The Next Hundred Pounds

I STOP WHEN I'M DONE

When you start something new, it's really tempting, really easy to make grandiose plans. (New Year's Resolutions, anyone)? You're going to cut out all processed and fast food overnight! Henceforth you will never drink a real Coke or have a Big Mac again (even though you currently average three or four a week). You're going to get up at 4 a.m. every day and run 10K! You're going to stop going out for beers with your co-workers every night ... well, you'll go, but you're only going to drink diet soda!

And most of us know how well THAT turns out. We manage our stringent new curriculum for a short time, and then it gets to be a drag. There's a special occasion, or a night out when you're tired, or a morning when it's rainy and you have a big presentation, so it becomes easy to let your resolutions slide, just this once.  Somehow, just this once turns into rationalizations and more slips and before you know it, you've completely abandoned your shiny new regime. You feel worse than before, because now you feel guilty, and are probably indulging in all kinds of negative self-talk about your lack of willpower.

Why set yourself up for this kind of failure? Have we learned nothing from the fable of the Tortoise and the Hare? Slow and steady wins the race. Have we learned nothing from the Winter Warlock in Santa Claus is Coming to Town? Put one foot in front of the other ... Perserverence, not perfection, is the goal.

This article from Paleo nutritionist Diana Rogers illustrates the point beautifully; and although she's specifically talking about making the changes to a Paleo lifestyle it really applies to any lifestyle and diet changes you want to make. It's much more effective to make them in increments, and to be true to the philosophy you are ostensibly embracing, rather than simply trying to replace your old, bad habits with "healthier" versions. This isn't reality TV! Nobody expects you to be an instant expert, or instantly successful! You can take your time, make mistakes, start over as often as it takes.

I would add to Rogers' words of wisdom ---perhaps unpopularly, but I am absolutely convicted of this idea --- that it is also important to take the time to discover, step by step what you can and will do on a longterm basis, even if it means you're only embracing your new philosophy 75 or 80%. That may change over time. You may find yourself willing and able to do more. It may be what you crave.

I feel I am finally emerging, after a period of some months, from my slide back down the mountain path that is my lifelong journey to best health and fitness. I finally feel capable again of a firm and steady commitment to working out (a lot!) and to challenging myself more physically. And as I've gotten stronger again in that capacity, I also have come to feel that I can begin to pay stricter attention to diet. But I am easing back in to both. Exercise came first; it's less of a mental hurdle.

Back in 2007, when I first decided to make major changes to my lifestyle, I knew this effort had to be different than any that had come before, and that it was crucial to do it MY way. After all, I'd had all the expert advice in the world. It wasn't that I didn't know how to eat properly or work out. Something else was lacking. There is no program in the world that you can stick to slavishly exactly come scritto, as we say in opera --- as written; at least not forever. It's important that you individualize it and make it work for you, and don't apologize for doing so.

Do, however, be honest with yourself. Let's face it, you are not going to lose 100 pounds if you say to yourself, "I can live with exercising for thirty minutes three times a week, and having a salad for lunch every day along with my can of Coke and bag of Cheetos." Certainly, you will see some improvement, but you're probably not going to become a cover model for Fitness Magazine. Be honest about what you are doing for exercise, how much effort you are actually putting in,  and how much good it's doing you. A thirty minute walk per day is not going to "pay" for half a pint of ice cream and fried chicken for dinner. Be honest about what you are eating, and how much. The simple act of teaching yourself to weigh and measure food, to understand portion sizes and nutrition, and to make sure you ARE aware of how much and what quality of food you're putting into your body, will help you make better choices. Maybe not every time, but more of the time, if you are serious about improving your health.

But take your time. That's okay. When you feel good, when you feel secure in your new habits, when you maybe start to feel that you need something more, harder, different, that's the time to kick it up a notch.

And that's the place, at long last, that I find myself coming back to on my own fitness journey. Yeah, I've been here before. I may well end up here again. Not going to worry about it. Today, in TRX class, I did those damn planks. I held them the whole time. The lady next to me, who does Crossfit, was having just as hard a time as I was, and she weighs less and is in better condition. Today, after a hard hour of kickboxing, I joined my TRX classmates in 50 jumping jacks at the start of class. I was TIRED. I was drenched in sweat from the first class, and we had an hour to go. I got to #30 and thought I was going to have to stop, but I remembered a poster I'd seen the night before.  It read:

I DON'T STOP WHEN I'M TIRED. I STOP WHEN I'M DONE.

Today, finally, I was in the right mental place to push a little. I kept repeating that to myself throughout class. And I did all 50 jumping jacks. And then I went and did those hateful, hateful planks. Three weeks ago, it wouldn't have happened. But I showed up, I did the work, and even when I hated it, I started to like it.

