From the beginning... Find Your "Other" Thing

After ending up in the hospital at this time last year, I began struggling with my eating again. I was told I was eating too little and had to increase my calories. I was told I was teetering on malnutrition. I was freaked.

First I ate too much, then I ate too little, then I evened out. Then I started flirting with sugar again. Then I started binging on sugar again. Now I am trying to get back into recovery on the whole sugar thing. (The giant piece of ice cream cake for my birthday not withstanding.)

Today I interviewed the woman in charge of the Walk from Obesity, it's the 27th and I am the 'celebrity' speaker. Helping other people is something I am passionate about. Helping people take that first step or stay motivated in their weight loss journey is important to me. That's why I am looking forward to the walk.

But after she left this morning, I felt the snugness of my pants and felt sad. I have let myself go, given in too many times to sugar, eaten away at my pain via cake and cookies. So, as I worked away the 'whys' tugged at me.

I have wondered for some time why it was easier the first year to deal with food than it has been the second year. Today, perhaps, I have come to at least one answer - I lost my 'other' thing.

When you are trying to lose weight, you need something to distract you from food, especially if, like myself, you are a food addict. When boredom sets in or when free time appears or when emotions get heavy - you need something else. I realized that my crash into the emergency room last year was about a month after Caelen went to school full-time and I went to work full-time outside the house again.

When I came up on the other side of being ill and had the food world opened up to me again, I had nothing to distract me. As I settled into a stressful job with too many hours that never took off, I fell back into old patterns. I took to scanning the break-room for free food and sneaking a snack here or there. As the stress rose, so did my calorie count.

If I had still been in the 'Caelen world' I would have had a full-time distraction. Teaching and loving him was my passion and more than enough to keep me from diving into doughnuts. But outside of my home full of healthy food choices and 4-year-old fun, I have been vulnerable to the same temptations as everyone else.

Now I realize I need a new 'other' thing. Work is long and arduous at time, it can't be the other thing. Workouts have become just part of what I do, like bathing, a goal I set for myself a long time ago - so it's definitely not the 'other' thing.

I don't know what it is. But I am going to spend the next few weeks trying to figure it out. In the meantime, I will eat healthier and let finding my 'other' thing, be the other thing.

Yours in health, Kate

From the beginning... It's All About Me

Monday's columns are always about how to get started on a weight loss/ health regime or tips I learned at the beginning of my journey. Today is the ultimate one - It's all about me.

That may sound conceded or selfish, but it's flat-out the truth. You cannot do this for anyone except yourself. If you do you will fail and worse yet, you will blame that poor unsuspecting schmuck you were 'doing all this for'.

You will benefit this most from losing the weight - better health, better mental fitness, better relationships, better shopping - so it needs to be all about you. Especially since you are the only one who can keep the pumpkin spice Kisses out of your mouth (damn evil Hershey's people). You are the only one who can put your butt on a treadmill at the gym. You are the only one who is ultimately responsible.

So, on my 37th birthday, as I take stock of my life, I am grateful to me. I have stumbled, I have failed, I have put another Kiss in my mouth - but I have also come a long way baby. And because of that, I expect to celebrate several decades of birthdays to come and that is the ultimate gift - for me.

Yours in health, Kate

I do not know this baby, but this is how much I love birthday cake too.

From the beginning... Enjoy the weather

It is disgustingly nice outside today. The kind of nice that begs the question, "What the hell are you still doing behind the computer?" Well, I am blogging, but I swear it will be short because the outdoors are waiting for me.

That's my tip I learned early on - if it's nice, get outside. Not only will it help keep you from being bored (the scenery changes constantly) but fresh air and sun are your friends. Fresh air help you learn to breath deeper, because it's clean and your lungs want more.

The sun is your friend, but so is sunscreen. You can still get the vitamin D your body needs from the sun with sunscreen on. That vitamin D is good for your heart, helps your body absorb calcium and helps you have strong bones, teeth, etc.

Plus I find two things are true of my workouts outside - I push myself harder and they tend to last longer. I think that's because, when it's 75 degrees and sunny - like it is right now - who doesn't want to be healthy and active.

