One {Healthy} Change

HuffPost Tuesday

2012-02-21T07:11:00.000-08:00

Did y'all notice? I skipped last week's HuffPost post. My computer got another virus and was out of commission when I should have written the post. Plus work has been crazy busy, so busy that I find myself working until 10 at night doing e-mails and putting together presetations. So I haven't even had m much time to browse Huff Post.

So, for this week's posts, I thought I'd look at some of the exercise and food posts. Hope you enjoy!

Work Out Midday To Boost Productivity by Laura Schwecherl: I have personally experienced this. I used to take my RPM classes during lunchtime, and I was definitely productive, but I don't know if I was more productive than when I didn't. I occasionally take lunchtime RPM classes, but since they are only 45 minutes, I've gone to the morning classes that are 60 minutes. Although when I'm getting back into the RPM groove, I'll do the lunchtime ones, which I did last week, and plan to do this week. I may look into doing something at the office, we have a gym and offer some cross training classes, which has been great for so may employees. I just have to figure out what works wiht my schedule and budget!

Three Hidden Ways Wheat Makes You Fat by Mark Hyman, MD: Read this article, if nothing for the scary statistics in the second and thrid paragraphs. Or for this sentence "Two slices of whole wheat bread now raise your blood sugar more than two tablespoons of table sugar." Um,what?! I had no idea. It is a long article but has great advice. Such as..."The best way to avoid foods that are bad for you is to stay away from foods with health claims on the labels. They are usually hiding something bad." I don't know much about gluten, but learned it causes inflammation, which is never good, especially internally. I wonder if when I'm not feeling so hot, if its from inflammation? I'm guessing yes. Dr. Hyman also says wheat has a Super Drug in it which can make you "crazy, hungry, and addicted." Thankfully, the good doc has some tips on "How to Beat the Wheat, and Lose the Weight." He suggest going wheat free for 6 weeks and keep a journal to see how you feel. I think I might have to try this and add to my 2012 To Do's. Stay tuned!

Does Yoga Count as Cardio? by Ben Greenfield: I was thinking about this just the other day in yoga class. I was lying in savasana and could feel my pulse pounding in my ears. I wondered how many calories I had burned. It was a 75 minute class in a heated room, so I guessed 400-500. I agree with everything he said in the article. I also think that most people practicing yoga don't think it is a cardio workout. I often view it as a strength and flexibility workout, at least as long as I stick with vinyasa or ashtanga. I love yoga, and I use it to supplement my cardio workouts.

Yoga is Hot by Rev. Peter Baldwin Panagore: Thank you Reverand for writing this. Any Christian who believes yoga isn't a way to get closer to God should read this. I love his last line, "beware of yoga: it is prayer, it will light your soul afire, and God is all consuming."

Sugar, on a Slippery Slope by David Katz, MD: Another article about sugar, something I have tried in the past to eliminate, but have failed miserably. Dr. Katz says that our overconsumption of sugar is our downfall, it is our poison. He comments on a previous article by a couple of reasearchers on sugar, along with their solutions. He doesn't necessarily disagree, but has his own thoughts on a number of items. The key part of his article is that the "dose is [the] poison." Too much sugar, too much sodium, too many calories, are all a part of the growing obesity problem.

What have you read on HuffPost lately?

Gettin' My Yoga Groove Back

2012-02-18T08:42:00.000-08:00

Ahhh, yoga, how I've missed gettin' my downward facing dog on. After a bit of a hiatus from the yoga studio, I got a free week pass so I've used it this week to get back in the groove with healthy living. I've gone Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday, and am scheduled to go today! Unfortunately, once today's class is over, I'll be going back to my gym and taking yoga there. No more warm 90 degree room to ease my muscles. But that's ok, the instructor at the gym isn't that bad, and yoga is easy to modify to your level anyways. I can make it more difficult if I feel like going to the next level, or not. That's the beauty of yoga.

Other exercise for the week was only an RPM class on Monday during my lunch hour. It was great, of course, but I don't think I've found my RPM groove again. I skipped out on a scheduled Weds. class, and had one scheduled for today, but had to do a conference call at that time. So, now I really need to get back on the bike this weekend. Some of my favorite classes teach on the weekends, so maybe they'll help me find my groove again!

I don't have much on the agenda for this weekend. I just have a bunch of errands to run, returning things, getting ready to go out of town again, visiting friends, just a low key weekend. I'll actually probably be doing some work. I'm pretty swamped these days, and have a bigger role than expected on a major project that has to be done ASAP. Plus I'm planning two meetings, one of which is fortunately coming up this week. And I'm so glad WW lets you know what the next week's topic is at the meetings. Next week it is stress! I need to hear all about this, because I have been feeling the stress, and reaching for little chocolates. I know not good.

