Jack La Lalanne, Bridalplasty, and Daughters

I must start off with the death of Jack Lalanne, the founding father of the fitness movement, who, as I am sure you were wondering, died at age....96. This is a man who according to his agent "exercised and ate healthily every day of his life". I didn't know this about him until reading his obituary, but he had a fitness show from 1950-1970, which urged kids to go wake up their mothers and drag them in front of the TV to exercise! Talk about a man before his time. Well, longevity he certainly experienced, but more importantly was the quality of his life. Hey, his dog's name was Happy! This is a very telling fact about a guy who treated his body right. If we all did this, i do believe we would all be happy. According to Lalanne, "the only way to hurt your body is not to use it...inactivity is the killer, and remember, it is never too late!"

Thin life crisis is geared towards all of us interested in our health, but as the name suggests, i think i cover topics geared towards those approaching or in mid life. Lalanne's message is one to hear loud and clear: it is never too late even if each day you fall off the health wagon, just get right back on. This is a thank you to Jack Lalanne and people like him (and me I hope) trying to introduce people all the benfits of fitness and health. The only difference between Jack and I is that i don't eat healthy and exercise EVERY day, but i do try!

BRIDALPLASTY: I am seriously concerned about the mental state of women in our country. Have you seen this most offensive and ridiculous show? It show petty, shallow, numb women vying for their fantasy wedding. Okay, we've seen reality shows like this before. But this one takes it a step futher: The top prize includes all the plastic surgery procedures their hearts desire to be performed before their wedding day so they can have their perfect day! I don't even know where to start with this. First of all, who would want to marry any one of these air heads? But, i digress. I am not here to women bash. What i do want to ask is WHY?? Why is it that women think they need to be fixed? Why can't they see how wrong this is? Do their prospective husbands just want a cookie cutter bride who has a straigh nose and thin thighs? I am just appauled. I have nothing more to say on this!

Now to a much more important topic, one which i will just introduce now, but will most likely delve further into another time: Our Daughters and the messages that health conscious mothers are sending to them. I am so torn and i would love some feedback. Yes, i am conscious of what i eat and exercise as a fitness instructor. I thought i was being a good role model. I NEVER comment on my body (too fat, skinny, whatever) and i never comment on my tween or 6 year old daughter's physiques. I know they are very impressionable and hang on every word i say, so i certainly don't want to give them any complexes. But they are very intuitive..they pick up on everything. So now i am hearing things from them like oh my legs are too big, or they will jiggle around the extra skin on their calves and say oh i hate this extra skin. I did bring it to their attention that they need the extra skin in order for their muscles to be able to move freely and that seemed enlightening.

My question is how do you make them health conscious and portion aware without creating issues and angst? Their is a high percentage of childhood obesity, so there is a need particulaly in this country for education, but where is the line? I wanted to not bring it up with them so that it would not be an issue. But i think that is the wrong approach.

I have a friend who shows her daughter the portion size on the box, which i think is a good thing. Not enough of us know what a proper serving of something looks like. I have always tried to incorporate eat everything in moderation, eat until you are comfortable, not stuffed. They tend not to eat enough of the healthy foods at times, so i do ask them to take a few more bites, but certainly if they say they are full, I excuse them from the table. I just wish for them a life that does not include wasting so much time on what they eat or look like. But, judging by Bridalplasty, i think we're all in trouble! Comments?

CRAVINGS AN INTERESTING ARTICLE by Martica Heaner, found on MSN

A Cure for Out-of-Control Cravings
What to do when chips, chocolate or another favorite splurge food keeps calling your name.
By Martica Heaner, M.A., M.Ed., for MSN Health & FitnessQ: My cravings are out of control. I do cardio at least five days a week for at least 40 minutes and lift weights three days a week. But I still have excess body fat and I suspect it might be because after eating really well for a few days, I then develop uncontrollable cravings and I keep eating and eating until I feel full. This happens every couple of days. How can I stop this?

A: It's hard to say exactly what may be contributing to your cravings or resistance to fat loss without knowing more specifics—the intensity of your workouts, how long you've been following this routine, whether you've lost weight recently, how close to a "normal" body weight and healthy body-fat percentage you are, and how much you eat on binge and non-binge days. But it sure sounds like your tendency to overeat several days of the week may be counteracting the calorie-burn you're getting from your workouts, making it harder to slim down.

