that, but I'd like to get some sleep tonight.
7. I'm at peace with my belly skin.
6. I'm filling my old "hunger" with things that are important to me.
5. No more "failure" and "setbacks". I have to brush them out of my life daily like I brush my teeth. I don't have time to dwell on them.
4. I eat the things I want, because have more space in my stomach. My stomach used to be filled with food I didn't particularly want.
3. I'm more in tuned to my body. I can hear my needs and signals more clearly.
2. Muscles and definition in my legs make me happy.
1. This ones a tough one. . . Wrinkles. If you lose weight now, it is healthier for you. If you lose weight later, you will seem more wrinkly faster. Think about it. You can and should lose weight at any age, but don't wait to lose a lot of weight when you are older. You'll look wrinkly. Go ahead and lose the weight now!

Weird Weight Loss Tip
Admit your errors. Sometimes my best isn't good enough. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you've practiced asking for help. You've told your friends and family thank you for helping you change your life. Sometimes you have to tell them you are sorry, too. Work stress and life stress can impact how you treat the people you love especially if you are over worked, calorie deprived, and exercise exhausted.

Say you are sorry.
Dear what's-his-name, I'm sorry for my mistakes, but I'm thankful that you think I can do so much more. It is so easy for you to believe in me. But it is not always easy for me. You men and your pragmatism! Ugh! It is frustrating. Women are filled with self-doubt and loathing. I'm going to take a lesson from you and grab the bull my the horns and other wonderful man cliches. I can't say any mushy stuff because it isn't my way. But you know and you're welcome.

How do the rest of you feel? Like you just stepped into my living room? Welcome, but watch for Cheerios. We include them as part of our emotional chaos. They are our happy land mines. Give me an update on how you are doing. Tell me why you are losing weight. Tell me what you've done wrong. Until later, happy eating and exercising. Also, happy happiness.

19 lbs Gone Forever

2009-10-12T01:55:00.007-04:00

Weigh In: -19lbs! (Weight loss to date since July 12)

Can you believe it? I hit the 19 lb mark this week. I've never lost 19 lbs in my whole life including after birthing my babies. Each time I step on the scale I remind myself that the pounds cannot come back. They have to go away forever. My goal was to be at the 20 lb mark this week, but I'm still proud of my progress.

I like to stress a lot, so this week I'm working on still losing weight while stressing out.

Weird Weight Loss Tips
Imaginary food and exercise journals. I love my food and exercise journals, but I've been without them for weeks. I've been trying to keep track of what I eat and how I exercise mentally. Let's face it. It isn't as productive as really writing it down, but my imaginary food and exercise journals are helping me continue to reach my weight loss goals.

Figure out what stresses you. Please stand by for a mini-therapy session: I'm stressed when I lose control. Keeping food and exercise journals are good for my personality. Getting on the scale is good for my personality. I like graphs and records and progress notes. Not everyone likes to do this, but I do like the order and control of measuring out my food.

Here's a picture of what my breakfast, snack, and lunch may look like. Order! Control! Organized Happiness! For those who really know me and know what my house looks like, food order is sort of my only hope. The rest of my life is a whirlwind of chaos.

Control in Weight Loss = Life Control
My dirty little secret is that the better I control what I eat and how I exercise, the better I control my entire life. Writing, cleaning, momming, working, you name it.

What stresses you? What works for you? What progress have you made toward your goals? Don't forget to read my October story. Until soon, happy exercising and eating!

The Rest of the Story

2009-10-05T01:55:00.007-04:00

Have you missed me? I’ve missed you.

I’ve had a very busy month. As my facebook flair so aptly puts it, “I’m too busy to tell people how busy I am.” Therefore I will spare you the full drama of the last three weeks, and give you a brief summary of what you need to know.

First. News about my diet and exercise progress. I have not written in my food journal in three weeks. I haven’t been regular with my exercise either. This would be a bummer, except I still lost two pounds over the last three weeks. I continued making better food choices and exercising (mainly yoga) when I could. The happiest news of all is that I reached my 10% weight loss goal! I am very happy that I’m still making progress. The only thing that has changed is the speed of the progress, but 10% is awesome. I am supposed to call my H3 friend Robert, but I can’t find his phone number! If you talk to him, let him know I miss him and appreciate his support.

Second. The Moonlight & Magnolias Conference. I had the pleasure of being the conference co-chair for Georgia Romance Writers signature event of the year. Let us just say that the committee worked very hard this year, and we are super tired. It is twelve hours post conference and I’m still having the shakes. 250 wonderful attendees, literary agents and editors, bestselling authors and aspiring writers. Too much fun and not enough sleep. I have to give a special thanks to Michelle Newcome for righting the wrongs and “spreading the bed.” Though we were roommates, “spreading the bed” is actually a dance and not a domestic chore.

Third. The Maggie Award for Excellence. Having been a bit distracted by healthy eating and exercising, life, and then conference planning, I forgot that I was Maggie Award finalist. When I did remember, I knew I was not going to receive the award. I was up against excellent competition, especially my fellow GRW member Tracy Kelly Solheim. There are so many wonderful writers up for this award. While I’m proud to say that I’m the 2009 Maggie Award recipient in the Single Title category, I am less than proud to say I did not have a proper speech prepared. I think I thanked Sherrilyn Kenyon’s husband.

Fourth. If you'd like to read my real writing, please join Petit Fours and Hot Tamales for our First Scavenger Hunt! Go to http://petitfoursandhottamales.com/2009/10/pfhts-treasure-hunt-kickoff/ and look for the clues where you can find my October-themed story “Maize” on my website. Send me your feedback! If you need a hint, look on the right side bar and follow the pumpkins . . .

Weird Weight Loss Tip
Smile. I smiled so much this week my face hurts. But my heart is happy. Smiling makes you work more efficiently. It also makes the mean people go away. Therefore smiling must also burn calories!

More to come this week. I may need a day or so to get back on track, but I will be working hard to get to my new 10% goal! Until then happy hunting for my short story “Maize” and happy eating and exercising!

Note to a Stalker

2009-09-11T00:00:00.003-04:00

I got an interesting note from stalker this week. I started to respond to this person a dozen times since getting her/his heartfelt note. But s/he is right. Failing is embarrassing. I’ve been failing for the past two weeks. It is my not-so-secret shame. Not only have I not done what I needed to do, I have loads of excuses. Travel, illness, sick kids . . . Ya’ll know I love to have maladies.

I was supposed to have made much better progress than I’d made up until last week. This week, I was supposed to be back on track. Enter two feverish sick kids and one me with a rather serious allergic reaction to something I ate. But I also walked when I could (including a flight of stairs which is not so easy when you can’t breathe) and kept my food journal! Hey, I’m not a failure. I’m a human. If there is one lesson I’ve learned from Star Trek and Terminator it is that the androids (Data) and the cyborgs (Arnold) want to be more human not less. Being human is totally cool.

Anyway, I attract the nicest stalkers. This one always has a smile on her/his face. Now I have some life advice, not diet advice: The only way to be successful is to learn to deal with failure. Those of you who know me know that I’m rarely embarrassed by anything. I once stepped off the bus in front of my high school and fell flat on my face and my book bag spilled open. Knowing the kind of nerd I am, you can only imagine the flurry of papers and books that went flying. But I shoved my stuff into my backpack and walked into the building with my head held high. Why? I have no clue! Panic kept me calm.

I try to focus on these things each day:

I like eating healthy. To my stalker, should I leave some apples on your front porch?
I like exercising. Walking used to really get on my nerves, but it is my happy time now.
I love yoga. Been this way for years. Namaste.
I like myself fat or not as fat. Win-win if I lose weight.
I only care what these people think: God, my husband, my mom. Unfortunately, the rest of you will have to deal with me as I am. If I fail, I only have to answer to myself, God, my husband and my mom. I do not have to answer to you.
I am okay with failure. Falling off the wagon. Setbacks. I will deal with them as they come. I’m training myself for the marathon not the sprint, folks! Remember, didn't I warn you that this was the slowest, nothing ever happens, not quick (but hopefully long lasting) diet you've ever seen?

Weird Weight Loss Tips
Be well. Being sick can mess up your exercise habits and make you crave unwise food choices. Take your vitamins. Get rest. Eat a baked potato and have some soup. Focus on your exercise plan for when you are better. That’s what I'm doing. Still on the road to recovery.

Weird Weight Loss Tips for my Stalker
Don't do what I do. I am a bad example for everything. Stay in the closet. If telling the world you are trying to lose weight doesn’t work for you, keep it in the closet (Thanks, Michael Jackson, but I was really thinking of that that awesome R. Kelly song Trapped in the Closet. Viewing or listening to all or part of this song is an appetite suppressant, oh, yes it was). If you really want to keep your weight loss under wraps, don’t tell your spouse or me. I can’t keep a secret.

Be patient. Really. Think about it. Don't expect results to happen right away. Plan on making a permanent life change. This leads me to my final weird weight loss tip . . .

You are going to have to marry healthy eating and exercising. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes your weight loss in a baby carriage.

Thanks for bearing with and without me this week. Happy eating and exercising until Monday! To my stalker: I love you! I know you can do it. Want to make a walking date with me?

Sari, Charlie

2009-09-08T00:00:00.003-04:00

This weekend I got wrapped in nine yards of the most beautiful blue and turquoise silk sari you've ever seen. For those of you who don't know a sari (or saree or shari) is a drape that is wrapped around you and turns into a lovely dress. If Cinderella had been really lucky her fairy godmother would have put her in one of these!

Mitra is the groom's aunt. She helped me get into the sari.

Here are some pictures of me getting dressed and enjoying the wedding reception.

I've been trying to stay focused on eating well and exercising, but I got majorly sidetracked this week with a business trip, volunteer event, and wedding all in the space of 7 days. Unfortunately, I haven't written in my food journal all week, but I did make concerted efforts to exercise daily even when I was away from home.

I love this picture of me and Albertine, the lovely bride in red.

Nicki and Mitra ready to party!

I have to give a special thanks to my friend Meredith for letting me borrow her sari. Meredith is the best!

Nicki Does the Right Thing

Saturday: Stage Captain at the Decatur Book Festival.
Sunday: Took a walk in Pittsburgh.
Sunday and Monday: Walked to and from the airport terminals instead of taking the train or moving side walks.
Monday: Walked up the broken escalator to baggage claim in Atlanta. That is a tall escalator. We could have taken the working escalators or elevator.
Monday: Got off a stop early on MARTA and walked two miles to get home. I complained heartily about this, but fortunately my husband is a great motivator. He encouraged me, and he dragged my suitcase for me.
Future: I have big plans to be back on track starting on Tuesday!

Weird Weight Loss Tips

Volunteer. Work a book festival, an art festival, sort cans at a food bank. Most volunteer activities are physically challenging. Do something nice for your community and get some exercise, too.

Indian Food. Aloo Gobi, Palak Paneer, and other yummy treats. Indian food has lots of vegetables. Depending on the region, some dishes have meat and some are vegetarian. Yogurt is another standard item in Indian cuisine. It help digestion and helps with the spiciness if you don't like it hot. Fennel is cooked in some dishes and might be served at the end of the meal. It sweetens your breath, has fiber, and does other magic stuff. I'm not a huge fan of fennel, but when in Rome . . . I am, though, a huge fan of Indian food. Palak Paneer is my favorite.

Spicy food in general. This could be Jamaican, Korean, Mexican, you name it. I ate way too much food this weekend, but since a lot of the food was spicy I really couldn't overindulge the way my American stomach would like. Spicy food slowed down my eating, allowed me more time to concentrate on flavors, and forced me to drink more water.

Hope you had a happy and safe Labor Day. Remind me to eat and exercise well this week. Namaste! Let me know what you are doing to stay on track.

Dear Old Pennsylvania

2009-09-04T00:00:00.007-04:00

Weird Weight Loss Tips

Google Maps. I wanted to see the campus of the University of Pennsylvania so I mapped it from my hotel in downtown Philadelphia. According to Google my one way trip was 2.5 miles. Then I walked for 20 minutes on campus. Probably another mile. Then made the return trip back to my hotel. Because of Google Maps I knew exactly how far I walked and how long to plan for the walk. Everyone said walking to Penn and back was too far to walk. It wasn't! Thank you, Google Maps, for encouraging me to take a journey I would not have taken last year.

