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!

Fat Tuesday- Lent is Almost Here

Today is Fat Tuesday, the day when you can indulge one last time in whatever you are going to give up for Lent. My mom has given up sweets for Lent for years, and I never knew how she did it. A few years ago, I gave up chocolate and about killed over and died! But this year, I'm going to take the plunge and give up desserts. One of my friends here in Atlanta is giving up desserts with me, so we're going to cry together during the hard times! The point of Lent is to give up something that is difficult so that you remember what Christ gave up for us when he died on the cross so that we could all be saved. I think that this will be the hardest Lent for me yet, but I'm prepared. There are going to be some social situations come up that will make it really difficult to say no, but I know I can be strong.

Are any of you giving up something for Lent? If so, please share!

Jogger Gums

I got these awesome gummy bears from Germany called, "Jogger Gums." Have you ever heard of them before? They are shaped like tennis shoes and they have less sugar than regular gummy bears. Their commercials feature Heidi Klum. Here's a link to her commercial for "Yoghurt Gums." Unfortunately, I couldn't find the "Jogger Gums" commercial on YouTube. Very interesting!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuMaZiyqr7E&eurl=http://7.gmodules.com/ig/ifr?url=http://www.google.com/ig/modules/youtube_videos.xml&nocache=0&up_prefs_version=

Laptops Losing Weight

As you may or may not know, the Mac Book Air was unveiled yesterday. Check out and see what other laptops are doing to try and compare:

http://cultofmac.com/?p=1669

2008- The Year I Shrink!

2007 was full of changes. I find that whenever I move somewhere or start a new phase in life, my eating habits and activity levels change accordingly. In my adult life, I was thinnest when I studied abroad in England (Summer 2006). I walked everywhere and the food was expensive (not to mention British cuisine is not great), which helped me lose weight. When I moved to Atlanta, I became the most heavy in my adult life. My lifestyle has changed. I sit at a desk all day and I tend to go out a lot to dinners, happy hours, parties, etc.

So, what can I do to lose weight in '08? One thing that I have decided to do is watch what I eat very closely-especially when it comes to desserts. I know that some of you lost weight in 2007. What advice can you give me and others who read my blog?

Starbucks and the Gym Don't Mix

I'm getting back into the routine of going to the gym early. It's nice to wake up and go have a great workout. I saw something slightly disturbing last week. A fellow gym member brought Starbucks into the gym. I'm no rocket scientist, but if you have to have a Starbucks in the morning to get your butt out of bed and into the gym, then you have issues. What do you think?

The Holidays are Here

Ah, how I love Christmas. I just arrived in Texas yesterday, and the gingerbread men and sugar cookies that my brother baked have been calling my name non-stop! I was in a sugar coma yesterday, especially after decorating every last one of them. I figure, "Hey, the holidays are only here once a year, why not indulge?" Of course, I'll be mad at myself when I see how much the scale has crept up after the holidays. But, isn't that what New Year's Resolutions are for? It will definitely be time to kick some diet in high gear- not sure what it will be yet.

My family members and I all know how to cook quite well, especially when it comes to baking! I think the key to baking and not gaining weight is to bake stuff you don't like. For example, I made two pecan pies for one of my friends on Saturday. I prefer other types of pie (cherry is my favorite), but was happy to try my hand at something new. Since this isn't my favorite dessert, I didn't try it in the process, thus not gaining an inch around my waist.

On the other hand, when I helped decorate the cookies yesterday, I had to try the sugar cookies by themselves, the icing by itself, and then both together. I'm not kidding when I say sugar coma. I sometimes wish that recipe was not so good because then I would not want them so much. Luckily, they are such a pain to make that the sheer exhaustion keeps me from craving them.

One thing is for sure- the holidays are here and in full swing. I will live it up now, but I better be ready to crack down come 2008.

Forego Cake Day- Are YOU Crazy???

