Laura and I arrived at Forest Park early Saturday morning, layered up and ready to run. I was a little nervous to take part in my first organized run but figured that if a fifth grader could do it so could I. We met Cathi and James and set out through a sea of girls to find our running buddies. After finding the girls we approached the starting line, did a little stretching, and took off.
After awhile of running, my buddy informed me that we only had one mile left. I knew that this could not be true. It didn’t seem like we had been running very long or gotten very far. I didn’t have my nike+ to check our stats but was quite certain that my little friend was confused. We kept our pace going and a little later heard officials cheering us on and saying, “you’re almost there!” I was still slightly confused. Running had never been this enjoyable/painless for me. Sure enough as we rounded the corner the finish line became visible.
It was an awesome feeling to cross that line, knowing that I had accomplished something I never thought I would and realizing that I helped a young girl do the same.
Technorati Tags: Girls on the Run, Running
In order to better ourselves and support young girls everywhere, Paunchiness has signed up to support Girls on the Run, a national organization dedicated to building self-esteem in girls through running. The Girls on the Run program hosts a 5K in which we have volunteered to be running buddies. We will each sponser one girl by running with her and providing motivation and encouragement throughout the race. So come support us and the girls on Nov. 8 in Forest Park!
A friend passed this book along and so I thought I would give it a go. I will keep you updated as I discover the history of our national eating disorder.
“Outstanding…a wide-ranging invitation to think through the moral ramifications of our eating habits” - The New Yorker
“A brilliant, eye-opening account of how we produce, market, and agonize over what we eat.” - The Seattle Times
The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
Price: 9.35
246 used & new available from 7.50
A national bestseller that has changed the way readers view the ecology of eating, this revolutionary book by award winner Michael Pollan asks the seemingly simple question: What should we have for dinner? Tracing from source to table each of the food chains that sustain us— whether industrial or organic, alternative or processed—he develops a portrait of the American way of eating. The result is a sweeping, surprising exploration of the hungers that have shaped our evolution, and of the profound implications our food choices have for the health of our species and the future of our planet.
Technorati Tags: books, The Omnivore's Dilemma, weight loss
You may have read that Caitlin is getting ready for a move. Meet the catalyst for that move… me. Basically I broke up with my boyfriend and need to move out of his house (check back for an article on the correlation between relationships and weight loss). So you’ve heard about the move and you’ve read about the 7-election. Since it is write anything week I would like to hold my own vote for apartments. We have seen several and three have stuck out. Technically we have only seen the third through online pics… So take a look and cast your vote!
Candidate #1 - A U.City Gem…
Candidate #2 - Wonderful Kitchen
Candidate #3 - The one we haven’t seen.
I will fully admit that I have not been working out regularly since the wedding… alright let’s face it, I haven’t been working out at all since the wedding. I have, however, made a few small lifestyle changes as in experiment in weight loss. The laziness in me started to question if running and sweating and being miserable was absolutely necessary to achieve weight loss. The scientist/mathematician inside me made a hypothesis that with a large enough reduction in calories and a heightened awareness of the types of food I was eating the likelihood of weight loss was pretty high. [click to continue…]
The shape most associated with healthy eating is a triangle. A wide base informing of us of what is most healthy narrowing to the forbidden food point. Back in the old days we learned that fats, oils, and sweets were a big no no and that they should be used sparingly. As in spare your body from the fatness that will ensue. Bread, rice, and pasta made up the base of foods that should be consumed the most throughout the day. I think we all know what happens after lots of bread and lots of pasta, lots of pounds. The USDA got a little smarter and the health sciences picked up the pace to combat our ever growing population. So the food pyramid flipped on its side and now we get to climb it. “My Pyramid” falls into the category of “new look, same great taste,” essentially its the same information with a hip new look. We should now try to make half of our large grain portion whole grains and find time to fit in some physical activity.
Thanks to Harvard for stepping it up a notch and telling us what we really need to hear in the Healthy Eating Pyramid. The pyramid is flipped back over and the “building blocks” theme has been reincarnated. This time the base is comprised of daily excercise and weight control (that scary word portion control looms its ugly head once more). Whats more surprising is fats and oils are located on the wider end of the triangle and there is even a place for alchohol. We’ve switched over to all whole grains and even added a daily vitamin. Changes I can live with.
If you are interesed in more information and background on the Healthy Eating Pyramid click here.
Technorati Tags: nutrition, weight loss
I will fully admit that running in the morning is not exactly going to plan. There are many days I wake up and think “I can’t do this” for whatever reason. A good percentage of those days I let myself believe I can’t and go back to bed. On the days I do manage to get up and get going it usually is someone else that pushes me out the door. Sometimes its Brian grumbling at me to turn the alarm off (which as a motivator I have been keeping in the kitchen) other times its Gus’ face in the bedroom window and a low “wake up” bark.
Imagine my surprise today when the bedroom alarm went off at 5:30 and Brian popped out of bed. “Alright, let’s go!” he said brightly. I rolled out of bed, laced up and we hit the pavement, together. It’s been a long time since I have run with someone. In fact it may have been my senior year of high school running with the tennis team. It was nice to have someone encouraging me to push myself and check my form.
It reminded me of the days Maren and I would spend at the gym, working our abs more by laughing than by actually staying on the balance ball. Or playing tennis with buddies, workout videos with roommates, and yoga with siblings. Working out with a friend creates a whole new element in your fitness routine. It helps you take your mind off the pain and have a little fun. So find a friend, share a laugh, and shed some pounds.
Technorati Tags: Running, weight loss
