Ready Maid on the BestLife Diet

It's a New Year

2009-01-29T15:05:00.001-06:00

The good news is I made it through the rest of 2008 - travel and all - within seven pounds of my goal. The new year has brought renewed commitment to the healthy lifestyle that I have grown to appreciate and value.

Thanks to all my BestLife buddies and everyone else who supported me through the ride.

You can still find me Twittering @hotspringer. I'm also on Facebook. Hope to hear from you.

It's No Secret: I Went Fishing!

2008-07-20T07:30:00.004-05:00

Like many folks, I put some extra thought into choosing what to read at the beach. Oddly, I'm not now, and never have been, a fiction reader. (I know, I know. Believe me, I know. The rest of my family are voracious fiction readers. And they all think I'm weird.)

Although I'm a little slow picking up the trend, I chose The Secret And before I left home, I even downloaded the movie.

The book poses some interesting theories, which I had plenty of time to ponder while drifting a few feet from shore on my neon green raft:

* If our entire bodies are replaced within a few years, as science has proven, the how can it be that degeneration or illness remains in our bodies for years?

* Think of a car driving through the night. The headlights only go a couple of hundred feet forward, but you can make it all the way from California to New York driving through the dark, because all you have to see is the next 200 feet. And that's how life tends to unfold before us. If we just trust that the next 200 feet will unfold after that, and the next 200 feet will unfold after that, your life will keep unfolding. And it eventually get you to the destination of whatever it is you truly want, because you want it.

* To lose weight, don't focus on "losing weight." Instead, focus on your perfect weight. Feel the feelings of your perfect weight, and you will summon it to you.

Well, one of the things I wanted to unfold for me was a fishing trip with Dale Woodruff, captain of a charter boat called Class Act.

A call last week to book a reservation left little hope for going fishing this week. Capt. Woodruff told me he had no charters on the books - partly because many travelers are having to spending more of their vacation budget on gasoline.

Why not use "The Secret" to manifest the fishing trip, I thought. Using the Creative Process involves three steps: ask, believe and receive. Simple enough? Sure.

Wednesday afternoon, Capt. Dale called to announce he had a charter going out Thursday morning. Less than 12 hours hours later, I was aboard Class Act for a six-hour trip with 11 men - a grandfather, his three grown sons, his three sons-in-law and four grandsons.

Not only did we have an absolute ball catching fish - red snapper, bonita and trigger fish - but we also had plenty to take home for dinner Thursday night.

And once again, the Universe confirmed what I have always believed: Life is good, especially when the fish are biting.

The Free and the Brave

2008-07-15T17:17:00.007-05:00

Alright, all you other brave ones who have posted your "works-in-progress" photos. Here's mine, taken today at The Beach Club Resort in Gulf Shores, Ala.

As you recall, this vacation represents several "firsts":

* The first vacation I've taken in over seven years when I have finished all my writing assignments ahead of time so that I have
NO WORK to do while I'm on vacation!

* The first time I've put on a bathing suit in public in over 10 years.

Although I'm still 13 pounds from goal weight, I have thoroughly enjoyed doing what I love again...being suited up on the beach!

More to come...

Strong Beginning to Week in Paradise

2008-07-14T06:33:00.003-05:00

We're heeeere, and life is good at The Beach Club Resort in Gulf Shores, Ala. So far, I've used the fitness center, attended a church service on the veranda and listed to live music by the pool.

On our way down from Arkansas Saturday, we stopped on Highway 59 at Burris Farm Market, a fabulous stand in Loxley. This spacious, open-sided building is lined with hampers of Alabama-grown goodies ranging from asparagus and broccoli to summer squash and zucchini. We loaded up all of that, plus gorgeous vine-ripened tomatoes, plump juicy peaches, the sweetest sweet corn and a couple of watermelons that "thumped" just right.

Our schedule is loose enough for plenty of time on the beach. Yesterday, we rented a set of beach rental lounging chairs shaded by an umbrella for the entire week. I spent most of the morning riding the waves on a neon green raft, laughing with children and loving the day. Later, I took a nap to the lullaby of a pleasant morning breeze while Myron played a round of golf.

By the time late afternoon clouds exploded into a thunderstorm, we were safely tucked under the tin-roofed patio at Lulu's Homeport Marina. On the banks of the Intercoastal Waterway, Lucy Anne Buffett has carved out a niche with far more than the "Cheeseburger in Paradise," made famous by her ballad-singing brother. LuLu's new cookbook, "Crazy Sista Cooking: Cuisine & Conversation With Lucy Buffettis already in its second printing.

And if the Summer Shrimp Salad wasn't enough, we crooned "Brown Eyed Girl" and other crowd favorites with singer/songwriter Greg Brown.

By sundown, boasting the firstfruits of our tan, we slept soundly - looking forward to our spa appointments this morning!

P.S. Pictures of me coming later today!

Get Human

2008-07-11T00:01:00.011-05:00

Hardly anything is more annoying than trying to fix a virtual problem with virtually no human help.

Recently, I signed up for a one-month-trial-and-cancel-if-you-don't-like-it subscription to FreelanceWorkExchange.com. (Warning: Step away from the copy and paste.) The service obviously had no problem debiting my account through PayPal. But when I try to use the site, they don't recognize me at all.

Trying to cancel my subscription generated this automatic email response: "For all inquiries regarding cancelling your paid membership of Freelance Work Exchange, please visit our dedicated cancellation page here." (Try that link. I couldn't even get the page to load. Duh.)

Well, the good folks at PayPal heard my complaint and came to my rescue, blocking future payments to GoFreelance.com and also furnishing me a telephone number (in Australia!) to follow up with the lazy service provider.

Ever wish you could talk to a REAL PERSON when you need help to fix a problem?? GetHuman.com is one of the best places to start.

Sick of pressing 10 or more options and spending valuable time on hold? Right now, you can search GetHuman's free database of secret phone numbers and codes that get an actual, live person on the line for customer service at nearly 1000 major companies.

This friendly tip brought to you by beach-bound Ready Maid.
Stay tuned for updates from Gulf Shores, Ala.

Beach Club - Here We Come!

2008-07-10T10:00:00.004-05:00

If you've been reading Ready Maid for any length of time, you've probably scrolled past this image in the sidebar. Dr. Wayne Dyer says every thought is like a ticket to purchase more of the same. Think about frustration; you'll get more. Think about lack; you'll get more. Think about love; you'll get more.

"The most important tool to being in balance is knowing that you and you alone are responsible for the imbalance between what you dream your life is meant to be, and the daily habits that drain life from that dream," he instructs. "In the early stages of the rebalancing process, concentrate on this awareness: You get what you think about, whether you want it or not. Commit to thinking about what you want, rather than how impossible or difficult that dream may seem."

In the last four years, we've been to the beach three times. I love to go to the beach. I dream of the beach. I could live on the beach.

But can you believe the last three times I've been to the beach, I never even put on a swimsuit to enjoy being at the beach?! In fact, the last time I was there in June of 2006, I didn't even walk on the beach. Why? I didn't like the way I looked. But I told everybody I couldn't go out because I had to work. So I sat at my computer and wrote stories I could have finished before I left home.

Well, heads up everybody. Write this one down: When I get to The Beach Club Resort Saturday, the first thing I'll do is put on my swimsuit and head for the water. And I promise to put on my swimsuit every day I'm there. I'll post pictures. And I will milk next week for all it's beachy worth...outside, in the sun, enjoying what I love!

From now on, I will NOT be denied. I've visualized this moment since January 15, and I'm ready to make up for lost time!

Quotes from Being In Balance: 9 Principles for Creating Habits to Match Your Desires

It's Not Over Till YOU Win!

2008-07-09T00:01:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, several of my favorite HYC bloggers shared personal struggles - either to stay on track, to get back on track, or to figure out what the heck a track is. Isn't it comforting to have friends who share our struggles as well as our successes?

A few days ago, I told you about Staci Wallace, a remarkable woman whose equally talented husband has joined her to found an online community called EMwomen.com. Their goal is to equip a million women to make positive life changes in the areas of faith, family, finances, fitness and philanthropy in order to change the world.

Although the couple looks like Barbie and Ken, each of them has overcome unique circumstances to pursue their dream. Behind those perfect smiles are real people whose strength of character has been sifted on the threshing floor, tested in the valley and tried in the fire.

Throughout history, songs have helped to solidify purpose in people united by a common vision. Staci's song, "It's Not Over Till I Win," speaks to every person who's ever had to overcome an obstacle, jump a hurdle, straighten out a mess or just plain start over.

Now, turn up your speakers click this link to listen. (The music has more impact if you're standing up, pumping two fists overhead.)

I woke up this morning stumbled out of my bed
So many questions rolling round in my head
Can I really make it?
Should I just give in?
I know that's not the answer
Cause it's not over till I win

I'm not giving up I'm not givin' in
I've gotta keep believing
I'm not giving up I'm not givin' in
I've gotta keep on reaching
I'm not giving up I'm not givin' in
Cause it's not over till I win

People had me thinking I was losing the war
They looked at me and said girl, you just can't take it no more
You might as well just give up you're gonna fail again
But they don't understand
It's not over till I win
No, it's not over till I win

I'm not giving up I'm not givin in
I've gotta keep believing
I'm not giving up I'm not givin in
I've gotta keep on reaching
There's so much more that I can give
There's so much more of life to live.
I'm not giving up I'm not givin' in
Cause It's not over till I win

No I won't give up this time
There's not a single doubt in my mind
This time I'm gonna win.
I'm not givin in

I'm not giving up I'm not givin in
I've gotta keep believing
I'm not giving up I'm not givin in
I've gotta keep on reaching
There's so much more that I can give
There's so much more of life to live.
I'm not giving up I'm not givin' in
Cause it's not over till I win

One Inch Goes a Long Way

2008-07-07T00:01:00.005-05:00

It's probably happened to everybody who has lost a significant amount of weight: You finally reach a point where, even though you're a certain number of pounds from goal weight, people start saying you don't need to lose any more. You look fine now, they insist.

Still, something on the inside of you pushes you to stay on track, keep pushing, don't give up.

After it happened to me a few times, I questioned the BMI chart, which still categorized me as overweight. "I'm not even in the normal range yet," I told my husband over dinner last night.

"Well, how's that BMI figure calculated, anyway?" he asked with a slight edge to his voice.

"The score is a function of height and weight," I answered calmly between bites.

"Well, what height are you using?" he questioned, even more sarcastically.

"Five foot, six inches," I replied.

"Nonsense!" Myron retorted. "You're 5'7" if you're an inch. How did you measure?"

Grabbing the 60" tape measure from my office, I thrust it in his direction as I backed up against the wall to let him confirm my calculations.

"Okay, step away from the wall," he said, holding the sewing notion with his thumb while pointing toward the floor. "Now, mark where it ends, then drop it down to add the number of inches to five feet."

Suddenly confused, I remarked, "It shows only five additional inches. Are you sure you marked my height at a 90-degree angle?"

One look at his face told me I was about to be wrong.

"See that blank space just past the 60-inch mark?" he said, eyebrows lifted. "You have to add two more inches to make it accurate. That means you're five foot seven inches. Now,
let's finish eating."

Here's the good news. One more inch added to my height finally puts me in the normal BMI range (24.9)!

And on top of that, I'm happy to report one pound lost this week, keeping me on track toward reaching goal weight by August 12.

Smell the Coffee and Wake Up

2008-07-06T09:42:00.005-05:00

Coffee is part of the morning wake-up ritual for millions of people worldwide. But recent research by South Korean scientists indicates you might not have to drink it to get that "pick-me-up" effect.

When sleep-deprived rats were exposed to coffee aromas, researchers found activity of some genes in the rats' brains changed, reducing the effects of sleeplessness.

I can't testify to rat brain gene activity. What I do know is this: Programming my Cuisinart Grind and Brew Coffee Maker to deliver a fresh pot of joe 10 minutes before my alarm sounds allows just enough time for the delectable aroma to reach my bedroom.

The promise of a fresh cup of coffee is often just the motivation I need to get out of bed 45 minutes early to squeeze in a morning jog before the workday officially begins.

What tricks to you use to motivate yourself?

(Source: Live Science)

Personal Revolution

2008-07-04T09:00:00.003-05:00

For us, and many families like us whose loved ones have served in the military, the Fourth of July means far more than a day off from work. Our son, First Sgt. Wayne West, served active duty with the Army National Guard as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom during 2004-2005.

Note this interesting exerpt from our 2005 Fourth of July post, quoted from David McCoullough's award-winning book, "1776":

By 1779, there were more Americans fighting with the British than with Washington! There were no less than 21 regiments of loyalists - estimated to total 6,500-8,000 men - in the British army. Washington reported a field army of 3,468. About a third of Americans opposed the Revolution.

In our own way, each of us HYC participants is in a personal revolution to reclaim our health. With the spirit of patriots, we resist armies of temptation. With dogged determination, we refuse to give up ground we have already taken. Undaunted by fear, we resolve to leave a legacy of bodily health, emotional balance and spiritual wholeness.

Happy Independence Day!

Quote from 1776: The Illustrated Edition

EM-I-See

2008-07-02T11:03:00.012-05:00

Yesterday, I interviewed nationally acclaimed motivational speaker, author and life coach Staci Wallace for a magazine article to be published in August.

"I'm convinced women are our greatest and most underdeveloped natural resource," she said. "Understanding that we control over 80 percent of the nation's consumer purchases helps us realize that women are greatly influencing the current economic situation of our homes and the U.S. at large."

Staci makes these sobering observations:

* Because over 60 percent of American homes struggle with excessive debt, women need help learning to prioritize their spending.
* Because over 66 percent of our population is either overweight or obese, women must be educated how to make more nutritional food purchases.
* Because single-parent homes outnumber two-parent families in America, women need wisdom, encouragement and practical life skills needed to establish peaceful and healthy families.

To address these and other concerns, Staci and her husband have founded EMwomen, an organization dedicated to gathering a million women with a passion to change their world.

"Each week, we cover dynamic strategies to help empower you in the areas of finance, family, fitness, faith and philanthropy," she explains. "Our goal is to equip you with the tools, wisdom and confidence you need to become a world changer."

"We also know you can't change the world around you until you’ve changed the world within you," she adds. "EMcircles are a source of life-changing wisdom, hope and inspiration that will radically challenge you in every area of life."

For us Healthy You Challenge participants, Staci's free online EmCafe is full of great recipes, each under 10 grams of fat.

Be sure to check out the EMwomen conference and expo to be held here in Hot Springs, Ark., August 23. We might even tag in a HYC get-together!

EM-joy!

P.S. Need a good warm-up song for your treadmill workout?
Try Staci's "It's Not Over Til I Win!"

Tuesday Weigh-in

2008-07-01T08:00:00.002-05:00

During the past few weeks, blog posts have been sparse. Strength training has been lax. And did you notice both the previous sentences were written in the "passive" voice?

Is it any surprise all those weeks were BestLife “red weeks?” Recent trips were the first all year that absolutely didn’t jive with any sort of organized exercise plan other than walking. Without the strength training component, my computer coach simply will not reward the week with a green face. And I confess, once you get out of the habit, it takes focus to regain the momentum.

Ummm, a more accurate account is that I didn't put forth the effort to exercise in my hotel room after being "on tour" for 12 hours. I could have done three basic exercises in the morning and three more before bed. I just didn't.

According to my original plan, we are still ahead of schedule – although only one week, not two – and only 15 pounds from goal weight, targeted for
August 2.

Here’s where we are now:
Total pounds lost: 50
Total inches lost: 42.5

Bust: 10”
Waist: 12”
Hips: 8.25”
Upper arms: 3.75”
Upper thighs: 6”
Calves: 2.5”

Why Attitude Changes Everything

2008-06-30T17:40:00.008-05:00

Pattie has invited us to write a post about why and how attitude has made a difference in our weight loss journeys. Here goes, Pattie...

This is certainly not my first thrill ride when it comes to losing weight. In fact, I've ridden the weight loss roller coaster ever since seventh grade. I still remember the day my dad first commented on my weight, which by then, had already crept up to 145 - the same number my P.E. teacher pronounced loudly enough for the entire class to hear when I stepped on the scale.

Ironically, the only place I felt comfortable during those years was at the local YMCA, where my athletic build wasn't out of place. In fact, I practically lived in a swimsuit, working as a life guard and swimming instructor all the way through high school.

I'm not sure what happened after college when I got married and birthed a baby, except that aerobic exercise of any kind fell completely off my radar. Whenever I needed to lose weight for a special event, I simply picked from the current menu of gimmick diets and practically starved myself back into a random size.

Looking back over the past 30 years, I realize that even when I got my weight back down to seventh-grade level, I still FELT FAT. Consequently, my thoughts always sounded like this: You look fat. Your thighs are huge. You don't even have a waist. You'll always be fat.

