To weigh or not to weigh!?

The age-old question…. well, one of them at least.  I’ll tell you, I’ve been in the fitness industry for 25 years now.  I’ve seen and heard a lot of opinions throughout the years.  I can remember my mom going to TOPs every week to weigh in  “No breakfast before weighing in”!! 

When I started teaching aerobic classes in the 80′s the trend was NOT to weigh in.  “Liberate yourselves, get off the scale, it only makes you feel defeated”…. etc, etc,.

Now, as the American population gets heavier and heavier… the focus is on accountability, not denial.   Don’t be an osctich with your head in the sand.  “If I don’t look, I don’t have to acknowledge my weight creeping up 2… 5… 15 pounds”.

Instead, take charge!  Be aware, make a plan and stick to it!  That’s what I’ve been doing.  I’m down to 187 pounds this week.  Wohoo!  And yes, sometimes I get on that scale and the number is higher!  What do I do?  I look that scale directly in the eye, and I say…  frack you!   Then I go about my day more determined, more positive, with a renewed effort to make those changes happen.

Happy Valentine’s Day

Good morning everyone.  How is your weight loss going?  I’m happy to say that I’ve made it down to 190 lbs.  My goal is to make it down to 180, so there’s 10 more pounds to go. 

 What do we do about Valentine’s Day?  CHOCOLATE!!!  Yeah I love the sweets too.  And my advise to you is ….. EAT IT in moderation and enjoy it!  Your healthy eating habits should include occasionally indulging in those foods that you really love.  Denying yourself only makes you feel the victim, and puts a negative spin on being healthy. If you are going out to a nice dinner… my advise is the same.

If you do not have a Valentine….. no problem.  Treat yourself!  There is no greater gift then loving yourself!  You are special, and you deserve it! 

 Here’s a suggestion.  If you got a box of candy and the entire box is too much of a temptation, pick 2 or 3 of your favorites, and give the rest away.  If you are anything like me…. having an entire box of candy around is way too much a temptation.   If you know that your calorie intake is going to be greater than your eating plan allows, try to balance it with more activity.  Go for a long walk/run, or include an extra workout in your day. 

Staying on track involves making a thoughtful game plan… and sticking to it. 

Now go and have a GREAT day!.

Join the challenge–Lose 10 lbs in 10 weeks.

That’s right, join me and others in this challenge.  It’s very simple… pay 10 bucks, lose ten pounds and be eligible to win a GREAT prize.  If you are local contact the studio to learn more.  If you are not local, join us in spirit.  I’ll keep you posted on how many pounds we lose as a group.  So…. get to the gym, see your trainer, go for a run… a walk…. something.  Just start moving.  And watch those eating habits.  I blogged my food log for a couple of weeks, so you know what I am doing.  It is working, I’ve lost another pound since my last post. 198.  Today is going to be a beautiful sunny day near 70 degrees.  I plan on a nice long hike out by the bay.  What is your exercise plan for today?  Remember… EVERY DAY COUNTS!

Let’s get in shape together! (6)

Well good morning Sunshine!  It’s been two weeks into our program.  Now the hard part starts!  Sticking with it.  That iron clad will power might be starting to wane…. acknowledge and resist!  I LOVE Friday’s because I get to eat out today.  I made reservations for a new restaurant I’ve heard good things about, Tratorrio Corso.  I’ll let you know how it was.  Here’s my food log for the last couple of days:

Wednesday 1/12/11

5:00  bowl of Cheerios

10:00  greek yogurt, blueberries, low-fat granola

2:00  fresh turkey breast sandwich

7:00  butternut squash soup, Plantains with mango salsa

Thursday 1/13/11

5:00  bowl of Cheerios

9:00  two poached eggs

10:00 handful of almonds

2:00  Celery and peanut butter (mmmm)

6:30 Chicken breast, baked potato, asparagus, orzo salad

Let’s get in shape together (5)

I told you I’d be posting my food and WEIGHT!  I’m happy to announce that my weight is down to 199!  It’s good to be back out of those 200s.  Listed below is a few days of my food log.  I’ve decided that I get one day a week that I don’t HAVE to tell you what I ate.  I think that’s a fare deal.  I’ve picked Saturdays.  So you just get to imagine all the decadent foods that i’ve eaten.  Here’s the thing…. Once you’ve  allow yourself that ‘free’ day, you’ll find that you still eat pretty darn well.  Here’s a hint though….. I LOVE pizza!

