tiny victories

i did my abs today.

tomorrow i start my one month experiment

running and flying dreams

This morning I decided to sleep a few extra minutes instead of jogging my new mapmyfitness route I had scoped out last night (two miles going south and coming back up court st.) The plan was to do the run and pick up my dry cleaning, deposit my tax refunds and be ahead of the game. Instead my bed was too comfy so I turned off the alarm and rolled over.

The dream I had is a bit foggy but I remember running in a place like Richmond. I had a dream this summer where I was hitting these insane bouncy strides and could fly for about 15 seconds before I would come down and jump forward again. Totally gazelle like! This mornings had long and bouncy strides but no flying. There was a moment where out of a fully sunny day I all of a sudden appeared in a pitch black tunnel turned around and thought I saw George Chen. WTF??

I sort of woke myself up at this point in complete confusion but sort of happy that even if I didn't physcially do the workout, my brain has it on my mind in a positive way. I WILL do something after work today!

Super soup supper

I'm with DJ Eiffel Tower- I think soup is the way to go, especially as the weather gets chillier. I think it is inherently more satisfying to eat something warm and comforting when you're trying to cut back on the fat, especially in the evening hours. I'm also a believer in breakfast for dinner...eggs (or egg whites) with a little cheese and some veg are also really easy and healthy for dinner too.

But back to soup- today's NYTimes features a recipe similar to Molly's, and sounds just as good. Check out today's Recipes for Health: Pureed Red Pepper and Potato Soup.
Here's a picture to whet yr appetite:

roasted vegetable soup

I ate this before I took a pic so if I can hold off before I finish it tonight I'll update.

At class we chop a lot of vegetables and divide them up at the end of the day. This past Saturday we were working with a lot of autumn vegetables and I was lucky enough to grab about a pint each of Butternut Squash, Onion and Red Pepper. So I made this too easy recipe last night. I know there are a ton of roasted vegetable soup recipes so this is just a reminder of how easy and yummy they can be.

roast all vegetables +  garlic at 450 degrees for 45 mins.-1 hour

(I added a little olive oil because I love it but if you want to go fat free don't use any or a little bit of cooking spray. Watch the vegetables so they don't burn.)

remove from oven and put in a soup pot. I have an immersion blender so I smoothed them up in there and added about 3-4 cups of water and heated them through before I served. If you don't have one, add the water and salt and pepper to taste to the vegetables until they're nicely combined and smooth them out in a blender or eat chunky.

I think a serving of about 2 cups of this must have about 200 cals and it makes you so happy!  I served it with a little fat free Greek yogurt on top as the creme freche replacement and it was perfect.

big plans

i have a fair idea what i need to do to "live right" and i get parts of it right all the time, and almost never get it all right. i'm going to make a deal and a promise to myself, and do it all for just one month, to see what living that way would be like.

specifically, i mean something like this:

1 "long run" meaning my current maximum per week (currently 4 miles but it goes up 10% every week if i am running regularly), with heart rate at 80% of maximum (i have to resist the temptation to run at a higher heart rate, which feels good when i am doing it but leaves me dizzy and weak afterwards)

2 "short" runs that are half as long as the long run per week

1 run that is 3/4 of the long max run

stretch before and after every run (this is something i

2 one-hour training sessions per week. one using machines for legs and free weights for chest and shoulders and upper back, the other one doing free weight leg exercises for the legs (squats and lunges and knee drives) and machines for chest and shoulders and upper back. biceps and triceps with free weights both times. starting with big muscles and working down to the small muscles, of course.

