Holy Cow

That about sums it up. This has been a crazy weekend. Ed and I headed to Chicago, the culinary Paris of the Midwest. I'm sure you can fill in the blanks. We spent the weekend walking around and eating deep dish pizza.



But I have new motivation to stay in shape.



Ed proposed.



I'm not kidding, even though I thought he was when he asked me. We were in Millennium Park, in front of The Bean, when Ed dropped to one knee and proposed. Even better, there were teenagers nearby who erupted into cheers when I said yes. It was a blast. Here's a picture Ed and I took of The Bean at night. Notice the Chicago skyline reflected in the background.






Needless to say, I'd like to be a slender and lithe bride, but I'll settle for average.

On a more serious note, my mother had a heart attack today. I wish I could say I didn't see this coming, but she's overweight, doesn't watch what she eats and avoids exercise at all costs. Even the slightest physical exertion leaves her flushed and breathless.

It happened today while she was at work. She felt chest pains radiating down her left arm, so she decided to make a doctor's appointment. For tomorrow. No kidding. Fortunately, she works in a doctor's office and they called 911.

But I can see myself in her. We're built the same. In the future I'm stiff from lack of exercise, my heart is out of shape and even getting up off the couch requires some effort. I was kind of thinking that when I'm 65, Ed and I will be riding camels through Egypt and I'll be whining about the hot sun. I don't want to spend the retirement years sitting in a hospital bed with oxygen up my nose.

So I've had two big kicks to get up and get working out. Time to break out the Denise Austin and get moving.

And if you're reading this, say a quick prayer for my mom.

Welcome to 2007

Okay, I'm trying a podcast here. I spent the weekend talking to some of my fellow waitresses about the challenges of staying fit and healthy when you're surrounded by food. It was a lot of fun to hear different points of view, and it definitely proved I'm not alone. None of us are. Anyway, here are the results:

Donna's First Podcast EVER!!!!

Get Fit and Creative

While surfing the news for the latest in health and fitness, one thing I noticed today is there is an awful lot of stories about ways to make fitness more interesting. It seems like the newest and best thing is something that can promise us a little change from the daily fitness grind.

I don't know what it is about exercise, but doing it day after day can get boring. Especially if you don't vary the routine. Every now and then it also comes up in fitness news that if you don't vary your fitness regimen, not only do you get bored, but your body gets bored, and starts burning calories more efficiently. In other words, you're working your butt off, but it's not going anywhere.

So a couple of thoughts on this:

Skip an exercise routine. Just try to move for 30 minutes every day in whatever way strikes your fancy. If you're in the mood to take a walk, don't deny yourself the pleasure because it's your strength-training day.

If you can, work out with a friend. Even if the routine is the same, the conversation will be different. Just be wary of this. When a friend of mine had a baby a few years ago, we tried doing an exercise tape together every day. At one point we spent the entire morning in our sweat pants, eating Oreos, playing with the baby and watching Jerry Springer. So maybe it's better to work out with an acquaintance.

Join a gym. Many of them offer free classes to members. Then you have built in variety -- and access to the latest trends. There's an article in phillyburbs.com about Zoomba, a mixture of aerobics and Latin dance that's making an appearance in gyms. There's also belly-dancing, Pilates, yoga, boxing and even pole dancing.

Use a medicine ball. These can add a new challenge to your strength training. And, if you happen to be a bit of a klutz (yes, my boyfriend calls me Donzilla), just trying not to fall off the ball can bring a whole new challenge to your workout.

And finally, for those who can, try a personal trainer a few times a week. They can tailor a workout especially for you, including functional fitness. What's more motivating than someone who's sole purpose that day is to get you out of bed and working out?

Please note, these are just my thoughts on fitness, and I'm certainly not a doctor.

Sometimes, Bigger is Just Bigger

The Stockton Record out in California (that haven of all things slim) has a great article about portion sizes. Typically restaurants serve enough food per plate to feed two people. The article, written by Sara Cardine, discusses how these large servings are beginning to affect what we eat at home. Namely, Americans are all out of whack when it comes to determining a portion size. It even comes with a handy-dandy guide to portion sizes. Some myths the article addresses as well:

Myth: Eating the correct portion sizes and amounts will never fill me up.
Fact: The stomach has an amazing ability to stretch and shrink to accommodate your intake. When you eat less, eventually a shrunken stomach will register fullness faster.

Myth: I'm a man and I need my meat.
Fact: "People think of protein as only meat," restaurant consultant John Britto said. "There are lots of other proteins in your diet." These include beans, nuts, seeds and eggs.

Myth: Now I'll never be able to eat out.
Fact: When you order your food at a sit-down restaurant, ask for a to-go box and put the extra aside for future meals.

