Sleep, Sweet Sleep

After pretty much a lifetime of insomnia problems (that just keep getting worse and worse), I finally broke down and went to a sleep doctor today. I'm not sure what I was expecting. I thought they would sign me up for one of those overnight stays at a sleep clinic--maybe give me some drugs (I'm typically not a fan of prescription drugs, but I'm getting a little desperate). I've tried every natural sleep remedy (Valerian Root, Melatonin, 5HTP, chamomile, lavender, cardamon and warm milk, meditations, sound machine), but sleep alludes me.

I assumed I'd get advice like:  Don't read on your tablet before bed; shut off the t.v. an hour before bed; cut back on your caffeine (I've tried switching to decaf before).

I didn't hear any of these things. I kind of wish I had.

The doctor said that I need to re-program my brain for sleep. And then listed how to go about doing that.


So first, I'd like to apologize ahead of time for the royal b*tch I'm going to be for the next six weeks (well, six weeks starting after the 4th. I have some special plans over the holiday weekend).

The doctor says there are two rules:

1. The bed is for two things, and two things only--sleep and sex. If I'm not doing one of those two things, I shouldn't be in the bed.

2. For the next six weeks I must go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every morning.

Easy huh?

Well, except that I have to go with my earliest morning since I can't very well sleep through my career. And my earliest morning is 4:30am.  So instead of counting the days until I get to sleep in, I will be setting my alarm (Saturdays and Sundays too) for 4:30am every morning. Based on the fact that I'm sleeping 3 1/2 - 5 1/2 hours a night right now, bedtime will be at 10:30pm (I typically head upstairs between 9pm and 9:30pm when I have to be up at 4:30am).

The thought is that right now I'm spending 8 hours in bed, but I'm only sleeping half of that. So, no more than six hours in bed so my body can learn to sleep during that six hours. Once I start sleeping well for six hours, I can increase my sleep in 15 minute increments.

No reading in bed (currently, I read in bed every night). And if I'm in bed and find I can't sleep, I'm to get up and go to another room to read, watch tv, etc. If I wake up during the night (which I currently do all the time) and can't go back to sleep, I'm to get up and go to another room to read or something. In four to six weeks, my body/brain should be cooperating. And bed should = sleep.

If it means that I will eventually be able to get a good night's sleep, it will be well worth it. Because there are times I am so sleep deprived I feel like I'm losing my mind. Plus, my cortisol levels are so out of whack, the lack of sleep is making it impossible to take on weight. At 45, I really don't need any extra hormone imbalances.

So join me as I embark on this sleep program (I guess a bonus is that I have something new to blog about!) And with bedtime being only 6 hours out of a 24 hour day, that's 18 hours to accomplish other things! (When I'm not in a grumpy, comatose state).

So stay tuned for more on my sleep journey!

"O sleep! O gentle sleep!Nature’s soft nurse, how have I frighted thee,That thou no more wilt weigh my eyelids downAnd steep my senses in forgetfulness?"-Henry IV, Part 2 (Act 3, Sc. i), Shakespeare

Kicking it Up a Notch: Does Your Body Have a Speed Limit?

Weight: Don't know. I hadn't planned a challenge for today, so I didn't weigh-in this morning. And I NEVER weigh myself in the evening.
Body Fat: 18.45% (That's in the athletic range for a 43-year-old woman--so I'm good with that. I just want to keep toning/building strength).
Breakfast: Smoothie with hemp protein, chia seeds, kale, bananas, unsweetened almond milk, peanut butter and raw cocoa powder.
Lunch: Left-over concoction of corn, zucchini, peppers and onions
Snack: Spicy dill pickles with vegan cheese (okay, then I did splurge on two real cheese squares. The spicy pickles got the better of me).
Dinner: Cooking right now--rice and beans.
Challenge: 1.5 miles in under 12 minutes (continuing my goal of running a 5k in sub 8-minute miles)

I didn't actually set out to do a challenge today. But we missed our sprint workout on Monday, and I was feeling the need to challenge myself this evening (which is rare. I normally feel the need to challenge myself in the morning--not the evening).

So I shot an email to the spouse to see if he would meet me at the track. The goal (after meeting the one mile challenge) was to do 1.5 miles in under 8-minute miles. In other words, a mile and a half in under 12 minutes.

