Muscle vs. Fat

This picture is a good reminder to me today that I'm (we're) not working just to be skinny or to have a low number on the scale, but to build muscle, be strong, not worry about the scale, and be healthy.

Thought I'd share it with y'all.

Gugulipid

gugulipid






What Is It?

From the resin of the mukul myrrh tree (Commiphora mukul) comes a remedy--gugulipid--that holds promise for lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels as effectively as certain prescription medications. Native to India, this tree is closely related to the plant that provides the fragrant myrrh described in the Bible.

The tree’s resin is called gum guggul, or guggulu. Traditional Ayurvedic healers in India have relied on this resin for centuries to treat arthritis and obesity. Interestingly, as early as 600 B.C. they were giving it to people who suffered from a condition associated with regular overindulgence in rich foods and a sedate lifestyle--what we now know as atherosclerosis.

Research has subsequently revealed that the refined resin (gugulipid) inhibits the formation of artery-hardening plaque. In addition, it has been found that active ingredients called guggulsterones encourage levels of cholesterol and fat to drop. This in turn lowers the risk for heart disease. Guggulsterones may also help to control arthritis-related inflammation and may aid in weight loss.

General Interaction

There are no known drug or nutrient interactions associated with gugulipid.

3 month evaluation

Ok, I went to the doctor yesterday for my 3 month check-up.

Overall I have lost 14 pounds.
My triglycerides have dropped 64 points... HOO RAY!! this was the one I was concerned about.
My cholestrol only dropped 1 point, but the LDL (bad) was up from last time.
I wonder what in the world that I'm eating would cause that?

I had hoped for a better report but I guess it's not too bad for only 3 months.
I will go back in another 3 and test again and again until I get the weight and the lipids under control.

Guest Blogger, Cheri aka McMom

I thought you guys would find this as interesting as I did. It is from Cheri (a friend of a friend and fellow blogger)who has been having trouble losing weight even tho she watches her diet and exercises a whopping hour to hour and a half a day.


Insulin Resistance
Monday I went to see an Endocrinologist. He confirmed that the pituitary tumor is not returning. That is a blessing! I discussed with him my inability to loose weight, even with all the exercise I do. He is running some lab tests, but believes I have Insulin Resistance (IR), also called Metabolic Syndrome. I fit the profile,( lower blood sugar, high blood pressure and high triglycerides), and what he said makes sense. IR leads to Type 2 diabetes and possible coronary problems. My Father has Type 2 diabetes. I wonder why a Dr. did not suggest this possibility sooner. I have been fighting my wt. for 5 yrs.

Anyway I have been researching it some and found some pretty good links.

http://syndromex.stanford.edu/InsulinResistance.htm

http://www.heartlandnaturopathic.com/irdiet.htm

I have been eating close to the way the diet tells you to eat, BUT I usually give myself a" free day" or have something sweet now and then. Doing that takes me back to "square one" again.
Until I get this reversed and loose some weight I can't indulge, even a little bit. This is going to take some work and discipline, but I have to do it! I want to be healthy and avoid some of the health issues my parents are dealing with.

The Dr. also asked what my life has been like the last few years-any stress?! When I told him about the 3 moves in the last year , major surgery and a husband headed for Iraq if he does not get a civilian job soon, he said my stress level is off the charts ! Stress raises cortisol levels and keeps you from loosing weight also

Happy Monday ladies! (I'm only happy because I have Monday's off!) Last week, I managed to meet all my goals. I drank my water each day, took my vitamins, ate my two pieces of fruit each day, and worked out for 45 minutes. This week I'm going to add having a salad for lunch each day. I really need more of the green stuff and having a salad is the best way to get it.
I've reset my long term goal to losing 20 lbs by my birthday. That's three months away. I bought a calander today so I have a visual of my timeline. I'm just going to keep doing what I know I should and see what happens.
The past few weeks, eating has been out of control, but I can feel myself starting to bring it back together again.
David also seems pretty searious about losing weight. He and his friend have been working out for two weeks now. I'm so proud of him!
Here's to a good week ladies! We're getting there even if it is two steps forward and one step back. :)

"Motivation Fatigue"

I found this nifty article on MNS today about "motivation fatigue" and sticking with fitness for the long haul.