Cravings may be complicated

Grab any diet book and you'll find a number of theories about what causes cravings. Some claim that eating too much sugar, or too many foods that have a high glycemic index, or foods that do not have enough fiber or fat can make you hungry soon after eating. Some say not eating enough protein or going too long without snacking can trigger cravings. Some suggest than hunger can actually indicate emotional hunger, so any practical advice on food or fitness won't get to the root of the problem. These proposed causes may play a role, but, in reality, it may not be that simple.

For example, while greater amounts of protein and fiber in the diet have been found to be more satiating, if you are under-eating or burning a lot more calories than you are consuming, chances are you're going to be hungry no matter what—your body simply needs more fuel, sparking your cravings. If your perception of your "good" days—when you're eating well—are actually days when you are taking in too few calories, your body eventually may demand more calories to try to balance out your energy intake versus your energy expenditure over the week. If you're bored or lonely, you might not be physically hungry, but a preoccupation with food may be a psychological trigger to add stimulus or comfort to your life.

If you're not eating enough compared to the calorie burn you are accumulating from daily workouts, you're likely to feel hungry and seek out more food. If you go long periods without eating—skipping breakfast, and avoiding eating dinner past 6 or 7 p.m., for example—you might be creating a rollercoaster energy supply that leads to a few days where your body tries to stock up by stimulating you to eat more to make up for the periods of not eating enough food. Often, highly caloric foods are the most appealing when your body wants fuel fast.

Cravings may also have a biological component. If you've lost weight recently, biochemical triggers may kick in to try to help the body to regain the lost body fat. Recent research suggests that genetic influences may affect things like how fast you get hungry after eating, how full you feel from eating, and how active you are when you are not exercising.

Just as there are many potential reasons why you may be getting cravings, there may be a variety of solutions that can help you abolish them.

Are you eating enough?

Your first step should be to make sure that you are eating enough to fuel your energy expenditure. If you're hungry, your body is going to demand food, so make sure you are well-fueled every day. If you're trying to diet, take a non-drastic approach: Cut out a couple of hundred calories each day, not thousands.

It's impossible to know exactly how many calories you're eating and burning each day, but you can do the math to get an estimate and try to keep on track. By keeping a diet diary, you can spot obvious culprits—like days when you don't have time for breakfast, then you don't eat lunch until 2 p.m., and then you end up binging the rest of the day. Or days where you do a greater amount of exercise (your regular workout plus lots of extra walking, for example), yet you restrict how much you eat. If you are compelled to eat twice as much the following day, it might simply be because you deprived yourself the day before.

Or, you might spot a seemingly innocent snack that adds a whopping amount of calories to an otherwise "good" day (a pint of premium ice cream can take 10 or 15 minutes to eat but add 1,000 to 1,200 calories, the equivalent of perhaps half of your day's calories; frequent dipping into a co-worker's candy dish can add hundreds of calories). If you're careful to include lots of details in your diet diary, such as the times of day you eat, and what you're doing and how you're feeling when you eat, you may be able to spot cues that trigger you to eat more. One lesson from cognitive-behavioral therapy is to learn to avoid those certain cues— or teach yourself new behaviors—in response to certain triggers.

Use these tools to help track your energy intake, output and needs.

Controlling cravings

Learning more about your diet patterns can help you figure out how to improve how you eat, but you should also prepare a plan of action for when a craving hits. Try these suggestions:

Take a time-out. Ask yourself if you are really hungry? Can you go for a walk around the block instead?
Water it down. Start by drinking a glass of water. Sometimes thirst can be mistaken for hunger. Even if you are hungry, water can help to start to fill you up.
Put it off. Consider that you may be able to eat more or less depending on what you've had already today, and over the past few days, and depending on how much physical activity you've fit in. If you've been highly active, a little snack may not matter. If you've been a complete couch potato all week, maybe you can make a deal with yourself. You'll exercise today, and have an extra snack tomorrow.
Choose low-cal nibbles. Figure out ways to feed the cravings that don't pack on a lot of calories: eat a piece of fresh fruit (or two). If part of what you crave is the physical feeling of fullness, getting it from high-fiber, low-calorie foods like fruits and veggies is better than stuffing yourself with fattening snacks.
Eat. If you are still obsessing, eat a small amount of what you're craving.
Use portion control. Be aware of how you dish it out. Rather than grab an entire giant bag of potato chips, dole out a serving in a small dish. Then close the bag properly and store it up high, out of sight, in a cupboard. If you're eating a candy bar, give yourself 1/3 or 1/2, then toss the rest (or save it, if you think you can resist the temptation to come back for more.)
Enjoy. Eat your splurge food slowly. Make the most of each mouthful. Keep in mind that most of the pleasure you get from eating is in your taste buds. So the satisfaction you feel when succumbing to a craving is not from the quantity that you shovel down, but from the seconds spent savoring what's in your mouth. Fat has a distinctively pleasurable mouth-feel, which is one reason why fattening foods hold so much appeal.
Write it down. Successful weight-losers tend to keep ongoing diet diaries. You may get to a point where you can plan in sensible splurges without upsetting your overall caloric intake.
As every day is different, experiment with different strategies that you can whip out when needed: one day the walk might work, another day, a half portion of a sweet you love may suffice, another day you might be able to eat a whole bag of mini-carrots and feel satiated.

