I Never Liked to Exercise, But I Liked Results

Jack LaLanne died today. He was 96. I was listening to an interview he had done a number of years ago on NPR on my drive home. At 89 the father of the fitness movement still put in a two-hour workout first thing in the morning. This morning I dragged myself out of bed, did 30 minutes on the elliptical, a few weights and called it a day. Pathetic. More pathetic because I'm only 35.

LaLanne may have had some eye-roll inducing catch-phrases like "ten seconds on the lips, a lifetime of the hips," but today I heard him say something that truly resonated with me - "I never liked to exercise, but I liked results." I'm tired of hearing from all the celebrity trainers and fitness converts who say they love exercise. It makes it sound like if you don't, you're screwed. Here's a guy who devoted his life to fitness, not because he loved working out, but because he loved his body as a result. And to achieve those results, he said it takes discipline. Those are some inspiring words.

RIP to a ripped Jack LaLanne.

New Year...New What?

Have you seen how many diet
books are out there?

Every year about this time we are inundated with messages about making New Year's resolutions. And it's probably no surprise that weight loss is the top resolution people make each year. When I worked in the magazine industry, it seemed that every women's magazine had a cover line promising a "new year, new you."

But I'll admit it. I'd like a new me. At least a smaller version of me. But it's been a new year for the last 10 years, and honestly I'm still wearing some of the same clothes. I've been a solid size 14 for at least that long. So I decided that when I flipped that calendar over to January 2011, it would be no different than the day before. Of course, I slipped up considerably during the holidays - damn you co-workers and your baked goods and boxes of chocolates! But during a bit of post-holiday shopping I discovered that the Ann Taylor Loft size 14 pants I was trying on were too big. And then, the size 14 skirt I tried on was too big too! So here's to me vowing not to make weight-loss a resolution. But I am resolving not to buy another item of clothing in a size 14. Of course, if my clothes start looking a bit dated, well, you'll know why.

My biggest challenge right now is that I'm gym-less. And mentally, I feel that if I don't have a gym, well, there's nothing I can do. But that's not true. I don't need to buy the diet books, have a gym membership, or join Weight Watchers. I've turned my basement into an exercise room. I have a trainer for my mountain bike, I have two new DVDs and sidewalks that go for miles. If I can't kick my own ass, nothing can.

The Early Bird Gets No Breakfast at All

Last year I decided that I needed to get my arse out of bed and get to the gym before work if I was ever, well, going to get to the gym. I like working out in the morning for a few reasons. For one, the gym is far less crowded before work than after work. I also like the idea that I can just roll out of bed and throw on gym clothes rather than stand for 30 minutes in front of my closet deciding what to wear. But now that the weather has turned cold, and I mean bitterly cold, pulling myself out from under the electric blanket has been difficult, to say the least.

Today, the New York Times reports on a study that says exercising in the morning, before eating, can help keep off the holiday pounds. It's not just working out in the morning that's beneficial, it's working out in a "fasted state." I've always assumed I need to eat a little something in the morning in order to power through my workout, but I'm always struggling to figure out what that little something should be. Perhaps I need nothing at all.

Of course, this study was conducted with men. That doesn't always translate well for women. But hey, I'll give up my pre-workout granola bar if it means I can fit in the same size pants after Christmas.

For more on the study, read Phys Ed: The Benefits of Exercising Before Breakfast.

The Ugly Truth

I was talking to a co-worker of mine about Weight Watchers. I know, everyone has had tremendous success with the program and it seems rather foolproof. Except for me. My co-worker said that she likes the plan because being weighed weekly at a meeting holds her accountable. I told her that I would simply skip the meetings during the weeks when I knew I didn't lose any weight or worse, gained. She gave me one of those looks that said volumes without words.

And then it hit me.

This is my MO. I avoid. If I don't like what I'm going to see/hear/feel I just simply avoid it. Which is why, after nearly 2 months, I haven't written a single blog post. Instead of using this as a means to hold myself accountable for my actions, I simply avoid it altogether.

The problem is, the weight started piling back on. After losing about 13 pounds, I suffered a minor injury that was causing pain in my ankle. I was told not to workout and stop wearing heels for awhile. Ballet flats at work posed no major issue. Not working out could be my downfall. And it was a tiny thing that caused a total setback. Once I stopped at the gym, I started eating more. I had convinced myself that if I couldn't workout why eat right? A ridiculous thought. My health is not an all-or-nothing concept. When I finally returned to the gym I hopped on the scale to find I had gained back 3 lbs. That's a lot when all you've lost is 13 lbs. in the first place.

So I'm pushing myself to get back on track. I packed a healthy lunch today. I have a big glass of water sitting next to me and my gym clothes are in the car. And I'm writing a blog post that makes me admit I avoid the ugly truth.

