More to Love

After years of avoiding shows like The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, etc., I finally fell and watched at least several episodes of More to Love. I'm going to blame Jezebel.com for this because their snarky criticism of Puke/Luke and the producers of the show for having close ups of greasy food and planning dates where bathing suits were involved....I couldn't help it.

Well, last night was the finale. And now I remember why I will never again watch a show like this. The girl who was not chosen was heart broken. Was she really in it for love? I have no idea. Will Luke and the Israeli girl, who is absolutely stunning, stay together? No idea there either.

But I felt like the whole show was really the shows that I already hated that jumped on the "Fat Tv" bandwagon. There was a clan of desperate girls who were eager to land a well off man and were insecure because of whatever. The whatever this time was "I'm Fat." The majority of these women, while overweight, were total stunners.

Lately, there have been a lot of articles talking about "Fat TV" and why it's so popular. The Biggest Loser (which also started last week and awaits me on my DVR tonight). Some theories are that America is sick of seeing people who don't represent who they are (a tiny percentage of people look like the girls on The Hills or whatever is popular now) and there's an ever increasing percentage of overweight and obese Americans--especially those who fit in the age demographic that the producers of More to Love/The Bachelor/Bachelorette, etc.

Is it because people feel they can look down on others that they want to watch these fat shows? Or is it, as I hope, is it that people enjoy seeing other overcome struggles that are similar to their own? Like I said, many people in this country struggle with their weight at dangerous levels (I'm not talking those extra 5 pounds we all want to lose), and something like The Biggest Loser shows them that it truly is possible, though perhaps not in the same manner.

As far as More to Love...everyone can find love, but I don't think it takes or should take a TV show that combined trend with horrible dating show to prove to young women (and men) that you can find someone to love you for who you are.

Anyway.

Suffice to say, I love the Biggest Loser, mostly because, even though I disagree with losing 100+ pounds in however many weeks that is (I only support it if you're literally at the point where you could die or incur a weight related serious health issue ie. diabetes), I think it's a transformative process that not only changes the participants lives, but the lives of their families, and potentially, the lives of those watching the show. Or maybe that's just me being overly positive. Who knows.

And it means that I can't stand More to Love because it's not about "positive self image" (though I think it probably had that effect without it intending to for some people)--it's about pointing out "WOW even though you're FAT (here, get in this swim suit), you found LOVE! OMG NO WAY!!!" These women were beautiful inspite of being over weight--not just beautiful because they were beautiful (and believe me, these women were knock out).

I have no idea what the conclusion of this post is coming to, probably because I'm multitasking. But anyway. Can't we all just celebrate women being beautiful and end this stick thin thing? There are hints of change...but will it stick?

Race a Month

So occassionally I get these really ridiculous notions of what would be a good plan.

For example:

I recently decided that it would be fun to run 500 miles in a year. This is clearly a poor decision. Maybe not a poor decision, I'm sure I'd be close by accident anyway, so much as it's just another stressor on my workout regiment. I like running. In fact, once I get out the door, I usually love running. But forcing myself to about 10 miles a week (no matter if it's really only about 1.5 miles a day)...just seems a little insane. I'd probably lose my mind if I didn't make my goal or missed a week.

Ah the mind of the hyper obsessive!

I also decided last year that I'd do one race a month. That worked well for about three months, then totally fell apart when I got too tired to carry on. There was a 10 miler (which was my personal best, oddly), a 5 mile trail run (wow, that was a really poor choice, i've never felt so out of shape in my life), and the 10k jingle all the way (6.2 miles with jingle bells straped to your feet and cold wind blowing in off the basin = fail).

But, for whatever reason, I've suddenly decided that no, no, this would be brilliant. I'm going to try AGAIN!

In less than two weeks, I'll be taking up a 5k and doing the 5k for Cancer Awareness downtown.

In October, I'll probably be joining BT for the 5k AIDS Run/Walk, and then going out to Wolf Trap for the 5k for the Arts at the end of the month. After that, I've just convinced my mother that she should do the Turkey Trot back home with me and my brother. Another 5k.

It's my hope (and lunacy) that I'll stick with running as it gets colder and the mornings get darker as opposed to hiding away in my gym.