In response, my body simply manifested my thoughts. It worked hard to make me fat, to make my thighs large, to increase my waist size and to keep me overweight. Eventually, I reached a point last year when I finally threw in the towel and said, "What the heck? I'm fat and I know it. I might as well enjoy eating."

To get started, I took everything off my "prohibited foods list." I stuffed myself over and over, eating foods I had avoided most of my life - pizza, doughnuts, desserts, pastas, etc. As I packed on the pounds, I became more depressed and more miserable than ever...afraid I would never be able to stop the vicious cycle of destruction that consumed my waking moments and disturbed my sleep at night.

Somewhere toward the end of last year, I read Wayne Dyer's book, "Being in Balance." I was challenged by Dr. Dyer's assertion that I am not WHAT I eat so much as I am what I BELIEVE about what I eat.

Finally, on January 15, 2008, at home with the flu, I watched Oprah's show for the first time in my life. I heard Bob Greene describe what he termed "The BestLife." I cried as Oprah said loving yourself means honoring yourself and your own feelings first.

I agreed with Bob: "Losing weight is not that complicated. You simply have to eat fewer calories than you burn." But I also knew that logic alone would not get me off the killer coaster ride. I knew I had to change my thinking. I knew had to change my attitude. For that, I turned to Oprah's other buddy, Dr. Phil McGraw, and his book, "The Ultimate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom."

Having already signed the BestLife contract with myself, I worked through Dr. Phil's book like an alcoholic works the 12 steps. Six months later, I still keep the book within arm's reach at my desk because I've been at this weight before - although I'm in better physical condition than I've been in 30 years - and I don't want to slide back to where I started.

During the last six years, I've learned that the only way for me not to get drunk is never to take the first drink. I'm learning that the only way for me not to regain the 50 pounds I've lost is to monitor my eating and exercise habits as consciously as I avoid alcohol.

The difference this time is I'm no longer afraid. I'm willing to be honest with myself. I'm willing to step on the scale once a week. I'm willing to 'write what I bite.' I'm willing to maintain a no-fail environment. I'm willing to exercise regularly. I'm willing to be accountable to a support team.

Has my attitude changed? You bet. How has it changed? I'm no longer moaning over the past. I'm not anxious about the future. Today - right now - is what's important. And the right decisions I make right now are the ones that will add up to right thinking and right habits. And when it's all said and done, everything will be all right.

Resources:
Being In Balance: 9 Principles for Creating Habits to Match Your Desires

The Ultimate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom

I'm BAAAAACK!

2008-06-26T10:00:00.001-05:00

Wow! June has FLOWN by, and although blog posts have been scarce during these last few weeks of travel, I've held fast to the BestLife program guidelines to "eat less and move more." This picture was taken dockside in Jacksonville, N.C., just before boarding a charter eco-tour with Capt. Chris Sewell, pictured to my left. (I'm in the red shorts. Did I say 'shorts?!')

Perhaps the best news this week is my new bling...the big 5-0!! Coupled with a loss of 41 inches, I'm a happy camper, now only 15 pounds from goal weight.

Thanks to everybody who has continued to stop by while I've been away. Now, I'll begin to catch up on YOUR news...

Sweet Sunshine News

2008-06-15T13:00:00.007-05:00

Last week, while much of the Midwest endured tornadoes and flooding, the weather in Michigan's thumb provided a string of mild, sunny days. Friday morning, we enjoyed these early morning rays while eating a healthy breakfast on the back porch of Inn the Garden Bed & Breakfast in Lexington, Mich.

Surprisingly, "The People's Chemist" Shane Ellison crosses the grain of prevailing medical advice, saying that
sunshine is actually good for you.

Furthermore, he poo-poos popular sunscreens , calling them
cancer-causing agents:

1. Sunscreen blocks the production of melanin (pigment causing a protective tan to form) resulting in higher risk of skin cancer.

2. Sunscreen blocks the production of vitamin D. A deficiency of vitamin D weakens the immune system and increases the risk of heart disease and cancer. In children especially, vitamin D deficiency is also correlated with tooth decay and crooked teeth.

3. Many of the chemicals found in sunscreens are actually carcinogenic (cancer causing) and estrogenic. If you see any of the following ingredients, steer clear: Benzophenones (dixoybenzone, oxybenzone), PABA and PABA esters (ethyl dihydroxy propyl PAB, glyceryl PABA, p-aminobenzoic acid, padimate-O or octyl dimethyl PABA), Cinnamates (cinoxate, ethylhexyl p-methoxycinnamate, octocrylene, octyl methoxycinnamate), Salicylates (ethylhexyl salicylate, homosalate, octyl salicylate), Digalloyl trioleate, Menthyl anthranilate, and Avobenzone.

Contrary to what sunscreen manufacturers wish you to believe, sunshine is not a death ray. It is a healing ray.

Ellison cites four main benefits of sun exposure:

1. It boosts neuropeptides that boost our mood and regulate appetite.

2. It reduces risk of the deadly skin cancer melanoma and 16 other types of cancer.

3. It reduces the risk of osteoporosis and increases bone density courtesy of enhanced "mineralization."

4. It increases sex drive. Not that I want my kids libido to be rockin’ but this is good info for the Dad who needs to get his bedroom energy back.

Note that he's not suggesting that you or your kids should ever get sunburned. You can definitely get too much of a good thing. Use clothing to block the sun or go indoors if your skin is getting pink.

His advice is to use a natural sunscreen like UV Naturals. Not only does it protect your skin from excess sun exposure, it also helps your skin look and feel younger with "youthanizers." They include green tea extract, bees wax, vitamin E and grape seed oil.

My plans later this week include deep-sea fishing and kayaking trips in Jacksonville, N.C. I'll be looking for UV Naturals before I leave Tuesday.

Food, Glorious Food

2008-06-13T08:30:00.002-05:00

To our surprise, Flint, Michigan's ABC television affiliate showed up to interview some of us who were visiting the world headquarters of The Coffee Beanery, where I bought Kona and Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee beans. But if any one of you tells my husband I spent $70 on two pounds of coffee, I'll ban you from this site.
(Just kidding. Honestly, I had NO IDEA it would be that much, but with 30 other journalists watching, what could I do but smile and hand over the card?)

This has absolutely been the most challenging week of any press trip this year, as far as staying on course with healthy eating.

Check out this breakfast yesterday morning. FYI, a HALF order of bacon is a half pound!!

One guy in our group went out on a limb and ordered a banana split for breakfast just because he had heard how outlandishly huge they were.

Or how about this delightful duck soup, mentioned in the restaurant menu as having been created "from an Old World recipe in the tradition of our family." What is NOT mentioned is that in addition to vinegar, plums, raisins, noodles and duck meat, the primary ingredient is duck's BLOOD. Yummo.

Exercise equipment has been sorely lacking since Monday, and our schedule has been so crammed, I've scarcely had time to blog, much less work out. On the other hand, every day has been filled with endless walking, enthusiastic hosts and engaging attractions. And I've made the best choices possible from food that's been available. We'll see how successful (or not!) I've been when I return home tomorrow.

Juicy!

2008-06-07T16:29:00.003-05:00

My apologies to everybody for the scanty posts lately. The summer travel season has begun, and an average day on our itinerary easily comprises 15 hours of scheduled activities. When the choice is whether to sleep five hours and blog or sleep six hours but not blog, I have opted for the extra sleep - especially since I'm typically an eight-hour-a-night snoozer.

I grew up vacationing at my grandparents’ home in Dalton, Georgia. Every night just before bedtime, my grandfather – a banker by trade, but a farmer by instinct – sat me down at the kitchen table to share a bowl of peaches. Not just any peaches, mind you; his peaches. Juicy, just-peeled peaches. The kind that explode in your mouth when you bite down on the fleshy pulp.

Pop liked his peaches swimming in cold whole milk. Me, too.

Although he’s been gone a long time now, I still love Pop’s kind of peaches. You can keep those stony, bland-tasting look-alikes. My taste buds have been tainted by the real thing.

Thank goodness we don’t have to drive to north Georgia to find “real” peaches anymore. This time of year, we head straight to Mitcham Farms, three turns off Interstate 20 about two miles north of Ruston, La.

“People start asking about the peaches in January, but now the phone rings all day every day,” says Joe Mitcham, second-generation owner of the 130-acre farm. “Everybody wants to know if the peaches are in. We picked our first batch around May 20 and will likely continue through the end of July.”

Joe’s father was a little like my part-farmer Pop. Mr. Mitcham had a day job as a high school music teacher, but he bought land in 1946 and planted his first trees the following year.

“Dad retired from the classroom in ’63,” says Joe, “but he served as principal for 10 more years. Now 91, he was still active in the fields until two years ago.”

The peach fields originally planted by J.E. Mitcham, Sr., have gradually become woven into the fabric of Ruston’s economy. The Squire Creek Louisiana Peach Festival, held the fourth weekend in June, has been a local tradition for 57 years.

Today, we took my grandson to Mitcham's to taste his first "real" peaches and to sample their homemade peach ice cream.

Part of the beauty of our summers is enjoying the variety of fresh fruits and vegetables available at area farms and markets!

The Magic Bullet

2008-06-05T10:30:00.003-05:00

Maybe I just don't watch enough television, but when my brother asked if I used a magic bullet, I thought he was making a sarcastic comment about how I've lost weight.

Come to find out, the Magic Bullet is a souped up "personal counter top blender," that'll do just about everything except cook your food.

Blair's favorite recipe sounds yummy.

"First, you freeze skim milk in an ice tray.
To make a peach shake, put one 8-ounce container of Yoplait low-fat peach-flavored yogurt into the Bullet. Add a couple of frozen milk cubes with just enough additional skim milk to blend. Voila! You've got a peach shake that'll make you think you're eating peach ice cream."

Blair says you can also slice bananas and/or strawberries before freezing, then mix frozen fruit with vanilla yogurt for a different flavored treat.

Can't WAIT!

Getting Enough Veggies?

2008-06-04T08:13:00.010-05:00

The advice is old as cooking: Eat your veggies.

A study published in the Journal of Nutrition says a diet with eight to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables representing 18 plant families is more effective in preventing DNA damage than a diet with an equal number of servings from only eight plant families.

I don't know about you, but some days, it ain't gonna happen -
at least not on my plate. Especially when I'm on the road, I often don't have the privilege to order my own food. What's offered to me is more frequently designed to showcase local culinary specialties than it is to meet my daily nutritional requirements. Still, I understand the importance of eating the right
combination of colorful foods.

My ace in the hole is Nutralite Concentrated Fruits and Vegetables.

Two easy-to-swallow tablets a day gives me enough crucial phytonutrients from natural fruits, vegetables, and plants to equal the amount found in over ten servings. And it's a lot easier to pack a few tablets than it is to put a bushel of veggies in my suitcase!

The key to this power-packed formula is Nutrilite harvests fruits and vegetables ripe with the right phytonutrients fresh from their fields and then concentrates them for maximum potency. With patents for many of their discoveries, Nutralite has been doing nutrition right for over 70 years.

I should know. I even got my OB-GYN to prescribe Nutralite
Double X as my prenatal vitamin - 26 years ago!!

Now, go eat some veggies!!

Tuesday Weigh-In: A Mixed Bag

2008-06-03T05:30:00.009-05:00

Yesterday afternoon, I made it a point to watch Oprah's interview with six people who accepted the 2008 BestLife Challenge.

"Everyone had different results from a weight loss standpoint. But I think across the board, everyone here had a revelation inside and made some changes," trainer Bob Greene said. "It's more about inside. If you start to [think], 'Oh, I'll be happy when I'm this weight,' that's when problems start because one of two outcomes: You never reach that weight and you're not happy, or you reach that weight and realize it had nothing to do with your happiness." Good advice.

Well, my own computer trainer is red-faced this morning because I didn’t meet my exercise goals for the week. I admit: bad planning on my part.

Although I walked the neighborhood regularly, I shaved extra minutes from my schedule by not going to the gym every day. Not a very good excuse, actually, when I promised to make exercise a daily priority. And after doing a little clothes shopping earlier this week, I can see why I need to keep exercise a daily priority!

The good news is we’re still celebrating a three-pound and 1.75-inch loss this week (go figure!) bringing the Healthy You Challenge totals since January 15 to 47 pounds and 39.75 inches.

BMI: Start 33.9 /Current 26.3 /Goal 23.4 or less
(D-a-n-g, this thing goes down slowly!)

Waist-to-hip ratio: Start .94 /Current .83 /Goal .80 or less
(At least we’re still making progress!)

Beginning Friday, I’ll be on the road again - for nearly two months! Back to the hotel fitness centers!

It's Got a Ring to It!

2008-06-02T06:30:00.004-05:00

Okay, am I the only one who, on any given day, walks an extra thousand steps because I can't find my cell phone?

My DH sometimes shakes his head and calls me Poor Thing because I also tend to leave drawers open, forget where I parked my car...um, you get the point.

That may be the reason I'm part geek - always on the prowl for a good tip how to make my life easier, faster or more efficient. Give me a new gadget, and I'm a happy girl!

(Drumroll, please!) Welcome to PhoneMyPhone.com, a new free internet service that will call your number so that you can find your phone...assuming you didn't leave it on Vibrate.
In that case, you'll have to listen really carefully for the quiet hum! This is a lifesaver for folks like me with a kazillion cell phone minutes, but no land line.

And while we're talking cell phones, check out Billshrink.
Tech blogger Lifehacker says the service allows you to compare cell phone plans and find the perfect plan to fit your usage needs. (Sorry, U.S. only, and no pre-paid plans.)

Just enter some information about how you use your phone, along with your current monthly bills, and BillShrink will offer you an alternative plan that could save you a ton of cash. Currently BillShrink is focused on cell plans only, but they appear to be working towards offering more comparisons for cable and internet bills in the future. BillShrink doesn't take phone availability into account, so if you want an iPhone, for example, you're stuck with AT&T (unless you unlock it).

I'm checking it out now. What about you?

Are You LinkedIn?

2008-05-29T10:00:00.008-05:00

Although I have a Facebook presence, I'm not really a "user," because HYC bloggers already make a pretty good network.

On the other hand, I use LinkedIn for professional networking, and have found it to be a handy tool to connect with people
I might not otherwise meet.

If you're wondering about the benefits of LinkedIn, here's a pretty good list of tips.

If you've already got a profile, let's get connected! And by the way, Scale Junkie,
I created a group for 2008 Healthy You Challenge with you as the lead dog. To join, create your LinkedIn profile, then click on the HYC icon to have your membership approved by our fearless leader.

Bob Greene's Cure for Emotional Eating

2008-05-28T21:30:00.002-05:00

Fitness expert Bob Greene acknowledges emotional eating is a common way we sabotage our efforts to keep off the weight we have worked so hard to lose. Here's his remedy:

"Draw a large circle on a blank sheet of paper," he says. "Divide the circle into several sections so it resembles a sliced pie. Each section represents an area you feel is an integral part of a fulfilled life, such as career, family, health, fitness, friendship, romance, finance, relationships, etc. Aim for at least six categories and write them in each pie slice.

"Next, ask yourself how everything is going in that area — and be brutally honest. Going well, write a positive sign; not so well, make a negative sign. Examine the slices with a negative sign. How could you improve that area? What is something you can do every day to stimulate positive change? Write at least one item in each section that you can do right now to improve that category, and then commit yourself to it...

"People who struggle with weight gain often want instant gratification," he concludes. "But if you're patient and take small steps every day, the results can be powerful. If you can consistently do at least one thing daily to change a negative to a positive, I promise that powerful change will occur in your life after one year. If you can do three things daily you won't recognize your former life. The philosophy is similar to losing weight. If you eat healthy and exercise, you don't feel any change on a day-to-day basis. Yet, you can look back a year later and see a profound transformation. You'll also discover that since you addressed negative feelings about a relationship or money worries, your emotional eating episodes have vanished."

Making random lists, then prioritizing daily tasks keeps my mind out of the fridge and on productive action. Whenever I feel disorganized, I recognize my tendency to pick up food. Instead, I pick up a pencil and a pad of paper.

What works for you?

HYC Weigh-In

2008-05-27T09:09:00.006-05:00

Without the Bestlife program and the support of my Healthy You Challenge blogger-buddies, I would have been mortified to run into a high school classmate, as I did Thursday night. That's when I learned our 35th class reunion is scheduled only 10 days from today!!

Right now, I'm only 20 pounds heavier than my high school weight, and hardly anyone at the reunion will know the details below, which have transpired since January 15:

* Total weight lost: 44 pounds (two pounds this week)
* Total inches lost: 38 inches (one inch this week)
* BMI: Starting 33.9 / Current 26.8 / Goal 23.4 or less
* Waist-to-hip Ratio: Starting .94 / Current .84 / Goal .80 or less

The good part is that this time, I didn't lose the weight to prepare for an event. I changed my lifestyle because I wanted to, because I needed to, and because I was ready. And that feels a whole lot different than trying to impress someone else.

