healthy weight loss

Weight Loss Challenges

If I’m not exercising, I have several challenges to weight management. That is a fact of life for me, and while I was on the mend from my last spill on the bike, I immediately saw my weight start increasing.challenges

The Checklist Diet

When I initially lost this weight three years ago I read The Checklist Diet by Rebecca Clark. As the title implies, there is a checklist of ten items in the book, and some of the items applied to my circumstances, and some didn’t. So when I started gaining weight again, I asked Rebecca for advice. It turns out she’d gaining weight, too. Rebecca said, she’s an emotional eater. “After my husband's cancer diagnosis last year, I… Read More

Exercise Through Injury

IMG_1214 One of several bruises from fall Exercise, exercise, exercise. I know I sound like a broken record, but in the last 10 days I’ve come to realize just how critical exercise is, especially after an injury. Ten days ago, I took a tumble off my bike that resulted in several bruises plus some bruised ribs. The first three days I did almost no movement. By the fourth day, I knew I needed to do something, but movement caused pain, and I resisted. The reality was, even though there are definite limitations with bruised ribs, there are forms of movement that can be done. And once I started moving, I felt better and started to heal faster.

Exercise While… Read More

Finding Your Grit

Finding Grit

Grit is the drive that makes us continue on with something over and over again until we succeed. That could be an athletic skill, or writing, or weight management. As I’ve been reading about grit, I realized a lifestyle change takes a lot of grit. To make a permanent change, it must be practiced over, and over, and over again. It’s a skill that won’t come easily, but definitely worth all the hard work.grit

Developing Grit

I believe we all have grit, we just have to learn how to develop it, but I’m learning that where I thought I had grit wasn’t necessarily correct. For instance, I thought I had grit when it came to writing, and I do, but… Read More

Grit—What is it and do I have it?

Definition of Grit

Grit, according to Merriam-Webster means firmness of mind or spirit: unyielding courage in the face of hardship or danger. So, you’re probably wondering why I’m giving you the definition of grit. There is a method to my madness. I just got tuned into Freakonomics Radio, a podcast that I highly recommend. The first show I listened to talked about grit and how gritty people become great in anything from spelling bees to athletics or (my addition here) weight loss. What they’ve discovered is years of hard work and practice are more of a factor than natural talent. grit 5K PPP Race

Exercise and Grit

The subject fascinated me especially since I am undertaking a huge challenge, a five… Read More

Pole, Pedal, Paddle

  This past weekend the 40th annual Pole, Pedal, Paddle (PPP) event was held in Bend, Oregon. This was the first time I had attended. PPP 5K PPP Race

The PPP

The PPP is a race that can be done individually, with teams or pairs. It starts at Mt. Bachelor where you either downhill or snowboard to the Nordic skiing site. At the end of the downhill, you either handoff to a team mate or do an 8K cross country ski, then handoff or bike 22 miles down Mt. Bachelor where you handoff or run 5 miles to the kayak, canoe or paddle board site. You PPP Kayak… Read More

Summer Smoothie Results

Green Smoothie Recipes

stuffedSo I didn’t try all the smoothie recipes from my last blog because I discovered it was really easy to experiment on my own. Using a handful of spinach, about a ½ cup of kale and ½ cup of water as my base, I blended these ingredients first, then I added some fresh pineapple and frozen strawberries. I didn’t really measure anything, I just tossed in a few strawberries and pineapple. This mix was okay, but I found adding half a banana really improved the taste. Next I tried the same base ingredients, but I used blackberries and banana. I love blackberries, but not in this combination. My next attempt I used the same base, added a ¼… Read More

Summer Smoothies

I have been talking about being sedentary and the health risks associated with it. I’ve been doing better in getting more active during the work day, but I still find at crunch time that I’m sitting longer than I should. My new office is still a few weeks out, so it will be some time before I know how much the standing desk helps. But I will report back.smoothie I have also found that just about any exercise works, including keeping weights around just to shake up my routine. And I have to say, I’ve shaved off a few pounds with this new plan, so an added benefit.

Vegetables

smoothieBut… Read More

Sedentary—Exercise

Last week I blogged about my job and my concerns about how sedentary it is. I’ve worked to change my work habits, and I have been successful.exercise

Start Exercising

First, I reduced the amount of time I sit. If I’m on the telephone, I stand up and move around so far as the phone cord allows. Second, instead of sitting and editing, I print the edits and ride the exercise bike or stand at the kitchen counter and do leg raises. An added benefit is, I’m getting more fiction writing done. Third, I’m investing in a standing desk, but that is still a few weeks out. While I’m pleased with the changes, I still have to remind myself to get up and move.

Exercise… Read More

Get Up and Move

Sedentary Equals Health Risk

Even though I’m a fairly active person, my job puts me at risk because it’s sedentary. And if I’m under deadline, I can sit for long, long periods of time, which is part and parcel with being a writer, but these facts are making me rethink those habits.sedentary

Research

The Mayo Clinic reports research has linked long periods of sitting to increased problems with:
  • Blood pressure
  • High blood sugar
  • Excess body fat around the waist
  • Abnormal cholesterol level
  • Obesity and metabolic syndrome
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Cancer
Adults spending less than two hours a day in front of the TV or other screen-based entertainment compared to those who spent more than four hours a day had nearly a 50 percent increased risk of death from any… Read More

Emotional Eating

emotionalLast week I talked about my issues with stress or emotional eating. Usually blogging about something helps me get back on track, but not this time. All week long I found myself eating when I wasn’t hungry and unable to stop. With everything going on, I’m eating for reasons other than hunger. Because I had several other readers comment that emotional eating is an issue for them as well, I went online and found a site that helped me, How to Recognize and Stop Emotional Eating. The opening paragraph resonated with me. “We don’t always eat simply to satisfy hunger. We also turn to food for comfort, stress relief, or as a reward. Unfortunately, emotional eating doesn’t fix emotional… Read More