Post Thanksgiving Thoughts

I was tempted to write on Thanksgiving, but I thought I would enjoy the day and see how it went, food wise. I did well. I followed my own advice that i was going to give you: wear a figure flattering, form fitting (not tight) outfit. I know from experience that when I wear something loose or too "comfortable" it is more likely that i will overeat. At least in my case when i wear something form fitting, i am more conscious of how i look and how i will feel after a huge meal. Thus, no huge meal, just a tasty meal that i easily stopped myself when i had enough.

My problems started the day after...I did so well Thanksgiving but gave into temptations for a few days after. Oh well, I am not going to beat myself up, like i mentioned last time, if you take a wrong turn, get back on the right road. One of my main problems and I know i am not alone in this, is if i overindulged say on a Friday or Saturday Night, I won't start getting back into my healthy groove until Monday. I convince myself weekends/holidays were made for this sort of gluttony, and i will behave the rest of the week starting Monday. And i do behave. I eat well and generally not too much. But, as an article I just read outlined, this just can't work. Yes, i won't gain a ton of weight doing this, but it will not help me achieve my fitness goals longterm. I will be on this see-saw indefinitely and this is what bothers me.

Its up to me, just as it is up to you how you treat your bodies in terms of what you put in them. I am thankful for my regular exercise routine, and if that is all you have at the moment, it's better than nothing.

GOOD NEWS: I have been a willing guinea pig for you all trying various new beauty products and services. Got a winner here: The new gel manicures work! Sometimes called Shellac or just gel, they are awesome! They promise that they will last for up to 2 weeks and cost anywhere from $20-$30 per. I got mine the Friday before thanksgiving and it still looks good. No chips...I was told there was no dry time, but actually there was more of a dry time because they have to put the gel on in stages...so be prepared for about 15 more than you are used to for a regular manicure. BUT SO WORTH IT. And my nails have grown more it seems cause the gel seems to make them stronger or protect them. I will be a regular patron of these. My one question is does the gel come off easily or do you have to go back to the salon to get it off? Will tell when the time comes.

Diet -vs- Exercise

Hi there! Been a while but this blog and the topics it covers are never out of my thoughts. I often wonder why this is: some people are completely obsessed with fitness and health and others just aren't. I guess this is a topic for another day. One theory i have is that those people who aren't haven't tasted fit! Pun intended. Fit feels fantastic, and as much as I love food, i think it feels better than a butterscotch sundae. Because you don't feel horrible after being fit!

Being fit, bottom line is a combination of diet and exercise, PERIOD. I have long fought the belief that diet has as much to to with physique as it does. You are what you eat, simple. Not easy to do the right thing in terms of eating all the time, but you can give it your best shot each day. Number one rule: If you slip, get right back on track. I heard this from Dr. OZ. He said if you were travelling along a road and you made a wrong turn, you wouldn't keep going in the wrong direction, you would turn around and get on the right road, trying to find your way to where you should be! Perfect analogy for healthy eating. I do this, and it took me a long time to really do it. Before, if i slipped i would indulge the rest of the day, telling myself i would start tomorrow. I can't say i don't have episodes like that anymore, but they are fewer.

About a year ago, I was at a ladies day out and the leader asked each of us to write a note to ourselves about our goals for bettering ourselves. I wrote to control my portions and to engage in CONSISTENT exercise. Being a person of extremes, which probably explains my bouts of indulgence, i am now the exercise instructor. (I am always SO envious of those power eaters whose job is to each endlessly say 100 hot dogs in 5 minutes. I say to myself, I can do that! There are even a few who are thin, go figure...healthy, not so sure.) Being the instructor is a good thing for me as i tended like most to blow off classes or exercise routines. The outcome has been very interesting. Teaching 6 classes a week plus practicing routines, in my book is plenty of exercise. I have seen amazing changes in my body after doing it for about a year. Am i perfect? NO. I know i will never will be, but i think if i had a more consistent diet i could be a heck of a lot closer. Some of my problem areas have changed dramtically, some have changed only slightly.