Daily Bread

2008-05-26T11:00:00.004-05:00

Happy Memorial Day, everybody. I'm one of the fortunate ones whose son came home from war; but not a day goes by I'm not conscious of and sensitive to the families whose hero paid the ultimate price for our freedom. All the rights and privileges we enjoy today are the result of our soldiers' loyalty, valor, commitment and sacrifice.

Yesterday's meals were less artistic than others we have enjoyed on this trip, but were more representative of the historical traditions of the area. At French colonial Ft. Saint John Baptiste, we sampled a one-pot meat and corn stew cooked over an open fire, started by using "char cloth" to catch a spark from flint rock and cedar shavings.

An oven made from bousillage (pronounced BOO-see-yahzh) - a mixture of clay, Spanish moss and animal hair (usually deer or horse) - takes several hours to heat, then about 45 minutes to cook bread, which the costumed historical interpreter offered for tasting.

Sunday afternoon, we enjoyed a picnic on the grounds of Oakland Plantation, one of only two National Bicentennial Farms (owned by the same family for 200 years) west of the Mississippi River. Shaded by centuries-old live oaks and surrounded by the most complete set of plantation buildings in the South, it was easy to get lost in the romance of plantation life - until we remembered how much hard work it really was. Thank GOD for air conditioning!

Plenty of walking, plus nibbling on the fruit and protein bars in my camera bag helped to keep me on course with healthy eating, despite limited food choices during the day.

Have you had similar experiences where advance planning has helped you eat right?

Slim Pickins

2008-05-25T06:45:00.003-05:00

Remember that Hungry Man's Breakfast I mentioned yesterday? Well, it's real. Only this picture (not my meal) doesn't show the softball-sized blob of sweetened whipped cream, served as an accompaniment to the pancakes! I opted for a fresh vegetable egg-white omelet with a slice of whole wheat toast.

The REAL specialty at Strawn's Eat Shop, however, is their homemade icebox pies - which, according to our server, sell for $13.75 each. On a non-holiday day, they sell an average of 50 pies, including take-outs. On any given holiday, they sell between 300-500 pies at each of their three Shreveport locations.

We spent the morning touring Melrose Plantation, home of former slave Marie Therese Coincoin (kwan-kwan). Here, she earned enough money to buy the freedom of all four of her children and two of her grandchildren - who ultimately amassed nearly 16,000 acres of land and became the most prosperous free people of color in the region. Many of her descendants still live in the area.

Back in historic downtown Natchitoches - the oldest settlement in the La. Purchase - we ate lunch at famous Lasyone's Meat Pie Restaurant.Cited by a plethora of food writers around the world, this little meat-filled fried pastry is the signature culinary identifier of the town. During "regular" weeks, the restaurant sells about 3,000 meat pies a week. During festivals, the number rises to nearly 30,000. (After dabbling in a few bits of the meat filling, I worked my fork back over to a fabulous salad of baby greens, mandarin oranges, sunflower seeds, feta cheese and grilled chicken.)

One note about traveling to Louisiana: Take your own packets of low-fat dressing. Other journalists are now placing bets whether the next restaurant we visit will even offer the low-fat variety. Most of the servers sort of chuckle when I request it, wondering why I'm even in the state if I'm trying to eat healthy. I just play along, and request extra lemons to drizzle over the greens if all else fails.

Dinner at Antoon's was a fitting capstone to the day. Although most dishes were loaded with Chef Todd's imaginative heavy cream sauces, he accommodated my special request with a made-to-order surf and turf combo served over steamed vegetables.
A true gustatory delight!

Heart and Soul Food

2008-05-24T06:35:00.006-05:00

Whew! Yesterday's meals presented plenty of opportunity to practice the lessons I've learned about healthy choices and portion control.

We jump started the day in Monroe, La. at The Coffee Bean, where owner Kim Neck says, "The coffee is probably the worst thing on the menu." Not the best opening statement to six coffee-addicted journalists who haven't seen a decent cup of coffee since we got to north Louisiana.

In case you're not familiar with the diverse coffee culture of the state, here's the short version. In south La., coffee is typically dark-roasted and served steaming hot - sometimes as "au lait," with milk. In north La., coffee is usually a mild roast (translation: watery, as in, you can see the bottom of the cup) and is rarely hot.

Kim does a whopping business, however. Her breakfast menu includes a variety of muffins (none of which are low-fat or multi-grain), cinnamon rolls and beignets (the fried pastries dusted with powdered sugar) and quiches. I did manage to squeeze in a bowl of fresh fruit to go with my coffee - which eventually turned out pretty good after I asked for an extra shot of espresso plus a zap in the microwave.

Her blockbuster items, though, are tomato basil soup, chicken salad (300 pounds a week!) and takeout casseroles.

Thirty miles west, we at lunch at Blue Light Cafe in Ruston, La. Owners David and Eula Wright, married 53 years, treated us like family; while niece Lina Venzant cooked up some of the best "home cooking" I've ever eaten...at least since I was in Monroe at Big Mama's!

Private dinner at Shreveport's ArtSpace was dubbed, "Someone's in the Kitchen with Chef David." Owner of local restaurant Bella Fresca, Chef David says he enjoys blending the Cajun/Creole traditions with the north La./Texas style of cooking.

The result was crawfish fritters, BBQ shrimp over stone-ground grits, couchon de lait (pulled pork) over dirty rice and banana pudding cheesecake. I enjoyed tiny bites of each item. (Thank goodness for the fresh fruit plate in our hotel room!)Yep, that's a piece of braised pork belly in the picture.

In an hour, we're off to Natchitoches (NACK-uh-dish), La. for another round of culinary delights...but not before we eat breakfast at Strawn's, home of the Hungry Man's breakfast. Thank goodness I've already done my cardio this morning in the hotel fitness center!

Chickens, Choices and Chance Meetings

2008-05-23T06:00:00.001-05:00

The first day of the north Louisiana culinary trail presented a few challenges - mostly because of limited food choices.

Our first stop was for lunch at Big Mama's, an off-the-beaten-path restaurant where southern-style soul food is served in portions big enough for two grown men! Salads? None. Fried food, gravies, starches and desserts? Plenty!

After carefully peeling off my fried chicken skin, other folks at the table gobbled it up like hungry baby birds in a nest. My two sides of baby limas plus okra and tomatoes were the healthiest choices on the cafeteria buffet. But talk about good!!

By mid-afternoon, we were sampling fresh strawberries at the West Monroe Farmer's Market. Just across the street, Daily Harvest Bakery features huge freshly-ground whole grain cookies, all naturally sweetened, and none with more than 200 calories.

Last night, we were guests at the local university for Wine Over Water, a fundraising event where guests stroll a bridge spanning a bayou while sampling wine and hors d'oeuvres from local restaurants.

Luckily, I found a tray of fresh fruit at one station. Not far away, Dilla's restaurant - dubbed a fresh Mexican grill - handed out samples of chicken tortilla soup, made with whole wheat, lard-free and trans fat-free ingredients.

But the biggest surprise of all came when a former high school classmate said, "Has anybody gotten in touch with you about our 35th class reunion on June 6? Last I heard, nobody knew your new last name or where you moved."

I didn't attend my 10-year reunion because I was in the hospital having a baby. By the 20th, I was just going through a divorce. By the 30th, I was too fat to be comfortable. But NOW?! You betcha!
I called DH last night, and we're ON!

Here's me before Healthy You Challenge. (You'll notice nearly every picture of the less-healthy me has nearly half of me hidden!) Check out that chin!

Happy Trails

2008-05-21T22:15:00.000-05:00

Well, it's that time again. Tomorrow begins another culinary press trip back to Louisiana - this time to the northern portion of the state.

Today virtually slipped through my fingers, beginning at 3 a.m. here at the computer to finish a story for Sunday's paper. After teaching a ladies' devotional class later in the morning, I spent the rest of the day getting ready to leave town. One project included having my jeans taken up and buying one new dress in my smaller size!

Keep holding good thoughts as I travel. I'll keep you posted how we adapt on this trip.

On Your Feet? Ready, Dance!

2008-05-20T08:45:00.008-05:00

Yesterday, I admitted Brad and Matt's opening spiel might be a little intense for some viewers, but the Gratitude Dance is appropriate anytime!
Especially today. I'm in the 160's!!

More and more, people are asking, "What sort of diet are you on?" I'm learning most people ask that sort of question
for a variety of reasons:
1) They genuinely want to know, perhaps for themselves or someone they love.
2) They really don't know what else to say.
3) They're actually a little uncomfortable with your success, and are hoping you're so miserable you can't possibly stick with the program.

Generally, I've found it's best to keep the answer short and sweet. Mine goes something like this:

"I've changed my lifestyle to incorporate five basic changes:

1) I make exercise a daily priority.
2) I eat a nutritious breakfast every morning.
3) I eat moderate portions to satisfy hunger.
4) I stop eating by 7 p.m. when I'm at home, or at least two hours before bedtime when I'm traveling.
5) I drink at least eight glasses of water every day."

So far, my HYC blogger friends, this plan has resulted in the loss of two more pounds this week (even though my aerobic exercise was limited to pushing the baby stroller two miles a day!) for a total of
42 pounds and 37 inches since January 15.

Today, I'm DOIN' THE DANCE!

Gratitude Dance

2008-05-19T11:15:00.007-05:00

Okay, Brad and Matt obviously have more time than most of us if they can list EVERYthing they're grateful for EVERY morning. But I gotta hand 'em this: The Gratitude Dance ROCKS!

I have visions of "doing the dance" in the following places:
* At the gym, in front of the mirrors when I finish a workout.
* At the grocery store when I find a good sale.
* At the airport, each time my plane lands safely or when my luggage shows up at the same time and place that I do.
* On the scale, when I crack the 160's.

If your gratitude list comes as easily as mine does, it's good to know our health benefits when we consider the less fortunate among us. Studies have shown that helping others increases our overall sense of well-being, alleviates chronic pain, and even reduces depression.

Here's a quick and easy opportunity to feel good. My friend Mary Ayala has nearly crossed the finish line in her battle to beat colon cancer. Two years ago, her (first) oncologist said her liver was filled with so many cancerous tumors, it looked like a gumball machine.
He pronounced a quick death sentence.

After getting a second opinion, Mary agreed to a long and arduous multi-disciplinary treatment plan that has included travel for two surgeries plus follow-up visits to Houston's M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. The results are near miraculous. Mary is certified cancer-free.

Unfortunately, increasing gasoline prices plus recent medical complications requiring an extra eight days in Houston last month blew a hole in the Ayala's already strained budget. They desperately need $1,000 by the end of this month to make up the gap. Each of us doing a little bit will make a huge difference to this precious Ft. Worth couple.

Will you please join me? Your health will thank you.

Evangelists and Ambassadors

2008-05-18T10:45:00.004-05:00

As a young mother, I homeschooled my son - an only child - as well as six other preschoolers. When the other children grew into kindergarten age, they left and were replaced by new preschoolers; however, we continued to homeschool Wayne until the sixth grade.

As teaching parents, one of the first lessons we learned was how much a child's behavior is influenced by the early training he receives at home. We found that most parents innocently waited too late to begin disciplining their precious ones - thinking that "until they can understand words," the process is premature.

Can I brag for a minute? Having had our 14-month old grandson in the house all week for his first stay-alone visit, we could tell within the first few hours how well he has already been trained by his parents, Lauren and Wayne. One quiet command, "Hands off, please," and Trey obeys, period. Each time he finishes eating, he makes sounds (not words) similar to the inflection of 'thank you.' When it's to go to sleep, he lies down without a fuss. Every time.

My housekeeper was truly amazed, saying, "I can't wait to tell my daughter about this. She's been hesitant to have children because the only ones she's ever been around are curtain climbers."

How spectacular will it be when we see a generation of children who are not obese, but are genuinely healthy because parents and educators cooperate to train young children to prefer wholesome foods over fast food, and who prefer to be active over sitting around watching television?!

We who were once couch potato converts are now evangelists for active lifestyles, ambassadors for healthy living. Who is watching you?

Heavy Responsibility

2008-05-17T09:30:00.000-05:00

Shhh! Don't tell Trey's parents, but my back is really complaining this morning.

When my mother stopped in for a visit yesterday, she picked up Trey and asked, "How much does this child weigh? He's heavier than a sack of potatoes!"

With that, DH received the child into his arms and headed to the scale, just to find out. We were not surprised: 27 pounds.

This week of caring for Trey - bending over to let him hold my finger, picking him up to play, lowering his sleeping body into the Pack-n-Play, putting him into and taking him out of the car seat, carrying him into stores - has been a terrific reminder exactly how much weight 40 pounds is...13 pounds more than I've been hauling around this week! In other words, a Trey-and-a-half. WHEW!

What physical reminders do you have how much weight you've lost?

Totally, Consciously In Charge

2008-05-15T12:00:00.008-05:00

When 14-month old Trey heard the garage door open late yesterday afternoon, I wondered if he would be disappointed to learn it was Poppy instead of Daddy and Mommy, who have been away at a convention for three days - and not due back until late tomorrow night.

Au contraire! Squealing with delight, Trey jumped up and found comfort in his grandfather's arms for as long as he wanted. I'm not sure who was more content!

Learning to be content in new or unfamiliar environments is important for us who are developing new lifestyles. Exchanging self-defeating behavior with self-affirming habits makes dramatic changes in our weight, our health, our relationships and our lives.

To achieve permanent weight loss, however, Dr. Phil says we have to be totally, consciously in charge of ourselves and everything we do, think and feel. That's a pretty tall order for those of us who have lived unconsciously long enough and consistently enough to gain back the weight we once lost.

Caring for Trey while his parents are gone has been a good reminder how to care for myself: stay present, be in "the now," engineer the environment for desired outcomes, choose healthy foods and get enough exercise to make sleep come easy.

Quotes from The Ultimate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom

A Healthy LIfestyle Loves Company

2008-05-14T17:37:00.005-05:00

Before I quit smoking in 2000, it was uncomfortable to be around friends who had quit. Truthfully, they probably didn't like being around me as much anymore, either.

Dr. Phil says if we hope to keep our weight off, we have to live the motto that "a healthy lifestyle loves company." My company this week is my 14-month old grandson - a precious example of a healthy lifestyle. Hats off to all you moms who are still chasing youngsters! But, wow! It's SO much more fun when I'm not out of breath every few minutes.

As we transform our lives (which is a lot different than "going on a diet"), there is a noticeable difference in how we engage the world. We have changed our momentum to create a life of energy, meaning and purpose - according to Dr. Phil.

"There really are no limits to what we can now achieve, nothing to push us down, because we look better, and live better," he says. "Continue to press on with an optimistic spirit."

Have a great week, everybody, and thanks for all your comments yesterday. I was overwhelmed!

Quotes from The Ultimate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom

Tuesday Weigh-In

2008-05-13T05:00:00.002-05:00

Part of the joy of this journey is sharing good news.

Today, I'm pleased to report another successful week on the BestLife program - subtracting another two pounds and 1.75 inches - bringing the totals since January 15 to 40 pounds and 36 inches lost!

Thanks to all the other HYC Challenge bloggers, who have continued to be such awesome support! Here's a video to inspire us this week.

P.S. I've got a 14-month old baby grandson in the house this week, so posts will probably be short and sweet!

Home Again

2008-05-12T13:26:00.010-05:00

Saturday was my last day to travel in other parts of Arkansas. Highlights included the stunning views from the Lodge at Mount Magazine, Arkansas's highest mountain, rising dramatically over 2,700 feet above the broad valleys of the Petit Jean River to the south and the Arkansas River to its north.

At the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute on Petit Jean Mountain, we viewed the new President's Lodge accommodations and drooled at the opportunity to "get away from it all" in such a serene environment, where the biggest attraction is the lack of distraction. On the other hand, the facility is equipped with a broad range of outdoor and fitness activitiesthat once would have been off my radar completely, but which now look rather enticing!

Before I headed home, we visited Subiaco Monastery and Academy, where a group of Benedictine monks has lived for 130 years.

When I got home late Saturday afternoon, menacing weather made working on the computer an unwise choice. The good news is that by making healthy food choices and keeping exercise a priority, I still lost weight while I was on the road! BLING!

For Mother's Day, I got up before sun-up to practice the solo cello pieces I was scheduled to perform at my mother's church later in the morning. Following the service, DH and I joined mom and her husband for lunch. After a healthy meal, I spent the the rest of the day at their home, helping them plan a September driving vacation from San Francisco up the Pacific Coast Highway to Vancouver.

Back home with only enough time for a 30-minute walk around the neighborhood, I joined DH for supper out...after which, I crashed on the couch by 9 p.m. and slept until 9 a.m. this morning!

Tonight, my son and his wife arrive to spend the night and to drop off my 14-month old grandson for his first "stay-alone" visit while the parents - both new college graduates this week - attend a convention in Las Vegas. From now until Sunday, I'll be blogging on the fly!