Sight See History
I also printed out some self-guided walking tours of historic Philadelphia. Visiting tourist attractions on foot forces you to get exercise and the historic landmark is like a reward! A self-guided tour is a grand idea. Than you, William Penn. Thank you, Ben Franklin. After all that walking through Philly, I'm totally on first name basis with these dudes.

Head Toward Water
There are always walking, biking, and rollerblading paths near the water. We found them along the Mississippi in St. Paul last month. I saw plenty of exercisers near the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia.

Happy eating and exercising over Labor Day. Three day weekend! Be good to yourself until Tuesday.

Eye of the Tiger

2009-09-03T00:00:00.002-04:00

I went looking for Rocky at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday. On the way, I found the Star Trek. Ya'll know this made me happy. Apparently if I had been at the science museum at any time other than 7 a.m. I could have gone inside and seen the Enterprise. Star Trek, Rocky, and exercise are a great way to start your day.

Wednesday Exercise Journal
30 minutes of weights in hotel gym
1 hour walk/run to see Rocky. 4 miles at 7 a.m.
2 hour walk from downtown Philly to the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. 6 miles at 5 p.m.
Walk from hotel to meeting. 2 miles.

Weird Weight Loss Tips
Skip the Mascara. My walk/run to Rocky took a little longer than expected. I had planned to walk for 30 minutes, but I could see the Art Museum in the distance and made a calculated decision. 1) I could go to museum and take a longer walk or 2) I could take a short walk and have time to put on my mascara. I've never liked mascara even before I started exercising, so this morning seemed like the wrong time to decide that mascara was important.

Like the white rabbit, be late. Have a very important date. My meeting started at 8:30 a.m. and my long walk turned into a long run back to the hotel so I could have time to shower. I ran just so I wouldn't be late for my very important date. I'm pretty sure no one cared that I was lacking mascara.

It is Always Shadowy in Philadelphia

2009-09-02T00:00:00.004-04:00

It is sunny in Philadelphia, but it is also shadowy. Shadowy is a little harder to describe in words and pictures don't do it justice. Just understand that in all big cities on sunny days you are often in the shadow of a building. Therefore it is always sunny and shadowy in Philadelphia.

Weird Weight Loss Tip
An apple a day keeps the bad eating habits away. Per Starving Foodie's advice I brought an apple with me for each day I am traveling. Three cute little apples and three granola bars. I ate an apple and a granola bar for breakfast on the plane. Thanks, Foodie, for the good advice. (And your exceptional post about the reasons for your health).

Once I landed and had to "business" eat, things went drastically wrong. So wrong, I will only list the things I did right. I ate half of a chocolate chip cookie at lunch. I did not clean my plate at dinner. I walked to meeting from hotel, and I walked to and from dinner. I brought my running shoes, and I will try to use them tomorrow. The wrong stuff mainly happened at dinner. Appetizers, a mojito, dessert. Yummy, really yummy. But wrong. I am sick to my stomach because I am not used to eating this much any more. Yummy part reduced by half since I now feel sick.

Second weird weight loss tip: Stay home. Or rather, stay in your comfort zone. Minimize times or trips when you will be susceptible to bad habits. It is okay to leave home, just leave home prepared to eat and exercise smart. See apple tip above!

Happy eating and exercising.

Lose 30 lbs, Write a Book, and Save the World!

2009-09-01T00:00:00.002-04:00

A lesson plan for life. Revisiting New Year’s resolutions nine months later.

My first blog with the Petit Fours and Hot Tamales was called Don’t Wait for January 1. I had big plans for the year, and now I’d like to give you a quick update on what’s happened in the past nine month. And yes, friends, it is the first nine months in forever where I didn’t have a baby!

December 28th resolutions with updates

Lose the dreaded final 30 pounds. I’ve lost 23 lbs total since January (Including 15 lbs lost since June). I hope never to find these pounds again.
Redefine my image. Nothing doing on this one. I’m wearing a few more dresses, but I'm still avoiding wearing heels. Like Popeye, I am what I am.
Keep the clutter out of my house. Doing okay, but not great on this. Three kids are constantly conspiring against me. I lieu of cleaning, I just spray bleach. On everything.
Update my personal website. Done. Check out 8 Headed Hydra. I also started my personal diet and fitness blog. It is really an online food and exercise journal to keep me accountable to my fitness goals.
Enjoy my participation in Petit Fours and Hot Tamales. Absolutely! Nine months and nine blogs later, I have a very different perspective on what I write and how I write it.
Focus on my writing. I’m a Maggie Finalist! I'm writing more (and I think better) than I did last year. I’m also working on a short story for our Petit Fours and Hot Tamales scavenger hunt in October (check back next month). I feel better and stronger about my writing than I ever have before.
I also plan to save the world. In progress. One recycled item, one smile, one push-up at a time.

I still don’t like New Year’s Resolutions. If anyone is going to be successful at something they must start it immediately. Change can’t wait for a Monday or the first of the month or the beginning of the year. Neither can you.

Nicki’s Plan to Save the World

If you are a writer you have 15 days to register for Moonlight & Magnolias. Back in July, I told you about the importance of writing conference. This conference will change your life and your perspective on writing. To register go to Georgia Romance Writers and click on M&M Conference.
If you are a reader, come by the book signing at Moonlight & Magnolias on Saturday, October 3 at 4:00pm. Free and open to the public. Meet #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Sherrilyn Kenyon and 50 other fabulous authors.
Look back on your New Year’s resolutions. If you have done even one thing on your resolution list, you are a success. If you didn’t make a list in January, make one in September. Make one October, but don’t wait for January. Do it now.

My biggest revelations this summer was about the ability to change. I went to Hilton Head Health Institute, and one of the instructors asked why we wanted to get fit. To become healthier? To lose weight? To gain confidence? The answer I gave surprised me. I wanted to see a change in myself. I wanted to be able to become a different person. Not weight loss specifically, but my whole life. Better wife, better mom, better at my job, better at my writing. I’m not really sure how to do this, but I’m trying different things each day. Some days it is more time in the park with my kids, another day it is exercising, another day it is writing a short story for our blog.

Can I save the world? No. Can I change it? Maybe not. (Notice I didn’t say no). Can I change myself? Yes! As always, I thank this blog and group of writers for pushing me forward every day. My final words of advice for saving the world:

Have the desire to see change in yourself. When you see the change happening it can be scary. We don't really want to be different. But embrace change like a butterfly. It might be dark, lonely and scary at first, but then it will be suddenly beautiful.
Surround yourself with people who want to do more and be more. They will encourage you and change your perspective. I've got great writing buddies and fitness buddies. You don’t have to change the world alone. You can do it with friends.

I have two prizes up for grabs. A writing journal and pedometer. Here's how to win. Anyone one who both 1) registers for M&M between September 1-7 and 2) posts a comment on my Petit Fours and Hot Tamales blog post between September 1-7 will be eligible to win the journal. Everyone else is eligible to win a pedometer, but you have to post a comment on my Petit Fours and Hot Tamales blog post and here my diet blog. See, if you want free stuff, you've got to work for it. And I'm getting you ready for the scavenger hunt in October. The rest of you let me know how your New Year's resolutions are coming along!

See you in October with my not so spooky story. Until then happy reading and writing!

Ice Cream is Not the Center of My Universe

2009-08-31T00:00:00.003-04:00

by guest blogger Marea from Rhode Island

One of the first things that I did after returning home from H3 was to buy myself a new bicycle. In Adam’s Goal Setting class, we had to write down 3 goals for ourselves for the next month and how we aimed to achieve them. We also wrote down a reward for meeting our stated goals. He suggested that we might buy the reward right away and then have a friend hold on to it for the month. Well, with summer coming to a close here in New England, I didn’t want to waste a month of riding time, so I researched bikes and bought one about a week after returning home. And I didn’t let anyone hold onto for me.

I am really lucky- I live about a half mile from a bike path that winds along the coast. From end to end, it’s about 15 miles long. I live approximately in the middle, so I just have to choose which experience I’m in the mood for; one direction is more fun for people watching while the other is more scenic. Yesterday, I decided to head South- the scenic route. Round-trip it’s a 15- mile ride. Perfect for my exercise needs, as well as my time constraints; I can be back home in a little over an hour.

I brought my cell phone with me yesterday so that I could post a few photos of it. It is really one of the most beautiful places I know. I used to ride or walk it quite often. Then I got really lazy and stopped. Then I gained weight and felt too embarrassed and out of shape to start again. One of my biggest “aha” moments in SC was getting on my rental bike and remembering how much I loved to be on a bike- carefree and strong.

At the end of the path there is an ice cream shop, a place that I hold responsible for the 10 pounds I gained in June after they opened for the season. Yes, I did eat a lot of it. And I didn’t ride my bike there either, another contributor to that 10-lb. gain. Unlike Nicki, I LOVE ice cream. One of my “adjustments’ to my diet is that I no longer go to Daily Scoop. Their ice cream is 25% butterfat. Instead, I buy cones and a lower fat brand at the grocery store. I still get my fix- albeit not as tasty a one- and I can stay within my calorie budget. I don’t have one everyday, but probably two or three per week.

One of the healthiest habits I picked up in SC was eating fresh berries with yogurt every day. I try to eat local foods whenever possible, and it just so happens to be raspberry season here. They are also “U-Pick”, so there’s the added benefit of some exercise just to get them. The other day I picked a whole bunch and made some jam. I will miss them when the season is over. Raspberries mixed with Greek Yogurt honestly is as satisfying as ice cream- creamy, sweet and cold. Well, almost anyway.

All I Wanna Do is Zoom Zoom Zoom Zoom

2009-08-28T00:00:00.004-04:00

. . . . and a boom boom. I did Jari Love Ripped 1,000 at 6am and Zumba at 8pm. My hands are shaking from fatique. Another fun class with rump shaking, directions in Spanish, and the command "Sit on it!" When the Fonz said it I think he was mad, but when Jonnie my Zumba instructor says it, I think she means squat lower. I got my zooma zoom zumba on tonight. My coordination and rhythm are not what you would expect, but I enjoy the opportunity to dance around. Wrong way or not. And a boom boom.

Thursday Exercise Journal
1 hour Jari Love Ripped 1,000
1 hour Zumba!

Thursday Food Journal
095 - Kashi Go Lean Crunch
045 - 1/2 cup skim milk
170 - Tandoori Chicken
050 - Brussel Sprouts
300 - Peach cobbler
070 - Peanuts
180 - Turkey burger with ketchup
035 - Laughing cow cheese
100 - reduced fat Pringles
300 - Macaroni and cheese (I'm eating after the kids again! Bad habit. Argh! That is not just anger, but pirate anger)

Weird Weight Loss Tip
Two-a-Days. This is football speak for two practices a day. I figure on the days when I can double up, I will double up. This is not often possible. Sometimes I don't have time or the energy, but I had it today. Zumba and Jari! My two-a-day. Have a great weekend. I'm looking forward to writing, some slothfulness, happy eating and happy exercising!

The Enemy Within

2009-08-27T00:00:00.004-04:00

I'm watching Star Trek, which means I'm having a lovely evening. In the episode "The Enemy Withing," Captain Kirk has an evil duplicate who wears a tad bit more eyeliner than the regular Kirk. Oh, I'm for a cornucopia of fine 1968 acting.

Obviously the title caught my interest, since much of this diet voyage is about keeping down your doppelganger, your bad twin, the enemy within. I kept mine at bay for another day. There. Diet advice and a poem.

Wednesday Food Journal
150 - Granola
080 - Yogurt
170 - Tandoori chicken
100 - Steamed veggies
300 - Peach cobbler
100 - Grapefruit
270 - Deviled Eggs
000 - Diet Coke

Wednesday Exercise Journal
6 Flights of stairs
1 hour of yoga (Inhale with Steve Ross)

Weird Weight Loss Tip
Diet Coke and Deviled Eggs. I met up with a friend at a pub earlier today. Pub food is not diet friendly. Fish and chips, fried jalapenos, beer. I opted for deviled eggs and a diet coke. Two unusual treats. Still yummy and fun and better choices than the alternatives. Oh wait, I have another tip. Fight your doppelganger as Kirk is about to do. Must be worth double the calories in exercise. Earlier in the episode he was carrying a "uni-dog." Hilarity. There are no words for how much I love Trek. Keep the enemy within at bay. Happy eating and exercising!

