Spring is the best time for Natural Exercise - Planting Seeds

I have been getting some good exercise just because the weather is warmer.  I love Spring.  One thing that I have done this Spring is planted seeds - tomatoes, lettuce, onions, beans and spinach.  I bought strawberry plants too.  I love gardening itself, but I especially love all the exercise it gives me.

I also spent an afternoon raking leaves.  But the hardest workout I got was shoveling mulch.  My local park has huge piles of free mulch and compost.  It is a great program.  They chop up all the Christmas trees and other tree branches that they trim and have them available for any gardeners to use in their gardens.  There is also rich, dark compost from animal manure from the St. Louis Zoo.  Someone told me it was elephant dung, but either way, it is good stuff.

So I hired a neighborhood handyman and we loaded up the trailer and when to the park and spent about 2 hours shoveling mulch onto the trailer.  Boy did I work up a sweat.  And then of course we spent another hour unloading the mulch.

Springtime exercise is my favorite kind.

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Eating late at night - the benefits of not eating at night

One habit that I have been successful at changing is the late night eating. Every night when I would go in the bedroom I would have a snack of ice cream or something like that. A couple of months ago I made the decision to try not to eat in my bedroom at night. It was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be and now it has become a habit.

So now I need to decide what will be my new habit to change. Maybe a good one would be a little nighttime exercise. Replace a bad habit with a new one.

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Headline - Charlotte Church reveals her diet secrets for weight loss

Charlotte Church revealed her diet secrets for weight loss - that was the headline and I was anxious to see what she had to say, so here it is .... she simple ate less.

I was disappointed at first, but then I thought better.  She is right.  Stop looking for fad diets and tips and tricks and simply eat less and move more.  I have told that to myself over and over.

Charlotte Church stated "It's very simple, my weight loss. I just eat better and eat less food than I used to.
"So that means less stodge, less junk food like burgers and chips and smaller portions, with meals consisting of things like lean meat and salad.  I certainly haven't embarked on some great exercise regime to get slim. Exercise is alien to me and I don't like doing it."

That is the way I feel about exercise in general.  As a general rule I much prefer getting something accomplished and getting exercise at the same time, rather than doing formal exercise.  I am still, however, trying to do some deliberate exercise, while trying to incorporate more physical activities.

Long term weight loss is not sustainable for me if it involves lots of sweating for sweating's sake.  Knowing this about myself is a big aid in developing a long term weight loss plan.
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Blog Terms - definitions of blogging terms - Make money with your blog

BLOG TERMS

Ever wonder what some of the common blogging terms mean.  I do so I compiled a list of some of the common blogging terms.

Anonoblog – by an anonymous blogger
Blammer- Blog spammer
Blargon - Also called Blogssary. Blogging slang and glossary
Blawg – blogged by lawyer / related to legal stuff
Blego - Blog+Ego. Measuring blogger worth
blog -  a website that is often updated with content called “blog posts”
Blog Carnival – Links to other articles covering a specific topic
Blog Day – 31 August - Find 5 new Blogs that you find interesting and tell them
blog hop - groups of bloggers that post links so readers can hop from one blog to the next
Blog of Note – a recommended blog
Blog Tipping – Compliment 3 blogs on day 1 of every month
Blogathon - update your website every 30 minutes for 24 hours straight. Maybe collect sponsorships
Blogcasting - the blog and the podcast merged into a single website
blogger - a person who blogs
Blogger bash - a blogger party
Bloggerel – the same opinion posted repeatedly on a blog
Bloggies- Annual blogging awards
Blogiday- you get fed up and take a holiday from blogging
Blogoholic - addicted to blogging
Blogophobia – Fear of blogs and blogging
Blogopotamus - A long long blog post
Blogorrhea - unusually high output of articles
blogoshere - the online community of all blogs
Blogroach - A commenter who rudely disagrees with posted content
Blogroll - list of links to other blogs in your sidebar
Blogspot - free Blogger hosting blog at name.blogspot.com
Blogsnob – refusing to respond to blog comments from “not-friends”
Blogstar- blogger running a popular blog
Blogstipation - writer’s block for bloggers
Blogstorm – a large amount of blogosphere activity due to particular controversy. Also called Blog Swarm
Blogther - a fellow blogger
BlogThis - a function allows a blogger to blog the entry they are reading
Blogvertising - Also called blogvert. Advertising on a blog
Blook - a book created from a blog
Celeblog – focused on a celebrity
Celebriblog – maintained by a celebrity
CEOBlog – run by a chief executive officer
Kittyblogger – writing about cats.
Klog - used by company knowledge workers
Metablog – a blog about blogging
Metablogging - writing articles about blogging
microblog - blog with very short posts - mini posts
Milblog - a military blog
Moblog - A blog posted and maintained via mobile phone
Movlogs - mobile video blogs
niche blog - blogs that talk about one specific topic - like "make money" or "dogs"
Photoblogging - a blog predominantly using and focusing on photographs and images.
Plog - a project blog. Also for Amazon.com personalised weblogs
Problogger - professional blogger
Progblog - A progressive blog
splog - spam blogs - blogs with no real content, just advertising
Spomments- Spam comments
Vlogging - blogging with videos

