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::: Some useful tips :::

I got some useful tips lately that I'd like to store here for myself, as well as for you who come to visit. I think they're important to remember and follow:

From Dr. Andrew Weil:

Avoiding Afternoon Slowdowns
Many people find themselves losing steam in the afternoon, due to a variety of reasons. If you experience afternoon slumps, ask yourself the following:
Do you exercise regularly? Exercising can help keep your energy levels high, especially if you exercise in the morning.
Are your lunches heavy in carbohydrates? Midday meals with lots of carbs can make you sleepy. Make sure your lunch has a balance of carbs and protein.
Do your snacks come in the form of a candy bar? Stay away from refined and processed foods, especially products heavy on sugar. While they can cause an initial energy spike, they are usually followed by a decline in energy. Opt for a healthier snack, like fresh fruit, that will better sustain your energy.
How do you combat boredom? Instead of slumping in your chair, get up and go for a brief walk, to get your blood flowing.
How much coffee do you drink in the morning? A coffee drinker's energy cycle is usually controlled by coffee -- energized early in the day, lethargic and slow in the late afternoon. Ginseng tea is a good coffee substitute, one that is less likely to make you feel sluggish in the afternoon.

Don't Forget Your Niacin
Are you getting enough niacin? Also known as vitamin B3, niacin is essential for energy production and the metabolism of protein, fat, and carbohydrates, as well as other essential cellular reactions. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for niacin for adult women is 14 mg/day and for adult men, 16 mg/day. The RDA for pregnant women is 18 mg/day.

It is important to get your RDA of niacin. Although now rare in the United States, deficiency in niacin is serious, and can result in pellagra, which is characterized by dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia, and even death. Insufficient niacin may also result in an increased risk for cancer, especially throat, mouth, and esophageal cancer.

The richest sources of niacin are B3-fortified breads and cereal, yeasts, meat, poultry, dark-fleshed fish, beans, and peanuts. Niacin is also found in multivitamins in doses ranging from the RDA to as much as 100 mg, usually as nicotinamide or niacinamide.

Getting Outdoors
Personally, I find exercising outdoors to be enjoyable. The visual stimulation (of a park, lake, or mountains) and fresh air and sunshine are benefits that can't be had when working out indoors. I find that I am more cheerful and energetic when I exercise outdoors. Evidently, I am not the only one -- studies have compared indoor and outdoor workouts, and the results showed that trained runners feel less anxious, depressed, angry, and hostile, and more invigorated after an outdoor run than they do when they run the same distance indoors on a treadmill.

Take advantage of the warm weather months and exercise outside. Try walking in the morning or evening, when temperatures are milder. Be sure to apply sunscreen (SPF 15), and take along a bottle of water to replace fluids you lose as you perspire.

From Joanne Bednar:

Women deal with more fat than men, simply because they have female hormones and men don't. Women's bodies are designed to carry more fat then men's because of the ability they have to give birth. In fact, if you look at the differences between boys and girls before puberty you won't see much difference in body shape at all.

Men also burn more calories than women do during exercise or at rest. This is simply because a man has more muscle mass than a women, therefore his metabolic rate is higher. That also explains why men can lose weight so much faster than women.

Body fat percentage norms for women are higher than they are for men. A woman should keep her body fat level around 18-22%, and even at the low level of 18% she will still have some noticeable jiggley fat around her thighs (most likely). If that woman is you and you are still trying to rid your body of all visible fat then you might need to take a step back and think. If you eat a low-fat, low-sugar, high fiber diet, and exercise most days of the week you are doing everything correctly and should accept that you will still have some visible body fat. Take heart in the knowledge that most women face the same issue.

::: Lorien @ 11:55 AM MT :::

::: Pushing it up :::

Darn, I've decided to show TOM who's the master here! Well, I gave up one day on Monday, but today I pushed my levels up at the gym. I did 60 minutes on the treadmill, incline 11%, 3.5 m/h phase, for the whole hour. I pushed up some of the weights as well, and made it to 10 sets x 12 rep. for the upper body weights machines.

And, we also had a 40 minutes bike ride outside this morning. All in all that was a good workout day.