I need a nap now, but I figure today, I earned it.

PRIMAL FLIRTING

Yesterday, I stopped off at a Wendy's to ...er ... use the facilities. It was like entering the Bog of Eternal Stench. I was nearly bowled over by the smell of rancid grease and preservative-laden food. When I recovered a  bit, I looked around and realized that none of the patrons were affected by it. It seemed perfectly normal to them. And once again, I realized that once you cleanse your palate and your body of this kind of trash, you become aware of just how awful it really is.

Several years ago, I did this great gig in Minnesota ... in February. They put us up in beautiful lofts right next door to the rehearsal space. It was sort of the Opera Dorm for grown-ups, and the cast had lots of fun doing potlucks in each other's flats. The last one was a sort of "clear out your fridge" party, and one of my friends brought Hot Pockets, cut up into bite-sized pieces. They smelled pretty good so I decided to try one ... and spit it out into the garbage. It didn't even taste like food to me. (At that point, I probably hadn't had any fast or processed food for about two years).

My point is, you really can re-educate your tastebuds to prefer whole and natural foods, and less sugar. I personally have never conquered the satanic trifecta that is fat-sugar-salt, but I need a lot less of it to be happy. This is on my mind because at last, after three months in Florida, working hard on regaining fitness and the mental strength to concentrate on diet, I feel ready to cautiously introduce some changes to my diet again. And it's party inspired by Mr. Hot Pockets.

Mr. Hot Pockets lives here in Miami, and I saw him the other day. Actually, I worked with him just last summer, and there'd be significant changes to his physique. My friend has a compact, muscular frame, the kind where a few pounds  and a little toning one way or the other make a big difference.  He has never been fat, but he used to weigh a little more, and now he's looking positively sleek. He's doing Primal, Paleo's slightly more relaxed cousin, and I've been intrigued by these for a while. I first heard about Paleo because of CrossFit (many CrossFit adherents are also into Paleo), and it led me on an exploration of these very low-carb diets that eschew grains (even whole grains!), legumes, and processed sugar. The good news? Fat  --- good fat --- isn't the enemy any more. Here, eat the chicken skin. Have a whole avocado. Slather on some coconut oil. EAT BACON!

This is an oversimplification of course, and not a full view of the diet or the lifestyle in its many incarnations. I encourage you to check out some of the links above if you're interested, and they link to many other books and sites.  Personally, I don't think I'm ready to go whole hog (you should forgive the pun) and start foraging, cooking organ meats, and fasting intermittantly, but giving up grains for at least a week? That I can do. I think.  Yesterday was grain-free (I did have some legumes), so technically today is Day One. So far, so good.

I was late to kickboxing this morning, but I joined in with gusto and also did my TRX class. Tonight I plan to go back and do a stretch/burn class. Yesterday, it was zumba and a great 75 minute yoga class all to myself, since no one else showed up!

I was late to kickboxing because  since Daniel's death, I have just been a little spacey, and yesterday was the funeral in France, so that was all that was on my mind. I drove around all day singing "Danny Boy" and had a little private ceremony of my own for him. My voice teacher sent me a link to  my favorite movement from the Faure Requiem --- "In Paradisium", as ethereal and promising as you could wish for, and it made me remember an incident that happened almost ten years ago, when my own father died. I was performing my favorite work of all time, the Verdi Requiem. It's a challenging work with a lot of solos for the mezzo; the last of which requires high, delicate singing after an evening of heavy lifting. But it's the most beautiful thing in the whole work, in my opinion: the Lux Aeterna.

We were in a hall that had stadium seating. When we started the Lux Aeterna, I happened to glance up into the audience, and I saw my father. Not a guy who looked like my dad, not a ghost, but my dad, right there in the audience. The next time I looked he was gone, but I knew he was still there, and it was very comforting. Now here's the weird part: after the concert, one of the choristers came up to me. I did not know this woman, and as far as I know, she had no idea my dad had died just a few weeks earlier. She said to me, "While you were singing the Lux Aeterna, you were surrounded by angels. And I saw your dad standing there. He looked very happy."

This is a recording of that very performance. I have done other, better performances since then, but this one will always be special to me. I now offer it in tribute to Daniel.

EATING HEALTHY IN THE HOSPITAL

I'm happy to say that I've never had to stay overnight in a hospital (knock on wood!). My one surgery was an outpatient procedure that had me home in time for dinner. But this post from PrimalGirl really got me thinking --- what would/should/could someone who is determined to eat healthy do if they were required to spend a few days in the hospital?