To all my fellow HYC bloggers, my apologies for lack of comments last week. The schedule was grueling. I'll do my best to catch up this week while the baby is napping!

How Tweet!

2008-05-09T05:30:00.009-05:00

Who would have dreamed how much I am enjoying the newly found freedom of exploring outdoors, now that I'm carrying around 38 fewer pounds?! On the phone yesterday, my mom reminded me how she hiked the Grand Canyon and rafted the Colorado River when she was
my age.

Yesterday's soft adventure included a birding expedition at Lorance Creek Natural Area, a deep swamp area that spreads out on both sides of Lorance Creek, just outside Little Rock, Ark. The entire system - owned by Nature Conservancy and the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission - is a diverse mosaic of open water, bald cypress-water tupelo trees, beaver ponds and sandy washes overlain with swamp blackgum. All the features are interconnected by a complex system of streams and seeps which support a rich aquatic flora.

Walking the half-mile boardwalk with Allan Mueller, alias "Professional Ivory-Billed Woodpecker Searcher," we listened to a chorus of birds singing their springtime arias. Overhead, a lush canopy of foliage whispered a welcome as we wandered through the swamp-inspired symphony.

For these new experiences, I am truly grateful. For others yet to come, I am eager...especially those that may include a new bicycle!

What new freedoms are you enjoying as a result of your increasing fitness level?

The Payoff

2008-05-08T05:30:00.001-05:00

Ask anybody: Would Rebecca choose outdoor adventure as a press tour activity? Until yesterday, the answer would have been a resounding NO!

Instead, in the elevator on my way down to the hotel fitness center yesterday, one of the journalists rolled his eyes at me, saying, "Oh, you're one of THOSE people!"

And at dinner last night, while discussing MY HIKE at Pinnacle Mountain, somebody else commented, "Oh, Rebecca, I'm sorry you got stuck doing THAT sort of stuff. Was it boring?"

On the contrary! For the first time in my LIFE, I was eager to EXPLORE! Except for a few pesky gnats, I was thrilled to be thinking about something other than whether I could make it back up the mountain after I had hiked to the base. I actually felt strong and confident I can do more of this sort of thing from now on.

NOW I can say, "I have been to the mountaintop, and I have seen the light!"

Now, if I could just win that bike...

Spare the Spine

2008-05-07T08:30:00.007-05:00

Greetings from Little Rock, the capital of Arkansas. Located virtually in the center of the state, the city is also centrally located
in the country.

Muscles located in the central area of our bodies are called core muscles. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) says that core strength is important because the muscles of the lower back and abdomen serve as a solid foundation for nearly all bodily activities, movement, and posture.

Core training is rapidly gaining in popularity for one reason:
Sitting leads to a weak core.

Risks associated with a weak core include a common ailment...lower back pain. Other problems include poor posture, being injury prone, having minimal strength and (drum roll, please) a bulging waistline.

Professor Stuart McGill, professor of spine biomechanics at University of Waterloo, cautions that even some widely held notions - like, "stretching the back and increasing the range of motion will help prevent injury" - are questionable. In fact, he says research shows that people who have a greater range of motion in their backs are more susceptible to future injury. How's that for blowing a hole in your exercise routine??

One of my (mother's!) primary concerns as I began jogging and lifting weights was the risk to my lower back. "Once you've injured your back, it's not something that's easily fixed," she argues.
Point well taken.

So, for the health of all our backs, please take a few minutes to review Dr. McGill's recommendations for how to maintain
lower back health and prevent injury to this vital skeletal component.

This week, I'm staying at the newly remodeled Holiday Inn Presidential, one of the nicest properties in the company's portfolio, where I'm taking full advantage of the hotel's fitness center to keep my core in shape!

Three Cheers for HYC Bloggers!

2008-05-06T04:15:00.008-05:00

One of the things I love about the Healthy You Challenge bloggers is the group's way of celebrating success - large or small. All of us like to post badges for ANY reason!

Bob Greene reminds us dramatic change doesn't happen in one day or even a month. For some, that can be discouraging if your used to (and long for) immediate gratification. It's easier, though, to be patient when you feel as if you're reaping some kind of reward for your efforts; that's why it's so important to enjoy the process of positive change rather than focusing on the end result.

"Find joy in each triumph, big or small," Greene advises. "Don't take for granted turning down a piece of cake, eating a healthful breakfast, or going for a walk at lunch - or any other of the small but significant efforts you make as a part of your commitment to this program. They all count, and with continued patience, perseverance and a positive attitude, they're all going to add up to a big payoff."

The secret to success, he says, is this: "Be honest with yourself and those around you. Take responsibility for your actions and your life. Think of the commitments you make to yourself as sacred, and honor them in the way your honor commitments to other people. Identify what it is you really want from life, realize you deserve it, and think positively about your ability to get it. Make your plan, have the inner strength to stick to it, and claim the life you deserve!"

***So, in honor of small victories, I am pleased to report another one-pound loss for today's HYC Weigh-In. Oddly enough, that one-pound loss translated into another 2-1/2 inch loss, bringing the totals since January 15 to 38 pounds and 34.25 inches lost. WAHOO!

What's even MORE exciting is that through the C25K training program, I am now jogging 25 minutes without stopping at a 4.2 mph pace. Wa-TWO!

And as part of my commitment - not just to a diet program, but to a healthy lifestyle - I have entered my name in the hat TWICE for Scale Junkie's free bike giveaway. Winning would pull that prized item right from my vision board and put it under my diminishing derriere!

Quotes from The Best Life Diet

Start Acting Like a Thin Person

2008-05-05T15:39:00.008-05:00

I'll always remember the first time I read Dr. Phil's line: "Staying fat has been working for you in some fashion." What??

I had never thought about what sorts of payoffs I got from obesity: insulation from the opposite sex, neutralizing sexual attractiveness, an "occupational buffer zone" to hide femininity to protect myself from the attention at work, an excuse for failure ("I didn't get the job, sign up for the class, etc., because I'm overweight.").

In his book, The Ultimate Weight Solution, Dr. Phil points out it is precisely this sort of discomfort that makes us push the panic button and start working at cross-purposes with our healthy goals. Managing weight from behind these defenses is doomed to fail.
We MUST disconnect!

Changing our "fat mind-set" and "fixed fat beliefs" means we have to become comfortable in our new, trimmer bodies while we're dumping "psychological fat." To do this, we must act like the thin,
fit person we really are.

"Even if it doesn't feel completely right," he says, "we can move in that direction with some simple but positive actions."

* Look at your reflection in the mirror more often to acclimate yourself to your new shape and image.
* Face with courage those situations you formerly feared - wearing a bathing suit, trying on new clothes, going to certain parties.
* Stay with your exercise program in order to appreciate your own strength and feel good about your body.
* Replace negative self-talk about your body with affirming,
accurate thoughts.

Peeling away fixed assumptions by disposing of their payoffs and demolishing limiting beliefs that tell us we are worthless and not deserving of success is the first step to developing new ways of thinking. True knowledge and insight will lead to a life of peace where we are comfortable in our newly transformed bodies.

Thanks, Dr. Phil. I needed to hear that again today.

Quotes from The Ultimate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom

Day of Rest - HA!!

2008-05-04T21:45:00.000-05:00

About once a month, I really enjoy sleeping a little longer than usual - say, until about 9 a.m., especially if it's raining outside. That way, DH is home instead of at the golf course, and we can get in a little extra cuddle time.

Well, this wasn't the weekend for sleeping late, cuddling or lounging around. The weather outside was beautiful, DH was on the golf course, and I've been working my tail off getting ready to leave town Tuesday.

Still, I love my home and the privilege to work from a home office. One thing's for sure, though: The bed will feel good tonight!

Weddings and Preparation

2008-05-03T21:00:00.001-05:00

Short post today. Fun-filled weekend performing two wedding ceremonies and playing with our quartet for a third.

Also, I'll be traveling another part of Arkansas on a press tour beginning Tuesday; so the rest of the weekend, I'll spend writing stories that are due Monday.

Today was a C25K rest day, but all goals are on track!

Don't Eat Like a Bird; Sing Like One

2008-05-02T08:34:00.015-05:00

"'Eat like a bird' is a very poor analogy, since it is meant to denote light consumption," says Alan Weiss in his current Balancing Act newsletter. "The birds I've seen, from sparrows to seagulls, pack it down like there's no tomorrow since they have huge metabolisms. We're often blindly imprisoned by venerable but inaccurate bromides."

On another note, my dad,
Dr. Davis Bingham, is one of the gifted humans who sings like a bird. A profoundly healthy 77, he still conducts his church choir, and will be singing the baritone lead in Mendelssohn's "Elijah" this Sunday in North Carolina.

The last time I visited Dad and my stepmother, Joan, was the week after Thanksgiving last year, when DH and I were on our holiday eating binge.
(I admit, it was really awkward watching them eat responsibly, or watching television while they went to play tennis or work out in their gym.)

When I return to their home in mid-June, I will have lost 49 pounds - assuming I reach my weekly goals between now and then.
"Cant wait to see the NEW you!" Dad said in an email yesterday.

"..and I ran 25 minutes WITHOUT STOPPING today," I responded proudly.

What a difference a decision and some dedication makes!
This truly is the Best Life!

Elsewhere in the Blogosphere

2008-05-01T11:24:00.010-05:00

Ran across this Weight Loss Management and Fitness carnival earlier today. Noticed some good information - including this article about stevia.

My C25K training is going well. Having already been walking/jogging since January, I started on Week 3, which I completed with no panting or day-after soreness. Last week, I combined Weeks 4 and 5. This week, I am following Week 6 of the program:

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)
Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)

When I finished yesterday, my pulse was 143, which is in the target zone for someone of my age (53) at my fitness level (works out at least three times a week).

Hope everybody's having a good week. I'm preparing for three more weddings this weekend!

Artificial Sweetener Blues

2008-04-30T07:33:00.011-05:00

In the last day or two, I recall somebody's HYC blog featuring a recipe made with stevia. I didn't think much about it, mostly because I've never used the herb-based sweetener.

This morning, however, I read an article about aspartame - the phylalanine-based artificial sweetener often used in soft drinks, diet gelatins, and sugar-free gums and mints - considered by some to be a carcinogen, and thought by others to boost the appetite, cause carb cravings, and inhibit weight loss. Yep, the blue stuff. The blue packets in my kitchen cabinet.

James B. LaValle, founder of the LaValle Metabolic Institute, says whenever your liver is forced to filter and metabolize a poison, it can be damaged. "There is no doubt in my mind that aspartame is just that, a poison," he says.

LaValle further contends the FDA has been aware of problems with aspartame for years. In fact, the FDA once actually published a list of 92 (yes, 92!) side effects and reactions to this chemical. Here's a sampling from that list:

* Headache and dizziness
* Abdominal pain and cramps
* Change in vision
* Seizures and convulsions
* Fatigue and weakness
* Change in heart rate
* Difficulty breathing
* Oral sensory changes
* Joint and bone pain
* Blood glucose disorders
* Blood pressure changes
* Difficulties with pregnancy
* Change in sexual function

"I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again," LaValle concludes, "If you crave something sweet, use the all-natural herb stevia. You can buy it at any health food store in a liquid or powder form. It’s sweeter than sugar, has no calories, tastes great… and it’s safe."

To my dismay, the reports about Splenda were not much better than those for aspartame. And I've got giant bags of Splenda in my pantry. At least right now.

Ed. Note: James B. LaValle, RPh, N.D, C.C.N., is founder of the LaValle Metabolic Institute, a nationally recognized expert on natural therapies, and the author of 13 books on healthy lifestyles and integrative care, including Cracking the Metabolic Code.
Anybody else want to weigh in on this sweet conversation?

Willpower: Budget Wisely

2008-04-29T10:00:00.002-05:00

Books like this get my attention: Welcome to Your Brain: Why You Lose Your Car Keys but Never Forget How to Drive and Other Puzzles of Everyday Life.
Authors Sandra Aamodt and Sam Wang, writing for the New York Times, cite scores of research showing we have a fixed will power budget, one that we should be careful spending.

"If we tap into this neural reservoir and use it on one thing, we have less for others," says psychologist Daniel Goldman. "Tasks that demand some self-control make it harder for us to do the next thing that takes will power...Some neuroscientists suspect that self-control consumes blood sugar, which takes a while to build up again, and so the depletion effect."

The flip side is that, unlike our assumption that we are born with a fixed amount of brain goo that depletes over time, science now confirms the brain makes about 10,000 new cells every day that migrate to where they are needed. Once there, each cell makes around 10,000 connections to other brain cells over the successive four months.

As a result, each time you exercise will power, you strengthen your brain’s "executive center" - located just behind the forehead. Learning to delay gratification in one area like food increases your ability to resist impulse buying at the store, for instance. (Remember our recent conversations about how developing discipline in one area - like food choices - improves our performance in other areas - like C25K?)

I suspect this is valuable information - not only for adults like us who are retraining our brains, but also for those of us who want to give our children and grandchildren a head start on healthy living.

Healthy You Challenge 2008

This week, I'm pleased to report the brain and body cooperated to produce another two-pound loss, bringing the totals since January 15 to 37 pounds and 31.5 inches lost. That means we’re 57 percent toward the goal of losing a total of 65 pounds in 33 weeks, or by August 12.

BMI: Start 33.9 / Current 27.9 / Goal 23.4 or less
Waist-to-hip ratio: Start .94 / Current .85 / Goal .80 or less

Train 'em Young!

2008-04-28T10:45:00.001-05:00

Our effervescent Felicia requested we post a childhood photo. Here's one that, until recently, was always prominently displayed in my mother's living room. Notice those chubby cheeks, fluffy arms and chunky thighs? How about the little roll just below the shoulder?

Obesity in kids has reached epidemic levels. Experts estimate that 15 percent of kids are overweight and another 15 percent are at risk of becoming overweight. And two-thirds of these overweight kids will become overweight adults.

These alarming statistics have already prompted many of us to make a commitment to prevent obesity in our children or grandchildren by helping them maintain a healthy weight through appropriate food choices and adequate exercise.

Last week, several of us discussed having been reared as members of the "Clean Plate Club." Somehow, what began as the Food and Fuel Control Act of 1917 to preserve our food supply during WWI evolved into a movement forcing children to eat more than they really need.

I'm grateful the tide is turning, but my goodness, have you looked at a typical public school breakfast and lunch menu recently??

Inspiration: Christina Gray - Monroe, La.

2008-04-27T16:00:00.001-05:00

When we moved to Hot Springs, Ark., six years ago, I bought this piece to hang over the mantle in our living room. Painted by Christina Gray of Monroe, La., her art has continued to inspire me - not only because of the subject matter, but also because of the courageous person she is.

Christina was born in Europe during the time her father served in the military. Struck with polio by age five, she spent several years in a body cast in an attempt to straighten her spine. Despite medical intervention, she lost the use of her left shoulder, arm and hand.

As an adult, Christina reared three children on her own, after having been abandoned by her husband. Instead of whining and pouting, she made up her mind to go back to school and work her way through college. Not only did she complete her undergraduate degree, but she also obtained her Masters of Fine Arts with honors.

Christina painted this piece during her last year in school, when the idea of getting a degree had lost some of its glamour. Although I'm not sure she ever gave the painting a formal name, we always referred to the women as the Biblical characters Ruth, Naomi and Orpah.

Every time I look at the painting I'm energized. All of us have choices. We can turn back. We can tolerate our circumstances. Or we can look for hope in all situations, bringing life to all those around us.

Thanks for inspiring me, Christina. One day, I hope to buy the other paintings in this series!

Open Wide and Say Spahhhhh!

2008-04-26T21:00:00.003-05:00

My, oh my, oh my! I love to be pampered, but I love to be surprised even more. And boy, did DH surprise ME today!

"Why don't you spend the afternoon at the spa?" he whispered, nudging me from a dreamy Saturday-morning sleep. "I'll be playing two rounds of golf today, and since you've worked so hard on your fitness plan, I think you deserve a little something extra - especially since I was recovering from surgery on your birthday and we didn't really do much to celebrate."

So...after my workout at the gym, I went to Spa Botanica at the Hot Springs Embassy Suites hotel for a 20-minute aromatherapy bath followed by a 55-minute deep-tissue massage. (If you come to visit, ask for heavenly-hands Heather!) And to finish it off, I indulged in a luxury pedicure.

DH and I arrived home within five minutes of each other, just in time to freshen up for dinner at Red Lobster, where we each enjoyed a fire-grilled shrimp selection with salad, broccoli and asparagus.

Back home again, we're now in our jammies, ready to take in a movie on TV.

Ahhhh.....what a nice day!

Taste of Mexican Happy Dance

2008-04-25T10:26:00.010-05:00

If I had to pick one TASTE - not calories - I've really missed since having started our healthy-eating lifestyle, it would have to be what used to be a meal out for Mexican food a couple of times a month. For instance, chips and salsa plus two chicken enchiladas with queso, refried beans and rice from On the Border packs a whopping 1710 calories and 88 grams of fat!