Yours in health, Kate

From the beginning... Drink up!

Nope, sorry, not encouraging to imbibe alcohol. Other than red wine, there is very little in the world of fermented and aged drinks that has any health value. Instead they are empty calorie laden confections that depress rather than energize. That said - a drink here or there won't do you or your healthy lifestyle in, as usual, it's all about moderation.

Today's lesson that I learned long before I ever got healthy was that water is our friend. Our bodies are 90% water and we must constantly replenish it. But water has other tricks it can use to keep you healthy as well and it's these that fall under the 'Get Healthy' mantra.

-Water helps fill you up.
-Water has ZERO calories.
-Water helps wash out toxins.
-Water helps you digest.

There are many, many other reasons to be sure you get enough water, but those are a nice start. Of course, then there is the question of "How much is enough?" That is being endlessly debated.

A nice start is always the standard - "Get 8 - 8 ounce glasses a day." If you are not an active person, that will do just fine, the water in your food should cover the rest of your hydration needs.

If you are active or are attempting to lose weight the answer is more - how much is your call. I've lost track of how much I drink a day, though I put is around 12 cups without the water for my workouts.

That's the only area where there is some agreement in the science world - how to rehydrate after working out. You need to replace double what you sweat out. The biggest rule I follow post workout is, after the initial (slow) replacement of fluids, do I feel thirsty? If the answer is yes, then I keep drinking.

The biggest bonus to water is that it takes up space in your stomach. That means you can fight hunger pains with water, to a point. It's not a meal replacement because it has no calories. But if you have hunger pains for no good reason, or want to put off eating for a meeting, a big glass of water can be a nice stoppage device.

Drink up and feel better, I promise. And you may even lose a little weight.

Yours in health, Kate

From the beginning... Learn to Breathe

Everything in life literally comes back to the breath you draw. Without breathing, you will die. Learning to control that breath can help you live an even fuller life.

I have learned along the way in this journey:

• Sometimes, when the stress hits, you need to remind yourself to breathe.
• There is a specific rhythm to breathe when you are running - it's your own. I tried to do the whole in the nose out the mouth (I think that was it), but I just about suffocated. As long as you are not hyperventalating - you are breathing the right way for you.
• Exhale on the heavy part of your weight lifting. Holding your breath sucks the life out of the lift and could cause you to pop a vein. (Sorry, this could be literal.)
• Don't open your mouth before your head is out of the water when swimming. I know this sounds basic, but you would be shocked (if you are just starting to swim like me), how much you want to breathe for fear of drowning. Really throws the rhythm off. :)
• When people are giving you 'solid advice' about your health (and they have never been overweight), breathe. It will calm you and keep you from being forced into anger management.
• On that first long hill on your bike, breathe. No breathing, means no oxygen to your muscles. If you think your quads burn now, try stealing their oxygen. The cramps will be enough to knock you out of the saddle.
• Breathing will help you find your center - emotionally, physically and even with food.

So, find your rhythm, learn how to speed it up and slow it down. You will have greater control over everything, if you learn to breathe.

Yours in health, Kate

From the beginning... Fat will make you Fat

The past few months I have once again been struggling with sugar. I don't know why I haven't been able to let it go. But every cookie, dense piece of cake and brownie has tempted me to the point of caving. I have spent quality time beating myself up over lacking self-respect. (While stuffing another bite in my face.) It has been self-defeating and just flat negative. But this weekend I had a breakthrough moment.

Fat.

The way I eat these days is low in fat, except for a little olive oil here or nut fat there, almost everything I eat is 6 grams of fat or less. Unless, of course, you count those 'temptations' I mentioned. The average cookie has a minimum of 10 grams of fat - yes, per cookie. Brownie - 20-26. Cake - 25-35. Cheesecake - 35+.

Yes, this label is for ONE! brownie.

While I have been lamenting the sugar, the fat has been piling up. The pathetic thing is that the fat content rarely passed through my mind on my benders. And while we are talking fat - no 'from scratch' baked good worth its sugar is baked without whole eggs and real butter - so bring on the cholesterol too.