"core" workout 6 days a week including abs and stretches and squats

brush teeth twice per day

floss once per day

eat less than 2400 calories per day

eat a bowl of salad and a piece of fruit every day

eat less than 2400 milligrams of sodium per day

for my choleserol issues - take metamucil any day that breakfast isn't oatmeal

take my vitamins every day

because of my allergy issues and sleep apnea:
irrigate my nasal cavity twice per day with the machine i have for this purpose
use my cpap machine every night
use my nasal spray every day as directed
wash the bedding and vacuum the carpet in the bedroom once a week

because of my various food issues:

no red meat or pork
about 1/3 turkey, 1/3 chicken, and 1/3 fish as my meat dishes over the course of the week
filet mignon is ok occasionally
no legumes whatsoever, including no soybean oil or soy lecithin
no chocolate
no wheat
no dairy

so the summary is i am making a commitment to do all this stuff every day and every week, for the calendar month of october, to see what it feels like and if it feels constricting to my lifestyle and the timeflow of my everyday life.

also to see if i can remember to stay on track

9/28/08 Quick Run

I finally signed up for map my fitness and although there are too many steps to logging your workouts it is cool if you want to map a run or ride and calculate what your activity will generate. Let me know if you sign up! My user name is mollydneuman.

Here is the two mile run in my neighborhood with the prettiest views. I felt good after doing it and a little worked!

On the positive tip

I watch a lot of bad TV because I enjoy it. One of the things I flipped through last night was a show on TLC  called 627lb Woman: Jackie's Story. I was transfixed and stopped flipping. The story was about Jackie's plight after her gastric bypass which is fascinating in and of itself, but what struck me most was how positive she was. Now I know we moan about the 15-30 pounds we might want to lose and that shit is still hard. But here's a woman who has life threatening challenges in her quest to lose weight. The best she can do is get moderately morbidly obese. But she's doing it with a positive energy that is truly inspiring. 

We can not be sniveling brats. We know what we have to do. We need to love ourselves for who we are and know that others love us unconditionally. We need our motivations to be honorable and try to resist the disgusting influences of our culture to make us hate our thighs and butts. We're loving beautiful people with great hearts. Let's make our hearts stronger!

When Your Age is Ageist

Some of you know, that about 2 years ago my fitness routine took a sudden >hault< when I realized that that small pain I had in my knee (with swelling) was a much larger issue in need of greater inspection, physical therapy and ultimately surgery. So, I’m 35 at that point and wondering, well, when can I get on the run again? I’m missing my kickboxing class right now! Put me in coach!!

Since then I have gotten back into shape on the bike, in the pool and just plain old living around NYC. Molly is a big inspiration for getting to the Y, a huge bonus you all should get one!!

Fast-forward to Sunday. I felt some back pain as I put my drunken self to bed on Saturday thinking… damn heels, why did I run to the subway in heels? Owww. Turns out I REALLY hurt my lower back, which was (I think) to do with the huge cleaning task I tackled early on in the day Saturday. I was out on the fire escape washing windows, loving my new apartment and ignoring the pigeon shit everywhere. I also ignored how difficult those windows and screens were to open and close… and I think that’s what did it. Normal human operation – opening and closing windows – up and down, inside and out. It happens every day, right? Washing the soot off the glass! I should be able to do this without warming up, stretching or having to see a SPECIALIST!!??

Boo. I can’t help but feel… aged. I am not overly bummed, not like I’ll-never-clean-again type bummed… but am taking this as a call to arms to really get myself into better shape, front-back-top-bottom so that as life dishes out dirty windows… I can tackle those and whatever else comes my way. That is, without having to resort to prescription drugs the next day.

Take care my people.

Hitting the wall

So a month ago or so I decided I needed to kick up my diet and fitness. Since then I've been pretty good about working out 5 days a week or so. I've been trying to bring my lunch to work and monitor my cals but I'm not noticing any weight lost. It's a little depressing. I'm not going to give up of course and I think I need to be much more strict about the cals but it's REALLY HARD. I LOVE TO EAT!

I had class on Sat. so I skipped the gym, I went yesterday for 30 minutes of cardio and it was hot so I was insanely sweaty and gross. This morning I had my session with Malcolm and am gonna try and get a few miles of a walk in this evening. 

So... this weeks goals are, cals limitation, more exercise and a positive attitude. Everyone with me??? 

GOOD NEWS! BAD NEWS?