The scale shows some gain, but I'll wait few days till TOM is over. I'm not playing this game with TOM anymore ;-))

::: Lorien @ 05:07 PM MT :::

::: Still in the game :::

Since the beginning of June I worked out every day except one (report is here), and that makes me feel great! The weather is nice, so we go out whenever we can to enjoy the outdoors. We walk and bike in the park, absorb the sun and get some tan - life is good! *s*.

Whenever we stay home in the mornings, I go to the gym in the afternoon and do my routine there. Right now I'm putting more effort towards my upper body since the back part of my arms need to be strengthen (a problem most women have, no?). When I go to the gym, I do the weights machines there, and at home I use the dumbbells. I'm happy to notice a changes in my arms. Yeap, there is muscle tissue in there already, and it gets firmer every day *s*.

Mind you, I know I also need to put more effort into my abs and thighs. My tummy contains lots of flabby skin all around it right now, and my thighs - though they have new muscles in them - still "dance and shake" like jelly. Sigh... lots of hard work still a head!

One difference I've noticed this diet around is that my skin is not as elastic as it used to be. Signs of aging, wouldn't you say? After all, I'll hit the 44 BDay in less than 4 months! *s*. In the past I used to lose weight is shorter periods, and never worked out, and still my skin was flexible enough to get tightened once the fat was gone. Not anymore.

::: :::

Few months back I've noticed my skin had become flabby around my chin, where I used to have "two" of them. That gave me a bit of a scare... It was a warning sign. For the first time in my life I felt I'm aging, I felt I needed to take some serious steps before it'll be too late. I should mention that all my life I had a very oily facial skin, and my beautician always told me I'll be thankful for that in the long run. "You won't have many wrinkles", she used to promise me. She was right. But still, when I started to lose weight, the skin in my face has become too loose.

So I talked about the changes with my mom, and she sent me a good anti wrinkle night cream she uses herself, which I put every night before I go to bed. Every morning I apply oil-free moisturizing cream to my face, and sometimes also in the afternoon. Once a week I use a peeling cream to remove dead skin cells, and then I apply a moisturizing mask (which nourishes the skin) for 30 minutes.

It's fun, giving myself a facial... and the results show. My facial skin is tightened, looks fresher and feels smoother. I'm trying not to be lazy and do it every day, and it works great! *s*.

::: :::

Diet wise, I've seen a bit of a gain, but since my TOM is almost here (suppose to start today), I know it's only temporary. Even though, I still sin with some extra stuff I eat... I wish I could hold back and not do it... but... you know how it goes. The battle goes on. I win some... I lose some... and that's the way it's gonna be... forever.

::: Lorien @ 10:32 AM MT :::

::: How can it be??? :::

Pinch me, because I think I'm dreaming!!! I went to the gym today, and - of course - couldn't resist the chance to go on the scale... again. And what do you know? I'm down to 150.7 lbs!!! In the last 5 days I've lost 4.5 lbs. Can it be?

Good lord, something is very strange here! I sure hope the scale at the gym is right. One thing I know for sure: I drink lots of water, I exercise every day, and I guess I'm doing ok with the food. But really, how do you explain the yo-yo thing for a month, and all of a sudden - BANG, going down so fast? I can't... I really am confused... but happy *s*.

I pray it'll continue to be good...

::: :::

And again, some excellent tips from Joanne Bednar:

TIP OF THE DAY: Warming up and cooling down before and after resistance training is very important. To prepare the body for higher levels of effort, as well as a focused mind, a warm up prior to training is vital. Some light aerobic activity gets the blood flowing to the muscles, and some stretches loosen the joints. Better yet, perform your resistance training after your cardiorespiratory workout and flexibility training, and you will save yourself some time.

When lifting weights, it is important to facilitate blood flow from the muscles back to the heart. Walking or easy cycling is efficient in accomplishing this. Light stretching of the muscles you worked is also important.

TIP OF THE DAY: Exercise in general increases your metabolism, because not only do you require tons of energy to get through your workout, but once you stop exercising your muscles work like crazy to replace all the glucose you just burned up! This "post exercise" calorie burn continues after your session is over. If this does not convince you to integrate exercise into your daily life, then I dont know what will. Now you know why fit people can eat so much. They have a high metabolism, and naturally burn a large amount of calories during exercise and at rest.

