by Juliana on September 11, 2009
I have a confession to make.
The reason why I haven’t talked about food for the last couple of weeks is because I haven’t craved it.
I eat of course, but the act of eating didn’t have its usual “zing” to it. I was pretty much going through the motions. I was eating for sustenance and there was no joy in it.
That was until last Saturday when I was watching TV and I had a major case of the munchies.
And I mean major.
I got up, went to the kitchen, got some potato chips and INDULGED. And yesterday I indulged in my Mother’s chicken curry. My taste buds are still dancing from the experience.
While I am quite happy that my joy of food is now back, it does cause me a little bit of a stress. With my increase in good food intake, this means that I will need to to up my workout a little. The 1 hour and 15 minute walks are just not going to cut it. I will need to include some jogging in there if I want to keep the pounds off.
But my increase in exercising will need to start tomorrow.
As I said, I am meeting a friend for dinner tonight.
Any suggestions on where to go? Remember, my joy of food is back so I want to INDULGE!
by Ted Sedgwick on September 10, 2009
Deep fried Oreo.. ymmmmm!
As the ‘kids’ get back to school I am finally getting back into my yoga stretching program. Odd, and somewhat comforting that it seems to fit with the slow down to an autumn season.
As a last kick at Summer I attended the PNE last weekend. Now, on my previous visit to the PNE I did indulge in the fair food offerings – not too adventurous, just a hot dog and mini donuts, but the legacy remained in my memory and this time I actually packed a lunch.
Arriving at the PNE I was almost immediately assaulted by the smell of frying onions. Actually, I quite like that smell although one vendor seemed to be trying a new tactic in attracting clients by setting his booth on fire. More smoke than anything but it got my attention.
I resisted the temptation to seek out the new ‘culinary’ additions to the fair’s fast food that I had heard about : deep fried oreos, deep fried butter (yes, flavored butter patties in a batter) and various other deep fried ‘staples’ of the fair. My taste buds were not adventurous enough to discover what this material tasted like and my inner ‘fitness’ voice supported them with a ‘this can’t be good for you’. I found it somewhat ironic that after presenting all of the high caloric fast foods for consumption -and later ‘protein spills’ in the ride section- the PNE prizehome was equipped with an exercise gym! Offering the best of all worlds I could hear the criers: EAT the FOOD, WIN a HOME, WORK it OFF!! People are soooo good at rationalizing their eating habits!
Well, I didn’t eat the food or win the home, but I accepted the third plea, and my sandwich was quite happily worked off by walking around the grounds for several hours.
An interesting opportunity has come up to contribute to medical health research at a grass roots level. I’ll check it out and provide more information next week.
by Jolene Cooper on September 8, 2009
Remember a few weeks ago when I made one of my goals to “try new activities that are out of my comfort zone”?
Well, don’t listen to me. I’m painfully stupid. Emphasis on painful.
If you’re going to venture out of your comfort zone, make sure you’ve got it securely tethered to your ankle, because I think I lost mine somewhere off the coast of Tofino.
Three hours in the surf off Chesterman’s Beach, and all I’ve got to show for it is a sprained toe, a massive bruise and two earfuls of sand.
Ok that’s not entirely true; I also have a few photos to show for it. Lucky for you, I’m sharing these photos free of charge. You didn’t have to earn them like I did.
Speaking as someone who’s never skied or snowboarded, wake boarded or water-skied, surfing is hard. Anyone who’s attempted it more than once, I am thoroughly impressed. I’ll admit that it was pretty exhilarating being out in the cold Pacific waters. And after that first wipeout, swallowing gallons of freezing cold salt water doesn’t seem too terrifying. A big thank you goes out to my surf instructor, without him, I would likely be typing this blog post from a hospital bed.
Major lessons learned this weekend:
1. I have very weak arms.
2. Surfboards are heavy.
So what do I take away from this experience, other than the fact that I’m clearly never going to be a professional surfer? I think some strengthening exercises for my arms might be a good idea, and maybe next time I decide to venture out of my comfort zone, I should wear a full body cast in preparation.
by Patricia Parker on September 7, 2009
My colleague and expectant mother, Kim, is writing this week….
Til next time
P
I run a marathon everyday…
And that’s without lifting a single foot…but don’t be jealous… I am 31 weeks pregnant.
So, I’ve been thinking about what to write for a few days now. Exercise and pregnancy. Do they really go hand in hand (or should I say hand in belly)? Absolutely! I currently exercise 3 days a week with a group of other expecting Moms through a prenatal exercise group called Bare, Fit, and Pregnant (I know, I love that name). I’ve been going since April once the initial nausea and extreme fatigue of my pregnancy slowed down. Oh, did I say I exercise 3 times a week? Let me rephrase that. I’m supposed to exercise 3 times a week.
Excuses for not going:
1.) I’m tired
2.) I’m tired
3.) I’m tired
4.) My stomach is too heavy – no, seriously!
You get the idea. I do run a marathon everyday, you remember.
Benefits of exercising during pregnancy:
1.) The camaraderie and support when you join a group like the one I am in is amazing. And as a first time Mom-to-be, you want all of the information you can get. And you don’t feel weird asking what you think are stupid questions. Because guess what?! Everyone else there is thinking the same thing. It’s great.
2.) Strengthening your core (abdominals & back) and legs, which help you not only prepare for labor, but it also helps you get back to your pre-pregnancy weight faster afterwards. It really is a win-win situation.
3.) Sleep better at night – this is HUGE!
4.) Helps to maintain a healthy weight gain – ‘WHAT?!’ you say. ‘Weight gain?’ A little counter-intuitive to the other blog posts you’ve been reading. But yes, I get to gain weight on this journey, unlike any other time in my life. Unfortunately I’ve gained more than I would like to have at this point, but without the exercise it would be even more.
Costs:
You get tired – but you already are tired, so really, this isn’t a ‘cost’ is it?
So there you have my two bits on exercise and pregnancy. My goal for the next 9 weeks is to just keep plugging away, know my limits and have fun. Until next time…Kim
I have a confession to make.