Some Advice From A Writer

2009-08-26T00:00:00.003-04:00

My friend Kym and I went to hear author Jonathan Tropper read last night. He has written This Is Where I Leave You and other books. I realized what curious people writers are. I will now share a few key insights from his talk and reading that have nothing to do with dieting, but I thought you might be smart enough to extrapolate some diet and exercise motivation.

Sometimes a review might hurt your feelings, but if the review is fair you can take the good with the bad.
Writers might want to hide in their writing caves, but eventually (if they are successful) they'll have to get on stage and be the rock star they always secretly wanted to be.
You might write 100 pages before you coming into your writing stride. Then you will need to throw out the first 100 pages you've written.

Tuesday Exercise Journal
20 minute walk

Tuesday Food Journal
080 - Yogurt
150 - Granola
100 - Apple
090 - Steamed veggies
320 - Lean Cuisine Lasagna
140 - Sun Chips
050 - Grapefruit
180 - Pita Chips
500 - ???Burger and Fries from Leon's

Weird Weight Loss Tips
This is a mean one, and I apologize in advance for the meanness. Get rid of the haters (not Mafia style, but Minnesota nice). Diet haters. Life haters. People who do no good in your life, but discourage you. Unfortunately, you no longer have room for them. If you are reading this blog and think I'm perfect and all of this is easy. Please remember that I do have sad moments, moments when I cry, when I am overworked and tired, and days when I've given everything to everyone else but myself. I don't appreciate the "I hate you for losing weight" comments. I've put you on notice so now you know.

On the same note, recognize healthy habits in your friends. When we drive through my neighborhood and pass someone running my husband says "You're all winners." There are a lot of runners in our neighborhood. My husband is only half mocking them. Remember that the next person you see running is sacrificing something (housework, family time, job) to run. They are winners! They are doing something for themselves. You should do the same.

Happy eating and exercising!

Peach Cobbler is my Cherry Pie

2009-08-25T00:00:00.004-04:00

Think about it. The title actually does make sense. My alternate title was "Peach Cobbler is my Go-Juice." Unfortunately, after bragging about being able to control my ice cream consumption and lamenting about not being able to control my love of peach cobbler, God presented me with an interesting test. On Monday, my work cafeteria was selling freshly made, steaming hot peach cobbler at lunch for a mere $1.39 (US for my Jamaican and British cousins). In pint-sized containers! I bought some, and I ate precisely 3 teaspoons of it. The remainder is now peacefully housed in my fridge for my Thursday or Friday indulgence. The cobbler was yummy.

(Thanks to my husband whose infinite knowledge helped me answer the question, "Isn't there a song about cherry pie?" His response. "80's. Warrant. Hair band." I would never know this kind of stuff without him. He's my Click and I'm his Clack. Speaking of NPR, here's a good segment on interval training.)

Even more sad than my inability to resist the peach cobbler is that I don't really even like the peach part. And I'm a girl from Georgia. I just like cobbler. Skip the peach or blueberries and give me some dough with sugary goo on it. I like pie crust, I like graham cracker crust, and I like cobbler. Once I had this delicious "winter's pie" at Balans in London with strawberries and rhubarb. I can't remember what I ate for my entree, but I can tell you is that the crust of that pie was divine.

My penance for these sins (sloth, gluttony, greed) are listed below. Otherwise known as the diet part.

Monday Food Journal
095 - 1/2 cup Kashi Go Lean Crunch
025 - 1/2 cup blueberries
045 - 1/2 cup skim milk (my husband and I were discussing just how delicious this combo is for breakfast. I'm a huge fan.)
390 - Lean Cuisine pizza
070 - Brussel sprouts (So yummy and in convenient individual packs! I love more than pie. I love green veggies, too. Brussel sprouts, asparagus, spinach, broccoli. They are also my go-juice.)
010 - Crystal light iced tea
100 - 3 teaspoons of peach cobbler (no clue how many calories really)
140 - Salsa flavored Sun Chips
042 - Peach
I didn't eat dinner b/c workout was rather exhausting. I will try to treat myself to some egg-like substance in the a.m.

Monday Exercise Journal
6 flights of stairs
1 hour Jari Love's Ripped 1,000 (At the 40 minute mark, I flipping h8 her! Then at the end I love her again) You guys should try her workouts, she is awesome and Canadian. And you know how much I adore Canada.

Weird Weight Loss Tip
Have a short term goal. Start with 10% weight loss goal. Did I use this tip already? Someone needs to keep track for me. I get to call my H3 friend Robert when I hit my 10% goal. I'd really like to call him before October, but I'm not rushing the weight loss. This is my marathon. Then once I'm done losing weight, this lifestyle will have to be my new life. I really don't want to rush it, but I do want to call Robert. He is the kind of person you want to have nudging you in the right direction. He will tell you to run the last lap or do one more rep. When you give him a crazy look, he'll do one more lap and one more rep with you. Let's just say that I'm more than half way to my 10% goal, and I hope to call Robert real soon.

Happy eating and exercising!

Party of Five (unreal) Friends

2009-08-23T23:32:00.008-04:00

Some friends of mine are discussing five fictional characters they would like dine with. And of course, since many of my friends are writers heaven forbid they'd choose to share a meal with someone real. If you want to see this list done the right way check out Romance Novel TV or my friend Chicki. But today I thought I'd list a few interesting lines from literature that make me think about food and eating.

"It was inevitable: the scent of bitter almonds always reminded him of the fate of unrequited love . . . ." Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez

"And now you come to me -- women with hands and feet as soft as a queen's, with more cooking pots than you need, so safe in childbed and so free with your tongues. You come hungry for the story that was lost. You crave words to fill the great silence that swallowed me, and my mothers, and my grandmothers before them." The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

"I thought they were going to skin me alive. But they gave me food. Delicious food. Once I started eating, I couldn’t stop. I thought I would never stop being hungry." Life of Pi by Yann Martel

"I took hold of his collar and said, 'Come on, boy, let's go home and get something to eat.' He seemed to understand that he had found a friend. He came willingly." Where the Red Fern Grows by By Wilson Rawls

"I asked, it is true, for greater treasures than a little food or rest: I required kindness and sympathy; but I did not believe myself utterly unworthy of it. " Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

There you have it. If you missed 10th grade (or grade 10 as some call it) then I've caught you up to speed on a few books you should have read long before now.

Weight in (weight loss July 12 to date): -11 lbs!!! Next week I'm going to check my measurements. I'm very happy today. I've lost almost two pounds a week since July12. My husband has lost 20lbs! He is a very good healthy eating and exercising partner in crime. I'm so glad H3 put things in the right perspective so we can be more successful this time.

Friday Exercise Journal
6 flights of stairs at work
20 minute walk

Friday Food Journal
170 - Egg white omelet
340 - French toast
390 - Lean Cuisine Pizza
200 - Peach cobbler
200 - Kashi, blueberries and milk

Saturday Exercise Journal
30 minutes yoga
20 walk
1.5 hours cutting the grass

Saturday Food Journal
090 - Boiled egg
180 - Biscuit
230 - Kashi, blueberries and milk
200 - Ham sandwich (light oat bread, laughing cow cheese, ham)
400 - Bruster's Key Lime ice cream

Sunday Exercise Journal
30 minutes playground with kids
1 hour yoga

Sunday Food Journal
200 - Egg white omelet with sausage and onion
180 - Biscuit
200 - St. Cruz Organic Mango Lemonade
230 - Kashi, blueberries and milk
??? - Some coconut rum drink and horseradish mashed potatoes at my sister's house
290 - Seared scallops and angel hair pasta (One day I'm, going to go all Starving Foodie and post the recipe, but for now I'm just proud that I cooked something from scratch!)
400 - Double chocolate with peanut butter ice cream from Bruster's.

Someone out there is wondering about me wasting my calories on ice cream, knowing I don't even like ice cream. Let's just say I am experimenting with food. And I'm guestimating 400 calories for 1/2 cup because I can't find calories anywhere. I'm trying to figure out what satisfies me when. What I can eat with control. Ice cream is one of those things I can control, because I don't like cold desserts, so there is no chance of me eating an entire pint. Now if you left me alone with warm bread pudding or peach cobbler I could eat 2 lbs of that stuff. So I'm working on understanding my psyche and allowing myself some treats to boot. Sue me.

Weird Weight Loss Tips
Cook. I made seared scallops and the process of cooking really squashed my appetite. Chopping onions, smelling the food cook . . . . by the time you eat you're over it already.

As mentioned above, Eat something that you don't love, but is still an indulgence. For me this is ice cream.

I've had two weeks of doing better, but I'm really going to try to do my best this week. Got more real writing to do and healthy eating and exercising! You do the same.

The George Clooney Diet

2009-08-21T00:00:00.004-04:00

The most boring, slowest, you-have-to-work-really-really-hard-for-it, moves-like-a-turtle, nothing-exciting-happens diet that really works.

I should have done my homework before starting this blog. But now, five weeks into this thing, I’ve researching some keywords associated with “weight loss” and “diet”. Apparently, I’m doing this whole thing wrong. My diet should be quick, fast, and involve a free trial of some not so thinly disguised caffeine pills. I should be using nitric oxide, acai, or eating from the Hardee’s “Trim It” menu. Because after creating the 2/3 lb Monster Thickburger at 1420 calories and 108 grams of fat, what I really need Hardee’s to do is give me diet and healthy eating advice.

I almost forgot the mysterious and plentiful diet pills (also with free trials) and food based diets like cabbage soup, drinking vinegar, the banana diet. Yes, eating bananas will help you lose weight if you only eat three bananas all day. Not rocket science, folks.

Well, I realized that watching me lose weight the old fashioned way might be boring. I might only lose a fraction of a pound in a week. I may never have six pack abs! Why are you all wasting your time on me? I am not a miracle . . . . yet.

This morning, I came up with the George Clooney Diet. Then I googled it and found out George Clooney was already on a diet. Then he was on a reverse diet. Then I remember that when I want anything ruined, I turn to George Clooney. Here’s how it works.

Step one: Eat reasonable portions of healthy food.

Step two: Use up more calories (exercise) than you take in (eat).

Step three: Increase your activity level to 5-7 times a week. Shoot for an hour a day, every day, but be happy with anything more than you used to do.

Step four: One morning (say this particular morning), you walk by your mirror and notice your underpants are ill-fitting and say to yourself, “Look at that soggy bottom, boys” and immediately reflect on George Clooney and how you only really like his acting when he isn’t taking himself too seriously. The soggy bottom isn't your bottom, but your underpants are now too big and your real bottom is getting smaller! Your bottom can get smaller, that's the real selling point of The George Clooney Diet.

Then you’ll go back to step one eating reasonable portions of healthy food and do it all over again, week after week, on the slowest, least exciting diet you ever heard of. It might work, but no one really cares about that. Do they, boys?

Thursday Food Journal

300 - Kashi, milk, blueberries

090 - Pita chips

340 - Lean Cuisine Panini

000 - Coke Zero (I never drink soda, but I've been have a rough week)

083 - Almonds

042 - Peach

080 - Yogurt

140 - 1/2 Baked potato

065 - 1/2 Salad (bunch of lettuce and some light ranch)

100 - 1/2 cup of chili

100 - 1/4 piece of pizza (really 3 bites)

400 - cup of Bruster's key lime pie ice cream and the only thing I've been craving and denying myself since H3. The ice cream has been in my fridge untouched for a few days. This is my infrequent frequency. Thursdays and Fridays are my toughest days of the week. I wouldn't say the treat made it better. Sort of left me feeling flat. Don't get me wrong it was yummy. It just doesn't have the power over me to do that "mind happiness" thing food used to do. I felt like it was big progress to realize that!

Thursday Exercise Journal

None, nada. Second day of kindergarten for my oldest monster. Meetings at work. Decatur Book Festival meetings after work. I'm barely squeaking this blog in by the midnight deadline. Oops. Too many excuses. I'll try to do some stairs at work on the morrow.

Weird Weight Loss Tip

The Cupid Shuffle.

