Day 24 - January 24, 2011

USE IT OR LOSE IT...

That's what Jack LaLanne encouraged people to do throughout his career as the fitness guru of all time. Today,  as I got my daily dose of updates from Yahoo.com before the start of the work day, I learned that Jack LaLanne had died at the age of 96.  Although I never watched him when I was younger, I remember the spoofs that Jim Carey did of him on "In Living Color," and I remember his juicer phase. But what I learned about Mr. LaLanne in an article today regarding his crusade for healthy living resonated with my goal to make exercise and diet a lifestyle and not just a temporary thang.

 Jack LaLanne was a trailblazer who helped others empower themselves through physical fitness.  He opened the doors for athletes as well as women to strength train during a time when it was forbidden or frowned upon.  He was a testament of what a healthy lifestyle can do for you even well past your prime.  And now, even in death, he is still inspirational to me and for many others.  He believed that the only way we could hurt our bodies is by not using them.



After reading that article, I was glad that I had made the decision to use my body and complete a 10-minute workout and a 30-minute meditation session this morning.  It was the premiere of what was to come later on this evening.  Throughout the day, I felt energized, happy, and ready to do more.  It wasn't until close to quitting time did I feel a little lethargic, but that was quickly replaced when I started my second workout for the day.  Today's evening workout included 40 minutes of leg strength training and 20 minutes of core and cardio with The Firm's "The Wave."

I was wiped out after the challenging leg routine so I decided to do the express workout from "The Wave" in hopes that it would be a quick and easier routine than the longer 40-minute version.  But what I'm beginning to realize is that just because a workout routine is short doesn't mean that it's easy, in fact, be prepared for a high energy, fast-paced, challenging workout if it's less than 30 minutes! But I'm not complaining.  Even though I struggled at the end, it was worth the awkward positions and pouring sweat.  I was glad for the challenge and proud of myself for staying committed.

TEMPTATION...

Why is it when you're trying to stay committed to a healthier life, there is always temptation around every corner? Sometimes subtle and sometimes just blatantly obvious! Today, a co-worker tried to tempt me with a chocolate brownie from one of my favorite bakeries.  ;-(  The co-worker literally told me that she knew I was trying to diet or eat better (as she placed the thick, chocolate, morsel in front of me), but that she was stressing and had needed something sweet and thought she would share it with me. What?! So misery truly does love company, huh????????????  She told me that I could toss the brownie in the trash if I wanted to, but I promised her that I wouldn't, because I thought that would have been just as rude as her offering it to me.  So for 30 minutes, the brownie sat in a white paper bag, filling my cubicle with a milk chocolaty heaven! ;-0  I resisted and resisted, but started to feel myself break.  So I got up from my desk, took a walk around the area, and on my way back to my desk, I ran into another co-worker who I offered the brownie to.  Luckily for me, she accepted and I didn't have to deal with the temptation any longer.

FOR THE LOVE OF...

Food! Food! Food! Today, I tried a different combination of food so that I could prevent myself from getting too hungry.  When trying to eat better, there are always so many programs, diets, and advice out there that encourages you to reduce the amount of food and practically starve yourself.  But this starvation technique is temporary because you can't continue to keep that routine up unless you're anorexic.  No offense to anyone struggling with this disorder.  But seriously, what's the point in denying yourself the amount of food you need to fuel your body and brain for the challenges of your work day and workout?

So I decided to place all of my heavier food items at the beginning of the day and provide myself with lots of healthy snacks that would keep me in the 1,500 calorie a day range but would fill me up with food that wouldn't make me feel deprived.  So far, it's working. In fact, by the time, I got to my afternoon snack of  one and a half strips of fake fried chicken fingers and BBQ sauce, I felt too full to eat.  So did I? Yes, I did.  I knew that I would need that fuel for my hour workout within the next hour or so.  After the workout, I was tired but not starving and ready to eat a cow! The food throughout the day had kept me fueled and satisfied.  I'll keep you posted as I continue to test this new way of eating out and I'll let you know if it helps me reduce the weight or if it helps to pack on more pounds. ;-0

My Word for Today:  Alert