Friday 1/7/11

7:00  small bowl of cheerios

11:30  small bowl of greek yogurt with blueberries

2:00  baked chicken with baked plantains

7:00  baked chicken, mac-n-cheese, 3 glasses of wine

Sunday 1/9/11

8:00  bowl of cheerios

11:30  one egg, one wheat english muffin, one small glass of fresh veg/fruit juice

2:00  banana

6:30  Tilapia (fish) with lemon sauce, quinoa, green salad with low calorie dressing

Monday 1/10/11

6:00 bowl of cheerios, fresh veg/fruit juice

10:30  yogurt with blueberries and lite granola

2:00 green salad and handful of trail mix

6:30  chicken breast, small baked potatoe

7:30  1 cup of low-fat cheez it’s

Tuesday 1/11/11   ( happy birthday little bro )

6:30  bowl of cheerios

10:30  1 egg, 1 piece of Ezekiel bread

2:00  fresh turkey breast, orzo salad

4:00  1/4 cup of almonds

6:00  stuffed pork chops, gorgonzola green beans, orzo salad

 

Let’s get in shape together! (4)

Well hey there…. how’s the plan going?  Have you begun to waiver?  I must admit, after a  long and busy day, I REALLY wanted that margarita yesterday.  But  knowing you were in on this with me, I resisted.  That leads me to my topic for today.  Who is supporting you? (besides me of course) 

It is so important to know that someone is on your side, that they’ve got your back.  I have a great network of friends and family who know what my plans are, and are supporting my efforts.   You need to know that your spouse/partner and family members know and support your goals.  My partner, Chuck, cooks most of the dinner meals. He has made sure that every meal has been healthy and lean.  Pascha and Kristin also know my plans, and they’ve been a huge support with helpful suggestions.  This support  makes it  ALOT easier for me to stay on track. 

So if you haven’t, talk to you family members and friends, let them know your plans and that you’d like their support!  It WILL help.

Let’s get in shap together! (3)

So I haven’t been on in a couple of days, and I want to make sure to give you my food log.  Here’s Tuesday-Thursday.

Tuesday 1/4/11

5:30  small bowl Kashi cereal, non-fat milk, cream in coffee

10:30  1/4 cup of almonds

1:30  chicken breast sandwich with whole grain bread

3:30  large banana

6:30 pork chop & pears, small baked potato/butter (one helping)

Wednesday  1/5/11

6:30 cereal bar, cream in my coffee

10:30 two poached eggs, 1 slice of Ezekiel bread

1:30 one package of Trader Joe tempura rolls (6 with whole grain rice 400 calories)

3:30 1/4 cup of almonds, 1/2 cup of blueberries

7:00 peppered turkey breast, sweet potato, snow peas

Thursday 1/6/11

7:00 small bowl of Cheerios, non-fat milk

10:00 1 cup of blueberries

1:30 Turkey with curry mustard sandwich/whole grain bread, 2 dill pickles

4:00 two poached eggs

6:30 ginger chicken with green beans over Quinoa  (two helpings, I was hungry!)

7:30 one cup of dried cranberries (should have been 1/4 cup)

 

Let’s get in shape together!

So how did you do?  Did you make a couple of goals for yourself?  I did.  As MUCH as I love good wine and good food…

My 1st goal: No wine (alcohol) and no Eating Out Sunday – Thursday.  It’s only been a few days and I already feel a surge of energy. 

My 2nd goal: Exercise every day!  I know, I am a personal trainer and have a gym at my fingertips, but you’d be surprised at how many reasons one can find to not workout.  What… You’ve had those same excuses? 

My 3rd goal: Eat smart, and eat healthy.  I’m going to be posting my food log for you to see.  Feel free to tell me what you think. 

My 4th goal:  Drink PLENTY of H2O!!!  Do you have that problem too.  IT’s amazing, if I don’t think about it, I just don’t drink.

Finally, my 5th goal is:  Get plenty of sleeeeep!  8 hours if I can.  That means if I’m getting  up at 5am for a 6am training, I better get to bed by 9:00.  Wish me luck on that one!

I told you I’d keep you posted on my weight and food log.  So, here it is:

Weight:  203 (this is after loosing the first few pounds because of reducing food intake)

Food:

6:00am– 1 small bowl of Cheereos with non-milk, cream in coffee

11:30am– Chicken w/capers, artichoke hearts with small portion of whole wheat pasta

3:30pm– two eggs, 1 slice of Ezekiel bread

7:00pm– small chicken breast, butternut squash soup

8:00pm– 150 calorie Skinny Cow ice cream

Let’s get in shape together!

Well, we’ve all ben there before.  We spend too much time working, and we enjoy good food and good wine… a little TOO MUCH.   I know personally because that’s been my story for a while now.  But no more!  As I’ve told some of you, I’ve decided that 2011 is going to be a GAME CHANGER for me, starting with my own fitness.  So here it is….. I’m going to post my journey on this blog site.

I’ll let you know what I weigh, what I’m eating, and what I’m doing for exercise. I’ll even include some pictures. YIKES.   Feel free to join me on this journey. Post your comments and let me know how you are doing. Together we’ll make 2011 a FABULOUS year!