Clean Eating Denver

June 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment

You may remember my post about clean eating on the road. I’m headed to Denver for a few days, where eating clean may be more of a challenge than usual.   I found a grocer that delivers: Corner Store Denver, which features organic, mostly local items. I’ve placed my order, and it will be delivered the evening I arrive. However, there are still a few problems opportunities:

  1. There are no in-room ‘fridges at the hotel. There is a mini bar ‘fridge, but the space will be quite limited. Thus, I’m only buying one perishable product: milk.
  2. It’s great that the Corner Store is organic and local, but their selection is very limited. They don’t carry soy milk – there’s none made in Colorado – so I’m ordering fat-free milk. I’ll also have to bring a few things from home: peanut butter, oatmeal and nuts.
  3. Since the event is a sustainability workshop, they are offering vegan and vegetarian options. That is a good sign, but since I’m still learning how to like veggies, not all of the options may be things that I eat. I’ve asked the meeting planner to email me the menus, but I’ve yet to hear from her. (She probably thought she’d seen it all until I told her that I was a wanna-be vegan who doesn’t like many vegetables! Ha!)

So, the week of my trip probably won’t be my cleanest eating, nor will it be as balanced as usual, but I’ll have my organic peanut butter banana sandwiches, fruit and oatmeal to see me through!

 

Filed Under: Healthy Eating/Nutrition Tagged With: , , , ,

Two in Two: Days Two and Three

February 25, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Two days closer to my final assessment with Traci, and so far, so good.

Let me clarify that. I’ve been able to meet my daily goals, but not without a little extra work.

  • I haven’t had any refined carbs, i.e. breads, but it has made things a little more challenging. My “secret weapon” is often a peanut butter banana sandwich on whole grain. It’s quick, easy and portable. I’ve had to plan a little better since it’s not an option right now.
  • I’ve kept my sodium intake down, but again, it’s taken some maneuvering. For the past month, I’ve generally kept my sodium around or below 1500, but some days, it was a little over that. Not having that option right now, I’ve had to switch out some meals and/or eat smaller portions.
  • I have been three days w/o leafy greens, so the next four days, it’s 1.5 cups a day.
  • Limit daily servings of nuts to one. Without having the peanut butter sandwich option, this has actually been easy. I’ve also discovered a fun new option: PB2.
  • Drinking 80 oz. of clear water a day hasn’t been hard, but I’m learning to start early. Otherwise, I’m up and down all night.
  • I’m using my FitBit to track my sleep. The first night, I got a little over six hours; the last two, I’ve clocked over seven hours. I’m turning off my computer and iPhone at least 30 minutes before bed, but so far, leaving my TV on. I’ve also started wearing a sleep mask to block any light since Sister is usually up later than me.

I don’t think I listed it on the goals for the next two weeks, but I will also be working out every day. That is a regular weekly goal, although I often take a rest day each week. I’m trying to give that up for the next two weeks. I did my strength training on Thursday, cardio Wednesday and Friday.

Three days down, eleven more to go!

 

Filed Under: Fitness/Exercise, Healthy Eating/Nutrition Tagged With: ,

If I Had a Dime for Every Pound I’ve Lost…

September 20, 2011 by Leave a Comment

My birthday is coming up soon, and to help me celebrate, I’m asking folks to spare a dime to help improve the lives of others.

If you read this blog, you know that since this time last year, I’ve made some significant changes in my life. I’ve 1) given up fast and processed foods, 2) adopted a largely plant-based diet, 3) reduced my blood pressure and BMI, and 4) increased my fitness level.

While I give much credit to the City of Columbia and the folks at Doctors Wellness Center, the first step in my journey was No Fizz America‘s Hydration Challenge, which I started on 9/1/2010.

Fast forward one year (without one soft drinks, by the way), and I’m in the midst of No Fizz USA’s Walk the Walk Challenge. With 20 other folks, I’m wearing a pedometer and trying to increase the number of steps I take each day.

The purpose of Walk the Walk is two-fold: 1) to show others, especially kids, that fitness can be fun, and 2) to raise $ for No Fizz USA so they can continue to educate and motivate others to take steps (figuratively and literally) to improve their health.

To celebrate my 45th birthday, I want to get 45 people to donate $8 – a dime for every pound I’ve lost – to No Fizz America by the end of September! It’s easy to give; click here. I just made the first $8 donation; only 44 more to go!

Thanks in advance for your consideration! No Fizz USA has meant a lot to me, and I’d like to help them reach even more folks by directing some funds their way!

