Fit In Real Life

Inspired? Or Just Tired?

I've talked before about my fitness role models (Check out the ripped form of Jet, one of my favorite American Gladiators. Yeah, I watch it...I've got a 10-year-old son) and how they inspire me to work harder. But according to a new study by Ann Wertz Garvin, a professor of health and physical education at the University of Wisconsin, we may want to re-think who we're using as role models. Her study found that looking at fitness magazines while you work out can actually make you feel worse about your body. I guess it's a good thing I can't read and exercise at the same time!

In Garvin's study, college students who read Oxygen while they were working out were "more anxious, depressed and in an all-around poorer mood" after working out than they were before. So much for the endorphin buzz. Really, who needs that?

Although the Gladiators are great fun, I prefer to find my fitness role models in real people...like the 60-year-old woman who regularly bikes through my town. Or the young woman with Down Syndrome who I see running regularly, with her iPod on and a beautiful smile on her face. This morning, I was really inspired -- and excited -- to open my morning paper and see that a junior at our local high school made the Olympic swim team and will compete in Beijing in August.

Real people with real bodies and real fitness goals. If that doesn't make you feel good about exercising, I don't know what will.

The Food Temptations of Summer

We're huge baseball fans around here, so we were thrilled when my husband's boss treated employees and their families to luxury box seats at a game this week. Not only were we seated practically on the field down the third base line, but the luxury box experience also included a delightful assortment of ball field favorite foods: Burgers, hot dogs, popcorn, chips and, of course, ice cream. I wish you could have seen the look on my son's face when he spotted that enormous bowl of popcorn.

That got me thinking, of course, about managing food temptations, especially as summer kicks into high gear. Here in New England, frozen lemonade (it's sort of like slush) is a summertime favorite, as are ice cream, iced coffee drinks, toasted marshmallows by the backyard campfire, and the usual family cookout fare. Fortunately, I love fruit and since it's in abundance during the summer, I use it to make my own frozen fruit-and-yogurt parfaits, smoothies, and low-fat "cheesecake" pies. I also eat lots of fruit as snacks (ever try frozen grapes?) and add it to protein shakes, too.

A writer colleague of mine lives in Minnesota and every year, we have great fun hearing about all the new "foods on a stick" that she encounters at the state fair. Since it's Friday -- and we all need a good laugh by now -- check out the interesting offerings in this video. Happy summer!

So This Is What They Mean By 'Just Do It'

Want to take your workouts to new heights? A new study says we should forget the "why" and focus on "how." In a small study of college students, researchers found that when it comes to motivating ourselves to exercise, it's better to simply create a plan of action for how we're going to work out than to sit down and list the reasons why we should be working out.

The study, published in the Journal of Applied Biobehavioral Research, found that students who spent time thinking of actions they could take to boost their exercise habits were more likely to work out than students who spent time considering why they should be exercising.

I can see why that might be the case. After all, we can all come up with a bunch of reasons why exercise is good for us (improved mood, better health, weight control, etc.). But when it comes to actually getting off the couch, that's where many people fall apart. I can think about how going to the gym would be good for me, but if I don't figure out how to fit it into my day and what to do when I get there, chances are it's never going to happen. Good intentions only take you so far.

Case in point: My wonderful husband wanted to start walking every day, but he's got a demanding job and by the time he gets home, he's usually exhausted. So we've come up with a plan; either he walks to pick up his lunch during the day (accomplishing two goals!) or we take a quick walk before dinner as soon as he gets home and before he settles in for the night. It's amazing how just having that simple plan in place has "suddenly" helped him find the time and energy to work out.

It's a good reminder that when it comes to exercise, sometimes you need to just do it.

Can't Change It? Embrace It!

Once again, the wise Crabby McSlacker has provided me with serious food for thought with this recent post about the role of genetics versus lifestyle in determining how our bodies look. The comments her post generated are also worthy of a look; they reflect a wide range of ways that people feel about themselves and the "prizes" they've won in the genetic lottery.

Here's what I think: You can do everything "right" in terms of diet and exercise and still end up with a body that looks nothing like what you might consider to be ideal. That, my friends, is genetics at work. At five feet tall and with a body that tends toward the muscular (think Mary Lou Retton-ish), I will simply never look like the models that grace the pages of many magazines -- or even like many of my friends who are significantly taller than I am. And that's OK.

I want you to know that it took 40 years for me to say that.

Yesterday, I came across this lovely article from a Wisconsin newspaper and boy, did it make me smile -- especially this line: "She was comfortable with what she could not change."

