Monday, December 15, 2008

A miracle?

Last night, driving home in a growing snowfall, I stopped to buy some impulse ice cream at a wonderful ice cream shop.



I love to eat ice cream when it is cold. I got the Sweet Cream ice cream.

I continued the drive home, Todd put the impulse ice cream in the freezer, he put away the groceries, I went to cat sit, and I totally forgot to eat any ice cream!

I just realized that now.

For some reason I am really proud of myself even though I give most of the credit to my poor memory.

Friday, December 12, 2008

I don't want to be perfect, but this is a nice reminder


Found here.

Did you know I have a "mouth belly". My stomach curves inward in the middle, it always has. Another family member has the same design. I have learned to work with my "mouth belly", but I hope it will be less mouthy someday. Also note that I do not appreciate joking about my mouth belly, only I can joke about it.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, I have been going to the gym in spurts still, better than nothing but hope to improve on that as time carries on.

I have already had one Thanksgiving gathering and I was a hearty eater. My friends can really cook. I went to Body Pump before and after the event, and hit the elliptical hard too.



I wonder if my muscles are any bigger??

I have been working on my Body Pump form, I have a ways to go, I have plenty of underused muscles!

My friend wrote this little piece with suggestions to help prevent overeating during the holidays, check it out if you please!

Yeah, one of my good friend is an obesity researcher. You would think her research results would rub off on me! Yeah right. Once I was in one of her weight management studies, but I was put in the control group; how's that for impartial!

Oh, did I tell you I bought chop sticks to try to eat less? I actually bought a chopstick helper:

We'll see how that goes. I eat a lot of black beans and salsa, so that may be messy.

Good luck out there! Practice mindful eating! Savor every bite and then walk it off!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Zesty! (?) Santa Fe Style Chicken es así así.


Not the soup in question.

I just ate a can of Progresso (see website for $3 coupon) "Zesty! Santa Fe Style Chicken" soup. It was so-so.

First off, I thought it was filling enough, especially for 2 Weight Watchers points (thanks to the can and commercial partnership for that info!). It has 1 point per serving and 2 servings per can. How could anyone make it through the afternoon on 1 point?!?!? I would be hungry if I did not eat it all.

First.2, I am not certain that this is a low sodium soup, it has 28% of your daily sodium. That is still sort of high, right?

Second, there is not nearly as much stuff in the soup as the picture on the can shows or even the above picture shows. I enjoy Progresso soups and have found them hearty, but apparently hearty takes up too many points. Are black beans a lot of points? Or cooked celery?

This soup was seriously 96% liquid and 4% stuff. OK, maybe 86% liquid and 14% stuff, but either way I have had mojitos with more stuff in them.



Third, I am practically considering a false advertisement or unnecessary punctuation claim on the exaggerated use of the term "Zesty!" on the can. It is in a sassy, red font with an exclamation point, but this Minnesota girl had bored taste buds. There is Spanish on the label and I feel like it should say "Gringo Caliente" instead of "Caliente" to warn people more used to foods with true spice and zest. This soup is as zesty as chicken broth is hearty.


(I really should get a red pepper shaker for my office, this could be a personal problem.)

In conclusion, I have had worse canned soups, I have had better canned soups, and if you want to keep some "Light" soup around for when you forget your lunch this soup is OK. I am left again thinking, "If I got my act together, I could make something similar, with less salt and more stuff."

(I could make this...another recurring theme, I should read my own blog and these books.)

Monday, November 17, 2008

A nice read.

If you feel like a laugh and have a moment, check out this piece from McSweeny's:

NOTED POST-MARXIST SOCIOLOGIST, PHILOSOPHER, AND CULTURAL CRITIC SLAVOJ WELCOMES YOU TO THE GYM.

BY Evan Johnston


Slavoj Žižek

Exerpt:

A deviation: have you ever been doing a repetitive motion over and over and then thought, "My God, what am I doing?" Exercise allows us to engage in these repetitive motions without having to question why. The superego asks the id, "What are you doing? Don't make me look stupid," and then the ego and id respond, "Go to bed, old man. I am working out like Olivia Newton-John!"

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Oooo Girl!

I made it to the gym the last two nights! Ow! All thanks to K and determination.

Yesterday I rode K's bike to the gym even though it was dark and cold! Brrr!


Ok, not THAT cold yet!

I chickened out of Body Pump, but I set the elliptical on a setting where it went from hard to easier, hard to easier. For a while I had been keeping it on a level setting.

Today, K picked me up and we stayed at the gym for and hour and 15min. That is a whole 15 minutes longer than I usually tolerate!

C can tell you, we are pretty much 1 hour gym people and we used to peer pressure 2 hour gym person K to reduce his workout. Sorry C! I was weak without you!

I walked, went on the mixed level elliptical, and did some weight machines. Plus, I watched the Biggest Loser for the first time.


Oh, it was the family edition!

Hooo Boy! Even with the sound off there was some drama there! And inspiration.