I'm going to the gym with K tonight, so hopefully that'll be the kickoff to my 5k week and a half training. The goal is less than 30 minutes, which should be fine, considering I run faster in a group and I already run faster than 1mile/10 minutes. Ideally, I'll have a 25 minute or lower time.

Here goes....something.

Spicy

I like spicy things.

I do, I can't help it. I love jalapenos on my burger, on my pizza, my quesadillas dripping in crystal hot sauce. There was the one unfortunate incident that my best friend in med school (I can't remember what I'd nicknamed her in this blog, sorry dear) will recall. It had a lot to do with a few coronas, chicken wings, and hot sauce that basically glowed from being so orange....but for the most part. I love spicy things and eat accordingly.

This is a good thing considering there is some pseudo/potentially true though (haha like the rhyme?) science out there that shows that if you eat spicy food, you eat less of it...and also, that the qualities in a pepper that makes it spicy also potentially speed up your metabolism.

All this talk about the spicy things, though, leads me to the point of this post.

Spices. Not just the spicy kind.

I think one of the hardest things about staying on a diet, eating plan, healthy cooking spree, etc. is that the food can be bland. I will totally admit that.

I'm in what I'd consider an "Advanced Beginner" or "Pre-Intermediate" use of spices place right now. I know vaguely what spices do what to the food, and kind of what culture they align to (don't put curry in an Italian dish, etc.), but I haven't quite figured out, on my own, how to move beyond garlic salt, all seasoning, salt, pepper, oregano on foods.

I took a short cut the other day and relied a little on my friend BAM Emeril. I share with you, the newest combination of spices (with a spicy kick) that works wonders for all food types: scallops, shrimp, steak, chicken, burgers, fish...I haven't tried pork yet, so maybe not ALL food types....but here it is:

Combine:
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

It makes about 2/3 cup and you can find the link to the recipe here. Foodnetwork.com is my best source for recipes and my secret for the meals Chadd loves. Next, I should delve into their low-cal options...

For now, I'll keep leaning on Emeril.

Enjoy! BAM!

Synergy

I've been a bad blogger, lately. Apologies.

I do want to address the Time Magazine article about how working out makes you gain weight or some nonsense like that, but rigth now, I'd rather just talk about how much I love boxing and this weather.

Boxing is a phenominal stress reliever for me. I instantly feel better after starting class, and when I'm done, I'm often times too tired to over analyze anything, or criticise myself or others. I feel released.

I had the benefit the other day of stepping on a scale and noticing that I'd lost 5 pounds in two weeks. I'm not saying it's a miracle, I still FELT better physically when I was eating within my caloric range and staying with the Volumetrics based cooking...but it's still nice to see that the hard work (which is really more of a stress relief session than anything) is paying off.

On top of that, I still make it to the gym in the mornings with my workout buddy (especially since she gives me a ride to work) and while those workouts are rarely immensely hard, it's another couple hundred calories expended. I usually get to the office refreshed, too--and awake. If there's one change I'm glad I've made, it's that I get to the gym in the morning.

Now to tackle the hard things.

I need to cut back on the crappy eating habits.

I'm talking about the glass of wine on a week night, or the cookie instead of a piece of fruit when I didn't really want anything. Or the eating beyond being satisfied.

I do believe in eating the burger, drinking the beer, and hitting the gym. Especially after my weeks of calorie counting and obsessing. I realized that it was was restrictive. It was extremely informative, nonetheless, and I'll think twice before ordering something or eating something that previously would have sounded like a good idea.

I just need to marry the two concepts--eating well and working out frequently and then I will have achieved what is usually considered the impossible.

But before that, I have two action packed weekends of fun and wine.

Wasting Time

So I get to leave my office in 26 minutes, not that I'm counting.

This week has been very stressful for everyone in my office and it seems that none of us have the stamina to make it the next less than half hour. Time for blogging.

Tonight at LA Boxing is mixed martial arts (MMA) workout.

A side note. I've never had children and I'm far away from that time, but I hear that women "forget" how much childbirth HURTS. My mom disagrees and says that she remembers quite well. But it makes me think about the MMA workout I'm going to tonight.

Last time, we started out in the ring doing a 30 minute endurance workout. I was unfamiliar with what an endurance workout meant.