Last night, I tried my hand at creating a healthier alternative that would deliver a variety of textures and the taste of Mexican food. Here's how I did it for two. (If you need more, double as needed, except for the chili, which makes enough for 6-8 servings, anyway.)

Two boneless, skinless chicken breasts marinated in 1/4 c. lime juice and 1/2 t. garlic powder. Before grilling, dust with chili powder and cumin.

Combine 1/4 c. Chinese black rice with 1/4 c. brown rice. Use lo-fat chicken broth for liquid. Add 1/4 c. cilantro and 1/4 c. diced red bell pepper to rice before cooking.

Chop 1/2 c. each - celery, green bell pepper, red bell pepper - plus 1/4 c. green onion tops and bottoms.

Make one pot of 2-Alarm Chili - which is great because it has all seven seasonings in pre-measured packets. I brown one pound of 93/7- percent ground turkey with one chopped onion to start the process. We also like kidney beans in our chili.

After all the prep work, here's how we layered it on the plate:

1/2 c. rice mixture
1 c. turkey chili with beans
Raw veggies - celery, bell peppers, onions
Grilled 4-oz. chicken breast - sliced on the diagonal
2 Tbls. 2-percent cheddar cheese

Microwave just long enough to melt cheese.

I promise this is a MOUNTAIN of food, fully satisfying,
but only 606 calories.

If you like, serve with fresh fruit salad - strawberries, kiwis, tangerines, grapefruit and banana - tossed in lo-fat yogurt.
Add 200 calories.

Holy mackerel. We were stuffed (sorry), but MAN, did it ever satisfy my Mexican-food craving!!

Recommended: Exotic Rice

2008-04-24T18:27:00.005-05:00

Oooooh-Eeee! I love it when I find a new source for unique, flavorful foods. Check out this Chinese Black Rice from Urban Accents. Who knew rice came in exotic varieties like LaMancha Saffron, Himalayan Red, Wild Bayou, Siam Jasmine or Yunan Palace Bamboo? Trouble is, these all look as if they're temporarily out of stock online. I actually found mine in the gourmet section of T. J. Maxx.

Never fear, they're also available here in one pound bags for less than $3. How about Purple Sticky Rice or Brown Wehani Rice?

Even my picky eater DH liked the chewy texture and nutty flavor of the black rice, which I cooked in chicken broth. Wonders never cease! And at only 80 calories for 1/2 cup, it's a great fiber-filled treat!

ICU: Intensive Cardio Unit

2008-04-23T11:30:00.011-05:00

Here's a funny one:

This morning, while visiting with my mother in a local hospital waiting room where my stepfather had surgery this morning, she said, "Honey, you look great. I can just see the weight
falling off of you."

It was all I could do not to roll on the floor laughing. Bless her 125-pound self. She truly meant her statement as a compliment...but still! Anybody who is on this journey knows the weight NEVER seems to just FALL OFF. Instead, it CREEPS off - itsy bit by itsy bit - after hundreds of healthy food choices and endless hours on the cardio circuit.

But Mom's idea was a lovely thought, wasn't it? And mine, on the other hand, is actually pretty pessimistic.

As a matter of fact, starting right now, I will incorporate HER vision into my daily personal affirmations:

"...Now that I've found the discipline to eat according to my needs rather than being driven by self-destructive habits, impulses or diets, I am able to face the day without overeating. And because I exercise as a matter of habit, my body functions at its peak - metabolizing calories quickly and efficiently - leaving me free to forget about food and instead, to use my increased energy for productive, enjoyable activities..."

Quote adapted in part from Key No. 4 in The Ultimate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom

Inspiration: The Walkers

2008-04-22T19:45:00.001-05:00

At the risk of sounding like a Dr. Phil evangelist, I continue to reference his book, "The Ultimate Weight Solution."

In Key Seven, Dr. Phil cuts to the chase and says that if we expect to lose weight and keep it off, we must nurture relationships that affirm and lift us up in life-changing ways.

"Look at it this way," he says. "People will either contribute to or contaminate your personal weight control and management...To live in a healthy manner, you've got to recognize the influence of your relationships on your life and take care that they don't push or pull you in the wrong direction."

Dr. Phil's recommended support team includes a coach, a teammate, a cheerleader and an umpire.

Bill and Ellen Walker are my teammates - the folks with whom I work out, the ones who help to keep me on task. We help to monitor each other's behavior - comparing what works and what doesn't. Most of all, they're ideal teammates because they are natural motivators in every area of their lives. Their passion is contagious, and each time I am around them, I am energized and strengthened with purpose.

So...thanks to an incredible support team - which includes Bill and Ellen - I am pleased to report another three-pound loss this week, bringing the totals since January 15 to 35 pounds and 29.75 inches. Bling, bling!

Quotes from The Ultimate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom

One for the Books

2008-04-21T20:00:00.001-05:00

Sudden stress can spark a hot flash; unfortunately, no calorie burning is associated with the event. That's too bad. Here's an incident that should have knocked off a pound or two:

A couple of weekends ago, I married a precious couple, Jessie and Kelly (formerly McQueen) Newton. At the end of the ceremony, after Jessie kissed his new bride, I announced, "Laides and Gentlemen, it is my distinct honor and privilege to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Kelly McQueen." (Get it?? That's the BRIDE'S NAME!!)

The congregation laughed uproariously, thinking I had done it on purpose! (NOT!) Jessie and Kelly were great sports about the whole thing, which I sincerely appreciated. Their photographer posted several beautiful pictures of the wedding, which will give you an idea how I spend a good portion of these gorgeous weekends.

Guess I'll be burning calories another way tonight. Just got a call from my mom, asking if she and her DH can hang here at the house for a couple of hours in between doctor's appointments tomorrow.

Better clean up this office! See ya tomorrow at HYC Weigh-in!

Just Get Me to the Church on Time

2008-04-20T22:00:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the late post today. It's been a another whirlwind weekend.

As I mentioned yesterday, our string quartet played the second wedding of the weekend yesterday afternoon. I got in a good workout yesterday morning, including the Swiss ball workout. (To answer the question, 'How do you get in the starting position?', you first sit on the ball, then lean back slightly as you walk your feet out until the ball "rolls" up your back.)

Late this morning, I went to the golf course with DH and hit three buckets of balls before joining my mom and her DH for lunch. A quick phone call to our agency's harpist led me to believe everything was on go for this afternoon's wedding - for which my only responsibility was to contract the musician...or so I thought!

After a good C25K outside workout, I came back inside hot, sweaty, but feeling good. At 4:20, no sooner than I had sucked the first sip of a frozen orange protein slush, the phone rang.

On the other end, a somewhat panicky bride reminded me the wedding rehearsal was scheduled to have started at 4 p.m. I reassured her the harpist would arrive in plenty of time to begin playing the prelude by 5:30 for the ceremony at 6 p.m.

"But you're supposed to officiate, and we were expecting YOU for the rehearsal," the bride explained slowly and distinctly while I frantically searched my contract folder to make sure I hadn't overlooked something.

Regardless how it happened, my mission was to calm the bride and guarantee that I could arrive within 30 minutes to conduct a rehearsal and subsequently perform the ceremony.

Sweat still rolling down my back, I took a 30-second shower, blow-dried my hair with the sweat in it, powdered appropriate areas, donned my ministerial garb, grabbed my liturgies - plus a food bar and a bottle of water - and hit the road. (Pant! Pant!)

The wedding went fine, everybody loved it, and I finished with 20 minutes to spare before I was scheduled to meet my DH for a 7 p.m. movie.

After tomorrow morning's workout, I'll catch up on my blog reading!!

Having a Ball on Saturday

2008-04-19T09:30:00.002-05:00

Weekends are for weddings...at least for me! Yesterday, I married a couple at the end of a windy pier at Butler Manor Bed & Breakfast.

This afternoon, our quartet will play for a wedding in the Anthony Chapel of Garvan Woodland Gardens.

Before I go to the wedding, I'm headed to the gym for an extended workout - which, beginning today, will include exercises specifically geared to improve my (novice) golf skills.

Today, I'll incorporate the Russian Twist on a Swiss Ball
• Lie on ball, with shoulder blades on ball and hips pushed up high off ground.
• Place hands together, as in the photo (or hold a single dumbbell when you advance in Swiss ball workouts).
• Keeping your hips up, turn your shoulders to the right so they are perpendicular to the ground.
• Twist back to the starting position, then twist to the other side.
• Do 10 twists to each side for a couple of sets.

Benefits to the Golf Swing include:
• Improved rotational strength and speed.
• Strengthened and better-protected spine
• Utilization of arms and core as one, similar to a golf swing.

After doing this exercise for just a short period of time, I should notice an increased ability to make a full and tension-free backswing as well as more power coming into impact during the downswing.

Actually, during that first position, I'll probably be praying, "Dear God, please don't let me make a fool out of myself by rolling off this ball. Besides, I've gotta play my cello this afternoon and can't afford to hurt my shoulder, okay?"

Coming Out of the Closet

2008-04-18T15:00:00.007-05:00

Somebody better at "figuring out the details" than I am may have a suggestion how we can help each other out with the clothes we've shrunk out of.

I'm about ready to do something with the 16's now taking up space in my closet. And probably somebody else who is sliding down to a 16 could make good use of some of these items.

And I'm guessing that because so many HYC bloggers are closet fashionistas anyway, we could probably make this work pretty well - if only we had a plan.

Ideas, anyone?

P.S. Happy birthday, Mom!

Green Initiatives

2008-04-17T21:00:00.004-05:00

One of the advantages of living in Hot Springs, Ark., is being only 15 minutes away from Hot Springs Village, home to nine beautiful golf courses. What's even better is that property owners can play a round on several of the state's top 10 courses for less than $25 (including cart), plus monthly association dues of $37.

As part of my commitment to become more active this year, I agreed to learn to play golf - as long as my DH agreed to pay for a series of lessons from a professional golfer so that I could learn the fundamentals the right way the first time. DH agreed, and set me up with Steve Wheelis, a golf pro who lives in the Village.

I had my first lesson yesterday as an introduction to grip; alignment; set-up, ball position and athletic posture; and swing plane. WOW, was it ever fun! I may be hooked!

Golf may not burn as many calories as the treadmill, but it's a great way to spend time outdoors between workouts. Stay tuned for updates!

Making Commitment Less Taxing

2008-04-16T08:30:00.001-05:00

Most of you have probably already read the HYC Blog Post of the Week. Written by Briy, an American educator in Korea, she uses her teaching gift to explain the importance of consistently making the right choices over time.

(People who have lost a lot of weight) had to make a million correct decisions to get there. Day after day, they forced themselves onto the treadmill or into the gym. Meal after meal, they turned down the extra helping, threw away the chocolate. And each step, each decision, was so relatively unimportant. Passing on the dessert just once has almost no effect. But passing on that same dessert 20 days out of 30 in a month... how many pounds could that be? Like today, I went to the gym and jogged/walked faithfully on the treadmill for 30 minutes, for a total of about 275 calories burned. But that's a drop in the hat. I have to do that same thing six times a week, and eat on-plan, to succeed in losing the week's allotted 1-2 pounds. Then repeat that, all the while upping the intensity, 49 times to lose 100 pounds. That's why each step is so "halting and painful" - because it is so small.

On her vision board, Briy observes that developing discipline in one area of our lives often spills over into another area. Am I the ONLY one in this bunch who waited until the last minute to file a tax return?? Talk about self-induced STRESS!

DH is a left-brained salaried employee who ordinarily filed his taxes the day after his W-2's arrived...until we got married. I, on the other hand, am a right-brained self employed freelancer who, although diligent about keeping accurate records, has in the past, procrastinated compiling the records for our CPA. Why? Who knows.

So, Miss Briy, thanks for helping me see that the same principles we use to help loose weight - small steps, small decisions, made consistently over time - will also help prevent last night's scenario in our household from ever happening again.

Today, I will begin keeping my records up-to-date each week. And I will not begin next week's work until that task is completed.

But now, I'm off to my first GOLF lesson!!

Inspiration: Our Gym Hero, Part II

2008-04-15T08:00:00.004-05:00

A few days ago, I mentioned an interview with David Elmore, a Marine veteran wounded in Vietnam, who inspires many of us to work out, even when we don't feel like it.

I finally wrote the story yesterday for publication in the May issue of a local magazine. You can read it now by clicking here.

***In other news, it's weigh-in day for 2008 Healthy You Challenge participants. I am happy to report that after having lost only one pound each of the past two weeks, I dropped FIVE pounds and an additional 1.75 inches this week - bringing the totals since January 15 to 32 pounds and 28 inches lost.

Do I have an explanation? Not really. Calorie count still averaged right at 1300 a day, but I was able to put in more strength training this week, once I got off the road and back into my home gym.

A special thanks (which takes a few seconds to load) to everybody who encouraged me during the "slow weeks."

Reporting to you live from Happy Dance Hall...

Recommended: Bob's Red Mill Products

2008-04-14T08:30:00.000-05:00

Most nutritionists agree we should incorporate more whole grains as well as high-fiber fruits and vegetables into our diets.

Although it provides no nutrients by itself, fiber benefits our bodies in several ways. Insoluble fiber (wheat bran, and some fruits and vegetables) assists the digestive tract by helping to push along other waste. And soluble fiber (fiber that dissolves in water) helps prevent cholesterol from being absorbed into the blood stream.

Bless my DH's heart; he's just not a high-fiber kinda guy. He'll take white bread, white rice and rolled oats any day over more substantial varieties because they "are too chewy" or "taste like cardboard." And he's not really keen on green, leafy vegetables, either. Unfortunately, that may be one reason why he had his gall bladder removed last week.

Of course, I've taken tips from healthy bloggers and learned to slip pureed veggies or wheat germ into other recipes to increase the fiber in his diet. (As I've said before, some of this lifestyle change is akin to training children.)

For the rest of us, high-fiber foods not only taste better, but also help to stave off hunger.

One of my favorite product lines is Bob's Red Mill, purveyors of old-fashioned stone ground whole grain products.

"Our slow turning millstones grind the bran, endosperm and germ (containing its nutritious wheat germ oil) into flour in a cool natural way, creating a more assimilable food," says Bob's web site, which is full of good recipes.

One of my favorite Red Mill products is Steel Cut Oats. Until I tried Red Mill varieties, I thought hot breakfast cereals were pretty "run of the mill."

Then! On the last press trip, one of the foodie journalists told me she BROWNS the entire package of oats - either under her broiler or in a cast iron skillet - before storing them. When cooked, she says, they deliver a delicious nutty flavor that's hard to beat. I agree! I agree!

And of course, I usually add chopped apple, raisins or dried cranberries to my breakfast delight - just because I like it!

How do you pump up the fiber content of your meals?

Inspiration: A Taste of Spring

2008-04-13T12:00:00.009-05:00

Azaleas are decked out like flocks of pink flamingos outside my office window. Tulips, irises, dogwoods and wisteria accent the canopy of delicate greens at Garvan Woodland Gardens, where I have spent most of the weekend officiating wedding ceremonies.

Martin Luther once said, "God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars.”

This morning, I put together a "gratitude video" to help me remember the beautiful flowers I have seen during the past year.
In fact, I think I'll take a long walk outside this afternoon, just to enjoy the beauty and fragrance of the season.

Music on the video is "Credo III" from the Solitudes collection,
"Illumination:Peaceful Gregorian Chants." Enjoy!

(To view Full Screen - which is really prettier - click here . After the video opens, click on the icon in the bottom right corner of the viewing screen.)

More Choices, More Rewards

2008-04-12T20:28:00.008-05:00

Yesterday, a group of my friends surprised me with a birthday luncheon at the country club. Because I'm out of town a lot, I don't socialize so much as they do, especially those who are retired or semi-retired. For that reason, I especially appreciated their time and effort to gather us together.

We all enjoyed a delicious salad buffet; but right in the center of our table sat a gorgeous Italian cream cake - my absolute favorite - as a gift from one of my best friends.

"Surely you're going to have a piece," they chimed.

"Well, I certainly am going to make a wish, blow out my candles and take a picture of that beautiful thing!" I said with a big huge smile.

As soon as the luncheon was over, I drove straight to Garvan Woodland Gardens to perform a wedding ceremony - one of four I officiated this weekend. When I got home, lo and behold, the remaining half of that cake PLUS a dozen cookies was sitting in my kitchen! I declare, the sugary concoction developed a voice, and has been calling me ever since.

This is the first time since January 15 I've had "unhealthy choices" in my kitchen, and I can tell I'm not ready. So, I've made up my mind: Tomorrow, when I go to the gym, I'm taking the desserts with me and giving them to the staff. Why not? After all, I'm miserable knowing they're in the fridge; but I'll feel worse if I eat all that sugar. Right? Right.