Holy crap!

I haven't just been feeding my stress and emotions with the white/brown stuff - I have been damaging my health with flat-out healthy diet contraband! The only saving grace, perhaps, is that I tend to like the locally produced goodies, so no trans fats. However, that doesn't negate the overall affect on one's body. To be blunt - fat with make you fat.

The body feels the need to store that which it doesn't need right now, for a rainy day. Fat is not a quick burn, carbs are, protein can go either way. It's all about your body's make-up and what you are doing around the time you consume your food. While in the end it comes down to the simple equation - calories in needs to be less than calories out - when it comes to losing weight; fat is the last point of interest for the body to burn.

Luckily, the body needs 'X' amount of fat to survive. If we lower our overall fat intake, it will have to burn some of what we have stored to survive. The other way we lose fat is by lowering overall calories - your body will burn fat when it runs out of immediate calorie sources and needs energy.

That is where making sure you are getting enough protein and plant sources come in, your body will seek out what it needs. If you are eating plenty of lean protein and vegetables, it won't bother to go after your muscles or anything else in your body - except fat, for energy.

Obviously, I am writing this to share some fat facts. But honestly I am writing it for me as much as anyone. I needed a reminder of why I don't eat 'treats' anymore, except on rare occasions. There is nothing healthful or body fulfilling in them. They taste good, they give you a temporary high to make you 'feel better', but in the end they are a crutch for people like me.

While I definitely do not believe in ever denying yourself anything - it should be everything in moderation. I 'moderated' myself right into a long term binge. Now it's time to move myself right out. Both my butt and my heart will thank me.

Yours in health, Kate

From the beginning... Find the Fiber

When you are fat and people talk to you about cutting calories and eating less, you panic. You picture starvation. You picture the binges you are prone to when you get too hungry. You picture shopping sprees of pure sugar when you go hungry to the shopping market. You picture failure - like every other time you have tried to lose weight.

Then people talk to you about how to feel full longer. The big thing they mention is fiber - you picture twigs and wood chips - aka some version of bran. You think of Metamucil and old people and possibly prunes, but not a damn thing that sounds appetizing.

Frankly when I realized I was going to have to really do it this time - control my eating - I panicked. I had never been able to do it before, what could possibly be different this time? Fiber.

I was skeptical, it sounded healthy. (Guess what? Not a coincidence.) The stuff we are supposed to eat - vegetables, fruits and whole grains - are full of fiber. Not only do they fill you up with this magical (natural) substance, but they give you other nutrients you need and (gasp) they are pretty darn tasty.

I was shocked. And what I found was, the more good stuff I gave my body, the more it craved. The next thing you know I was full longer, healthier and yes - lighter!

So, fill up on the fiber and see what a difference it can make. (Oh and it's also good for helping ward off colon cancer - bonus!)

Yours in health, Kate

From the beginning... I don't like it

Beginning tip - If you don't like it, you won't do it. So, for example, if you don't like to run, it's a poor choice for your cardio. Find something else you like and will stick with.

I was talking to a lady in the park last week. I was stretching mid-run because my calf was a bit tweaked. I stopped at a bench and she looked up at me and smiled. I took the mp3 speaker out of my ear and smiled back with "hello".

Her: You're pretty in shape, huh?
Me: I try.
Her: I hate to run, that's why I don't exercise.
Me: Running isn't your only option, there's lots of fun choices. Have you tried (fill in _________ with litany of options given by Kate, met with head shaking by woman)?
Her: Don't really like to exercise.
Me: O.k.

I put my ear bud in and gear up to go. She waves at me to take it out again, I do.

Her: Any other ideas on how to lose weight?
Me: (Trying not to chuckle) Uh, no.

And I ran down the path. She didn't want exercise ideas, she wanted the magic pill everyone else does. I don't have it for her or anyone else. What I do have is simple advice: If you are willing to add movement to your life and easy reasonably, you will see improvements in weight and fitness.

You can not take that first step in fitness by doing something you hate. You will not stick with it, you will burn out fast, injure yourself or make excuses about 'not having any time' until you lose your breath and pass out.