Filed Under: Changes and Milestones, Fitness/Exercise, Healthy Eating/Nutrition Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Walk the Walk!

September 1, 2011 by 3 Comments

Well, it’s finally here! After two months of false starts, the NoFizzUSA Walk the Walk Challenge starts today!

Beginning today, more than a dozen local Charlotte residents and I – the lone Palmetto State representative – will Walk The Walk, tracking the number of steps we take every day for the entire month of September to set an example and provide a positive showing of the simplicity, importance and fun physical activity brings.

No Fizz USA designed the challenge to show young people across the country how easy and enjoyable it is to be active and healthy, is a fun way to get member of local businesses and organizations moving and prioritizing fitness.

You can help! Unfortunately, I have to do all of the stepping, but you can support me by donating to No Fizz USA. It’s just a one-time donation, not a per step pledge, and every dollar donated will help NoFizzUSA work with young people in health outreach programs across the country.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the impact NoFizzUSA has had on my journey to better health. Just days before I started working with a nutritionist and trainer at Doctors Wellness Center, I took one of then NoFizzCLT’s 30 Day Hydration Challenges, where I pledged to give up soda for water for a month. I’m excited to say that I’ve been soda-free since September 1, 2010. Now, Bobby has upped the ante, and I’ve already increased my activity “training” for Walk the Walk.

Thanks in advance for your support, whether it be monetary or in the form of pushing me to get those steps in!

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My Salad Days

July 24, 2011 by 2 Comments

One of my goals for this week is to have 1/2 cup of leafy greens per day. And pureed in a green drink doesn’t count.

I’ve tried this before, you know. When I was 29 years old, I had a goal to learn to eat salad by the time I was 30. At the time, I was attending a Wednesday evening church service, and there was a dinner beforehand. Two children from the church were making me a salad each Wednesday, and then I’d doctor it up with “good stuff” like bacon, croutons, boiled eggs, meats and plenty of honey mustard dressing. Each Wednesday, I’d eat one more bite that the previous week. I made it to three or four bites, and then I turned thirty, when I proclaimed,”Wait, I’m 30 now. I don’t HAVE to eat salad if I don’t want to!”

The difference in then and now is remarkable. Then, I took a bunch of stuff that I didn’t like and smothered it with tastier but far less healthier toppings. Now, some 15 years later, I’m trying new things and incorporating what I like into the salad. And yes, the salads are small, but I’m learning to like what I’m eating and hope to add to it, both new ingredients and the amount of what I am eating.

It’s a work-in-progress, for sure. The first day or so, I topped lettuce with my quinoa pilaf and heated it a little to soften the crisp. When I mastered that, the next couple of days I got a grilled chicken salad at Chick-Fil-A. The first day, I just wrapped lettuce around the chicken and ate it, but then moved to eating it with a fork like a normal person. Last night, I actually made a little salad consisting of romaine, cherry tomatoes, mandarin oranges, pomegranate arils and grilled shrimp. Following is what I made on Saturday, as well as proof that I ate it all.

                       

Right now, I like a mix of fruit and vegetables, as well as the addition of a lean meat. As well as raspberry balsamic vinaigrette, on the side, of course. I also like the dark green romaine leaves, in little bited-sized pieces, not the crispy lighter leaves. This week, I hope to try to replace the lean meat with one of my red quinoa burgers or perhaps even some seasoned tofu; tomorrow, though, I’m going to a lunch meeting at Longhorn, and I’m actually excited about trying their Grilled Chicken and Strawberry Salad.

BTW, nutritionist Traci has been saying all along that she wasn’t going to release me until she and I ate a salad together. I suppose we’re getting a little closer to that day, but until this week, I told her that she’d be stuck with me for life.

In closing, I looked back at the early entries on this blog, and I think this quote froma post titled “What Will I Eat?” sums up the changes I have made in just 10 months, “…And I need to learn to eat some vegetables, which scares me. I generally only like the high-carb veggies, which I suspect will be limited. I know I can make this work, though.”

Filed Under: Changes and Milestones, Healthy Eating/Nutrition Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Walk the Walk Challenge Rescheduled

July 18, 2011 by Leave a Comment

It’s official: NoFizzCLT’s Walk the Walk Challenge has been rescheduled. The good news is that I have been “in training” since the second week in July! At least three days a week, I am making it a priority to get 10,000 steps. It hasn’t been easy – it means “cooling down” on the treadmill, getting up every hour and walking the building, and parking further out in parking lots, but three days of seven, I’ve been able to do it!

