Body by Wii

Is That All?

2012-02-02T15:42:00.004-06:00

Everything in life is shaded by perspective. What each person experiences in their own life colors how they view things. What happened yesterday affects how you view today. If it was 10 degrees yesterday, 20 degrees today will seem warm in comparison. I was reminded of this phenomenon today when I looked at my fitness activity for the week.

I track on DailyMile and I was looking at the total time I had spent working out each week. I found myself thinking, "only 4 hours?" I quickly realized that I was being a bit ridiculous and that 4 hours is a great amount of time to spend on exercise in 4 days. I also realized that I was being really hard on myself and not giving me the pat on the back I deserved. I worked out for 4 hours this week!!!!

I don't think I'm alone in viewing my own accomplishments with less enthusiasm than they deserve. I know many people who will diminish their accomplishments when given a compliment instead of just saying. "Thank you."

Being proud of what you've done does not make you arrogant, cocky or a jerk. If you're set out to do something and reached your goal, be proud. Celebrate your accomplishment. Pat yourself on the back. Reward yourself. Encourage yourself to set bigger goals that can lead to bigger celebrations.

Goals

2012-02-02T14:11:00.000-06:00

If you're struggling to keep up with your New Year's Resolutions, perhaps the issue isn't with you, but with the resolutions themselves. Did you set SMARTER goals, or just pick things you want to improve? If they were just pie in the sky promises, you may want to revamp them to make them better. You always want goals you set to be smarter.

S	Specific
M	Measurable
A	Attainable
R	Relevant
T	Timely
E	Evaluate
R	Reevaluate

If you just said, "I want to be healthier," that doesn't fit this goal setting blueprint. Think about what you actually mean when you say "healthier" and make some specific, measurable goals from that definition.

Following this standard will help you stay on top of your resolutions and feel good about the progress you're making.

Easy

2012-02-02T12:00:00.002-06:00

In fact, if anyone tells you it WILL be easy, they're probably selling you something that you don't need and won't do what they claim.

Jogging in Jeans

2012-02-02T11:09:00.000-06:00

After reading about a guy who runs in jeans I had to check out the blog about Jogging In Jeans. It turns out that many people use treadmills and running paths in jeans. I have never seen this phenomenon in person, but will have to keep an eye out for it.

One of the common refrains in the running community is "Cotton Kills" Because of it's sponge-like ability to absorb sweat, it will get too heavy during a long run and can lead to chafing. This is really important for socks, but I would think it would be bad on jeans, too.

I am not suggesting that everyone go out and spend thousands of dollars on high-tech running gear, but you may want to avoid denim.

Slim Goodbody

2012-02-02T06:17:00.000-06:00

As I was reading about the million muscles (only a slight exaggeration) that are part of every shoulder movement, Slim Goodbody's suit was suggested as a learning aid. If you are 40 years or younger, you probably remember seeing him on PBS as a child.

I don't think his suit would get into enough detail for me, but reading about him has been fascinating. He's been Slim Goodbody for 37 years. In an interview he said that his fundamental message is "Your body is full of wonders. That makes you wonderful. Respect and love yourself. You are a miracle." His chief desire is to help children build self-confidence and develop self-respect. Such a great goal. Reminds me of Mr. Rogers.

Run motivation

2012-02-01T16:03:00.003-06:00

If you want more great run motivation posters, check out I <3 to Run. They inspire me daily.

Master Runners

2012-02-01T15:05:00.006-06:00

This sounds like people who have mastered the art of running. You may think that all Olympians would be classified this way, but most of them are too young. Master Runners are runners over the age of 40. I guess this is supposed to sound better than Old Runners or Slow Runners.

I just started running two summers ago at the age of 35, so I don't want to be a Master Runner in a few years. I still feel like a total newbie and no where near MASTER. I am trying to get better every day and want to still be running years from now.

According to National Masters News, the only magazine for Master Runners, I already am a Master Runner. They set the line at age 30.