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100 Best Blogs for Weight Loss Support - Diet Blogs

These blogs showcase a variety of writers–from those shedding the weight to come back from obesity to those who have lost their weight and are now maintaining a healthier weight and lifestyle.

I made the list: click here to check out

100 Best Blogs for Weight Loss Support 

Be sure to check out all the great blogs on the list.  These blogs showcase a variety of writers–from those shedding the weight to come back from obesity to those who have lost their weight and are now maintaining a healthier weight and lifestyle.

 

  I was thrilled to be on the list, even though I am still one of the fat rats, nibbling my way (weigh) through all the diet info out there.  Just trying to make permanent changes to my lifestyle.

I had a great walk with the dogs today - I don't know who enjoyed it more - they really help get me inspired to get out and smell the flowers.  They are both off leash (in safe places) and are listening great, although Hannah did start to go after the neighbor's cat, but stopped when I called her back.  Maybe I should take up chasing cats :)

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Getting Fit for Free - or better yet Get Paid to Get Fit

Many people pay money to get fit, and I know that I have too. But there are numerous ways to get fit that are free or ways to earn money as you get fit and lose weight. I know that you can add to my list.

FREE WAYS TO GET FIT:

1) Do your own chores - instead of paying someone to mow your law, clean your home or shovel your snow, do it yourself and get fit - before I was in Real Estate I ran a nanny business and you would be amazed at the people that hired babysitters to take their child for a walk in the park, hired gardeners to mow the lawn and maids to clean - so they could have more time to go to the gym and work out. I always found this ironic.

2) Enhance your cleaning or errands by wearing ankle weights or wrist weight

3) Don't conserve your steps - walk up and down the step EACH time you have something to take - I used to put things by the basement door and wait until I a pile ready to go before I made the trip - now I make the trip for one thing.

4) Spruce up your home - do extra vacuuming, raking, sweeping and get your house to sparkle as part of you exercise routine

5) Volunteer - help someone else out by walking their dog, doing their errands, raking the elderly neighbors leaves - you will get fit and feel good about yourself

6) Volunteer your exercise skills - offer free classes to friends - you all get fit and exercise together

7) Walk as many places as you can - to the store, to the quick mart to get a drink, to a neighborhood mail box to mail a letter

8) Volunteer at the local botanical garden or community garden - digging, raking, and planting is great exercise

MAKE MONEY GETTING FIT:

1) Get paid to walk a dog, raking leaves, shoveling snow or running errands

2) Mowing lawns - a friend of mine mowed 2 lawns a day mainly for the exercise and made money too

3) Be a crossing guard or a tour guide

4) Cleaning someone's home for pocket money and exercise

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Spring Fever - Walking among the Daffodils - Stop and smell the flowers

My favorite new hobby - walking - spring fever has hit hard and I am sure enjoying walking in the fresh air.  The crocus and daffodils are blooming and they are so beautiful this year.

Here are a few that are in my yard - they seem to be just the normal yellow variety, but I am not complaining.  I love the yellow clusters.

Checking out the flowers makes me walk further - when I see some in the distance I want to walk up and see them first hand - so that helps me go further.

I am looking forward to the additional exercise I will get when I am out in the garden planting. Here in St. Louis we have to wait until May 1st to be totally safe from frost.  But I am preparing the beds, getting loads of mulch from the park and spreading them.

My body feels tired in a good way from all the mulching, shoveling and raking.  Definitely prefer this type of exercise - working my body hard and getting something accomplished.

What about you - what is your favorite natural exercise?

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Spring Fever - Glad to be walking the dogs in the Park - Exercise outside

I am so glad to be able to walk outside - it has been such springlike weather.  I spent the afternoon in the park with one of my dogs.