*A note on frequency. I neglected to post a blog last night because I started working on a short story (Fiction of course. What else is there in my life?). As much as I love talking to you about my diet, I must channel some of this writing energy back into my novel. You’re dying to read it, aren’t you? Well, I’ll be posting a story called “Maize” in October with my writing friends on Petit Fours and Hot Tamales. I would love to hear what you think my story might be about from just the title. Love, comedy, or something wicked this way comes? It is a piece from my novel. If you are out there wishing me well, please wish me well on my writing. And also wish me well on my diet. The George Clooney Diet.

Happy eating and exercising. And happy writing.

Fell Off the Wagon . . . .

2009-08-19T00:00:00.007-04:00

. . . . But the Wagon Was Sitting on the Floor

This is a picture I took in a wagon. In a corn maze. Tis the season.

I've been a bad bad girl. I've been careless with my diet and exercise journal. I haven't written in them since Friday. Getting ready for kindergarten, orientation, work projects and other stuff. The unpredictability of the weekend doesn't really translate into the ability to catalog how I exercise and eat. Thank goodness for this blog or else I would have really fallen off the wagon. I will recount what I've done as best as I can from memory.

Tuesday Food Journal
050 - Honeydew
050 - Plain yogurt
200 - Ham sandwich (Light oat bread, laughing cow cheese, tomato, mustard and ham)
150 - Kettle salt and pepper chips
100 - 8 oz Santa Cruz Organic lemonade
200 - Chick-fil-A chargilled chicken salad 1/2 packet of balsamic dressing
050 - Waffle fries
150 - Icedream
025 - 1/2 peach

Tuesday Exercise Journal
1 hour Body Works at LA Fitness. I'm assessing the affordability and viability of joining a gym with my work and writing schedule and three little kids. I'm trying to turn my "why nots" into my "why yes I cans." Anyone wants to donate $3,000 to my exercise fund? Doesn't take care of the writing and kids issue. C'est la vie, no? Until then I'm enjoying my one week free trial.

No Zumba! I'm bummed, but family obligations got in the way. I'll try to go tomorrow.

Monday Confession
Not only did I not journal, but I think I under ate calories on both Monday and Tuesday. This is not good for a host of reasons. The big takeaway is that I thought I had fallen off the wagon, but I've actually trained myself pretty well to be conservative. I've eaten when hungry. I've not watched the clock for times to eat. I'm super tired and stressed, but I'm also super happy today! I did not fall off the wagon and today is my oldest child's first day of kindergarten (5K as we call it locally).

This is what school looks like when you are in 4K.

Weird Weight Loss Tip
Pack your lunch the night before. My daughter eats two things. Macaroni and cheese. Peanut butter sandwiches. No jelly or jam. It makes packing her lunch rather easy since I'm not going to send her to school with macaroni and cheese. Tonight, I packed her lunch and mine. Tomorrow, I'll be back on track for writing down everything in my paper journal.

Thanks to Mamie for sharing her words of wisdom yesterday. For the rest of you, happy eating and exercising. And to my big girl, happy first day of school.

What I Like About Myself

2009-08-18T00:00:00.012-04:00

by guest blogger Mamie Chen

Last night, as I was getting dressed to go out for dinner, I was feeling a little vain and decided to give my body a little extra help by putting on a Spanx body shaper (a slimming undergarment not unlike the legendary girdles of yesteryear). I had just put my feet through and was pulling it over my legs when I noticed an extremely large cockroach hanging on for dear life near the left leghole. I started screaming and jumping around like mad, fearful that it would hit my leg on the way down, but even more fearful of it running upwards towards my face. This lasted for a full minute before I realized that the roach hadn't moved an inch and that yes, it was dead and just stuck to the garment. Even so, I gingerly removed the Spanx and decided that's what I get for trying to cheat.

One of my regrets from Hilton Head was not being able to attend Beth Leermakers' class on body image. I did see it on the calendar for the week after Nicki and I left, and Beth was nice enough to give me the handouts. My key takeaway (from the notes) is to not get so trapped in a negative body image that it begins to color your self-esteem and your perception of your accomplishments. Even more dangerous than simple "I feel fat" statements are the "Unfair to Compare" statements (I'm not as thin as everyone else around me) or the "Magnifying Glass" statements (Yes, everyone says I have a great smile, but who cares? I still have love handles.)

I know that I have to keep reminding myself of this, especially now that I am back in Hong Kong. According to the standard BMI charts, I am well within the desired range. And while I was in the US, this was acceptable to me. Sure, I have a personal goal to lose some undisclosed weight, but I still felt okay about myself. Now just one day back in Hong Kong, my body image has plummeted back into the negative zone. Here, my admittedly unscientific observations tell me the average woman weighs less than 100 pounds, and I definitely know I am considered fat by the local population.

So this begs the question: should I "cheat" with a pair of Spanx in order to feel a little better about myself? Or should I hunker down, focus on what I like about myself, and achieve my weight loss goal the right way? The desiccated roach answered the question for me this time. I flushed the roach down the toilet, left the Spanx in my laundry basket and enjoyed my evening.

Things I like about myself, unrelated to my appearance:
1. I think I'm a pretty good mom
2. I like my sense of humor - well, I can always make myself laugh, and that's what's important

Things I like about my body:
1. I like my smile
2. I like the way my arms look folded in front of me a la "I Dream of Jeannie". Not that I have much opportunity to stand that way in the normal course of my day, but it is my favorite flexing pose in front of the bathroom mirror.

What my body can do for me:
1. I can dance to "Shout" in 4 inch platform heels without breaking a metaphorical sweat (physically, I was sweating profusely, but that's good)
2. I can sit comfortably, Indian-style in most airplane seats - being this short is always good for that, at least

Weird Weight Loss Tip
Exercise with imagination. I wasn't wearing my heart rate monitor, but I can tell you that dead cockroach got me jumping so high and so fast that I'm sure my heart rate was higher than it was during Amber's cardio-boxing class. And when I got caught in the rain a couple weeks ago, I walk/ran those 3.5 miles at a much faster pace than I ever would have set for myself on a treadmill. So the next time you exercise, pretend you are running in the rain or shaking off a cockroach or facing whatever it is that would get you moving with more intensity.

Naughty Number Nine - Day 22

2009-08-17T00:00:00.004-04:00

Number nine will put you on the spot.
Number nine will tie you up, oh, in a knot.
When you're tryin',
Multiplyin' by nine...
With naughty, nasty, mean old number nine.

Weigh In
-9lbs July 12 to date. No weight change this week. Well at some point I was at -10lb, but on weigh in day I was stuck at -9lb. I'm not complaining.

First of all, I'd like to tell you that I gained muscle this week, but I heard a good lecture at H3 about how implausible that is.

Second of all, I'd like to tell you (BOYS CLOSE YOUR EYES) that I'm having women's issues and I just wasted five minutes googling euphemisms for menstruation. Most pleased to see that my favorite periodical, The Onion, ranks as second result. News and euphemisms. Being on the rag is a good enough excuse for plateauing. I will use this as an excuse until there is a H3 class on why I can't use this as an excuse.

As you can tell my head hurts and I'm feeling a little cranking. I had a busy weekend doing writing business stuff (aka Georgia Romance Writers) without doing any actually writing. That always puts me in a bad mood. Less my PMS gets the better of this blog I will now report the happy stuff!

Nicki Does the Right Thing

I carried kashi cereal and a peach with me to GRW in lieu of Chick-fil-A biscuit. I ate the veggie meal, skipped the bread, pasta, and dessert. Brought second peach to be my dessert.
Went to an evening museum event with free alcohol. Opted for Diet Coke in lieu of wine. I normally feel like I should eat my weight at the buffet, but instead I ate lots of veggies and a little bit of meat. I'm guessing less than 2 oz of meat. I skipped the baklava, and ya'll know I adore baklava. I did indulge in fig the size of a plum and a yummy chocolate chip cookie.
For Sunday dinner, I stripped the fried chicken and ate the non-fried parts.

Friday Exercise Journal
2 mile walk. Very brisk 2 mile walk. 45 minutes worth. Maybe even more than 2 miles.

Friday Food Journal
250 - Flax Plus with Raisin cereal
380 - Roasted veggie sandwich
140 - Baked Lays
030 - Almonds
100 - Strawberries
300 - Macaroni

Saturday Food Journal
250 - Kashi cereal
042 - Peach
200 - Roasted veggies
042 - Peach
200 - Ham sandwich
500 - Assorted treats at the museum. Asparagus, green salad, fig, Parmesan, lamb/beef kabob, chocolate chip cookie

Saturday Exercise Journal
30 minutes strolling through a museum in heels. I'm counting this as exercise.

Sunday Food Journal
250 - Kashi Cereal
042 - Peach (I'm in a peachy mood this week. They have been delicious!)
500 - Tomato, basil, and mozzarella sandwich
200 - Mixed greens with dressing
200 - Chicken
200 - Peach cobbler (My sister made it and I had to try it.)
100 - Remainder of lemonade and apple juice abandoned by my kids. Scavenging again. I'm not really sure how to break this bad habit.

Sunday Exercise Journal
40 minutes stroll.

Weird Weight Loss Tips
What would Sanjay Gupta do? At Christmas, I will have a blog call "My Favorite Things" and remind me to include Gupta among them. He issued a four month to fitness challenge in June. So we are a few months late. Check it out. Always better to be late than the alternative.

Periodically, Gupta is nice to my brother-in-law and interviews him about sports medicine stuff. Check out a video clip of my brother-in-law on CNN. Not a weird weight loss tip, but now you know what my brother-in-law looks like!

Final Weird Weight Loss Tip: And just to be the annoying little sister-in-law that I am, here's a plug for my favorite shoes: Earth Shoes. I did lose some weight when I started wearing them last year, but quite honestly I wear them because they are beneficial for people who do a lot of yoga. They keep my calves and hamstrings stretched out. They are comfy. I don't care what Gupta and my brother-in-law say about them. I love Earth Shoes! I'm going to marry them.

Have a happy week. Good exercising and eating to all.

Thank You Without Food

2009-08-14T00:00:00.014-04:00

Today is my daughter's last day of school. Next week she starts kindergarten, but I'd like to thank the teachers at her old school before we go. She's been at this school since birth. I love these teachers like they are my family. The problem is that I only know how to thank people with food. This is the South. We are donut and biscuit people. We are not cottage cheese and fruit platter people.

Let's be real, I'm going to bring the teachers food to show my appreciation. And I hope I make a healthy choice at 7 o'clock in the morning! Until then, I have prepared a collage of photos of my daughter with her teachers throughout the years. Next to the photos I have posted this letter:

Thank you for taking care of me since I was 4 months old! Ms. Saadia and Ms. Dina used to cuddle me when I cried. Ms. Monica and Ms. Sadika would make me laugh. Ms. Rebecca helped me learn to go potty and taught me my letters. Ms. Aida taught me to be a good princess and artist. Ms. Morgan taught me how to learn more than I ever could imagine.

I have been very blessed to have had such wonderful loving teachers. All of the good parts of me are little bits of you and your wisdom. I know you'll take good care of my brother and sister, but I will miss you all the same. It has been a wonderful 5 years - my entire life!

Thank you for loving me and helping me grow.

Okay, I'm having a mommy moment. You have no idea how much these teachers mean to me and my family. It is a big leap of faith to trust people with your offspring. You want to thank your teachers by giving them the world, you want to feed them. I hope the letter and fruit platter will be enough.

Thursday Exercise Journal
Sweaty 30. Also known as the 30 minute intense boot camp. Jumping jacks, sprints, all of the drama.
6 flights of stairs. Busy day folks. And boot camp + Jari Love the night before = tired.

Thursday Food Journal
050 - Grapefruit
050 - Cottage Cheese
100 - Honeydew
200 - Ham sandwich
100 - Banana
150 - Almonds
070 - Peanuts
130 - Yogurt and blueberries
120 - 4 Graham crackers
410 - Pad Thai Ethnic Gourmet
100 - 1/2 of snickerdoodle and milk (I'm babysitting 6 kids and warm cookies with milk was our pre-bedtime snack. I know, I know. I'm showing my love with food again, but 6 kids! Guys, at 7pm on a school night you do what you can to survive.)

Weird Weight Loss Tip
Taste something. If you want something, have it, but just a taste. Like the 1/2 of the smallest snickerdoodle ever made that I ate tonight. It was yummy, and I didn't eat the whole thing. The taste of it did help stop the craving. Have a successful weekend. More writing for me. Happy eating and exercising until Monday!