It was roughly 5 solid minutes of some core based exercise to another 5 minutes of core based exercise...etc. In essence, 6 exercises, 5 minutes of each. Now, 5 minutes doesn't sound like a long time, but just try some of this stuff this guy tells you to do and then let me know if 5 minutes doesn't sound like an eternity.

I dont' actually remember the other 30 minutes of the workout (that's the honest truth). It was that painful...and yet, I'm telling myself right now "it wasn't that bad." Like childbirth, I assume, I've forgotten how epicly painful it was to try and make it through that workout. I recall stopping halfway home and wondering if I was going to puke on the street.

...

Normally, there wouldn't be a debate. My boxing gym buddy, unforunately is detained this evening, so now I have to rely on myself to go, on a Friday afternoon, to the gym, where I'll get my ass kicked. I'd probably be considered clinical for wanting to go. And yet, I do...kind of.

So, I took the issue to my fitness twin. We'll call her Gray for now.

She raised a good point saying, "tend to feel better about not working out when I've planned my day off ahead of time like today: is day off from the gym and I'm ok with it because I put it in my schedule."

Gray's right. I need to go tonight because I planned to go. I took Monday off and I'm probably taking tomorrow off.

12 minutes to freedom and a good beat down.

Stay active this weekend--you won't regret it.

Ding ding ding

Boxing won.

The presentations went well, the feedback...as expected. Everyone walked to the hotel, I walked to the metro, got myself to my front door, threw on gym clothes, then went to boxing.

It was refreshing to get all my energy out, go home and cook for a bit, then hit the sack. I didnt't even drink my own beer, I was too tired.

Boxing is truly one of the most transformative things I've done. It's been just 4 workouts and I see a big difference. Granted, I've also cut back on my "crap eating" but...all in all, it's great.

Except for this new shoulder pain. I should probably get to class early tomorrow to talk about it.

The Great Debate

I'm having a conversation with a friend who is similarly gym addicted. She, too, gets a lot of stress relief from a good work out at the end of the day, and feels grumpy if she goes too long without a good sweat.

Tonight, my coworkers and I have to partake in an unenviable task of presenting a stressful presentation to upper management from 4-6. It's only about 30 minutes in the lime light, which is not something I get nervous about (it's the aerobics instructor thing), but it's a stressful situation regardless.

After this presentation, our company is sponsoring a happy hour for us...which means that our tab goes onto the company's credit card. Lubricated team bonding time in addition to the classic way to blow off steam from a stressful week at the office.

In another sphere of my life, I've taken up boxing at LA Boxing, which is the boxing club chain that is becoming increasingly popular around the country. For a long time I had the misconception about these clubs that they were a place to go and get beat on/beat on others. Not my style, I prefer injury free aggressive workouts. Cycling, for instance. The most intense I get with combat is TurboKick, and while it may be fun, it's not scary.

Boxing is scary. See it on tv...that hurts and I hate to admit to being a chicken, but I don't like getting hit in the face. Or getting hit anywhere else, for that matter.

But for some reason, I thought it might be worth checking it out. I think I heard somewhere that only 2-3 of the classes are sparring based and the rest of them are bag contact only.

I went to a free class with my now boxing buddy...and was addicted immediately. I signed up on the spot, bought my gloves, and now crave boxing every day.


More than a 1000+ calorie workout, it's stress relief, anger managment...it's hard to be angry, or even emotional after an hour long beat down on a bag. Talk about leaving it at the door, you can't even leave the gym with energy to be angry, much less make it to your door.

So this leads us to the great debate.


Do I go to the work sponsored happy hour after an 11 hour day that started at 7am, which is several metro stops away from home, with coworkers, who while I greatly enjoy a good deal of their company...I also see them 90% of my waking hours.

OR

Do I head back home after the presentations (6), hopefully getting home by 7, in time to change and go to boxing to relieve stress and get home before 9, alcohol free, ready to shower and go to bed. Do I give up the free drinks and social interaction for some much needed stress relief and a good workout?

It really is up in the air right now. Report to follow on what I wind up doing. Your bets are welcome.

Mornings: A Present to Myself

Wow, where have I been?