I feel very old now. I will go out for a run to feel better about myself. And to feel younger than the 100 year old in the photo.

Bras

2012-02-01T12:31:00.006-06:00

I've talked about the importance of a sports bra in the past. Unfortunately, many stores only carry larger cup sizes with larger band sizes and smaller cup sizes with smaller bands. This does not help the small-framed runner with big boobs. (aka me) Or the large-framed runner with smaller boobs. It is an issue I have with images of runners everywhere. The women portrayed as runners are tall, thin and small busted. Every week I run with women of ALL sizes. Some of them are fast and some are slow, but they're all runners and all need a good bra.

I have routinely encountered waif-like helpers at the running store who suggest that you can go up a band size and down a cup size and that will work just fine. Their idea may work a little bit, especially if you're small busted, but it's not the best idea out there for the rest of us. It will usually lead to quad boob, chafing and too much bounce.

You should get a bra that is your exact size, not a close approximation of it. This is true for all bras, but so much more important for sports bras. If you don't know your correct size, keep trying them on until you figure out the correct band size and the correct cup size. (I would suggest using the sizing guides available online, but they're all outdated and inaccurate. Except this one.) The store you're at may not actually carry one that fits, but if the 34D fits around your rib cage, but you're spilling out of the cup, you can safely determine that you're a 34DD or 34DDD, depending on how undersized the D-cup was. For more specific trouble-shooting on bra size, watch the video. It will change your life. :)

I was trying to look online to find bra options and was hitting bad search results and dead ends everywhere. I was really getting frustrated when I found Bare Necessities. It's like heaven. Unlike other stores that had one bra that might fit, they had 30 that should fit. And those are just the sports bras. They even have cute ones in my size. I have never seen a cute sports bra in my size before. They carry sizes like 28DD, 40AA and 42A. If you've had a hard time finding your size because it's not a 36C, I'm sure you'll marvel at their selection, too. I will be ordering a bra or two this afternoon and will fill you in on them when they arrive.

Jonah Hill

2012-02-01T11:51:00.003-06:00

He's been in movies for only 7 years, but has been in 42 films. He's currently nominated for an Oscar for his work in "Moneyball" If you've seen him lately, you may have noticed his dramatic weight loss. It's easy to see the difference in these two pictures. It wasn't some magic pill, or Brad Pitt; it was good nutrition. He recently spoke with ABC about his health and weight. (at the 4:47 mark) It's worth a watch.

The Onion

2012-02-01T09:18:00.003-06:00

I think the onion is taken for granted and unfairly maligned. Scott Conant of TV Network's "Chopped" will whine for hours if there is a raw onion anywhere near his food. People will avoid onions because of "onion breath." Onions are never the featured player in a recipe, unless it's French onion soup.

I love onions. I always have. When I was a kid, my dad would make onion sandwiches. Bread, butter, onion, salt, pepper and maybe some sharp cheddar cheese and German mustard. I still eat them, but only when I'm alone. We also used to eat green garden onions as a snack vegetable, just like a carrot or celery.

I think it's time that we appreciate all the onion has to offer. One cup of onion has 2 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber and only 64 calories. That's about 10% of your daily fiber needs. Adding a cup of chopped onions to a recipe is a simple way to increase healthfulness of that dish. Onions are really low on the glycemic index and fight inflammation. They're a good source of Vitamin B6, Folate, Potassium and Manganese, and Vitamin C. They may also help prevent neck and head cancers. Red onions may improve cholesterol.

Onions are also fairly inexpensive and store easily and for longer than most vegetables. This makes them a great way for poor people to get nutrition without breaking the bank. If they're not already a staple in your kitchen and diet, I suggest you add them. If you don't want to believe me, check out this guy's endorsement of the onion.