The best part about spring, aside from the weather, is the greater opportunity for exercise.  Walking in the park or along the road, tennis, and  swimming to name a few.

Of course another benefit of spring is the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables.  I have always planted a lot of plants, but this is my first full spring with the greenhouse.  I am starting my seeds next week (I will take pics and keep you updated on my progress).  It was a shame that the greenhouse boiler was so on again, off again throughout the winter - I wasn't able to utilize the greenhouse all winter long.

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Wake Up Early and Wake your Weight Loss - Be a Morning Person

You are either a morning person or you are a night person, but does your weight play any role?  One thing I have discovered is that most all of my heavy friends are night people like me, while the thinner ones are all hopping out of bed in the morning.  So I got to wondering if there is something to this.

Now I know that I tend to snack late at night if I am up late, but I am not hungry in the morning.  Now this could be because I snack at night.  But on nights that I refrain from indulging in my late night snack, I am still not hungry in the morning.  I know all the gurus say that we should eat more in the morning and less as the day progresses.

Another fact that I hear repeated over and over is this:  you can lose better if you do your cardio exercises in the morning on an empty stomach.  The theory is that you will burn off fat and not any food and carbohydrates that you have eaten in the hours before the workout.  Now I have never tested this out, but I plan on testing it.  Cardio in the am and then strength training later in the day.  I think the exercise in the morning could get me energized and get me hungry for the nice big healthy breakfast that I probably should have.

The next problem is getting up in the morning when you are a night person.  So here are some tips I have been finding in cyberland:

*set the alarm at the same time each day
*don't worry about when you go to bed - go to be when you are tired and get up at the same time each day and your body will adapt - you will find the best bedtime for your needs
*don't over think getting up - just get up when the alarm goes off - the longer you lay there thinking about it, the more likely you are to go back to sleep
*have a glass of water by the bed and drink it first thing - this will probably make you want to get up to use the facilities and will also help wake you up
*wake up from the inside out - meaning program yourself to get up - at night set your alarm and your mental clock for the time you want to get up - you will find yourself waking up minutes before the alarm
*have a morning ritual
*use light to your advantage - turn on the light or go by the window right away

It is 1:00 am as I am writing this, so off to bed I go :)

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Exercise and Mood - Can Movement and endorphins help me feel better?

Most of the day has been great, but then I started feeling a little down. Just letting some of the stresses of the day affect my mood. I would usually go straight to the chocolate or even ice cream, but this time I decided to get up and exercise.

So I got on my Gazelle and did some brisk exercise. I do have to admit that I did feel a little bit better - probably the same effect that the chocolate would have done. But I have the added good feeling that I made a good choice, as opposed to the bad feelings I would have had if I had indulged in the sweet treat.

The say that when you exercise your brain releases endorphins, adrenaline, serotonin and dopamine. That is what helps you feel better and ease some of the tensions. As little as 30 minutes of exercise can have the beneficial effects, with the good mood lasting up to 12 hours.

While it wasn't a "miracle cure" - just the fact that I made a better choice, made me feel so much better.

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Joining the Thin Club - Can a fat girl really join before she loses the all the weight?

The thin club sometimes feels like it has a closed membership.  But what is the thin club?  A group of skinny girls I would think.  Women who get admiring glances, who people want to sit next to, or at least don't have to worry about being able to fit in the seat.  Your membership begins the day you make the commitment to change your life and start making healthier choices.  The day you commit to improving yourself and your body.

One of the main reasons for me to see myself in the thin club is so that I change my way of thinking.  That way as I am losing the weight, I am already picturing myself thin.  As I go through the process I am changing my subconscious mindset, and therefore avoiding gaining the weight back.  Thin thinking does not come naturally to me, it will be a process.

 Membership responsibilities include doing the mental, physical and behavioral steps necessary for permanent weight loss and all over general good health.  Members must avoid negative self talk, and instead do positive "thin" thinking affirmations like:
      I am a responsible thin club member.
      I have earned my thin club membership card.
      I like maintaining my thin body with good eating habits and exercise.


 Staying in the thin club takes work, like working on your eating habits, cutting back and replacing bad food choices with good ones.  Moving more throughout your daily routine as well as adding some structured exercise.  Banishing the negative self talk and adopting healthy affirmations.

Welcome to the thin club!