One of my girlfriends works at PWC in downtown Atlanta. When I was on the phone with her last night, she said, "Oh, you'd be proud of me. Today was 'Cake Day' at work, and I didn't go. I have never missed one until now." After talking to her a few minutes, she said that she didn't really feel like cake because she hadn't craved sugar at all that day. She said also that she is at her lowest weight in a long time and didn't want to do anything to mess it up. Yes, I was very proud of her, and especially because she had the guts to do this in the workplace. If you're like me, it's very hard in the workplace to forego eating certain foods because you don't want people to judge you. If I were to go on a serious diet, people would say that I didn't need to lose weight. The problem is that no one else can tell you how good you look- you have to believe it for yourself.

Guess what... you would be proud of me. Why? Well, I have gone a lot of days this week without any chocolate. There is a lot of truth to the statement that the longer you go without something the less you crave it. To illustrate, I took a nutrition class at the local community college during my senior year in high school. One day, my professor went into great detail about how bad fast food was for you. Of course, back in those days, my metabolism was so fast that I didn't have to worry about how much fast food I did consume. Nevertheless, I decided that I just couldn't put that into my body anymore. And, the longer I went, the less I craved. Since then, I have had less than ten hamburgers from a fast food place. Now, I usually go to Subway or have a salad at a fast food place.

We'll see how long this no-chocolate kick will last. I'll satisfy my craving if I want it, but I'm pleasantly surprised with myself this week that it has not been a must-eat item in my daily routine!

To Workout or Not to Workout When Sick

I admit it, I still workout even when I'm sick. Some people think I'm crazy, but some people don't see any harm in it. I've read many different articles that justify working out when you're ill. Unless I'm seriously out for the count, I will still do something good for my body. Cardio doesn't bother me at all, and sweating helps me get my mind off the fact that I'm a little under the weather.
What do you think? To workout or not?

Nothing Like a Little Guilt to Get You Moving

I have to confess- yesterday I had not one, but two bagels from Einstein's for breakfast. The first one was so good that I just had to go back for a second one (with cream cheese of course). I only told certain people about my splurge and here were their reactions:
1. Anna Kate (my best friend from Baylor who currently lives in Texas)- said that it's okay to splurge once in a while
2. Susanna (my older sister)- said, "Oh my gosh. Do you know how many carbs you just had?"
3. Aaron (friend who works in our corporate office who is also a personal trainer)- "Yeah, you just had your one splurge for the week."

After I got off the phone with my sister, I decided I probably needed to go run during my lunch break to burn off some of the calories. I knew that I would have to eat very light (and very well) the rest of the day to try and undo some of the damage.

After I got back from running I instant messaged Aaron and said, "Well, it's all good now because I just went running, plus I am going to spinning class later today." He replied, "You can't do that if you're trying to lose weight or drop a size. That's a common misperception that people have. You can't just double your workout to burn off food. If you're in maintenance mode, then it's okay, but not if you're trying to lose weight.

Aaron says that you can splurge once a week. I guess a weekday took that up for me so I have to be as good as I can over the weekend.

So, there you go. I learned something new yesterday. I wish I hated food because then I would not want it all the time. It's especially hard when you have fitness goals because you have to be very choosy what you splurge on and the company you choose to splurge with.

Cheers to Fitness Goals!

Calling All Crunch Members

Well, it looks like the big day is finally going to be here... my audition to teach spin. Saturday, November 3, at 9:30 AM in Buckhead, I will be teaching a 60 minute spin class in front of Jennifer, the regional fitness director. As Will Ferrell in Anchorman would say, she's "kinda a big deal," so this is huge for me. I know that some of you go to Crunch, so if you have time next Saturday morning, please come to that class so I can see some familiar faces.

Provided that everything goes swimmingly, Jennifer will say that I am ready to have a class and I can start substituting, or even have a class of my own if there is room on the schedule.

I have lots of work to do to prepare before then. Wish me luck!

Granola Greatness

When I went to Houston a few weeks ago, I went into one of my favorite supermarkets- Central Market. For those of you who are not familiar with this absolutely amazing place, it's similar to Whole Foods, except not all of its products are organic. They have foods from all over the world, so if you're looking for Nutella or Bonne Maman Jelly from France, this is your one stop shop!