This may sound basic, but if you don't like it, don't do it. When I started, the very idea of running made me want to puke. But I enjoyed walking, even if I couldn't get very far, very fast. So I walked. As I hit my peak walking speed I realized there was a next step that made sense for me, so I started running. Not everyone makes that jump, but it is possible to become more open to something you hate.

But when you are starting out, you have to choose something you like, so that every day you look froward to doing it.

Yours in fitness, Kate

Preview of the week: Tomorrow it's my CrossFit adventure on my date; Wednesday it's a friend's adventure in extreme boding shaping; Thursday is a recap of my work for the week so far; Friday is a look at my first week of swimming.

From the beginning... Just Give it a Try

Tip - Breaking up your usual workout routine will help keep you from plateauing AND getting bored. So when the chance to try something new comes up, do it. The worst that can happen is that you don't like it and never want to do it again.

I am always up for trying something new when it comes to exercise. I still want to try snowboarding and rock climbing and who knows what else. Anything to shock my body and potentially have fun.

I have made a new friend who is into CrossFit. It's, and I am not well versed, a combination of exercises done in sets and taken to the next level. Nobody walks away without muscle ache and intense sweat. I am intrigued, so I am going to workout with him on Saturday. The worst that can happen, because I will be guided by someone who knows what they are doing, is I don't like it and I don't do it again.

To be honest, because it involves pushing myself to the next level, chances are I will like it. He thinks I will like it too much. I have seen videos of the women he pictures my attitude emulating; they are crazy and a little scary. I never want the word scary to be directly correlated with me unless it is being given as a description to the police by an attempted mugger, "And I tried to grab her purse and she went crazy, it was scary." Something like that.

Anyway, just so you don't think I like every exercise I try, I did a fitness class at my gym which concentrated on using an exercise ball and it bored me to tears. I didn't go back.

But this Saturday, in my never ending search for fun in fitness, I am going to give CrossFit a try. You should try something new too.

Yours in fitness, Kate

From the beginning... Nurse that injury

Tip - If it hurts, don't do it.

There is an expression as old as exercise itself, "No pain, no gain". I'm pretty sure the Spartans came up with it. (See example below of Spartan physique.)

Well, it's not true. If it hurts, you are either doing it wrong or you are injured, either way - knock it off. I admit, I often keep running through a sore knee or this stupid nerve that pinches on my right side, but I do not keep moving if I end up in real pain. O.k., I don't do that now. When I played softball, I was much more defiant of my body. But I am still paying for that in aches and pains today.

As you know, I tweaked my Achilles last week. I spent 5! days with no cardio, icing the heel, doing stretches, downing ibuprofen and resting it. Saturday I went back to the treadmill. I started slow, warmed up and went to a reasonable pace to raise my heart rate but not strain the tendon. It worked, thanks to a Stephanie Plum novel I lost track of time and when I looked down I had walked a pain free 50 minutes. Since I wasn't in pain, I decided to run for 10 minutes, to give it a try and it worked too.

I ran again yesterday and because my gym is closed today, I will be running outside in just a few minutes. I will be quite aware of how the ankle feels outside though, feet hitting concrete is a lot different than bouncing on a treadmill.

But there you go, I asked for advice, followed it and am back in training. So, if you end up injured, remember that. Don't panic, follow instructions and you will be back on track in no time.

Yours in fitness, Kate

Tee-hee, when the whole Spartan thing passed through my mind I realized it would just be a good excuse to show another picture of Gerard Butler. Here he is as the legendary King Leonidas in the film "300". Seriously, oooooh, yum.

From the Beginning... Reboot

Tip of the day: We all wander off the path we want to be on whether it's our food or our exercise - Don't be afraid to reboot.

Last week I rode my bike to work all week as part of "Bike to Work" Week. It was great, I used very little gas, saved money and started everyday with a little workout. It also meant only two trips to the gym in a seven day period. While I ran, biked, walked, did some light weights and core at home, mostly I went without training my muscles.