Accomplished! 1.5 miles in 11:24--a 7:36 minute pace! (The proof: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/370702761) This is, by far, the fastest I have ever run a mile and a half. I could tell by the vomit that was creeping up my throat during the last lap. I have to say, I'm pretty proud of this time. But I can also tell you: this was all I had in me. No way could I have kept it up for another mile and a half.  But I still have some time to meet my New Year's Resolution.

All this focus on pace has brought a question to mind--and I would love to hear some input from my other runner friends. Does your body have a speed limit (and it seems obvious that it does at some point)? And, how do you know when you've reached it?

I've gone from running 12-minute miles to closing in on 8-minute miles. When I hit my 8-minute goal, do I keep pushing? How fast is fast enough? How fast can my body go if I really push it?

Do you feel you have a speed limit? Have you hit it yet? Do you want to hit it? Do you want to know how fast your body is capable of going?



Tomorrow's challenge is not quite so physical, but a challenge for me nonetheless--my first weekly yoga class. My goal is to get through the class and enjoy it!

Kicking It Up a Notch: The Timed Mile

Weight: 125.8 (eek...but not surprising because I ate restaurant food all weekend. I thought I made really smart choices. It just goes to show it's hard to control your food intake when you don't make the food yourself)
Body fat: Still waiting on those darn calipers to arrive
Goal: One mile run in less than 8 minutes. 5 full, unassisted pull-ups, 2 sets monkey bars
Breakfast and Lunch: A green smoothie (kale, cucumber, pear, apple, avocado, water). Doing a bit of detox from the restaurant-filled weekend.

Part of me was excited about tonight's workout challenge (I needed to prove I could do a mile at my 5k goal pace). But I was also feeling a bit like a Negative Nelly. ("It's hot...my weight is up...evenings are not my high energy time...I'm not going to be able to do this....then I'll be down on myself..."). Why do we beat ourselves up like this??

The run went well despite the fact that my friend, Tracy, and I were second-guessing ourselves right up to the start. As I entered the third lap, I new I had it. Here's the proof. I did a 7:28 minute mile! I'm very happy with this. It gives me new hope that I can meet my New Year's Resolution (sub 8-minute mile 5k).

Pull-ups and monkey bars: Check! I did five full, unassisted pull-ups (one up from my last try) and went through the monkey bar sets twice. (I was going for a third time, but had to stop):

Note to self: get some gloves for the Iron Warrior and monkey bar training sessions!


So, despite the little weight gain--good training day!

Why I think Splenda (Sucralose) is Evil

Many, many people swear by Splenda. It is their magic sweetener that allows them to lose weight and still eat delicious, sweet treats. And I know many people--especially those following a low-carb diet--do not want to let it go.

So I would like to share my experiences with Splenda. Maybe it will change just one person's mind about using Splenda.

My first encounter with Splenda was several years ago--before Splenda was so popular. I was working at a women's gym in California. I was really poor. A sales rep. had dropped off a huge batch of free samples of sugar-free fruit tea. Since I could barely afford to feed myself, I appreciated anything free. So I was drinking two or three of these teas per day.

After about a week, I developed a red, itchy rash all over my body. I couldn't figure out what it was from (and I couldn't afford health insurance--so I didn't go to the doctor). When I started thinking about what new things had been introduced to my life in the last few weeks, I narrowed it down to the tea. I stopped drinking it immediately. Within about a week the itchy rash was gone.

After that, I avoided anything with Splenda in it.

Then a few years ago I was desperate to drop some weight. Exercise alone wasn't working. After taking a very critical look at my diet, I realized I had a carb problem! I decided to try the low-carb route. But I had an addiction I was having trouble kicking--Starbuck's Iced Mochas. And I was having them several times a week. Going cold turkey on my mochas was going to be tough. So I didn't.

Even though I knew I had issues with Splenda (and I knew that was the sweetener Starbuck's used), my craving for coffee and chocolate was incorrigible. And I had cut soooooo many other things out of my diet trying to be a low-carb and healthy. So I started getting their sugar-free iced mochas.

Guess what? No rash! I thought perhaps my sensitivity to Splenda was a thing of the past! Meanwhile, I was having some digestive issues. It happens to all of us now and then. I just chalked it up to a little stomach bug or maybe my body adjusting to the low-carb diet. But after about two weeks of having regular sugar-free iced mochas, my stomach was a mess. Everything I ate was going right through me. I was having stomach cramps constantly, and quite frankly, I was constantly gassy!