The good news these days is that I've been working out and fitting it into my busy schedule. With the help of my friend K, at least three times a week, we get together to go to the gym and push in 30 minutes of cardio or weights. On top of that, I'm still teaching on Sundays (and my second class has just started up)...and most recently, I have accomplished something wonderful:

I'm getting up early.

I did a lot of thinking about how to accomplish this, honestly. I wasn't getting up setting multiple alarms. I couldn't think clearly enough to convince myself that I wanted to get up and spend an hour in the morning doing things while I could be sleeping. Beating that logic hard especially considering that Chadd and I have radically different schedules. So that hour of hitting snooze is really the only time I spend with him during the week.

But I thought it out Monday night and decided to make things easy. I took my ipod dock that has a clock radio and put it in the kitchen, volume on full blast, and set it to 99.5. I figure that if I have to leave the bedroom to turn off my alarm (getting out of bed and walking across the room is my current system and has failed), then I'll get up.

Also, Monday night, post gym, I rinsed off with soap and water, but I didn't wash my hair or blow it dry. Now I HAVE to get up and shower, regardless.

Then, on the futon, a stack of my running clothes and shoes. Bingo.

For the past two mornings, my phone alarm has gone off at 5:30, which I have turned off and used as a sign to subject Chadd (who is probably dead asleep at this point) to intense cuddling. 6am, the radio goes off in the kitchen. Today's morning radio topic was about dead bodies or something (clearly I was still asleep when I hit snooze).

I got up, fed the cats, put in my contacts, changed and was out the door. It's not too hot at 6:15 in the morning. Just right, actually. I go to the zoo, say hi to the cheetahs (who get up around 6) and take advantage of the water fountain at the visitor center, then head home and cruise down the hill on Connecticut Ave.

When I get back, it's just before 7. This gives me an hour to drink coffee, check email, take a shower and do my make up. Choose an outfit and pack a lunch. And watch the morning news. Who knew!

It's given me a new lease on lilfe, it seems. I feel like I somehow upgraded. While I've known all along I'd prefer getting up...there's nothing like actually doing it. I feel calm throughout the day and I sleep like a rock at night...and I feel like I'm giving myself a present. The "I can make time for myself" present. At night I'm too busy doing what I need to do and making dinner for Chadd (my daily present to him) to really be focused on me. I'm hoping to focus enough on my run to add prayer tomorrow.

One of my coworkers thinks I'm a nut because I'm doing a few 2 a days (morning and night workout), but it's not that much different because instead of adding it to the day I was already having, I'm adding time to my day by getting up earlier. Ha!

Additionally, here is something my mom sent to me the other week that I found to be very true. I'm going to print it out for my fridge:

This is from Zen Habits and was guest written by Adam Gilbert of MyBodyTutor.com

The Healthy and Fit Algorithm
Food:

• Eat every 3-4 hours. By doing this you’ll keep your blood sugar stable which is the key and also turn your body into a fat burning machine. Think of your metabolism like a camp fire. If you don’t want a camp fire to burn out, you have to constantly add wood and logs to it.
  
• Never let yourself get hungry! This serves many purposes. It keeps your blood sugar stable, keeps that fire burning, but also when you’re very hungry it’s extremely hard to make good decisions!
  
• Eat only complex carbs. Refined and simple carbs will spike your blood sugar which is exactly what we don’t want. Eat whole wheat bread instead of white, whole wheat pasta instead of regular, brown rice instead of white, etc.
  
• Eat lean proteins! Depending on your lifestyle stick with proteins like chicken, eggs, and fish. Beans, nuts, legumes, and lentils are also awesome choices.
  
• Veggies! You can never have too many vegetables. I say everything in moderation. Even moderation. Not with veggies!
  
• Fruit is nature’s candy. Eat fruit when you are craving something sweet. You’ll be amazed at how little you miss junk food!
  
• Drink lots of water. No need to get obsessive but try to drink a glass of water with each meal, and in between every meal. Your body will love you for it.
  
• Don’t eat 2-3 hours before bedtime. And if you must - make it a protein rich snack.
  
• Don’t eat until you’re stuffed. Instead, eat until you’re satisfied. You should feel like you can exercise right after you eat.
  