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Health Benefits of Red Wine - Weight loss - Heart Health

I was intrigued when I watched a news report about the health benefits of drinking one glass of red wine daily for women and 2 glasses for men.  According to the report there are heart benefits and possible weight loss benefits.  I like to call it the "fat rat" study.  They gave fat rats red wine and the fat rats lived as long as the skinny rats with none of the health risks associated with obesity.  Some studies say that the risk of heart attack is reduced by 30 to 50%.

Now I personally do not like wine, but I have found drinking one glass manageable, and I do admit that it is growing on me.  It has to be a sweet red wine for me however and I have even tried mixing it with diet soda or Coke products.  I have found that it satisfies my sweet tooth and the need for a little something in the evening.



Studies show that the red wine consumption can raise the good HDL cholesterol and lower the bad LDL cholesterol.  Red wine has a rich source of antioxidant flavonoid phenolics including resveratrol found in the grape skins and seeds

A recent study shows a boost in brain power for women who enjoy a little alcohol. The study, published in the Jan. 20 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, evaluated more than 12,000 women aged 70-81. Moderate drinkers scored better than teetotalers on tests of mental function. Researchers found a boost in brainpower with one drink a day.

What about weight loss - there is actually a Red Wine Diet by Roger Corder, a leading researcher with England's William Harvey Research Institute for 15 years.  His theory is for a gradual and holistic approach to diet and health with the weight loss be a side benefit, done slowly over a period of time.

So I say this fat rat has her wine each night!

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Keeping things flowing - diet, constipation, low carb and more

Everyday I am finding a new reason to eat sensible and exercise.  Today I have two.

I have a habit of getting people started on things - I guess I am so enthusiastic that some people just like to jump right in with me.  This was the case about 5 weeks ago when I was desperate and decided to take one more shot at the Atkins High Protein diet.

Well, many of you will remember that I lasted about 2 weeks and felt lousy the whole time and on the second week i GAINED a pound.  My mother and my honey jumped right in and followed along, but when I jumped off, they stayed on.



My honey went to the doctor today and in the 5 weeks he lost 16 ounces - NOT pounds - ounces on the Low Carb plan. And my mother is in a worse state - she is 82 years old (and doesn't read this blog, so don't tell her I told you) and she hasn't had a bathroom movement in 3 days.

Boy oh boy am I glad that I am on my nice sensible plan of trying to watch what I eat, making it a nice healthy variety and moving a little more.

I think the two of them we join me soon :)

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All or Nothing - lifestyle changes for good health, diet and exercise

All or nothing.  That is sometimes my way of thinking.  If I ate something I shouldn't have then the day, week, month is blown and I might as well just pig out.....

Not anymore.  I don't know why that has been my mindset for so long.  Is it because I want the leeway to eat everything in sight?  Not anymore.

As well as avoiding the all or nothing way of thinking, I am adopting the habit of rewarding myself for the things I do right.  Yes, even the very smallest of things like, only having one piece of candy or only exercising for 10 minutes.

With the new lifestyle changes all of these little things will add up.

I am only human - and  soon-to-be much lighter human!

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The false guarantee of tomorrow - procrastination - diet and exercise

I have relied on the false guarantee of tomorrow. Thinking that I will do this or do that tomorrow. This is especially true when it comes to what I am eating and how much I am moving.

I have given up the notion that I will eat now because I will start the diet on "Monday", but I am still struggling with making each bite count today.  Taking just a few more steps today.



"Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday."   Napoleon Hill

I am starting NOW to think in the moment.  Today is what is important when it comes to my health.  Today is the day to eat healthy and exercise more.  A better way of thinking is:  "Today makes tomorrow" 

"Build today, then strong and sure, With a firm and ample base;

And ascending and secure.   Shall tomorrow find its place."  

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 

So today I did get my exercise in - one step in the Now.

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Getting back on track with your diet, exercise and general health

It would be so much easier to exercise every day if life just cooperated a little bit.  Exercise is like lots of other things, once you are in the habit of daily exercise there is a kind of flow.  But once you get away from it... watch out.

That is where I am at right now - spending this past week sick with a cold, I did not exercise and now I am literally going to have to make myself start back up.



Surfing the web about tips on getting back on track, I ran across this article and I thought I would share it with you:

“7 Things You Can Do Today to Get Back on Track With Your Diet”

by Frederic Patenaude

I have a confession to make. I'm not perfect. Sometimes, I fall off the wagon with my diet and fitness activities.

Sometimes I eat more fat than I would like too. Sometimes I eat foods that don't make me feel great. Sometimes I end up being sedentary for a little while.