Hospital food is a joke ---  literally and figuratively. It's true that many hospitals have, in recent years, made efforts to offer healthier meals to their patients and employees. In researching this post, I came across several menus that sounded pretty decent, nutritionally and gastronomically. For example check out the menus at Bronson Methodist in Kalamazoo, MI. There's plenty of commerical goo on the menu (sugary name brand cereals, margarine instead of real butter, the ubiquitous Jello) , but you can also find healthy, fresh choices like salads, fresh fruit, and grilled chicken.

But my guess is that if you find yourself at a less-wealthy hospital, or a military hospital as PrimalGirl describes, you might be stuck with sad --- nay, tragic ---  Standard American Diet choices, with most selections heavily processed and injected with who knows what --- not healthy, not tasty, and not appealing.

Now, if you're really sick or injured, food is unlikely to be foremost on your mind anyway. But it still shudders me to think about being forced to ingest chicken bouillon which contains no actual chicken (but plenty of salt --- witness the ingredient list on Hormel's salt with chicken flavor chicken bouillon cubes) , Jello (gelatin --- aka collagen extracted from animal bones, connective tissue, and skin; artificial colors and flavors, and lots of sugar), reconstituted juices, eggs made from a powder, and other such delicacies. I mean, the whole idea is to get well, right?

So if you find yourself in a situation where you yourself can't go out and get healthy food, or if you are on a very specific diet (vegan, Paleo, what have you) what can you do?

PrimalGirl has some great suggestions. Here are mine:

1. LIE LIKE A CHEAP RUG  about having  allergies to any foods you wish to avoid (dairy, gluten, soy, etc.) --- but still check the ingredient list on what you're served.

2. Be prepared to compromise on quality; go for the best nutrition you can get at the moment and don't worry too much.

3. Avoid the stuff you wouldn't eat on the outside. Turn down the processed stuff.

4. Request whole foods: whole fruit, plain, unseasoned pieces of meat (you can add your own seasoning to taste), fresh vegetables and salads without seasoning or dressing, whole grains. You may have to request a special meal, but don't be shy.

5. Get a loved one to bring you supplies. They may be able to bring you healthy food from home, but if they can't be there for every meal time, ask for a small cooler where you can easily store yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, low-fat cheese, carrots and hummus, and other healthy snacks for a few days. Ice should be readily available. You can also stockpile peanut butter, apples, and protein bars. In other words, food you could travel with.

Lest this seem like overthinking, or obessessive behavior, or just a little much, my take is this: it takes a tremendous amount of commitment and focus to stick to a healthy eating plan. It's so ridiculously easy to get thrown off. I have a lot of friends who are singers, and are committed to special diets, often out of necessity. Our bodies are our instruments, and we have to take care of them. We travel a lot, and it's often just as hard to find good, healthy food, especially that which fits a restricted diet --- on an airplane or in an airport, in a foreign country, in a host's home, at a fancy dinner party where you're a guest of honor, or in any strange town where you don't have cooking/storage facilities, or reliable transportation.

It would be very easy to throw up your hands and have that fast food cheeseburger just this once. The problem is, not only is it bad-tasting and bad for you, but it makes it easier to give in the next time. And garbage in = garbage out --- poor quality food is not going to help you heal or make you feel better.

So stick to your guns, even when you're down. If nothing else, you'll leave a beautiful corpse!

INSPIRATION AND BURNING

One finds inspiration where one may. I was inspired by this poster from The Rogue Cookie,
whose FaceBook page features funny and inspiring graphics. (I just wish they didn't have to rag on vegetarians; they're a Paleo-friendly site if not downright Paleo. Can't we all just get along)?

I also loved this,  from Cave Girl Eats; I may not espouse the Paleo thing 100% but the basics make a lot of sense and are doable by anybody.

Awesome! We all need reminding, especially when somebody brought doughnuts to work or your mom just made her famous chocolate cake filled with deep-fried Twinkies or you just would kill for a gallon of ice cream and a big spoon and a dark closet to eat it in. I'm going to print these out and carry them around as part of my new little collection of reminders, along with my "Just for Today" mantra.

Saturday was a double workout day: Ballet Barre Burn and TRX Suspension Bands. Wow! My quads are a little cranky but my shoulders and upper back are WEEPING today. Weeping, I tell you.

Barre workouts are one of the latest fitness crazes, but here's a little secret: you don't need a barre to do a lot of them. The back of a chair will do.  The focus is on ballet training moves to tone and strengthen while giving you a long, lean look; but our class moved at such a fast pace that there was plenty of cardio and sweat going on. My only complaint was that there was not sufficient stretching before or after the class. In the future, I'll get there early enough to do some warming up on my own. We did some fast-paced jumping jacks , knee kicks, and a move they call "locamotive" in P90x (it involves putting your hands behind your head and bringing opposite knees to elbows) to warm up, and then it was an hour of leg lifts, squats, calf raises, work with resistance bands (standard stuff like bicep curls, rows, and presses), and a little mat work for core at the end. It was challenging and fun, and a good full-body workout. There are a lot of studios offering barre workouts, and there may even be classes at your local gym. Pure Barre, Barre Fitness, and Barre3 Fitness are a few of the pro studios; and there are also lots of DVDs you can try.