::: Lorien @ 08:47 PM MT :::

::: You eat junk food - You pay more in tax :::

British doctors urge 'fat tax', says CNN. Yeap, the Brits propose to tax junk food padded with fat in hopes to battle obesity in Britain:

The Australians are thinking about that too, says the article. Will the Americans and Canadians join this attempt? I wonder if it'll work. Hurting one's pocket is known to do the trick, but wouldn't it be better to improve education and teach people how not to become obese in the first place?

::: Lorien @ 12:01 AM MT :::

::: Weigh-in day - again :::

Yes, I'm addicted to the scale... can you tell? Have to hop on it every day... at home, and at the gym. And since today it was so nice to me, I'm going to update my stats... just because I can *s*.

So today I'm 1.9 lbs less than I was on Sunday, and all in all standing on 153.3 lbs. Isn't that a very good reason to update?... I thought so *s*.

::: :::

I had a lousy day at the gym. My body didn't want to work, even though my spirit was high after seeing the scale. My legs muscles are sore from the last two days. I don't know, it felt like going home as soon as possible. So I only did 20 minutes on the elliptical and 20 minutes on the treadmill and called it the day. After all, I'm doing great with my workouts, so I went easy on myself today... Yeap!

::: :::

Lee told us (on the Weigh better forum) about this competition, so I checked the site, The Biggest Losers in the Blogosphere. Nice idea, and I wish them all success. Losing it this way might help some... motivate them.

Reading their board, I've found a link to this article that claims that Too much water 'bad for your health'. Oh? Didn't we all hear and read that it's good to drink as much water as possible, also during workout?

The article claims that "according to researchers, almost as many exercisers are putting their health at risk by over-consuming water as those who drink too little."

::: Lorien @ 06:37 PM MT :::

::: New workout page :::

I should've done it from the beginning, I know... writing down my workouts every day. It's interesting to follow my progress so far, since the starting day at the gym was on January 12, 2003. But I didn't...

So I tried to trace my workouts back as much as I could. Managed to go back to the beginning of April 2003. That's the new workout page, where I will list my workouts every day from now on.

::: Lorien @ 11:57 AM MT :::

::: Weigh-in day :::

It's not Tuesday, I know. I didn't report my weight for a while because it's going crazy here. For the last few weeks I was going up and down 3 lbs, like a bozo yo-yo! *s*. Don't have much control these days, and this is why I have to reassess my goals for the next few months.

So here goes: Right now I'm at 155.2 lbs. That gives me 23.2 lbs to goal.
June 8 (today)- 155.2 lbs.
July 7 - 149 lbs.
August 4 - 144 lbs.
September 1 - 139 lbs.
September 29 - 134 lbs.
October 13 - 132 lbs - Reaching goal!!!

I sure hope I'll be able to gain control again, and do it right from now on. I so want to reach my goal before I go to visit my family in Israel sometimes in the middle of October. Wish me luck!

::: Lorien @ 12:46 PM MT :::

::: Plain Cheesecake with Strawberry Topping :::

You know... Being on a diet doesn't mean we have to give up all the yummy things we had and loved before. It does mean we have to adjust them to our new eating habits... make them healthier and with less calories.

I'm celebrating the Jewish holiday of Shavuot now, and one of the customs of this holiday is to eat milk products dishes... a cheesecake is one of them. So I mention that to Joe (the chief baker in our household), and he went online to look for a "safe" recipe for a cheesecake. He found lots of recipes here, and after reviewing them all decided on making the Plain Cheesecake with Strawberry Topping. It's light on calories (155 for a slice), it's yummy, and it doesn't give you a bad conscious after trying it.

And why the hell not? We can't deprive ourselves from the things we love for ever now, can we? The brain asks for those yummy things from time to time, so I figured that if we do it the right way - It's ok! *s*. So there it is, my little slice of Cheesecake with Strawberry Topping. Well, it felt too little, so I had me another very small one... and I enjoyed it without thinking I'm committing a crime. After all, it's a holiday... ;-))

::: Lorien @ 08:21 AM MT :::

::: What is my body telling me? :::

Late night... All is quiet. Just had a nice warm shower... a lovely end to a crappy day.