Nighty Night

2009-08-13T00:00:00.002-04:00

Cat who likes to sleep on my yoga mat also likes to take cat naps with babies

Wednesday Food Journal
100 - Banana
050 - Plain Yogurt
060 - Half Caf (half decaf coffee with skim milk)
340 - Lean Cuisine
100 - Steamed veggies
070 - Peanuts
100 - Plain yogurt and blueberries
203 - Ham sandwich (light oat bread, laughing cow cheese, 1 slice of ham, spinach, tomatoes, yumminess)
200 - Haagen Daz Dulce de Leche Ice Cream (1/4 cup and it was rather filling, but way too sweet. They need to make the same thing, but instead of caramel use peanut butter!)

Wednesday Exercise Journal
10 minute Mini-boot camp (sprints, squats, jumping jacks, push-ups, sit-ups)
30 minute walk
1 hr Jari Love Get Ripped 1,000

Weird Weight Loss Tip
Sleep. 8 hours burns about 500 calories depending on your weight. In lieu of extra words, I'm getting some extra Z's. More writing tomorrow, happy eating and exercising!

Zumba and a Few Challenges

2009-08-12T00:00:00.008-04:00

Me on the computer so obviously not working on my book, but rather looking at google.
Tuesday Food Journal
070 - 1/2 cup Cottage Cheese
050 - 1/2 Grapefruit
100 - Banana
094 - Brie
330 - Pesto Veggie Sandwich (Best - and most rare - thing in the cafeteria at work)
100 - Strawberries
070 - Peanuts
290 - Tuna sandwich (Made with Tabasco and plain yogurt instead of mayo. If I were good like Starving Foodie I'd have a recipe, but I never use a recipe...)
170 - Grilled cheese
235 - Peanut Butter and Jelly (I needed the extra calories for Zumba. See below)

Tuesday Exercise Journal
30 minute walk
18 flights of stairs
1 hour Zumba (with my neighbor who was kind enough to invite me to class)
1 hour yoga (with Steve Ross on Oxygen)

A special thank you to my neighbor for taking me to Zumba. My neighbor is Colombian so I was a little intimidated by her awesome Latin-ness, but the instructor (who was from Belize) did not laugh at me nearly as hysterically as the kickboxing instructor last week. Nothing like a class where the instructions are "arriba," abajo," "shake it," and "grind." It was like a night club without boys.

A few challenges have been thrown my way this week:

I going to try to fit into my senior formal dress from college. Yes, I still have the dress. It is super cute. Unfortunately, my college senior formal was, ahem, a few years and dress sizes ago.
Write a chapter of my novel for every pound I lose. I've got a chapter to write this week. Some of my writing buddies are going to take the challenge with me. I hope to be skinny and prolific by year end.
Go to Zumba every Tuesday for the next four weeks. Struggle part is the time of the class (7pm) and you do remember that I have a job and I have 3 small kids. Oldest is just starting kindergarten and a new school year. This is a very big challenge. Miss hearing me make excuses and complain? Go back to Nicki's Reason's Why Not.

Weird Weight Loss Tip
Exercise in another language. Some how I wasn't nearly as irritated at an instructor shouting dance moves at me in Spanish as I would have been if they were shouting at me in English.

Recycled weight loss tip redux. Don't just dance a party or wedding. Find an organized dance class or dance exercise class. Salsa your way to fitness. Dancing, not the food, folks. Happy eating and exercising!

When the Poop Hits the Fan

2009-08-11T00:00:00.010-04:00

Scat Cat! My cat insists on interrupting my yoga nightly. She doesn't even like me, but she loves me when I yoga. This is the only animal whose scat I'm allowed to view.

I was watching educational television with my kids this weekend and the topic was animal scat. I had never heard that term before. Scat means poop! I case you haven't noticed, bowel movements are a subject of great hilarity for both young and old. You haven't lived if you haven't read the "poopie list". I look forward to a future "old fart" birthday. It just goes to show that pooping is funny and important.

Now a bunch of Weird Weight Loss Tips about poop.

Sorry guys, but you are going to have to look at your poop. Color, size, frequency, consistency.
Talk to your doctor about your poop. I get it. You don't want to talk to me about your poop, but you should talk to your spouse, friend, co-worker, and especially your doctor about your poop.
Take care of your poop. Drink water, consume healthy oils (avacado, olive oil), eat fiber. But don't overdo it. Excessively cleansing can hurt your bowels as much as neglecting them.

Poop resources
If you don't want to talk about poop now, the American Cancer Society will get you to talk about it later. Exercising and eating healthy can reduce your chances of many cancers including colon cancer. Get checked or remind someone you love to get checked.

See a video of Dr. Oz explaining poop in less than a minute. I never saw the famous Oprah poop episode, but I did hear about it from my mother. Mothers love to talk about bowel movements and cleansing. Jamaicans call it "wash out". Wash out means you'll drink some tea and spend the rest of the day in the bathroom. As a kid and an avid reader, this day was not nearly as traumatic as it sounds. Good excuse to lounge with a good book.

Sort of related, but mostly not. Starving Foodie blogged about beans! And corn. Come guys, it is funny.

All this talk about bowels is my final weird weight loss tip of the day. Talking about poop is an appetite suppressant. Also cleaning a cat box is an appetite suppressant. Pretty sure you don't feel like eating that quarter pound Angus burger now. On that note . . .

Monday Food Journal
070 - Plain Yogurt
100 - Banana
000 - In honor of today's blog psyllium husk in my yogurt!
600 - Chicken Fajita Salad
260 - Flax Plus with raisin cereal
120 - 1 cup milk
105 - 1/2 Pop tart (I was scavenging after the kids. Bad habit, I know.)
075 - Frosted flakes (see excuse above)

Monday Exercise Journal
30 minute of yoga
18 flights of stairs
30 minutes in park with kids
1 hour yoga

I have tons of pictures I'd like to post, but really none for today's topic. Scat Cat on Yoga Mat will have to do. Happy eating and exercising.

Better Late . . .

2009-08-10T22:28:00.003-04:00

Friday Food Journal
450 - Chick-Fil-A Chicken Biscuit
240 - Palak Paneer (Yummy Indian Ethnic Gourmet)
080 - Steamed Veggies
100 - Grapefruit
150 - Super Green 96 Protein Drink
175 - Grilled Cheese
165 - Fish Sticks
200 - Cookies

Friday Exercise Journal
30 minute walk
12 flights of stairs

Saturday Food Journal
300 - Egg white omlet
045 - 1/2 toast
050 - Fruit
185 - Grilled cheese
160 - Chips
070 - Hot dog
200 - Burger (slider with no bun)
050 - Cole Slaw
050 - Watermelon
180 - Veggie Sausage
100 - 2 reduced fat Oreo cookies! Only 2!!!
075 - Blueberries and strawberries
075 - Whipped Cream

Saturday Exercise Journal
30 minutes walk/run
1 hour at park with kids

Sunday Food Journal
300 - Egg white omlet
045 - 1/2 toast
175 - 1/2 biscuit
235 - Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
060 - 1/2 cup milk
100 - 1/2 cup cereal
135 - Laughing cow cheese and salsa
300 - 1/2 Turkey sandwich
200 - Spaghetti with fat free cheese. Note to self: Cheese needs fat.
150 - 1/2 cupcake no frosting

Sunday Exercise Journal
I did none. Nada. Nothing. Hung with the kids and cleaned the house all day. Not sure how to quantify cleaning, grocery shopping, and a day completely away from technology. No phones, no computer. Let us just say it was a happy day. Don't feel guilty about not working out!

Weigh-In (Weight loss July 12 to date)
-9 lbs. For the record my weight fluctuated about 6lbs during the course of the week. But as of weigh-in, the scale showed 9 lbs. I'm taking it. I may be up a pound next week. We'll see...

Weird Weight Loss Tip
Don't worry about weight loss every day of the week. That's my story and I'm sticking with it. Happy eating and happy exercising!

Just the Facts Ma'am

2009-08-07T00:00:00.001-04:00

Thursday Exercise Journal
50 minute walk
24 flights of stairs

Thursday Food Journal
060 - Coffee
150 - Super Green 96 Protein Shake (I love green stuff, it is good. There is also blueberry if you are a wuss)
170 - Tandoori chicken (Ethic Gourmet)
100 - Steamed veggies
030 - 1 square Dove Dark Chocolate
300 - All natural organic pumpkin cream cheese muffin

I'm going to sleep. Busy day at work and home tomorrow. And I've got my real writing to do. None of this imaginary stuff. Send me what encouragement you can.

Weird Weight Loss Tip. Self Delusions.
Am I the only one noticing that you are taking weird weight loss tips from someone who needs to lose weight? Convince yourself that you are your own body subject matter expert and follow your gut, your instincts on what you need to do to become personally successful. Weight loss, writing, photography, bringing sexy back. No matter.

Not so weird weight loss tip. Sleep. Nighty, night. I'll miss you until Monday! Happy eating and exercising.

Nicki's Reasons Why Not

2009-08-06T01:50:00.005-04:00

I'm too old. Age 34.
I'm too tired. Okay, It's 12:18am.
I'm used to my old skin.
I have three small kids.
I'd like to go to church more often.
I have a full time job.
I'm trying to write a novel.
I'm trying to revise another novel that I already wrote.
Facebook is lots more fun than food journaling.
Facebook is a lot more fun that exercising.
Pretty sure I have a husband somewhere.
I need to do laundry.
I should really wash the dishes.
Never mind cleaning the house.
I don't want to get sweaty before church on Sunday or work on Monday.
I'm thinking of an excuse why I don't want to get sweaty on Saturday mornings.
My volunteer commitments have hit a new high this year.
Georgia Romance Writers. I'm the Vice President of Programs and Conference Co-Chair.
Decatur Book Festival. I'm a stage captain and begging for a good stage.
I have to change the litter box and feed the cat.
The media has graciously told me that it is okay to be large, therefore I don't need to worry about my personal health or fitness.
Don't, don't get me started on the media on black women . . . It is particularly cool for me to be overweight as long as I'm the comic relief. (Now you think of all the things I've said in complete seriousness that you found hysterical. Time for an Arsenio Hall "Hmmm" moment.)
I'm pretty sure I brought sexy back before Timberlake did. So I don't need to lose weight.
I gotta man. (What's your man gotta do with me?)
My weight is my security blanket. Would you make Linus give up his?
I like food. Buying food. Smelling food. Tasting food.
I don't know what my life will be like if I hit my goal weight.
I'm scared.
I'm healthy enough.
Exercising takes time away from my family.
I feel selfish.
I gain weight when I'm both happy and sad.
My body is like a big cushion for my kids. They won't want to cuddle with a smaller me.
I'm smaller than some people, isn't that good enough?
Food is how I show love to myself and my family.
It is easier to be a failure than to be a success.

And one reason why . . .
1. I would like to see a change in myself.
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. -- Marianne Williamson

One of my sisters had a harsh conversation with me about my writing last year. She encouraged me to spend more time writing, and I responded with a variation of the list above. She told me to google "fear inadequate powerful" and told me I was afraid of being successful in my writing.

Okay maybe two reasons why . . .
2. Haruki Murakami
I was about to turn thirty. I was reaching the age at which I wouldn't be considered young anymore. And, pretty much out of the blue, it occurred to me to write a novel. I can pinpoint the exact moment when it happened. It was at 1:30 P.M., April 1, 1978. I was at Jingu Stadium, alone in the outfield, watching a baseball game. . .

If you have a chance read this article from The New Yorker 09-JUN-2008 "The Running Novelist". My friend Gaby mailed me the article around the same time I had this conversation with my sister. I think she was trying to tell me something about my writing, too. But, I had a 10 month old baby. But I had a two-year old and a four-year old. But I was working. But, but, but. That was only a year ago.

Murakami started writing, gave up smoking, and started running after the age of 30. He's done all right at these things.

The things we are supposed to do, we will do, in spite of the obstacles. My comma usage is way off there, but you get the idea. Weird Weight Loss Tip: You can list 100 reason why not, but all you need is one reason why to get started. Somehow my writing and personal fitness are intertwined this year. Happy eating and exercising.

