Category Archives: Health And Fitness

Brr. Brr. Brr. Yum. Yum. Yum.

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January 30

Each dawn is a new beginning.

Breakfast: small bowl of muesli and dried cranberries, milk
Snack: Energy Rx juice drink product whatchamajigger. Hey, it’s mango juice AND caffeine! I read the ingredients!
Lunch: Slimfast, granola bar, 1 piece string cheese (I hate how the cafeteria closes before I can even get there)
Dinner: Shrimp fried rice (veggies and egg also, leftovers for lunch tomorrow)
Workout: 25 minutes on recumbent bike at lunch

I didn’t work out yesterday at all – still too sore from my last session with the trainer. I did, however, get in and ride a recumbent bike today during my lunch hour. I was kind of stumped at the end of last week when I couldn’t remember if I’d worked out 3 times or 4 times, so I’ll try to keep better track. I’ve notice a very definite improvement in how I feel, and my general sense of well-being has returned after a very long absence (I haven’t felt like this in years, since the last time I went on a
fitness kick). Also: a few pounds have been lost, and I can actually look at my silhouette in the mirror without wincing and rolling my eyes. It helps to have bought some jeans recently that are the best fitting ones I’ve had in a long, long, LONG time. I actually enjoy wearing them, instead of feeling like I’m being throttled amidships. It helps that they have a generous helping of Lycra.

Stretch denim. What a wonderful invention. Why did I wait so long to try it?

It’s gotten cold, so after about a week of comments along the line of “Huh! It’s finally winter!” everyone in at work has switched from grousing about how mild the winter was and how there wasn’t enough snow, to grousing about how frigid and dry the air is, and how it’s snowing “again.” Remember, this is Chicagoland; even though the weather is not that terrible, it has to be more terrible and more dramatic than anywhere else. Even places that have been experiencing truly awful weather.

David and I have both been eating a lot better – more importantly, I now reach for a piece of fruit as a snack and make a point of eating SOMEthing before leaving the house in the morning. Still relying too much on “convenience” foods, but I’m trying to be aware of the ingredients before buying them.

We made some pretty awesome cheeseless lasagna last week, and on a whim, I decided to make a full recipe off the back of the box (jazzed up, of course). We had leftovers a couple of times for
lunch, and one other evening meal. Yes, the old standby, leftovers. What a concept. I remember when Mom, or moms in general, made the same thing for dinner for every night of the week. As in “Monday: Pork chops and applesauce. Tuesday: Pot roast. Wednesday: macaroni and cheese. Thursday: Beef Mac Apple Surprise.”

We’re not so much about the meal planning here, but have started to get the Big Idea about menu planning. Some things go really well together: nicely baked salmon filets with olive oil and a few herbs, some mushroom risotto, and salad. Now we’ll have to find something else to go with the lasagna, which was a spur of the moment thing that took 2 nights to actually get around to making.

Note to self, however – never use that Gia Russa Whole Wheat Lasagna, 9-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 12) stuff again. I think the box it came in would have more flavor.

Perhaps it would have tasted better if we had boiled it in spite of the package directions? Or perhaps if we boiled the box?

For the rest of it, I substituted 2 kinds of soy cheese (a grated mozzarella type, and a grated mix of “romano” and “parmesan”). Also substituted a small amount of silken tofu for the ricotta. However, we had ground beef and spinach in there too – the point was to make a lasagna that David could enjoy (he can’t eat cheese without problems, even with Lactaid). And danged if it didn’t taste very much like a “real” lasagna – the only difference being that the soy cheeses don’t melt right. The recipe from the
box called for less sauce than I used – I ended up using 2 cans of Contadina tomato sauce, plus a dab more sauce from another can. Next time: mix up some Contadina tomato paste in with the cans of sauce for more flavor. And if we make it with a ground meat again, definitely the seasoned ground turkey that Dom’s carries, and definitely chop up the spinach like I did, but add it AFTER all the meat is browned, but before spooning the “cheese” and meat into the pan. Nutmeg added to the spinach again, too
– I used maybe a quarter teaspoon. And also next time: boil up the noodles and lay them out right.

Getting Fitter

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I’m at the end of my third week of the 6-week fitness deal I got through work,and it’s quite evident that it’s starting to pay off. I’ve lost a few pounds, but more importantly, I’ve gained muscle mass, or at least muscle tone.

Last week’s tally: I was somewhat slack at the beginning of the week, especially when I missed my original personal trainer session. But I picked up and got in Tuesday night, Wednesday night, Thursday morning, had a trainer session that day, and yesterday morning.

