My Top Ten Reasons I Work Out....

I have not written in quite a while...I am sure you have missed me, but I feel motivated to write today so I want to share my top ten reasons I work out. And of course, we all work out to feel healthy, lose weight, blah, blah, blah. I want to share the reasons that obviously relate to being healthy but are a little more colorful.

1. Vanity is a fabulous motivator...and I am not ashamed to say I enjoy looking at myself now rather than myself 24 pounds ago. And for those that care, I mean my clothed self, not my naked self. Still having a hard time with naked...
2. Two of my best friends, Ben and Jerry, can visit more often when I work out regularly....and their Danish cousin Haagen Daaz tags along occasionally.
3.We live in a society that can deliver pizza within 10 minutes, but we don't have time to exercise? Seriously??
4. My husband FINALLY got a DVR for our TV so my excuse of "but I will miss my T.V. show" no longer works.
5.Liposuction is much more attractive when there is only 10 pounds to suck versus 50 and seriously, who doesn't want their monies worth?
6. I now know lots of new terms like plank, burpee, and side lunge....and I can actually perform the moves multiple times without passing out!
7. Some parts of me weren't meant to jiggle...I am not Bill Cosby so I wish to lose the Jell-O on my thighs.
8. Who DOESN'T want to live till 100! I have got places to see and people to influence! Not to mention, when I am 100 I plan on being cantankerous and say EVERYTHING I think....and I mean EVERYTHING...because who cares? I am 100.
9. Exercise is an excellent conversation topic and one that is accepted and safe in many different situations. Meeting someone new? Exercise. Girls night out? Exercise. Business meeting? Exercise and you should probably talk about your business, too.....but you get the picture, right? Universal topic and way better than the weather!
10. I love how I feel and I am beginning to appreciate how I look....and that is priceless!

The "C" Word....

The word that strikes fear into every dieter's heart...how many CALORIES??

Calories are a mess to explain- I can hardly understand the science behind assigning a number to certain foods. The calories we know and hate are a measurement of energy, yet in science they can also carry a meaning 1,000 times greater than we use. The energy in food in actually measured in kilocalories...confusing right? Well, for our general use, let's talk the talk and walk the walk. A calorie is a measure of the energy content of food. One calories- the kind we see on food labels- is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of a liter of water by one degree Centigrade...I took this definition from Marion Nestle. Sounds complicated, right? Ultimately, what we need to know is this:

Diets are about calories. Eat too many, your weight will go up. To lose weight, you can do one of the two: eat fewer calories than your body needs each day or use up your excess calories by increased physical activity. Or try both for a double whammy! Either way, if you are on a diet, the only kind that REALLY work are those that incorporate fewer calories.

Now I am sure you are DYING to know how I claim that high profile "low carb" diets do NOT work. For my knowledge (which is immensely vast), I turn to an explanation of Marion Nestle, amazing all-knowing nutrition champ. If youi know how calories work, you know to base your diet around two numbers:
1) 2,000 to 3,000 calories a day are the range of calories that maintain body weight in most people.
2) 3,500 calories per pound equals the number of calories in one pound of body fat.

Now, knowing what we know, in order to LOSE 1 pound, you would have to eat 3,500 calories fewer than what you need to maintain your body weight. So if you are focused on a diet that involves high fat intake, you are bound to get discouraged because you are not really adjusting your calories intake. We should pay attention to fat, sugar and carb intake, but overall, be careful that you are not falsely losing water weight...it has a way of coming back!! To lose one pound of body fat a week, you have to take in 500 fewer calories per day or increase your activity to burn 500 calories per day...I choose to do both. And when you think about it, that candy bar you need after lunch...500 calories right there!! Or give up the tater tots from the lunchroom...yes, I know how GOOD they are, but when your jeans fall off, that feeling beats the taste of tots hands down!

Overall, understanding calories is tough, but weight loss doesn't have to be- burn more than you take in each day. I can promise you if I can do it, anyone can. I recently ran for 8 minutes straight at the gym and yesterday I ran a mile around my neighborhood and I ran .5 without stopping! That is BIG for me- so if I can do it, you can too!! Start logging those calories and keep them down...eat some veggies and fruit, give up the Big Macs and chips and soda.

And if you need to vent about why losing weight has to be so hard, remember that your health and fitness are worth a little sacrifice....and you can complain to me!! I will totally agree with you- then we can share a smoothie....all natural, of course!

Signing off,
Miss Mad

Vegtables Give me Gas...

Yes, it is true....broccoli and cauliflower give me horrible painful gas and raw veggies can give me stomach cramps, but I love to eat them! Lots of fruit makes me poop like a blue goose, but I still suck down my smoothie every day! And when I eat egg whites, especially boiled egg whites, my toots smell like last year's garbage shot through a stink machine.

Yet I keep eating these things, because I know they are healthy for me- why? Dairy Queen is true to the slogan- it treats me right! Cheeto-Puffs? Bring it! I could pound down a whole bag and then be ready for some Papa John's Pizza with a side of Varsity. I sometimes dream about Entenmann's cinnamon rolls wrapped in bacon.....

