Toss the scale!

I just heard that Shakira song "hips don't lie" and I was inspired to write.

The last few weeks I have been coming back from a bike injury and I've been going hard core because my scale is telling me I'm five pounds heavier...HOLY S*!T!  How did this happen?  I've been working over time at the gym, going to Pilates boot camp and balancing on my head/hands like some type of Cirque du Soleil contortionist.  WHAT GIVES?

I just recently watched an interview with Mary Lou Retton and Shawn Johnson, two of the cutest (and fittest) people in the world.  They both admitted to struggling with body image.  Can you even imagine?  Mary Lou was told she was 'heavy' when she was at the peek of her career and Shawn confessed the need to be 'lighter'.  SERIOUSLY????


Mary Lou now has five, I think, girls and she said there are NO scales in her house.  I already loved this woman, now I'm officially smitten.  She has inspired me to toss my scale and realize my pants don't lie.

My trainer has reminded me muscle weighs more than fat and let me tell you...I'm gettin' some 'guns'.  My abs have more definition and I feel comfortable in my shorts.  I used to think shorts were only for 5 year olds, but thanks to all my training I've made peace with these little monsters.  BUT, this does not mean I should be squeezing myself into shorts that make me look like a sausage casing!  NOT CHIC.

I'm taking a deep breath and carrying on.  Being a woman I know weight can fluctuate more than a mood swing.  I trust my pants, they won't lie.

Now, I'd like to extend the same mentality to you...my savvy readers.  Put your big boy/girl pants on and toss your scale out the window!  By getting properly fitting pants and not creeping up a size, we won't have a thing to worry about.  Staying strong and motivated are the keys to success.  Trust me, my hips and my lips don't lie.

We're all a bunch of test tubes!

What kind of 'eater' are you?  Do you eat for fun?  Are you overwhelmed by all the info?  Do you try to get in as many fruits and veggies and tend to fail?  Do you just want someone to tell you what you should eat?  Already being a savvy foodie, I know you're here because you do in fact care about the type of food you're putting into your body.  For this, I applaud you!!  You ROCK!!!

As promised, I'm sharing what I am learning.  I just finished studying bioenergetics.  "Bio what now??" you may be asking.  Well here's the short answer.

Basically, when we're physically active, we need energy to sustain us.  Otherwise, we won't be able to accomplish daily activities or exercise.  We need: fat, carbohydrates and protein.  These are sources of fuel for our bodies.

"But fat makes us fat and carbs!!!  CARBS!!!"  I hear 'ya, and I'm here to reassure you it's all good.  We need GOOD fat, we need complex carbohydrates in order to move our booties.  Protein is a given, but guess what I just learned...it rarely supplies energy during exercise.

While reading this chapter I was seriously wishing I had paid closer attention during my chemistry classes.  For those of you who didn't know, carbohydrates aren't just starchy yummy no-no's.  Technically, it's carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.  I cannot help but view people as walking test tubes.  What we put into our bodies (or test tubes) will directly impact the shape of our tubes.  If we don't know what is going into our tubes, how can we control the shape?

Our society is set up for failure!!  We are running towards frightening numbers as the years roll on.  According to the CDC, currently more than 35% of Americans are obese!  68.8% of Americans are overweight.  I mean...HOLD THE PHONE!!!!!!

Society is throwing barrel fulls of fake food, crap and more crap at us and we're putting them into our 'test tubes'.  Fast food is so incredibly cheap and accessible!  McD's actually spends beaucoup bucks on research to determine 'easy to eat food' on the go.  If the item isn't car friendly, it's tossed.  Go to Starbucks and ask for a venti Frappuccino and you could be getting an entire days worth of calories in a single cup! Opt for a salad at any given chain restaurant and the dressing ALONE will squash your good intentions.  News reports condem fat and offer 'low-fat/no-fat' alternatives.  What this means...MORE SUGAR!  Fat provides flavor and to make up for the lack of flavor, they add sugar (or other chemical GMO's).  Low-fat/no-fat has completely screwed up our metabolisms and our test tubes are expanding and bubbling over!  I mean....HOLY CRAP-OLA!!!!  What's a person to do?

