Beginner Fish-Eater Wonders: Farmed Vs. Wild Salmon

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Salmon is always praised for how healthy it is. Well this non-fish eater decided to give it a shot. But I got stumped at the fish counter -- wild vs. farmed. Is one better than the other? Image courtesy of voraorm and FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Salmon is always praised for how healthy it is. Well this non-fish eater decided to give it a shot. But I got stumped at the fish counter — wild vs. farmed. Is one better than the other? Image courtesy of voraorm and FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Ever wonder what the nutritional differences are between farmed and wild salmon? I never did until I decided to try grilling and eating salmon last week.

As you know I’m just starting to like fish, but I’ve pretty much stuck to white fishes — cod, tilapia, trout, red snapper, mahimahi.  I’ve stayed away from the dark (red) fish like salmon. For someone just starting to eat fish, the darker fish flavor is too intense or outright fishy to me.

Last week I decided to give salmon a try. I went to pick up some filets, but I got stumped at the grocery store. Farmed vs. wild salmon? There was a huge difference in price ($22.99/lbs wild vs. $5.99 farmed) and color (deep orange-red wild vs. light pink farmed), but what about nutritionally? Read More

Ankle & Knee Feeling Better With Stretching

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A beautiful day for a run!

A beautiful day for a run!

Today was my first run in more than a week. I didn’t expect much as far as distance since I cut down on cardio last week due to problems with my ankle and knee. I ended up running farther than I had before – 1.66 miles. Sweet!

Thankfully my knee and ankle started feeling better yesterday. I think taking it easy this week along with stretching consistently seemed to do the trick. Read More

Accountability Time!

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My little trip to Texas added on 8 pounds to my waistline. Time to face the consequences.

My little trip to Texas added on 8 pounds to my waistline. Time to face the consequences.

Well my 2 weeks in Texas resulted in an 8 pound weight gain. While the meals I cooked were spot on (I took a meal plan with me), it was those blasted snacks and adult beverages that got me. Oh, and let’s not forget the road food on the drive. Ugh!

Thanks to that gain, I’m now slightly more than 11 pounds away from hitting the 200 pound mark.

I have to admit I dreaded stepping on the scale once I got home. Yes, I know I always preach about not fearing the scale. Part of me thought the longer I avoid the scale, the more time I have to lose anything I gained from the trip.

Not good. I forgot I needed to hold myself accountable for my actions in Texas. Ah…there’s that blasted word…accountability. Not stepping on the scale for 4 days is the opposite of being accountable.

My biggest enemy in the battle of the bulge is myself. No one else is going to hold me accountable for eating all those potato chips. Only I can do that.

Rewards & Consequences Schmonsequences
To keep myself accountable I have a reward system (pedicures, massages, new workout clothes). But what about when I mess up? What’s the consequence? It can’t be just weight gain — that happens sometimes if I do everything right.

So I decided on the worst possible punishment ever…burpee madness!

That’s right! I’ve decided I need to do 10 burpees for each pound and an extra 20 for waiting to get on that scale.  That’s 100 burpees, baby! I’ve done 50 so far today. Another 50 to go!

 

 

 

 

Time For Me To Redefine Fitness & Beauty

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I'm tired of seeing no one who is even remotely built like me on those blasted women's magazine.

I’m tired of seeing no one who is even remotely built like me on those blasted women’s magazine.

As you know, this month I’m working on my belly fat by strengthening my abs via my 30-Day Abs Challenge. A few months ago I noticed I could see some muscle definition around the sides of my belly. That got me really excited and I started wondering what my body will look like once all the weight is off.

Sadly, the only thing I could think of was the covers of all those women’s health magazines. You know, all the “perfectly” tanned and shaped women on the covers with the killer abs, no bat wings under the arms or cellulite on the legs.

Thankfully I didn’t get depressed — I mean, there is no way I’ll look like those freaks of nature on the covers of those magazines. I got angry. Read More

Are The Health Foods You’re Eating Really Healthy?