Maybe Garland Mitchell, the man in the picture, will be there. Next Friday, he'll be 94!! And the gym staff tells me he comes to work out five days a week. THAT'S inspiration!

Here's a little more inspiration. The past two weeks, I've plodded along with one-pound losses each weigh-in. This morning, I stepped on the scale, and knocked down three more pounds - jumping past the big 3-0! Bling, bling!

Getting to Know You

2008-04-11T11:00:00.009-05:00

Okay, Cammy, here's your meme - since I've got an interview and four weddings to perform today!

A is for age: 53, yesterday.
B is for booze of choice: Not on the radar. Quit August 8, 2002.
C is for career: Travel journalist and professional cellist.
D is for your dog’s name:
No pets.
E is for essential items you use/love everyday: Coffee pot, laptop, ATT 8525 PDA, MP3 player
F is for favorite song(s) at the moment: You Inspire Me
by Skye Dyer
G is for favorite games: What will I cook for dinner tonight?
H is for hometown: Hot Springs, AR
I is for instruments you play: cello, piano
J is for jam or jelly you like: grape jam, pear preserves, honey
K is for kids: Wayne, 25.
L is for last kiss: A few minutes ago, DH.
M is for most admired trait: Smile, sense of humor
N is for name of your crush: DH
O is for overnight hospital stays: broken bones, baby
P is for phobias: I've learned not to verbalize these.
Q is for quotes you like: "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." — Mark Twain, 1857
R is for biggest regret: Not worth the time to think about.
S is for sweets of your choice: Fresh fruit.
T is for time you wake up: 1:30 and 5:30 a.m.
U is for underwear: Yes.
V is for vegetables you love: Turnip greens!!
W is for worst habit: Cramming too much into my schedule,
but I'm getting better at prioritizing according to goals, not urgency.
X is for x-rays you’ve had: wrist, ankle, hand, mouth, boobs
Y is for yummy food you make: Cajun food!
Z is for zodiac sign: I'm an Aries

Inspiration: Our Gym Hero

2008-04-10T21:00:00.002-05:00

Whew, it feels good to be home - sleeping in my own bed, cooking in my own kitchen, sitting at my own desk, working out in my home gym. On my birthday!

Tomorrow morning, I'm scheduled to interview a man who, without knowing it, has inspired me to train consistently, even when I don't feel like it. Each time he walks into the gym, he yells, "Mornin', everybody! (Waits for response.) How's everybody doin' today? (Waits for second response.)" For the next few minutes, he strolls around the gym, pumping handshakes like a seasoned politician.

I watch as he unzips his gym bag to retrieve an unwieldy contraption which he slings over his shoulder. With one hand, he buckles a strap around his chest. Next, he wraps a towel around one handle of a spin bike. Finally, he locks his prosthetic hand over the towel and begins his workout.

Folks who've been around a while tell me he was injured in the war. I'm not yet sure which one. I'll find out in the morning.

After I learned his name, I called our gym hero this afternoon to schedule the interview. He agreed, but said he needed to be finished by 10:30.

"A group of us meet over at the St. Joseph Chapel to pray for our service personnel serving in Iraq and other areas of the world," he explained.

This is going to be a good story. I'll keep you posted.

P.S. Thanks to everybody who sent get-well wishes to DH. He's recovering nicely!

Final Score: Rebecca - 1; Culinary Trail - 0

2008-04-09T14:00:00.006-05:00

I DID IT! I survived eight days on south Louisiana Culinary Trails and still lost a pound!! Although, without a scale on the road, I could't report for yesterday's Healthy You Challenge Tuesday Weigh-in. What's more, I lost additional body mass, bringing the total inches lost since January 15 to 26.25". (Not a mistake this time.) WAHOO!

DH Update: Monday's gall bladder removal went fine. He is moving around enough to prevent soreness, and resting while watching the Master's Tournament. Duh.

And in answer to Felicia's Fun Photo Challenge requesting a picture of where we live, I am posting a picture of Anthony Chapel at Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs, Ark., where our string quartet performs a majority of weddings on the schedule.

Thanks again to all my HYC friends who stopped by to offer encouragment while I was on the road. I'll begin catching up on blog reading tonight.

Louisiana Culinary Tour - Day 7

2008-04-07T13:06:00.013-05:00

Yesterday, we mentioned having eaten at Restaurant La Provence, where Chef Rene's big focus is "farm to table." Another journalist on this trip was savvy enough to upload a short video of our trip to a crawfish farm last Thursday so that you can see how these tasty crustaceans are harvested. Click here to meet Chad. (Okay, if you didn't click, you are r-e-a-l-l-y missing out on some healthy south Louisiana scenery.)

Before we left the hotel, I got in a workout on the treadmill in my room, and then ate a healthy breakfast from the Omni's Ideal Nutrition menu.

Once outside the hotel, our group started the morning with famous cafe au lait (coffee with steamed milk) and beignets (ben-YAYS) at the French Quarter's famous Cafe Du Monde. (*sigh* I took pictures and drank my coffee and chickory straight.)

Later in the morning, Louisiana Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu stopped by the Savvy Gourmet to show his support for the state's Culinary Trails program.

While we were there, Chef Matt Brewton showed us how to make an authentic roux using equal parts all-purpose flower and oil (not EVOO or walnut, which will burn). We watched as the cooking flour turned from blonde to paper-bag brown to milk chocolate to dark chocolate. Finally, the group got to sample a chicken-andouille (pronounced ahn-DOO-ee - which is a course, spicy smoked sausage) gumbo and a separate pot of crawfish etouffee.
(I ate moderate portions of each, without the rice.)

By mid-afternoon, we were touring the Audobon Society's newest attraction, The Insectarium. Scheduled to open this summer, it will be the largest free-standing museum in the U.S. devoted to over 900,000 insect species and their relatives. And yes, we were guests for a cooking show at the Cultural Cafe, where a zany chef introduced the "joy" of cooking with insects. Did I sample? No.
I figured if I'm "giving up" so many other foods all week, I'm definitely not going out of my way to eat insects! Nearly every other journalist, however, eagerly chomped down on crickets and ants.

Finally, we said our good-byes at Couchon Restaurant (pronounced COO-shon). Nominated in 2006 for Beard's Best New Restaurant, we enjoyed Chef Stephen Stryjewski's old-style German-Acadian traditions, which he learned from co-owner Chef Donald Link, who showcases the food he grew up preparing and eating at his grandfather's side. I ordered wood-fired oven grilled red fish accompanied with pickled onions and a side of collard greens.

By the way, DH had his gall bladder removed yesterday morning. I'll be flying home today, ready to take over care taking from his parents - who drove up from Louisiana to be with him during surgery.

Thanks again to everybody who stopped by here this week. I'll be visiting your blogs again once I get home. And I'm READY!

Louisiana Culinary Tour - Day 6

2008-04-06T23:26:00.012-05:00

Last week, the Brennans of New Orleans joined only two other families - the Marriotts and the Busches - to be inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Culinary Institute of America as one of America's leading hospitality families.

Saturday night, we ate dinner in a 148-year old building overlooking New Orleans City Park at Ralph's on the Park, owned by Ralph Brennan.

Yesterday morning, we enjoyed the time-honored tradition of Sunday brunch in the French Quarter at Brennan's, owned by brother Ted Brennan. Since Katrina, we learned, the restaurant has been busy, but not as busy as before the storm. "We will not accept reservations for more guests than we have staff to handle," says Brennan, "simply because we will not compromise the level of service our customers have come to expect since 1946."

During the afternoon, we trekked up to the Fouberg Saint John (neighborhood area) to celebrate Super Sunday with the Mardi Gras Indians. I can only imagine how many calories they burn inside those elaborate costumes, made by hand and worn only twice a year - on Mardi Gras Day and on St. Joseph Day.

Last night, we drove across Pontchartrain Causeway to the Northshore area of New Orleans for a fine dining experience at Restaurant La Provence. With great emphasis on source to table protocol, Chef Rene Bajeaux delighted our palates with artistically presented authentic terroir cuisine. Several menu choices in the "healthy" category made this outdoor dining experience one of the highlights of my week.

YAY for another on-plan day, and thanks again to everybody who has chimed in with enthusiastic encouragement. I'm looking forward to catching up on your blogs!

Until then, stay tuned...Later today, we're suposed to eat INSECTS!!

Louisiana Culinary Tour - Day 5

2008-04-06T00:01:00.001-05:00

Still in Baton Rouge yesterday morning, we didn't leave the Embassy Suites hotel until 9:30 - which left plenty of time for a workout in the hotel fitness center. And because we didn't have a group breakfast on the itinerary, I was able to order oatmeal and fat-free yogurt from the lobby buffet.

Yesterday's meal adaptations and compromises were similar to those I've shared with you in the last several posts. Each chef was happy to help me stay on plan by honoring my special requests.

Last night, we've moved to our home for the next three nights at the Omni Royal Orleans in the French Quarter of New Orleans. I nearly squealed with delight when I walked into my room and saw the treadmill, an amenity which is part of the Omni's Get Fit rooms.

The Omni Hotels Ideal Living program is designed to help you maintain a healthy attitude and lifestyle while you’re traveling. Healthy meal options are available as part of their Ideal Nourishment Program. And Get Fit Rooms like mine are set up for private, in-room workouts. In addition, all of the Omni Hotels' fitness centers have been renovated, complete with top-of-the-line equipment.

What a blessing!

Louisiana Culinary Tour - Day 4

2008-04-05T00:50:00.005-05:00

First of all, you HYC gals are awesome! All through the day, your comments show up on my Blackberry email. And although I can't reply to let you know how much I appreciate your thoughtfulness at the time, I want you to know how grateful I am for such amazing encouragement.

Now, to the food. Breakfast at Hub City Diner in Lafayette, La. concluded with this plateful of aromatic comfort food. For appetizers, owner Jason Redmon prepared sweet potato biscuits, blueberry muffins and sweet potato pancakes - all accompanied by butter and syrup. (I ordered oatmeal.)

By lunchtime, we were on Avery Island, home of McIlhenny Co. and TABASCO brands, to attend a press conference to unveil the official Louisiana Culinary Trails Guide and to announce the new website.
The McIlhenny family treated us to this fabulous meal of fried shrimp, crawfish etouffe over rice, green beans and bread pudding. I ate two shrimp, all the crawfish - minus the rice and "sauce" - plus the green beans.

Our evening's exquisite wine dinner at Vic's Chop House in Baton Rouge was jointly sponsored by the restaurant and TABASCO chef Jason Gronlund, and was hosted by the Southern Breeze Wine and Culinary Festival - which we will attend tomorrow.

The five-course meal - each of which was paired with Australian Heath Wines - started with Duck Confit En Croute: tender duck with caramelized shallots, gouda and dill havarti cheese wrapped in puff pastry, served with pepper jelly. The soup course was a Deconstructed Oyster Rockafella Soup, consisting of tender baby spinach nested in a creamy broth, topped with crispy Louisiana oysters and crispy leeks with a dash of TABASCO habanera Pepper Sauce.

Our salad was Parma Chopped Shrimp Salad Cannoli-Style: mixed chopped greens in a light anchovy dressing with La. shrimp served in an aged Grana Pardano cannoli shell with a dash of TABASCO Green Pepper Sauce. (pictured above)

The entree was East-West Surf & Turf: miso-braised pork shank served with lobster eggroll, braised napa cabbage and fuikake mashed potatoes.

Finally, the dessert was a Brule Fruit Kabob with Greek mojito dipping yogurt accompanied by a spiced sangria martini.

I thoroughly enjoyed a bite of duck, a bite of soup, all the salad and about three ounces of pork shank and cabbage. Taking pictures and talking to the chef worked just as I had hoped it would to take the foucs off the fact I wasn't eating complete portions.

By day's end, the total calorie count was once again just under 1200. And the afternoon schedule was loose enough to squeeze in 35 minutes on the hotel's treadmill.

Another day, on the road, on plan. YESSS!

Louisiana Culinary Tour - Day 3

2008-04-04T00:15:00.006-05:00

The gracious hosts at Camellia Cove Bed & Breakfast in Washington, La. were not offended when I ate only my cantaloupe wedge, but passed on the Eggs Benedict. (Please don't tell her that one of the very few things I just can't seem to swallow is runny egg yolks!)

By lunch time, we were in Lafayette, La. at the Vermillionville historic education center in a cooking class, learning how to prepare a delicious, authentic Cajun/Creole meal of crawfish Etouffee in pastry shells; biscuits with fig preserves or Steen's Syrup; Creole shrimp and okra gumbo; chicken, sausage and tasso jambalaya, corn macque choux (pronounced mock-shew'; and bread pudding with sauce.

Already prepared with a meal replacement bar in my purse, I was ecstatic to learn that one dish would be made without a roux (pronounced roo), the flour and oil base of many Cajun dishes. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
1/4 c. olive oil
2-pound bag of frozen okra
1/3 c. vinegar
1-1/2 c. Rotel tomatoes with green chilies
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
1 c. celery, diced
1 c. bell pepper, diced
2 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp, seasoned with Salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste
1-1/2 quarts water

1. Heat oil in pot 60-90 seconds.
2. Add okra and saute to brown stage, or until it reduces to about half. When okra begins to get slimy, add vinegar to eliminate slime.
3. Add Rotel and other vegetables; cook for five minutes.
4. Add water and shrimp. Simmer on medium heat until shrimp are cooked.
5. Serve over rice. (Cajuns always use white rice. I use brown.)

This recipe will easily serve 8-10. I calculated a very filling, complete-meal portion using four ounces of shrimp and 1/2-cup of rice at 369 calories. Yummo!

Here's the lovely salad the chef at Charley G's prepared for me as an alternative to the sauteed-in-butter fixed-course entree.

And here's the dessert I enjoyed photographing, but not eating. The coffee was great, though!

Back to the hotel, I jumped on the treadmill for 35 minutes and knocked out six exercises on the weight machines. Now, it's time to say good morning and THANK YOU to all you wonderful, precious supporters who help to keep me strong and focused on my goals!

P.S. Pattie, I haven't had a lot of time to think about a six-word memoir, but here's one for now: "This is not the final act."

The Three B's

2008-04-03T00:14:00.012-05:00

Some of the foods I let pass me by today were boudin (pronounced BOO-dan), backlava and bread pudding.

Some of foods I enjoyed were boiled shrimp, grilled tilapia and ahi tuna. I did try one fried jalapeno pepper stuffed with shrimp, crabmeat and Parmesan cheese. YUM!

Take a look at this pile of fresh cracklins our group sampled today with boudin from Billy's Boudin in Opelousas, Louisiana. (Click on the picture for a full-size idea of the fat content in each tasty morsel!) Most of the writers loved the local culinary specialties, which they had never tasted before.

Every place we visited, we met warm, friendly people who prepared lavish spreads of rich, Cajun food for us to enjoy.

At breakfast, I was fortunate to be able to order oatmeal and fruit; and our hosts had apples in the van for snacks this afternoon. At both lunch and dinner, the chefs were kind enough to prepare my entrees without cream sauces or butter, and to substitute fresh vegetables for starches.

Because I had eaten enough at each meal to feel totally satisfied, can you imagine my shock tonight when I saw the total number of calories I consumed today hovering just under 1200??! I almost passed out.

And even though I didn't get to do any cardio, we did walk over two miles today.

All in all, another good on-plan day on the road. Wahooooo!!

Saved by the Crawfish!

2008-04-02T07:32:00.009-05:00

Greetings from Lafayette, LA!

Decent weather, a comfortable flight schedule and good crews made for pleasant travel yesterday. I navigated the airports with a meal replacement bar for breakfast and lunch, plus a large apple for a 3 p.m. snack.

By dinner last night, I was hungry - but not desperate - to eat. Perhaps the anticipation of getting to eat my first boiled crawfish of the season fueled the appetite. Nonetheless, I had already researched the nutrition info for the spicey protein bites, and was pleased to learn I could pinch three ounces of tails before I logged 70 calories. That, plus a green salad with lo-fat dressing was great!

Whatever I did eat, I definitely worked off on Randol's dance floor (click that link for MUSIC!)and on the treadmill back at the hotel!

Do You Compensate for Cardio?

2008-04-01T08:00:00.004-05:00

Fitness expert Craig Ballantyne admits cardio exercise is perplexing. In theory, it should work the same for everyone, he says. But it doesn't. Some people do cardio six hours, nine hours, or more per week, and still have belly fat to burn. It works just fine for others.

To get some insight into the reason for this, British researchers studied 35 overweight men and women who weren't previously exercising. Subjects did cardio five times per week for 12 weeks. On average, they lost a respectable 8.2 pounds. However, the variance between individuals was huge. One of the 35 subjects lost a staggering 32.3 pounds, while one actually gained 3.74 pounds. The scientists think they know why.