Can someone tell me why the crazy girl from Days of our Lives circa 1996 is on this show? I thought she was possessed by the devil or ate her sister's baby or something?



Do you watch this show? I know people love it. Do they teach people useful ways to have a more healthy lifestyle? Or do they just exploit their goals?? (Sorry, cynical.)

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Product Review: Kashi Lemongrass Coconut Chicken

Thanks go out to MtheP for recommending this frozen dish to me.


I enjoyed this dish very much. The lemongrass flavor is strong and satisfying. The coconut could have been ramped up a bit, but I am still loving it. As proof, I can honestly say that I could not wait until I was done eating it to tell you about it!

Being me, I would probably sprinkle some red pepper flakes on to make it spicy! Yum. If you do not like spicy, then you will be fine with this dish.

It is a hearty and grainy dish; it seems filling and mostly healthy. I love that it does not have cheese on it...I know Asian inspired food does not usually have cheese, but so many frozen foods do. I am do not miss cheese when it is not there, so I do not eat it much since it is sorta bad for you.

I was impressed with the amount of goods in the bowl. This is what it looked like:



So thumbs up to this frozen dish. It will be nice to add to my arsenal of frozen foods to help me overcome my eating out for lunch problem. It also adds to the growing Kashi addiction problem at our house. Buy some Kashi stock because Todd and I are keeping that company sailing!

Oh, the cost. That is kind of a drag, it was like $3.39. Still cheaper than eating out, but medium to high in the world of frozen meal costs.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Me: Yesterday


From: Natalie Dee

I hope to get my booty to the gym tonight. Maybe to Body Pump...I don't need to do much walking tomorrow anyway.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

The magic of the spoken word

On the bus home last night I was exhausted, all I wanted to do was curl up in bed, but I knew I was free to go to the gym- no plans, no illness, just time. I needed to go to the gym, but I did not want to go. I was set to pretend that I forgot all about the gym....

And I would have gotten away with it too, were it not for my bus friend Kevin hoping on the bus.

Kevin is a fitness instructor at my gym and he lives in my neighborhood. My sister recently chaperoned me to a class he teaches called Body Pump. I have been meaning to write about that experience!

We did not have matching outfits in our class.

Kevin sat down and I did what I knew I had to do: I told him that I was plotting to avoid the gym.

Kevin is nice, he knows of my struggle to workout and does not pressure me to get to the gym. He did not pressure me last night.

Even so, I went to the gym because I TOLD Kevin my inner wrestling match and I did not want to look like a lazy and cowardly person by skipping the gym when I had no excuses to stay home. I wanted to do the brave thing, the right thing!

I rode K's bike to the gym and I did my workout, and of course I was so proud of myself.


"Look at me, I go to the gym like it's no big thang!"

Accountability got me to the gym; there was not even peer pressure in this case.

When I got to the gym, I totally forgot to take my blinking bike light off until I was on the elliptical. I probably deserved that, it brought my head back down to Earth!

Monday, October 20, 2008

Product Review: Weight Watchers Smart Ones Santa Fe Chicken somethin' Somethin'


I used to get a non-diet version of this meal a lot when I was in college. Frankly, I could not tell a difference in taste, so that is something, right?

Todd and I pledged to bring our lunch to work this week (and hopefully more weeks), so I grabbed a couple of these in case I was too lazy to make my lunch (which I WAS on day1!). As a back-up plan this worked well and it was on sale for like $2.50 at Super Target.

I thought this was satisfying and maybe a little salty. It smelled of garlic while it cooked, to the delight of my office mates. I did not taste the garlic as much as I smelt it. I could easily make something similar at home and leave off the "cream sauce" and cheese. I might add some baked chicken too if I felt wild!

Tonight I will be making some pasta up and packaging it for the rest of the week. I got some ground turkey, spinch, broccli, green peppers and onions for that. Oh and garlic! Yum. I usually make pasta without meat, but it is just that meaty time of year.

C and K are back from India, I hope they will let me buy the bike and I hope that they will help encourage me to get to the gym too! I am way off on that goal.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Seasonal, healthy and hearty recipe

Red Chard, Potato, and White Bean Ragout



I am stealing this from the New York Times "Recipe for Health" section. I feel like I am being lazy with my sources, but I thought this looked delicious, nutritious, and filling.

Plus it is fun to say ragout!

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Portioning...sigh.

I just breezed through this article on:

100 CALORIE SNACKS
Count your calories -- but not with abandon. Small portions are healthy only when you limit them. To save money, package the treats or make them at home.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Back to Bacck Blinking Bottom!

If you saw a blinking red bum bopping around the Midtown YWCA the last two nights, you may have seen me!



I rode my bike to the gym and hopped on the elliptical machine. Check it out:


Fantastic!

Oh, and today I really wanted a coke, but I had an iced black coffee instead.



NICE!

Monday, September 29, 2008

Hold the mayo!

Here is a delicious looking, leaner version of tuna casserole from the New York Times.



