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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

By CHRIS ROSENBLOOM, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The article talks about how people mentally affilate serving sizes and about this book:

Mindless Eating
By Brian Wansink

I just ordered the book, I wonder if it is good. The reviews are great.

Anyway, portioning takes a lot of work and research, plus allowing yourself credit for exercise that you do! I struggle to be consistent with this kind of activity.

Reading and article like this and hearing about how other people struggle with the same mistakes in logic makes me feel better and makes me think twice when I make choices...at least for a few days!

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!