It finally hit me. Maybe it was the darn Splenda again! So I started "Googling" side effects of Splenda. Guess what I found? Numerous reports of people having intestinal issues, rashes, headaches and various other problems after consuming Splenda.

So you would think that this is where my story ends, right? Well, it should. But, Leos are stubborn. And my craving for those damn iced mochas still exists. For awhile, I was just allowing myself one regular (with sugar) mocha a week. But just a little while back, I was once again kind of desperate to shed a few pounds. So I was going to try the low-carb route again. Again, my craving for the iced mocha reared its ugly head. "Come on, J.J. If you have just one sugar-free, iced mocha you'll be fine. Just drink one to get rid of the craving."

Well..............................................................................I did. I know, I know. I'm suppose to be a nutritional/health role model. But we all have our weaknesses! But this time it didn't take a few weeks of Splenda build-up to start reacting. Within about two hours of drinking the mocha, the intestinal cramps started. But this time I had some more severe side effects. I felt a migraine coming on (I am a migraine sufferer, so I didn't attribute this to the mocha right away). And worse yet, I was at the house of one of my canine clients. The pup and I had just returned from a walk. Toward the end of the walk I started sweating profusely and my heart rate was up way too high. As I walked into their air conditioned house, I got very clammy and the room started to spin. I was so dizzy I had to sit down on their floor for a good twenty minutes before the horrible feeling started to subside.

At first I was really worried because I suffered a concussion a few months ago, and I was afraid my symptoms were coming back. But as I once again started to "Google" Splenda and its side effects, other people listed every single reaction I had had.

So, I think I have finally learned my lesson. (Plus, I just cut dairy out of my diet, so iced mochas are totally out now). I will just make my own iced mocha at home--with almond milk, unsweetened cocoa powder, and perhaps a little honey for sweetness.

I've taken so many steps to become a healthy person, I'm not going to let Splenda get the better of me. It is definitely not worth the health risk. I truly believe you are better off just splurging on real sugar occasionally, or sticking with all natural alternatives like honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar (much lower glycemic index than cane sugar), date sugar or if you must, Stevia (which I've grown in my garden). You can actually order Stevia as the actual plant ground up to a powder (you'll know because it's kind of green instead of white like sugar).

Stay away from the artificial sweeteners. By using them, you are not doing your health any favors! (Don't take as long as I did to learn this lesson)!

Kicking It Into Gear: Day One

If you follow my Fit Life facebook page, you know that yesterday (my birthday) I made some declarations. I have a tough adventure race coming up (The Iron Warrior). And I have a New Year's Resolution I haven't accomplished yet (a sub 8-minute mile 5k). So I decided as I enter this new year of life, I need to kick it into gear a little harder,reduce the body fat to the "athlete" range, and refine my diet a little more (cut the dairy and wheat, cut back on the coffee and wine). And since I've been such a bad blogger, I thought I'd blog about it (not daily, but periodically)

It's not so much a matter of being intimidated by the Iron Warrior. We've already done the Tough Mudder, Spartan, Mud Ninja and numerous other obstacle races. It's more that I want to do really well. I'd like to place in my age group. So I need to be able to keep a decent run pace, and have excellent upper body strength. And as for my running pace goal, I think it comes down to losing some more body fat. I think I'm as fast as I can be at this weight.


Day One
Weight: 124.2
Body Fat: I don't know. I will have to order or borrow some Calipurs
Goal: 10 miles, 50 push-ups (stopping every mile of my run and doing 5 push-ups)

Breakfast: Smoothie (made in my new Vitamix!!!) with mango, banana, chia seeds, flax seeds,t hemp protein and some unsweetened almond milk.
Snack: When we came home from our run we put some frozen mango and a little unsweetened almond milk in the Vitamix for mango ice cream. It was delicious. We've decided this will be our "ice cream" from now on.









Today reminded me of why I quit doing distance on pavement. I hate it. It's boring, and it makes my body hurt. (It doesn't help that 10 miles was a huge jump in mileage for me). I like to run trails. They occupy my mind and are easier on my body. Other than a 5k race on the pavement, I run pretty much exclusively on trails or doing sprint workouts on a track. So the pavement for 10 miles was painful. The only reason I chose to do pavement was because I have a half marathon next weekend on the pavement. (And the only reason I signed up for that was to force myself to build distance before the Iron Warrior with is 15+ miles). So I need to get myself through some long runs.

