ONE SHOE!

Today I drove 10 miles to a place called Provo Canyon in central Utah. This place has a bicycling/hiking/walking/running/skateboarding/longboarding trail which is mostly shaded. It was warm outside last night and already warm this morning, so I thought Provo Canyon might be a cooler place to go walking! And also I wanted to get some pictures for you. :D

I walked over an hour and on the way back I had a pebble in my shoe. I still had about 20 minutes walking at a regular pace to get to my car, so I thought I would easily slip off my sock and shoe to remove the pebble. Somehow my sock stuck to a corner of a toenail and as I pulled, it ripped! I realized what was happening quickly, so I stopped before it got too bad. I walked about 100 feet with one shoe on and one shoe off!  I'm sure I looked silly! Then I realized that I would do well to put the shoe back on without the sock. That worked fine and I made it back without any other setbacks.

One thing I noticed today is that even though I crave beautiful surroundings for my walks, it would have been much more time-efficient to just walk the same length of time closer to home. Another thing I realized is that as much as I love the sounds of nature, I wanted some mental stimulation. So, I found this video on YouTube and listened to it along the way. I have met this speaker before and heard him give this talk. It is pretty incredible if you think about the implications of what he is saying! So, that made my walk more interesting and even more pleasant.

I hope you enjoy the pictures and videos I took for you!

PLANKING!

Who has tried this? It is hard!!! It looks easy, but it is not! I have only done DAY 1. I have no idea if I can do this all the way through, but it is worth a try!  Join me! Start today! It only takes 20 seconds to start and you can do it almost anywhere!

Look what I found later! Some people having a planking competition at work! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TlGdwVPgDg&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Who am I? Yogurt Over Ice Cream?!

NOT THIS!

Who am I? Have I lost my mind? I am hungry and it's kind of late. I need a little snack before bed. I find a few bites of leftover watermelon, one leftover corn on the cob (no butter), and a greek yogurt (Chobani Coconut) that has 150 calories to eat. I'm satisfied. I did put a couple of raw cashews into the yogurt. So, I'm looking at maybe 300 calories which for a late night snack is crazy good! Especially considering there is chocolate candy and the ingredients to make a chocolate sundae or banana split within reach. And Oreos. Also I have the ingredients to make home-made hot fudge for a hot fudge sundae (see the photo above). Something is kind of weird around here! I'm feeling encouraged since this morning when I got on the scales and I had lost 4 pounds. So, yay for me!

THIS!

Lesson Learned: Skip One Day? OK. Skip Two Days? Um, No.

Hello!

This morning I finally got back out there and walked the one hour. This means that I missed two days and not just one, like I did before. It was like starting all over again and I am tired from my walk today. So, ok. I learned that missing two days makes a big difference!

A couple of years ago when I worked at a university, one our student employees was on the track team. She told me back then that she could not skip more than a day and that if it so happened that she skipped three days - like over the holidays -  for her it was like completely starting at square one when she started back up again. Who knew this would apply to walking?

It was a nice walk, though, and I got some good pictures. A couple of these pics will have a description.

In case you are wondering where I walked today, this is almost two miles from my front door. I walked east toward the mountains on 3300 North (PG)/1100 North (AF) starting at the temple street.

If I could get my carcass out of bed earlier, I could beat the sun because it doesn't peak over the mountains until about 7:30 a.m. nowadays.

In the distance, on the left is an LDS Temple and on the right a regular church building. Mormons use church buildings on Sunday and temples every other day to establish sacred ordinances. There are currently 143 temples in the world. http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/facts-and-stats 

Not sure what they recently cut, but it smelled SOOO good!

Saw four school buses on my walk!

These two saw me coming from a far distance and they stayed right in that position begging for their photo to be taken!

These are horse tracks made some time ago on a wet day. now there are little tiny plants growing in the tracks!

When I got home, I found this fresh juice that my husband had made and left for me! So thoughtful! It was delicious!!!

