BEING ACTIVE DOESN'T MEAN RUNNING 5 MILES A DAY!

Every day you hear that we all need to be more active. And certainly it's true that we should be exercising regularly, but it can also mean not sitting on your butt all day at your computer (unless you're writing a bloc!) or in front of the TV.

Make more trips up and down your stairs. Pick up your kids toys. Take a roundabout way to the mailbox. Park far away when you go to the mall. Play hide and seek with your kids. Get a pedantry (McDonald's now gives them away as part of adult happy meals) and aim for 10,000 steps (approximately 5 miles) a day. So what if you never actually reach that number. Just trying will get you moving more.

An object at rest stays at rest and that include our lazy butts. So take little steps to get moving more throughout your day.

RUNNING LOG

Weekly Total: 14.1 miles
Monthly Total: 27.4

July 16, 2004
3 miles in 33.30 minutes. Ran with jogging stroller.

July 15, 2004
4 miles in 41.5 minutes. Ran outside with jogging stroller (which weighs 24 pounds, plus about 45 pounds for the 2 kids). About 1/2 the course is uphill. (Walked part of the time.)

July 12, 2004
5k in 26.36 minutes, plus 3 minutes walking at level 10 incline at 4 mph

July 11, 2004
4 miles in 40 minutes. Very hot outside and LOTS of hills! Had to stop and walk a few times.

Weekly Total: 13.3 miles
July 9, 2004
5k in 26.36 minutes, plus 3 minutes walking at level 10 incline at 4 mph

July 8, 2004
4 miles in 35.4 minutes, plus 5 minutes walking at level 10 incline at 4 mph

July 6, 2004
5k in 27 minutes (on treadmill)

July 4, 2004
5k in 27.48 minutes.

5K IN 26.36 MINUTES!

I ran on the treadmill and managed to maintain 7 miles an hour for 3.1 miles. I am really pushing myself each time I run and it is definitely paying off. I think I am going to start keeping an official log of my running so I can keep track of my progress.

That will be my next post, and I will just go back to that same post each time I need to update it.

I love to run!

TO STRETCH OR NOT TO STRETCH

In the June issue of Fitness magazine, a study was cited indicating there is no evidence that not stretching before exercise increases risk of injury. However, if you do stretch without warming up first, you may sustain an injury.

I made a post a long time ago about the issue of stretching, and used an analogy that a trainer used with me. If you take a piece of taffy when it is really hard, and try to pull on it, it just snaps. But if it is warm and soft, and you try to pull on it, it stretches.

So, is it worth it to stretch?

Obviously, if you are properly warmed up, stretching is good if for no other reason, it increases flexibility which is always better. But warming up followed by a period of stretching can add significant time to your workout (especially if you are pressed for time), and you are using that as an excuse not to workout, then I would say skip it. It's still probably a good idea to stretch after your workout (since your muscles are already warmed up) because that is the best time to increase your flexibility.

12 WEEKS POST-PARTUM AND GOING STRONG!

I ran 4 miles in 35.4 minutes today! I am really picking up my pace quickly. Now I just have to run longer. I'd like to be able to run a 10k soon. I'll have to look at races that are coming up to keep me motivated.

I also wanted to post a recipe I enjoyed the other night. It's a Weight Watchers recipe for eggplant parmigiana. Since you bake the eggplant instead of frying it, there is no fat. It serves 4 (well, it's supposed to anyway) and it's 3 points per serving. Serve it with a cup of angel hair pasta for 4 points or plain couscous for 3.


Eggplant Parmigiana

Ingredients
1 serving cooking spray (5 one-second sprays per serving)
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs, Italian-style
1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 medium eggplant(s)
2 large egg white(s), lightly beaten
1 cup canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8 x 8 x 2-inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.

2. Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and garlic powder together in a medium-size bowl; set aside. Remove skin from eggplant and trim off ends. Slice eggplant into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

3. Dip eggplant first into egg whites and then into bread crumb mixture. Bake eggplant on a nonstick cookie sheet until lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

4. Place a layer of eggplant on bottom of prepared baking dish, then add 1/3 of tomato sauce and 1/3 of mozzarella cheese. Repeat with 2 more layers in same order. Bake until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling, about 10 minutes more. Slice into 4 pieces and serve.

BECOMING A PERSONAL TRAINER: WHERE TO BEGIN?

I have long thought about becoming a personal trainer, so I started looking into it, and the number of places that offer certification is overwhelming! If you do a search on google for personal training certification, you will get more results than you will know what to do with.

So I have contacted a couple of gyms and fitness specialists to try and determine the best avenue to pursue. The first thing I need to do apparently is to get certified in CPR. I did take a class a while back on infant CPR, but somehow I don't think that will cut it.

Anyway, I will let you know what I end up doing.

BACK ON TRACK, AT LAST!

I got home yesterday, but my streak of indulgence didn't end until I went to bed.

But today is a new day, and I finally feel like I am back on track. I got up and ran on the treadmill (5k in 27 minutes!).

For breakfast I had a Vitabran muffin (one point) and a strawberry smoothie (3.5 points). Although I was hungry later, I resisted eating until lunch time. I am trying to teach my daughter (who wants to eat every hour) that we don't need to put something in our stomachs at the first sign of hunger. So I figure I bet follow my own rules. I am not talking about starving yourself, but when you are home all the time, it's easy to just put something in your mouth every time you think you might be hungry, and that can add up.

Lunch was very healthy - lettuce and tomato with Fat Free Red Wine vinaigrette, and a smoked turkey sandwich with Swiss cheese and light bread, along with some carrots (total points for lunch: 6). I have to admit, I was tempted to eat something else after I finished, but I am not hungry and thought that posting to my blog would be a good distraction.

So anyway, what did I learn from my 5 days of bad choices?

First: Every time I put something in my mouth, I am making a choice. That might be a choice to eat when I am not hungry, or eat more of something than I need, or eat something that is good for me and fulfilling. Sometimes I made the right choices, and sometimes I made the wrong choices.

Second: Write it down! I know for a fact that I ate more often, and took larger helpings than if I had been writing it down. It is very easy to lie to ourselves when we really want something.

Third: Drink lots of water. I normally am very good at drinking water, but I found myself drinking more soda than usual (diet, decaf), and definitely wasn't getting enough water. Sometimes we can mistake thirst for hunger.

Fourth: Don't give up! Each passing moment is a chance to do better.

BEST TIME YET!

Well, I managed to get out of bed and run a 5k race today, and I am proud to say that I ran it in 27.48 minutes, my best time yet! My husband Christian got this really cool running watch a couple of weeks ago that has a GPS built in, and so I was able to keep track of my pace and keep moving. You can even set it up to have a running partner and it tells you if you are behind or ahead. It can also tell you your pace and distance. I love it! (If you want to check it out, click here.

Still struggling with the food issues. I had a lot to eat last night for dinner, and it's starting to show on the scales. I am just trying to remember that each time I have a choice, I have the option to make a good one, and I need to keep trying.

I think the biggest problem I have had while away from home (aside from this unusual surge in hunger I have been experiencing) is that I haven't been writing everything down. It sure does make you think twice about what you eat when you are recording it. I actually logged onto Weightwatchers.com one day to start recording again, and chickened out when I had to face up to what I had actually eaten. Really bad attitude! So right after I finish this blog, I am going to log on and write down what I've eaten today, even though that includes an EggMcMuffin and 1/2 hash browns.

Anyway, have a great 4th of July and don't eat too many hot dogs!