Sunday, January 18, 2009 at 02:08 PM
Well, guys, our experience at the gym this morning can be summed-up in three words: inexpensive, outdated, and filthy. The cost of the monthly membership was cheap (about a 1/3 of the cost of Healthworks), but the equipment was in rough shape. The gym had a TON of equipment, but the majority of it wasn’t well-maintained. Many of the dumbbells were mismatched and quite a few of the seats on the Nautilus equipment were ripped and falling apart. Plus, most of it looked like it hadn’t been updated in decades! The cardio equipment, in particular, seemed like it had never ever been cleaned– grime covered the foot plates on the elliptical and random debris (i.e. trash and snot rags) was shoved into the holders on the sides of the treadmills. Gross! (The women’s locker room was dirty, too!) I admit that I am a bit of a gym snob, especially after being a member at amazing healthclubs, like Healthworks and Mount Auburn Club, so it’s hard for me not to compare. But, honestly, this gym was pretty bad. I guess you get what you pay for!
Even though I won’t be joining this gym anytime soon, I did have a decent workout. I did 30 minutes on the Arc Trainer, followed by 20 minutes on the bike, and finished up with about 15 minutes of abs.
Lunch
This afternoon’s lunch was very satisfying with all of its different flavors and textures. I started with veggie and wild rice soup that I plumped-up with 1/4 cup of wheat berries.
On the side, I had some TJ’s crackers and cottage cheese with granola mixed in.
It’s still snowing quite a lot here in Boston, so I’m not sure if Mal and I are going to venture out to a football get-together this afternoon or just stay put at home. Snow always kills my motivation. 
Posted by: Tina
Posted in: Uncategorized
Tags: cottage cheese, crackers, granola, soup, wheat berries
Thursday, January 8, 2009 at 07:38 AM
I felt like I needed to jazz-up my oats this morning. I wanted something new and different, but also hearty and filling. I mentally inventoried the ingredients in our cupboards and refrigerator, and what I came up with was liquid egg whites!
When the blog first started, I used to add egg whites to my oatmeal every morning for some extra protein and staying-power. I’m not sure why I nixed this addition, but I’m glad it’s back!
In the mix:
- 1/3 cup dry oats
- 1/4 cup liquid egg whites
- 1/2 cup Zoe’s granola
- 1 cup vanilla soy milk
- 2 scoops of Barney Butter
I’d love to hear what you guys add to your oats. What are your favorite oatmeal ingredients and add-ins?
Treadmill Rut
The other day, I received a question from a reader about my treadmill runs; I thought I should share my response on the blog.
Q: “How do you run on the treadmill for so long and not get bored? I would get bored so easily!”
A: I rarely get bored on the treadmill. To keep me interested while running/walking, a few things come to mind…
- Have a plan: I almost always utilize some sort of cardio workout to guide my treadmlll run. I use fitness magazine workouts all of the time. Of course, running/walking workouts work best, but other cardio workouts work well, too. Some of my favorites:
- Interval workouts! Similar to above, change-up speeds and inclines to keep it interesting! Interval workouts also increase your caloric burn!
- Play games: You can assign a distance, time, intensity, or speed to just about anything. For instance:
- Try rolling a dice before heading to the gym; the number you roll is the number of miles you run/walk.
- Base your run/walk duration on the time you arrive at the gym or begin your workout. For example, if you start exercising at 5:47 PM, your workout will be 52 minutes (5+47). (Of course, this game doesn’t always work, but it’s fun when it does!)
- If you have access to a TV while on the treadmill, pick up the pace during commercials with music, a jingle, or theme song.
- Schedule your workout around your favorite TV show: Set a specific time to hop on the treadmill to watch your favorite TV drama or sitcom. Television shows work great because they are 30 or 60 minutes– the perfect amount of time for a treadmill workout!
Posted by: Tina
Posted in: Uncategorized, motivation, workouts
Tags: egg whites, granola
Monday, January 5, 2009 at 08:03 AM
Boy, did I miss my morning bowl of oats! It’s so weird that I crave eggs on the weekend (and days off), but during the work week, I want oatmeal. They both keep me satisfied for hours, so I wonder why that is?
In the mix:
- 1/3 cup dry oats
- 1/3 cup Zoe’s Cranberry Currant Granola
- 1/2 cup vanilla soy milk
- 1 small banana
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed meal
Oh, how I miss you, oats! I’m so glad that you’re back in my life again! 
Workout
I had planned to run this morning, but my body had a totally different idea about it. I didn’t sleep well last night, and my body was pooped. Instead, I did this 45-minute walking workout on the treadmill, followed by 3 sets of renegade rows with 8 lbs dumbbells.
Walk stats:
- Distance: 3.30
- Time: 45:00
- Pace: 13:38 min/mile
- Calories: 318
Balanced Eating
Health columnist Bethenny Frankel recently had an article in the Jan/Feb 2009 issue about her no-diet tricks to getting (and staying) slim from her new book Naturally Thin: Unleash Your SkinnyGirl and Free Yourself from a Lifetime of Dieting.
Her #1 rule, Your diet is your bank account, especially hit home for me because it explains how I eat and it is the main premise for Carrots ‘N’ Cake. Bethenny says, “I consider this the mother of all the other rules. It’s the first thing I tell people when they ask me how I stay naturally thin.”
Bethenny explains rule #1 like this: “Just as you balance your spending and savings, you must balance your food choices. Don’t eat too much of any one thing, balance starches with proteins, vegetables and fruits with sweets, and always balance a splurge with a save.” Right on, sister! 
Bethenny further explains this strategy: “Most of the time, make smart investments in healthful foods that fill you up. Then, when you really want to splurge, go ahead. You aren’t dieting, remember. You are living. However, a splurge comes with a price. You have to balance that splurge by cutting back a little afterward…” She gives this scenario as an example for balanced eating: “Let’s say you have pancakes for breakfast. They’re fine– and starchy and sweet. So what do you have for lunch? Pasta? Of course not. That’s more starch. Because you had starch and sugar earlier in the day, you now need protein and vegetables.” I love the way she thinks! This is how I incorporate balanced eating into my diet each and every day.
What are your feelings on balanced eating and splurges?
Posted by: Tina
Posted in: Uncategorized, motivation
Tags: banana, granola, oatmeal
On the side, I had some TJ’s crackers and cottage cheese with granola mixed in. 