Unless you're training to become a personal trainer or a nutritionist, the education tends to be buried, boring and overwhelming. You must be your own advocate.  Here are a few ways to arm yourself against the monsters.


1.  READ LABELS - take the time to turn the shelved products around and find out what you're going to consume.
2.  KNOW WHAT TO AVOID - ok, so you've flipped the label, now what?  Most oils are on the 'do-not-eat list'.  Most processed items will contain more oils than a pimply faced teenager.
3.  READ SAVVY FOODIES - that should be a given
4.  TALK AND SHARE THE WEALTH - speak with like minded individuals and you'll probably pick up a new trick or two
5.  GET THEE TO A GYM - if you're moving your booty more, you'll most likely want to be good to your body.
6.  GET SOME APPS - there are great apps out there to help keep you savvy.  One of my favorites is 'Fast Food Calories'.  Hit the link for a direct connection.  Here you can find virtually any restaurant's nutritional info.
7.  DON'T GIVE UP - whatever you do, keep trying to be savvy.  Don't give in and for cryin' out loud...give yourself a break if you need to cheat.  Just keep getting back up on your horse and ride off into the enlightened sunset.

These are just a few suggestions.  I'd love to hear from you if you have any more.  Like I already said, it's so important to share ideas.  This is how I turned my corner and started eating outside the box.  You may, initially, feel like a real Debby Downer saying, "Oh, I cannot eat that" but you'll start to feel stronger and realize you don't have to just mindlessly eat whatever.  It's your test tube!

Cup of health!

I Love Lucy - Vitameatavegamin!

Do you find that you're feeling tired, run down, listless?  Do you poop out at parties?  Are you unpopular? Well folks...it's not Vitameatavegamin, but the answer to all your problems can be found in this little juicer.

http://www.omegajuicers.com/juicers/vert350-juicer.html

I am not being endorsed by Omega...but I wouldn't be opposed to it.  These are costly little machines, but the benefits outweigh the cost hands down.  My savvy hubby and I saw Joe Cross's "Fat Sick and Nearly Dead" a few months back and we have been juicing ever since.  I like to have one glass a day and my hubby drinks it far more often than I do.  

The taste is something that needs some getting used to, but I have developed a few tricks that kill the bitter and help us enjoy our cup of health.  One essential step with this particular Omega juicer is to strain the pulp from the juice.  Indeed, the machine does separate the juice from the pulp but even with the fine strainer attached there is a fair amount of pulp in the juice itself.  So as I am pouring it into my container I run it through another small strainer.  This produces juice as smooth as silk.  My friend's husband tried a glass, for the first time, and his initial response was, "WOW!  This is great!  There's no pulp."  I had to laugh (to myself) because men just don't dig pulp.  My savvy hubby nearly choked the first time I used our Omega juicer.  It was gross, we were chewing our juice...BLEK!

Juicing has numerous benefits.

• Rapid micronutrient absorption
• Fantastic way to bring more RAW fruits and veggies into your diet.  I mean with all the produce I put into my juicer there is no way I would be able to eat the same amount if it were just sitting on a plate.
• Clearer complexion
• Clearer thought process
• Better sleep
• More energy
• You feel healthy!  I was feeling awful one day, I had a glass and VOILA!  I told my best friend and she said, "Oh!  All you needed was a cup of health!"  We had a good laugh, but she was right.  My body obviously craves health.

Those are just a few I can tell you, off the top of my head.  Now you may be asking, 'what to put into your juice?'.

Spinach, kale, cucumbers, ginger, mint leaves, parsley leaves, apple, orange, pear, celery, carrots, beets, Swiss chard, bok choy, green pepper, broccoli, brussel sprouts, blueberries and lemons.  I find by adding lemons and mint it helps cut down on the bitter taste of the greens.  