One of the things they suggested Sandra is already doing: setting goals for the week. Sounds like a great idea. I also like the suggestion to congratulate yourself when you do something well; I don't think I do that enough. I always focus on what I did wrong.

Enjoy!

My favorite super foods this week have been:

in a very small container (8oz) I put:
1/4 c. or less of organic oats & honey granola
approx. 2T chopped walnuts
" 2T frozen blueberries
1/2 c. low fat vanilla yogurt

And another:

Bowl full of spring green bagged salad mix
thin sliced onions
2T crumbled feta cheese w/tom. and basil
1T balsamic vinaigrette
6 kalamata olives

I've had a healthy week. Did my exercise, ate well, took vitamins, rested from school.
No weight loss. No weight gain.

Tomorrow we are having a picnic in the park with several friends who had March birthdays.

A survey of sorts

Hey gals, I was just wondering...

For those of you doing the low-carb thing, how low have you gone? No more than 50 per day? No more than 100?

For those of you counting calories, what is your daily calorie goal?

Woo-hoo!

I worked out today for the first time in a week and it went great! :)

Following in her footsteps? Weird eating patterns

I watched my mom cook a lot of meals, usually three a day for most of her married life, but I rarely saw her eat any of them. My mom is a snacker. She'd eat meals at restaurants, but even then she always walked out with leftovers to snack on later.

And, until now, I've always been a meal eater, unless I was completely unhealthy (read binging or starving). Three full meals each day, and in restaurants there were rarely leftovers. I've always been able to eat. Pregnancy has changed this, drastically. The only meal I eat, with more than one kind of food on my plate, is breakfast. Meals make me sick. So, I've become a snacker. A mandarin at 9, crackers at 11, yogurt at 1, a hardboiled egg at 3, and then I snack through whatever I'm making for dinner. My stomach doesn't feel big enough to hold any more at a time. It's weird.

Thus, I think I've found the answer to my mother's eternal snacking -- after four kids her stomach just never returned to normal and she kept the same eating patterns.

I have no idea why I'm posting this. I just think it's weird.

This diet thing has me all in a funk. I just can't seem to get a grip on things. Yesterday, I made and ate chocolate chip cookes.
The workouts are great. I feel stronger and healthier. I was surprised at how far I am able to jog.
It's the food. I tell myself each morning that I'm going to make the right choices. I tell myself that when David calls to see if I want anything for lunch I will say yes to a salad. I tell myself that I must listen to the reasonable side of me which wants to eat a healthy balanced diet. I tell myself all of these things, but lately, I'm not listening.

Moving on up

Well, my foot is 95% better. I probably won't be doing any running for another week or two (it's raining like crazy here anyway...what's that saying...March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb? I hope so.), but I hope to get back to lifting weights and riding the stationary bike again tomorrow.

I've been feeling very sluggish lately, and J is blaming it on my lack of exercise. He's probably right. Pray that I can get my momentum back.

I'm still struggling a little with having appropriate goals, especially since my goal of "consistency" has been so consistently SCREWED UP as of late. :) I am pretty happy at the size I am, though sometimes I look in the mirror and think, "Ugh," like most of us ladies do from time to time. Health itself is always a good goal, but it's a little abstract.

Anyway, I appreciate you ladies, and you have really kept me on track, even as I've been unable to exercise (or walk--haha!).

mmmmmm... good

Walmart has been having Red D'anjou pears the last few weeks. Oh, my, they are so yummy. I like pears anyway but these are soooo good.
Our Walmart is doing a little better at carrying some better foods. I've been buying an organic granola there and this week they had a few choices of organic produce. I bought organic carrots and cauliflower.

I have two weeks before I go back to get my lipids tested again. I'm excited to find out what they are.
But, I'm gonna have to not do what I did tonight anymore...
The only time I like breakfast foods is at night and tonight I was craving them. I only ate 1 biscuit (200 calories), 1 sausage patty(230 calories), 1/4 cup gravy(60 calories), and two scrambled eggs(210 calories).

YIKES!!

But it was good.