Yesterday I was able to meet my decreased calorie goal!!
Except guess what?
417 of those calories....came from three cans of Modelo beer.
The scene was a common one:
I am at home innocently listening to Hank Williams, stewing some figs.
The radical husband walks in ready to make some dinner and watch the season premiere of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia and what does he have in his posession......an icy cold and delicious 6 pack of Modelo!!!
Now, to his credit IASIP is perfectly accompanied by beer, in fact I would say it's almost mandatory.
However, I am trying to be of the not-drinking-so-much-brew persuasion, right? SO.. I have one. and then. another. and then a third! WTF! To MY credit, I did have a bunch of water as well and for that reason I think only ate two of the fantastic black bean and kale tacos we had (instead of the usual 3....uh okay and sometimes 4).
So let me ask you this? Is this Good? Is this Bad? Is it wrong to substitute nutrition calories with....um..brain cell reducers?

Running: strength v. fat burning

So, thanks to the example set by the rest of this board, I re-started what I hope will be a more constant running program today.  The thing is, the route that I usually do around here is only 2 miles, but there are two really good hills (one at about the half-way point, and one right at the end), and the reason I run such a short course (aside from being out of shape - ideally the course will get longer as time goes on, but...), is that I go at it pretty hard - I have a problem with this (in regard to running) - I'm not comfortable running at a slower pace.  I average the two miles in about 12-13 minutes.  So my question is, what is it gaining me?  Is it mostly aerobic at that distance and pace?  Am I building strength (definitely "feel the burn" on that last hill)?  Am I burning fat?  Am I wasting my time?  Should I slow down and go longer?  Keep it at this pace and increase the length as I get stronger with it?

Anybody?

Fighting the Geat Metabolism Slow-Down Since 2004 (or thereabout..)...

Hey Gang - thanks to DJEiffel for the invite - I used to think it needed was freedom, but now I realize I need support!  Looking forward to the conversation...

Sept. 18, MDN

25 minutes of cardio, 20 at heart rate of over 150 BPM

Another day

with lofty goals and meeting them halfway. I did make it to the Y this morning. I did my usual schizo cardio routine based on which machines had working TVs and what was getting my heart rate up. I started with 5 minutes on the bike after various elliptical and treadmill disappointments. I went back to the elliptical a bit later after most of the before work crowd had split and did 15 there. heart rate got up to about 156 which is decent. Then the bottom of my feet felt numb (anyone else have this issue? any tips?) and I went over to see if there was a treadmill with NBC working. The Y claims they're "working on this issue" but it's been a long time with varying stages of lameness in regard to the TVs.  I started jogging next to a dude who was at about my same pace aka, pretty slow and realized not only did he sort of smell, he was whistling "hoo hoo" after every few steps, to his rhythm. When I had my headphones on it was OK, but it was the end of the hour, the reception was bad and it was mostly commercials so I took them off and really couldn't take it. I know I'm becoming a mixture of Jerry, George and Elaine, but I can't help it!

So in summary, 25 minutes of cardio and some abs and arms. Still climbing. Hopefully I don't blow it all at the Yankees Game tonight.

I FELL INTO THE VOID

So after leaving Molly's the other night (see below) where we had some wine and some delish healthy foods, I promptly fell into the void and had three beers in the city with the hubs and then of course the obligatory "slice" on the walk to the subway afterward. AHHHHH! So I effectively trashed any progress I had previously made trying to tame my calorie intake. I need a will power transfusion!

Map My Run Map My Ride

Two sweet things!

http://www.mapmyrun.com/

http://www.mapmyride.com/

I'm gonna join both. If you join let me know and we can be buddies!

Comfy and Cushiony

So one of the things I've talked about with some of you before is the fact that getting happy with your sweetie can make you cushiony. I can tell you that in the last two years since I've been happy taken with my guy I've certainly put on some pounds, about 20 to be exact. Before this I was basically on the gin tonic diet and since we started hanging out we've had way more delivery and way more cozy nights watching tv on the couch! So... part of my new plan is:

• in general no take out
  
• cooking at home, if we don't feel like cooking go out, it's way harder to justify eating two apps and your whole pad thai in public
  
• as I've already said, walk more places
  

Am I a ree ree like Carrie Bradshaw to ask "does being in love always make you pack 'em on?"

Today's Plan

Last night was fun, we had some wine and didn't eat too much together but I did snack after the girls left. It's so hard!