Wednesday Exercise Journal
1 hr yoga
6 flights of stairs
1 hr dance party at kids' school
1 hr Get Ripped 1,000 with Jari Love (and I do love her)

Wednesday Food Journal
150 - 2 boiled eggs
120 - Coffee with milk
165 - Salmon salad
220 - Sushi
075 - Honeydew
100 - Pretzels
600 - Burger with no bun at school. I have no idea how many calories are in a school hamburger, but my guess is a lot.
090 - Cheese
050 - Fruit

Maladies of a Black Girl on a Diet

2009-08-05T13:52:00.008-04:00

Sorry I don't have a pretty picture today. You aren't here for the pretty pictures, are you? I'm also sorry about the typos. This is not ever going to be the perfectly copyedited blog.

I’d be lying if I told you I didn't have rough moments over the past three weeks. Tired, angry, frustrated moments. I’m most surprised that I rarely (twice that I can think of) have hungry moments. I thought that would be my biggest complaint. My youngest child woke up at 4:45 a.m. this morning, so I figure today is as good of a day as any to vent. Some things that irritate me about changing my life:

The number of plastic containers I now have to wash, or run through the dishwasher each night. Packing my lunch everyday means lots of plastic containers.
My arm fat. I hate it so much I can't even talk about it.
I don’t like coffee, but when I do drink coffee I like lots of milk in it. Having being up since the butt-crack of dawn, I’ve had today 1) a cup of half caf (half decaf and half regular coffee) and 2) cup of decaf coffee. Due to the volume of milk I like, both cups equaled a whooping 120 calories. But ya’ll coffee just doesn’t taste that good to me without the milk in it. I could have eaten a ton of other things for those 120 stinking calories.
When I do a set stair (6 flights to the top) at work, I get a little heated. It is not cool to feel sweaty in my work clothes.
My hair is a sweaty mess. Black girls don’t like getting sweaty or prefer to only get sweaty at appropriate intervals. All the sweating is ruining my do, and you know I can only get it did so often. I’m trying to extra condition my hair, but right now all the sweat is like a saltwater bath every day.
Sweat acne. I don’t know if this is real or if I just made it up. But I have self-diagnosed myself with this condition!
My house is a disaster area. Ok, my house was often a disaster area before the fitness kick, but in addition to 13 Barbie Dolls and 500 Thomas the Train pieces, I’ve got 2 yoga mats, 8 risers, 2 benches, various weights between 5 and 15 lbs, and a 27 lb barbell cluttering in my family room. I don’t really need a bigger house. I need kids and cat to live in a tent in the backyard and forage for food.
My current yoga practice is a great source of amusement for the masses. When yoga starts, the kids and cat emerge from the woodwork like zombies. The girls (5 and 3) are older and pretty good at yoga because they’ve been watching us for years. But the boy and the cat . . . they treat me like a piece of furniture during yoga. Nothing like cat fur in your mouth or a hug from a 2 year old when you are trying to Chaturanga Dandasana
The haters (I will go into greater detail on them in a future blog) and the “I can’ts.” “I can’t do what you’re doing.” Yeah well, neither can I, but I’m doing it anyway. I’m not telling anyone to do what I am doing. Maybe I watch too much LOST. “Don’t tell me what I can’t do!” If it works for John Locke it can work for me, double namaste. (Another blog is forthcoming on all the reasons why I “can’t” do this)
My biggest complaint: If feel like I shouldn’t complain!

Weird weight loss tip.
Grunt. I did a lot of grunting last night in kickboxing class. I know there's a tennis chick who got into a lot of trouble for the noise she makes. I'm guessing each grunt is worth a good 1-2 calories. My favorite part of last night’s class is when the instructor stood between a student and the body bag and made the student kick and punch him. My second favorite part is when upon seeing my form, he burst into hysterically laughter.

Another weird weight loss tip. Hysterical laughter. Good for at least 5-7 calories burned. Happy eating and exercising.

Tuesday Exercise Journal
30 minute walk
18 flights of stairs
1 hour kickboxing

Tuesday Food Journal
060 - Coffee
100 - Banana
035 - Kashi
055 - Plain Yogurt
350 - Tuna sandwich
035 - Cheese (Laughing Cow Light)
100 - Cherries
070 - Nuts
165 - 1/2 Salmon Salad Whole Foods
300 - Sushi
030 - 1 Bite of most delicious sugar cookie from Whole Foods

Peaceful and Easy

2009-08-04T06:00:00.002-04:00

I like the way your sparking earings lay against your skin so brown. And I want to sleep with you in the desert tonight with a million stars all around . . . As you can tell, I’ve got a peaceful easy feeling this week. Some good news to report.

I have it on good authority that Hilton Head Health now has an official beach yoga class! Hooray. Think about how many happy people will be breathing in and out like the tide.

My H3 friend Jeff has started a blog called Starving Foodie. We all have different fitness, nutrition, and weight loss strengths. Jeff knows food. I'll keep you posted when he posts cool stuff.

Unrelated to my diet, I got good news yesterday that I'm a Maggie Award Finalist. I'm rather excited. I only had two things on my to do list this year. Get healthy and final in the Maggies! I'm nervous excited and motivated to keep writing and exercising.

Today is my wedding anniversary. Since we indulged in two anniversary dinners this weekend. I will be spending this evening at a kickboxing class with my friend Kym. A lot more useful than a box of chocolates and some roses!

Weird Weight Loss Tip. Show your appreciation. Thank someone for helping you. They might be willing to help you again. Maybe the realization that you can’t do this alone will encourage you to get help from a friend. Maybe you getting motivated might help someone else get motivated.

Thank you, Karen for the beach yoga. I'm having a peaceful feeling just knowing you've got got a group doing down dogs in the sand.

Thank you, Jeff, for all the wonderful food suggestions and positive attitude.

Thank you, Kym for the kickboxing class tonight. Probably best anniversary gift I could get this year.

Thank you to what's-his-name. Workout partner, jokester, rock, partner-in-crime.

Monday Exercise Journal
20 minute walk
30 flights of stairs
1 hour of yoga

Monday Food Journal
140 - Kashi, yogurt, banana
170 - Tandoori Chicken
090 - Veggies
050 - Grapefruit
070 - Peanuts
290 - Tuna sandwich
100 - Shells and cheese
017 - 2 almonds (silly, but true)

Happy eating and exercising!

Blame It on the Rain

2009-08-03T22:51:00.004-04:00

It was pouring on Friday night so instead of exercising outside, my husband and I opted to exercise inside . . . at Target. We spent a full hour doing laps. Dollar bins, electronics, school supplies, house wares, grocery, check-out. Repeat 12 times. It was the final two hours before closing. I’m sure they didn’t appreciate us using their store for exercise, but we kept our pace to relaxed, but purposeful. Some of my realizations from that walk:

I love Target. Other women love Tiffany’s, but Target is my Tiffany’s.
The exercise equipment is completely hidden, but low cost snack foods and movies are on the end caps across the store.
There is a Target brand low calorie frozen meal that is just like Lean Cuisines, Healthy Choice, and Weight Watcher meals.
I like looking at food, but my mind had a hard time circling the food without intending to buy any food.
I don’t just like eating food, I like buying food.
I cannot leave Target without spending at least $100.
Once I reach my goal weight I’m going to focus on reducing my Target addiction.

Friday Exercise Journal
2.5 mile walk

Friday Food Journal
100 – Whole grain waffle
420 – Veggie Wrap
140 – Fruit salad (pineapple, honeydew, grapes)
225 – Turkey burger
030 – Ketchup
100 – Baked Cheetos
040 – Coffee

Saturday Exercise Journal
Jari Love’s Get Ripped 1,000

Saturday Food Journal
150 – 2 boiled eggs
050 – Grapefruit
240 – Oat bread
130 – Baked Cheetos
025 – Oatmeal cookie
148 – Turkey, cottage cheese, veggies
150 – Cereal, yogurt, banana
1000?? – Dinner at Cakes & Ale

Sunday Exercise Journal
1.5 hours mowing the lawn
4 hours of pain from my first yellow jacket sting

Sunday Food Journal
100 – Whole grain waffle
050 – coffee
263 – Turkey sandwich
1,000?? – Dinner at Cakes & Ale

Weigh in: -7.5 lbs despite two nights of ridiculous splurging at Cakes & Ale. I'm still down half a pound from last week. My what's-his-name and I had an anniversary dinner with my parents on Saturday and one on our own on Sunday. Sunday night I ate goat for the first time and found it to be rather delicious. I ate tons of veggies and healthy stuff, but there was champagne and dessert . . . Nothing says thank you for being married to me like food! No regrets. We did some pretty good exercising to make up for the food.

Weird weight loss tip. Circle the grocery store once without putting anything in your cart. Circle the second time and pick up what you need. I made very wise food choices at Target because I had a chance to ponder before I picked up anything.

Friday Night Light – Day 12

2009-07-31T00:00:00.005-04:00

A walk on the beach in Hilton Head at sunset.

I used to look forward to Friday as my splurge day. Go out on Friday for lunch with my co-workers. Eat out on Friday night with my what’s-his-name. Friday splurge day would have been cool if every other day wasn’t splurge day for me. Now I need a way to reward myself after a long work week without food, but I’m not sure what to do. Go to a movie? Take a walk? Healthy backyard picnic? Buy a yoga video? My friend recommends "Bryan Kest Power Yoga Complete Collection." You know me and yoga! This would be a nice treat. But I really need a treat where I don't eat, and I don't spend money. Send me your ideas or buy me the Bryan Kest yoga video.

Weird Weight Loss Tip
I like cookies, but now I think of cookies as my cigarettes. Do you smoke? Think about quitting. Do you overeat? Think of the excess food, the extra food your body doesn’t need, as cigarettes. Don’t want to take my word for it? Check out Cancer Statistics for 2009 or specifically “Cancer Prevention & Early Detection Facts & Figures 2009” and “Excess Weight Linked To 90,000 Us Cancer Deaths Annually.”

Not worried about cancer? The American Diabetes Association, American Cancer Society and American Heart Association have joined together in a historic collaboration to encourage the prevention and early detection of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. For more go to Everyday Choices.

Thursday Exercise Journal
25 Flights of stairs

2 hours in the emergency room with a 2 year old on his birthday. 2 hours past his bedtime. Say that 10 times fast. Laps around hospital waiting for doctor to tell us arm was not broken, just bizarre reaction to bug bite that makes your arm blue and deformed. I challenge anyone who says I didn't burn 100 calories from stress. Don't do what I do. Stress is actually a weird weight gain tip.

Thursday Food Journal
075 - Boiled egg
100 - Banana
090 - Cottage Cheese
050 - Honeydew
240 - Oat bread
126 - Deli Turkey
050 - Cheese
090 - Yogurt
050 - Blueberries
225 - Turkey burger
100 - Edamame
200 - Most delicious cream cheese pound cake that my mom makes. My monster's birthday, I get to eat homemade cake warmed and served with . . .
100 - 1 tbsp Bruster's vanilla ice cream

Oh, I’m a meanie. You thought I was going to blog about football. All in good time, my friends. I want you to read any of the links above and start thinking about saving your own life. I'm a double meanie. I gave you homework on Friday. Ha, ha. Happy healthy reading, exercising, and eating. See you Monday!

Baby Steps and Caveman Steps – Day 11

2009-07-30T06:00:00.008-04:00

Me feeding a baby onion rings, burger, fries, chicken wings, cheese curds, and a strawberry milkshake. Just kidding. His mom fed him all that. I just fed him the milkshake.

A pediatrician told me that a baby’s stomach is the size of her fist. It is supposed to be the same with adults, too. Now, look at your fist. Next time you have a plate of food in front of you, look at your fist again. I can certainly put more food in my stomach than a fist-sized portion!

My ninth grade biology teacher once said that cavemen (and women) probably didn’t eat several times a day, and probably didn’t even eat every day. Maybe they ate like lions, once big meal when they could get it. They might have eaten berries and nuts, but feast daily? They did not.

I’m not a baby or cavewoman, but I guess there are interesting points to ponder from our predecessors and our offspring.

Cavemen probably ate what they had access to and were glad for food. Probably no picky eaters. Lesson learned: I complained heartily about eating celery this week. I don’t like it, and I like every kind of weird vegetable. Except celery. Deep breath. Thank you, God, for the celery. I will be glad for it. I will also pick a different veggie to snack on when the celery isn’t doing it for me.