I purposely made myself run at a very slow pace (4 -5 minutes slower than my 5k pace), because I haven't been doing distance. But the slow run (along with my boredom) brought on a lot of negative thought while I was running. I had to keep pushing it out of my head.

It has also been a week of indulgences--far too much sugar, wheat, dairy and alcohol. And I feel that when I run. It makes my body feel slow and tired. So I'm hoping by the simple fact that I'll run next week's half after a week of very clean eating it will go far more smoothly. Another bonus to a toxic run like this, is that it makes me look forward to changing my diet/life around a bit. My body craves something better.

The five push-ups every mile were a breeze. I probably should have pushed that up to 8 or 10. I actually looked forward to the push-ups so I could quit running for a few seconds. 

So goal accomplished, but it was not pretty. But the first day of a new practice is always a little tough.

Why I stopped using lotion

I have never been a fan of perfume. I find it over-bearing. But I have always loved lotions. They leave you smelling nice--and at least temporarily--make your skin feel soft. So why did I stop using them?

A few years ago I started having some hormone issues (as women in their 40's tend to have). One of the bio-identical hormone specialists I went to gave me a progesterone cream to use. It's not like I had never used a topical medication before. Believe me, I have had some wicked encounters with poison ivy and other allergies. But for some reason, I just thought of them as topical--treating the surface of my skin--not soaking into the skin. With the hormone cream it really hit me--this cream soaks through my skin and into my blood stream (so that the change in hormone levels shows up in blood work). In fact, warnings on the medication caution you to be careful not to get it on towels, furniture, kids, spouses and pets because they don't need progesterone.

If a hormone is soaking through your skin and into your blood stream, what else is? My guess would be all the bizarre chemicals in the lotions I've been piling on my skin every day.

Here's the list of ingredients in a bottle of lotion I found left in the house:

Look at all the ingredients! I realize it's a bit blurred, so I typed in the first several ingredient below. You get the idea. I don't know what these things are--and I don't want them soaking into my skin--and therefore my body.

water, cyclopentasiloxane, butylene glycol, c12-15 alkyl benzoate, stearic acid, isocetyl stearate, trimethylsiloxysilicate/dimethiconol crosspolymer, dimethicone, isopropyl palmitate, fragrance, glyceryl stearate SE... 

So you ask, "Do you just walk around with itchy, flaky, ugly dry skin all the time?"

I do not. But when it comes to skin care I have turned to Mother Nature for help. First, for prevention, I do dry skin brushing.

And as a moisturizing I use these:

The ingredients:

Coconut oil--coconut.
Grapeseed oil: grapeseed oil and vitamin E

If I want to treat myself to a little aromatherapy, I add a few drops of essential oil.

I have no fear of any of these ingredients soaking into my skin.

I even use the coconut oil on my face. My skin has never looked better, and it never causes a breakout. Plus, I've read that coconut oil has a natural SPF of 7. This is an extra value add for me because I am allergic to every sunscreen I have tried (plus, I worry about the chemicals in them too).

Our skin is the largest organ in our body. It constantly takes in and expels (sweat) toxins.

Shouldn't we worry about the toxins we put on our bodies just as much as the ones we put in our bodies?

Kombucha At Last!

Finally, after a lot of patience--and one do-over--my Kombucha is ready! I will actually leave it at room temperature for a few days to increase fermentation before I refrigerate it. For a great energy drink, I added a few teaspoons of chia seeds to half the jars. Chia seeds are a natural energy booster.

Brewing Kombucha has been a learning experience. My first batch molded because I didn't keep it warm enough. The current batch has been sitting on a heating pad always set on low. It worked like a charm!

And, if anyone is interested, I have some very healthy SCOBY (the live culture used to grow Kombucha) if anyone (local) would like a piece to start their own Kombucha.

This batch was made from jasmine tea with organic sugar (the SCOBY feeds on the sugar). And now I am starting a new batch using coconut water (my thought is that natural fruit sugar will be healthier--even though the SCOBY consumes most of the sugar if you let it ferment long enough). This batch fermented for about a month before I was happy with the taste.