They classified the subjects into two groups: those who lost the least amount of weight (the "Compensators") and those who lost the most (the "Non-Compensators"). Turns out the cardio exercise made the Compensators hungry. As a result, they wound up consuming more than 250 extra calories per day... all but wiping out their weight-loss efforts. The Non-Compensators, though, did not experience an increase in their appetites (and therefore, did not compensate for hunger by eating more).

If your cardio program is not working for you, Ballantyne suggests you check your post-exercise appetite level and calorie intake to see if you are a "Compensator." If you are, you might be better off with a program of high-intensity resistance and interval training.

(Craig Ballantyne is the creator of the Turbulence Training for Fat Loss system. For a free online source of information, motivation, and social support to help you improve your health, lose weight, and get fit, sign up for Early to Rise's free natural health e-letter.)

***Ding, ding, ding! HYC Tuesday check-in: All things considered, it was a good week. I did figure out one day last week I had miscalculated my inches lost. It WAS 22.7 (not 24.75); now, 24. Average daily calorie consumption was 1268. Still, I lost only one pound (What’s up with THAT?!), bringing my total weight loss since Jan 15 to 26 pounds.

Because I ate right and exercised six days, I’m choosing to believe that as I’m losing fat, I’m also building muscle, which weighs more; consequently, the apparent “mediocre” loss this week.

The good news is I’m still two weeks ahead of schedule toward my goal weight planned for August 12.

How Nice!

2008-03-31T08:30:00.007-05:00

This morning, Hanlie surprised several bloggers with a "Nice Matters" award for being "nice people, good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world.” Thanks, Hanlie! (Sniff, sniff.)

Because Hanlie has already received her Nice Matters Award, I'll pay mine forward by awarding the honor to:
* Diana - for creating the 2008 Healthy You Challenge and giving all of us a forum to make new friends, share our challenges and celebrate our victories.
* Pattie for her sweet spirit, kind comments, and because
us "fifty-something's" have to stick together!
* Cammie for her upbeat, down-to-earth, no nonsense approach
toward life that helps to keep me grounded.

Receiving the Nice Matters Award reminded me of this verse
by Marianne Williamson:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are
powerful beyond measure.
It is out light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest
the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.

Have a great week!

Inspiration: Where We Sit

2008-03-30T13:00:00.006-05:00

Count me in with the crowd who is responding to Felicia's request for us to post a picture of "Where We Sit." Well, here it is - my home office. My computer faces a large window that looks over our front yard, then across the street to a wooded area that lines the backside of a country club golf course. It's a lovely place to observe the changing seasons.

"Being seated" is actually an ancient concept with a wide range of meanings - including responsiveness, authority and rest. Etiquette dictates where guests of honor are seated at a dinner table, a wedding and other important events. The Buddha is typically pictured seated on a lotus flower. The Bible says that we are seated with Christ in heavenly places.

For us, "where we sit" mentally either augments or undermines our efforts to lose weight and become fit. If we passionately believe and say NOW, "I am a Divinely healthy and fit human being," we activate a whole set of desires in line with that expressed belief. By choosing thoughts in line with our originating Spirit, we leave no room for unhealthy habits.

"It may happen gradually, but there it is," says Wayne Dyer. "You see yourself not living in fear or overly focused on your appearance. This wonderful awareness of self-acceptance combines with a strong desire to treat your body with respect...You've found a better way to balance and enjoy your life by trusting your thoughts to attract the health you desire."

By choosing to be seated as a guest of honor with Spirit - which has no excess fat, indigestion, hunger pangs or overeating habits - you relegate your ego (which identifies with body) to a place way down the table.

"Truly, you are not what you eat or how much you exercise," Dyer concludes," but rather what you believe about the you that you're presently birthing in your thoughts."

Quotes from Being In Balance: 9 Principles for Creating Habits to Match Your Desires

Run, Ready Maid, Run!

2008-03-29T09:00:00.010-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, a few well-meaning folks who knew of my upcoming media trip to Brenham, Texas, said, "You're gonna hafta eat; so, you might as well prepare yourself.
Setbacks are inevitable."

Ummm, maybe not. In the first place, if I were to actually believe that, the entire universe would go to work
to create setbacks for me. Period.

Secondly, I believe that knowing ahead of time when you're going to be in challenging situations creates an opportunity to PREPARE and STRATEGIZE. To do otherwise is to digress into rationalizing irrational behavior, making food our "sweet poison," as Dr. Phil says. "This sort of payoff system, in which you reward yourself with food or overeating, is irrational, counterproductive and cannot be a plus in any sense of the word," he continues. "It undoes any good you've done to yourself and shifts into reverse any progress you've made toward your weight-loss goal. Stop justifying your behavior in that manner." That makes sense.

With that in mind, I'm writing this post in preparation for next week's media trip to south Louisiana to explore the state's new Culinary Trails program. (Deep breath.) "We will greet you at the airport with jalapeno sausage bread and follow that with boudin to hold you over until our late lunch at 1:30," the itinerary begins. (One peep at those nutrition labels will curb your appetite in a heartbeat!)

Here's how I will stay on-plan while I'm gone:
* Continue aerobic exercise by Cajun dancing at Randol's, using the treadmill in the hotel gyms and walking the B&B grounds.
* Continue strength training, using the ProGym I will pack in my suitcase.
* Order substitutes for high-fat, high-calorie items, when possible.
* Pack protein bars and purchase fruit to keep in my hotel room.
* Take my camera and notepad to every meal, so that when set menus dictate off-plan choices, I can spend time taking pictures (of uneaten food) and interviewing the chef. By the time I actually start eating, everybody else will be nearly finished - giving me an opportunity to "taste" food without being too obvious that I am not consuming full portions.
* Smile, smile, smile. Getting fit is a privilege, not a punishment.
My intent is to make no one who is aware of my goals feel that I am being deprived of anything.
* Blog each night I'm on the road. You folks are a tremendous support system for which I am most grateful.

Quotes from The Ultimate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom

Recommended : Frozen Breakfast Blend

2008-03-28T10:00:00.006-05:00

Getting my husband to "eat healthy" is sort of like training a child. One of the hardest things I've tackled so far is
finding a way to boost his breakfast protein intake - especially since he's not
a real breakfast-eater, anyway.

Anybody familiar with a drink called an Orange Julius ? Well, we lucked into a similar, protein-packed breakfast version that DH tosses back like no tomorrow.

Here's the recipe:

1 envelope Trim Advantage Sugar-Free Drink Mix /
Tropical Orange Flavor
1 scoop Nutralite Protein Powder
8 oz. water
6-8 ice cubes
Blend until ice cubes are totally mushed - like a frozen margarita!

If you drink the whole thing by yourself, here's what you get:
* 25 whoppin' grams of protein!
* Balanced amounts of nine essential and 11 non-essential
amino acids
* 35% of the daily value for 24 essential vitamins and minerals. including 100 mg of calcium
* No sugar, no fat, no cholesterol
* Only 155 calories

Of course, if you do as we do and split the drink, you still get half the amounts listed above. What a great way to start the day!

Share the love, Baby.

All Choked Up

2008-03-27T22:00:00.002-05:00

From my desk calendar today:

Here's a sure-fire diet: eat small portions of food you don't like.

HA!

Whey Cool!

2008-03-27T06:00:00.003-05:00

When I talked to my son on the phone last night, Wayne said, "Wow, Mom! The last thing I ever expected to be talking to YOU about is working out with weights. This is way cool!"

James B. LaValle, R. Ph., CCN, MSi - a licensed pharmacist, board certified clinical nutritionist, and doctor of naturopathic medicine, with more than 20 years of clinical experience in the field of natural therapeutics and functional medicine - says one of the things that bothers many of his patients about growing older is losing the strong, muscular body they enjoyed in their youth. There are lots of good reasons to want strong, healthy muscles. While "washboard abs" may not be a realistic goal for you, strengthening your abdominal muscles can play a big role in protecting your back against injury. Plus, a muscular body burns more calories than a fat body (Yay!) - even when you're not exercising (Yay!) - by simply raising your "basal" (resting) metabolic rate.

Muscle in your body is constantly being built up and broken down. That makes whey protein an excellent food to consider. Whey comes from the liquid that remains after milk has been processed into cheese, and there are very good reasons why it's so popular with body builders. In one study, published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, whey not only increased muscle more than casein (the protein found in cheese), but also contributed to loss of body fat. But whey can do a lot more than help you build healthy muscles. It can help you build a healthy immune system and boost your metabolism, thereby helping to keep your mood upbeat and sunny.

You can pick up whey at most health food stores or you can get it right here. Blend it into your favorite shakes or mix it into an eight-ounce glass of milk or water. If you're strength training, you'll probably find the whey protein not only helps energize your workout, but also helps to rebuild your muscles afterward.

[Jim LaValle is a contributor to ETR's free natural health newsletter and the author of 13 books, including Cracking the Metabolic Code.]

Working Hard or Hardly Working?

2008-03-26T08:00:00.003-05:00

Bob Greene says a workout that feels too easy (little sweating, no huffing and puffing, for example) won't produce any real results. So how do you know if your sweat sessions are challenging enough to help you slim down? You can rely on the perceived exertion scale, a tool that uses your breathing to determine how hard you're working out. Ideally, you want to be exercising at a 7 or 8. Here's a look at what each number represents:

0 This is how you feel at rest. You're not tired and your breathing is normal.

1 This is how you feel while working at your desk or reading. There is no fatigue and your breathing is normal.

2 This is what you feel like when you're getting dressed. There is little or no feeling of fatigue, and your breathing is still normal.

3 This is how you feel while walking across a room to turn on the TV. You may feel a bit fatigued. You may also be aware of your breathing, but it's still natural and slow.

4 This is the way you feel when you're walking slowly outside. There is a slight feeling of fatigue and your breathing is slightly elevated, but you're comfortable. You should experience this level at the start of your warm-up.

5 This is how you feel while walking at a normal pace. You're aware of your breathing, which is now deeper, and there is a slight feeling of fatigue. You should experience this level at the end of your warm-up.

6 This is how you feel while walking to a meeting that you're late for. There's a feeling of fatigue, but you can maintain this level of exertion. Your breathing is deep and you're aware of it. This is how you should feel as you transition from warm-up to your regular exercise session.

7 This is how you feel when you are exercising vigorously. There's a feeling of fatigue, but you're sure you can maintain this level for the rest of your session. Your breathing is deep and you're aware of it. You could carry on a conversation, but would probably not choose to do so. You should try to maintain this level during your workouts.

8 This is how you feel when you're exercising very vigorously. You're feeling fatigued and if you asked yourself if you could continue this pace for the remainder of your exercise session, your answer would be that you think you could, but you're not sure. Your breathing is very deep, and though you could still carry on a conversation, you don't feel like it. You should only try to exercise at this level after you feel comfortable enough at level 7. This is the level that produces rapid results for many people.

9 This is what you feel when you're exercising very, very vigorously. You'd definitely feel fatigued and you probably wouldn't be able to maintain this level for very long. Your breathing is very labored and it would be difficult to talk. You may sometimes reach this level when trying to reach an 8 on the scale; if you hit this point, slow up until you're back down to a level 7 or 8.

10 This level is all-out exercise. It's so difficult, you couldn't maintain it for very long, and therefore, there's no benefit to it.

(For all you C25K people, I'm wondering if this approach will work for your training program?)

Healthy You Challenge Check In

2008-03-25T16:00:00.004-05:00

The seventh key in Dr. Phil's "The Ultimate Weight Solution" is about assembling a circle of support.

"You need people to believe in you, and if they cannot do that, then you may have to re-invent your relationships and surround yourself with people who will...Don't continue to pretend that you don't know who has your best interests at heart and who does not. You know it as surely as you are sitting there. Give yourself permission to act on that knowledge and claim your right to a healthy existence."

Fortunately, I didn't have to nix any folks off my list. I've got a great group of supporters who fall into the slots on Dr. Phil's recommended team:

* The Coach - someone with technical expertise or professional training who can provide knowledge on nutrition, exercise or some other aspect of health management. (For me, it's my trainer.)

* The Teammate - someone whose weight loss and fitness goals are similar to your own. (My hubby falls into this category, as does my workout buddy.)

* The Cheerleader - Someone to give you honest, meaningful words of encouragement, building you up at critical times and offering support without a hint of judgmental attitude. (This is my sister and YOU!)

* The Umpire - This is a good observer and listener who cares enough about you to tell you the truth, constructively and helpfully. (You'll recognize him as Dr. George Monta when he comments.)

So far, this approach is working wonders to help me maintain accountability and a commitment to healthy living.

Since January 15, I have lost 25 pounds and 24.75 inches.
Thanks, everybody!

Quotes from The Ultimate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom

Peace or Drama?

2008-03-24T16:00:00.004-05:00

Getting started on The Best Life program was fairly easy. "Get a grip on emotional eating, eat breakfast, have an eating cutoff time, drink plenty of water and abstain from alcohol." Check.

Next, I got warmed up to the idea of becoming more active, simply by moving more - which for me translated into doing an extra "lap" around the living room-dining room-kitchen circuit of the house each time I went for another cup of coffee during working hours. (I office at home.)

Ten weeks into the program, I'm officially in Phase 3 of Bob Greene's exercise plan - which involves a minimum of five days aerobic exercise (150-249.9 minutes) and two days of strength training
(6 exercises each day). But once I found out that building muscle turns you into a fat-burning incinerator, strength training became appealing enough that I now do three sessions a week. And the payoff has been a loss of nearly 25 inches!

One thing that has sort of caught me off guard is how losing weight can leave you feeling exposed, vulnerable. This journey eclipses a mathematical formula of burning more calories than you eat. The real transformation happens inside, where you peel back layer after layer of stuff - most of which is a mask for what's really been hiding underneath a cocoon of fat.

Sarah Ban Breathnach declares it takes tenacity and daring to travel to the darkest interior of one's self:

"Our dragons are our fears: our day stalkers, our night sweats. Fear of the unknown. Fear of failing. Fear of starting something new and not finishing. Again. Or the real rear, the one that sends shivers up our spines: the fear of succeeding, of becoming our authentic selves and facing the changes that will inevitably bring. We might not be happy with the way we are living now, but at least it's safely familiar."

If you're following Oprah's "A New Earth" webinar with Eckhart Tolle, you're familiar with the illusory identity of the ego.

"Can you feel that there is something in you that is at war, something that feels threatened and wants to survive at all cost, that needs drama in order to assert its identity as the victorious character within your theatrical production? Can you feel there is something in you that would rather be right than at peace?" (Insert the nagging negative voice in your head.)

Dear friends, we are doing far more than losing physical weight. We are losing the trappings of what was not really "us" at all. By taking up the swords of Love and Light on behalf of our true selves, we are revealing the "what-I-AM-is-wonderful" us. And that makes it all worth the effort.

Quotes from Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy
and A NEW EARTH by Eckhart Tolle

Inspiration: Family and Friends

2008-03-23T16:00:00.007-05:00

Holidays at my mom's house are always a treat, and today was no exception. After church, we enjoyed a healthy lunch and a couple hours of pleasant conversation.

Yesterday, I received an email from long-time friend, Mary Weeks-Ayala. Having fought a courageous two-year battle with liver cancer, she and her husband left Dallas today, headed back to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston for what is scheduled to be the final operation to rid her body of that tortuous disease!

Whenever I hesitate the slightest bit on my exercise regimen, I consider Mary, who, for the past two years, would give anything to feel well enough to go to the gym.

Mary's perspective on Easter is better than any I could write. I invite you to read the inspirational words from her own blog. And while you're there, feel free to leave a note of encouragement.
(Click here to meet Mary.)

To Love, Honor, Cherish...Yourself!

2008-03-22T21:00:00.011-05:00

Yesterday, we explored our struggle to quiet the negative, accusing voices that keep us bound in the past, anxious of the future - forever tossed like debris in the wind of a busy mind.

Today, I picked up a book given to me by a friend in 1995, when I was newly divorced. Sarah Ban Breathnach's words from the
March 13 entry of Simple Abundance had new meaning today.

"Today, we make peace with the past: with the bodies and faces we were born with and those that have evolved. Today, we embrace the lines that stare back at us, the parts that sag in the middle or stick out where they shouldn't, the hair that never keeps a curl or never loses it. We begin when we invoke the Tibetan prayer and Teacher Saraha's song of praise. 'Here in this body are the sacred rivers; here are the sun and moon as well as all the pilgrimage places...I have not encountered another temple as blissful as my own body.'

"It will take a bit of doing, learning to love all our personal pilgrimage places. However, before genuine love can flourish, we must finally accept ourselves exactly as we are today. Not tomorrow or next week or when we lose 25 pounds. Remember, acceptance is acknowledging the reality of a situation: that we're heavier than we'd like to be, for example, or that our complexion is ruddy or sallow, or that we've got gray streaks, or that leggings just don't work for us. Most of us think of other women as beauties, never ourselves. But every woman was created by Spirit to be a genuine beauty. We learn how to reveal to the world our unique radiance only after we acknowledge it ourselves. Today, take as your personal mantra:
I am what I am and what I am is wonderful."