It was a very strange day. Last night I slept for 8 hours, which is more than the usual for me. Morning started ok, but around noon I started to feel very sleepy. I planned to go to the gym when Joe leaves for work, but at this time I didn't feel like I could do anything... so I laid down on the couch in front of the TV, and dozed on and off for few hours.

After dinner I've tried to sit here, visit my usual places, but my eyes were closing on me. Around 7:15 PM I went to bed... and slept till 10:30 PM.

What is my body telling me? Did I push myself too hard lately, and got so tired that everything wants to shut off and rest? I really don't know, but I'd better listen carefully... 'cause the signs don't feel good at all.

So no workout for me today... and hopefully - after a good night rest - I'll be back to my old self in the morning.

::: Lorien @ 01:06 AM MT :::

::: Weigh-in day + Fear of success :::
I'm working to undo the damage I allowed myself to fall in to for the last few weeks. My home scale, which is not precise anymore, shows me a good number this morning, but I won't report it since it's not the right one. I have to get my butt to the gym early in the morning to get a right reading... maybe I'll do that tomorrow.

::: :::

Sigh... all in all it's a tough battle to fight, one that sometimes leaves me tired and discouraged. I'm just glad I have the strength to hop back on the horse's back whenever I fall down. And it's becoming harder and harder when I come close to goal.

I know it happens to many of us, and in a way, it's strange. Why do we get weaker when our goal target gets closer?

I was thinking about it yesterday after reading some words on the This is WEIGH Better! board. All of a sudden I remembered a book I owned way back, called "The fear of success" by Dale Carnegie. He said: "You can conquer almost any fear if you will only make up your mind to do so. For remember, fear doesn't exist anywhere except in the mind".

It doesn't make sense, but maybe getting close to goal fills us with fear from something we won't be able to handle when we get there? Something to think about, don't you think?

Coping.org gives us some Tools for Personal Growth Handling Fear of Success:

Fear of success is the:

Fear that you will accomplish all that you set out to, but that you still won't be happy, content, or satisfied once you reach your goal.
Belief that you are undeserving of all the good things and recognition that come your way as a result of your accomplishments and successes.
Opposite of fear of failure, in that fear of failure is the fear of making mistakes and losing approval. Fear of success is the fear of accomplishment and being recognized and honored.
Lack of belief in your own ability to sustain your progress, and the accomplishments you have achieved in your life.
Fear that your accomplishments can self-destruct at anytime.
Belief that no matter how much you are able to achieve or accomplish, it will never be enough to sustain success.
Belief that there are others out there who are better than you, who will replace or displace you if you do not maintain your performance record.
Belief that success is an end in itself; yet that end is not enough to sustain your interest and/or commitment.
Fear that once you have achieved the goals you have worked diligently for, the motivation to continue will fade.
Fear that you will find no happiness in your accomplishments; that you will be perpetually dissatisfied with life.

Some more links to articles about Fear of success:
Fear of Success.
Revolutionary 7-Step System that Eliminates the Fear of Success and Removes Self-Sabotage from Your Life.
The Fear Of Success and How To Overcome It.
Fear of success - How crazy is this?.

::: Lorien @ 10:08 AM MT :::

::: Getting down to size 10 :::

This is just crazy!!! I didn't wear these blue jeans for more than 10 years!!! And they're size 10!!! They still feel just a bit too tight, and I should lose 2 more lbs to feel comfortable enough in them, but hey... They fit!!! I'm so hilarious!!!

If someone had told me that I'll ever consider to put a pic like that online, I would've laughed in their face!!! But what do you know... It feels such a huge victory, that I don't give a $hit! I'm just so happy right now!!! *s*.

Let's hope I'll be able to mend the damage from the last 2 weeks. I have to go back on track right NOW!!! Otherwise, it'll be "bye bye" to those size 10 jeans... again...

::: Lorien @ 07:45 AM MT :::