If you're seriously into your leafy greens, make sure your juicer can handle them.  Because of their natural courseness, it's critical to invest in a higher quality juicer to tackle them.  I have also found that by following your leafy greens with carrots is very helpful in getting the juice to come out.  Again, I have the Omega and this is true for my juicer.  There are many out there, but I must tell you...YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.  The cheaper the juicer, the lower the quality.  Do your homework before purchasing your juicer. 

If you store your juice in the refrigerator (which honestly is the only way to store it) and the juice turns brown...this means all the good nutrients of the fruits and veggies have died and renders the juice inefficient.  The cheaper the juicer, the less amount of time you'll have with your juice.  

It's quite a time commitment, so my advice is to get a juicer that will allow for a 72 hour window of storage so you won't find yourself juicing everyday.

Produce is pricey and organic can be a bit outrageous.  Please don't let this deter you.  I don't buy ALL organic.  My principle rule - if it can be skinned it doesn't have to be organic.  But if I plop my fruit and veg into the juicer without peeling or skinning, it has got to be organic.

Here's a video from Joe Cross demonstrating a juicer that William Sonoma carries.  Again, I'm not being endorsed by this company either.

It's a time comittment, but I'd rather invest my time in money in my health NOW as opposed to dealing with doctor's and their bills later in my life when my body is falling apart.  Just something to chew on ;)

Fat pants

Today is a monumental day...I'm back in my skinny jeans!  I'm sharing this news because I was able to pack away my 'bigger' gal pants and dust off the jeans I NEVER thought I'd get back into.

Truth be told, I can zip the damn things (WHOO-RAY) but at this point in time, sitting still presents as a challenge.  So they're my standing only, skinny jeans.  At least I'm going in the right direction, finally!  I'm happy with small accomplishments!

I had a come to Jesus moment when, this time last year, I was in one of my favorite retail stores.  I was asking the, extremely polite, sales girl for a larger pant size.  I was pushing a 12.  For me, this is not a healthy sign.  I'm usually a 6.  But there I was, crying in size 10 pantaloons realizing their sizing stopped at 14.  What was I going to do if I sized out of the store?!?!?!?  Qu'elle horror!  The sales gal just stood there trying to offer me the next size and a box of tissues.  I bet she was thinking, "Quit your cyrin' and get to moving."  Maybe I'm projecting, but it was a sad moment for us both.

I could always rely on Spanx to (temporarily) size me down (for an event or two).  But Spanx are not meant to wear all the time.  Maybe some gals sport them regularly and I certainly do not judge.  Those knickers are simply awful, despite helping shape our behinds/muffin tops/back fat/thighs, etc.  I would not be a happy Sally if I had those suckers on all the time.  Girdles are extinct...and for good reason!

So with the realization that I was only two sizes away from being extremely limited with my shopping choices and ruling out Spanx and as an appropriate solution, I had to walk the plank with my eyes wide open.  It was time for me to pull my head out of the sand and get my pants to a single digit number once again.

You'd think that humbling shopping experience would be motivation enough, but the straw that broke this former pudgy girl's spirit has to do with a certain British wedding.

April 29th, 2011 might be a sensational memory for the Duchess and Duke (and the rest of England), but for me it was the day I quit.

I watched as this stunning creature emerged from her carriage and I was BLOWN away.  Her body was rockin' and she looked radiant in her McQueen gown.  Just like every other women watching the circus...er, wedding, I naturally compared myself to her.  I busted out my wedding dress and nearly became suicidal when I realized I could not zip it.

So to re-cap I was (rapidly) sizing out of my favorite shop and I couldn't fit in my wedding dress.  You may be saying, what's the big deal about the wedding gown...it's not like I would ever wear it again.  Right you are, but that's not the point.  The writing was so clearly on the wall!!!! I looked pretty darn good on my wedding day (see below) and since having married the man of my dreams, I was letting myself slip into marital bliss.  Trouble was, my bliss was otherwise known as FAT!  I had become comfortable and threw caution to the wind.

That was last year. This year on Kate and Wills first year anniversary I will be slipping into my dress, zipping it up and breathing with ease!  Take that married life!  You will not claim yet another (comfy) victim.

By Hilda Burke
www.angeleyesphotography.com