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Nothing Changes the Planet as Much as What We Eat

July 11, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Tomorrow, Traci, fellow DWC devotee Lila Anna and I are going to see Planeat at the Nickelodeon. Today was the first time I’d heard about it; here is a synopsis of the film:

PLANEAT is the story of three men’s life-long search for a diet, which is good for our health, good for the environment and good for the future of the planet. With an additional cast of pioneering chefs and some of the best cooking you have ever seen, the scientists and doctors in the film present a convincing case for the West to re-examine its love affair with meat and dairy. The film features the ground-breaking work of Dr. T Colin Campbell in China exploring the link between diet and disease, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn’s use of diet to treat heart disease patients, and Professor Gidon Eshel’s investigations into how our food choices contribute to global warming, land use and oceanic deadzones.

I’m hoping the movie gives me a much-needed shot in the arm. I’ve gotten a little lazy with adding veggies to my day. I’m not eating anything bad, per se, just not working to get those veggies in.  A few good excuses including : I’ve been spending more time with Dad and Mom and it’s been hot – too hot to roast veggies in the oven.

Workouts are going well. I’m back on the elliptical full-time, and I’ve also added some time on the treadmill in a quest to get 10,000 steps at least three times a week. Daniel has stepped up my training sessions, too, and I can really feel (and am starting to see) the difference.

But one thing is killing me: with the increase in strength training, the first five and last 10 minutes on the elliptical is hell! My legs don’t hurt, but they feel tired and I wonder if I will make it another minute, much less a whole 30 minutes. Traci and Daniel have explained it, but I can’t re-explain it. It is normal and should subside within four weeks, but until then, it really is a challenge.

And the worst thing? The scale is going down slowly. Intellectually, I understand why. I’m toning up and looking better, and there are 100 reasons to ignore the scale. But after a long week of eating well and working out on my tired legs, it’s a bit disheartening to see only a .2 lb. loss.

So, here’s hoping the movie and time with healthy friends gives me a little boost during an otherwise challenging time! Review tomorrow!

Filed Under: Go Green!, Healthy Eating/Nutrition Tagged With: , , , , ,

Social Media + Health Goals + Points = Great Motivation

June 28, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Earlier this month, I told you about HealthMonth, a great social media health challenge! You set goals, check in daily and play for points and other goodies. And at the end, you Foursquare folks can get badges!

I’ve really enjoyed HealthMonth, and I’ve already signed up for July.   Here’s info from the website; take a look and consider playing! If you have any questions, I can try to help.

Health Month is all about making small improvements to your health, one month at a time. Players  can choose 1 or more rules to try to stick to for a month from the many different dietary, fitness, relationship, mental health, and financial health behaviors that are currently in the game.

For first time players, 1-5 rules is a nice way to start. Choose rules that you want to work on, and try to make small improvements to your current behavior rather than going cold-turkey, whole-hog, or crazy-wombat. You can always ratchet up the difficulty next month, once you get the hang of it.

After you commit to your rules, you start each month with 10 shiny new life points. The goal is to end the month with at least 1 life point. You lose a life point whenever you don’t stick to one of your rules, but don’t worry if you lose all of your life points — that’s what friends are for!

Friends and other players of Health Month have your back when you need to be healed (this is a big part of why Health Month totally rocks compared to other health plans and services). This game is NOT about making you feel guilty. It’s about helping you discover what works for your current lifestyle (do more of that) and what doesn’t (skip it).

I’m playing with a group of folks from #fitblog chats, an online group of people interested in health and fitness, most of whom have a blog, like me. You can play alone, start a group or join one like mine…

Filed Under: Fitness/Exercise, Healthy Eating/Nutrition, Motivation Tagged With: , ,

#Fitblog Tough as Nails Plank Challenge Update

May 24, 2011 by 1 Comment

Two days at 1:30. I can’t imagine adding another five seconds tomorrow a.m., but I’m going to do it

How is everyone doing on the challenge?!

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#Fitblog Tough as Nails Plank Challenge Update

May 20, 2011 by Leave a Comment

After a particularly challenging work out with my trainer on Wednesday, I was still quite sore for this morning’s training session. Since we focused on arms and legs Wednesday, today was mostly core work.

Before I stretched, I grabbed a timer and went for the 1:25 plank. I made it, but just barely. I don’t think I could’ve made it one more second, but it hit 1:25.

I’m looking forward to getting back on schedule next week so I won’t be “power planking” on  the same day that I train with Danny!

My next official +5 second plank day isn’t until Monday, but I think I’ll try to do the 1:25 plank both Saturday and Sunday.

Filed Under: Changes and Milestones, Fitness/Exercise Tagged With: , , , ,
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