Why I Love Hills

To sum it up quickly: they're better than a stairmaster!

I started a power walking group in my neighborhood for people who don't necessarily have the time to go to the gym, or who just aren't into the gym and traditional workouts. Our first few times out have been really good. Late in the evening, with our little wrist weights strapped on, we pick a different route every night and just tear a path through a few miles of New York City pavement.

The best part of a power walk is finding a good hill to power up; the longer and steeper, the better! We found some good hills in a park nearby, and started looping them towards the tail end of our walk. Talk about a good hamstring, calf and quad burn! Just a few fast paced marches up a hill really takes a considerable amount of energy and effort. Your stomach even burns, and I love that, because you can just see all those bad little calories just evaporating away into the sky.... You also wake up the next day looking DAMN fabulous!

So now, I'm ALL about the hills! I am on a mad hill hunt, and will try to plot a route that has the most hilly streets I can find to take the group on. At the end, we wind up at the park and do hill laps. The group is gonna just LOVE me for that! Too bad we don't live in San Franciso!! I'm sure power walking out there would take on a whooole new meaning! ;)

It's a pretty good, uncomplicated way to go about getting a workout in, and I'm going to keep at it. Hey, maybe some mountains would be a good next step..... ;)

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Get Skinny Time!

Everyone lately has been asking me the golden question: "How do I get rid of THIS?" (pointing to some ample region on their body). Almost daily now, wherever I go. That can only mean one thing.....It's Get Skinny time!!! Yep. Summer is just around the corner, and everyone wants to go out there and let the sun shine where it usually doesn't, and look good while doing it. Well, for those of you that are serious, you know you're gonna have to lessen your calorie intake and get more active, right? That's just Weight Loss 101.

Cut the fat, cut the calories, slow down on the carbs, and watch what you drink: a ton of the calories you consume can come from soft drinks, juices, smoothies, coffee (especially those Starbuck's and Dunkin Donuts creations) and let's not forget, ALCOHOL. There is a reason it's called a BEER belly. Hell, don't think that it's just beer, either. Plenty of people walking around with Pina Colada, Margarita and Long Island Iced Tea bellies too. Trust me. My brother used to have one of those (the Long Island Iced Tea one). Try to save drinking for special occasions and parties only. A glass of wine with dinner on occasion, NOT every day. No one ever has just one glass, and you know it.

I also suggest keeping a food diary. When you write down every little thing you eat, it's much easier to see how much you really do overeat, and you begin to more easily determine what you can really do without. Spend your calories as if they're money on a very strict, limited budget. Only purchase when necessary, and don't waste them on frivolous things like rich desserts and fried foods or fatty foods. Start out with a set daily limit (say, 1500 to 2000) when you're really trying to lose, and try to make as many good choices as you can within that calorie limit. Doing that will make you more conscious of what you take in when you do decide to eat. As you get used to this new eating style, you can give yourself an even smaller calorie budget. Don't go lower than 1000 a day, though, because then you get too close to the starvation threshold. We don't want THAT! In starvation mode, you defeat the purpose. Your body will begin to consume its own muscle tissue to make up for the nutrients you're denying it by not eating enough. Then, instead of looking fit and fabulous, you look unhealthy and sick.

Okay, that's it for now. We haven't even talked about exercising yet. More on that later. Go ahead, get your diary started now. I'll come back and post some good, healthy, low calorie foods you can eat to not feel hungry. Until then...put DOWN that cheeseburger!!! ;)

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Even a Dog Knows......

Exercise is FUN!!!



Phew! Wore me out just watching it!

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