After coconut water, I believe I will try a natural fruit juice--or maybe a mix of fruit juice and tea.

Kombucha has many health benefits: cancer prevention, body detoxification, joint health and strengthening the immune system to name a few.

Read this blog to learn more.

The Kombucha drink pictured in the blog is one I use to buy frequently from Eathfare. And while I love it, it runs over $3 a bottle. Now I can make my own for practically nothing. It just takes some patience!

It's Time To Take Charge of Your Life (Or, Rants of a Frustrated Trainer)

First let me state that this blog is the product of a frustrating day, so if it offends, I apologize in advance. That is not its purpose.

For just over a year now, I have been back in the fitness business full-time. I did it once before, but gave it up because I needed health insurance and the ability to pay my bills. This time around I am blessed to have the support of my wonderful husband--and his good job. Believe me, without both, I would not be able to pursue this career. And perhaps you're asking why I do this--I have a master's degree in journalism for goodness sakes--and plenty of work experience. I could be making quite a bit more money if I just took another public relations job. I do it because it's the one career thus far in my life that I feel passion for. Some people become doctors or firemen or police officers so that they can help people. I want to help people live healthier lives. And, I want to save my own sanity by having a job where I'm active every day. Each time I go back to a desk job, I feel I'm slowly killing myself--mentally, emotionally, and physically.

But helping is where the frustration lies, because you can't help people who do not want to be helped.

I'm an Ohioan born and raised; however, I spent over ten years living in the Washington, D.C. area and two years living in California (about 65 miles north of L.A.). Maybe it's regional angst I'm dealing with right now (and I welcome your comments and opinions on this). Because Ohio is the first place I've lived where one seems to be condemned for trying to live a healthy life...where I am actually insulted--probably on a weekly basis--for living a healthy, holistic vegetarian (plus fish) lifestyle. Yet I hear it constantly--and most often from those who claim to love me. It's beyond comprehension to me--how people actually encourage you to be unhealthy here. Restaurant billboards proudly boast that this week's special is "Deep Fried Battered Bacon," and that they specialize in "down home country cooking".

Okay, I understand tradition. I understand that people like to eat food that tastes good. What frustrates me is that these same people complain (to me, on Facebook, to their friends) that they are overweight, in bad health, fatigued, on too many meds....the list goes on. On one night they post about their delicious dinner of fried chicken, mayonnaise-laden salad, cake and beer. The next day they post about their lack of weight loss or cholesterol problems. Or they post about how they lack the time to workout or get to the gym, and then later update us on their favorite T.V. show.

People, it is time to take control of your lives! If you are not happy with the way you feel or look, do something about it. I'm not talking about drastic changes. Start small. Eat red meat one less time a week. Eat vegetarian or fish one more time a week. Cut out some processed foods. Bake instead of fry. Cut out a soda a day. Cut out a cigarette a day (it's a start!). Schedule fifteen minutes a day of exercise (it's better than no exercise). Use that fifteen minutes and walk around the block. Take the kids! Please don't tell me you don't have fifteen spare minutes in your day (if you do, I'll bet you I can find that fifteen minutes for you).

Today I offered (through a local rec. center) a very reasonably priced bootcamp at 6am (much cheaper than the ones you see in the big cities). The early time is meant to offer people an exercise option before heading to work--before the day gets busy. Not one single person attended.

At lunchtime I provided a wellness seminar to a local corporation. While I was paid for providing it, it was offered free of charge to employees. Again, not one person showed up. I have given away personal training as door prizes, offered free sessions to introduce myself to a new gym, and held drawings so people can win free sessions--and people have not taken advantage of any of these things. I can't seem to give away fitness for free! Again, it seems to be regional because I never had this experience in D.C. or California. When you offered free sessions at the gym, they were snatched up within seconds. Being vegetarian in either place was commonplace. Recently, when we visited Asheville, NC (one of my favorite places) we ate at a different vegetarian restaurant each night.

Ohio, this is a call to action to you. In 2010 you were named the 13th most obese state in the U.S. Change your mindset. Don't condemn a healthy lifestyle, embrace it. Retrain your mind about what food tastes good. You might be surprised at how much you like pure, unprocessed, fresh food that's not fried. Make time to exercise--even if it's only fifteen minutes to start. Once you start feeling better, you'll make more time for it. Involve your children in a healthy lifestyle now. Don't let them repeat the unhealthy habits you grew up with. Now is the time.

