YUM- Blueberry Banana Parfait

Check out the recipe
here. This is so good I can't believe it is healthy!!!

Rockin' Play List.. Wooo Hoo!

I decided to try a pure eliptical machine workout, something like this:
5 min warm up
5 min little faster
45 min steady 70% hr
5 min cool down

In the past I am HORRIBLE about staying with an eliptical or treadmill very long. Books on tape help me stay on, but oh, I get so bored.

My sons say they love listening to music on the treadmill, so I asked them to put together a playlist on the Ipod that would correspond.

They mostly have video game music on there, but there is a lot of great VG music! They know pretty much what I like, and we went through a few songs. I do like rock and roll, so they put some on, and also sprinkled in some Stephen Curtis Chapman songs (Dive, I Believe) that I love to do housework to.


(Stephen Curtis Chapman)




It was SO FUN! I got on the machine and hit Playlist 2 as Bryan told me to.. and got this really weird song- 20 seconds long called "Grabbed by the Goulies"--
Wierd!! But then it came on again and again and again.. GOTCHA- he got me in a practial joke and thought it hilarious when I later told him I listened to it 10 times before the joke dawned on me...


(Ghoulies Grabbing)








So I switched to Playlist 1 (the real one) and enjoyed the music perfectly timed to my workout plan. Also it was fun to see what he chose. Some songs reminded me of the boys, music I often hear wafting down the stairs. Other songs were ones from the VG Live concert we all went to.

And, the music was all so different- some very epic, and strongly beat-- I put the eliptical on high grade and high resistance and felt like I was climbing a mountain.. then a happy Sonic song would come on and I would put it on light and go really fast, like skipping on water.

And I burned a record number of calories. Tomorrow I plan another eliptical and hope one of my sons will give me a fresh play list.

Workouts

I've really been enjoying my old Taebo Advanced Live workouts - each are 60 minutes of cardio, kickboxing, some have floorwork, all have super sing along music. And I sing along ( sorry, family! lol!).

These are OOP and I only have a few but am always looking out for more, secondhand. I just love them!

But today, I decided on something different - did Turbo Jam Punch Kick Jam. About 50 minutes of kickbox and dance to old school music. Also fun! This particular workout includes a capoeria section and also muscle work with a resistance band. Stretches are all yoga and tai chi.

However, I didn't feel fully worked at the end - I enjoyed myself but felt I could "give some more". You know?

I dragged out a new workout DVD - Prevention's 3-2-1 Circuit Routine, with Chris Freytag. I did three of the circuits - each circuit is 6 minutes, with 3 minutes of cardio, 2 minutes of focused strength training and 1 minute of abs.

Loved the whole caboodle - both workouts put together. All of one, part of the other. Mix and match!

You can read a review of the Prevention workout here.

How are you all fitting in workouts? I know it can be challenging with a family and littlies, or while pregnant. :-) Maria, how is it going without the pool? How are you feeling Rachel? Anne? Others?

What We Eat...

Hi Leonie and all-

I really appreciate your comment on my goal entry about what you eat, your cal goals, etc. I thought maybe a new entry would be a good place to discuss more...

I am curious about what you all eat. Leonie, you mentioned you eat fruits, vegs, whole grains and some meat and dairy but are mostly vegetarian. I wonder if you could share where you get your protein? The only soy I like is my coffee creamer and one brand of patties I make a burger from. :0

I find that protein is important for me, as it helps me rebuild when I strength train and also it satisfies me. It tastes good and helps me not be hungry soon, as carbs can.

Right now what I do is buy a big value pack of boneless chicken breats each weekend and bake them, then cut into sandwich slices and the guys make sandwiches during the week and I eat a few ounnces as meals or with snacks.

I like it, but also like the idea of being more veg... what sources of protien do you like?

Also, I know what you mean about hunger... it is good and if my mind is right I know that it is making me lean and that I will satify it soon and don't HAVE to binge. I think when I tried to "diet" I would feel so deprived that when I got a shot at it I would binge like I was never going to be able to eat again. When we give ourselves permission to eat good and healthy food with a treat now and again, then it stops the dysfucntional binging from happening so much..

What else does everyone like to eat that is healthy and satisying?

some of my favorites are:

South Beach Diet Bar (chocolate) for breakfast with coffee
Yoplait light vanilla yogurts
Salad (with Ken's light rance and plain yogurt as dressing)
Tomatoes (I splurge and get the 'vine ripe')
Small red potatos (baked in oven, not mircowave.. cruchy skin that way!)
Silk Soy creamer in coffee (tastes like half and half)
Whole wheat bagels with chicken salad (made with canola mayo and yogurt, etc)

Any favorites in your diets? Any and everyone?? :)

Another good book...

...on healthy eating, on body image, on emotional eating, on the mind stuff.

I wrote about "Joining the Thin Club" on my blog.

Anyone else have favourite fitness books? Or am I the only fitness/health/diet book junkie? lol!

Goal Check In

Hi all-

I thought I would post on how I am coming with my goals...