What? I Actually Did it Again?!?!?!? ;D

Most of you that know me personally know that I am a one-hit wonder person. I will do something and do it well and then I think, "OK, now I know I can do that thing" and I'm done with it. So, coming from a fairly sedentary lifestyle to walking for an hour two days ago was a pretty big deal. And I was supposed to go yesterday, but I didn't. So, I could have easily blown it off and said to myself, "Yah, oh well. I'll start up again in a couple weeks." BUT NOOOO! I actually went again today! And WOW! It was gorgeous and the walk itself was way easier! I expect the next one to be even easier and someday I'll even run part of the hour!

Do you want to know what motivated me? Yesterday when I was sitting in a movie, just right as it was about over, my right lung started to all-of-a-sudden feel congested. I coughed and coughed until I got a little bit of phlegm. Sorry, that's gross. But it was so weird! I was motivated that I need to keep doing this walking thing so that my body will continue to function well into my old age! Plus, I really don't want dementia like our friend's wife (see last blog post).

So, today it took me 1.5 hours to walk an hour - I stop the clock when I take pictures or rest. Sometimes I rest to catch my breath after going uphill and sometimes I rest because the shade feels so good! That includes travel time to the place I am going to walk. Today it was about a 7 minute drive.

Enjoy the pictures and videos from today. I took the videos sideways today so I hope it looks better!

"Eat less. Move more."

THE ONE HOUR COMMITMENT FOR STAYING SANE, ALIVE, AND HEALTHY

OK! Seriously, I want to see an endocrinologist for my hypothyroidism which has not been monitored as it should have. However, that is not going to happen soon so I have decided that I have to make a more concentrated effort to maintain and reduce my weight. Even though, I know from recent experience that I must have a caloric intake of around 1000 if I want to shed pounds, I have to remember that it is more about getting in shape than getting skinny. Strong is the new skinny. I need to make more muscle, increase endurance and improve cardiology. Even skinny people need to do those things! So, here is the motivating story that works for me. I share it because maybe it will work for you, too.

There is a man that we know who has been walking an hour a day, every day, for years. He is over 70 and still as sharp as a 30 year old. He moves normally and can converse, well, you know, like a regular guy. His wife, on the other hand, has not adopted the one hour a day walk and she has dementia, she falls a lot and she cannot take care of things or enjoy her family like she used to. She is not overweight at all and never has been. So, this is the motivating factor for me to see them at such opposite ends of the spectrum in their old age and the only thing they have done differently in all these years of marriage is that HE WALKS AN HOUR A DAY.

SO. Today was my first day of walking. It took me longer than an hour because I got tired and had to stop, so I stopped the clock while I caught my breath after an uphill stretch. Also, I stopped the clock to take a few pictures. It was a perfect day for walking, a little overcast yet warm enough for a light jacket.  I don't feel any different yet, but I didn't get hit so hard with my afternoon lag which usually hits around 2:30 p.m.

Enjoy the pictures! Now that I've recovered my blog password, I will try to post if I have any more decent photos and videos! I hope they are not sideways! If they are, next time I will turn my phone the right way! haha! :D

Thanks for your support, friends!

#health #healthy #gettingfit #gettinginshape #exercise #walking #strong #strength #gethealthy #fitness

Jumping Rope Between Sets - Brilliant!!!!

A couple of weeks ago, I was peddling along on my little stationery bike at the gym and I saw this young lady, about 20+ years younger than me, alternating jumping rope with doing reps on the weight training equipment. Well, you know it caught my eye because not many people jump rope at my gym. I saw her jumping and I said to myself "Ok, Self, when you can do THAT, then you know you are in shape!"  And how clever to not waste time between reps by just sitting there waiting as most people do!  Love it!  Victoria was kind enough to let me video her for my blog!  Enjoy! And, hey, can YOU do this? ;D

Let us know if you can do this!

Eat less. Move more.

Long Time No Post!!!! Hey, how are YOU???

Hey everyone!

It's been forever since I posted! Well, 15 months to be exact!  TOO long, right? I know! I've missed you guys! ;D

Ok, so about two months ago some of my friends and I had decided to track our weight loss and see who can win on a 15 week schedule. However, this is what happens when you have really relaxed, lovable, and easy-going friends: So far we have a cumulative weight loss of about 10 pounds. haha! 5 of those are mine! Haha!  But that's ok, we are still doing it.