Quotes from Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy

"...a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Whatchu Say!?

2008-03-21T22:00:00.005-05:00

Today, I recognized a pattern of thinking that recurs each time I approach this stage of weight loss. Because my mind can't seem to wrap around the changes in my body, the internal dialogue goes like this: "Wow, I'm starting to feel thin. My clothes are getting loose. Healthy eating and exercise are starting to pay off."

"Are you kidding?" the other voice answers. "You still weigh more than your brother! Have you measured your thighs lately??"

And so it goes, ad nauseum. Back and forth. Back and forth.

Fertile Healthy posted a passage written by Christine Northrup that suggests women need to be in tune with their bodies.

"What is your image of yourself? How do you think you look to the world? To yourself? Through years of chronic dissatisfaction with their bodies and chronic dieting, many women develop an unrealistic image of themselves. Some feel much heavier than they actually are. But women who are in touch with their inner guidance system will often appear taller and more imposing physically than their actual body size indicates. The way you feel about yourself creates an electromagnetic field of energy around you that broadcasts these feelings to the world and attracts your reality to you. Choose your signal consciously."

Dr. Phil advises that we combat negative internal dialog with a confident verbal affirmation that reinforces mastery over previously destructive behaviors:

"It feels good to be in control. When I get up in the morning, I'm excited about the day. No longer ashamed of my reflection in the mirror, I like what I see and I'm proud of who I am. I've found the discipline to eat according to my needs rather than being driven by self-destructive habits, impulses, or diets. Able to face the day without overeating, I no longer allow habit and cues to dictate my life. I have a rock-solid foundation for my new eating habits that cannot be destroyed. I live more fully now that my body is functioning better, and I am free to forget about food and get on with living. Gone are my old excesses, and I now have time to use for productive, enjoyable activities....When I walk into a room, people are cheering for me because they have known and shared my struggle...As my body gets thinner, healthier and more athletic, I experience it with greater awareness and pleasure. I have gained a new satisfaction and self-respect in whatever I choose to do. I know life wont be a bed of roses in the future any more than it is today, but I know how to deal with difficulties. I know how to handle life with greater maturity. I know how to cope with life in positive ways without escaping into food. I am no longer going in circles but moving forward with tremendous clarity about why I am in this world and what I am supposed to do while I am here. There is adventure in my day and joy in my heart. I have learned to live a life of meaning and significance."

As I move forward, my intention is to repeat this sort of affirmation out loud until it drowns out the "other" voice that wants to doubt, question and undermine the progress I am making.

How do you monitor your internal dialog?

(Dr. Phil's quote from The Ultimate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom)

Back in the Nest

2008-03-20T21:30:00.002-05:00

DH and I each had uneventful travel days today, returning home after having been in different states on business all week.

If you read my blog post Monday, you know what a test of commitment and creativity a press tour can be to somebody like me who’s trying to stay on plan. Now that I'm back home, I can look back on the week with no regrets - thanks in large part to the enouragement from all my faithful HYC friends who cheered me along the way.

A few “aha” moments on this trip are worth sharing. When I pulled my luggage across the inclined crossover from the parking garage to the airport terminal, I felt strong, not strained this time. Also, I was able to walk around all day every day - usually about four miles - without feeling fatigued or experiencing horrible lower back pain…which used to happen any time I had to stand a long time. I was also able to “stay aware” during meals all week, eating to satisfy hunger instead of something else.

One very nice surprise happened this afternoon when I got home. After DH asked me to go out for a healthy dinner, I changed clothes and learned I can now fit back into my size 14 pants!!

WAHOO!!

Bushed, but Smiling!

2008-03-19T23:45:00.006-05:00

One more GoFit ProGym workout this morning before a healthy breakfast of low-fat yogurt and an apple got me off to a good start for the last day of our press tour in Washington County, Texas.

A busy schedule throughout the day helped to log plenty of footsteps for exercise. Food choices at subsequent meals were once again broad enough to include fresh fruit, salads with low-fat dressings, plus grilled meat and steamed or sauteed vegetables

The big surprise of the day came just before lunch at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station, Texas.

The former President and Mrs. Bush were in town to greet an Australian ambassador, but were kind enough to share their time and hospitality with our group. Visiting with such a kind and gracious couple was a special treat to end a fun, informative and diverse week.

Under the Food Radar

2008-03-18T22:00:00.003-05:00

Compared to yesterday, today was a breeze - mostly because I had more choices from which to make healthy-eating selections.

To begin with, our host at The Murski Homestead B&B offered yogurt with fresh fruit for breakfast.

Much to my surprise, lunch at an old family-run cafe turned out fine, too. I was skeptical when I saw the plate special...hamburger steak with gravy, mashed potatoes and gravy and corn. Everybody at my table ordered either giant hamburgers with fries or grilled cheese sandwiches with onion rings. You get the picture.

I almost hated to ask about salads, but I did choose a fajita chicken salad without the cheese. When it arrived, the lettuce was fresh, the bowl was full of crisp veggies, and the chicken was well-seasoned and moist. They even had Wishbone Salad Spritzers! I gotta admit, though, it WAS hard watching everybody else eat those awesome-looking homemade pies for dessert.

For dinner, even though it was a set menu, I enjoyed a green salad, a grilled salmon fillet, and steamed fresh asparagus.

I even managed to work in a crisp, cold apple this afternoon as well as a cup of popcorn during the cocktail hour.

Total calories, just under 1200. Wahoo, AGAIN!! Stay tuned for the last two days on the road. One of the most effective ways to help me stay on course is knowing I'll be writing a blog post at the end of the day; and weigh-in rolls around every Tuesday.

How do you cope with food temptation away from home?

Choices, Choices, Choices

2008-03-17T22:02:00.014-05:00

Well, my friends, today was a challenge. Beginning with breakfast, I felt like a newly sober alchoholic in a bar.

Here in Brenham, Texas, we stayed in a very cool B&B
last night; but the second B
almost did me in this morning. Check out this breakfast menu: Custard-soaked french bread, topped with cream cheese, strawberries and chocolate sauce; ham and cheese egg strada with cilantro sauce with a side of salsa; and pork breakfast sausage.
(I ate a cherry almond meal replacement bar!)

For lunch, we were served turkey and cheese sandwiches, potato chips, broccoli salad, kosher pickle spears and brownies! (I ate the meat and one slice of cheese from the sandwich, plus the broccoli salad and pickle.)

During a short late-afternoon break, I found fresh fruit in the kitchen of my new B&B - where I'll be until Thursday. I don't know when I've ever been so glad to eat an apple!

For dinner, the other journalists enjoyed a buffet of taco casserole, chicken and sour cream enchiladas, crawfish jambalaya, chips, guacamole, beef tenderloin and dewberry cobbler.
(I ate the beef tenderloin and a tablespoon of fresh avocado.)

The good news is that before breakfast, I got in a full workout with my new ProGym. During the day, I wore my pedometer, and logged 7,508 steps traipsing around the delightful community of Brenham, Texas.

Oh, I forgot to mention our stop at the Blue Bell Creameries, where they talked about ice cream for an hour before treating everybody to Homemade Vanilla, Cookies and Cream and Celebration Cupcake varieties. I took lots of notes...and watched.

Total calories consumed today? 1230. Whew! I'm glad that's over.

Trippin' Out

2008-03-16T00:00:00.009-05:00

Harldy anything is more fun than a grandchild's birthday party, usually. Especially when it's
the first birthday for
the first grandchild.

But when it came to driving 155 miles one way for the two-hour event, then turning around and driving 155 miles home so that I could pack and be ready to leave by 6 a.m. this morning to catch a flight and be gone for the next five days, things got complicated. At least they were complicated in my head.

After I had finally quieted the obsessive voice rattling off excuses not to go, I recognized the real reason I didn't want to make the trip was because I knew I would see a lot of folks I hadn't seen since my son's wedding in 2006...when I was 20 pounds lighter than I am right now. Simply put, I was projecting embarrassment. As if the party were about ME. How pitiful, I told that silly voice in my head.

So yep, I sucked it up. Threw some fruit, a protein bar and a bottle of water in the car and made the trip. The first thing my 25-year old son said was, "Dang, Mamma! You look GOOD!" After that, nothing else mattered. (And I politely passed on cake and ice cream.)

On the way home, sunshine warmed the spring afternoon temperatures to the mid-70s. I opened the moon roof, turned up the music and enjoyed beautiful memories of a few minutes with that precious one-year-old grandson all the way home!

P.S. I also put in a 35-minute aerobic workout at the gym before I left this morning!

There's a Revolution Going On!

2008-03-15T01:00:00.007-05:00

The other day, we discussed the benefits of massage. Today, I realized there's more to it than that.

For instance, whenever I used to get a massage, the first thing I did was to ask for an extra towel, sheet, cover-up, robe...whatever, because usually the ency-weensy one they put out wouldn't cover my butt and thighs. Today, the "usual" one fit, although it was still a bit snug when I sat down.

Before today, I used to always make excuses why my shoulders and back were all tight with marble-sized stress knots, telling the therapist: "I'm a journalist, blah, blah, blah." (Translation: "I sit on my tush at my computer all day long, but am not disciplined enough to prioritize exercise.")

BUT TODAY...!!! When that precious woman started working her magic on my shoulders, back and even my arms, I felt something like speed bumps. Back (blip) and forth (blip). Back (blip) and forth (blip). Every time, the same. IT WAS MUSCLES! REAL MUSCLES!!
I almost cried.

The knots-and-gravel that used to plague my shoulders weren't even there when Yolanda started today's massage. And the work she did perform helped to ease the muscle soreness from yesterday's follow-up visit with my trainer.

Underneath this melting layer of flab, there's a muscular revolution going on. One day, it will be obvious to more than just the massage therapist.

Easy Dessert Recipe: Baked Pears

2008-03-14T23:47:00.005-05:00

The dinner we hosted last night for my brother and niece plus a couple of close friends turned out great.

We drizzled Ginger Pear dressing over a spinach salad accented with fresh tangerine sections. For the entree, a three-ounce portion of butterflied pork chop took on a sweet and savory character under a sauce sauce made from sugarless strawberry jam and onion soup mix. This was accompanied by green bean bundles wrapped in turkey bacon, and brown rice cooked in chicken broth with small pineapple chunks added before serving. Petite fresh mushrooms stuffed with olive tapenade and a tiny bit of parmesan cheese browned under the broiler, finished the presentation.

But the hit of the evening was dessert: Baked Pears.

6-8 ripe pears, pealed
1/2 c. Sugar Free Maple Flavored Syrup
2 Tbls. honey
3 Tbls. water
1 tsp. lemon juice
pinch of ginger

Leave the stem on the pears; peel, then slice a small section off the bottom so that they stand up in an ovenproof dish. Mix all other ingredients. Pour over pears. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Serve hot, with a splash of the juice poured over the top of each pear.

OMG. Everybody LOVED this dessert. Me, too!

(Somebody will have to help me figure out the nutrition info, though.)

Move that Muscle

2008-03-13T00:01:00.007-05:00

Ruminate these words from Bob Greene's Total Body Makeover: "Muscle is the most calorie-hungry tissue in the body; maintaining it uses about four times the amount of calories that maintaining fat does...Strength training can do wonders to reverse muscle loss...Some research suggests that you can reverse two decades of muscle loss in just eight weeks if you stength train conscientiously."

And if that weren't enough, listen to this: "Strength training with weights also builds bone, lowering your risk of osteoporosis, and increases the body's ability to use insulin to clear sugar from the blood, reducing the risk of diabetes."

OK, but what if all that weight training makes me sore, I wondered? (Don't worry. If you do it right, you'll be a little sore.)
Remedy? Get a massage!

Research indicates that massage can have a positive effect on your muscle-building capabilities and fitness levels, which in turn increases your capacity to control or lose weight. Other research shows massage bursts the fat capsule in subcutaneous tissue so that the fat exudes and becomes absorbed. In this way, combined with proper nutrition and exercise, massage may actually help in weight loss. (Read more...)

Soooo, I've got my first follow-up appointment with a trainer this morning. Later this afternoon, my brother and niece arrive for a long weekend. Guess what we're doing tomorrow?
Thermal baths and massages!

The Best Way to Get Tanked

2008-03-12T00:00:00.010-05:00

After work today, DH and I made a quick run to Wal-Mart to exchange empty propane tanks for a full ones so that we could grill shishkabobs for dinner.

After we pulled back into the driveway, DH popped open the tailgate and asked if I could carry one of the two full tanks to the deck.

Sure, I thought. No problem.

Lifting the the tank off the truckbed, it quickly made more sense to carry it with two hands, close to my body, to keep from straining my back. Looking down, I read the label: 17.5 pounds.

"Honey, get a load of this!" I yelled back through the garage. "We've each lost more weight than these tanks weigh!!"

Wow. And hurray for spontaneous celebrations!

Have you had an "aha" moment of comparing your weightloss to external objects?

Recommended: Maple Grove All Natural Dressings

2008-03-11T15:14:00.013-05:00

Thursday night, we're hosting dinner for out-of-town family and local friends, all of whom live in households where gourmet food and genuine hospitality are prized.

In my efforts to create a healthy menu with some pizazz in the taste department, I picked up Maple Grove All Natural Salad Dressings in three tempting varieties: Ginger Pear, Blueberry Pomegranate and Strawberry Balsamic. Other varieties include Champagne Vinaigrette and
Maple Fig.

Nutritional breakdowns like this make the products even more enticing. (Sugar-free , fat-free and gluten-free items are also available.)

The website is particularly informative, complete with some great-looking recipes. I'll keep you posted as the Thursday night menu evolves.

***In other news, it's Tuesday
Weigh-In time. This week I'm pleased to report another two-pound weight loss and a body reduction of an additional half-inch, for a grand total of 22 pounds/18.25" lost since January 15.

Here's where the inches are disappearing using the
BestLife program of nutritious eating and progressive exercise: bust, 5"; waist, 6"; hips, 3"; upper arms, 1.75"; upper thighs, 2"; calves, .5" (Last three categories are not doubled for right and left, which would make the total even more exciting!)

Thanks to each of your for your thoughtful words of support.
Rebecca

The Numbers Game

2008-03-10T10:14:00.025-05:00

"So, what size dress are you wearing these days?" asked my workout buddy, who has just returned from a three-week vacation in sunny California.

"Still in a 16," I answered, floundering in unexpected vulnerability.

"How did that happen?" she replied, innocently enough. Inside, though, it felt as if she had accused me of falling off the fitness wagon while she was away.

(Instantly, I remembered Dr. Phil's advice about internal dialogue and realized I am the only one who can let a friend's casual question create a toxic inner environment
for me. A convincing heap of evidence proving
I'm on the right track - 20 pounds and
17.75 inches lost since January 15 - barricaded the barrage of wrong thinking that had created
my uncomfortable moment in the first place.)

After a deep breath, I answered calmly, "It happened before I started the BestLife plan, when I had gotten too big for a 16.
I simply refused to buy any larger sizes. And although the 16's
are comfortably loose now, I'm not quite back into the 14's."

So keep comin' around, Cowgirls. We ain't even close to the end
of this trail.

Need help balancing your own numbers?
Read Moon's excellent post.

Need help with internal dialogue?
Read this 2 Book Set: The Ulitmate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom/The Ultimate Weight Solution Food Guide

Road Hard

2008-03-09T09:00:00.006-05:00

I knew a quick turnaround visit to Jackson, Miss., would present some challenges to my eating and exercise routines, especially because I was riding with someone else.

First stop on the road: 2 p.m. lunch at McDonald's. Thank goodness for their salad menus, from which I ordered the Southwest Salad without the cheese or tortilla strips.

When we finally arrived to meet the family for dinner at 5:30, our casual meal had already been prepared - lasagne with extra cheese, green beans, French bread and a salad. (Hooray for salad and low-fat dressing!)

Because my family members are part of my support group, they understood when I passed on everything but the green beans and salad. My sweet sister-in-law pointed the way to the fridge, where she had stocked a good selection of fresh fruit and veggies. It actually worked out fine.

After my niece's play performance last night, we all gathered one more time for - you guessed it - pound cake and ice cream at 9 p.m.

Yep, it was a little uncomfortable being the "odd man out," but
1) that's part of accepting the responsibility for being overweight in the first place, and 2) knowing that small sacrifices along the way will be SOOOOO worth the results in the end.

Back at the hotel at 10 p.m., I teetered between going to work out or just taking a shower and hitting the sack...especially since the time would "spring forward" during the night.

Not wanting to record a day of no activity on my exercise log or to report a poor choice on this blog post was enough to motivate me to change clothes and head to the fitness center for a 30-minute treadmill session.

Hot and sweaty when I returned to the room, I slept soundly, proud of the day's effort and thankful for supportive friends and family.

Thanks, Team!!