What to eat!

I think most would agree that exercise is an important part of health, but there is also that other part of the equation...FOOD!  What the hell are we supposed to eat!  Go to the bookstore (or online) and search for "diet and nutrition books"....the results are mindblowing!  My quick Google search came back with over 60 million results!  And all of these books say something else....low carb, low fat, whole grains, don't eat any grains, eat like a caveman, eat high fat but mostly protein, go vegetarian, no dairy, dairy 3x day, vegan.....the list goes on!
   
There are books and research to support any of the above.  Hell there's even The Candy Diet!  I must admit as a the owner of a sweet tooth, this sounds pretty.....ummm "sweet"!  I'm not nutritionist or a scientist, but my amazing words of wisdom....when it comes to deciding what you want to shovel down your pie-hole.....K.I.S.S!  Yes, the Keep It Simple Stupid!  Chances are if it comes in a box or can, it's loaded with salt, sugar, preservatives and hell of a lot of ingredients you can't pronounce.  Think of it this way, if your brain is having an issue processing how to pronounce an ingredient, I'm guessing your stomach is just as baffled as to how to digest it!

 If reading labels is too complicated, just shop the produce and meat section of the grocery store, problem solved!  I have never seen a bell pepper with a list of ingredients on it!  Look at all of the beautiful colors in the produce section...green, red, yellow, purple, orange....BRIGHT, VIBRANT, LIVELY colors!  What do you find in the bread isle, different shades of LIFELESS brown!  How many people say "brown" is their favorite color?  I'm guessing not many.

Throw your taste-buds aside for a moment and look at the following items, which one looks more inviting?  Remember don't be guided by your taste-buds!  I'm really hoping you are selecting the salad here!  Now go to the grocery and look at all of the processed foods, are they in boxes and cans that are in bright colors?  Hmmmm, could be because, we are SUPPOSED to eat foods that are colorful?  

 

Here's an interesting note.....ever think about what FDA stands for?  That would be the good old "Food and Drug Administration"  Let's think about this....why the hell are these 2 things together!?  Ummm drugs in our food?  I'm going to go a bit Nancy Regan here and just "Say No", I prefer my food is drug-free thanks.  Don't let the government dictate how you should eat, just look at how they have changed their tune! 

They used to recommend eating  just as many fruits and vegetables, as processed grains!  Check out today's guidelines...grains are not stressed nearly as much.

 

THINK about what you eat and decide for YOURSELF!  Happy grocery shopping, you'll find me in the perimeter and not down the center isles :)

Enjoy the Journey!

Still sick...ugg!

I managed to do some light cardio yesterday, my body is craving some training!  My day is not complete without a sweat.  This leads me to today's post.....exercise/training so many look at it as a means to an end.  Viewing a workout or training session with some of the following thoughts...:"this is going to help my lose weight", "I'm getting healthier", "I can eat more tonight!"  True these can be great motivating factors, but why not enjoy the workout for what it is?  A moment to focus on YOU and to have some fun!

I don't see many people show up at the gym with a smile on their face.  I usually do, but then again I may not be completely sane....I do race Ironman :)  Look at most people at the gym, they look like they are marching into a colonoscopy!  Granted we all have days where we would rather sit on the couch, but maybe it is about changing your mind-set to "wow, I'm an able-bodied person, look at the cool shit I can do!"  In my triathlon training log, I have the following quote "Some day my body will not be able to do this. TODAY IS NOT THAT DAY!"

We are so focused on suffering or pushing through a workout just to get to the end, do we take the time to appreciate and ENJOY it?  Greg Anderson says it best "Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” So today, if you are blessed with the health and ability to hit the gym, or go to yoga or just walk around the block......have fun and enjoy yourself!

Notice of Eviction to my cold

Dear Cold,

THIS WILL SERVE AS YOUR NOTICE OF EVICTION!!! 

You have now invaded my body for close to a week and I think it's time we part ways.  While giving you shelter in my body, I have fed you and given you plenty of fluids.....even 2 glasses of wine.  I have increased my vitamin C and I'm eating grapefruit as if its going out of style.  I have camped out on the couch for days, there is an ass imprint on my couch.  Granted I have watched a ton of movies, in fact RedBox and I may start a passionate love affair.   I have ignored my training in hopes that you would move on more quickly if you were not stressed by my daily workouts.