This is not a blog about vanity...about losing weight so you look good. It's a blog about saving your life. It's a blog about feeling healthy, energetic and strong. You are the only one who has the power to make the changes. If you don't care about yourself, then care about the people who love you and want you alive--your partner, your children, your friends--your pets!

It's natural to wallow in pity a bit when you feel bad, but there comes a point when you need to suck it up, get up and make some changes.

Schedule it!

You keep meaning to get a workout in, but suddenly it's 9pm and you are way too tired. Or, you spend so much time debating whether you should go for a run or lift, that you end up not doing either. There are so many excuses not to exercise! But at some point you have to JUST DO IT!

For me, the easiest way to stick to an exercise plan is to schedule it out. You schedule your meetings, you schedule your doctor's appointments, your grocery shopping...why not your exercise? So I not only schedule my exercise, I schedule exactly what exercises I'll be doing (on most days at least). Better yet, at least two days a week I schedule workouts with my husband, so there's more motivation to do them. If you know by canceling you'll disappoint someone else, you are much more likely to do it!

For example, my exercise time is early in the morning. Mornings are when I have the most energy, and the air seems so much cleaner.

My schedule looks like this (keep in mind, fitness is what I do this for a living and I'm my own boss, so I allow myself time off for exercise):

Monday: Bike sprints and strength train
Tuesday: Early morning trail run with my husband
Wednesday: Distance bike ride and strength train
Thursday: Track Run (sprints and bleachers) with my husband
Friday: Trail run (the trail runs are simply because I find it more enjoyable than running on the road and the hills are good training) and strength train
Saturday: Just make sure we do active activities together--a walk, canoe/kayak, laser tag/etc.)
Sunday: Distance run (building up to a half marathon)

By knowing my assignment for each day, I'm able to do it. It brings out the former student in me. Plus, I see improvements (in performance and body composition) each week--which provides further motivation to keep going.

Your schedule doesn't have to look like the one above. Maybe running and biking aren't your cup of tea. Find the activities you enjoy doing, and schedule them into your weekly agenda.

Isn't your health important enough to deserve a meeting on your calendar?

Contest: Let's See Those Feet!

I have friends who love their feet. They go for pedicures, and get fancy French manicures for their toes. My feet? Not so much. Once a friend coerced me into getting a pedicure. The whole time all I could think about is that they were going to file away all my calluses--and my next run would be very painful.

I'm sure many of you can relate. Runners, bikers, soccer players, rock climbers--our feet take a beating! So just for fun, I'm having an ugly feet contest. It's time to celebrate those hard-working feet--the feet a pedicure just can't help.

The Contest:
1. Email a picture of your feet at their finest to jj@thefitlife.us by June 4th, 2011. You can use any camera angle/view that shows just how ugly your feet are.
2. I will do a post showing all of the entries (labelled by first name and last initial).
3. People will have two weeks to vote for the ugliest feet.
4. I will announce the winner on this blog and post a picture of their glorious feet.

The winner will receiver a Fit Life t-shirt and a Ped Egg Pedicure Foot File.

Let the contest begin!

Caution: I Bite (Part II: Am I still a biter?)

A few weeks ago I posted about my nasty nail biting habit, and my quest to quit. I have not posted an update on my progress! As you can see, I'm doing well. The nails are growing! (I'm still having some cuticle issues--baby steps).

Caution: I Bite!

I have a bad habit. (I assure you, I have more than one). But this particular habit I've had almost my entire life--probably since my first tooth! And it's time to overcome it.

I am a chronic nail biter. I bite until they hurt. It's an ugly habit--literally--my fingers (as you can see) are ugly. And it's an unhealthy habit (hands touch germs...I stick the germy hands in my mouth...).

I've quit a few times. The most successful was for the few months before my wedding. I wanted one of those pictures of the bride and groom's hands with the wedding bands showing. By the time we returned from the honeymoon, the nails were gone.

I'm not going for crazy, long nails or anything. I do too many nail-hindering activities for that. Just sensible nails that don't look bloody and sore. I want nails you aren't embarrassed to show when you meet new people.

So I'll keep you posted. Perhaps post a picture of my progress a few weeks from now.

