As I taught yesterday, I kept that word PLAY-OUT in the forefront of my mind, and I think everyone should mentally think play, instead of work and perhaps the whole idea of daily play-outs will become a whole lot more desirable, than a daily workout. I mean, think about it…how many times a day do YOU get to really do things for YOU?
Last night I sauteed some Gardein Chicken Scallopini for the first time. I made just one cutlet because although its only 90 calories, its high in sodium. I cut it up and put it on top of a salad and it was perfect. Since I have a lot of cutlets in the freezer, I may do the same tonight, in quantity, and make a huge salad and make that the main course for Vegan Feast Thursday. Trying hard to buy and cook foods that are seasonal and local, I will probably opt for a side of corn on the cob, since they are quite abundant (and hence inexpensive at 10 for $3.00, this week). Fruit is plentiful and I will put out a big bowl of assorted summer fruits and ??????
Alicia Silverstone’s site, The Kind Life, posted a great article about protein needs this week (June 28th) and I think that ANYONE who thinks they NEED protein from animal products should read it and you can find the link to her site on my links page. When someone says they are a vegan (or veganish) the first question is always “But where do you get your protein from?” In short, we really do get all the protein we need from vegetables and grains. Really. Too much animal protein tends to cause illness in our bodies, while vegetable protein does not. If you are eating a diet rich in vegetables and grains, you can be sure you are getting all the amino acids (which is really what we get from protein) you need. If you are eating nuts, beans or tofu once a day, you are getting more than enough. If you don’t feel confident in believing me, or Alicia, read The China Study or Diet for a New America, or try to find the movie Forks Over Knives somewhere. If you eat a diet consisting of half vegetables and fruits, one quarter grain and one quarter protein, you are actually eating a protein rich meal. Hah, that’s exactly the way the new food plate (which replaced the pyramid) looks!
So load up on veggies and be guilt free! Eat all the veggies you want, watch the pounds come off and be healthy. It’s a win/win situation for you weight wise and health wise…and it’s a win for the animals, too. As I always say, what’s good for us is also good for the world at large.
Yesterday I had a chance to watch Monday night’s episode of Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition. I will continue to watch, but it leaves me asking too many questions. Basically, I walk away remembering only the weigh ins. With little to no talk about what these people eat every day, and even little about their daily workouts, it makes me wonder what really is allowing someone like Larhonda to lose 100 pounds in 90 days during the first 3 months, but then, only 20 something pounds the last 3 months and that INCLUDES weight lost from the skin removal surgery. I can’t help but wonder, would these people need the skin reduction surgery (at least to the extent they do) if they lost the weight more slowly (like 2-3 pounds a week). I honestly don’t know. What do you think? All and all, Larhonda had incredible DESIRE and she did do an incredible job of transforming. Just wish we had more insight into what really goes on each day.
With summer in full “swing,” why not get outside and turn your WORKouts into PLAYouts. From parks to school yards to beaches, their are so many ways to get in an awesome workout while playing. Why not hit the park/playground and do some climbing and pulling on monkey bars and slides. You can put your feet on a swing, your hands on the ground and do some push-ups, find some bleachers and do some running up and down, or find a track and do some sprinting. You can hit the beach swimming and running or walking or get a game of volleyball going. Traditional outdoor games like baseball, football, hoops or tennis will surely burn lots of calories, while building cardiovascular and muscular strength and endurance as well as increasing range of motion. What more can anyone ask for?
Let’s all start looking at workouts as play-outs. It might just change your entire perspective! I am thinking about how much Blaze lives for his daily walk. No one ever suggested it wasn’t anything other than fun. Change your brain to change your body. Start today.
That’s it for me. I am off to play-out. Thanks for stopping in.
What a great weekend with the childhood/college friends aka The Garden Club. How special when friends want to fly across the country to spend their birthday weekend right here at the South Florida hub of our “club.” To Mitch C., Dolores and today’s birthday people Ted and Carole, thanks for the visit and all the quality time. Carole and Ted, have the best 54th birthday, today, and enjoy another day of vacation and celebration. We are glad you are safely back home in your own necks of the woods and we already look forward to the next “meeting.”
Thanks to Ted, my gardening mentor, I will be adding LOTS of organic soil, organic manure and my own composted soil to our gardening beds before planting our next set of crops. I will heed Ted’s advice and hear his words when shopping for plants…”Plant what you like to eat.” I learned that strawberries do not behave well with other plants, and have pulled them. This weekend, I will pull out most of what is left out there, and begin from the beginning. This year was a great first pass and I am still getting tomatoes though the garden has been neglected since the temps have been in the mid 90s daily. Our output exceeded my expectations and even our mango tree now seems to be growing like a weed, a reminder that sometimes patience and perseverance are the most important tools in a garden…or in life!
Today its time to get back to reality which includes a little overdosing on water, fruits and veggies as I try to detox my temple from vacation overload and, as I do every summer, kick up my personal workouts. After a great weekend with such wonderful friends, I am rejuvenated and ready. I will watch last night’s episode of Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition later today and that always helps, too.
What will motivate you today? Whatever it is, find it somewhere and get to it! Remember, “Nothing tastes as good as thin (and fit and healthy!) feels.”