You may remember that my long distance friend in VA and I are doing this together? We started in mid-July. She has a personal trainer, and I have copied her plan bascially (well with some alterations..) and we keep track together. That part has been fun as we email each other at least once a day and it has rekindled our friendship!
Gosh, I kind of hope this lasts longer as it has been fun connecting with her and dicussing our successes, failures, ideas, etc.

(We knew each other 10 years ago in Ohio, and she moved to VA just before I moved to TX)

What got her started was her oldest son's wedding Oct 6. Her weight had been creeping up over the years (like mine did) so she set getting back in shape with a goal of the wedding. She did great and I can't wait to see the wedding pics! With her permssion I'll post one here. She still wants to finish to get to her goal so we are still working together.

I am a little over halfway to my goal. Goal setting is difficult because numbers can be decieving, so I know generally I want to be the weight I was before I moved to Houston because I was comfortable and active there.

I have lost about 17 pounds, somewhere areond there, and want to keep going. It has been hard work, but I feel so much stronger and I have been doing weight training along with aerobics.

I am conviced the goal setting and friend support is what made it stick this time.

I am back into clothes in my closet.. thank goodness as at my highest I was down to one pair of pants that fit for Mass! And dreaded once again buying bigger clothes!

I am working out each morning and eating healthy (with a few exceptions)- about 1400 cal a day. Lots of lean protein and good carbs.

Ok.. that is it for my check in... I love setting goals and hearing others' goals, too. Even if it is smaller ones, such as drinking more water, getting outside every day.. it is about LIFE and living a healthy lifestyle. With little OR big changes. :)

With love,
Cindy

Sugar Sense

While surfing the 'net I found this very sensible article on sugar. It busted some myths for me.. overconsuption of sugar does NOT cause diabetes (but it can aggrivate it once you have it), sugar is NOT linked to hyperactivity in children and it is NOT our enemy, but we need to keep it in moderation to make room for better foods.

I think, too, it can be addictive.. so once one begins to eat it, one wants more! (Just speaking for 'one' here.. lol)

Sugar
Sugar is a simple carbohydrate. There are two types of sugars - monosaccharides, which include glucose, fructose and galactose, are made of one sugar molecule, and disaccharides are made of two sugar molecules linked together. Disaccharides are formed when monosaccharides combine - for example, when glucose and fructose are combined, they form sucrose, also known as table sugar. Other disaccharides include maltose, dextrose and lactose. When many sugar molecules are linked together, they form a complex carbohydrate, also known as a starch.
Other Nutrients:
Carbohydrates
Fat
Protein
Sugar
Sugar provides the sweet flavor to foods to which it has been added, and it may also act as a preservative and flavor enhancer. Sugar is used in a variety of foods, including cookies, cakes, pickles, ice cream, alcohol and jams and jellies. Types of sugar include raw sugar, brown sugar, honey, molasses, maple sugar and corn syrup.
Sugar, which provides 16 calories per teaspoon, provides no vitamins and minerals, so it's a good idea to use it in moderation. Overconsumption of sugar, like other carbohydrates, has been linked to the development of cavities. However, sugar consumption has not been linked to hyperactivity in children. A high intake of sugar does not cause diabetes, but if a person is diagnosed with diabetes the amount of simple sugar eaten daily often needs to be reduced.
Top
Artificial SweetenersTwo types of sweeteners—sugar alcohols and no-calorie sweeteners—are used to replace sugars in foods. It's not necessary to use artificial sweeteners to eat less sugar because foods taste just fine made with less sugar. Still, artificially sweetened beverages, yogurt and desserts are a popular alternative to sugary treats.
No-calorie sweeteners currently used in foods include saccharin, aspartame and acesulfame-K. Saccharin is about 300 times sweeter than table sugar (sucrose). It's used in several brands of table-top sweeteners, in canned foods and in low-calorie soft drinks.
Aspartame is 160 to 220 times sweeter than table sugar. Aspartame loses flavor in foods when heated. Although aspartame contains 4 calories per gram, the amount used is minute, so aspartame generally adds less than 1 calorie to a product per serving. Products that may contain aspartame include low-calorie beverages, sugar-free gelatins, yogurt, puddings, frozen desserts and cereals, as well as table-top sweeteners. Table-top sweeteners may contain an ingredient used as a filler that provides some calories. People with the condition phenylketonuria should not consume aspartame because their bodies are unable to metabolize it.
Acesulfame-K is 200 times sweeter than sugar. This newest of artificial sweeteners is being used in dry mixes for beverages, gelatin desserts, and puddings.

Curently reading....

Secrets of a Former Fat Girl.

The title of a new book that I am reading.

Very helpful, if you have food and body issues to work through. As I do.

I wrote about the book on my blog ( click on the title above for the link...).