HOWEVER, you have become the house guest that will not leave!  Your presence is more annoying than those who step out onto my bathmat with wet feet!  You have over-stayed your welcome and I'm sick of feeling sick!  Granted you only visit once a year, but I have had enough!  Today is your last day, it's time to pack up this stuffy head, runny noise and lousy cough and get the fuck out!!!  I have things that I need to accomplish beyond being your vessel of misery.

I miss my bike and the joy of my heart pounding.  I crave the sound of my M-dot necklace bouncing off my collar bone as I run.  I want that sense of accomplishment after a swim and I want to feel the sweat on my skin as I take my body through a strength training routine.  I need to feel the peacefulness of an amazing hike.  Without challenging my body on a daily basis, I just don't feel like myself.  So enjoy this last day of residence in my temple because tomorrow you will find your bags on the curb.  Bye-bye sucker!!!

Time....a precious commodity

I have not blogged for a few days, still dealing with cold, so my whit is a bit off.  As such, I thought I should tackle a more serious topic....TIME!

Time is a funny thing....some people like myself tend to not only be "on-time" but actually a few minutes early.  Others always tend to be late and always offer a wide array of excuses.  I'm sure you know which camp you fall in to.

There's "Time Management" which makes no sense as time is always moving...you can't contain it, or harness it, just plan your time. 

TIME is one of life's most precious gifts.  "Time is the only resource we can’t renew. Invest it in experiences, places, and people that are meaningful to you."  I believe this, which is why I try to spend my time doing things which bring a smile to my face.  Spending time with family and friends.  Giving my time to causes I believe in, such as volunteering, feeds my soul. 


Ironman training takes time, and I'm often asked how I "find time time to train".  My answer is always the same, "I don't FIND time, I MAKE the time."  It is not always easy, but if someone or something is important to you, it's amazing what you can accomplish in 24 hours.  One of the biggest excuses people use for not exercising is that they "don't have the time", I'm guessing for these people their workout is just not important enough.

Look at your life, your day......what are the most important parts of it?  If you were given a week to live, would you MAKE more time to spend time doing the things you enjoy with those you love the most?  I sure hope the answer is "yes"!

Don't be LATE, Time is ticking :)

Sick Day

Ugg I'm dealing with a sore throat and sniffles, doing what I can to prevent this from blowing into a full-blown illness.  Being sick sucks!!!!  Being sick and single sucks just a bit more as their is no one to complain to or make you chicken soup or just to throw another blanket on you when you don't have the energy to go get it yourself.

Yes my dog is here to give me the drama face, but not much sympathy form him.  It's more like "welcome to my world".....after all he has no thumbs and so whenever he needs a treat or food he depends, it up to me to be his supplier.

I remember how much "fun" it used to be to stay home sick from school!  It was an all-day marathon of TV shows!  Oh how I loved watching the game shows!  Card Sharks, Let's Make a Deal, The Price is Right, Wheel of Fortune, $100,000 Pyramid and Press Your Luck.  Loved all of the Whammy cartoons!  It always sucked once the afternoon hit because the soap operas came on and I was never (still am not) a fan of those.  Total bummer!

Not too many words of wisdom today, head is in a fog and I need more fluids!  Damn, time to get my ass off the couch and grab some more water.  Uggg I need a butler, if only for the day!!  Stay healthy peeps!

It's Friday, Date Night....well for some :)

It's Friday, let's talk dating!!!  Personally, my friends are all married with kids and all of their friends are married with kids, so not much opportunity there for them to introduce me to any single friends.  Then there is my triathlon world, this has turned up a date or two but nothing much to speak of.  So that brings us to the "joys" of online dating.  What a wacky world that is!

If you are new to the online dating world or have been married for the past 30 years, here's how it works.  There are a ton of sites out there, everything from those based on religion, athletics, age, sexual preference, and just your basic site (you're single, I'm single, we live near each other, let's meet!)  Online dating begins with your "profile" which a description of who you are and the type of person your are looking for....this alone is a huge pitfall as many people have no clue who they really are.....in this case, maybe the dating world is the least of your worries!  In addition to impressing some stranger in cyber-space with your writing skills, expounding (my vocabulary word of the day, I feel smarter already, don't you?) on how wonderful you are, then you need to post a few pictures of yourself.