Plus, today David and I got in to Bally’s, and I did a little on the elliptical machine, and then got into the pool and paddled around because my legs and arms were still a little sore. And when I looked at myself in the mirror in my workout clothes, I could see a difference, and I can definitely feel it.

On the food front, we’ve been eating much more sensibly, and eating a lot less fat. I’ve pretty much cut out sweet drinks and a lot of sugar (reserving a couple of kinds of sweet granola-like cereals and oat bars).

All the extra fiber is making my colon feel like it’s pumping iron, too. It certainly adds an extra spice of danger! excitement! Thrills! to bathroom breaks.

Well, CRAP

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I missed my session with the personal trainer at the workplace healthclub this morning! For some reason, even though it was on my online calendar, I had it in my head that it was an evening appointment, not a morning one.

Well, crap. I emailed my apologies to my trainer, Natalie. She’s a good kid. Very young, very small, very eager to get several women fit. Each one of us nearly twice her size. Most of the others in my group missed the last nutrition meeting due to schedule constraints – tomorrow I have to remember to have a meeting changed so that I don’t miss it.

Not that I’m really doing everything with my nutritional stuff… DDtB’s ***Dave’s good advice aside, I haven’t been counting calories or keeping a food diary. However, we have actually made a lot of positive changes just in the last two weeks, in line with some of the guidelines Natalie gave me last week.

I used to drink a lot of Sprite around the house, and was formerly used to having a can or two of Pepsi at work. No more; I didn’t have any soda at all last week, aside from a can or two over the weekend. Pretty good, and I don’t really miss it. Instead, I’ve been trying to drink more water, or various kinds of hot and iced teas.

I’ve been eating a lot more salads. Sunday night we kind of went overboard on the salad – I found a really great ginger-honey Japanese style salad dressing and we had salad with baked chicken breast. It was so good, we had seconds, kind of got a little pour-happy, and nearly killed the bottle. Next time, more sparing with that stuff. We’re used to the way they slather it on at Japanese steakhouses like Benihana and our local favorite, Kampai. Mmm, good stuff. I checked the label before buying it,
and it was the only one that didn’t have any corn syrup in it, It’s thick, tasty, and it’s made by a company called Makoto. I think I got it at the Dom’s on Higgie-baby (we never call it “Higgins Road.” It’s “Higgie-baby.”) Damn, I have to get more of this stuff. Anyway, in addition to mixed greens, we threw on some walnuts, some dried cranberries, sliced sweet onions, and I sprinkled the last of some seasoned
crumbled feta cheese. Mmm.

Also, at work I’ve been hitting the salad bar instead of the hot-greasy-dish line. And today, I actually brought in my lunch – leftover tofu stirfry that we made last night, using a modified version of a tangy sauce recipe I found online. Garlic always helps, you know. And a good quality teriyaki sauce, which also includes garlic. Not to mention some Nakano rice vinegar, also including garlic.

Mmm. Gaaaaarlic.

Yeah, we’re eating better. I’m eating more beans (beware, ye downwinders). This workout program is a great way to get back into shape, though. I can tell my muscle tone is improved. I’ve lost just a couple of pounds, though. More time needed for best results.

I feel more energy, and I feel good. Except for feeling bad about missing my appointment this morning, of course.

Losing Weight–Start By Counting Calories

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Losing Weight–Start By Counting Calories

Tucked away in the registry's database is information about the weight-control behaviors of more than 3,000 American adults who have lost an average of 60 pounds and have kept it off for an average of six years. How do they do it? These successful weight losers report four common behaviors, says Wing.

They eat a low-calorie, low-fat diet, they monitor themselves by weighing in frequently, they are very physically active, and they eat breakfast.

Eating breakfast every day is contrary to the typical pattern for the average overweight person who is trying to diet, says Wing. "They get up in the morning and say 'I'm going to start my diet today,' and they eat little or no breakfast and a light lunch. Then they get hungry and consume most of their calories late in the day. Successful weight losers have managed to change this pattern."

Six years after their weight loss, most of the registry's successful losers still report eating a low-calorie, low-fat diet. They also exercise for about an hour or more a day, expending about 2,800 calories per week on a variety of activities.

More at length: I can eat about 1697 calories per day (that's a corrected figure) as my basal metabolic rate is estimated to be about that amount by the health club fitness/nutrition counselor.

Man. My usual pattern is no breakfast, two big mugs of coffee with creamer, a late lunch (due to work schedule constraints), the occasional afternoon soda pop and candy bar, and then all hell breaks loose at home foodwise. I've got some menu plans and food tips to share with David on this one…

Pain. Gain?

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Made it to the end of the first week in the 6-week “quick start” fitness program more or less in one piece. The way this will work is that I’ll go as much as possible during the work week at the “office” health club, and then hope to hit Bally’s once during the weekend.