I'm so happy. David has decided to start eating helthy with me. He and his friend started working out last week, and this weekend he said he would start watching what he eats on Monday. I've noticed that his stomache is getting bigger, and with a family history of heart diseas, that is scary. I want to make sure he is here with me for a very long time, so I am excited about his choice. Not to mention, it will help keep me on track if he doesn't have all the junk food in the house.
This week, I'm still focusing on taking my vitamins, drinking my water, eating my fruits and veggies, and working out. I'm also adding going to bed at a more reasonable time. I would like to be in bed no latter than 10 each night.
Here's to another week girls!

Falling Off the Wagon

Jeanne is right.

When i was teaching high school, I went to a conference where I attended a very memorable session on changing habits.

What applies to us is that, like Jeanne supposes, making the kind of changes we want is like learning to walk. Quitting any negative habit is a trial and error thing, but your intentions are a very important part of this process. The presenter substantiated his point by stating that of people who had long-term succcess in quitting cigarettes, a very large percentage had been "gearing up" for two years. That is, they had been talking to themselves about quitting, making starts at quitting, going back to it, and so on.

I am not sure we will be able to get around this, though we can do very well at this process overall. And I think togetherness helps. That said, today I am getting back on the wagon too.

Peace to Jeanne at your new job. I have given up worrying for lent! So I am totally with you today.

Today...

I start a new job. Well, it's a job I've sorta done before, in a place where I've worked before...but that was ten years ago, so actually its a new job. I'm nervous though.
Today I begin again with my new lifestyle of eating better and exercising more. I fell off the "wagon" BAD. But, shoot, you can only just get back up again, right? It's a journey; it's a marathon; it's a work in progress. Looking back on this particular aspect of my life, it looks like a toddler learning to walk. Sure is good to have other's hands to hold sometimes. Thanks, ladies.
Today, I choose to not worry about my kids (just because I'm their mom) or my husband who has been sick for three weeks, or my friend who has suffered numerous strokes.
Today I'm not going to watch so much TV. Today I'm not going to eat BBQ potato chips or cookies.
So far, so good. I've been up for 20 minutes. Coffee's perking. It's not raining. (I know some of you really need it, so I'll ask that it be sent to you.)
Have a good today, dear ones.

lurking

I go through this with all my blogs, the ones I read and the ones I write on: i turn into a blogosphere lurker for a while. Can't say why, it is like I run out of typing steam. I want you all to know that I am both reading your posts and cheering you on.

I am totally exhausted today, physically and mentally. I'm so tired my brain won't work correctly. I find myself just sitting here staring at the monitor, when I try to type the words come out all wrong and misspelled (good thing for spell check).

Besides all the moving, cleaning, painting, reorganizing the bedrooms I have been involved in some serious discussion on a couple of blogs this week.. heavy stuff. I don't take matters that have to do with eternity lightly. It has weighed on my heart and my mind and still is.

But, with all that going on I've stayed on track this week with food and exercise. I've increased my yoga by one new pose. My arms have been too tired to lift weights from all the painting and hauling but I did lift 3 nights. I've stayed within my calorie goals and I even lost a couple of pounds this week. It was a little hard to tell on the analog scale if it was 1 or 2 pounds, but I will take it. At least it moved a little.

I'm hoping to finish up the final details of the move by tonight and then do absolutely nothing for the next couple of days.

Hope you all have a restful weekend.

much love,
A

Not so great week

I have been injured all week. I worked out on Monday and Tuesday; both workouts were great. All day Tuesday my neck was really stiff. I couldn't turn my head to the right. I felt like Zoolander ("I'm not an ambi-turner!")

Then on Wednesday night, just as my neck was starting to relax and not hurt so badly, I started feeling a twinge in my right foot. Weird, huh? I have no idea what happened. (Maybe from wearing some tight shoes a few weeks ago...I don't know...) Now I can't walk on the inside of my foot or big toe; it's killing me. Which of course means very little exercising. Heck, I'm having trouble standing up for more than a few minutes, let alone keeping my balance or running.

Yesterday after work, my foot was so swollen I could barely shove it into my shoe to go drive home (fortunately, Jason was driving). I started bawling on the way home; poor J didn't know what to do. I had been holding it together all day (it was a huge day at work yesterday), but dang, it really hurt! He took me to McDonalds (not a great option, but there was no way I was cooking that night).