Since I posted last, about 15 months ago, I have improved my eating habits but my exercise habits have remained the same. Needless to say, I have not lost any weight - other than the recent 5 pounds - but my immunity system is WAY better! And I like the taste of whole foods much better now. In fact, I can actually taste if anything has high fructose corn syrup in it. I mean, you can't really taste it, but it now leaves a metallic-ish feeling in my mouth. My portion sizes have gone down quite a bit. It seems ridiculous that I ever ate a standard serving which is served in any US restaurant. They always serve up enough for at least two people. Having grown up with "clean up your plate", it's no wonder so many people in the USA are overweight. The portion sizes are too large!

Now my friends and I order soup or a small salad when we eat out. If we want to try something else on the menu, we have the option of getting a to-go box and filling it up first with at least half of the food. That way we aren't tempted to eat mindlessly long after we are no longer hungry.

Anyway, I'm back and in my very next post I have something fun to share with you!

Eat less. Move more. :D

TO SAVE YOUR LIFE, SWITCH TO A WHOLE FOODS DIET

SAVE YOUR LIFE BY SWITCHING TO A WHOLE FOODS DIET!

I would love, love, love to hear your recipes using whole foods and your experiences of changing to a whole food diet! 


Today I watched on Netflix the show called FORKS OVER KNIVES at the suggestion of a Facebook friend (thank you, David N.!) who has lost 30 pounds in 4 weeks and says he feels great!


This production showcases clear and conclusive research that supports what we have all felt in our gut for a long time! Studies that have been done over years and years in China, Philippines and Japan combined with studies done in the United States are discussed. Individual case studies are shown. It is very convincing evidence that we should be eating these things for good health: fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes! The best rule of thumb, as one doctor in the show puts it, "...if it has a father and mother, don't eat it."

In the show Forks Over Knives, it was explained why the obesity problem exists in America. To grossly over-simplify, it is because the foods we eat are too rich and our bodies are fooled into thinking that we are not getting enough nutrition. So, we have to eat more to get satisfied. The doctor who explained this said "people are not more lazy now than they were before..."  He said that most of us need to learn how to eat whole foods which are nutritious and start eating a plant-based diet. There is an incredible amount of data showing that cultures who are introduced to eat the way we eat in America then start to have the same sicknesses and weight-problems that we do.


Initially, the reason that I paid attention to my Facebook friend David's post is because I have recently noticed that when I eat a smoothie for breakfast and a salad from my garden for dinner, I am completely satisfied. It has been a mystery to me because I know the amount is much smaller and there are not as many calories as the standard meat--veggie--starch meal. I wondered why I felt fuller longer when I added one single lettuce leaf to my morning smoothie. 


The whole foods diet answers that question: Because we get the nutrients we need from what we ingest, our appetite center signals our brain by saying, "Way to go, you feel perfectly satisfied!" 


I'm keeping this short, but if you have Netflix, you probably want to watch that show! It is a little bit scientific, but they do a great job with charts and diagrams to make it more easily understandable. 


And please share your recipes for some yummy whole foods dishes!  

YOGA or Fat Burn? Or both?

Just returned from my first yoga class. Well, I seriously should say my only yoga class for awhile. Even though I found the stretches very beneficial and trying to balance myself (plus my extra pounds) on one foot while in a weird contortion very rewarding, it will be a while before I return. And return I will. But right now, that hour could be spent in burning off the extra weight. I can always do a lot of the stretches at home instead of spending my time at the gym getting centered and moving at a turtles pace for an hour.

Yoga is not for sissies. It is tough, not joking. My muscles feel like tomorrow will be a wee bit painful. It looks easy and the people in the class who have been doing it for a while look very graceful and limber. Who am I kidding? I actually looked pretty graceful, too. The movements are slow and methodical, so for the most part gracefulness is inherent by design. 

I wish they had 15 minute yoga classes, because I would be more inclined to join in before hitting the elliptical. Ah-ha! An epiphany! I can go to the yoga class, say hello, stretch and yoga-ise for a bit and then excuse myself to the elliptical. Nice! That's the best idea I've had all day. So far...

This is one move that I could not do because my abs and back are not yet strong enough to lift my extra hip and leg weight up that high. However, I modified it and did my best. This is called the boat pose. Looks easy, right? Try it!!!