But then there was this: A study that found that adolescents who feel fat or think that they're fat have a lower quality of life, no matter what their actual weight is. But those who think their weight is "just right" have a quality of life the same as if they were a normal weight -- even if they're not.

There's that "you are what you think" idea again.

While researching and writing my upcoming book, I spent the last year and much of this one talking to women and girls about their bodies, and exploring my feelings about my own body and how they affect my daughter. It's a huge topic. But when I think about what I want most for my girl, it's this: I want her to believe that she's worth the time and effort it takes to look after the health of her physical body. But I'm adding a new goal, too. I want her to be comfortable with what she can't change.

If I can instill those two things in her, I'll consider myself very lucky.

The Road to 100

I ended yesterday's post with a smart-alecky comment about how I love a good challenge. Sure enough, before the sun set, I'd learned about a special challenge opportunity, thanks to fellow healthy-living blogger Sagan. It's called the 100 Push Ups Challenge, and it's a program designed to help you work your way up to 100 push ups (assuming you're not already there, of course) in just a few weeks. As someone who's always looking to build upper body strength and definition -- and avoid driving to the gym -- this seemed like just the challenge for me to take on this summer.

Here's the part where I have to confess that when I do push ups -- which isn't often -- I normally do the girly on-the-knees version instead of full-body style. But I figure this program will be a great time for me to switch over to the more challenging (there's that word again) full-body style.

Having said all that, I had no idea what to expect when I performed my "initial test" for the challenge -- an assessment of your "rank," which determines what program you'll follow to build up to 100. There I was, on the floor in plank-esque position. I took a deep breath, pushed with all my might and suddenly found out that damn, full-body push ups are hard.

I did exactly three of them. Clearly, it's going to be a long road to 100.

But that's what challenges are all about, right? So thanks, Sagan, for the inspiration. I'll keep you all posted on my progress.

You Are What You Think

I spent all weekend thinking about the fact that it's now officially summer. My thoughts see-sawed between the delighted ("The kids are home so we can go do this, and that, and this...") and the dread-inducing ("How am I going to entertain them and still get my work done?"). As I tuned in to my thoughts, I had a bit of a revelation. I realized that I could feel my body physically responding to what I was thinking. I could feel myself getting drained and utterly exhausted just thinking about refereeing fights between my kids on long hot days.

That immediate, tangible reaction got me thinking about other times when I let my thoughts shape how I feel -- like when my trainer suggested that I try running and my knees began to ache. Or when I walked into a meeting where I didn't know anybody recently and could suddenly feel myself retreating into a bubble of shyness. When I tell myself that I can't run because of my knees or that I'm shy or that I'm going to end up yelling at my kids, my body responds with an immediate, "OK, then. That's how it's going to be."

The thoughts create the reality.

It's also played out in my weight maintenance. I can feel the difference in my body when I simply say, "I'm maintaining my weight loss" instead of "I hope I can keep this weight off." I don't mean to go all Oprah-y on you, but there's some truth to the whole "intention" thing.

I know what you're thinking -- if it's so easy, then why don't we all just think positive thoughts all the time. The short answer is that it's hard to re-wire old habits. Check out this article on insecurity and confidence from Australia's Herald Sun newspaper for some interesting insight on how our thoughts shape how we look at ourselves.

As for me, whenever I feel those negative thoughts creeping in, I'm going to try to look at them objectively and let them go. Yes, summer can be a challenging time in my year, but I love a good challenge.

At least that's what I'm telling myself... ;-)

Ready or Not, It's Here

You know what I'm talking about...the two words that strike fear into the heart of every working mother: Summer vacation. Yes, today is the last day of school, which means that come Monday, our schedule will be in total disarray, we'll all be cranky while making the adjustment and at least two of us will be counting the days until school starts again.

Or does that just happen at my house?

Lest I sound like a bad mother, you should know that I like my kids and genuinely enjoy spending time with them. But having them suddenly home all day does take some getting used to, and requires some tweaking of the schedule. Everything -- when I work, when I work out, and even when and what we eat -- gets transformed. Last summer, my kids were none too happy when I plunked them in the gym's child-care room or made them take about 1,000 swim classes so that I could go work out (Don't forget, I was pushing hard to meet goal weight at the end of Shape magazine's Weight-Loss Diary column last summer). This summer won't have that kind of pressure attached to it, so I'm setting a simple fitness goal: Thirty minutes of cardio every day, and two full-body strength-training sessions a week. It doesn't matter how I get it or when I get it, I just have to get it.