I was supposed to drive down to Portland today to see my best friend who I haven't seen in two years (she just moved there from Colorado Springs), but there is no way I can do it. I might be able to drive, but then I'd just need to have my foot up all night and wouldn't be able to really hang out with her. I'm so disappointed...about missing workouts, about not being able to go see Carissa, everything. Blah. These things may sideline me for a while, but I'm not going to let myself get discouraged.

I've found that, for me, the less I think about food the less of an issue it becomes. When I'm not franticly counting every calorie, I manage to stay within my calorie range.
I've done well with drinking my water, taking my vitamins, and eating all my fruits and vegetables this week. I've also been working out for at least 45 minutes each day. Yesterday I ran for an additional 20 minutes. My knees were killing me afterwards and I was bummed because I thought it was from the run, but when my elbows started hurting too, I knew it was from the weather. The temperature dropped and that always means achy joints for me. This morning my hips, knees, and elbows are hurting just enough to make me uncomfortable. I'm a walking barometer!
I really think that taking my multivitamin has a huge effect on me. It could be placebo. All I know is that when I didn't have it for the last two weeks, I was eating like crazy and having a craving for something I could never figure out. This week, I've been eating normally and no cravings. Of course there are many other factors involved, but I'm going with the multi.

Update -- I'm not sure where to post this

24 weeks
Total gain - 6 1/2 pounds
Ultrasound tech says baby boy is around 2 lbs, big for this early. They'd love to move the due date up and make me suffer through every two week appointments sooner, but I refused. Nate was 10 lbs at birth, and I was 8 lbs. 6 ozs., so I have no delusions about this being a small baby.
Baby and I are both perfectly healthy.

Pomegranate

A source of:

Vit B-6
Vit C
Polyphenols
Potassium

Pomegranate juice my have 2 - 3 X the anti-oxidant power of equal amounts of green tea or red wine.
As little as 1/4 cup per day(of juice) may improve cardiovascular health, reduce LDL cholesterol.
possesses potent anti-inflammatory phytochemicals (helps arthritis) and has been shown to lower blood pressure.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have never eaten a pomegranate. Guess I ought to try it.

new products

I tried two new Schwan's products this week:

the fully cooked pork loin roast - probably the best loin roast I have ever eaten (except when Richard slow cooks one in the smoker)
very lean, 130 calories per serving (3 oz.)

and

the peach mango fruit bar - yummy!!! only 60 calories and no fat.

I went for a jog with Patches and Erin today. It was nice. We jogged for about 30 minutes. The lawn at the park we went to was freshly mowed and the scent was lovely. I'm planning on going to the park to jog four days a week. Two of the days I'll take Patches and two I'll go alone.
I'm learning to take this weight loss thing slowly and to not freak out when I don't get it all right. When I focus on keeping everything inline I lose it, but if I focuse on a few things I can keep it all going. This week I'm focusing on taking all my suplements, drinking 64 oz of water, working out 45 minutes each day and getting all my servings of fruits and vegetables.

Hi There

Well, this Wednesday is my last day at Kirk's. I had my exit interview today. It was okay and the general manager blessed me. I got a new job at my church. It feels kinda weird...I worked there before. When I left, I was totally burned out. FAL had become my world - my social circles, my worship, my ministry, my work. That stupid obsessive-compulsive way of mine. I know you understand. It has taken me literally years to get over it. My dearest friends are happy that I'm doing this, partly because it's a proving to myself that I'm not a failure. And it fits me.
And these changes bring with them their own set of stresses...ah well.
Darren is settling in in Mississippi. My heart is still spasming, but it's not an aching mess anymore. I was feeling bad and sorry for myself and I remembered my friend ? who had a son Darren's age who drowned. Sorta put things in perspective you know? Course I did not want to hear that last week, but I knew it would get better. And it has. I was able to redecorate Darren's room and it's cute and ready for guests. Anyone want to come? Any time, girls, I mean it.
So, 24 is on and I need to go to watch it. My husband is looking at me like I'm a crazy woman. AND he just said to me, "You'd rather watch THAT than SuperNanny?" Well, duh!
He loves WifeSwap shows, too. What a funny guy. I hope its making him realize I'm pretty normal. Ha ha. So, see you all soon. Eat well, exercise as much as you can and love who you are.
(How's that for profound.)