Bottom line: I can force myself to exercise (not so much forcing because i found exercise that I LOVE), but I do not have the discipline for 100% healthy eating. There are too many forces working for me to be able to control it directly. Hormones, fatigue, carbs and the effects...sugar and blood sugar levels..I know what to avoid, but i don't always. All i can say is when i do hit the detours, i will turn around and try to find my way once again. Will you? Hope so because you are worth it.

Beauty Tip: Best Hair Conditioner EVER: Naked Naturals. I am using this one right now. I have thick course hair and it is the only one that makes my hair silky and smoother, without using alot! Try it!

What Type are You?

For the last month or so, i have been in a major rut. A back slide, really. I have retreated to old bad habits. Please don't misunderstand, my bad habits are not that bad by todays standards. The main point is my old habits include the same theme: no discipline. And, being a minor control freak, that freaks me out. I have come to a realization about myself that is sad but true. I am not like the person I want to be. The naturally healthy living, disciplined person who can effortessly avoid white sugar, flour, alcohol, processed meats...I know several people who just don't gravitate to these things. They are armed with information about what is healthy and what is not, and use it to their advantage. They are what i call TYPE B: The BE GOODS. I, on the other hand, am a TYPE A: ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING. I go through phases where I eat as much as I want of whatever I want, knowing full well that it is not the right choice. I read everything there is on nutrition and wellness, yet cannot use this knowledge wisely when I am going through my phases.

WHY? Why is this I ask constantly? Is it genetics, self-sabotage, menstrual cycle realted? I do think it is a combination of these things. I also think the habits I have adopted are deeply rooted. An article by Jillian Michaels talked about theories of habits. How our repeated actions set up nueral pathways in the brain that make us mindlessly repeat our actions because we have trained our brains to do so. My job, I think, and so does Jillian, is to stop in the moment and re-direct. Replace the negative behavior with a positive.

LUCKILY, I have my friend the scale. I have said many times that you need to weigh yourself daily (perhaps bi-weekly)to keep yourself in check. I did that and was 2 lbs over my max weight. You say, 2 lbs is nothing, but 2 leads to 5 leads to...The thing is if I just ate healthily and didn't overindulge in various foods and wine, I wouldn't have to be so strict because I do exercise on a regular basis. So, i don't have to be so restictive.

THE LAST 2 DAYS HAVE BEEN VERY GOOD DAYS FOR ME. CONSCIOUS OF WHAT GOES IN MY MOUTH, AND IN CONTROL. HOW ABOUT YOU? READY TO ALTER YOUR NEURAL PATHWAYS?

What is Oprah's Problem?

I know the title of this blog sounds accusatory, even rude, but it is not meant to be! It's meant to address the fact that I KNOW what her problem is, well at least one of them. When it comes to her weight loss (and gain issues), one major problem is I see is that she does not enjoy her exercise regiment. I've said over and over again if you dread what you choose to do for exercise, you will not stick to it, plain and simple. Read on and you'll see what I mean.

I bring up Oprah because the other day I was at the Library and saw on the sale rack for $1, a video by her called "Making the Connection...It's About Changing Your Life". I was intrigued, especially after noticing the tape was made in the mid 1990's (it IS a VIDEO TAPE). Intrigued also because of what we all know now, which is she gained all of it back.

The hour long video takes us smack into Oprah's weight loss struggles, issues, and plans to revamp and rejuvinate herself. In the tape she talks with other women about their overeating issues and how they felt about their bodies. One of the most interesting parts is her story: she goes back to key moments in her life and career where, unbeknowst to her fans, her primary focus is how much she weighs at the time. Her turning point came when she won her first daytime emmy for her talk show. She knew the show was coming up, vowed to diet to be "show ready", stressed out daily that she wasn't doing what she needed to do to lose the weight, ate more...many of us can relate. When her name was announced as the winner, all she could think about was how much she did not want to walk up those stairs and onto that stage because she felt too big and she didn't want people to look at her "big butt and how it moved"! THIS IS POWERFUL. What a shame. It was a moment I may have even witnessed on TV and who could have ever guessed that this successful woman was obsessing about her weight when she was at her highest point career wise?