Class starts tonight and I didn't want to be too tired so I didn't go to the gym this morning. I did walka mile at lunch and will try to walk two miles to class so I get a little more in.  It's amazing how close things in NY are when you actually look them up! So let's walk more!

Tomorrow I'll try to make it in to the gym before work for 45 minutes of cardio. Who's with me???

Interesting article from today's NYTimes...

"Instead of Eating to Diet, They’re Eating to Enjoy"

my trainer malcolm

originally posted at www.simplesocialgraces.blogspot.com

For the last two years I've been seeing a personal trainer Malcolm Milton, at the  Dodge Y in Brooklyn.  This also has coincided with love and happiness which has brought a lot of delivery meals to my door, all of which I have been able to consume in massive amounts. The sum of this equation is while I am stronger than I've ever been, my lung capacity is up and I feel healthy, I have gained weight. I'm finally facing that reality and not wanting it to remain the case I've decided to actively try to lose what I've put on over the last two years. I just want my clothes to feel right and to feel right again. 

My new program is:

Malcolm once a week (generally on Monday) for a workout that looks something like:

3 sets of core and cardio

• 3 x 20 bench press w/ leg lift or push ups
  
• 3 x 20 squats or lunges
  
• 3 x 20 kettle bell swing
  
• 3 x 30 crunches on stability ball  
  
• 3 x 100 revolutions on the jump rope or 3 minutes on the summit trainer
  

2 sets of isolated arms, legs and abs

• 2 x 20 bicep curls
  
• 2 x 20 triceps curls
  
• 1 x 30 adductor exercises
  
• 1 x 30 abductor exercises
  
• 100 bicycle kicks
  
• 2 x 30 additional abs
  
• 1 x 30 calve exercises
  

cool down stretching

stretch arms, back, quads, hamstrings, calves, core

The other days I'm trying to do cardio, walk more and generally be outside moving whenever I can. 

I'm trying to eat less, cook more and generally eat better.

I'm really only telling you all this so you can check out Malcolms You Tube page and see how sweet he is!  And to wish me luck on my journey!

resident natural foods know it all

oh you people have no idea what you're getting yourselves into! As some of you may know, I start my chefs training program at the natural gourmet school tomorrow! Be sure to note that I'll be posting lots of tips and taps for you as they seep into my brain. Ooo la la!

Howdy

hi all, thanks for inviting me molly!

slim and i both signed up with a personal trainer in the spring and i go to her twice a week -- i love weight training!!  however, my current problem is that i have totally dropped running, inexplicably.  i was running pretty consistently 2-3 times a week, and now i just stopped two weeks ago and don't seem able to get back to it.  there is no good reason for it, it's like a mental block.  any suggestions? 

MY ARSENAL

Here is a list of my current bff foodstuffs for weight management:

-of course water water water water water water water water water. If I start to get sick of it, in goes lemon or Emergen-C.

AT WORK
cottage cheese (some hate it, but it makes me feel full cos it has a teeny bit of fat)
baby carrots (no brainer)
arugula (thanks Kat, I am converted. Kicks baby spinach's ass in terms of flavor)
beets (beets are amazing, low calorie, flavorful, versatile and avail. ready to eat)
fennel (more props to Kat)
avocado (again with the delish fattyness)
pickles (sodium watch but man can they kill hunger pangs)
cheese sticks (possibly the enemy? Man I eat way too many of these a day)
hummus ( duh, I know tasty protein)
whole wheat eng muffin (endless snack options there)
fat free yogurt ( breakfast, snack, dressing, dip etc)
figs (love em! in season right now)
banana and a piece of dark chocolate (decadent taste w/out decadence)


HOME
salsa (dump on stuff. stuff tastes good)
sweet potatoes (trump reg potatoes except for "new reds" in flavor every time..wicked good for you!)
egg whites (no yolk, this way you can add more cheese!)
lemons (dump on stuff stuff tastes good, use less oil)
frozen vegetables (can oomph up vitamins and decrease carb usage in a meal, obv fresh trumps, but you know)
cashews (cashews make a MEAN cheese sub, like stunningly so. I want cheese all day long so trust me on this or see here)
cauliflower (we roast it and eat it like popcorn, so good!)
tortillas (the flatter the bread, the flatter the tummy..right?)
greek low fat yogurt and honey w fruit (see banana and choc above)
hot cocoa and fluff(forget a big dessert and have cocoa! I put it in water or soy milk)

What do you guys use to be creative with food when you are trying to curb the fat intake?

