Archive for the ‘Gear: Books, DVDs, and equipment’ Category

The Skinny on good eating

Friday, January 23rd, 2009

theskinnythebookI love food. I don’t really have what they call “issues” with food — I mean I don’t eat a bag of chips or half a gallon of ice cream in a sitting — but I often have troubles putting down my fork when a meal is really good. I have to remind myself that I can come to this restaurant on another day and try something else. That I don’t really have to eat it all (or even half). That pigging out on someone else’s dime is still…pigging out. And that not eating something I don’t love isn’t wasting food.

When I need to put my head on straight again, I grab this book, “The Skinny: How to Fit into Your Little Black Dress Forever.” It’s by New YorkTimes food writer Melissa Clark and her friend Robin Aronson, who was looking to lose some post-pregnancy pounds after having twins.

What’s great about this book: it’s not about dieting AT ALL. And it assumes that you really like food and think that eating good stuff is just grand. It’s more about helping you find the point at which you really are tasting the food in all its glory and then helping you put down your plate once you peak (usually after a few bites of dessert, or whatever. Clark and Aronson include recipes for various yummy things, but it’s the mental repositioning that helps me most.

Any books that help you get back on track with your eating and fitness goals? Please share!

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Me and Gwyneth: twins, yo

Friday, January 23rd, 2009

tracyandersonSo I read my Cookie magazine and found this article on Tracy Anderson, workout maven and fitness guru to Gwynnie and Madonna. (I know, I rolled my eyes, too.)

Still. The woman dropped 60 lbs in 6 weeks after having her kid? I’m in. Here’s a link to her post-pregnancy workout DVD. Anyone tried this out yet? Let me know!

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Drop The Baby Weight: National Thrift Week edition

Monday, January 19th, 2009

piggybankIn honor of National Thrift Week, I bring you 12 ways to get fit without spending a lot of money.

1. Look at your company health plan. Does it cover gym or other fitness costs? At the very least, are you using your HSA plan to reduce medical/health spending?

2. Buy exercise equipment on Craigslist, Kijiji, or Ebay. Large equipment like treadmills and ellipticals go fast on Craigslist, so when you see, it, grab it. Look especially in January/Feb and around typical moving times (early and late summer).

3. Work out to DVDs – they’re cheaper than a gym membership and you can easily Netflix or borrow from the library. Or trade with friends.

4. Work out to the FIT channel. There is something for everyone there, I promise.

5. Get outside! Get outside! GET OUTSIDE!!!

6. Actually USE the gym membership you’ve been paying for about a year now. Yes, I’m talking to you.

7. Make a weekly menu plan. Stop throwing away those veggies! Pull them out of your crisper drawer and put them on an eye-level shelf. A plan keeps your spending in check, and it can help mindless eating since you know what and when you’ll eat again.

8. Improvise your own weights: water bottles, cans, etc. or buy a resistance band.

9. Look for cheaper fitness apparel – Target’s Champion line is fab — but don’t skimp on a few crucials, like shoes and sports bras.

10. Downsize your plate: split an entree when eating out, or just order an appetizer for your meal. American restaurant portions are so out of control that sometimes I literally get ill just looking at my plate.

11. Barter services with a personal trainer — any PTs out there in need of a writer? :-)

12. Go for low-gear fitness: running, yoga, pilates, walking. If you walk around your neighborhood you don’t even need actual workout wear — jeans and sneaks are fine.

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Exercise demons: what’s holding YOU back?

Tuesday, January 13th, 2009

 

exercise demons -- what's holding you back?

exercise demons -- what's holding you back?

Approximately 6 minutes into my yoga program this morning, the baby woke up and wouldn’t go back to sleep. Hey, at least I got 6 minutes in. But this year’s motto is “No Excuses!” So here are my personal exercise demons, with suggestions on how to overcome them:

 

Demon 1: Lack of sleep. Frankly, my 2nd baby hasn’t slept much since she was born. She’s almost a year old and she still wakes up at least 3 times each night. I’ve gotten about 5 hours of sleep max for a year now. Needless to say, this leaves me perpetually exhaustedzzzzzz. See?

Solutions: Put baby to bed in minivan outside Take turns with my husband to get up with the baby, on the one night on, one night off principle. Go to bed earlier. Nap when the kids nap. Sleep-train the baby (we’re doing this, but it’s slow going).

Demon 2: It’s cold outside. You know how it goes: who wants to get out of a warm, cozy bed to run in the dark or do yoga in an ice-cold living room? (Imagine that I’m saying this in a feeble voice from under my down comforter.)

Solutions: Sleep in workout clothes. Drink tea or coffee before exercising. Set small goals, like “just 10 minutes” — inevitably, I keep going once I start, but the minimal expectations lowball me into getting out of bed. (Shame! it’s the new black!)

Demon 3: No time. I have 2 kids, both in diapers, whom I love to death but who would suck everything out of me if they could. This includes exercise, recharge time (a pipe dream, but still), mealtime, and sleep. It’s the nature of the little beasts.

Solutions: Hey, you know who *also* has 24 hours in his day? Michael Phelps. So take back your day, in as small increments as you need. For me, this means getting up a minimum of an hour earlier than my kids, around 5-5:30am. My husband is still sleeping, so I can head to the gym for a quick workout. If the morning goes badly, I can exercise in the den while the kids eat lunch in the kitchen (it’s all one big room, so put down the phone). If there’s no getting away from the kids, throw them in the stroller and head outside.

Of course I have more than three exercise demons, so expect more tomorrow. What keeps you from exercising? Share, share. And if you have more solutions for me, bring ‘em on!

Posted in Eating strategery, Exercise, love it or hate it, Falling off the wagon..., Gear: Books, DVDs, and equipment | 2 Comments »