Let's face it. It's rare that you'll find someone who will commit 100% to something and never look back or have a breakdown. But your ability to succeed will be measured by your determination and focus, as well as your ability to learn from your “mistakes”.

So here are 7 things you can do *today* to get back on track with your diet.

1- Don't Be Hard on Yourself

We're really fast at acknowledging our shortcomings, but much less at acknowledging our successes. It's very easy to beat yourself up when you fall off the wagon and never take time to celebrate all the successes you've had so far.

So don't be hard on yourself and just look at what you've accomplished, no matter how small it may look! Compared to where a lot of people are at right now, you've already come a long way.

2- Reset Your System and Fast

In my book “The Raw Secrets”, I talked about the value of occasionally fasting 24 to 36 hours, or even 2-3 days (longer fasts should be supervised).

This is especially useful to get back on track with your diet. Fasting just 24 to 36 hours will literally “reset” your system and make it much easier to start eating right again.

Don't get me wrong. I don't suggest doing the harmful pattern of binging now and fasting later. I'm just saying that a short fast might be just what you need to give your body a chance to get back to a state of balance.

You can refer to my book “The Raw Secrets” for more information. If you're unsure about doing a short fast or your health does not permit it, then simply having a couple days of mono-fruit meals (only eating one type of fruit per meal), will give you great results.

3- List Your Benefits

When you have the time, take a moment to list all of the reasons *why* you are committed to a healthy lifestyle. Why do it at all?

Unless you know the *why*, you won't know the *how*. Any small difficulty will throw you off balance.

So your homework assignment is to list at least 25 benefits or reasons for eating well (however you define it at this point) and exercising. Then put this list in a place where you can see it!

4- Recommit

Commitment is very important. It just means that you're willing to do whatever it takes to get to where you want to go.

After you've listed your benefits, take a moment to commit to your success. All it takes is *share* your list with someone else, someone who can support you (ideally, your “success buddy”!) and tell them you commit to achieving those results.

5- Give Yourself a Goal

In addition to writing your list of benefits, give yourself one to three short-term goals that you believe you can accomplish within the next 6 to 12 months.

Maybe it is to *release* a certain amount of weight. Maybe it is to lower your body fat level down to a certain percentage. Or maybe it is to succeed doing so many push-ups in a row.

Set a few realistic goals that are also a little challenging, and keep your mind focused on them.

6- Be Prepared for the Next Breakdown

No matter how well you do in life, there *will* be another breakdown. I'm not saying that you'll necessarily fall off the wagon. Maybe it will just be a period of doubt and fear. Or you'll find yourself in a situation where you're not sure how to maintain your diet.

Prepare for success and envision different things that could potentially be challenging. What would you do in those moments? Take a moment to think about that and discuss it with your coach or someone who supports you.

7- Get Coaching and Support

Even the best athletes in the world have their own coaches. How do you think that you will make it without one?

A good coach will not only push you to get beyond where you want to go, but will also support you in the process and celebrate your successes with you.

Without coaching and support, it will be much more difficult to make your list of benefits come true.

If you can afford it, having a personal health coach will make a tremendous difference for you.

So, now that you're armed with these 7 tips I have revealed in this article, start using them, and if possible, have a coach help you in the process.

Once you start applying them, you will understand why they make all the difference!

  “Frederic Patenaude, is the author of the best-selling e-book "The Raw Secrets". He is currently giving away free access to his private library of over 100 exclusive articles along with a subscription to his newsletter Pure Health & Nutrition. Visit http://www.fredericpatenaude.com while charter subscriptions last.”

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Staying busy - eat less - move more - lifestyle changes

This is the busiest time for real estate, and since that is my biz, I am really busy.  This year it has really helped to be busy.  There is not as much time to think about food.  I also find that I do less of the "random eating" - where I just eat because there is nothing else to do.

One thing I have found that helps - keeping fresh fruit handy - I can just grab an apple, a pear or an orange instead of the sugary snacks I am prone to grab.  The natural sweetness satisfies my cravings too.

Nuts are another staple during this busy time.

What do you keep on hand for busy times?

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Dieting when you are sick

This week has been no fun.  I have come down with a cold and it is affecting my dieting efforts.  On one hand I am not wanting to eat as much, but on the other I am craving comfort foods.  Coughing, sneezing and the runny nose.


I have not exercised much this week.  I figure my body is busy enough trying to fight off this cold.

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