Myth: It'll cost an arm and a leg to buy all those fruits and vegetables.
Fact: Buying produce in season will cut costs. Frozen versions, packed with all the same nutrients, are another option. Bad food and big portions can cause serious health risks in the long run, dietitian Rosario Aguirre said. "Is that worth the money?"

It's funny this article comes out now. I was watching my boyfriend's youngest daughter eat last night. She had an appetizer, an entree and dessert. But she only had a little bit of each. She started with mozzarella sticks, leaving some on her plate simply because she was done. I thought she was full, but no, she then ate about half her pizza. Finally, she finished up with a small serving of ice cream. While her food choices aren't all I could wish for, I love her eating style. Somehow she has a handle on how much she can eat of any one course and still save room for what's coming up. Not me. I eat until it's gone. Then, if I'm too full, I soldier on, since I ordered it, the food is so good, this is my favorite part of the meal, or whatever excuse pops into my head.

I don't think I need add that my boyfriend's daughter is naturally skinny. Which prompts me to ask, how many "naturally thin" people instinctively have better habits? I'm sure hereditary, and sometimes medical conditions play a role in our weight, as well, but perhaps there is more in our control than we realize. Perhaps part of "hereditary fat" is simply bad habits that are passed on from generation to generation. I'm going to try to eat like my boyfriend's daughter this week and see what happens.

Eat a Veggie

The Columbus Dispatch reported that only one-third of Americans eat enough fruits and vegetables. Most alarming is that this number falls short of the government's goal of getting 75 PERCENT of Americans to eat two fruits and only 50 PERCENT of Americans to eat three veggies a day. So the message I'm getting here is even our government doesn't think we can exist as a healthy nation. Only 50 percent of us will ever reach a healthy lifestyle. Talk about being doomed to failure.

That said, a Newton, Mass., woman is putting out a skin care line that will give skin plenty of fruits and veggies. It's called Be Fine Food Skin Care. The Boston Herald reported the skin care line, which includes avocado, pomegranate, mushrooms, etc. will be available in CVS stores. I haven't tried the line myself, though, so don't take this as a recommendation. I just think it's a neat idea.

Perhaps we could just eat a little moisturizer each day.

The High and Low (Tech) of Weight Loss

It seems that what's old is new and what's new is new in the world of weight loss this week.

First up, there's a cool new site for those interested in using their computer to monitor their weight. It's called Weight Loss Pal. It's a free Web site that will let you keep an online food diary, log your weight each week, upload photos as your body changes and create a chart that graphs your weight loss. You log in, so your progress (and fat-day photos) are not available for everyone to see. Definitely worth a look-see. Many researchers say keeping a food diary can help those looking to change their lifestyle see where they slip up and realize exactly how much they're eating. I'm not sure I really want to know. But I guess to get healthy, I've got to face the ugly facts. Sometimes, I think a tapeworm would be easier. ; )

In the vein of tried-but-true advice, Hamilton Erridge has written "Creating Your New Lifestyle." His says those who want to lose weight must change their lifestyle and their habits. While this isn't big news, what's new is Erridge himself lost 100 pounds by changing his ways. And he's willing to share his strategies. He has said of his book:

I wrote this book with one simple goal in mind - to allow anyone on any diet the opportunity to gain control, create new skills and behaviors, and learn to not only lose the weight, but keep it off for the rest of their lives.

And finally, in the not-related-to-anything-in-particular category, a big congrats to my friends Mike and Suze on their beautiful new addition, Isabella Kathryn. She was born March 13 and weighed 8 lbs, 14 oz. Good job, guys. I'm sure they won't mind me stealing a photo from their blog: www.lilgenghis.blogspot.com.

Minutes Add Up to Hours

It used to be that 10 minutes plus 10 minutes plus 10 minutes of physical activity did not equal 30, at least not according to most exercise scientists. Today we know it does.

That's the latest from MSN's health and fitness Web site. An article on MSN today is recommending the "Easy Does It" approach to exercise -- working smarter, not harder.

I remember the fads of aerobics, Sweatin' to the Oldies, the Cindy Crawford workout, tai bo and a million others. Now we know any exercise is good exercise and it doesn't have to leave us prostrate on the floor, gasping for breath and praying for the pain to subside. We can exercise for 10 minutes three times a day or 30 minutes at a time. In fact, this article even offers some suggestions of how to work in exercise each day:

If you climb the stairs for 10 minutes rather than taking the elevator; spend 10 minutes briskly walking with your co-worker to sort through an issue rather than discussing it over e-mail; or walk for 10 minutes in the mall while shopping, you reap the same fitness benefits as if you’d exercised continuously that same amount of time.

Take a look at this article. It offers some great suggestions and some helpful pointers. For example, did you know you should toss your sneakers after 300 miles?