Happy Monday!

I thought this was a really good article about transitioning from an occasional exerciser to being a bonafide fitness freak. :) I can't even sum up all the good points it has, so be sure to check it out when you've got the time.

This is another cool article with bodyweight (no equipment necessary) exercises you can do at home. Good stuff.

Everything's going fine here. Peanut butter cookies are tempting me a little, but my workout this morning was awesome and I'm looking forward to a really great week!

Patches and I went for a long walk this morning around the park by Erin's school. I'm feeling much better about things. There's nothing like the fresh air to cleanse the sences and focus the mind.
I've come to far to think about giving up or going in the wrong direction.

recap

This week is one of those weeks you just get your red Sharpie and mark out with great big X's
and forget that it every happened and you move on to hopefully a better week next week.

I didn't over eat, didn't feel much like eating at all. But, I sure didn't exercise. I think we walked one day this week. I lifted once early in the week and then last night. I was surprised at how weak I felt just after 3 days of not lifting. I had to push to get thru my sets. So, of course, it was yet another week of no weight loss.

I did do a few really healthy things like buy some extra dark chocolate. I'm eating one small block each day. It pretty much fills the craving for chocolate I have this time of month with no guilt involved. I ordered and received two boxes of organic foods from Net Grocer and an order from Web Vitamins for bee pollen granules and lecithan granules to add to my daily smoothy. My refrigerator and pantry could be an ad for the Super Foods book.
It makes me feel good just to stand at the door and look at it all.

Sethy sometimes acts like I am slowly killing him when he stands at the door and looks. :)

I'm feeling very unmotivated today. I am very tired of couting calories. What do you do when you just lose the motivation. I love working out. That is never a problem, but this counting thing has my brain fried! I'm constantly thinking about food, what I can eat, what I can't, and what I want to eat regardless of weather I should or not.
Last night we grilled burgers. I chose to have my burger on a portabello mushroom rather than a bun, and I skipped the chese and chips. It was delicious so it wasn't a hard choice for me, but when everyone else had an ice cream, I had one too.
It feels like it's a constant battle to make the right choice. I thought it might be easier by now, but it seems like it's gotten harder.
Sorry for the whine, but I'm just feeling very frustrated this morning. I know it will pass. Thanks for listening ladies. :)

Totally unrelated to fitness, but...

I didn't want to put this on my regular blog, but I need some input from my friends.

What do and your spouse do when you get home at night? How do you spend your weekends with each other?

(Not including, um...sex.)

What does a typical week night or weekend look like for you? I know we all have kind of crazy schedules: Mark works a lot on weekends, David's at school, taking care of our kids. But...

Where this is coming from: sometimes (not always, but sometimes) Jason and I are too tired from working hard all day to do anything but stare at the History Channel all evening. I'm just wondering what other couples do, realistically, to make their time together quality time.

Other issues involved:

-We work in the same office in a high stress environment. When I say, "How was your day?"...well, I already know, and the day was probably frustrating. Talking about our days just takes work home with us and makes us irritated.

-He doesn't have a lot of outside interests for us to talk about. Other than work, which takes a huge chunk of his time and energy, he likes football and gardening. I have done my best to be interested in those things, but when football season is over and gardening season hasn't begun, the guy just doesn't do a lot.

Thanks for helping me out, y'all.

Flaxseeds

Flaxseeds are the best plant source of Omega-3 fatty acids.

A powerful source of:
fiber, protein, magnesium, iron and potassium, lignans (which are the phytoestrogens).

They have to be ground to be able to absorb the nutrients.

And, yes, my book says you can used them in quick breads or pancakes.

1 - 2 T. a day is all you need.

I've decided to go back to working out at Curves alternanting days between upper and lower body. I feel like I get a much better workout when I'm doing that. I'll probalby incorporate some free weights into my routine too.
Aola, does flax seed have the same benefits if it's baked into bread?
My co-worker is comming in early to work for me the last part of today and then I have four days off. It will be so nice! I hope it doesn't go by too fast.
Some things I'm lovin right now...
Sugar free instant chocolate pudding
Breyers all natural sugar free chocolate ice cream (Thanks for the idea Kirsten)
and pears!