By Sunday, when I went back, I felt sluggish getting started. But I hit it hard and vowed to reboot my weight routine this week. I did the same yesterday and I will go again today. The key is, I didn't throw away all my successes so far and coast, I rebooted and got back at it.

I have done the same thing after a day laced with sugar or fat. You just have to put that behind you and move forward. If you have been struggling, I encourage you to reboot. Not only will you get back on track, but you will feel empowered that you did it all by yourself. If you are keeping track at home - that's real self-respect.
Yours in fitness, Kate

From the beginning... Follow Through

Tip - Do what you say you're going to do.

I know that sounds simplistic and when it involves donuts or pilates, it can seem downright impossible. However, the way to increase your self-respect and therefore your positive mental picture of yourself, is to follow through.

That's been a recurring theme for me. I thought for a long time it was just about not disappointing people. But it's also about not lying to myself. No one respects a liar, not even the one doing the lying. And even in times where you haven't made an out and out commitment to anyone else, doing the basics and following through for you can be even more important.

Last week is an example: I bought my bike on Sunday and was able to pick it up on Wednesday. Thursday came and I decided after work I was going to ride for the first time so I wasn't dangerous when I did set forth at 3:40 a.m. some morning to come to work. I went home and was suddenly dead tired.

I went ahead and got ready - sun-block, exercise clothes, helmet - then it hit, I was just too tired to move forward. I sat down to rest my head and ended up with a 15 minute nap. When I woke up it went through my head that I just wanted to eat a bowl of cereal and call it an early night.

Uh, no. The other part of me would have felt stupid the next day, after making a big deal out of my first ride, if I had been asked about it and had to admit I didn't go. So I bucked up and went.

I have to tell you, it was worth it. Not only was I happy right then with the way I had performed, this morning I was WAY grateful I had done a test run.

I rolled out of bed this morning at 2:40 a.m. I ate, got my shower and stared down my bike helmet as I watched the numbers flick by on the weather channel. Yep, 40 degrees. I had the passing thought that I was crazy. But then that other thought went through my head - "Why not? You've made the commitment, now follow through." And I did.

Yes, it was chilly. But I had earned my own respect and that's worth more than a warm commute in my car any day.

Yours in fitness, Kate

From the beginning... Don't stop the music

Tip - find what works for you and use it - mine is music.

Listening to myself walk on the treadmill in the beginning was pathetic. I could hear myself practically wheezing and every trod of my fat little feet thud on the spinning belt - it was depressing. While I probably should have been brought nearly to tears of joy that I was simply moving my butt, I was instead depressed by how utterly out of shape I sounded.

So, I put on an old CD Walkman and tried again, it worked. Being able to hide my 'noises' in the pulsing of the beat was an awakening point, I felt great suddenly. Then I had my CD player take a dive off the treadmill one too many times. (Yea, they're not really meant to be set precariously on the edge of a big frame with moving parts.)

I was broke and thought "well, I've been at this a while, it should be o.k.". Man, oh man, was I wrong. Within a few weeks I had slacked off. I didn't even notice at first, but I was not hitting the gym hardly at all. I plateaued and wondered why. Duh!

I sat down one day and thought it out. Why was I suddenly so intent on sitting on my butt and then it hit me - this had come to pass at about the same time the CD player had died. I NEED MUSIC! So, I saved my pennies and got my mp3 player and I have never looked back.

The moral of this story is - find what your 'thing' is. The catalyst that makes you feel like working out. The thing that juices you every time, even when you just aren't firing on all pistons. I have a friend that has to have a specific kind of sock or she will not run - she has 52 pairs - many are hidden away at her office, the gym and in her car, just in case she forgets them.

I am at work and I was just looking for my player to charge it - it's not here! I will have to go home before I can workout. While I can do it without, it's easier with and that means, as long as it's realistic, I will make it happen.

Find your thing and see how much easier it is to get motivated.

Yours in fitness, Kate

From the beginning...

Tip - Read as voraciously as you once ate.

I consume pieces of health and fitness factoids like I used to consume Oreos - endlessly and with gusto. The bonus - these nuggets of knowledge help control my hips, not add to them.