After class, I went next door to a nice little vegetarian cafe which advertised smoothies. It smelled great and several of the instructors from the gym were in there, having snacks. I grabbed a menu and had just started to salivate when I saw the prices --- EIGHT BUCKS for a smoothie? Yikes! No wonder all those girls are so skinny; they can't afford to eat much. I hightailed it out of there and down the street to the Starbucks, where you can get a perfectly decent, healthy smoothie for $4.25.

The second class of the day was TRX Suspension Bands. These are long nylon bands with handles at the end, which attach via D-clip to a beam on the ceiling ,over a door frame (with the door shut), to playground equipment, tree limbs, fences, etc. --- anything that's sturdy enough to hold your body weight. They were originally developed for the Navy Seals and the really cool thing about them is that they use your own body weight for resistance.

I loved this class! It was tough, especially since I was already tired from doing Barre Burn, but I got through it just fine. We started off with more cardio and did plyo breaks throughout the workout. Almost everybody in the class was new to the bands, but they are really easy to figure out and use, especially if you already have some fitness knowledge about good form and so on. It's also very easy to adjust the resistance, by moving closer to or further from the point where they are hanging. We did fast, energetic bicep curls, presses, squats, butt lifts --- every muscle got a workout. I was dripping with sweat and DONE when it was over, but it was terrific and I can't wait to go again.

I love that I can see all the classes online and plot out what I want to take --- especially since I don't know my schedule more than 24 hours in advance. I can go ahead and reserve, and then cancel if it turns out I won't be able to make a class. Tonight, I'm going to take it easy and do yoga --- all that stretching should feel really good.

It's really exciting to have the time and place to concentrate on intensive workouts again for a while. It's only a short time, unfortunately, but it's giving me a great kickstart. Hopefully I'll lose some weight, get toned up, and when I move on to my next singing adventure --- back to beautiful Princeton in June --- I will find something else. Back to P90X and biking, perhaps. However, this does inspire me to want to find a gym with great classes for the times I am home. I thought sadly that I had lost my taste for working out, was sliding permanently back into sloth, but now I realize that not only did I really need a little time off (Christmas break) and a little time to ease back in (Sarasota); but when I do have the time and easy access, I'll do it with gusto. Another lesson --- do what you can, when you can, and forget about the rest.

 

RECIPE DAY: HEALTHIER ALTERNATIVES

Healthy eating does NOT mean eating stuff that doesn't taste good. Depending on where you're coming from, though, it might mean re-educating your palate. If you're used to the SAD (Standard American Diet, lots of processed and fast foods with a tremendous amount of added salt, sugar, fat, preservatives, and fake flavorings) adjusting to the taste of real, fresh food may take a little time and experimentation; but as you learn to eat foods that are fresher and less processed, you will lose your taste for too much salt, fat, and sugar. Here are some recipes that offer healthier versions of some favorite foods.

When you're trying to cut down on  carbs, you may find yourself missing pasta. Two great, healthy, low-calorie alternatives are spaghetti squash and zucchini.

For a delicious and refreshing raw meal, try peeling a raw zucchini into strips with a potato peeler and topping with a chunky fresh sauce whipped up in your food processor: about 1/4 of a sweet onion such as Vidalia or Texas 10-15; a small, firm tomato and a handful of sun-dried tomatoes; garlic to taste; a handful of basil from your garden. You could even add a handful of pinenuts or walnuts for additional flavor. Top with a little shredded Parmesean cheese.

Spaghetti squash is named for the look rather than taste of its pasta-like stringy innards (which bear more of a resemblance to Thai glass noodles than Italian pasta), but you get a similar look and mouth feel, and a mild taste. There's a very nice and simple recipe to try here; but I would suggest making your own pesto so you can control the amount of oil.  I make mine with a leafy green such as basil, spinach, or even cilantro; a handful of nuts such as pine nuts, walnuts, or pecans; a couple of cloves of garlic;  salt and pepper to taste; and just enough olive oil to make a thick paste. There's already fat in the nuts so you don't need to add much oil; just add water to get the pesto to the consistency you like. It's fun to experiment with different pestos -- I particularly like the walnut-cilantro combination.

I've been trying to use up some stuff in my pantry before it expires (too many cans of pumpkin purchased over the holidays), so I've been experimenting with various quick breads. We don't, as a rule, buy bread or make it very often, but every other week or so I'll make a batch of something yummy we can have for breakfast or an afternoon snack with coffee.

