How Many Steps?

How many steps do you walk in an average day? Over 10,000?

If you'd have asked me that question last week my answer would have been, "Oh, wow. A lot, I'd say over 10,000 a day without a doubt." Well last Thursday I bought one of the new, nifty little pedometers from Weight Watchers and have been wearing it daily. Surprise, surprise, I only average about 6,000 steps a day in my normal routine.

If I want to hit the desired 10,000 steps? I have to hit the streets or the trail and make it a point to get them in.

Lesson learned. Point taken. I know what I have to do.

"I tore up 4 miles of single track!"

I tried something yesterday that I have never done before. I went Mountain Biking! Check one more thing off my "fun-things-to-do-list". It was way fun and I'm looking forward to going again!

My younger brother is big into Mountain Biking so when he came to town to visit yesterday I grabbed the chance. The weather was gorgeous, we loaded up and went out to the Reforestation Camp. The trails are well marked and we rode about 4 miles of trail winding in and out through the woods. It was great! Very invigorating.

I'm learning the lingo - single track is when there is a single groove for you to ride on through the woods. Double track is more the style that a car could drive on and two bikes can ride side by side.

I found out that I'm more comfortable going up hill instead of down...I decided that's the control freak in me. I was careful. I didn't want to kiss a tree.

I'm a little sore today. It feels good - after all, I tore up 4 miles of single track.

Sometimes 60 feels easier than 10

Okay my friends - true confession time. I've been "trying" all summer to drop 10 pounds. Last November I was 10 under goal then it "inched" up through the spring. So I thought, "I liked being at that weight...I'm going to lose it again." Well, I will tell you...it hasn't been easy! I've been messing around, playing games and basically....maintaining. I bumped up against goal now and again which put the fear of God in me and I'd back off seriously for a few days. But then a fun event would spring up and FUN I'd have. So, the past 2 weeks I've taken the WW challenge, Lose for Good, seriously and I'm now feeling that I'm back in the mindset it takes. (Afterall if WW will donate $10 to world hunger for me losing 10 pounds, I'm doing it!)

Okay, so the operative part you may have caught up above was that this summer I was playing games. My mind (and desire) really wasn't into it. That was the whole difference.

Anyway, I've come to the conclusion that it was actually easier for me to lose 60 pounds. Believe it or not.

Next time you see me, ask how that 10 is going. Keep me accountable - please!

Can I Buy Just HALF A Cookie?

We were in a new "goodie" shop where I was oogling the peanut butter cookies ...and in my opinion nothing beats a REALLY good peanut butter cookie! My friend and I laughed after I asked the high school clerk if it was possible to buy only half the cookie; but I was totally serious. Sometimes I only want a bite. Just a taste is enough.

On that same note - my daughter dragged me into the Godiva chocolate store in Minneapolis last weekend. Her plan was simple... they have "samples" - you take one small piece, get a yummy taste and walk out the door. We saved "a mint" (haha) in both cash and calories with this technique. And just a taste was plenty.

Many of you may be tired of hearing about my "3 bite" rule; but I need to say it occasionally if for no other reason than to remind myself of it. Three bites of a "rare sweet" are plenty and here's why: The first bite tastes like you've died and gone to heaven. The second bite is still very, very good. Bite number three is still quite yummy. But by bite number 4 the taste has diminished significantly and it only goes down hill from there. The first 3 bites are the best - so stop after that and you'll have had the best part!

BTW - I came across a blog I've been enjoying and want to share with you also. This guy puts it out there in a way that makes me think and I like that. It also seems that he has the same mindset as I in our approach to food and exercise. Check it out sometime when you get a chance...Rich DiGirolamo's Hey Skinny

"It's probably just a food baby. Did you have a big lunch?"

"It's probably just a food baby. Did you have a big lunch?" That line from the movie, "Juno", made me laugh but I actually lived it this weekend! I am SO used to eating smart and staying in my comfort zone that when I ate past that and into the Thanksgiving Day stuffed zone last Thursday I was surprised. And the really surprising part is that it has taken me until today, Sunday, to not be too full! I'd feel a little hungry and I'd eat (more than normal... surprise, surprise!) but honest to goodness I was overly full for 3 days!

Just so you know - my tummy HATED me and caused me to have a belly-ache the whole time. It truly feels good to be back on track today.

My saving grace at the scale this morning? I rode my bike 20 miles on Friday while my "food baby" and I were having a blast cruising around the Twin Cities with my real, live, smiling baby.

We live and learn...and learn...occassionally forget... and learn again.

Fall Is Here - Do Your Jeans Fit?

Hi Gang!

I had a member join a meeting yesterday who said she went to put on her jeans yesterday for the first time in months and they were TIGHT! AHHHH! She looked at the clock and had a half hour to get to the meeting, so in she came. It was really nice to see her smiling face again, and I"m glad she shared that experience with me. You know in the spring we prepare for "shorts season" and watch our weight; and now here it is "jeans season" and we have to make sure they still fit too!

This is the second fall I've pulled out my jeans and had them fit well. I didn't truly appreciate that fact until I was reminded yesterday that it wasn't always that way for me. ( I have been know to lay on the bed and use a plyers to pull up the zipper on my jeans. Yes, my friends, it wasn't pretty.) So this morning when I pulled out a pair of jeans and slipped them on I had a brand new appreciation for the way they fit. Yay me - I maintained for another summer! WOW.

So, what I hear you all saying is that THIS IS A LIFESTYLE. Healthy eating, moving more, and thinking before we pop stupid, useless calories into our face. This truly is a journey as we learn the balance of eating and moving in a manner that keeps us feeling good and fitting into our clothes.

If you didn't maintain or lose this summer - get your butts into a meeting room. (Mine are at 4:00 and 5:30 at Green Bay West; I also lead a Fruits & The Spirit class at New Hope United Methodist Church in De Pere on Mondays at 12 noon which focuses on healthy eating, exercise and prayer.) Do whatever it takes to get back on track - being healthy and feeling good is important!

After a busy summer and not very many posts.... I'm back so be sure to check often!

For the Sashimi Lovers

This is direct from the Hungry Girl newsletter and I have several readers who I know love sushi and will love this info. So here you go my friends! Hi, Hungry Girl! I love sashimi and can eat a lot of it. I used to think it was pretty healthy. But I recently checked the nutritionals for salmon (my favorite!), and it's about 45 calories and 2g fat per ounce! I'm pretty sure the average piece of sashimi is one to two ounces, so does that mean I'm taking in around 240 calories and 10g fat for just three to four measly pieces of fish? And who eats just four pieces?! I know it's good fat and all, but does that mean sashimi is not too good calorie-wise? Sashimi-Chewer
	Dear Sashimi-Chewer, Hold on there! Before you panic, let's get things straight. For starters, some of your facts are a little fishy (some pun intended). The average piece of sashimi is not one to two ounces. Sashimi is typically very thinly sliced and weighs around 1/2 oz. per piece on average. While salmon is on the high end in terms of calories and fat, most varieties of fish contain an average of 35 calories and 1g fat per ounce. So if you get an order of assorted sashimi, the entire thing will probably weigh in at around two to three ounces and have about 100 calories and 3g fat or so (give or take a little). I eat a TON of sashimi (okay, not literally, but I do eat an awful lot of it!), and I always feel good about that choice. I do usually indulge in a few orders of sushi, too, but I ask for those with not a lot of rice (a good trick!). I also avoid crazy rolls that have lots of mayo, cream cheese, oils, fried items, etc. In general, rolls have more rice than straight sushi pieces. Click here and here for some more sushi survival tips (and check out the HG book for even more!). I LOVE RAW FISH!!!!