I make it a point to learn something new every day. Preferably a couple of things, one for fitness, one for health and one for food. I also increase my general life knowledge through news events, history books or the web.

Learning something every day will not only help your body become stronger, it will keep your mind as taut as your butt too. Which, by the way, is also a side effect of exercise:

"Exercise increases levels of brain chemicals that encourage the growth of nerve cells. This may explain why aerobic activity enhances memory skills, and why moderately strenuous physical activity is strongly associated with successful brain aging." - from AARP magazine

Yours in (mental) health, Kate

From the beginning...

Today's tip- For god's sake, call someone!

I spent the weekend mindlessly amping up my sugar intake. A cookie here, a cupcake there, a cookie there and there and you get the point. At the end of the weekend I realized I was suffering a bit of depression.

While I try to keep an eye out for signs, I am not always successful until I am a couple of days in and a pattern has emerged. This weekend the weather, combined with a general belief that I must be repulsive to men, created the perfect sugared storm.

It was at the laundry mat yesterday that I was reminded of a good trick, whether depressed or not, to combat mindless eating - call someone. When you are craving the peanut butter chocolate chip cookie, pick-up the receiver and phone a friend. If the first friend isn't available, just keep dialing. By the time you finally have a conversation, even if it is of no substance, you will likely have forgotten about or at least lost the craving for whatever demon you wanted to face down.

I did it when I realized I was going to be in the laundry mat longer than I expected. (Everyone was washing their undies yesterday.) I called six people and left messages before stumbling across an out-of-state friend. He's handsome and intellectual and by the end of the conversation I was thinking about many things, but none of them were food.

He even helped dissuade me from the belief that I am revolting, he assured me it was quite the opposite. He also reinforced my mother's belief that perhaps I scare men a bit. Not like jump out in front of them, but apparently my strength scares them. (Wimps.)

So, the next time you are looking at caving to a craving, grab the phone and use your mouth for something other than a garbage disposal. And if you chat up the right person, you may get a bonus ego boost!

Yours in (mental) health, Kate

From the beginning...

Monday's tip: Read everything, take only what you need.

Everyone always asks how I know so much about weight loss and exercise. Like every obese person I have voraciously read everything on the subject I can get my hands on. Some of it has stood the test of time and is useful. Some of it was total crap and I knew it when I read it or I learned from trying to put it into action.

To this day, I do just exactly that, I read. I also listen and then I act. If something sounds suspicious, I look into it further. These days I never try anything that I think lacks common sense. (When I was 25 however...)

I make a point of learning something new every day about the world. I also make a point of learning something new everyday about health and nutrition. It has helped lead me down a road of empowerment and well-being that, before, I had only imagined myself on.

Yours in health, Kate

From the beginning...

Tip - Expending energy will build energy.

I was the classic couch potato. I was just 'too tired' to workout. My days were 'long and hard'. I needed 'downtime' to 'recuperate'. I needed to 'rest', so there really was 'no time in my day' to exercise.

What an incredible batch of crap!

I was too tired because I was too fat. My days felt long and hard because I had no energy reserves. Compared to my days now, time wise, those days were cake. I needed downtime to stuff my face and recuperated by making sure most of it was sugar. I had to rest because, after the sugar high, I was lethargic. I was recuperating myself straight into morbid obesity. And there was no time in my day because I was making lousy choices.

All of that may seem harsh, but it is the bitter truth. The one most people don't see when they are dunking their 10th Oreo into a glass of milk and trying not to get up to change DVDs.

Now I know the good truth - if you exercise, you actually gain energy.

Hear me out.

As you exercise and eat right many things happen to your body:

>You lose weight.
>Your body burns calories more efficiently.
>You curb cravings.
>You are able to create healthy energy reserves.
>Your body actually begins to crave more exercise because it likes the chemicals the brain releases afterward.
>The less you weigh, the easier it is to move.
>The better you look, the more motivated you are to make time and create more changes.
>Compliments and kindness breed mental energy.
>When your brain is on board anything is possible. Because your brain can rule the roost, even over the most stubborn of stomachs.