It's always fun to go to Central Market on Saturdays because they have free samples of everything- fine cheeses, breads, wines, salsa, etc. I go there to have breakfast/lunch because the free samples are so grand. On this particular Saturday, the free samples were especially great. After passing the wine section, my sister and I came to the packaged goods and saw free samples of granola. Unable to pass up granola, I tried it and thought I had died and gone to Heaven. Yes, it was just that good. I talked to the young entrepreneur who came up with the recipe, which consists of whole grain rolled oats, tart cherries, unsweetened coconut, cranberries, zante currants, dates, and flaxseed. The stats on this are amazing:

For one serving, you get 13 grams of whole grains, 0 grams of trans fat, low sodium, 110% of your daily allowance of vitamin C, and 80 milligrams of potassium. To top it all off, it's only 130 calories per serving (of course, my problem is actually sticking to just one serving because it's so addictive!).

So, what makes this granola different? Well, for me, it's the fact that it's chewy and not crunchy. It tastes similar to apple crisp, without the apples of course! I also like that it has currants, black cherries, dates, pecans, and almonds! It keeps me full for a long time, and since I probably just had about two servings of it (in addition to the cheerios I ate just before it), I should be able to last WELL into the afternoon without needing a snack. I eat it straight out of the bag, but I'm sure it tastes great with ice cream or vanilla yogurt.

If you are into granola, you've got to check this out. Go to www.andersontrail.com to learn more.

Muscle Milk Part 2

In one of my first posts, I described my love affair with Muscle Milk. Since then, I have converted my sister into a believer too. Have any of you tried it? If not, you have to! Don't worry, you'll thank me.

I have a good friend that just bought a street bike. Consequently, he is getting a lot of cardiovascular exercise. Since he's into keeping his heart rate up, I decided to be nice and give him a Muscle Milk Chocolate Mint pre-made shake. After a few days, I checked in with him to see what he thought of it. To my suprise, he hadn't drunk it yet. He kept "saving it" for after a bike ride. I told him after a few days that if he wasn't going to drink it then he should give it back to me.

A few more days passed. Never had a report with a verdict of Muscle Milk.

A few more days passed. Same story.

After a week and a half, I figured that he hadn't tried it and said, "Ok, I'm going to come over there and get it because you're obviously not interested in it. I know I'll drink it." He replied, "I did drink it. And you're an Indian Giver." Do you know how long it's been since I have heard the term "Indian Giver?" I cracked up for about five minutes! Just thinking about it makes me chuckle. So, thank you friend (you know who you are) for a good laugh.

Why I "Heart" My Gym

I have been asked the question, "What do you look for in a gym?" Different amenities and features of a gym are important to different people and we all seek one that is just right for us. I have been a member of Bally's, 24 Hour Fitness, and now Crunch. Of those three, I am happiest with Crunch. Just go to www.crunch.com and you will see its philosophy on fitness. It's a very laid back, no judgements fitness facility that I don't feel intimidated to go to. I don't like feeling like I have to keep up with the latest fashion trends and put on a lot of makeup to go to the gym. If any of you have ever seen me at the gym in the morning, you know that I don't wear any makeup.

Another aspect of Crunch that I love is their fitness classes. I have never been to a gym with such professional instructors in my life! Some of them have been featured on television or made their own fitness videos. Their training is impeccable and I have not found one gym that has surpassed them in this area.

Crunch also has a nice facility with clean locker rooms and updated fitness equipment. I refuse to go to a gym that has sweat stains on cardio equipment and elliptical machines that are practically from the early 90s.

I know other people that are happy with their gyms. My master's thesis was on Curves, and I think that what that facility has done to improve women's overall fitness is amazing. I will post a link to my thesis once my new website is up and running so you can learn more. But, to sum it up, I like the fact that Curves has tapped into a completely "untapped" market. Women who weren't previously exercising do so now because they are in an environment where they feel comfortable.

So, I "heart" Crunch. What gym do you "heart" and why?