Definitely do-able. It just requires a little flexibility and a lot of letting go of the "ideal" conditions for working out.

Wish me luck.

Ask the Dietitian: Make Mine a Turkey Burger

It's no secret that I love burgers and during the summer grilling season, I might end up having one several times a week. Last year during the Weight-Loss Diary column, my dietitian, Melissa Kirdzik, worked hard to talk me into trying turkey burgers, which frankly didn't sound all that appealing. In the end, she converted me and now I love them -- they're lower in fat than beef and they're loaded with protein. My personal favorite way to eat them is grilled with grilled onions, mushrooms and a crumbled slice of turkey bacon on a whole-grain roll, but the possibilities are endless. Here, Melissa shares one of her own recipes for great turkey burgers:

Spicy Turkey Burgers

1 lb. lean ground turkey or bison (Bison?!)

1 small yellow squash

1 small zucchini

1 chili pepper

1 jalapeno pepper

2 eggs

Parsley, black pepper, cayenne pepper

Mix ground meat and eggs. Puree all vegetables and add to meat mixture. Add in spices, mix well. Cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until done. Or, grill like regular burgers.

Sounds yummy, Melissa! Thanks for stopping by today.

P.S. If meat isn't your thing, you can still get your burger fix. I'm also a huge fan of Morningstar Farms Grillers Prime. They're great for when I need a quick lunch (I love them crumbled over salad) or when I'm just feeling too lazy to fire up the grill.

A Little Help From the Universe

Yesterday, I wrote about consistency and today, the universe has stepped in to help keep me on track. Amazing how that happens, isn't it?

Seriously, it's the end of the school year and you parents out there know what that means: "Can you send in $5 for this?" "Can you be a chaperone for six hours on this day?" "Can you send in baked goods for this party?" I was fulfilling my baked goods duty last night, making these incredibly yummy crushed Oreo-topped, vanilla-frosted brownies for my daughter's class when I realized I had made way too many. That could only mean one thing -- that I'd be left alone with an extra plate (or two) of these things in my refrigerator.

So much for consistent eating. I know my own weaknesses.

Anyway, as I was putting the plates of brownies into the refrigerator, balancing the plate on my palm as I opened the door, it suddenly flipped, and brownies went everywhere. It was raining brownies! When we finished a) laughing hysterically and b) cleaning the gooey mess off the kitchen floor, I realized that the universe had just done me a giant favor. The "extra" brownies now had to go into school for the kids.

Is there a moral to this story? Not really; I don't think I flipped the brownie plate on purpose. Still, it's nice to know the universe is looking out for me.

A Forehead-Slapping Moment

It's not often that you have a life epiphany while watching the TV Guide channel. But I did the night before last. I was flipping through the channels and stopped ever-so-briefly on a show called something like "Hollywood's Hot Bodies." Yeah, I know...but I was momentarily intrigued.

Anyway, I was captivated by a personal trainer to the stars who was talking about the most important thing he tells his celebrity clients. Are you ready? It was this: "Consistency, consistency, consistency."

It was kind of a forehead-slapping moment for me.

Consistency really is the key to everything, isn't it? Look at it this way: When I consistently eat well and exercise, I have no trouble maintaining my weight. When I consistently market to new clients, I have plenty of work. When I consistently enforce household rules with my kids, we have no discipline issues and everything runs smoothly. When I consistently clean the bathroom, it never gets that bus station smell.

OK, that last one may have been a little gross. But you see where I'm going, right?

Ever since I caught that clip, I've been thinking about consistency. Last year, when I was writing Shape's Weight-Loss Diary column, I was exceptionally consistent. But then again, I also had consistency's helpful sister on my side: Accountability. Because my trainer was expecting me at the gym, my dietitian was showing up for our appointment and my life coach was calling at the appointed hour, I had no trouble at all being consistent. Now, however, I'm no longer accountable to anyone but me and that's where my consistency sometimes runs into trouble.

I'm probably not telling you anything you don't already know, but isn't it good to be reminded from time to time? It sure helps me. It also helps to remember that consistency works in reverse, too: If I consistently eat cookies and don't work out, I can expect my jeans not to fit next month. If I consistently ignore my work, I soon won't have any.

Being consistent with the healthy stuff isn't always easy -- I'm as lazy as the next person and hey, I like cookies. But I'm trying to remember the wise words of Melissa, my Shape dietitian: "You have to try to do more of the healthy things more often."

Now that's a philosophy I can live with -- consistently.