My homemade blueberry bread with a veggie sausage patty. Good breakfast!

CINDY'S BASIC QUICK BREAD RECIPE, with variations

You can use this recipe to make just about any kind of tea bread or quick bread. It's easy to make it vegan through your choices of protein powder and milk substitute. I'm going to show you the basic recipe, with a lot of variations.

1-2 very ripe bananas, creamed in the mixer;  OR 1 large apple, cored and pureed in a food processor
3 tablespoons ground flaxseed, mixed with three tablespoons water (let it sit for about 5 minutes)
1 cup pitted dates, pureed in food processor, OR 1/2 cup agave syrup OR 1/2 cup maple syrup
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
2 scoops whey or soy protein powder
1/2-1 cup almond or soy milk (or milk substitute of your choice)

Mix the banana or apple, flaxseed, and dates (or syrup of your choice) until well combined. Add the dry ingredients, then the vanilla and milk. Add just enough milk to reach a thick batter consistency.

Preheat your oven to 350F. Spray a bread pan with canola or other oil spray; fill the pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, and bread is pulling away from the sides of the pan.

Now, that is the VERY basic recipe.If you find it is not sweet enough for you, try topping it with some large-grained sugar before baking. You'll get an extra burst of sweetness on the first bite.

Now, the variations:

BANANA BREAD

For banana bread, I highly recommend using the dates (it will be SO moist) and adding some spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove to taste; and topping with a handful of toasted walnuts. You can also use orange extract instead of, or in addition to, the vanilla.

PUMPKIN BREAD

Leave out the banana entirely and use a can of pumpkin puree or pumpkin pie puree. If you use the pie mix, it will already have spices and sugar, so I strongly suggest cutting the added sugar in  half or 1/4.

BLUEBERRY MUFFIN BREAD

Add a cup of fresh blueberries. If you don't mind more fat, you can top with streusel: 1/2 cup walnuts, tablespoon of butter, tablespoon of maple syrup, 1-2 tablespoons of flour.

APPLE BREAD

Add a chopped up apple (leave the peel on for nutrients), and spice to taste with cinnamon.

CITRUS BREAD

Use orange or lemon extract, add some orange or lemon zest, and substitute fresh orange juice for the milk.

You can really do whatever you want with it; it's pretty easy to make adjustments. Play around with flavors you like. And don't stress --- if the batter's too runny, add a little more flour. If it's too thick, add a little more milk. If it needs to bake a little longer in your oven, so be it. It's best served hot, but it makes great toast slices, and for parties I love to cut it up into bite-sized pieces and pile several types on my cake stand. And I highly recommend using the dates instead of a syrup or real sugar --- they are very sweet, and high on the Glycemic Index, but they're unprocessed and also add a LOT of moisture and richness. If you're watching your insulin levels, you might want to go with the apple/agave syrup combination instead, as that will be a lot less sugar and lower GI.

Experimenting with cooking can be a lot of fun and help you discover foods you like! Try taking a favorite recipe and seeing whether you can come up with a tasty, healthier alternative. You might be surprised at how easy, and entertaining, it is.

 

 

INTRODUCING THE SHAMBASSADOR

I just have to give a shoutout to Dr. Barbara Berkeley and her Refuse to Regain blog (which, obviously, I need to be reading regularly). Check out this recent post about Paula Deen, the queen of health-horrible cooking. There's been a  Big Announcement about Paula Deen's Type II diabetes --- she's had it for three years, but is just now "coming clean" to her audiences , just in time to announce her signing as a "Diabetes Ambassador" for one of the giant pharmaceutical companies. Irony, anyone? A star whose entire brand is built around selling the most unrepentantly fattening, unhealthy food on the planet, is now capitalizing on her illness by dispensing health advice? And this same star has stated for the record that nothing will change about her cooking methods. In other words, she is going to unabashedly continue to encourage poor eating habits AND make money off her fans who are unfortunate enough to develop diabetes. What a sweet gig. And by sweet, I mean disgusting. Paula Deen, Shambassador!

Speaking as someone who has successfully managed her Type II Diabetes for seven years now, the last three without medication ... diet and exercise is the very best way to manage your diabetes, and the least expensive. And you don't have to lose very much weight at ALL to see really great results.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, folks: don't get your advice or information from the people who are trying to sell you something. They will never have your best interests at heart. Paula Deen is an ambassador for the Paula Deen brand, and that is all.

Before we leave the Refuse to Regain topic, be sure to scroll down and read the comments from Alexie about the current emphasis on the social obligation to be healthy. I've never heard anyone put it quite like that before, and she raises some very interesting issues that I want to explore further.