Babies know when they are hungry. Hence the crying. They also know when to stop eating. Ever had a 3 year-old hand you a wet, hal- eaten graham cracker? I have. It was yesterday. Babies will even go so far as to start chewing, change their mind completely, and spit food out. I am not okay with this. We as adults are a little more civilized. No spitting. Absolutely none. I'm just learning not to put the unwanted food in my mouth. Now that I think about it, isn't this what wine tasters do? I used to be a wine sommelier. I should know. All of the taste none of the swallowing.

Kids know how to eat if given the right choices. Kids learn bad habits from us. Yes, that is my mommy guilt talking. Mine requested Cheerios for breakfast, and I watched them drink all the milk out of the bowl and leave the cereal behind. I said nothing. I really wanted to tell them to finish their cereal and stop wasting my money. Okay, it was the store brand “Cheerios,” but money is money, people!

My biggest weight loss struggle today is to be normal about food around my kids. I'm trying hard to let my kids decide when to stop eating. I will focus on putting good food in front of them. This is so hard. Kids would eat Cheerios and graham crackers all day if they had a choice. I want them to eat a lot of food all the time, including veggies and meat (which my kids are not so fond of). No talking about calories in front of them. Ever. No talking about food for that fact. I’m hoping one day soon they’ll be able to ignore the existence of food and so will I. We will eat it when we need it and get back to reading books and having fun.

(I should mention that I will/do allow my kids to eat cake. I don't want you coming over for one of my monster's birthday parties wondering why we are eating cake and ice cream. If you are lucky we will be eating really good cake and really good ice cream. I don't want my kids going to college never having tasted sweets. That's just not natural.)

Weird Weight Loss Tips

Set a good example for your kids, nieces, nephews, neighbors, little brother, and co-workers. They are watching us more than they are listening. That’s why kids are so creepy like that kid in "The Shining. "

Watch a scary movie. I am never hungry during a scary movie! Not even for popcorn. You never know when something gross is going to flash on the screen. Should I be the inventor of the scary movie weight loss club? Just a thought. Happy eating and exercising.

Speaking of "The Shining" . . . Happy Birthday to my littlest monster who turns 2 years old today. He likes to ride his big wheel around the house and give me the creeps. I know we are supposed to get healthy for ourselves, but I don't agree. I'm doing this for my kids. How can I teach them about self-control if I have none myself? Happy Birthday, No-No. Here's a letter to my children I wrote for one of my other monster's birthdays.

Wednesday Exercise Journal
1 hour "Get Ripped with Jari Love" my all time favorite weight lifting video
6 flights of stairs
Night Time Backyard Boot Camp. 20 minutes. Sprints, lunges, squats, jump role. What's-his-name did push-ups, but I was dodging mosquitoes (also a workout).

Food Journal
100 - Oatmeal with milk
100 - Banana
240 - Oatbread (2 slices)
140 - 1/2 Chicken breast
100 - Cherries
042 - Peach
323 - Turkey sandwich on oat bread with Laughing Cow Light Cheese
070 - Fish stick (cleaning up after the monsters and a bad habit, but they were just going to throw it away! Urrrgh!)
075 - Cottage cheese
030 - Graham cracker

Your Best Guestimate - Day 10

2009-07-29T06:00:00.006-04:00

It wasn’t easy traveling and having to figure out calories this weekend. Actually, it was near impossible. My husband and best friend have embarked on this healthy lifestyle change with me. All weekend our conversation sounded like this:

“How many calories do you think are in one bratwurst?” We didn’t know, and we will never know.

“How many calories do you think are in one piece of sushi and one mini crab cake?” Damn weddings and the associated foods of usual portions.

"How many calories are in an Irish Car Bomb?" Not a political statement, but a drink shot containing a variety of alcohols. Identities have been concealed to protect the innocent. My guestimate: too many calories.

Lots of Weird Weight Loss Tips for Traveling

Bring an apple (I got this from H3 friend Jeff) .
Order a side salad and appetizer with protein for your meal.
Eat half of hotel omelet, but regular serving of fruit.
Ask your friends or co-workers for help. Just verbalizing “Which do you think is better?” might help you make a better food choice. Even if you already know which item on the menu is a better choice.
Walk when you can. Skip the cab or rental car. Unless you are wearing 4-inch heels to the wedding. You then have permission to take a cab.
When tempted by the Doritos at the pre-wedding picnic, get up and play a game of Corn Hole. I am not okay with the name of this game, but it is fun. I was tempted by the Doritos and avoided Doritos with a game of Corn Hole.
Do better than you normally would. Even if you don’t make the best choice every time. Make better choices. This is great advice I heard from Bob Wright at Hilton Head Health. Bob is the Director of Education.
Get back to your structured eating and exercising plan when you get home.
Congratulate yourself for focusing on your goals even when you are away from home.

Tuesday Exercise Journal
Boot Camp 10: 10 push-ups, sit-ups, squats, jumping jacks, 300 meters. Repeat 5 times.
Weights: 8lb, 12 reps: biceps, flys, squats, triceps, rows, full overhead press.
18 flights of stairs

Tuesday Food Journal
075 - Egg
025 - Blueberries
025 - Plain yogurt
035 - Kashi Go Lean Whole Grain Puffs
018 - Spinach and sprouts
140 - Grilled chicken
025 - Balsamic dressing
100 - Banana
025 - Blueberries
025 - Plain yogurt
035 - Kashi Go Lean Whole Grain Puffs
070 - Honeydew
035 - Laughing Cow Light Cheese
120 - cheese bread
075 - Hummus
075 - Tabouli
225 - Turkey burger
042 - Peach

The Importance of Being Earnest - Day 9

2009-07-28T06:00:00.003-04:00

I’ve got exercise on the brain. It is probably a little irritating to the people around me who are not thinking about exercise. I went to Hilton Head Health with my friend Mamie just over two week ago. We are still focusing on lessons learned during our H3 experience. This weekend, Mamie and I met up at a friend’s wedding in Minnesota.

On Saturday morning before the festivities started, we decided to take a 3 mile walk along the Mississippi. As we started walking, I asked Mamie what we used to do with our time on other trips like this. I’m the curious one. Mamie responded, “Eat.” She is the wise one.

What downtown St. Paul, Minnesota looks like at 7 a.m. if you decide to take a stroll

In the past, we would have had a long breakfast that would turn into a long lunch, and inevitably that would turn into a long dinner. Somewhere in between we’d visit a museum or local point of interest, but meals punctuated our mini-college reunions. When I think back on all the places I’ve visited, I think mostly of the food I’ve eaten in those places. New York, Chicago, Toronto. Lots of nice restaurants. Once I took a walk in New York when I was there for work. I got up at 5 a.m. and hit the streets looking for a good bagel. It was a 30 minute walk (food inspired, but a walk none the less). Now, I wish I’d taken more walks like that in different cities.

First thing Saturday morning, my husband and I took a 30 minute walk around downtown St. Paul. Quiet city, good for walking. Mid morning, we took a 3 mile walk along the Mississippi. Out of my 10 friends, 6 opted to go on the long walk with me and Mamie. Instead of two good meals we had two good walks. Instead of eating and talking, we were walking and talking. Same good time. Fewer calories.

Weird Weight Loss Tip
"Before breakfast" and "after lunch" are not times. Stop telling time by meals. I noticed I’ve been doing this throughout the blog and in life. I’m going to make a conscious effort to start telling time be the time of day, and not my belly!

Get by with a little help from your friends. I know they say have a workout buddy. Someone to be accountable to, but I disagree. If you have a workout buddy that is fine. But I say beg borrow and steal a workout buddy. You don’t need one forever, you need one for every day. Could be a different one each day. This weekend Mamie and I asked our friends if they wanted to walk with us. Most of them did. The boys made us do 1 minute runs, push-ups, jumping jacks. I decline the push-ups, but I’m grateful that they were there to push us a little further than we may have done on our own. Thanks, Posse! I love you guys. Thanks for the great walk. We would have made Huck and Tom proud.

Monday Exercise Journal
22 flights of stairs at work
30 minutes in park with monsters

Monday Food Journal
090 - Cottage cheese
120 - Honeydew
005 - Celery
200 - Marinara meat sauce
280 - 2 slices oat bread
042 - Peach
200 - Meatball
060 - Bread w/cheese
012 - 1 Baked Dorito (Don't ask. Didn't know Doritos could be singular, did you? Next time I won't eat it, just so I don't look stupid having to journal about it)
025 - Honeydew

Back to Life – Day 8

2009-07-27T11:35:00.003-04:00

Monday Weigh In : - 7 lbs. (Weight change July 12 to date)

Wooo hoo! I checked at work and at home. Both scales are showing the same amount lost. I’m pretty surprised, but I also know that weight can drastically fluctuate. We’ll see what my results are next Monday for comparison. I am happy.

Weekend in review

Friday
Exercise Journal
20 minute walk before work
20 minute walk at the airport. We skipped the train in the ATL airport and walked to our concourse. Ya’ll in Atlanta know that is a workout.

Food Journal
100 - Oatmeal
150 – ½ Frozen Banana with Peanut Butter
Unknown Lunch– Arugula, yellow beet, blue berry, and gorgonzola salad, 2 oz beef tenderloin, ½ chocolate peanut butter cupcake, ½ meltaway cookie (yumminess)
Unknown Dinner – 1 beef slider no bun, 1 fish slider no bun, 1 onion ring, 2 cheese curds, 1 mini-meatball, 2 sips strawberry milkshake
Unknown drinks – Irish Car Bomb and Kamikaze

Good News. Skipped the beer at the Happy Gnome in St. Paul. Bad News. The Irish Car Bomb and Kamikaze at dinner. Less worried about the two shots of worthless alcohol and calories, but more worried that I’m too old to do shots. After taking both shots, my college roommates and I were tired and immediately went back to hotel to sleep. Rather unlike nights of debauchery in our younger days.

Saturday
Exercise Journal
30 minute walk in downtown St. Paul pre-breakfast
1 hour – 3 mile walk/run along the Mississippi river

I want to give a special thanks to my friends for taking a long walk with us on Saturday. Extra motivation and fun! I'll tell you more about it in tomorrow's blog.

Food Journal
Unknown calories most of the day. This is bad news. Good news is that I tested my judgement and portion control skills.
½ hotel omelet, ½ sausage, 50 calories of honeydew, 40 calories of coffee with milk
Lunch – 1 Bratwurst and 1 hot dog no buns. 1 tsp potato salad, cole slaw, and kraut. 1 piece of rye bread, 1 slice of corned beef, 2 mini-lemon cookies, 1 oatmeal cookie.
Dinner – Wedding reception. Lost track here, but I was nervous about giving a toast to bride and groom. I made better food choices than normal. Enjoyed 2 mojitos and a glass of champagne.

Good News. I brought my running shoes and did a 3 mile walk/run while traveling! Bad news. I remembered running shoes, but not my workout pants. Good thing Minnesota is the home of Target. No excuse not to workout on this trip!

Sunday
Food Journal
200 – ½ turkey sandwich
040 – Coffee with skim milk
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
280 – 2 pieces Pepperidge farm soft oatmeal bread
090 – 1 tbsp peanut butter
080 – 2 tsp Polaner’s cherry preserves
120 – 1.5 eggs
160 – 2 oz salmon
050 – Sautéed spinach and green peppers
50 – 4 oz Organic limeade

Exercise Journal
1.5 hours in the Great Barn at Stone Mountain Park. It is like Cross Fit for kids. Running jumping, sliding, climbing, throwing. I got a lot of exercise in there! I also felt a lot better than the last time I was in there with my monsters. Better fitness actually means more fun for all.
20 minutes Paddle boat at Stone Mountain Park. Big monster is too short to paddle so I had to do all the work.

Weird Weight Loss Tip
Don’t just take the stairs instead of the escalator. Don’t just walk instead of the moving sidewalk. Pick someone on the escalator or moving sidewalk and try to keep up with them while you are on foot. It might seem creepy at the mall, but if you do this at the airport, people with think you are just trying to catch your flight!

Weird Weight Loss Tip for Weddings
As my dear friend Mamie said as she walked on to the dance floor this weekend, “I’m just here to burn calories.” Don’t forget to dance. No one cares if you dance like Elaine Benes from Seinfield, Mamie. Oh, wait. That's how you run. Different story. Have fun, burn calories!

