Here are some interesting nutrition links.
This one gives you a list of ways to burn 200 calories without working out:
http://www.weightlossforall.com/burn-200-calories.htm
And this one is a good list of the amount of calories in various foods:
http://www.weightlossforall.com/how-many-calories-in-food.htm
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
My First Tri
Somehow my friends convinced me to compete in a triathlon this weekend. I competed in a couple triathlons when I was a kid, but it's something that I've been afraid to do ever since. My first excuse was that I wasn't a runner, and I couldn't run a 5k. That excuse really doesn't work anymore. And anyway, I've been wanting to compete in a tri for a long time. It's actually the reason I began running. I was just afraid. There are so many little details that go into race day... and there is so much money that goes into getting all the equipment! Either way, I figured this is a GREAT first triathlon.
I'm competing in the St. Anthony's Meek and Mighty Triathlon, which is shorter than a sprint distance. It's a 200 yard swim, 5.4 mile bike, and a 1 mile run. Sounds simple, right? Well, that's what I thought until I started training. And by training, I mean, I swam a couple times. Really, I've been nursing a stress fracture in both my feet, so I haven't run in a month. I ran for the first time this week. And it hurt! Also, for the first time this week, I decided to actually try out a real bike (as opposed to a stationary bike). I was shocked at how much the wind affects your riding. Yet another first for this week, I tried biking and running back to back. Now, I've heard that when you switch from biking to running, your legs feel like jello. That's no joke! I felt ridiculous. I could barely run! I think it took me 15 minutes to run a mile.
Needless to say, I'm questioning why I decided to do this. But, I have some good friends who are in it with me, so I'm sure it will be fun. And I love a challenge.
I'm competing in the St. Anthony's Meek and Mighty Triathlon, which is shorter than a sprint distance. It's a 200 yard swim, 5.4 mile bike, and a 1 mile run. Sounds simple, right? Well, that's what I thought until I started training. And by training, I mean, I swam a couple times. Really, I've been nursing a stress fracture in both my feet, so I haven't run in a month. I ran for the first time this week. And it hurt! Also, for the first time this week, I decided to actually try out a real bike (as opposed to a stationary bike). I was shocked at how much the wind affects your riding. Yet another first for this week, I tried biking and running back to back. Now, I've heard that when you switch from biking to running, your legs feel like jello. That's no joke! I felt ridiculous. I could barely run! I think it took me 15 minutes to run a mile.
Needless to say, I'm questioning why I decided to do this. But, I have some good friends who are in it with me, so I'm sure it will be fun. And I love a challenge.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Great Article about Fatty Foods
I thought this article was interesting and worth sharing!http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/03/28/fatty.foods.brain/index.html
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Deceivingly Unhealthy Foods
Ever since I was a kid, I've always had an interest in health and nutrition. It's something that I read about all the time, and it's something that I know a lot about. For as long as I can remember, I've just simply known about nutrition. I always thought that this was something that everyone knew. Recently, I've noticed that alot of my family, friends, and colleagues have been trying to become healthier, and after talking to them and watching them, I've realized that most people know absolutely nothing about health or nutrition. So, I thought I would use this blog as an opportunity to share what I know. I'm starting with some general info and my list of deceivingly unhealthy foods.
First of all, if you don't eat healthily, it does not matter that you're working out. It's all about having the right balance. If you're someone who's looking to lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you consume. It takes approximately 3500 calories to gain a pound. Likewise, you have to burn 3500 calories more than you consume to lose a pound. Obviously, it can be almost impossible to determine exactly how many calories you burn during a day. However, if you know anything about nutrition, you can control determine how many calories you consume. Now, this can be alot more complicated, and this is just a general rule. I'll explain that more in my later postings.
So, just to get you started, here's a list of foods that alot of people consider "healthy" that really just are not healthy.