Then add in a healthy dose of sweating it out...and I mean sweating like a ho in church. Did you know that briskly walking 1 mile burns about 100 calories?? That's it!? I go to the gym and when I run on the treadmill, I notice the my boobs feel like they are about to bounce slap off my chest and I am pretty sure the gym staff refer to me as hobo lady....I obviously DO NOT care what I look like when I choose to sweat off my poundage....

So for the past four months, I have stopped eating junk food....started exercising...5 days a week....and I feel great. Changing my diet is the best thing I could have done for myself. Exercising has improved not only my attitude, but my energy level! And the absolute....best part?? My clothes fit and my husband says I can buy more! WINNING!

SO even though I hate that I don't really eat junk food and I hate sweating it out at the gym around all the blond ones....it is worth it. My health is worth it. I have lost 22 pounds and gained quite a bit of muscle. I am so proud of myself and I am beginning to like what I see in the mirror more and more (when I make myself look). And yes... I still have a hard time looking at myself naked!!

And while I am here, I confess I ate three small pieces of chocolate today and a divine cupcake made by the fabulous baker Pam Sherrer! And five boiled eggs (no yolk)....and a wedge of laughing cow cheese with about 20 wheat thins...and a BIG glass of wine. Which I earned, yes I did!!

BUT- I am keeping those calories under 1600 per day....and I am so proud of myself! What are you proud of this week??

Signing off,
Miss Mad

What's in Your Wallet?

Okay...so...over the past few weeks, I have really tried to increase my cardio and strength training. It is great one day and a great big piece of hell the next day. Needless to say, while I have been busy the past few weeks, my dieting and exercise have remained and I am 21 pounds down! Also, I really notice my clothes fitting much better and I have more energy...I just FEEL better and that feeling is priceless.

So speaking of price...instead of asking "what's in your wallet", I began to think in terms of "what's in your fridge". Ever notice how you almost have a predictable route through your house that almost always includes opening your fridge? I never really thought about the power of the fridge until I began to notice everything in my fridge. What options do I have for snacking? Ever notice that most unhealthy snacks are easy access? Ice cream is wrapped, pudding cups, frozen food (just open and heat)..need I go on? So I wondered what food is in my fridge that at a glance is easy access.....AND I (I mean my husband) could create a healthy meal with minimal effort? Here my easy access list:
1. Chobani Greek yogurt- I LOVE the fruit you stir- it is also 3 times the protein and fat free!
2. Low fat Skim milk string cheese- it takes...what...3 seconds to open? Great snack to keep on hand for the kiddos...if I had any...
3. Laughing cow cheese- I love the Garlic and Herb- 35 calories per slice!!
4. Cottage cheese- I like the kind in 90 calorie cups
5. Hershey's chocolate syrup....Don't judge me...I never said "the perfect fridge"
5. Pickles- Did you know that each mini-dill has, like, 5 calories?! You could eat the whole jar! Just watch the sodium...
6. Apples- easy snack- just eat it!
7. Better n' Peanut Butter- this is peanut butter, but with fewer calories and sodium...I freakin LOVE it!
8. Marinated Mushrooms- Yummy.....

Hmmmmm....what else is in our fridge that maybe is used as an ingredient? The above items are present right now in my fridge and foods I like to snack on- they are SUPER easy to prepare and not too expensive...so now the staples in our fridge right now:

1. Cabbage- It is just good. You can make cole slaw, steam it...so good!
2. Potatoes and Onions- I don't eat too many potatoes, but once a day is good....
3. Carrots- Steamed or added with a meat, they work well with salads too...
4. Spinach- A little olive oil and garlic on medium heat- it cooks down and tastes great- we use in salads also...
5.Minced Garlic- We keep this in the fridge at all times...
6.Grilled Chicken- We buy a family pack of chicken each week (or freeze it and use as needed) and Scott grills it on Sunday. Then we have grilled chicken through the week...so this is in my fridge right now....
7. Leftovers- yeah...this isn't an ingredient, but if you cook, why not go ahead and cook extra to feast on later? Then you are saving time and maybe money if you eat leftovers for lunch the next day.

So there's a little example of what's in my fridge...keep it healthy and you will be surprised to see that your trips to the fridge get fewer and fewer. Happy snacking!

Signing off,
Miss Mad

Battle of the Bulge

My battle wages on....

The past few weeks have been busy and while I am still maintaining my now 21 pound weight loss, I find that what I am now experiencing is the AFTER diet. Trying to decide what to eat and how much, then fighting the guilty feeling of eating. Now don't get me wrong, I am one girl no one EVER has to worry about developing an eating disorder- I think my idea of nirvana involves my floating on a giant chocolate eclair in a sea of coca-cola icee while Tiramisu rains down from the sky.....I only wish that food was calorie free! It is definitely hard to manage trying to eat healthy with such a love of food. I am beginning to learn that dieting is the easy part- maintenance is the hard part!

In addition to the food side of town, I am crossing the proverbial tracks to experience more of the country called Jillian Michaels...it is a tough land to navigate and I am slowly learning the language. Spider planks, Burpees, and Mountain Climbers...so basically at any given point in the week, something on my body is sore. And the more I do, the more I am enjoying myself. So maybe exercise is a form of Masochism? Oohhh....I like it!