Parents

2012-01-31T13:33:00.006-06:00

My parents unintentionally made it really easy for me to hate many vegetables. Peas, asparagus, brussel sprouts, lima beans, green beans, and yellow beans were all canned and then boiled into submission. It is remarkable that I grew up to love asparagus. It was my favorite as a child, despite the mushiness it takes on once it's canned. It is still one of my favorites as an adult, but only if it's fresh.

I finally tried brussel sprouts a couple of years ago. I hadn't had them in about 20 years. The chef and waiter had to convince me that they would be delicious and they were. If you simply cook them with some oil and salt (or bacon as pictured), they retain some of the tanginess of a cabbage, but none of the mushiness or bitterness from my childhood. They also don't smell as badly as I remember.

I don't really like lima beans, but can tolerate them. Green and yellow beans aren't my favorite, but that's because there are other vegetables with more flavor.

My parents weren't completely awful when it came to introducing vegetables into my diet. In some ways, they were great:

Carrots, celery, green peppers, cucumbers, cauliflower, green onions, kohlrabi and radishes were regularly in our refrigerator and usually eaten raw. Often, they were eaten plain or just a dash of salt. I don't remember dip being a constant companion to those vegetables. I still love all of these vegetables and will gladly eat them as a snack.

Corn was usually eaten as fresh corn on the cob from the farmers' market with some butter and salt on it. They had never know about elotes, so I can't blame them for not introducing that to me. They did know about creamed corn, and sadly, my mother regularly made me eat that. Even now, I'm cringing at the thought of it.

Onions and potatoes were used in many recipes, although I never had mashed potatoes at home. Baked, fried or scalloped, but never mashed. I didn't have real mashed potatoes until I was an adult. Only had cafeteria instant potatoes before that. Zucchini was around, especially in fall when they overtook people's gardens, but only hidden in things like bread or chocolate cake. It was never used as side-dish.

My mother would make rutabaga and squash on occasion, but not as often as she wanted because both of my brothers hated it. I always loved them both and have made them a regular part of my diet as an adult.

There were many vegetables that I have eaten as an adult that were not available in Wausau, WI in the 1980s, or were too scary for my parents to cook. I am really glad that I found edamame, eggplant, kale, and broccoli. (My mom thought it looked weird, so she never ate it.) I'm sure I've found more, but those are the ones that stick out to me.

If you look at vegetables in the store and think that you've hated them since you were a kid, I recommend you check out Food TV for a recipe and give them another shot. It would not be fair to yourself to deny any food group because of the cooking crimes of your parents.

Injury Prevention

2012-01-31T09:36:00.003-06:00

I ended up injured and on crutches last year. Because of that experience, I am reading everything I can about preventing running injuries. I have also taken a Good Form Running clinic to make sure my run form is as healthy as possible. Today, I read an injury prevention article in Runner's World. They lay out 10 rules for injury prevention. I am following all of them right now. I am trying to improve my stretching and my strength training. If you are a runner who has experienced injury in the past, or a new runner looking to avoid injuries, I recommend you read the article and check out the Good Form Running site.

Here are the rules. The article expands and explains them.

I
Know Your Limits
II
Listen to Your Body
III
Consider Shortening Your Stride
IV
Use Strength Training To Balance Your Body
V
RICE Works
VI
Run on a Level Surface
VII
Don't Race Or Do Speedwork Too Often
VIII
Stretch the Back Of Your Legs
IX
Cross-Training Provides Active Rest and Recovery
X
Get Shoes That Fit

Inspiring Person

2012-01-31T09:17:00.003-06:00

Dan Martin. He is setting out on a global triathlon. He will swim the Atlantic Ocean, cycle across Europe & Asia. and then finish by running across Canada and the USA. He's already biked across Africa. Think of him the next time you're feeling a bit off and don't want to go for that 5K run. He does all of these extreme excursions to raise money for education of underprivileged children around the globe.

Chasing

2012-01-31T08:51:00.007-06:00

This is what I love about running. You're just trying to improve yourself. It doesn't matter that there are people running twice as quickly as you. All that you are trying to do is improve upon the prior day's numbers.