• Eat slowly. The best way to eat until you’re satisfied is to savor every bite. The slower you eat the more full you’ll feel. It takes 20 minutes for our brain to realize we’ve eaten. We don’t need nearly as much food as we think we do!
  
• No such thing as perfection! No one eats perfectly. We’re not robots! Remember: It’s what we do most of the time that generates most of our results! If you eat unhealthy make your very next meal healthy! No big deal. Just make that U-Turn! Every meal, every healthy choice, every compromise, really and truly makes a difference. Your body never lies!
  
• Am I hungry? Or am I eating to change the way I feel? Ask yourself this before you eat. If the answer is yes, you’re eating for the wrong reasons! Physical hunger comes on gradually. Emotional hunger comes on suddenly.
  
• Focus on eating foods that make you feel good. What does this mean? I like ice cream and cookies as much as the next guy. But I hate how it makes me feel afterward. Tired, lethargic, unfocused, etc. Instead, focus on foods that make you feel good before, during and after you’re done. You’ll never regret making a healthy choice!

Exercise:

• Do it 4 times per week for at least 30 minutes. Seriously, doesn’t matter. Basketball, jogging, weights, push ups, etc. Unless you have a specific goal just make sure to get it done!
  
• The two day rule! You can’t miss 2 days of working out in a row. You can skip one day. But not the next!
  
• Don’t let the “Exercise Monster” build up. When I don’t do laundry for a while it becomes what I like to call the ‘Laundry Monster’. It builds up in my mind and I avoid doing it at all costs. Until finally, I have to. And it’s never as bad as I think it’ll be! Don’t let it happen to you. Follow the two day rule!
  
• Don’t focus on exercising at a certain time. Just focus on making time to exercise!
  
• Make it fun! Listen to music; join a nice gym; etc. Bonus: If you love working out with music as much as I do, only listen to your favorite music while you workout. I’ve actually exercised just to listen to my music.
  
• Focus on how you want to feel. We always feel energized after we workout. Yet, we usually skip exercise when we’re feeling tired! Remember: Exercise will give you energy. Want more energy? Exercise more!
  
• Exercise and eating right pays off big in your quality of life! If you need to spend extra money on groceries, a gym membership, trainers, etc., do it!
  
• Warren Buffet said it best. “The best investment you can make is in yourself!”
  And if you’re able to follow these rules consistently you’ll be well on your way to getting in shape!

Motivation and Intimidation

My good friend, BT, asked me a question the other night:

"Do you want to go on a vacation?"

Um...yes.

We discussed the options, the dates, and did a cursury glance at some of the discount travel brokers...and came upon an all inclusive 5 days, 4 nights in the Dominican Republic and a hotel on the beach.

The trip is tentatively schedule for Columbus Day and we are thrilled...but in the back of our minds, or perhaps the front of our minds, is motivation.

Last night, we were both exhausted, as evidenced by our mutual pasta downfall. We confessed and vowed to do better. Which leads me to the topic of rewards. I read this article today about how a monetary incentive and/or punishment will likely not encourage weightloss in people.

You can read about it here.

I admit, I watch the FLN show "Ruby" about the woman who weighed close to 500 pounds, then decided to change her life. To me, it seemed like death was her big motivator. But even THAT doesn't change some people's minds. Perhaps only negative reinforcement works for weightloss. I'm going to bet it has something to do with people being unable to grasp the reality of what just 10 pounds would do for them. 10 pounds sounds huge, unattainable. It sounds unreal. So when they mess up, they say "oh, I was so pie in the sky anyway, oh well" and move on to the pick-up window at McDonalds.

Then there are the people who make unrealistic goals. I'm guilty of this. I'd love to weigh about 30 pounds lighter. In reality? Pipe dream and probably unhealthy. I keep promising measurements, and I'll do it...but you know where I'm going with this. We have unrealistic expectations and desires and when we get bored or hit a wall, we don't see the progress we've made and we lose it.

But I think this time, for this vacation, I'm going to play the numbers game. Not the weight numbers, but the inches numbers. I have a particular bathing suit made by a certain company that is known for their buxom models...and I love to look good in it. More to come on my theories of how to prepare for this trip...

Now for a discussion on intimidation.