There are No Vacations from Healthy Eating

There are few things that can sabotage a diet quicker than a vacation. So it was with great trepidation that I set off for the Dominican Republic a couple weeks ago. I knew little about Dominican food aside from rice and beans, but I knew myself well enough to know that "vacation" in my mind means "pig out." I think we have a tendency to take a vacation from everything in our lives the moment we check out from work. But I didn't want all my hard work (13 pounds so far) to be for nothing if I allowed myself a vacation from my diet. I had already stressed over swimsuits, trying on literally dozens of swimsuits that I ordered online, found on the back of a clearance aisle or dug out of my closet. I wanted to make sure the suit I left with still fit on the last day.

I'm happy to say I came home lighter, both emotionally and physically. Instead of eating at restaurants or grabbing fast food, my travel partner Denis and I opted to cook our own meals. In the Dominican that meant getting fresh seafood - enormous prawns, lobster and tuna steaks - right off the beach. We grilled all of it with nothing more than a little olive oil, some parsley and garlic. You can also buy avocados and mangos right off the back of a truck, which we did nearly every day.We made a "Serbian salad" called Shopska Salata, which is nothing more than cucumber, tomato, onion, feta and oil and vinegar. It's become a quick, easy dish for me to make for lunch.

But there were two reasons why I was able to eat this way on vacation, but find I struggle to do so at home. First, I had a companion for every meal. I eat alone a lot. It makes me rely on the food as a form of activity and a form of comfort. Having someone to cook with made me look forward to meal times for something more than just the food. And having someone to sit down with (at a table and not a couch) became the activity and the comfort. For me, it was no longer about the food but about the meal.

I also had a built-in support system who kept me in check in a way I can't seem to do for myself. At home I let my mind get the best of me and end up eating until the guilt takes over. Denis knows me well and knows my goals, which means he doesn't suggest things I shouldn't eat or tempt me with foods he knows are my weakness. Even after a long bus ride home from New York City one day, he whipped up a pot of polenta with skim milk when I was ready to make grilled cheese.

I'm on my own again, and so far I'm doing well. I still have to get back to the gym, but I'm not letting food be a constant stream of thought through my head like I did before. We'll see how long I last, but in the end, no one can lose my weight for me.

Yes, Sir!

I will attempt this in my cubicle.

I've always been thankful that I didn't work in a place where my job depended on my physical fitness. The most physical activity my job has required is perhaps running across campus in a pair of heels when I'm late for a meeting, or trekking up the really big hill (that we call a mountain) from one building to the next. But there is no one waiting for me at the office door at 8:30 a.m. with a scale and a measuring tape, and for that I'm quite grateful.

There are of course professions where your physical fitness is demanded. My Dad, a career firefighter, threw up when he finished (and passed) his agility test to get into the department. We can't have firefighters who get winded trying to save someone from a four-story building. It's probably the military that makes the most depends on its personnel. I remember a friend who returned from Iraq obsessed with exercise and weight lifting. Turns out boredom breeds healthy habits.

I decided to take a page from the whole Army lifestyle thing and try a boot camp class a couple years ago at a gym. At 5:45 I ran stairs, hills, lifted sand bags, and did these horrible push-ups on cement parking spot markers. It was rough, but it worked. I had more energy than I knew what to do with when I came walking in the office door at 8:30 a.m.

So it came somewhat of a surprise to read a Times article this week that says the Army is doing away with a lot of those sit-ups and push-ups in favor of exercise that resembles yoga and pilates. Seems the Army has a weight issue too. In fact, a report says that "between 1995 and 2008, the proportion of potential recruits who failed their physicals each year because they were overweight rose nearly 70 percent."

I don't know about you, but sometimes I think I'd make more progress if someone was barking commands at me at the gym rather than telling me to breath in through my mouth and out through my nose. Or was that in through my nose and out through my mouth? 

You can read more in "Making Soldiers Fit to Fight, Without the Situps."

Turns Out, Chicken Isn't So Good After All

Last spring I went through a couple weeks where I gave up all meat with the exception of seafood. I don't eat a lot of meat to begin with. Often I can go a day or two before I realize I haven't had any. I admit that I felt better, from both a health and a moral perspective. And yet, I've never been inclined to give it up 100%. But I was reading some new research that might encourage me to cut even more from the carnivore side of my diet. A new study shows that the link between consuming meat and gaining weight remains strong - for those who consume red meat AND white meat. In fact, people gained about 4 more pounds over a five-year period for every extra 250 grams of meat they ate daily.

Read the whole study on NPR at:
Eating More Meat, White Or Red, Is Bad For The Waistline