It seems like yoga is something one could do at home with a video or a book showing the poses. Our yoga instructor kept saying to use our breathing to find our balance. And believe me, we moved s-l-o-w-l-y . . .!

OH! I also found this link which was pretty good. They may have one of these classes in your area if you are interested. . . .http://www.yogadork.com/news/fat-yoga-no-longer-a-four-letter-word/ 

So, this Yoga Thing . . . What is Your Experience?

Yoga sounds like a great idea. I tried it once several years ago and it was dreadfully boring. Maybe I chose the wrong type of yoga.

I found this site which may be helpful to get started. If you have any other ideas to share, you can leave them in the comment section.

http://yoga.about.com/od/beginningyoga/a/howtostart.htm

This Trainer Says Add Strength Training

I just happened upon this blog today while looking for something totally different and it is great!  I had no clue that obese people had so much more of a difficult time losing weight! OOOOH MAN! It's tough, but do-able! 

The bottom-line on this article is to avoid becoming obese, include strength training, and commit for six months to any fitness change program. SIX MONTHS. Considering that healthy activity should be a lifestyle, let's just say the transition period will be six months and the increased activity in life will be for the rest of our lives. Ya wanna?  ;D  We can do it!  It really is much more fun to walk the dog or play with children than to sit in front of the television and eat, right? Not to mention, skating, bicycling, swimming, and all those other fun activities!

Enjoy this blog! If you are struggling with obesity, this will be very, very helpful in helping you to understand that you have more to overcome and I believe it will help you make that commitment to work harder! 99% of all self-improvement effort is in our minds!

http://gregghoffman.hubpages.com/hub/Obesity-and-Fat-Loss 

BOO YAH! TODAY IT IS BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN!!!!

Who is doing this thing with me? Oh yeah. I have my tools and I am ready to go. I was doing well a couple of months ago in exercising and getting in shape, but I have been going through some stuff and slacked big time. It is back to the lifestyle which I know is better for my bod.

The first thing I think will be helpful is that I have two friends who are weighing in this morning and we are going to have a weight-loss "contest". I think it will be friendly! Haha! I hope so! At the end of each month, we will tally up our weight loss and whichever one of us loses the most will get paid $10.00 from the other two. Twenty dollars is not that much, but it is enough to work toward. I am thinking that when I win, I will donate my winnings to help this guy, Yeah Samake, win his presidential election. http://samake2012.com/about/ He's a good guy and there are many people who need good strong leadership in the third poorest country in the world. After the election is over, I will send my winnings to his wife, Marissa, who will make sure my donations feed the hungry http://firstladymali2012.com/2012/03/07/hunger-a-beatable-problem/ They are both the kind of people I wish could run MY country! ;D

Next up for me, I have joined the community at  http://www.myfitnesspal.com/post/recent. It is a free website for people who are working toward becoming more fit. It motivates me to hear their stories, and I will probably make some friends on there. I can also track my weight loss and there is a calculator which told me I need to keep my caloric intake at 1260 calories to meet my goals.

Within a day or two I will again read my favorite motivating book, THE END GAME DIET (http://www.amazon.com/The-Game-Diet-Bryan-Daybell/dp/0981884970/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331562737&sr=8-1) Even though the book is called a "diet" it couldn't be more non-diet-ish! Haha! It is all about a lifestyle change. It's a quick read and there are a lot of you-can-do-its in the book. The main thing I like is it helps remind me of how to eat and exactly which food choices will be best for my caloric intake goal. Plus, spreading my calories throughout the day helps to keep me from being hungry. One of my problems in eating is that I wait until I am very hungry and then eat quickly. This is the opposite from thin people who eat a little bit six or seven times a day. Some thin people I know do not like to chew that much, so they drink something when they get hungry. This End Game Diet book helps me to remember to eat a little bit of food often. Plus, it's just really encouraging. Kinda makes me feel successful before I even start!

Ok, and my last plan of action is my exercise and physical recreation goals. I have been collecting some new videos and magazine articles of things I can do at home. This way, if I do not make it to the gym because my schedule is tight, I can work out right here at home. I also have some workout DVDs. Here is one of my favorite workouts I saw on Pinterest. I cannot do these exercises the way she does them, but I can modify them to do something!!! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1hgv3Y7HKxw)

All in all, I am very excited to get started today! Woot!