1. fruit juice - fruit juice is great and "healthy" in that you can get alot of vitamins and antioxidants that your body need. However, it's really important that you drink fruit juice in moderation. It has alot of calories and alot of sugar in each glass. Think about it this way.... a glass of fruit juice takes several servings of a fruit to make a full glass. For example, when you would normally only eat one orange, it would take maybe five or six oranges to make up a single glass of juice. So, in drinking the juice, you are really taking in five or six servings.
2. smoothies - Smoothies can be incredibly healthy if you know what goes into them. However, alot of restaurant chains make smoothies which are high calorie and have high sugar content. Opt for a smoothie that has no added sugar. You can make a great smoothie just by using fresh fruit and ice. If you're looking for something a little more substantial, you can always add protein powder.
3. yogurt - Again, yogurt has alot of sugar, so just be careful with it. You should buy plain yogurt and add fresh fruit to it to save on the sugar and calories.
4. salads - These can be unhealthy for several reasons (also can be really good for you). Salad dressings are high fat and high calorie. Try using just vinegar (no oil or just a little bit of oil that you add yourself). If you don't like vinegar, get your dressing on the side. Dip your fork into the dressing before each bite as opposed to pouring the dressing on the salad. Also, avoid using fat free dressings (or eating any thing that is unnaturally fat free) because alot of sugar is added to make up for the lack of fat. Finally, if you order a salad out, remember that alot of gourmet salads add alot of high fat items... ex: bacon, eggs, cheese, croutons, tortilla strips, FRIED chicken, etc.
5. milk - While the calcium and vitamin d are good for you, milk is also high in sugar and fat. If you get fat free milk, it's still high in sugar...
Basically, the key is to eat everything in moderation and know what you're eating. There are alot of times when I don't choose the healthier item simply because I want something unhealthy. But at least I recognize that I'm eating something unhealthy, and I'm not shocked when I didn't lose weight, or more likely, that I gained weight.
One final piece of advice on the subject, if you eat out, it is most likely unhealthy, no matter how careful you are. The portion sizes are out of control. For example, did you know that a burrito from Chipotle (or even a burrito bowl or salad) has almost a days worth of calories. The burrito can have about 1200 calories and 75 grams of fat... Just think about how much one of those burritos weighs. Do you need to eat that much? Are you that hungry (if you're a grown male and an athlete, then probably....but if you're woman with a slow metabolism like me, then you definitely don't need it). And there are many restaurants that are much worse than Chipotle. Don't get me wrong. I eat out ALOT because I enjoy it. The most important thing is to just know what you eat. I know alot of people who would "rather not know" the nutritional value of their food. I disagree. If you don't know, you can't watch what you eat. You can always choose to ignore what you know. It's okay to splurge occasionally. Just keep that in mind next time you decide to eat out.
First of all, if you don't eat healthily, it does not matter that you're working out. It's all about having the right balance. If you're someone who's looking to lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you consume. It takes approximately 3500 calories to gain a pound. Likewise, you have to burn 3500 calories more than you consume to lose a pound. Obviously, it can be almost impossible to determine exactly how many calories you burn during a day. However, if you know anything about nutrition, you can control determine how many calories you consume. Now, this can be alot more complicated, and this is just a general rule. I'll explain that more in my later postings.
So, just to get you started, here's a list of foods that alot of people consider "healthy" that really just are not healthy.
1. fruit juice - fruit juice is great and "healthy" in that you can get alot of vitamins and antioxidants that your body need. However, it's really important that you drink fruit juice in moderation. It has alot of calories and alot of sugar in each glass. Think about it this way.... a glass of fruit juice takes several servings of a fruit to make a full glass. For example, when you would normally only eat one orange, it would take maybe five or six oranges to make up a single glass of juice. So, in drinking the juice, you are really taking in five or six servings.
2. smoothies - Smoothies can be incredibly healthy if you know what goes into them. However, alot of restaurant chains make smoothies which are high calorie and have high sugar content. Opt for a smoothie that has no added sugar. You can make a great smoothie just by using fresh fruit and ice. If you're looking for something a little more substantial, you can always add protein powder.