Continuing with the unhealthy food theme, here's a recent article about foods you most likely want to avoid, and why. Several of these I knew about: farmed salmon, conventional apples, cornfed beef, milk full of hormones. Microwave popcorn is an occasional treat for me, but after reading this, I'm striking it off the list. It's highly processed, anyway --- it's just a good idea to stay away from processed foods, because of all the low-quality ingredients, additives, and harmful processes that alter the basic food. The biggest, saddest surprise were the canned tomatoes, 'cause I do love my Muir Glen!

Last but not least, I tend to go on and on about the importance of organics, but this cute little girl and her science project is one of the best demonstrations of why you should eat organic that I've ever seen!

 

Way to go, Alyse!

And now, it's a beautiful, sunny, cool day, and I am off for my walk and Diva Warrior Resistance Training. Eat well today, friends!

 

 

THE VALENTINE'S DAY DIVA CHALLENGE

One of my friends added me to a Facebook fitness group composed of performers and their pals. I've belonged to such groups before --- Social Workout (which I loved before they radically changed formats thereby eradicating their established community) and another FB group called Athletic Performers. Groups like this are great because you get as much reinforcement and encouragement as you want and need,  you can offer the same, and you can also get some great advice and ideas.

And you can be challenged ... or issue a challenge. The ladies in the group were discussing how the guys are always posting about their muscles and their lifting workout, and the need for lady muscles. It was suggested that someone throw down a challenge. Well, you know me ... I went for it. Here's the Valentine's Day Diva Challenge, and any of you are welcome to participate, too. It's designed for people who are new to weight training and/or getting back to it after a hiatus ... like moi.

Duration: Between now and Valentine's Day

Frequency: Minimum 3 times a week

Exercises:
15-25 pushups  of your choice
15-30 tricep dips
 30-50 squats
Side planks, 60 seconds per side
25-50 crunches  of your choice

The only equipment you need is a chair (or bench, or the side of your bathtub) for the tricep dips. I started today, and incorporated each set as part of my walk. I paused at benches  and the workout area in the park along the way. So many more benefits when you work out in the fresh air!

For lunch, I cooked up a big ol' mess of chard with some mushrooms and garlic. MMMMM.  Leafy greens are so good for you  --- spinach is my favorite easy-to-use veggies. You can throw a couple of big handfuls in just about anything. Omelettes. Salads. Soups. Stir-fries. Pasta. One of my favorite things to do with it is fill a big bowl with fresh spinach and then layer anything else I was planning on eating on top of it. (Leftover Chinese food? Black beans? Vegetarian chili? A little pasta and sauce? All terrific on top of spinach). Pop it in the microwave for a couple of minutes and you have a very filling meal, plus you've gotten your leafy greens for the day. Also, if you fill most of the bowl with spinach, there will be less room for the "topping" which is bound to have more calories, so you're getting plenty of TASTE of the "good stuff" without overdoing it on the calories. And you'll be strong like Popeye the Sailor Man. And who doesn't want THAT hot physique?

SETTING GOALS AND INTENTIONS

It's That Time of Year, when so many people are making that big push (many for the umpteenth time) to get the weight off once and for all. Such a source of despair and also fascination. Our relationships to food and dieting (still don't like that word) are so very complex, both emotionally and physically.

It has recently been suggested to me, twice in one day by completely unrelated parties, that I look into the Blood Type Diet. One of my agents uses it and swears it has done wonders for her. Seeing as how both my agents are pretty hot ladies, I'm willing to overlook my initial reaction of that sounds kinda crazy and take a more in-depth look; but even as I plan to camp out at Barnes & Noble later in the afternoon and read up on it, a little voice inside me keeps insisting, I really do not want to try yet another diet.

The best diet --- which term I mean in the classical sense, as in the way one eats as opposed to some heavily restricted plan you try out short term to get weight off --- is the one that works for you. Yes, that's rather glib and oversimplified, but what I mean is, we each have to find a way to eat that is healthful and sustainable for us. Paleo works great for a lot of people; I have friends who do it and think it's amazing, and they lose weight and stay fit on it. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I know plenty of vegans who are tremendous athletes (many who don't adhere to the philosophical/politcial side of veganism prefer to refer to their diet as "plant strong"). I think that, over time and with a lot of reading and experimentation, I've figured out what works best for me.  The issue isn't knowing what to eat; it's sticking with it longterm. For me, it's much more of a psychological and how-I'm-wired issue than one of education, willpower, or proper nutrition for my "type", whether that be body, personality, dosha, or blood.