Run Away with Me - Day 5

2009-07-24T09:00:00.000-04:00

It has been a weird week. I feel like I have a new superpower. My husband claims he can hear his metabolism buzzing. Here is the problem, I'll be traveling soon. A wedding out of town. Lots of friends from college. Oh, don't you remember how much fun food was in college?

I'm going to eat and enjoy myself, but I'm also going to bring my running shoes. Something I've never done before, but I heard an interesting comment at Hilton Head Health from Beth Leermakers. Dr. Leermakers is Hilton Head Health's Wellness Counselor.

What would a runner do if she were traveling? She'd pack her running shoes. I've packed my running shoes. I've carved out some time on Saturday morning to walk or run or move before the wedding festivities start. Ditto for Sunday before I fly back home. I'd like to do 30 minutes each day. More if I can. I've also packed my food journal so you can hear all about the exciting things I eat, and maybe about the exciting things I opt not to eat. Of course, I'll bring my camera.

Weird Weightloss Tip
Be your own fortune teller. Write down what you plan to eat at the beginning of the day. Having a plan means you might better be able to control your calorie intake. Hmm. This is great advice. I might just try this! Actually, I did this twice this week and it helped me avert "emergency" eating and snacking. Happy exercising and happy eating!

Going to miss me until Monday?
I'll share my exercise and food journals with you next week. Until then go to H3Daily blog for a crazy backyard workout!

The Sound of the Ocean - Day 4

2009-07-23T18:00:00.001-04:00

Beach Yoga

The main character in the novel I'm writing is a young woman obsessed with the sound of the ocean. She is a little bit autobiographical. I went to school in California looking for the sound of the ocean not knowing that the beach was a 45 minute drive away. I married a man who grew up near the ocean. Here is a blog about what I think of him. Until last week, I thought there was something about the scent and taste of him that reminded me of the sea. But I was wrong. I hear the ocean in his breathing. . . and in mine.

While I was at Hilton Head Health, I was fortunate to take a few yoga classes with Karen Verechia. She got the sense that the 4 scheduled classes were not enough for me. I like lifting weights, but I hate walking on treadmills. You don't go anywhere. It is my idea of hell. But with yoga you are always reaching for something. You are both grounding yourself and looking upward. Karen invited me to one of her beach yoga classes, and I jumped at the chance to go.

I could go on forever about what happened to me as I sat facing the water, eyes closed, and breathing like I was the tide itself. You know I'm not overly sentimental. I only cry watching a few movies: Shawshank Redemption, Steele Magnolias, and The Terminator. I cried twice this year walking the Labyrinth at my church. No one could explain what happened, and my guess is that when I speak to God as opposed to praying, I cry. I must have be speaking to God while I did my beach yoga with Karen. My heart hurt. My breathing sounded like the tide touching then withdrawing from the sand.

I have many thanks to give Hilton Head Health and a many more thanks for Karen from Studio V Yoga. She takes her yoga class onto the blinding whiteness of the beach and asks that you breathe, if only for an hour, like the sound of the ocean.

I would recommend beach yoga with Karen Verechia if you're ever in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Check out her website Studio V Yoga for days and times.

Exercise Journal

The Countdown 10. (10 sit-ups, push-ups, jumping jacks, squats, then 100 meters. Then 9 sit-ups, push-ups, jumping jacks, squats, then 100 meters, Then 8, 7, and so on) Time: 19 minutes and way too much sweat for 7 a.m. What we refer to as the butt-crack of dawn. My husband and I did this routine before work this morning. I had come up with about 5 excuses why we didn't have time, but we did it and I was still at my desk before 9 a.m.! I sent him an email at 10 a.m. thanking him for giving me a boost today.

2 sets of stairs at work. 12 flights total up and down. I was in my work clothes so I tried not to break a sweat (see ocean breathing above). I imagine I'm in a chase scene in a movie. Why do they run up the stairs in movie chase scenes? It makes no sense. When bad guys are chasing you, always go down the stairs.

Food Journal
090 - Yogurt

190 - 1/2 cup Flax Seed Plus with Raisins

140 - Oat bread

160 - 1/2 cup Hummus

120 - 1/2 cup Tabouli

100 - Banana

050 - 1/8 of whole Honeydew

100 - Mixed steamed veggies

100 - Strawberries

100 - Grilled chicken

050 - Cottage cheese
075 - Frozen banana and peanut butter (I fell of the wagon and had a little dessert. Delish!)

Weight Loss Tip of the Day That is Not So Weird
Don't like running? Averse to sports? Have an excuse why you shouldn't do every exercise in the book? Try yoga. It is a great exercise for beginners and advanced athletes. I think the inner focus might be useful for those of us trying to change our eating habits. Check out yoga DVDs from your local library or if you are a cool kid who has cable (unlike me) watch (or record) Inhale at 6am on the Oxyen Channel. Namaste!

Happy Salad Day - Day 3

2009-07-22T20:00:00.000-04:00

Wednesday is Salad Day at H3. The attendees talk about it like it is free candy day. There is a huge buffet. In honor of salad day, please check out this awesome link to a New York Times article The Minimalist - Recipes for 101 Simple Salads. Happy Salad Day!

Strategic Error of the Day
Despite having a sick child, we went to dinner with friends from out of town tonight. The are only in Atlanta for two days, and they have kids so they swore they weren't afraid of germs. I only see this person one or two times a year at most. The strategic error was not taking sick child out, but I was totally unprepared for how to order food at a pizza place (see Zucca in Decatur).

As noted below, I opted for house salad with balsamic dressing on the side and an order of meatballs. Because eating a meatball the size of your fist is way healthier than eating a slice of pizza.
No really, it is. If you believe that you will believe anything. Serving was two meatballs, and I only ate one. Way better than what I used to do.

And I ate cake. No apologies. It was good cake. But no regrets since I ate a fraction of the slice. I did pretty good today. Proud of myself, and I'll do better tomorrow!

Exercise Journal
1 hr yoga with what's-his-name before work
30 minutes of walking after dinner
1 hr mowing the lawn (Yes, I'm counting this as exercise. I have a big yard and a walk-behind mower.)

Food Journal
Calories - Food
035 - Kashi
070 - Plain yogurt
050 - Strawberries and blueberries
140 - 2 piece oat bread
100 - hummus
050 - tabouli
070 - salad with olives and Parmesan cheese
300 - 1 meatball
200 - 30% of a slice of chocolate cake

Weird Weightloss Tip
Hang out with a 5 year old who has been throwing up all day and night. That is what my last 24 hours has been like. Another great appetite suppressant. On that note, happy eating and exercising!

It Hurts to NOT Workout - Day 2

2009-07-21T20:28:00.000-04:00

....and other post Hilton Head Health maladies...

I have to get up from my desk about every 45 minutes. After working out for 7 days straight, it hurts to be sedentary? It hurts to not workout? Is that possible? Is it like curing a hangover with a shot of tequila? Not that I've ever done that, but I've got friends you know. The more I exercise the less I hurt. Weird.

I feel very nervous around "treats" and "vending machines," and I'm surprised at how much of food I pass by on a daily basis are unwise choices. I'm a junk food crack fiend. I've got the shakes (actually that was from the morning run). I want to know how much one rib costs. (White people, this is both a food/dieting joke and addiction joke. Google it.)

I am triumphant...at least for today. I resisted the temptation of two of my favorite treats this Sunday. Baked donuts from Duck's Cosmic Kitchen (you can get them at Dancing Goats Coffee Bar in Decatur) and the Snickerdoodles at Ted's Montana Grill. I have a very bad sweet tooth.

I have faced the temptation of Chick-Fil-A. Chick-Fil-A is what I consider a wise fast-food choice. We went there for dinner tonight for a fundraiser for the monsters' school.

What a stroll through my neighborhood looks like. Some tress, some humans.

Here's how my day went:

Exercise Journal
30 min walk/run (Not a sunrise beach walk, but still good. A pretty good way to start the day with my husband)
1 set of 6 flights of stairs

Food Journal
Calorie - Food
230 - Flax Plus Raisin Bran w/ milk (love this cereal, was already a part of my diet)
025 - Strawberries
250 - Salmon (leftovers from last night)
035 - Dijon sauce
140 - Oatbread
036 - Butter (replaced salad with butter. no good psychology for this)
100 - Banana
220 - Chick-Fil-A Grilled Chicken and Fruit Salad
015 - Light Italian dressing
095 - 3 Tablespoons of Bruster's chocolate ice cream ( a treat!)

Weird Weightloss Tip
I still have the old treats in my desk: Oreos, Snackwell cookies, dark chocolate squares. I'm keeping them. Might eat them one day. But I put post-it notes on all food items in my desk drawer with the calories written very big. 6 Oreo cookies are 270 calories. So post-it note reads 270 calories. Funny thing is, I don't even like Oreo cookies.

Weird Weightloss Tip #2
Go to a fast food restaurant with 100 screaming 2-5 year olds. Instant appetite suppressant! Also instant birth control...

Right knee is hurting a little, slept like a baby last night (well at least a baby that sleeps through the night), thinking about yoga then fresh strawberries and yogurt from breakfast. What are you thinking about tonight? Strawberries? Yoga? Push-ups?

Happy New Year - Day 1

2009-07-20T21:55:00.000-04:00

I just spent a fabulous week at Hilton Head Health (H3). I learned a lot. I promise to tell you the details later, but none of what I learned can be translated into a blog. This is a blog about what happens when you learn something, when you reached the tipping point. I wanted to set up some public accountability for my new lifestyle in the form of a weight loss blog. This will not be for those looking for something quick and easy. You might have to follow this blog for years before I get to my desire results. But I plan to enjoy the journey, and I hope you do to.

When you are flexing what you really want is for your closet friend to be laughing hysterically (in the foreground) and 6'5 former pro volleyball player to be smirking (in the background).

As I said on my writing blog: Don't wait for January 1. Start writing, exercising, eating healthy, cleaning your closets today. For now this is my plan:

I will post my

daily exercise routine
food journal

If I have time I will post

complaints and happiness
people who helped me
weird tips for weight loss

I'll also remind you about nice websites with official recommendations like The Hilton Head Health Weight Loss Newsletter and Yoga Journal. I will also see if I can get my friends to chime in who are also learning new habits for fitness, healthy cooking, stress management, and weight loss. They say the key to weight loss success is keeping a journal. And here I thought it was staying away from the Krispy Kreme Donuts. Oh, and I am going to talk about food. It is my favorite. I have serious plans to eat a big piece of wedding cake in Minneapolis next weekend.

Food Journal
Calories - Food item
150 - 2 boiled eggs (2 x 75)
035 - Kashi whole grain puffs 1/2 cup
025 - 1/4 cup blueberries
050 - Kefir plain yogurt
050 - Honeydew melon 1/8 of whole
170 - Ethic Gourmet "Chicken Tandoori w/ Spinach"
025 - 1/4 cup blueberries
100 - medium banana
200 - 4oz baked salmon (I made this!)
035 - Dijon sauce (I made this, too! With plain non-fat yogurt as the base)
100 - spinach salad with sprouts and balsamic vinegar (I didn't make it, but I assembled the parts)
005 - 2 pieces of sugar free gum

What dinner tonight looked like. I cooked for my husband and parents. I gave my oat bread to my dad. I don't think he liked the "healthy cooking" because he put gobs of the dijon sauce on salmon and spinach, but then he weighs 125 lbs soaking wet. For my true friends, please see the evidence of my cooking (I swore off cooking once I started having the little monsters). Big monster (age 5) entered the kitchen while salmon was cooking and proclaimed "Grown up food smells yucky." Dude, thanks for the encouragement. I have to say, I really liked the salmon and sauce. Pretty close to what we ate one day at H3.

Exercise Journal
6:30 am 2 set of 12 (chest fly, biceps, triceps, reverse lunges, squats, row, overhead press)
60 mins walking
2 sets of 6 flights of stairs at work

Treat
3 sleeping monsters by 8:15pm
30 minute soak in Epsom salt and vinegar
1 what's-his-name who joined me in tub

Weird Tip for Weight Loss
Sugar-free gum. It is also good for your teeth.

Since this is not my writing blog, I don't have time for verboseness, but if you want to read my writing related ramblings go to Petit Fours and Hot Tamales or click here to see my posts. Coolest bunch of women writers you'll ever meet. Happy eating and happy exercising.