Promise of a New Day

Do you ever hear Paula Abdul's song, "promise of a new day," in your head? Oh, I'm the only one? Surely not. Well, at any rate, you get the gist of it by her saying "Promise of a new day" repeatedly. Over. and Over. and Over.

The promise of a new day is tomorrow, starting with a better diet and exercise routine. I exercise regularly, but I don't log in what I do. I think that it could benefit me greatly to see my progress, especially now that I'm running a lot more than I used to. The hard part for me has never been exercise. I could spend hours doing it, in fact. I have a hard time just saying no to awesome decadent food. I've done better by bringing my lunch to the office more and enjoying Starbucks less. Food is just so social, so it's hard to say no.

I need some sort of inspiration to help me along this path to a sleeker, more toned body. Any suggestions?

Getting a Physical & Fun- Definitely an OXYMORON

I went to get a physical yesterday. It's been so long since I've had one that I didn't even remember all of the stuff they check. The doctor looked at my blood from my last visit and said that my cholesterol was high. His exact statement was, "Your cholesterol is 134. For a young person it should be under 100. The key to that is a lowfat diet." Ok, now I know that I've hit Pappasito's quite a few times, but on the whole my diet is pretty honorable. I do not eat fast food. I limit my sweets. What more does he want? I'm really sorry that high cholesterol runs in my family. Any suggestions for me?

Triathlons Scare Me

I can run. I can cycle.... sort of (I can't actually ride a bike outside because I don't know how to switch gears). I can swim, but not well enough to justify competing in it. One of my very good friends from my alma mater participated in a triathlon this weekend for the first time- and completed it in 3.5 hours! What a marvelous time for someone's first shot at a triathlon. She does "Team in Training." In the past, she has participated in marathons but decided to give a triathlon a go this time. Verdict? She wants to do another one soon! I just want everyone to know just how proud I am to have a friend with such endurance, strength, and who lives to achieve each goal she sets for herself. While I can't entertain the thought of a triathlon, I admire each person who trains and completes one.

No Social Life = Weight Loss

I admit it. I have been a hermit for the past few weeks and saying no to many dinner invitations. The simple truth is that I can't be trusted when I go out to eat. The bread basket sits there and calls my name and the dessert menu always entices me. Because I know that I am like this when I go out, I have decided to stop having a social life. I do think that it's sad that being social centers around food. The times that I have had self control to go out to eat and stick to a diet plan I've been made fun of with comments like, "Oh, you're just having that???" Well, I'm sorry- but if you want the pleasure of my company than you best be quiet when it comes ordering time (and if you're a guy and order before me, you can say goodbye to hanging out with me again). I think that there is nothing wrong with having fitness goals- especially with the summer just weeks away.

Highlight of the Week

As many of you know, I have officially been hired to teach spin at a very nice YMCA here in Atlanta. My classes will start in April and I will be teaching Thursday mornings at 6 am. I have been substituting at different times this month to compile spin workouts and meet some members. After substituting on Wednesday, one member came up to me and said, "GREAT class! When do your regular classes start?" I was quite excited to have such positive feedback, especially since that was only my third time to teach. In addition, the employee at the front desk told me that members had mentioned on their way out how hard of a class it was! We did interval training the entire time, which can wear you out. I love the recovery periods though! I'm so happy that I have been so well-received so far, and I can only continue to improve!

Leave the Cell Phone

I went to the gym yesterday and decided to get a little cardio accomplished on the elliptical machine. The entire time, a chatty woman next to me couldn't seem to get off of her cell phone to actually perspire. There was only so much that headphones could do to drown out her annoying voice, and she couldn't seem to shut up. This went on for 35 of the 40 minutes that I was on the machine. She obviously doesn't have a clue about good cell phone etiquette, or at least talking in a softer voice.

I believe that I have good cell phone etiquette. If I'm checking out at the grocery, I place the person on hold or end the conversation so that I can give the cashier my full attention. If I am at dinner I put my ringer on silent so that I'm not interrupted and so my neighbors won't have to hear the loud "T-mobile" ring. So, what's good gym cell phone etiquette? Well, I typically leave my phone in my car or my locker. The gym is "me" time, and I don't like answering to the world unless I'm expecting a call that cannot wait. In my opinion, if you're really working out, you will be out of breath and not able to talk on the phone anyway. That lady obviously didn't get any aerobic effectiveness from talking on her cell phone for that long!

Exceedingly Awesome Omelette

I made up a recipe for an omelette yesterday that I thought I would share.
Ingredients:
Egg whites
1/4 c. yellow sweet onion- diced
4-8oz mushrooms
2 cups spinach leaves
Italian Cheese blend
Thyme
Garlic Salt
1 tablespoon Butter

In a large frying pan, sautee onion in butter for about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and sautee until the onions and mushrooms are brown on both sides. Add spinach leaves and sautee for another minute. Place mixture to side. Add desired amount of egg whites (I use the "egg beaters" brand egg whites) and Italian cheese blend. Once the egg whites are almost completely cooked, place the mixture back on top and add a sprinkle of thyme and garlic salt. Presto! You have an awesome omelette right before your eyes!