So, I found this article from Active.com very inspiring; and what I like best about it is the focus on setting active, positively stated fitness goals and looking at weight loss as a result of working towards those goals. Goals, writes Katie Jeffrey-Lun, are actions. I like that a lot. She also encourages you to come up with a whole plan, not unlike a business plan, starting by focusing on what you really want to achieve. It's very much like setting an intention for your yoga practice; just giving yourself a mantra-like word or two that bring you back to mindfulness about what you are working to achieve.

I want to achieve the best health and greatest fitness level of my life, and I want to run a marathon. My intention, or key words, or mantra, or whatever you want to call it, are: Best Fitness of My Life. BFML.

My short-term goals are:

I will write and follow a food plan every day.

I will start at least 4 mornings a week with a walk and shoot for more intensive cardio/lifting sessions a minimum of 4 times a week.

I will concentrate on cooking simply most of the time, and eating mostly fresh veggies and fruit, with some lean protein. Bread, potatoes, rice,  cereal, and other simple carbs will be reserved for infrequent indulgences. However, nothing is off limits --- I can eat whatever I want, as long as I plan for it.

That's enough, for now. There are a lot of mini-steps involved in each of those goals, but to me the most important part of the plan is the intention, because it's a very simple tool that you can use to repeatedly bring yourself back to mindfulness. And bringing yourself to mindfulness in a self-loving, non-critical, simple way is, I think, the number one key to beating those pesky moments of weakness, aka decision fatigue.

I was too sore from my circuit workout to go back this morning. Instead, as soon as I post this, I'm going to practice yoga, and I have a date to take a long walk with a friend later this afternoon. And I can't wait to try out this kale chip recipe from Othalie Graham, who says her kids fight over it:

CRISPY KALE

2 bunches kale
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 3 large cloves garlic, minced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Method

Preheat oven to 375°F. Rinse kale and pat dry thoroughly. Remove and discard thick ribs and roughly chop leaves. Pat leaves dry again. Toss with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread on a large rimmed baking sheet. Kale does not need to be in a single layer, as it will shrink in volume as it cooks. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every five minutes or so, until leaves are tender, crisp on edges and slightly browned. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.
Nutrition

Per serving: 100 calories (80 from fat), 9g total fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 3g protein, 5g total carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 0g sugar), 0mg cholesterol, 160mg sodium

You know I can't ever follow a recipe as written, so I'm going to use my smoked hickory salt, which I think will be amazing.

And now, it's OMMMM time. Namaste, y'all.

MMMM ... WOOD PULP!

My oldest nephew grew up on a typical American diet --- homecooked meals, but also a lot of processed foods, fast foods, and junk foods --- just like I did. (He and his siblings, however, have somehow avoided getting fat). But a couple of years ago, he spent a summer in Italy, and everything changed.

He came home for Christmas and said, "Aunt Cindy, will you teach me how to cook?"  Exposure to all those fresh, delicious foods in Italy had changed his perception of food forever. Oh, he still eats Hot Pockets, but he also cooks real food from scratch. (I stand corrected. My nephew informed me that he has not had a Hot Pocket in over a year. Then he quoted Michael Pollan at me. I'm so proud). One of our favorite activities at holidays is shopping together and cooking a big meal for the whole family.

Heh heh heh. One nephew down, five to go.

Trav is such a convert to healthy eating that he frequently posts recipes and links to food news on FaceBook, so I am indebted to him for this link. Now, the article is on a humor site, and it is wildly sensational, but the basic premises are true. I decided to look into the claims a little further, and was appalled to find out that some products I thought were "all natural" (there's a pesky marketing term that, it turns out, doesn't mean much) contain some real crap.

Let's start with cellulose. Cellulose is plant fiber --- meaning wood pulp and other plant bits --- that is processed to a fine powder and used as a filler and additive. Makers of what Michael Pollan likes to call "edible foodlike substances" use it as stablizers, thickeners, replacements for flour and oil,  and to add fiber. It's cheaper than the real stuff, surprise surprise. That lower-fat ice cream you love probably has it --- it makes lowfat products feel creamier. That shredded cheese you (and I!) buy has it --- it keeps the cheese from clumping. And it's in everything. Bread, salad dressing, jam, meats.The Street  published an article listing 15 companies that use cellulose in their products, including Pepsi (Aunt Jemima products), Kellogg (some Morningstar Farm, Eggo, and Cinnabon products), Weight Watchers (various ice cream products), General Mills (Fiber One, Duncan Hines, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker products), and many more.

Nutritionists say that, like sugar, cellulose is cellulose --- it's not only harmless, but it provides extra fiber. That, they say, can be a good thing for people who aren't getting enough from whole grains, fruits, and veggies.  And maybe it is ---  but I'd rather get my fiber from natural sources like apples and whole grains, rather than fillers made from wood pulp and marketed as health foods. I tell you one thing, I'm certainly going to be reading labels even more carefully from now on.