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Image courtesy of Sira Anamwong and FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Image courtesy of Sira Anamwong and FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

A great piece from our friends at Authority Nutrition about 15 junk foods disguising themselves as healthy foods. Unfortunately too many people believe these are really healthy for you. My rule of thumb when it comes to food — if it’s in a box, chances are it’s not healthy.

That’s why I only shop the perimeter of a grocery store — produce and dairy and meats, oh my!

Of the 15 foods listed, you would easily find half of them in my pantry before March 2012 (the start of my weight loss journey). No wonder I ballooned to 325 lbs. Wow!

How many of these items are in your kitchen?

 

How Much Water Is Enough For Weight Loss

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Are you getting enough water? The old rule of 8 8-ounce glasses of water a day is all wrong. Photo courtesy of zirconicusso and FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Are you getting enough water? The old rule of 8 8-ounce glasses of water a day is all wrong. Photo courtesy of zirconicusso and FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

We’ve all heard the 8 x 8 rule – drink 8 8-ounce glasses of water a day. Easy to remember, but it doesn’t really work. Why? It’s a one size fits all mindset that doesn’t take into account your size, weight, activity level or environment (altitude, heat, humidity).

Let’s face it, The water needs of a 250-pound man vs. a 165-pound woman are very different. In fact, for those of us who are viewed as obese, 8 x 8 doesn’t even come close to what we need daily.

5 Reasons Water Is Important To Weight Loss
Up to 60% of the human body is water. Water is a big key to successful weight loss and staying healthy. Read More

Battling The Witching Hour Cravings

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Thankfully I chose walnuts as my late night snack. But if I don't get a handle on evening snacking it could be worse. Image courtesy of franky242 and FreeDigitalPhoto.net.

Thankfully I chose walnuts as my late night snack. But if I don’t get a handle on evening snacking it could be worse. Image courtesy of franky242 and FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Did you know that most evening eaters eat  50% of their calories at night. Yikes! At least I know I’m not alone. Thankfully I don’t do that anymore. I spread my calories out during the day. But I’m not immune from snacking in the evening. Breaking this bad habit is a challenge.

Saturday Night Boredom Fest
I spent a quiet, relaxing evening at home on Saturday. Tired, I planned to go to bed at 11:00 pm. By 9:30 I was starting to fall asleep on the couch. Not ready to go to bed, I wandered into the kitchen and grabbed a handful of walnuts.

What was I thinking? Read More

The Skinny On Loose Skin

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Loose skin is a consequence of weight loss. But there are a few things I'm doing to minimize excess skin while I'm losing weight.

Yep, I’ve got loose skin. There are a few things I’m doing to decrease excess skin while I’m losing weight.

While striking the downward dog pose in yoga class, I couldn’t help but notice the loose skin around my knees. Grrreat. When I started my weight loss journey in 2012, I knew that loose skin was going to happen.

I’m in my mid 40s so it’s not like my skin will spring back completely once I’m thin.

Still, seeing it is annoying.

I’m not opposed to plastic surgery to get rid of excess skin. After all, having a lot of loose skin can cause lots of medial problems like intertrigo – a bacterial, fungal or viral infection – because you can’t keep the folds of skin clean and dry. Yikes! Read More

And Now For Something Completely Different…

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In honor of Shark Week, here’s a cat in a shark costume riding a vacuum. Enjoy.

New Before & After Photo: Was I Really That Big?

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Since I took my measurements yesterday, I decided it was time for a new “before & after” photo.  Yep, I’ve dropped a chunk!

My new Before & After photo showing my weight loss. I don't even recognize the old me anymore. Wow...

My new Before & After photo showing my weight loss. I don’t even recognize the old me anymore. Wow…

This one is going on display just to remind myself that I’ll never go back.

The 2008 photo is from our London vacation. We did a lot of walking that trip. But we also ended up taking lots of cabs because my back was killing me. I remember being afraid of getting stuck in some of those very narrow staircases at the Tower of London. How embarrassing.

My husband suggested we go back for another visit. As he puts it, “I want to unleash the new you on that city.”

I’m totally down with that.