Those are just a few ways getting moving and getting healthier can actually increase your energy. Personally I know if I go more than 24 hours without doing something I feel sluggish.

You can do it. Just put one foot in front of another, start slow and the next thing you know people will be saying to you, "Where do you get all that energy?".

Yours in fitness, Kate

From the Beginning...

A reminder lesson from yesterday - Tip - Don't bring it in the house.

That's right, if you shouldn't eat it, if it's a 'no-no' list rock star - do not give it a venue near your thighs.

I know that sounds simple. And you are thinking "Easy enough for you to say". You're right, it's a hell of a lot easier to type that advice than to follow it. In fact, I am crap at following it more days than I would like to admit. But, like everything else in life, weight loss is a process.

You are creating new lifetime habits, not flicking a switch. Because as I am known for saying, "If I had an absolute answer on weight loss, I'd be a gazillionaire." Actually, I would have so much money, they would have to make-up a new name for the amount that would pepper my thousands of accounts world wide.

Oops, sorry, rolling into my fantasy world there... FYI, in that world, I have a body like Jennifer Garner. The woman is amazing, but I digress...



Anyway, the actual tip here is, if you haven't yet, clean out the cupboards. It's spring and any excuses you had about needing comfort foods are officially gone. Instead you need lighter foods that do not weigh you down as you get even more active. The kind that make you more svelte so that you are happy (or happier) with the way you look in less clothing.

Don't get me wrong, there is no bikini in my future. But shorts and possibly even a tank are, because I am not going to spend another summer all covered up sweating my butt off because I hate my body. Instead, I am going to accept myself and accessorize accordingly sister!

Yours in health, Kate

From the beginning...

Tip - Go as far as you can and then 5 minutes more.

This tip is for exercise. I was reminded of it during my 'accidental' 5K last week. It started as a simple 20 minute run and ended up as 3.1 miles+.

I ran as far as I could, walked for a minute to regroup and kept going. I found out this is actually a strategy of marathoners. I thought they ran the entire way, but unless they are of a professional grade, they likely slow down and even at times walk to rev their engines back up.

When I read that fact, I felt freed. I thought I could not be a good runner because at times I was forced to walk. Now I know that I am making my best effort - period.

So no matter what your cardio of choice, do it the best you can and then try to go a little further. But never fear having to take it down a notch, it's all part of the learning process.

Yours in fitness, Kate

From the beginning... 3/10/08

It's Girl Scout Cookie time! Ah crap!

I love the little girls and their will to sell - sell - sell their way to camp and Chinese-made chotzkys but I truly believe evil lurks in those little boxes.

Cue evil Scout master laugh here. Enjoy the 80's cheese, evil scout leader shot at the end - unless you count making girls tease their hair to those heights as child abuse, then it's full-on evil throughout.

Now back to the reason I actually began my post. The cookies arrived today from my friend Bobby's daughter Rachel. I 'had' to buy from her, because as you know, it's an office ritual. And SOMEDAY Caelen will be selling something and I have a long memory. Anyway, it's 4 boxes of 'not-on-my-list-of-things-to-eat' goodness and I have followed through on dealing with this via a 'beginning tip'.

First, only open one box at a time. Then, only open one sleeve of cookies at a time. Walk sleeve back to general food area where people help themselves if you leave anything sitting out too long. (Reminder this will pertain to carrot sticks if people are desperate enough.) Put sleeve on table, take out one cookie for you. Eat slowly and meticulously, enjoying every bite as you walk away briskly. Wait 15 minutes before going in area again - offending cookies are now gone, crisis averted.

Tomorrow repeat and every day there after until all boxes of cookies are gone. The bonus to this is two fold: You get the 'taste' you promised yourself when you ordered them. You look generous for 'sharing'.

You're not sharing, you are removing a food bomb from your presence. But, no one needs to know, that's our little secret. And that's how the cookie crumbles... down someone else's blouse.

Yours in health, Kate

P.S. - I am going back to the gym today. As you can see from my post I am feeling better. (And mischievous.)