I've been doing ok on WW. A bit over on a few days, but I have the weekly points and activity points to use so I'm not in too bad of a position heading into the weekend. For some reason I have the number 5.6 in my head, like it was a dream. I'm thinking that's what I'm shooting for on the scale...a loss of 5.6 lbs. Yeah, it's a stretch, but the number is so random it's gotta be a weight thing, right ;).

Well, I'm off to get my yoga groove on! Have a happy weekend!

WW Wednesdays: Starting Over & Weigh In 1

2012-02-15T09:48:00.000-08:00

I went to my first Weight Watchers meeting last night, and I really liked it. The last time I did WW meetings was at work, and I hated it. I didn't like the leader, and there just didn't seem to be as much sharing or conversation. Maybe because you're with people you have to see every day? I don't know, but I'm really looking forward to sharing my success with this group. I just have to approach it like I don't know anything, and use all the resources available to be successful. I also have a friend who goes to the same meetings, so it will be nice to see her more regularly.

I was not really looking forward to stepping on the scale, but I had to start somewhere. I was a bit apprehensive because I'm used to weighing in at home, sans clothes, and in the morning when you're supposedly at your lowest weight of the day. I had sort of prepared myself for an increase, so I wasn't too surprised with what I'm at now.

Weigh-In
Starting Weight: 229.2

5% Goal Weight: 218.2 (-11 lbs.)

My first goal is to reach 5% weight loss, as suggested by WW. I love seeing the little stars online, and now I'll be able to get real stickers to put on my WI form! It's the little things in life :).

I think what I'm most excited about by going to the meetings is to be able to share my successes with people. The last time I lost a lot of weight, I went to weekly meetings (not WW), and it was almost like a competition for me. When I first started that program, I wasn't having great success, and I didn't like hearing everyone else talk about their success. I wanted to be one of them! I wanted to say I had lost X amount of weight, or lost X number of inches, and I wanted to be able to say how I did it. So I finally got my head in the game (oh yes, a High School Musical reference!), and started following the program to a T and the weight and inches started dropping. I ended up losing the most weight in the group. While WW is really nothing like the last program I was a part of, I'm not looking to lose the most weight, but I will get a chance to share my success with other people who have all been there or are going through it too.

It took me a while to come to this realization, that I need to hear from successful people to get motivated to be successful, and that I need to share my success with others. I put off WW meetings for so long, but I really feel that I'm in it for real this time. I'm in it to lose weight and get healthy. I want to live the life I'm supposed to live and not have my weight hold me back anymore! I'm really looking forward to my future in WW.

Changes!!!

2012-02-12T19:08:00.000-08:00

Changes is my theme for this week!

Source: Uploaded by user via Lance on Pinterest

I signed up for Weight Watchers Monthly Pass which allows me to attend unlimited meetings each month and access to eTools. Since signing up for WW online last Sept., I am down about 15 lbs. (was at 19.5 lbs. but gained a few back), and since last year around this time, I'm down about 20 lbs. give or take a few. Yet ever since Christmas, when I started traveling almost every week, I have stayed about the same, up just a few. But I'm frustrated because I seem to lack the motivation to even use the eTools, so I decided to make a change and sign up for meetings. What can it hurt? It's gonna cost a bit more a month, but I really think this will help me. With all my travel, it probably would have been good for me to be accountable by going to meetings when I was in town. Can't live in the past though, so I'm just going to start going now. I do have more travel coming up, but it's not every week like it has been. At least not yet!

This means that my Monday Weigh-In is changing to Tuesday, since I'll start going to meetings then. I kind of feel like I'm starting over, so I'm excited to see what this change will make in my life! I'm determined to "make it happen!" I think I'll go back to doing WW Wednesday posts, like I sporadically did last fall, but can include my weigh-ins now.

Workout wise, I'm going back to Haute Yoga this week with a free pass! I went to a warm Vinyasa class tonight, and it was so good. I really miss the heated rooms there. I gotta find a way to be able to afford a class pass, maybe one day! I'm also getting back into RPM classes, already have those scheduled in my calendar, woo hoo!

I'm finally in town for a full week, and I plan to get back on track with everything that helped me to lose the last 15 lbs. Armed with WW meetings, friend's support, my gym, and no travel, I have no doubt that I will be successful!

Source: sunshineandpearls.tumblr.com via Mary on Pinterest

Fur Baby Friday: Can't Wait to Get the Dog Back

2012-02-10T22:11:00.000-08:00

I miss my little stinker when I have to go out of town. Can't wait to pick her up in the morning from the kennel!

I'm linking up again with Mrs. Monologues Fur Baby Friday (a bit late, but hey I was traveling all day).