Charity

2012-01-30T18:01:00.008-06:00

Many of us do weekend 5K races that benefit charities. Some of us train with charities for longer races or triathlons. I found a site that lets you log your fitness activity every day and convert that time and effort into a charitable contribution. There is no cost to you at all. There are corporate sponsors donating money to the charities for the activities that you log. Today, I raised $1.63 for the Go Red for Women campaign from the American Heart Society. No, it's not a huge amount of money, but it is $1.63 more than they had before I signed up.

For people who aren't internally motivated to be active and need to feel they're helping others, this is a way to get that external motivation. For those of us who thrive on competitive, there are leader boards and challenges on the site. You have nothing to lose, so check it out.

For those of you who want to train with a charity to run a half marathon, full marathon or a triathlon, join "Team Twitter" with Team to End AIDS.

Provider selection

2012-01-30T13:29:00.002-06:00

When you pick a hairstylist, you don't want to pick someone with unhealthy, or unattractive hair. You wouldn't pick a butcher who is a vegetarian, or a baker who doesn't eat sweets. Why would you pick a health care provider who is unhealthy? I know I haven't really thought about the health of my doctor, but I may have to change that. It's possible that overweight doctors are less attuned to the weight issues affecting their patients.

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Healthy-weight physicians were more likely to believe that doctors should model weight-related behaviors, such as maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly compared with their overweight or obese counterparts. They also said they believed that overweight or obese patients would be less likely to trust advice given by a physician who also was overweight or obese.

Doctors were more likely to record a diagnosis of obesity or start a weight loss conversation if they perceived the patient's body weight met or exceeded their own.

However, obese and overweight physicians were more likely to think they were successful in helping their patients lose weight, although the actual percentage was very low.

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This study makes me wonder is personal practices affect other aspects of a doctor's care. Would a doctor with a poor diet not see a poor diet in their patient as a problem? Also, if my weight were to sneak up again, would my doctor point it out? These are all issues to consider when selecting a primary care physician.

Award Season

2012-01-30T12:05:00.006-06:00

It's that time of year again. When every week seems to bring another show of awards for the movies of the prior year. Those of us at home critique the choice of winners and the appearance of everyone on the red carpet. This year, the Best Supporting Actress winner at the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards was Octavia Spencer. She is not a skinny starlet. She is overweight. Last night she talked about that.

"I am not healthy at this weight," Spencer, 39, told People Magazine backstage at the SAG awards. "Any time you have too much around the middle, then there is a problem. [And] when you reach a certain weight, you are less valuable." She went on to talk about how sizeism affect everyone. “I feel for the overly thin women as much as I do for the overweight women,” she said. “It ... has to change." Here is her advice, "If more women ate, they would be a lot happier. Let me tell you, I am a lot grumpier when I don't eat."

I think she's right on every point she made. I think we need to stop equating a woman's value to her measurements. We also need to stop equating beautiful with skinny. Eating helps regulate serotonin, so if you don't eat, you will be grumpier. This does not mean you have to eat to excess, or eat unhealthful foods. You can eat a well-balanced diet in an amount that keeps your weight at a healthy level. You can also continue or increase your exercise levels to keep your weight healthy.

I have said this before, but it bears repeating: We should all be striving to be strong and healthy. That will not look the same for everyone because of genes, but that should be the goal.

UPDATE: The stories seem to have gotten it wrong. She was asked about the skinny starlets, so she talked about her weight. Her goal is to be healthier in the body she has, not diet down to some number that is much smaller. For us all to "Be Happy in Our Own Skin" Read her whole take on this issue.

Yoga

2012-01-30T09:11:00.004-06:00

I don't like Yoga. There, I said it. I wish I did, but I don't. I keep trying Yoga, but dislike it. It may be because I'm doing it incorrectly, or just because I'm not flexible. I think part of it may be the foreign words. I'm not sure why, but regardless of the cause, I find that yoga makes me lightheaded and I don't enjoy that. Is that lightheaded feeling the mind-body connection they talk about? It just feels like dizziness to me.