As always your comments are welcome! Your comments can be in any language because Google translate is amazing! Here is a link so you can add it to your bar: http://translate.google.com/translate_tools

Happy Fresh and Healthy Lifestyle to you!

P.S. Disclaimer: I don't know who is in this picture, and I hope he doesn't mind that I borrowed it.

92 Year Old Woman Teaching Yoga

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gip5sjGy8pM&feature=pyv

Today is the first day that I have heard of this woman, Porchon Lynch. She is 93 now. This is a video of her when she was 92.

How inspiring is this? This is great motivation to stay in shape and be healthy!

EXERCISES GALORE!!!

There is never a need to be bored of exercising again!  Look at this variety on this website:
http://weightloss.allwomenstalk.com/exercises-for-losing-stomach-fat-fast/#mostliked

And then, for video you can look at the www.bodyrock.tv and other exercise vids on YouTube!

Uh.huh. It's all about the exercise, isn't it? Ok, and the fuel. The fuel is best if it has nutrients, too, and that will be the topic of a different post!

Happy WORK OUT!!!

Getting Fit, Healthy and Strong is the New Focus

Hey there, just to assuage any confusion. This blog used to be known as Lose 40 Pounds by Christmas and you may still see that around. But, I am changing up the name so we can all participate. Even thin people want to be healthy and fit! And who does not want more strength? :D

So, please contribute in comments or enjoy reading!

You are awesome! Be a part of the Fit, Healthy and Strong community!

Emotional Eating and a Great Work Out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hgv3Y7HKxw&feature=player_embedded

I saw this on Pinterest. I hope the link works. It is originally from bodyrock.tv (on YouTube?) and I'm sorry I do not know who this girl is, but she does a great job addressing emotional eating. She has a very lean body and does a nice workout in a small space. I think this will give you some ideas on exercises to do right at home. If you know who she is, please comment so we can give her the right credit! I saw the name Lisa on there somewhere....?

I have to admit right now that I cannot do all of these exercises. I have to modify them. But, as she says in the video, doing something is better than doing nothing! But for those of you who are advanced, you will love this workout for variety!

Ok, so, as a side note I discovered www.bodyrock.tv where people can post their own home workouts. How fun is that?

Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Purified Water

You know it was so great to lose that 10 pounds that I lost. But I guess it was kind of missing me because little by little it is finding it's way back to me. Awww, how sweet, like a little puppy finding it's way home.

NOT!  haha! It is not ok!  So, it is back to the lifestyle that works for getting stronger and staying healthy!!!

Here is the book that is going to get me going! http://www.amazon.com/The-Game-Diet-Bryan-Daybell/dp/0981884970/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331246361&sr=8-1 It is called THE END GAME DIET because it is no longer a fun game to lose weight and then gain it back and then lose it again. This is the system that is going to get me to the right place and keep me there. It is called a DIET, but you know what? It's not. It is more about a lifestyle. I mean I guess you could call everything we eat a "diet". My uncle used to say he was on a seafood diet. You were supposed to say "really?" and he would laugh and say, "Yes, the SEE FOOD and EAT IT diet"  Bwahaha!

Ok, so this EGD book is your basic old school book. But is you want to get back on the right track with me, order yours and I'll see you back here next week. Let's start on Monday, March 12th!

Love you! This is NOT going to be easy to get started, but it will get easier as time goes on! In the meantime, stock up on and start drinking lots of water. We've been buying purified water and it tastes yummy and I think my skin is doing a lot better!

IS IT TIME TO START AGAIN?

Spring is around the corner! IS IT TIME TO START AGAIN? I can't hearrr youuu...... ;D

Let me know what you think. Anyone ready to resume eating ultra healthy? Not just your basic healthy?

Readers: 2011 Year in Review

SO. I started my first blog here on September 20, 2011. Thank you for stopping by to check it out!

These are the stats for readers in the last three months:

United States  631

Russia  48

Japan  11

United Kingdom  8

Canada   4

Germany  3

Austria  2

Bulgaria  1

Brazil  1

Hong Kong  1