I still need to get to the health club early enough to allow me a 45 minute workout with a 30 minute shower-and-change, but wasn’t able to carve out that much time as yet. Still, I managed to get 25 minutes at least, 4 times this week.

Monday: 25 minutes on the elliptical trainer
Tuesday: ditto above
Wednesday: 30 minute intensive workout with the club’s personal trainer, mostly with upper body work with biceps/triceps
Thursday: bitching, moaning, groaning, grumbling, and taking ibuprofen for sore biceps/triceps
Friday: managed a 25 minute session on the elliptical, had the morning off to attend a funeral. More on that later.

Next week, the nutrition group sessions start, and I start keeping a food diary. So this week has been something of a bittersweet (mmm, chocolate. mmm.) farewell to various junk foods. Also, will probably have to give up sugar-sweetened carbonated beverages again. Lunch at work tends to be high calorie, high fat stuff from fast food places or the office cafeteria, occasionally a salad from a nearby Italian fast-but-healthy eatery.

I’ve never gotten into the idea of bringing a lunch (or small, portion controlled frozen meals to heat up) because the people that use the big lunch room insist on either wearing too damn much perfume, or watching obnoxious soap operas and commenting on them loudly. However, it dawned on me just the other day that we have a second, smaller lunchroom, which I used to avoid because it was the “smoking” one. Which is ridiculous, because nobody has been allowed to smoke outside of a small designated smoking lunch
in the building’s basement for years. Now, the second lunch room is mostly used by a group of my co-workers that used to sit near me, and my impression is that it’s quieter in there. A book and an iPod will do the trick, since the whole point of lunch for me is to get away from the office, and from yakkity-yak talk about who’s doing who on All My Dumbshit Children.

David and I have tentative plans to get to Bally’s once this weekend, maybe Sunday depending on how he’s feeling, as he’s also recently started going to the health club again, too.

I had the iPod thing set up in the car this evening as I drove home, and although you’d think I’d be tired from a long day, I really enjoyed the first random song played by the shuffle playlist. It’s almost as good for reckless, high-energy driving as the soundtrack to Raiders. It’s the title music for a Japanese anime with these great images of dangerous looking, highly designed spaceships going Real Fast, Real Cool. Must add it to the playlist I’ll make for working out.

Yoko Kanno:Tank! (Opening Theme):Cowboy Bebop OST[3:30]

 

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Adult ADHD Undertreated

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BBC NEWS | Health | Adult ADHD not treated properly

A recent survey of children with ADHD in Newham, in London, found although symptoms tended to decrease between the ages of seven and 17, the 17-year-olds showed a level of hyperactivity similar to that found in a group of normal seven-year-olds.

When the same people were seen again at the age of 26, they were found to have disabilities associated with high levels of psychiatric disorder, including feelings of restlessness, feeling depressed when inactive, depression, and difficulties sustaining relationships.

Dr Chris Steer, who treats paediatric ADHD in Fife, said that there was a dearth of facilities aimed at older patients, which meant that patients entering adult life often lost the necessary support and treatment, even if they were still displaying ADHD symptoms.

Interesting. I've said to my sister Timmy before that I suspected I've had some form of ADHD that was never diagnosed. I may mention this article to my doctor the next time I see him. However, I doubt I'd have to go as far as getting anything prescribed. I tend to notice improvement when I have a regular routine that includes exercise.   

 

Gearing UP

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Okay, I finally got a reason to get going on a fitness program. The health club in the building at work offered a great deal for a 6 week "jumpstart" program for emplyoyees of my company, including some nutrition counseling and 6 weekly sessions with a personal trainer.

So last Friday I signed up for the next 6 weeks, beginning today. And yesterday I went out to Le Tarzhay and bought some new workout gear, all very comfortable and even flattering (cut not so badly for a big girl me). Last night I packed up my gym bag, and this morning made it in early for a 25 minute session on the elliptical machines. I may go back tonight after work and do another half-hour or so, and also explore more of the facility.

I'm planning on making the most of the next 6 weeks, and hope to get in there almost every day for at least 30-45 minutes, with time to shower and get pulled together afterwards before going to work. I have a Bally's membership which I plan to start using again, but dang… the facilities here are really a lot nicer.

Orthotics

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Welcome to Solo Laboratories, Inc. ::

Yep, got new shoes (New Balance 854s) and the orthotics fit them a lot better than my old, brokendown shoes.

Actually, they’re already pretty comfortable, though I’m still getting used to the rock-hard stability “rollbars” on the sides, which will prevent roll-overs like I had 2 years ago

They performed well just now in when I had to walk down 11 flights for a fire drill, so let the walking begin.