I'M BA A AA CK

Hello Ladies,
Yes, I'm back from my travels, but I'm still recovering. I've missed you. I had internet one day, but all I could do was read, the connection was so weak.
I'm gonna have to start all over again. It's a good thing I'm not feeling guilty about it. So, Monday is my new first day.
I'll be reading and commenting this week.
Talk to you soon.

The bad thing about David being out of school is that I want to eat what he eats. I've been doing so great in the mornings! I've been packing my lunches and snacks. Today I had an omlet for breakfast with an orange and green tea. I have a light yogurt for a snack, and letuce wraps for lunch. My goal today is to not eat when I get home. I will have lunch at work around 12 and I don't want to eat again until 3 when I have my afternoon snack which will be 3 whole wheat crackers with laughing cow light cheese. I know if I can hold off, I will stay at my calorie range. It's those hours between 1 and 3 when I tend to snack like crazy. I know I can do this. I'll be checking in tomorrow to let you ladies know how I do.
With David home, I'm much less likely to workout. I ran for 30 minutes at work yesterday but did nothing else once I got home. I really feel like if I can just push myself through this it'll be great, but I'm having the hardest time staying focused.

Pumpkin, carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, orange bell peppers

Pumpkin, carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, orange bell peppers:

A source of:

Alpha carotene
Beta carotene
High fiber
Low calories
Vit. C and E
Potassium
Magnesium
Pantothenic acid

Associated with reduction in:

Cancer
Cardiovascular disease
Inflammatory conditions, ie., asthma and arthritis
Diabetes mellitus

Recommended amount:
1/2 cup 5 - 7 days per week

Chili's Molten Lava Cake...enough said?

Thought I would post my Super Foods list:

SUPER FOODS

Dark chocolate (100 calories of daily or 2 small nuggets)
Citrus fruits – lemons, grapefruit, limes, etc.
Kiwi
Blueberries – grapes, cranberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries
Apples, pears
Plums, pomegranates
Pumpkin, carrots, sweet potatoes
Beans (all kinds)
Tomatoes
Soy (all soy products including edame, soy nuts, soy milk, tofu, etc.)
Avacado
Garlic
Onion
Broccoli (all brassicas including brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower)
Oats, flaxseed (all whole grains including wild rice, barley, couscous, etc.)
Nuts (all kinds)
Honey
Tea
Yogurt
Salmon, albacore
Turkey
Chicken breast
Cinnamon
Black Pepper
Turmeric
Oregano
Olive oil, canola oil

I can't convince myself to like cottage cheese again, but I can deal with riccota. I'm having my midmorning snack of one fourth cup of low fat riccota cheese, 1/2 a sliced pear, and a drizzle of honey. It's yummy. When I did the South Beach diet there were a lot of deserts made with riccota cheese. One I really liked had cocoa powder and splenda. It was pretty good. I had my green tea this morning and felt similar levels of awakness as when I have coffee. I don't think this will be a difficult transition at all. I planned out my meals yesterday and had my lunch bag ready for work this morning. Today this weight loss journey seems doable and maybe even a little exciting.

somebody slap me!!!

Ok, I am feeling bloated (probably because I am), like I am never going to lose anymore weight.. I doomed to be fat for-ever, hormonal and weepy.
I just had a quick email from Jeanne, she didn't really say anything, much, and I sat here and cried.
I read Rachelle's post, again, about her pain and I cried.
I'm in one of those "who gives a flyin' rip" moods...................

If I had any "bad" food in my freakin' house I would go eat it, right now, but silly me refuses to buy junk so I have no reserve stash. :)

organics

For those of you who don't have an organic grocery store close to you I have discovered that Net Grocer www.netgrocer.com has a pretty good selection of organic products at reasonable prices and the shipping is not too bad.