Of course it leaves out my favorite ingredient: mayonnaise- but that is not shock.


From here.

Mayonnaise is no friend of leaner living.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Bike! Bike! Bike!

I did it! I rode my bike today!



I rode down the Greenway to Lake Calhoun and I rode around the lake twice. TWICE!



I feel pretty great. I highly recommend forcing yourself to do something even when all you want to do is take a nap!

This is close to how my night went



Actually, I worked late, went to Target and a bike shop to buy accessories for riding K's bike around (like a bike like and bike lock- not a crazy biking outfit!). By the time I got home I was zonked and I watched some Project Runway.

I have been feeling under-motivated this week because I saw some pictures of myself. The image of myself in my head is so much slimmer than the image of me that comes out in photos! The pathetic thing is that instead of motivating me to change that shape, seeing the images makes me feel defeated.


I cooked some veggies and cleaned a little bit to...does that count as exercise?

I hope to ride K's bike tonight, maybe to the gym!

What have you been doing? Is anyone out there?

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Cross-post

The blog People Reading caught a rather buff personal trainer reading this book:



Is it just me or Are Sit-Ups a Waste of Time? by Graeme Hilditch

Apparently he is big in the UK.

Here is a description:

Trying to keep ourselves fit and healthy is a challenge at the best of times. It seems that there is always someone ready to give us a piece of advice on how to exercise, lose weight, or have a more nutritious diet. But how much of what you are told can you believe and how do you know which pieces of advice to take seriously? Every day, top personal trainer Graeme Hilditch is asked just these kind of questions and, in this intriguing and informative book, he uses his extensive expertise in fitness and nutrition to explode some of the most common myths. His explanations are light-hearted and accessible to everyone and his no-nonsense advice will tell you everything you need to know in order to live a fit and healthy life.

Might be something to check out....or not!

Keep moving people! Do it for yourself!

Monday, September 22, 2008

Do it up!

I just got home from a long bike ride on K's bike!

Ow!

USA! USA! USA!

I rode east on the Midtown Greenway from our house, over the Martin Olav Sabo Bridge to the West River Road. Then I went south to 38th Street and visited Todd's office. The I took 38th to Hiawatha Avenue, rode north to 32nd and rode west home.




Fascinating huh?

Hey, check out this biking image I found while I wrote this:


There's a double meaning in that....

Two wheeled loan and a promise

My friend K was generous enough to let me borrow his bicycle while he and C are in India for a month.I am so excited! You see, the bike I own needs pricey repairs and I had been hemming and hawing about investing in a bike that I may or may not ride 8 blocks the gym year round.

Eight blocks is not far (though it can be VERY far when the temps are low and the snow is flying), but I do not always have access to a car and my neighborhood is not a safe place to walk alone after dark. Unfortunatly is not exactly a safe place to bike either. (The incident in the link took place 1.5 blocks from my house, and right on the route to the gym.)

Anyway! I am going to try getting into the habit of riding K's bike to the gym. I promised him I would, and since K is a wonderful person, I aim to keep that promise.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

STATSHOT via Chicagoland!

I hope this is not too hard to read...it is a "Statshot"from The Onion.

J from Chicago sent this to me, it made my day! I am going to have to weigh my cat again because a "Don't-Get-Your-Hopes-Up Total Body Machine" will not fit in our condo.

Friday, September 12, 2008

Hip hop, and ya don't stop!

Guess who accidentally ended up in a Hip Hop Dance class???

C. and I!


We are total hip hoppers now, so step off!

We thought it was going to be hip hop aerobics, but it was straight up dance class. It was pretty hilarious, I felt like such a geek, but I laughed a lot- good for the abs, right?

After hip hop class, we took a Zumba class, that was so fun! There was no pressure to conform, just pressure to shake your moneymaker!
That is MY kind of dancing!

Get this- there was a woman in the class who had a 4 or 5 month old baby in a baby Bjorn shaking her booty. That baby was loving it!

Her little arms and legs were flapping around and she had a HUGE smile on her face, that is...until she fell asleep half way through the class! Too much fun!!

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Might as well jump!!

"I used to jog but the ice cubes kept falling out of my glass." -David Lee Roth
Who knew we had so much in common??

Have you jumped or bopped around lately?

I am planning to go to a hip hop aerobics class AND Zumba with C. tonight. If I don't make it, will you take over this blog?

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

I went to the gym

with C.!

Thanks C!

We went to Zumba class, but the teacher was out. Instead we had an odd version of the low impact aerobics class with Annice, whom we have taken a class from before.

Annice is enjoyable, she is a tell it like it is in a fun way woman who clearly does want her class to be excited and proud of themselves. I never feel like I am not good enough, I just feel like I am good for showing up and moving. I like that.

Plus she quotes the songs, which is enjoyable at times. "What is love, ladies? Baby don't you hurt me!"

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Diet goods on Etsy

I spend more time than I should perusing arts and crafts on Etsy.

I thought I would post some cute and funny health living/dieting items. Important struggles inspire, right?