For now, I'm going to get a few last bites in before I quit cold turkey. Feel free to leave me suggestions on how!


My nails now (sorry about the low quality picture, but taking a picture of your own hands is not an easy task):

Do Couples Who Play Together, Stay Together?

In honor of Valentine's day, I'm re-posting an article I wrote a few years back. I'd love to hear your stories. Do you and your partner "play" together when it comes to fitness/sports? Does it help or hurt your relationship? Would you like to do more activities with your partner?

Do Couples Who Play Together, Stay Together?

Since February is the month of romance and love, is seems appropriate to examine how fitness fits into all of this mushy stuff. How do couples balance exercise and romance? What if one part of the couple is active and

the other is not? What if you’re both really active, but enjoy different activities? If you are single, do you seek out mates that are active and enjoy the same activities you do? Do couples need to play together to stay together?

For me activity level is absolutely an important part of a relationship. I’m a very active person, and what I like to spend my free time doing is hiking, biking, kayaking, running, camping, etc. So ending up with a couch potato would make for a difficult relationship. My career is based on fitness, so finding someone who lives a fitness-focused life was kind of critical. I'm lucky, because at 38 I married a man who was very like-minded. We love to go camping and enjoy many outdoor activities together. Most of our vacations are built around the adventures we can have while on them. Although our run paces are different, we still sign up for many of the same races. And we'll head out on the same run, we just don't run together very often. Sometimes we'll run the opposite way on a loop so we can pass each other--kind of check-in--during our runs. (Okay, okay, I'll admit deep down I have this goal of training, training, training--secretly--until I can beat his pace--and then just pulverizing him in a race...but I digress). Personally, I just can't imagine ending up with someone who doesn't enjoy many of the same activities.


How do other couples fit exercise in with love and romance?

Dawn of Virginia:
My husband and I take yoga

classes together on a regular basis, at least 2 to 3 times a week, and we begin our morning routine with a meditation together. I would say that we're on equal ground when it comes to fitness levels. Since I teach yoga on a daily basis, I have the luxury of getting exercise in daily. My significant other makes time during his lunch hour or after work (while I'm away teaching class!). We place exercise and fitness high on our priority list. Some of our "dates" have included taking yoga classes together. Incorporating fitness activities into our relationship has definitely made the relationship stronger. I would have a hard time staying in a relationship with someone who was not physically active.

Debbie and Steve of Maryland:
Steve and I had gotten out of the habit of exercising due to our busy schedules and severe migraines on my part. We both wanted to get back in shape and find something that we could do together and to support each other. That is when I learned of the Train To End Stroke marathon program.

Steve went to the info session and when he got home he was very excited. I asked him if he signed up and he informed me he had signed us both up. I was shocked and almost speechless and decided to give it a try.

There have been times during the training where one of us had to miss a run due to illness or work and we have encouraged the other to go on the planned day or have made arrangements to go the following day together. We work at being flexible with each other so we can train together as much as possible.

Steve's athleticism has been a positive influence on me, he has taught me how to roller blade, how to ski and gave me his old mountain bike when he got a new one. We have been out on the milder trails with them and look forward to doing more biking on the trails when the weather gets nice again.

I think the fitness activities are a positive impact on our relationship. We agree most of the time and when we don't we can discuss and see the others point... sometimes it may take a bit of convincing! We learn from each other and our performance improves with the encouragement that we give each other.


Laurie of Maryland:
My husband is less active than I am—and sometimes we don’t do a very good job of balancing fitness and our relationship. I don't feel that fitness hurts the relationship, but I do feel that the potential is there to strengthen the relationship. My husband and I have a very independent relationship, and he respects and admires my running adventures. I am currently trying to recruit him to run/walk a half marathon and he is working on it. For us at least, competition also plays a part - he wants to be able to beat me - so if he can't he would rather stay on the couch!

Dan of Maryland:

We don't exercise together but pursue recreation time together. i.e. a long slow bike ride on the bike path is a common evening together. We swim together at least once a week. But gym time is separate. We train differently for different goals. We play softball for the same league on different divisions for different teams.

I am more structured about training. I try to hit the gym before work or during lunch to avoid taking up our time with my activities. A couch potato will never be an option for me again—it’s too contagious.