So as I continue my journey, I reflect on the battle we wage each day and wonder what choices I will make tomorrow? Hopefully good ones. I recently read of a weight loss author who said each week she eats 20% unhealthy and 80% healthy, incorporating exercise at least three times per week. I cannot recall her name, but she wrote a book called "300 under 300"....meaning 300 meal options under 300 calories! If I can locate a copy, I will share. Rather than looking for diet information online, I have become interested in looking at different options to fulfill my picture of good health for Amanda.

What's your picture look like? Mine is looking better all the time! But I still feel guilty for eating a lot, even though it never has nor will it ever prevent my from unhinging my jaw....

Signing off,
Miss Mad

Why Does Food Equal Guilt?

I feel incredibly guilty when I eat unhealthy food OR I eat a lot of food, whether that food is healthy or not. Let me clarify what I mean by guilt....I have spent the past three months exercising at least three times each week, eating only 1500 calories per day, little to no alcohol, no bread, no pasta, no refined carbs, no refined sugars....so when I drank a can of coke yesterday, I felt HORRIBLY guilty to the point that I was obsessively counting up my calories.Today I ate McDonald's for lunch and I found myself counting each fry I ate as 10 calories, 20, 30.  Beyond that, before my healthy lifestyle change, I would spend entire blocks of time sitting on my floor in front of my closet CRYING and worrying about my food intake and weight problems.

Now, it is NOT easy to write and admit that I am so concerned about my weight...even loud girls like me get shamed sometimes. But...I am trying to dig deeply into the psychology of weight loss so that I can hopefully keep off the weight I lose. Obviously I have some psycho issues when it comes to food, and if I do not address them, then it is foolish to expect better results if I don't fix the formula.

First of all: Guilt over what we eat is nothing new. Usually, we look at food in terms of "good" food and "bad" food; chomp on carrot sticks and you're a "saint," devour Death by Chocolate for dessert and you're a "sinner." Putting all this pressure on ourselves to eat perfectly starves the eating process of any pleasure. Gone is the ecstasy of relishing the tastes, the textures, the salty, the sweet. Whether it's a well-seasoned steak, a lobster dipped in butter, or a freshly cracked creme brulee, the appreciation of food is its own little heaven. The more judgmental we are about every bite, the less delicious it all tastes. And let's face it: Over thinking every single thing we put in our mouths can make us obsessive, leading to cravings and bingeing—the farthest thing from the "good" we set out for in the first place!

Many psychologists throw out reasons of guilt, low self-esteem, motivation, filling a void......gosh, I must be pretty messed up!! But I think the answer is a little more simple....we are conditioned to believe that food is more than fuel; it's a holiday, celebrate with food, it is a birthday, celebrate with food, special occasion- food....food has become part of the family, a best friend, something to lean on. Food never fails. And until I learn to put food back where it belongs, I will have many more episodes of crying in front of my closet.

So I am resolved to enjoy my food, but keep some guidelines. For starters, I am going to continue to avoid refined carbohydrates and refined sugars and get lots of veggies, fruits and water every day. Where I will keep things a little different this time around: I will stop beating myself up for eating "cheat" foods once in a while. And when Wal-mart starts selling a lipo suction machine for home, then I will start eating McDonald's every day....well...maybe not....

Signing off,
Miss Mad

Running Makes you High...

Usually, I want to die when I run....my chest hurts, my head feels like it will explode, and I cannot breathe. However, today I ran/walked 2 miles...and....miraculously....I did not die and felt pretty good! Also, I have begun to notice the fabulous influx of endorphins when I work out, which, let's face it, feel heavenly when you have a big dose! So while I am NOT in love with running, like turnips, I find i can tolerate it much more now that I have tried it out. PLUS....I am carrying 19 pounds LESS than 3 months ago, which means I am hauling less butt!

So all my dwelling on running and good feelings made me think: what exactly about working out feels so good? Well, it has to do with endorphins, which are chemicals that are able to cross through the gaps between neurons in order to pass along a message from one to the next. There are many different kinds, and much remains to be learned about their different purposes and functions. The thing for you to know about endorphins: their ability to make you feel oh-so-good. When your body is subjected to certain stimuli like sex, food, or pain, your hypothalamus (part of your brain) calls for endorphins, and the cells throughout your body that contain them heed the call. When endorphins lock into special receptor cells (called opioid receptors, because opiates also fit them), they block the transmission of pain signals and also produce a euphoric feeling. So they are kinda like crack without the crack....and we ain't talking butt crack!

But here's the heartbreaking part: researchers have found that light-to-moderate weight training or cardiovascular exercise doesn't produce endorphins, only heavy weights or training that incorporates sprinting or other anaerobic exertion. When your body crosses over from an aerobic state to an anaerobic state, it's suddenly operating without enough oxygen to satisfy the muscles and cells screaming out for it. This is when the "runner's high" occurs. I have experienced this a few times now, but I felt GREAT afterwards, rather than like I would die.

So...now that I have discovered I won't die, maybe someone wants to join me on the track??

Soon to be changed into NOT Miss Mad?