Kristen, I took your advice and am having green tea this morning. It's an adjustment from my morning mocha, but I like it. I've had green tea before. I used to drink it every day, but got out of the habbit. I'm going to try replacing my morning mocha with green tea except for on Sunday mornings.
I bough The Biggest Loswer book at Target last night. The diet is everything I already know. There are some good recipes and I love the stories of the cast members. They are very inspiring. There is also so good workout advice.
I finally started my period. Last week was horrible! I just wanted to sleep and eat. I didn't even workout yesterday because I was so tired. I'm feeling much better today other than cramps. (nothing midol won't cure) The week before my period always kills me.
Comming to work at 8 a.m. rather than 6 a.m. was nice. The sun is out and shining a complete 180 from yesterday when it was hailing! I'm trying to convince David and Erin to wake up in time tomorrow to drive to the nature reserve down the street from us and enjoy the sunrise together. We can't see it from our place and I really miss it!
Have a great weekend ladies!

Another Article...

Weightlifting may help women battle abdominal fat

By just lifting weights twice a week for an hour, women can battle the buildup of tummy fat that often takes hold with aging, a new study suggests.

And they didn't even diet.

The study focused on intra-abdominal fat, the deep fat that wraps itself around organs and is the most unhealthy because it's linked with heart disease.

"One of the most common complaints in women, especially as we continue to age, especially as we go through menopause, the No. 1 complaint is abdominal growth," said Dr. Tracy Stevens, a cardiologist who directs the women's heart center at St. Luke's Hospital in Kansas City.

"It's the apple-shaped person I'm most worried about," said Stevens, who was not involved in the study. "The more central the fat, the more it's laid down in the arteries."

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and is being presented Friday at an American Heart Association conference in Phoenix.

In it, 164 overweight and obese Minnesota women ages 24 to 44 were divided evenly into two groups. One group participated in a two-year weight-training program and the other was simply given a brochure recommending exercise of 30 minutes to an hour most days of the week. Both groups were told not to change their diets in a way that might lead to weight changes.

Women who did the weight-training for two years had only a 7 percent increase in intra-abdominal fat, compared to a 21 percent increase in the group given exercise advice.

The strength-training group also decreased body fat percentage by almost 4 percent, while the group just given advice remained the same.

"I think we need to provide people with multiple possibilities, multiple roads to the same end. If this is what you're willing to do, I'll tell you what you can get out of it," said the lead author of the study, Kathryn Schmitz, an epidemiologist at the school of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Researchers reported only marginal effects from the training on total fat mass and the fat you can pinch under the skin.

Using both free weights and machines, the women in the strength-training group worked out for about an hour and were encouraged to gradually increase the weights they lifted.

"This is not a program you could do in your home, unless you can afford to have a full gym in your basement," Schmitz said.

The women, who completed 70 percent of the advised exercise throughout the study, were in supervised strengthening classes for 16 weeks.

Schmitz said the focus was on chest, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps, lower back, buttocks and thighs. She noted that adding muscle mass can help overweight women move faster so they burn more calories.

Dr. Rita F. Redberg, a cardiologist at the University of California San Francisco, pointed out that since muscle burns more calories than fat, increasing muscle mass means losing more calories.

"Certainly, any kind of exercise is better than not doing anything," Redberg said. But for "maximal benefit, cardio with weight training will get a lot more bang for your buck."

"I think exercise is the fountain of youth," she said. "If it was a pill, everyone would be taking it."

I got a new book yesterday, Super Foods/ Healthy Lifestyle. Most of what is in it I already knew but I love reading about nutrition and health related issues.
I have learned one new super food that I was not aware of... the kiwi.
I love kiwi but I had no idea it was so power packed.
Most of what I eat is on the super foods list.

What are you guys planning for your weekend.
We work and then we work some more and that's about it.
Mark has people in the studio tonight and tomorrow.
Sunday Jason and Shyla, Levi and Christi are coming for dinner.

I am making a shrimp and chicken alfredo, salad, and bread for our meal together.
and lemon bars for dessert.

And, that takes care of my weekend.

Hope you guys have a safe and healthy weekend.

What Kind of Eater Are You?

This came to me in one of my daily Denise Austin e-mails. Thought I'd share it with y'all. I don't think it's "all-inclusive" obviously, but it is good advice. (I'm more of a rebel eater myself.)