The Cracked.com article goes on to detail the horrors of "fresh" orange juice that has actually been stored in airtight containers for up to a year and then injected with a "flavor pack" of chemicals to make it taste good; fake blueberries in products like muffin mixes and cereals;and perhaps the nastiest of all, hamburger product made by a company called Beef Products, which basically grinds up all the fat and other parts you wouldn't ordinarily want to eat, gasses them with ammonia to  kill E.coli and other pathogens, mushes it all up into a substance the industry refers to as "pink slime", and markets it to places like McDonald's, Burger King, and school cafeterias. Surprise, surprise, it's a lot cheaper than the real thing.

None of this is breaking news, although it's the first time I've seen it. It just reinforces my desire to eat mostly food that has nothing added to it but other items that are recognizable as food. It also reinforces my desire to ignore marketing as much as possible. People who want to sell you this stuff may not want to hurt you, but they do NOT have your best interests at heart. Ever wondered why the Strawberry Growers of America (assuming there is such an organization) don't have big ads running during the Superbowl about the health benefits of yummy, yummy fresh strawberries? Because strawberries, compared to Strawberry Pop Tarts*, are not big business.

 Ingredients: ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), CORN SYRUP, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, DEXTROSE, SOYBEAN AND PALM OIL (WITH TBHQ FOR FRESHNESS), SUGAR, CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS OF CRACKER MEAL, WHEAT STARCH, SALT, DRIED STRAWBERRIES, DRIED PEARS, DRIED APPLES, CORNSTARCH, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), CITRIC ACID, CORN CEREAL, GELATIN, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL†, CARAMEL COLOR, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, SOY LECITHIN, XANTHAN GUM, MODIFIED WHEAT STARCH, TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, COLOR ADDED, TURMERIC COLOR, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, RED #40, NIACINAMIDE, REDUCED IRON, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), YELLOW #6, RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B1), FOLIC ACID, BLUE #1.†LESS THAN 0.5g TRANS FAT PER SERVING.

Yum.

 

DAY BY DAY

Day by day by day ... yesterday was about exercising my resistance muscle. It's a little flabby, but thankfully not completely gone. Exercise was required one of the choristers brought a big batch of chocolate chip cookie brownies (you read that right, it's brownies with cookie dough dropped in) and cinnamon rolls to rehearsal, and plopped them down on the table right in front of me. Thank goodness I had a yummy, yummy treat in my bag ... the first Honeycrisp apple of the season! They were at the grocery store Sunday morning and I jumped up and down like a little girl. Love me some Honeycrisp. So I ate that instead, and got one of my colleagues to move the goodies to a different table.

The muscle got a little workout while grocery shopping, too ... I was so tempted to buy a cookie or pastry for later! But if you don't have it in the house, you can't eat it, right? And I'm on "spa retreat", keeping only healthy goodies in my hotel room. If I want a treat, I can have it, but I have to plan ahead.

The schedule being what it is, a couple of days there hasn't been time to eat lunch, and I've grabbed a Think Thin bar.  Also, someone recently sent me a couple of samples of Shakeology, which is the meal replacement shake made by BeachBody, the P90X people. More on that in a moment. I discovered that I kind of like it -- probably not for the long term, but for a couple of weeks, to help me get the weight loss going again. Yogurt or oatmeal for breakfast, a shake or protein bar for lunch, a late afternoon snack of a piece of fruit or a rice cake with peanut butter, and then a dinner with lots of veggies and lean protein --- it works out pretty well. I enjoy the feeling of lightness.

I'm a pretty big fan of P90X, but not as impressed with the hard sell of the BeachBody "extras" like their recovery drink, vitamins, and Shakeology, all of which are quite expensive and have to be ordered through one of their "coaches". All it takes to be a "coach" is to sign up, and you can then order your own products at a discount and sell them to other people. I dislike that they call these people coaches, because they have no special knowledge or necessarily even level of achievement, yet BeachBody promotes them as a benefit of their program. Anyway, one of these coaches was offering samples of Shakeology, and some friends have been using it and loving it, so I thought I'd give it a try.I think it's probably a good product --- nutritionally sound, low cal, and any time you restrict calories it's going to help you lose weight -- but the Greenberry flavor looks like a glass of oobleck and tastes unbelievably foul. I poured it out after one sip. As for the chocolate, it was better, but far too sweet for my tastes (and artificially sweet tasting, as well). I'll stick with my homemade whey protein and almond milk smoothies!

Today I did my yoga and then had to rush to get ready for rehearsal (but it was worth it; being all nice and bendy and relaxed afterwards); and on the way home, I took the long way along the Riverwalk and was rewarded with some peaceful extra exercise and a lovely view.

And there you have it. Day by day.