Yay, nay, or ok?

What do you kids think of food diaries or other daily calorie/point food tallies? I've been debating joining Weight Watchers to check out the whole point system thing, since so many people seem to have success with it.

I just joined SparkPeople yesterday because it's similar to Weight Watchers- except it's FREE. I figure I should give it a shot before paying for WW.
The website is visually overwhelming... a little too busy, but I'm hoping that if I take advantage of their food diary tool, I might become more aware of everything I eat. For example, I need to understand that popping mozzarella balls into my mouth as a 'snack' is not the same as, say, raw almonds, and that each one of those babies destroys my daily caloric goal.

It's already interesting to see how I totally forget about things I've consumed throughout the day. So for that reason alone the website might be worth it. The site itself has all kinds of stuff on there- most of which I'll likely never utilize, but the daily food tracker alone might make it worthwhile.
Now I just need to get myself on the elliptical...I'm working on a good mix of workout tunes. Maybe down the line we should send exercise CD mixes? Too much?

I'm going to make a fennel, english cucumber, and apple salad tonight for dinner. I'll made a light dressing with fresh lemon juice and olive oil and shallots and I'll sprinkle on some unsalted roasted pistachios for protein, otherwise I'll get hungry again after an hour. Nom, nom, nom!

hi

i really need some inspiration to eat right and exercise regularly. i've experimented with enough different things and had some stretches where i stuck with it, so i know it works and makes me a happier person, and yet i have trouble staying consistent. i let work get in the way of exercise and convenience get in the way of good eating.

also though, i need new food ideas.

yesterday i had a one hour session with my personal trainer - we do some squats and steps and stuff, and then a bunch of resistance stuff, machines and weights. i ate pretty light yesterday.

BABY STEPS

Ok so here is my dilemma. ADIDAF.
All Day I Dream About Food.
I read about food. I watch food TV. When I get home, I make food. I blog about food.

In an attempt to get healthy and shed some of my extra 15lbs I have put on being in love and sedentary I signed up for Spark People. After being confused for the first half hour looking at it, I think I got the gist.
I made a plan. That plan goes like this:

burn 460 cals a week
consume 1200-1500 per day
lose 11 pounds by Nov 16th

In order to achieve my goal, I am to
burn 153 cals just three days a week
exercise 15 minutes a day while watching TV

Should be easy!

Except for the part where I physically move my body. Cos' that just did not happen last night. Those 153 calories are still with me.
Last night I made a pasta sauce from cauliflower. I added some tomato paste, garlic and onions. (Maybe too much) olive oil.. I used whole wheat pasta. Threw in some frozen peas for some green and because I love them. Before creating that masterpiece I could have thrown in my "Crunch Boot Camp" dvd. (I have done yoga and pilates at home before and have toned up a tad.) So I could have popped it in and got down on the mat.
Except, instead of doing that, I made 'rich roll' cookies from Joy of Cooking, in the shape of the State of New York. I ate three fresh out of the oven, while I was prepping the pasta dish. While I watched people making pizzas on TV.
Now today, all I have eaten is a container of 1% cottage cheese with some cracked pepper. (delish!) And a green tea cookie. It's 315pm. What is my problem. Baby Steps?! I am not even in the crawling stage, I am like a confused baby in one of those lil' baby sacks, where the legs and feet don't come out. I am now going to force myself to eat some arugula and tofu that I brought with me today, wish me luck.

welcome!

I am thinking this will be a shared diary of fitness and health plans.

Today I went to the gym and did 30 minutes of cardio. It was hard and I wanted to not go and not stay but I did.

I went home and made breakfast: a bowl of whole grain cereal and 1/2 a banana and two veggie sausage links.

I made my lunch: a huge salad with lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, mushies, tofu and cheese. I grilled the tofu with cooking spray and soy sauce.

Tonight I'll probably blow it with wine and some cals but we're taking baby steps.