The sun salutation vinyasa sequence of poses has me moving around so much that I want to throw up. Plus, my tightest muscles are my hamstrings and it seems like having flexible hamstrings is the key to every pose in that series of movements. I am also flat-footed, which make the poses where I balance on one leg difficult. I find the fact that I'm not flat-chested to get in the way at times, too. Literally.

Unfortunately for me, yoga is so beloved by the fitness industry that it is hard to avoid. Even things that are touted as "stretching" have yoga, but without the name. That doesn't mean they don't use yoga terms during the session, they just don't use it in the title.

This post feels like a confession to me. Yoga is so ubiquitous that I feel pressured to partake and enjoy and that I'm a philistine for not liking it. It reminds me of that time in college when my friend with the awesome and obscure musical tastes confessed to liking a song by Paula Abdul. He has since gone on to say, "Never apologize for a favorite song. If you like a song, like a song. Don't let anybody tell you what to like."

It turns out that I'm not alone in my dislike of yoga. People are starting to speak out. The NY Times had an article called "How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body" Which is adapted from a forthcoming book "The Science of Yoga" This is a different reason for disliking yoga, though. The people in the article are mostly long-time instructors who became injured, not novices who disliked the practice. I also found some amusing items online about hatred of yoga.

I think I need to follow his my friend's advice, but applied to fitness. I love running, cycling and weightlifting. I haven't played in ages, but I love tennis. I don't really like swimming, even though I took years of lessons. I don't like yoga. I am willing to give it another chance, but think I need an individual instructor first. Maybe that would help me overcome my unfamiliarity with it. Until then, I will avoid yoga poses and go back to old-fashioned stretching exercises. I feel better for having admitted my dislike of yoga publicly. It's like a weight has been lifted.

Running

2012-01-29T07:46:00.005-06:00

I want to add that you can also say, "I beat all the people on the couch." This applies to all activities and goals, not just running.

Boobs

2012-01-28T10:53:00.004-06:00

This is really true. And something men never have to worry about.

Race Training Errors

2012-01-28T10:14:00.007-06:00

Earlier this week, the International Association of Women Runners (IAWR) held a free teleconference called "How to Correct 7 Common Training Errors Committed by Marathoners and Half-Marathoners" It was hosted by Bennett Cohen, the founder of the group.

I listened to the entire call and here's what I took away from it.

"Running is a chance for you to become a hero in your own life." Kathrine Switzer

He seems to indicate that shortness is somehow nonathletic. I don't know if he actually meant it that way, but that's how it sounded to me, a short woman.

Error 1: Too few rest days. Can hit a PR with 3 days running 1-2 days cross training. More than that can eliminate the repair your body needs to get stronger.

Error 2: Quantity over quality. Tempo, interval, race pace and hills should all be part of your training. Don't just keep running long runs.

Error 3: Running long every weekend. There should be a week or two of shorter runs in between the long runs.

Error 4: Failure to include goal pace runs during the long runs. Hard to hit a pace in the race that you've never reached in training.

Error 5: Lack of running specific strength training. Wall squats, bridges, planks and side leg lifts should all be part of your cross-training.

Error 6: Failure to taper properly leading into a race. It can take four weeks from your longest run to fully recover for the actual marathon.

Error 7: Lack of mental preparation. 26.2 is as hard mentally as physically. Practice visualization. Practice eliminating self-doubt and negative thoughts.

The IAWR has individual training programs that take into account age, injury issues and other items that can affect training and racing. They can review and adjust during the training program.

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All of these errors are eliminated when you follow the T2 training program. If you're thinking of running a marathon or a half marathon, you should join Team Twitter.

Vitamin D

2012-01-28T08:57:00.004-06:00

Vitamin D levels can affect weight loss. By increasing the amount in your blood stream, you can increase the effectiveness of a weight loss regimen.