3. yogurt - Again, yogurt has alot of sugar, so just be careful with it. You should buy plain yogurt and add fresh fruit to it to save on the sugar and calories.
4. salads - These can be unhealthy for several reasons (also can be really good for you). Salad dressings are high fat and high calorie. Try using just vinegar (no oil or just a little bit of oil that you add yourself). If you don't like vinegar, get your dressing on the side. Dip your fork into the dressing before each bite as opposed to pouring the dressing on the salad. Also, avoid using fat free dressings (or eating any thing that is unnaturally fat free) because alot of sugar is added to make up for the lack of fat. Finally, if you order a salad out, remember that alot of gourmet salads add alot of high fat items... ex: bacon, eggs, cheese, croutons, tortilla strips, FRIED chicken, etc.
5. milk - While the calcium and vitamin d are good for you, milk is also high in sugar and fat. If you get fat free milk, it's still high in sugar...
Basically, the key is to eat everything in moderation and know what you're eating. There are alot of times when I don't choose the healthier item simply because I want something unhealthy. But at least I recognize that I'm eating something unhealthy, and I'm not shocked when I didn't lose weight, or more likely, that I gained weight.
One final piece of advice on the subject, if you eat out, it is most likely unhealthy, no matter how careful you are. The portion sizes are out of control. For example, did you know that a burrito from Chipotle (or even a burrito bowl or salad) has almost a days worth of calories. The burrito can have about 1200 calories and 75 grams of fat... Just think about how much one of those burritos weighs. Do you need to eat that much? Are you that hungry (if you're a grown male and an athlete, then probably....but if you're woman with a slow metabolism like me, then you definitely don't need it). And there are many restaurants that are much worse than Chipotle. Don't get me wrong. I eat out ALOT because I enjoy it. The most important thing is to just know what you eat. I know alot of people who would "rather not know" the nutritional value of their food. I disagree. If you don't know, you can't watch what you eat. You can always choose to ignore what you know. It's okay to splurge occasionally. Just keep that in mind next time you decide to eat out.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Sunset2Sunrise Relay - Part 3
Just to catch you up, here are a few pictures from the beginning of the race.
This is our "prison" van, with no windows.
Singing in the van.....
Waiting at exchange point 1!Sunset2Sunrise Relay - Part 2
Mishap #1:
We arrived to the starting line just 3 minutes before our scheduled start time. Luckily, the race director was flexible, and let us start with the next group. We made it through the first two legs without any incidents. Then, leg 3 happened.
The first problem was that the driving directions were difficult to understand. One of the streets which we were supposed to turn on had multiple names and we couldn't find it. The second problem was that the van did not follow the runners because the runners had different directions. As we were driving along toward the third exchange point, the van got lost. We were about 2 miles off the course. As soon as we realized the mistake, we turned around. No big deal. But on our way back, we saw a runner from another team... about a mile and a half off course, and headed the wrong way. We tried to turn around to stop her, but traffic was too heavy. By the time we turned around, she was gone. We spent about 10 minutes trying to find her, but had no luck.
At this point, we knew our runner was going to beat us to the exchange point, so we hurried off. However, when we reached the exchange point, our runner was missing. We spent about 30 minutes trying to find her, and eventually she made it back on course. The problem was that now we were about 45 minutes behind pace. The teams that started after us had already passed. No big deal. We'd make it up.
The good news about getting lost is that we learned some valuable lessons for our next relay:
1. Study the directions ahead of time, and make sure you know where you are going.
2. Make all runners carry a cell phone at all times.
3. Dont run if you can't find your way out of a paper bag.
Just one last thing I forgot to mention. This runner who got lost...got lost again later. While running one of her night legs, she ran right by the checkpoint and the runner who was waiting for her. It was clearly marked. He was standing right in front of her. He was waving her down. He actually had to chase her down with the bike. Maybe the real lesson is simply, make sure your runners are on the same planet and not in some dream world.