Technically you don't "need" to post pictures, but it's a dating site and unless your date is visually impaired (yes there are dating sites for the blind), knowing what you look like is kinda important!  My thoughts about a profile without a picture is usually 1) married guy who is shopping around or 2) there is a REALLY good reason you are hiding physically because you lack confidence in your appearance (in which case, one again maybe you need to work a bit more on yourself before finding a partner).

The rules of posting pictures are as follows: 
1) Make sure the pics have a been taken in the past few years and that you still look like YOU!  Nothing worse than showing up to meet stranger for a drink and see someone 15 years older than his profile pic, yes true story!
2) If you are in group photo, edit out your friends or at least say "I'm the 3rd one in on the right".  If you do not specify who you are, I reserve the right to date one of your hotter friends in the pic ;)
3) Everyone looks great in sunglasses, please post a few pics of your face unless you plan on wearing sunglasses throughout the entire first date.
4) Do not post pictures of yourself from a long angle, once again....when we meet are going to maintain a 30-yard distance from me?  Don't know about you but I like to have a conversation without shouting across the room.
5) If you like taking pics of landscapes, food, and other things in which you are not in the frame....if you must include these in your profile, please limit them!  I want to date a person and not the amazing plate of pasta you made last night!

Once you have settled upon a profile of someone you may like to get in touch with, you can opt to "like" them, send them a "wink" or some other type of emoticon, a system generated intro email....the list is endless! 

Personally, if you are really interested in someone, send them a message that you actually type on your own!  Grow a set of balls and show some friggin confidence!  Regardless of if you are a man or a woman, confidence is attractive!!  Read their profile, comment on something they have in their profile to show that you have done more than window shop their pictures.  And for guys an email containing the phrase "nice rack" will most likely not get a reply.

So your sent a personalized email, and hopefully have gotten a response, congrats!  Personally, I prefer to have a conversation fairly early, rather than exchange a ton of emails....I'm looking for a partner, not a pen-pal!  Don't be afraid to call and please DO NOT HIDE behind a ton of texting!  I am a huge texter, I admit, but have a live chat before depending on a text as your primary form of communication!

So you've had great phone together, time to met in person for the wonderful or maybe not so wonderful first date!  I will tackle the first date in the upcoming week, stay tuned sports fans :)

Organization: Get Your Shit Together

It's a new year, time to purge the closets and get organized!  Things you no longer need are cluttering your closets!  Do you have anything below taking up valuable space?

1) That sweater you thought you loved yet still has the tags on it (my Grandmother was a huge offender)
2) Your old t-shirt that the threads are holding hands just to remain a shirt,
3) Maybe you have a few towels with bleach spots (I can't be the only one who has had a "bleach incident")
4) Single socks that no longer have a buddy to mingle with.  Being the constant optimist I always hold out hope that the buddy will return, but the truth is, move on single sock....your match has been sucked into the laundry vortex and isn't coming home.

Before you attack your closet, be open minded to not attaching emotions to every article of clothing, fooling yourself into thinking that you will wear it/use it.  Think in terms of 12 months.  If you have not worn something in a year or more, guess what, you probably are not going to wear it in the next 12 months either!  Time to get rid of it! 

Now you are ready to purge those closets, it's going to feel amazing....freeing yourself from material clutter!  You will need to make a few piles
1) items you are going to keep
2) items that will be donated
3) items that are in good condition that you want to sell at consignment or eBay
3) items that should become rags
4) towels that will be used for the dog; after a bath, drying off muddy paws before coming into the house or jumping in the car

Once you have your piles (3 foot-high donation pile above!), don't just throw everything back in the closet that you are keeping...ORGANIZE IT!  I color coordinate my closet, items of the same shade go together and then further organized by dark to light.  This is great because, it makes figuring out what you want to wear easier (no more searching for that favorite shirt).  This is actually easy to maintain once you do the work the first time around.  As you wear things, an empty hanger is a place-holder for said item once it is washed/dry cleaned!  I do this for my entire closet, including my heels.

I'm not an eBay person and just rather donate the clothing to Good Will, but if you are up for it, by all means as Jim Kramer would say...."SELL, SELL SELL!"  As for towels and linens (if you don't have a dog.....now might be a great time to get one!), consider donating them to your local animal shelter or rescue organization.  Most of these places are always in need of these items for bathing the dogs or to be used as bedding.