The "soup" diet

Yes, ladies, I am still around. We have been playing Motel 6 for a few weeks and then I was sick and now I am coming back to life. Not the "best life" yet, but trying. :)
Before things got crazy, I was doing the awesome Pilates 10 minute workouts Leonie mentioned to me many moons ago when I first joined up here. They were fun and efficient. I would do ab's and flexibility each day. Well, until we were inundated with guests and family and more guests. I am hoping to get back into them next week. And on the treadmill, too.
Meanwhile, I have been cooking up major batches of soup since the beautiful fall weather is upon us. So, since the kiddos aren't that thrilled about soup, and dh can only eat the same thing once or twice a week, I will be eating pea soup, chicken vegetable soup and tomato soup for the next 2 weeks at least :)
I'll let you know how it affects my waistline :)
Off to bed,
Anne

Prenatal Yoga

I love this yoga DVD and finally pulled it out again yesterday. I only got through the warmup before small people woke up and started fighting for space on my mat, but that was fine with me as the squats were already making me huff and puff! The beauty of this workout is that it is designed to be used all through your pregnancy. There are 3 women doing the workout together, each one in a different trimester and adapting the poses appropriately. My kids love to say, "Are you the red or the blue lady, Mommy?"

Shiva Rea also has a workout for after delivery, but I do not care for it as much. For as much as I do yoga, I could probably stick with the first trimester workout from this DVD and be just as happy.

I also made it to the pool on Sunday and did a half hour of freestyle with 2 sidestroke laps (one lap on each side) thrown in for a change of pace. All I can say is...OUCH! If you are looking to whittle your waist, sidestroke is the stroke for you.

Feeling Fat.

I just posted some thoughts on my blog. I'm going through a "feeling fat" stage. I'm trying to fight these feelings, I'm trying not to pass self image problems onto my children. And I needed to write out my thoughts, to help me deal with them

Anyone else suffer these "fat feelings"? How do you overcome them?

Video-Susan Powter

I found this old 1993 video at my library and did it this morning- liked it more than I thought I would! I liked Susan Powter's personality and she had 'real' people of all shapes and sizes working out with her.

I think it is so cool she lost 163 pounds. Says she started at 260... wow, what an achievement!

I particularly thought that the upper body was challenging. She said you needed a bench but I did those exercises on the mat just fine. You also need handweights.

Good workout.. my biceps and triceps are tingling as I type this~ :)

She also went slow enough that you could really use the weight and not momentum. I have the trouble in some videos and classes, that they go too fast and I end up swinging the weights and not getting the best workout.

The first review on the Amazon website could have been written by me! I agree totally.. I used weights on the lower body and did lunges instead of some of the hamstring exercises to challenge myself more. I also upped the weights on the upper body. I like when workouts do 3 reps of each muscle, that is when I begin to really feel it, and she did that. Great review on the site below if you want more info...

click here for Amazon link

Skipping!

Today I went for an execise walk and had trouble getting my heartrate up very high.. so I remembered reading how good skipping is for you.

So I skipped! I told myself I didn't care how silly I looked. I kept thinking of the Monty Python skit on the Institue of Silly Walks.. lol

Boy, it got my heartrate up! So I would skip about 30 seconds, then walk, then a bit of a jog, then I did this thing where I stepped up on the curb with one foot, and the gutter with another, and it really got my rear and thigh muscles.

Then I stopped at the park pavillion and stepped up and back down on the benches which were high. Boy, my hr went up! Then I lunge walked through the parking lot. That is tough.

I know I looked silly, but got a great workout. Then at the end it rained lightly and my neighbors came out to their car. He asked if I planned to get wet...

No, I said, but it sure felt good.

Try skipping.. you can't help but feel lighthearted! :)

Back in the Swim

It's been in the high 80s (31C) this week! Thirty minutes in the pool today provided a great mental health break. I had forgotten about the lap pool since the outdoor pools closed on Labor Day, but this week I realized that I CAN find 1 hour to swim on Sats and Suns. :)

Positive thought for the day: Perhaps in non-American countries there is no stupid rule about closing pools based on a holiday but rather based on the weather!

The Firm Body Sculpt

I tried a video for some strength training and really liked it! It only took 45 min but I am really sore today.

They suggest you use their 'fanny lifter' which is a two part stool, but I just used my step stool. There are some good reviews of this on the Amazon link below. I didn't think it was doing much, but I was tired and like I said.. sore today!

Our library had it--- worth checking out!

I am going to see if they have a good one for abs...


Body Sculpt

Tennis

Hi all-

Thought I would check in and let you know how much my neighbor and I are enjoying tennis. It is one of those things that just kind of happened. She lives right across the street (and is a new homeschooler, too) -- and we found out we both wanted to play more so tried it and were the same level.

So, we are playing 3-4 times a week now. It works out well as she has two little boys (3 and 5) and is in that stage where she really enjoys time away - some Mother Culture time) and her dh is all for it. He happily stays with the boys in the evening. I remember how precious that time is when you kids are little. And since we are so close to each other we can make last minute plans or cancel last minute if our family needs us.

We feel we are progressing, too, and had a couple of lessons. She plans to join a local team next January and I might, too, depending on my schedule.

Just wanted to check in. Am enjoying your posts.

Cindy