BeachReady

10,000 Steps

We need to walk 10,000 steps a day to reduce the risk of chronic disease, according to Mark Fenton, author of The Complete Guide to Walking for Health, Weight Loss, and Fitness.  That's five miles.  It's a 90 minute walk.  But, of course, we don't have to do it all at once.  If you sit at a desk all day like I do, and drive to and from work, you already walk about 3,000 steps a day.  Just by adding a 10 minute walk at lunch time, you walk another 1,000 steps.  That's a great start.  By adding 10 minutes a week, you'll be up to 10,000 steps in no time.  You could buy a pedometer and actually count your steps, but I think it's easier to count minutes.  That's how I started.  When I wanted to talk to someone at work, I suggested doing it on a walk around the parking lot.  A mind-clearing exercise!  ~ George 

P.S.  Now a lot of people are doing it and enjoying the chance to get some fresh air.

Snow Fun!

The Blizzard of '05 has hit!  We have tons of snow here in New England.  George and I are having the best time.  We walk.  We sled.  And, yes, we shovel.  Sure, it's cold.  But just think....if we were at some high-priced ski resort, we'd be outside all day in the cold and snow.  Now, we don't have to pay for the privilege.  It only cost us a pound - each.  (That's a pound of fat!) So, put on your ski clothes, or whatever layers of warmth you've got, and come out and enjoy the crisp, clear air.  The sun is even shining on this morning after the storm.  ~ Louise

Can't help but lose

George hit a new milestone today!  A weight-loss goal he didn't think was possible!  Of course he hit it.  How could he not?  He's eating all the right carbs and fats, snacking often, and he doesn't feel at all deprived.  He's not hungry.  He doesn't feel like he's on a "diet".  Unlike dieters who can't wait to "get off their diet" and back to normal eating, this IS normal eating!  It's no sacrifice.  His energy level is up and his knees don't hurt anymore.  He wants to exercise.  We're setting a new goal - another 25 lbs by Easter.  That's about 10 weeks away.  The way it's going, he can't help but lose enough to make or surpass that goal.  He's so excited and so proud.  What fun!  ~ Louise

P.S. It's important to understand the basic principles of the South Beach Diet so you can use them in your life.  Check out the book at the Amazon links on the left. 

New Government Guidelines

No surprise in today's announcement of the new government guidelines for nutrition and exercise.  Eat more fruits and vegetables and whole grains.  Of course!  But, what they didn't say, is eat ALL whole grains and limit the use of sugar and white flour to occasional treats.  That's what they wanted to say, according to some reporters', but sugar lobbyists got to them first.  Ah, politics.

They also said 30 minutes a day of exercise is a bare minimum.  It takes 60 to 90 minutes a day of brisk walking to keep the weight off.  Hear!  Hear!  We couch potatoes can use every bit of encouragement to keep up our exercise programs.  Maybe now we'll have more companions to head out the door with us. 

It took a week or so after we being sick to get back to over an hour of walking.  We're back.  Now, we just got to keep movin'!  ~~ Louise

P.S.  For those who have written that you can't take that much time to walk, consider this.  Two or three short walks a day are better than none.  There's always time, if you make it a priority.  If you were injured, you'd have to make time for physical therapy.  If you were mentally stressed, you'd make time to lie on a psychiatrist's couch.  Park a long way from the store entrance, rather than jockeying for an upfront spot.  Walk to the library rather than drive.  Take the stairs.  March in place while watching TV.  Keep movin'.  It's a new way of life!

Favorite snacks

I love the concept of eating often.  Every couple of hours I grab a handful of nuts, an apple, or a piece of cheese.  I find my energy level higher than ever and I never feel deprived.  I think the trick is to eat before I'm really hungry, so I don't snack on bad fats or bad carbs.  It takes a little planning to take snacks and water with me wherever I go, but I think it's key to keeping on track.  My favorite snacks? 

• Fruit
• Cut up veggies (carrots and celery) with a bit of hummus
• Cheese (especially Cabot reduced-fat cheddar)
• Cashews or pistachios
• Slice of smoked turkey or leftover chicken
• Jello or jello pudding (low-fat, sugar free, and guilt-less)

To satisfy my need for a chocolate frozen treat, I have a Frappuccino, low-fat ice cream bar (Starbucks) or a Silhouette fat-free fudge bar (the Skinny Cow).  Okay, maybe they're not completely in line with the "diet", but they help me stay on track.  I have one every evening and no longer miss ice cream (well, not completely).  A little indulgence keeps us motivated, no?  I think these treats are what's made it possible for George to stick to this for almost 5 months now.  ~~ Louise

Diet without exercise

George has stalled.  He isn't losing any weight this week.  George thinks that's the way it goes.  Lose and then plateau.  I'm not so sure.  We seem to be eating the same, especially now that our kid has returned to college.  It must be the exercise, or lack of.  Yes, he's been shoveling snow, but we haven't been taking our long walks.  Snow and flu has kept us hunkered down, so it's time to get out and get going.  Walking is a little bit harder now with the ice and snow, but not impossible.  ~~ Louise

Can you keep it off?

After finding out how much weight George lost, my friend said, "Yeah.  But the trick is to keep it off."  Of course!  That's the whole point.  The reason we're changing our lifestyle, not just dieting. 

With a diet, you can't wait to get off the diet and back to real eating.  What we're doing is eating in a way that we can live with for life.  We're making conscious choices of the foods we eat and those we avoid.  But, we're not obsessing over counting calories and we're not depriving ourselves by giving up all fats, or all carbs, or whatever.  It's not much of a sacrifice to choose whole grain bread over white, or eat a frozen, low-fat fudge bar (like a Frappuccino), rather than a dish of ice cream.  But, it would be tough to give up all frozen desserts.  Sure, maybe we'd lose faster if we did, but we might not be able to lose long-term.  We figure it's better to be smart about it. 

This new lifestyle is not a punishment for all of our eating transgressions of the past few decades.  This is a new beginning.  A new start to the way we want to eat long term.  With this in mind, I think we will keep it off.  ~~ George and Louise

Back on Track

Please excuse us, while we pat ourselves on the back.   Louise and I are both down a 1/2 lb. from where we were before Christmas, despite gaining a bit over the first part of the holidays. 

Did we miss out on anything?  Well, we didn't have turkey sandwiches.  Instead we had the leftover turkey and cranberries, sans bread.  We ate fruit, nuts, and cheese (mostly reduced-fat cheese) as snacks during the football games, rather than traditional junk food.  We drank wine, not beer, and enjoyed some really good meals. Never once did it feel like we were on a diet. Oh, yeah. We also walked a lot.  Even did some cross-country skiing while the snow lasted.  What a great way to start the new year. ~~ George