It strengthens it in someway and weakens it in others. We spend some great quality time together as a result of our active lifestyle. My s.o., however, does not understand the importance that races play in my life. For example, when traveling to a city for a race he doesn't understand the need for avoiding alcohol, sleep, etc.

Deborah of California
Since I value physical fitness as an integral part of a healthy lifestyle, physical activity is an important factor in determining my compatibility with prospective dates. Foremost, fitness is an important factor because it indicates the stamina, strength and appearance, which are a part of any woman’s basic attraction to the male gender. Secondly, since exercise encompasses a wide-range of enjoyable pastimes, it is necessary that dates are able to participate in a wide-range of physical activities. Sports such as gun shooting, kayaking, backpacking and paint-balling require a lot of flexibility, cardio and muscular endurance which must be invested in before the event. Although my mate/date does not need to be a “Schwarzenegger” of masculine fitness, a man who is strong enough to be confident of his physical prowess, capable of being competitive and who’s health is mentally and physically boosted by activity is ideal to date. Whether I’m having fun or in a serious relationship, my dates must be physically fit in order for me to appreciate the quality of time we spend together pursuing pastimes or pleasures.

So whether or not you and your spouse “play together,” a healthy body is key to having a healthy mind. Maybe your fitness time is YOUR time and not together time. Experts do say that exercise leads to a much

better sex life. If that's not encouragement to be active, I don't know what is! Regardless, you and your partner will enjoy each others company much longer if you both make time to play at the physical activities you love.

Recipe post: Couscous with Garbanzo Beans

I have another recipe post for you. This was a quick, tasty, healthy dish. I post it mainly because it is so quick and easy. And I love a quick and easy healthy recipe! This is another recipe from my Good Housekeeping Vegetarian Meals: Meatless Meals Everyone Will Love book:

1 box couscous with toasted pine nuts (now normally I don't promote cooking out of boxes, but that's part of what makes this dish so easy. I used Near East couscous with toasted pine nuts. You could easily substitute some whole grain couscous and pine nuts)
1/3 cup dark seedless raisins
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices
1 garlic clove, crushed with garlic press (I used two. I love garlic)
3/4 tsp ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (I used a teaspoon--we like things spicy!)
2 cans of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drain (the organic ones have less sodium)
1/2 cup salad olives, drained, or chipped pimiento-stuffed olives (I don't like olives, so I left these out)
1/4 cup of water

1. Prepare couscous as label directs, except add raisins to cooking water.
2. Meanwhile, in nonstick 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, coriander, and red pepper and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add beans, olives, and water and cook, stirring often, until heated through, about 5 minutes.
3. Add cooked couscous to bean mixture and toss gently. Spoon into serving bowl.

Each serving: About 555 calories, 20 grams protein, 101g carbs, 10g total fat (1g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 1,110 mg sodium (leaving out the olives will cut both sodium and fat)

Sometimes you need a do-over

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Life doesn't always go according to plan. Sometimes the greatest intentions just don't work out. And there is simply nothing that states you can't take a "do-over."

Tonight, for instance, my husband and I are having a New Year's Eve re-do. For our original New Year's we went to New York for three days of skiing; however, on day #1 I came down with a horrible flu and spent the next three days in bed. So tonight, it's dinner out, champagne at midnight and a re-declaration of my New Year's resolutions. (Since I spent the first week of the new year under the weather, my planned New Year's resolutions have yet to begin). But that's okay!

Rather than just give up on the resolution--figuring we're a week into the new year and I have yet to start them--I'm re-declaring them tonight. My resolutions are as follows:

1.) I will be following a fairly strict half-marathon program that I created myself (for a client). The program requires six days a week of steady exercise--both cardio and strength training.
2.) I will eat a salad at least four times a week (either for lunch or with my dinner) in order to increase my intake of raw vegetables.
3.) I will expand the garden this year, and work harder to preserve (can and freeze) the organic vegetables that come out of it
4.) I will continue to strive to eat pure (no preservatives or chemicals). I may not be perfect, but I will do my best.
5.) I will try to be more content--perhaps even happy--with my 40-year-old body, realizing that I am not in my 20s anymore.

So if you find yourself a week into 2011 and either you've already let your resolutions slide or you never started them--how about a re-do? It's not too late. Only one week has gone by. So go ahead, have your New Year's Eve all over again. Re-energize and re-motivate. Make 2011 your best year yet!