This is something you can control. Taking a daily Vitamin D supplement can help with weight loss in addition to the things we already knew it did. It helps with bone density, immune function, inflammation and cell growth.

The RDA for Vitamin D is 600 IU/15mcg. There are questions as to whether that is high enough, so you may want to consider taking a little bit more. It is fat soluble, so, unlike Vitamin C, you can overdose on it. Institute of Medicine (IOM) has set the tolerable upper limit (UL) to 4000 IU per day for ages 9–71+ years. Make sure, if you supplement, that you are using vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) and not the inferior form known as vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol).

If you're thinking that you already eat foods rich in Vitamin D and you're taking a supplement, you should be aware of the following things that may counter all of your really good efforts.

There are some things, besides diet that can cause low levels of Vitamin D. Certain medical problems, including Crohn's disease, cystic fibrosis and celiac disease, can affect your intestine's ability to absorb vitamin D from the food you eat. Being darker skinned or not getting enough sun exposure can limit your body's ability to naturally produce it. Being overweight may also hinder absorption of this vitamin. That's a double hurt because of it's assistance in losing those excess pounds. On top of all that are the drugs that may hurt your levels.

Good Bodies

2012-01-28T08:26:00.005-06:00

It looks like many women are fighting back against the "Curvy is better than thin" meme that has been going around lately. I talked about it two weeks ago when I found the idea to be annoying. Today I found an entire group on Facebook dedicated to celebrating all of our bodies. The item that led me there also led me to others made by the same blogger. You should really check them out; they're truly liberating and awesome. She did not make the image here, I thought this was a great riff on that stupid meme.

Running Form

2012-01-27T11:48:00.006-06:00

Last night, I attended a Good Form Running clinic at Fleet Feet. I have been trying to be very careful with my form, but wanted to get more information and have my form looked at. It may feel good to me, but that's no guarantee that is is good. In fact, no one looks as good as they feel running. It's one of the things runners say.

I can't recommend the clinic enough. If you're a beginning runner, it will give you information you're never heard. If you've been running a while, it will show you how to improve and avoid injury. Injury prevention was my main reason for attending. I do not want to go through a season of training to sit out the event on crutches again.

The insights into running were really helpful, and I will be trying them out this afternoon. I don't want to play telephone with the information they provided. Please go to their site and read for yourself. If there is a clinic offered near you, please sign up. Seeing yourself run on camera is very helpful and not as horrific as you might think.

You don't want to be the person in this photo or any of the other people in the online images showing horrible running form. Sadly, many of the pictures of runners show bad form. That's including pictures in running and fitness magazines.

UPDATE: I just finished my run. It was the exact 5K route I ran on Wednesday, only I ran each mile 29 seconds faster than I did a mere two days ago. It was faster than I've ever run this route and 15 seconds faster than my 5K last April. I can't wait until I have used the information for a longer time so it's more comfortable. I really think it will improve my speed a ton.

Famous People Running

2012-01-27T10:35:00.006-06:00

A friend of mine posted this fabulous picture on Facebook today. It made me wonder what other famous people are public with their running. Alanis Morissette has talked about her running. As has her ex, Ryan Reynolds. Edward Norton and Flea have used their running to raise awareness and money. Here's a list of celebrity marathon times to give you goals of who to beat. Here's another list of celebrities and their marathon times. Princess Beatrice has run the London Marathon while physically attached to 33 other runners, including Richard Branson's children and Natalie Imbruglia. They called this a "human caterpillar" not to be confused with a "Human Centipede" Valerie Bertinelli ran the Boston Marathon just days before turning 50. David Lee Roth ran a marathon in New York. Meridith Baxter ran one back in 1982. My favorite celebrity runner is still Eddie Izzard.

Yes, these people are rich and famous, but when it comes to running, that doesn't matter. There's only so much equipment you need and can use. They may spend tons of money on a personal run coach, but you can get the same information through local running clubs and running stores.