Part of overcoming your struggle with weight is understanding how it began. Need some help getting started? See if you can recognize your overeating type. Keep in mind that you may be a combination of these:

The Indulger: For indulgers, eating is used to nurture and reward. While you should be good to yourself, that doesn't have to come with calories attached. Think of some nonfood rewards instead. How about a bubble bath, pedicure, or some new flowers from your garden, for example?

The Critic: Critics are always telling themselves that they're never going to be good enough — so why bother? "You can't, you won't, you aren't…" And on and on it goes. Remember, being fit isn't about being perfect. It's about doing your best and getting back on track when you derail.

The Rebel: Rebels eat "bad" foods to feel good. But remember, unhealthy eating doesn't "get back" at anyone. In fact, the only one you're hurting is yourself. So dye your hair, listen to alternative music, or wear red when everyone else is wearing gray, but skip the chocolate cake!

The Victim: The voice inside the victim's head says, "You just can't stop yourself. You're helpless." You eat and eat, then tell yourself it wasn't your fault. There's always an excuse. But the reality is, the only one who can control your eating is you. So stop feeling powerless and start taking charge!

another question

I have a question, too.

My knees are in pretty bad shape, when I walk up stairs they creak and grind (sounds awful). I don't have a lot of pain in my knee but some....

I have started doing some knee bending type exerices, going very slowly. I know that any exercise and especially weight bearing exercise is good for the bone and also good for people with arthritis but how much is enough or too much? I shouldn't push to the point of being painful, should I ?

Let's play 100 questions....

I'm not hungry. I'm not hungry. I'm not hungry. Maybe if I keep repeating it, I won't eat like a starved crazy person. :)
I only worked out for ten minutes yesterday. I felt really guilty about it, but I'm over it now. It's a new day, and I'll workout today.
I've noticed that if I don't have my short not fat no whip mocha, I eat more. I'm sure it's the caffine in them that keeps my appetite a suppresed, and that's okay with me. They are only 110 calories.
Hey Kristen, weren't you asking about Faxseed Oil? I found this article and that you might like to give it a read.
Anybody have any suggestions for when I should change the amount of weight I'm doing in my strength training routine? Is it better to have more weight or more reps? Also, I know I need to skip days between stregth training, but what if I do two strength training sessions a day? Let me explain. I am currently doing TBL strength workouts which use dumbells for arm workouts and some but and thigh stuff. It focuses a lot on the biceps and triceps. Is it okay to add a Curves workout on the same day I do TBL stuff as long as I still have a day in between so that I get a more overall workout?
And one final question that has been bugging me. What is a better factor in calories burned..the activity or your heart rate? For example at Spark People it says that doing a circut program for 30 minutes I would burn 334 calories or something like that. However, it I put in 30 minutes doing Curves circut it drops to 204. But, if I am keeping my heart rate at 80% couldn't it be more than that? Where do they come up with these numbers? Is there a way to calculate it myself? have I asked too many questions?
Thanks ladies!

Slow and Steady wins the race....

Ok, you guys keep telling me that.

March stats:

I only lost 3 pounds in February (makes a total of 14 since we began)
I lost 2 inches in my bust,
none in my waist or hips.

Mark swears he can tell a difference in my tone. Which I choose to believe.

I need to lose 6 pounds in March to have reaced my goal of losing 20 pounds before I go back to the doctor. Hopefully, the warmer weather and working in my yard will help.

I am feeling pretty disappointed but I wont' give up!

I was relieved to step on the scale this morning and see the number back to what it was prior to my food frenzy. That, of course, means I have not lost anymore weight, but I can deal with that. I did my complete measurements for the first time since January 10th. The results are inspiring. I've lost a total of 7.5 pounds, 2.71 pounds of body fat, and 13 inches. I am adjusting to the fact that I don't lose weight fast. It's a slow process for my body, but it's worth it.
I did much better diet wise yesterday. I managed to stay within my calories and not feel like I was straving. I think somedays our bodies just need a little more for whatever reason.
Other than weight loss, I am seeing other more significant results. I am more capable of pushing myself to workout and less likely to come up with excuses not to. I can fit into a smaller size jean. I have more energy durring the day. I feel better emotionaly. I haven't had the ups and downs that usually plague me especially during my period.
I'm going to reward myself with some Burt's Bees citrus facial scrub. :)