If you have turned over a new leaf to eat healthier, tackle your refrigerator and pantry.  A little secret to eating better, if its' NOT IN YOUR HOUSE it makes it a lot harder to eat it!  Oh, and for those with kids:
1) you are not fooling anyone by saying "it's for my kids, I don't eat it"  Oh REALLY?
2) your kids don't need to be eating sugary and salty snacks either!

So read your labels and think about what you are putting in your body.  

POINT OF INTEREST!  What are the 2 ingredients used to make paper mache?  HINT:  The same two ingredients used to make bread, crackers, cookies, and other baked goodies!  Oh, if you need the answer.....Water and Flour!  So when you are eating these yummy treats, you are eating paste, just something to think about.

I'm a single chick with zero cooking skills, who also enjoys lifting a glass once in a while.  My refrigerator is broken down into my necessities....greens, eggs, coconut milk for my protein shakes and wine. Side note; typically there is a container of cooked tilapia and/or chicken as well, finishing this post before I grill that up. :) I'm a minimalist and my refrigerator follows suit I guess.

Happy Organizing!!!!! 

GOALS!!!!!!!

Welcome to February 1st!  If you are a regular gym-goer maybe you are starting to see some of those "resolutioners" starting to fade already.  They hung in for a few weeks, gave it the "old college try" but are not seeing results, so they are hanging up the gym membership already.  They won't cancel their membership, because that would be admitting defeat.  People will find countless excuses for their perceived failure....time, kids, work, other commitments.

It's easy to place blame rather than to accept that change takes TIME!  Think of it this way; if you are looking to drop 20 pounds, did you suddenly gain weight in 1 night?  If you have high blood pressure, did you wake up with it this morning but it was normal last night?  Maybe your nutritional habits are horrible, did you eat healthy and suddenly give-up eating well in 1 day?  Most likely these things happened over the course of time, so reversing these issues, is going to take time as well.  And that's actually a GOOD thing!

Setting goals and working towards them will make you appreciate the view from the top that much more when you arrive...it's about the JOURNEY!  Yes it will be frustrating, time consuming, exhausting and at times (ok maybe a lot of time) you will want to throw in the towel.   It's not easy, you need to earn success, it's not given to you at the drive-through window or in pill you buy from a random commercial on TV.  Here's the secret.....You are not limited in your potential, you just need to tap into it!  The best way to do that is to set a goal and and hunt it down like prey!

First start with a plan, and consider that your compass to success.  A plan is important because it keeps you on track to get from point A to point B.  Think of it this way, if you wanted to drive from San Francisco to LA and took 101 North, reaching LA is not going to be in your foresee-able future.  Be honest in your goals and start small and set easy goals....things that you will have no problem achieving.  

If your goal is to drop 20 pounds (long term goal), your mini goal might be to lose 1 pound this week.  Think of it in terms of losing 5 pounds at a time rather than all 20 in 1 workout.  Examine your activity and nutritional choices.  Most people know the things they should change in their eating habits and habits can be hard to break. Thank you Chicago ;)
   
SIDE NOTE:  I will try to avoid the term "diet" for a few reasons.....1) the first 3 letters spell "die, there is    no fun in that! 2) Diet conjures up thoughts of "I will have to live on rabbit food" 3) there are tons of diet books on the market today yet America's obesity rate is through the roof...obviously we don't need another "Diet" we need to make a life-long change in our eating habits.

Let me take a step down from my soap-box...and get back to changing your habits.  If soda is your pitfall, set a daily goal of drinking 1 less can than yesterday.  Keep track of that, write it down!  Give yourself a gold star when you achieve this!  Drink a glass of water rather than having that extra can of soda.  You can do it, think small at first because the little things DO MATTER!  Setting mini-goals on a daily basis is fun!  We all want to feel a sense of accomplishment, checking off something every day on your "to do" list is license to pat yourself on the back when no one else will.  Or post your goals here and I WILL PAT YOU ON THE BACK, well virtually anyway :)

Think of your goals everyday, the mini-ones and the long term.  I personally visualize my goals in bed every morning and refer back to them throughout the day to keep me focused.  I also have them written down as my black and white reminder.  Maybe getting into your smaller jeans is your goal.  Look at them every day and when you don't feel like getting your workout in, picture yourself in those jeans and hopefully you will head out to the gym.  Maybe that will be the kick in the butt you need to stay motivated. 

Enjoy the day, set a goal and GO GET IT!  STAY INSPIRED.......YOU ARE POWERFUL BEYOND MEASURE!!