Front page of this morning’s paper highlights how many that undergo gastric bypass surgery, end up lighter in weight, but with a new and different monkey on their backs. This is not news, and sadly it happens more often than we know. Since many become obese because of emotional issues, when you take away their ability to eat through their pain, they turn to drinking and/or drugs. This is just one of the many reasons that I think surgery should be the very last resort for weight loss, even when one has an extraordinary amount to lose. We have to change our brains before we can change our bodies. If you instead, change your body without changing your brain, you risk the great possibility of failure.
I am so proud of those of you who have written, or let me know that you are making change happen in your own bodies and brains. Making changes to your exercise program, cleaning off those old “clothes hangers” we call treadmills…dusting off your sneakers…finding a new workout, or revisiting an old one that you loved…all positive steps to a smaller, new and improved YOU. I am always excited to learn that someone has taken that first step to better health and fitness. I hope that you will continue to share your progress, step by step, inch by inch, pound by pound. Have any questions, please ask. If I can’t help, maybe someone reading, can.
The wheel never be invented again. Tried and true methods have helped millions of people lose millions of pounds. Just yesterday, the newspaper ran a story about Jean Nidetch, the founder of Weight Watchers, who now, coincidentally lives just a few miles away from me, and is still going strong (and lean) at 87, has always believed that writing everything you eat down in a food journal, accepting that weight management is a lifelong quest and receiving encouragement from others, are all important keys to longtime success. Even back in the 60s she was recommending people eat breakfast and lots more fruits and vegetables. Somethings just never change.
Eat more vegetables and fruits and get moving! Calories in, calories out. It’s as simple as that. As Nidetch says, waving around an imaginary FORK… “We ourselves hold the instrument that makes us fat.”
Thanks for sharing your stories and inspiring me, so that I can hope to keep inspiring you. Have a magical Monday.
Unplug and disconnect. A sure prescription for some peace.
Why not try unplugging from technology for just a little while in order to truly celebrate the arrival of summer and all that summer means. Why not try disconnecting from technology for a day (yikes) and see how it helps you put your priorities back in order. Than you can return to emails, cell phones etc., with more clarity. Does every single email really need to be answered immediately? Maybe checking them just a few times a day will turn out to be more than enough?!
I’ll be teaching this morning and then unplugging to enjoy quality time with my visiting “stars.” I will be back to work and back to peaceandfitness Tuesday morning. Have a great weekend and give some thought to how YOU can unplug and spend some quality time with YOUR stars. Enjoy!
Thanks, Sheri, for sharing your story about donating gym equipment to the woman who wanted her son to workout and couldn’t afford a gym membership or trainer. It was great of your husband to take into consideration just who he was donating the equipment to. If we all thought just a little about the “stuff” we don’t use or need and who might really benefit from it, the world would be such a better place for all of us.
I donated blood this week and it always feels good to give back. It’s also a great way to get a mini check up (cholesterol, blood pressure and lots of other tests, too). Next week, Jane and I will be making PB&J sandwiches and bringing them to the soup kitchen in Fort Lauderdale. This fits nicely into my pledge to help feed hungry people however I can.
Speaking of giving…if you live locally and know anyone that wants an adorable, striped kitten, please let me know. These free bundles of love are just old enough to leave their mommy, and are currently residing in Plantation. They have been very well taken care of and the family already has 2 dogs and 3 cats or else, trust me, the kitties would NOT be leaving the “nest”. The mom, a kitten herself, gave birth to 4 babies and the first was adopted yesterday. If you are interested let me know and I will hook you up! I do have pictures (1 male, 2 females left) on my cell phone, so I can easily send a picture if you are interested.
Have an awesome Thursday. Take care of yourself, each other, and all Mother Nature’s children. Sharing is caring.
Yesterday I watched the Extreme Makeover Weight Loss edition episode from Monday night. I can’t wrap my heart around it, but I will watch every week because even though it’s no Biggest Loser, it’s some sort of fix, to take me through the summer. This week, the transformation was on James, a man who was once well over 700 pounds, started the transformation at 651 and lost 313 in 12 months! This is more than a transformation, it’s a rebirth and a near miracle. One of his biggest motivations was to get under 300 pounds so that he would be weight eligible for removal of his abdominal hernia. I am just confused about how he was able to exercise to the extreme needed to lose that kind of weight (sometimes working out 3 times in one day) with that hernia. While he wasn’t under 300 pound at the one year weigh in, he was so close that I am sure he will make his personal goal.
We see nothing about the eating involved in this transformation. What’s up with that? We all know that weight is really controlled in the kitchen, so I don’t understand. There is so much confusion about what to eat and what not to eat, I am sure that the viewers would benefit from learning what the “transformers,” eat. I want to know!
What I do know is that change can happen for ANYONE. It’s all about desire. As James said much more profoundly, until you run out of excuses, you can’t make it happen. If you are making excuses for transforming yourself, physically, mentally or otherwise, I hope today is the day you run out of them…then get yourself moving in the direction of a new and improved YOU.
Happy summer everyone. A special thanks to Rita for an awesome gift of peace. Much love to all.
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