So, she vows this is it, no more, etc. She hires Bob Greene as her personal trainer, apparently to WHIP HER INTO SHAPE. QUITE LITERALLY. The video chronicles her daily work outs with Bob, her nutritious meals, the whole bit. As I was watching it, I thought to myself, this is NOT sustainable. Oprah hated almost every minute of the gruelling exercise sessions. In fact, she would prance around the gym on the way out the door singing "I'm done, I'm done!!!" She would also get very annoyed with her trainer scolding him often, and telling him to be quiet. It was obvious to me that here she is doing this motivation video for people with the accent on how she wasted all this time obsessing about her weight and food, and yet this video and her regiment was all just a big waste of time for her once again in the end.

I felt compelled to go find out her weight today but could find no numbers. It seems Oprah has now given up dieting thanks to Geneen Roth, who advises to never deprive yourself and find out what it is that eating is keeping from discovering about yourself and what you are lacking in your life. I have heard about Geneen Roth and really like her theories. I will discuss them in a later blog. The point of this post is Oprah's ultimate problem: LACK OF BALANCE

In 2008 she said so herself on her show when she confessed her continuing weight issues. That is what i saw on this video: PUSHING HERSELF TO DO A TORTUROUS EXERCISE ROUTINE 6 DAYS A WEEK FOR 2 HOURS A DAY OR SO WILL NOT PROMOTE BALANCE AND WELL BEING. Only resentment and fatigue. There are just so many ways to get exercise, and the treadmill or stairmaster (2 of the worst offenders in my book) do not have to be part of your fitness routine!!!

I want to wrap this up for now, but i leave you with this: When I am (choose one) working, playing, really doing anything TOO MUCh, I lose balance, and I turn to food just like Oprah. The classic scenario for me is being so tired, but my schedule not allowing for sleep, so I stare blindly eating something, hoping that will be the magic elixir (when all i really need is sleep!) Sound familiar? Think about it.

Consistency is Key

Hello All. It has been a while. I knew in the summer the blog posts would slow down dramatically due to needing to prioritize. I mentioned previously that this blog is my guilty pleasure. Finding the time to squeeze it in is challenging, especially with the 3 ZUMBA classes I teach weekly, a full service seasonal catering service I own, a bi-monthly article I write for the local paper, 2 energetic little girls....you get the picture.

Enough of that. We are all busy, which is a great segue into the topic for today's blog: Consistency. Fitness and a healthy lifestyle is all about being consistent. In order to reach your goals, you have got to plan your work (outs) and work your plan! Same thing goes for how you eat. am not saying you can't have what you're craving. Have it, but compensate in some way to make up for it. If you have a heavy-ish meal, make the next lighter. Be aware and consistent in these ways and you will see results. Since I have become a ZUMBA instructor, I have seen fantastic results. WHY? Because I exersise consistently 3x a week. It also works because I enjoy it and therefore am sticking with it. Just because I am the instructor, doesn't mean I can't just throw in the towel, and decide I don't want to do it anymore. But I DO want to do it. Same goes for all of you out there. If you find something you like you WILL stick with it. You will want to.

My next point is you have to CONSISTENTLY VARY YOUR ROUTINE. Meaning that one type of activity is not enough. Although i work out hard with ZUMBA and have seen great results, when I do a different work out, I am generally sore the next day. Running makes my shins sore, and abs are sore after traditional ab exersises. That tells me that I need to challenge my body in other ways. Hiking, Biking, FUN stuff that you can do with friends and family ( I am not really referring to traditional exersise machines, life is just to short for that torture). I can handle some weight training, and i think it is extremely important.

TONED ARMS: Many ask me how to get their arms looking better and toned. I have a few recommendations. First, you have to do cardio and ZUMBA is a perfect choice. Next, i suggest you check out Tracy Anderson. She is one of Madonna's and Gwyneth Paltrow's Trainers. She has a website, the tracyandersonmethod.com I like her because her focus is using light weights with lots of repetitions and unconventional movements to target the smaller muscle groups. Combined with cardio, i beleive this can help you achieve the arms you crave! I suggest you try the Tracy Anderson Perfect Design DVD sequence one to see if she is for you.

BEAUTY UPDATE: FOR THE RECORD, I TRIED THE ROC EYE PRODUCT WITH THE MICRO CURRENTS, AND MY ADVICE IS SAVE YOUR MONEY. THEY JUST DIDN'T WORK FOR ME AND I HAVE BEEN USING IT SINCE JUNE! I did try St. Ives Cucumber Anti Stress Under Eye treatment and liked it, seemed to reduce puffiness. Found in any drug store!