Unfortunately, I'm one of the lucky few who live across the street from MTV's Real World DC house. Apparently, in their quarter block mansion, they didn't have room for a home gym...so they have started using my gym. K and I went to the gym yesterday to discover cast and crew taking up entirely too much room (i.e. about a third of the gym). Really people? At peak hours, have some respect for those of us who pay to go here.

While we were assured by management (who got to meet the angry polite version of myself) that we would not be on TV, my friend K, was intimidated nonetheless. The channel that embodies sex, beauty, and all things superficial was in the room next to her while she was trying to go about her workout. Proper gym etiquette is to ignore all others around you while still being considerate of someone else's needs. Improper gym etiquette is having a camera, sound crew and producers looking at you while some clown asks "when will you be done with your sets?" (gym speak for: I want to use that machine, will you move asap?). That's initimidation and it's everything I work against in the gym world. I've mentioned before that women especially have a difficult time using the free weight area (even though they'd benefit greatly from it)....and now that my gym features four Real World tough guys and their entourage....so much for a comfortable, open setting, which I thought my gym had done a nice job acheiving. It's less "weight room" more "area with weights and benches."

The good news is that management heard me out, I got to speak my mind, and I don't care who sees me hot and sweaty, because that's what I do on my weekends at my other gyms. But that doesn't mean I'm okay with it--if only because I, unlike the corporate offices of Washington Sports Clubs, care about the comfort of other women at the gym.

What We Eat When We're Alone

I just read an interesting article called "What We Really Eat When We're Alone" and I'm slightly surprised.

Maybe because one thing that the book excerpt lists is an actual recipe for something called "Johnny Cakes." They seem to be a pancake of sorts, really rich and buttery and sound wonderful. I thought this quote was really poignent:

"Eating alone is nothing less than a luxurious, even decadent, act," [Kate Manchester] says, "because I get to think about myself. I don't have to think about someone else."

I would love to believe that when left to my own devices (as I am at least 5 nights out of the week), that I would creat a beautiful, nutrious, and mouth watering dish. Sometimes I do. But mostly, I grab a salad on the way back from the gym...or I make a grilled cheese, or sinfully, a bowl of white pasta with some butter and salt.

Perhaps the difference between my alone eating and this article's "Eating Alone" is this: timing. I much prefer cooking for people.

Take, for example, this past weekend. Chadd's family was in town for the 4th of July. They were exceedingly generous to us and took us out for dinner Friday and Saturday night and for brunch on Sunday. I felt that it was more than necessary for me to invite everyone over for a meal. It also satisfied my intense desire to play hostess. Saturday morning's breakfast included:

Hot New Orleans Coffee
Orange Juice
Mimosas

Fruit Salad
Croissants
Scrambled Eggs with Cheese
Homemade buttermilk biscuits
White Gravy
Bacon

I was reigned in when I went to make sausage.

By myself...breakfast is mostly likely in the form of greek yogurt with some kashi crunch, eaten at the office.

When Chadd is home for dinner, we have things like roast beef and scalloped potatoes, salmon and rice pilaf, baked chicken with roasted potatoes....

When I am home by myself, I feel that I have no energy to cook. It does help that I'm usually putting something full of simple carbs, fatty proteins, and butter together for Chadd that can start out as low fat and carb free. But even then, I wish that I had the energy to make a beautiful and sumptuous dinner for myself.

Perhaps it is as elusive as my desire to get up at least more than 15 minutes before I have to be out the door. Both are due to exhaustion and are usually instigated when I realize that I can "get away with it." I slept through my alarm one morning and learned that I could be ready enough in 15 minutes.

I eat triscuits and cheese when I get home and suddenly, I'm not hungry anymore. Add a bite of whatever I made for Chadd and my brilliant dinner plans are too much effort.

I guess it all ties back to sleep, or a lack thereof.

What did make me feel better was that, on the audio of the article, the authors of the book mentioned that there is an entire chapter in their book dedicated to the stories of people who turn to sardenes...and what one woman called "Spaghetti Sandwhich."

At least, for the most part, my meals alone aren't made of fish with edible bones and carb overload.

I really do want to turn my sleeping habits around. Time to give it a shot this week....fingers crossed.