We arrived to the starting line just 3 minutes before our scheduled start time. Luckily, the race director was flexible, and let us start with the next group. We made it through the first two legs without any incidents. Then, leg 3 happened.
The first problem was that the driving directions were difficult to understand. One of the streets which we were supposed to turn on had multiple names and we couldn't find it. The second problem was that the van did not follow the runners because the runners had different directions. As we were driving along toward the third exchange point, the van got lost. We were about 2 miles off the course. As soon as we realized the mistake, we turned around. No big deal. But on our way back, we saw a runner from another team... about a mile and a half off course, and headed the wrong way. We tried to turn around to stop her, but traffic was too heavy. By the time we turned around, she was gone. We spent about 10 minutes trying to find her, but had no luck.
At this point, we knew our runner was going to beat us to the exchange point, so we hurried off. However, when we reached the exchange point, our runner was missing. We spent about 30 minutes trying to find her, and eventually she made it back on course. The problem was that now we were about 45 minutes behind pace. The teams that started after us had already passed. No big deal. We'd make it up.
The good news about getting lost is that we learned some valuable lessons for our next relay:
1. Study the directions ahead of time, and make sure you know where you are going.
2. Make all runners carry a cell phone at all times.
3. Dont run if you can't find your way out of a paper bag.
Just one last thing I forgot to mention. This runner who got lost...got lost again later. While running one of her night legs, she ran right by the checkpoint and the runner who was waiting for her. It was clearly marked. He was standing right in front of her. He was waving her down. He actually had to chase her down with the bike. Maybe the real lesson is simply, make sure your runners are on the same planet and not in some dream world.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Sunset2Sunrise Relay - 180 Miles from Ft. Myers to Jensen Beach
If you like running, you have to sign up for a relay race! This past weekend my husband and I joined a team with 9 other runners in a race across Florida. It started in Fort Myers and ended in Jensen Beach. 31 hours and 180 miles later, we made it to the finish line party, but not without a few mishaps along the way.
Let me begin by saying that three days ago, I only knew two people on my team. I was totally excited about the race, but I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I had signed up to spend two days in a van with people I didn't even know. I knew I was not going to get any sleep and I knew I was going to be dirty and sweaty and stinky. This could be bad.
When I first met the team members, I knew it was going to be a fun time. Let me just say that our group had ALOT of personality...ALOT of strong personalities.
Friday morning started frantically. I was yelling at my husband because we were running late.....and we weren't the only ones running late. When we finally made it to our meeting point, we couldn't get the bike onto the van's bike rack. First, we thought the bike didn't fit on the rack. Then we thought the rack was broken. Needless to say, neither was the case.... How many runners does it take to attach a bike to van?
Once the bike was attached we piled into the van and headed to Fort Myers. Of course, we couldn't just get a normal passenger van. Someone had the brilliant idea that we should get a cargo van. The van had no windows and there was a cage separating us from the driver. Let's just say, it was a little dark back there. We had no idea where we were going because we couldn't see anything, and we were constantly sliding all over the back of the van. Remember the time that the guys on Jackass went roller skating in the back of Uhaul?
So the trip to Fort Myers begins, and one of our teammates begins with the oversharing.... the oversharing that never stopped! We heard about her bathroom issues in graphic detail, we heard about her relationship issues, we heard about her walking in on other people naked, we heard about her great love for her three kitties, we heard about her Xanax hangover (at least 50 times), we heard her opinion on freaking everything (Usher is the greatest artist of all time... better than MJ apparently). She never shut up. Oh, but wait. It get's better. Turns out, she also likes to sing. She sang to absolutely every single song that came on the radio and every song on her ipod.
Picture this, there are 5 of us stuck in the back of a van. We're hot. We're sweaty. We're tired. We're hungry. We're cramped and we have no privacy. Meanwhile, one of our vanmates has her ipod on. And she's singing. Every word to every song. Now, this didn't just last for a few minutes. This lasted for a good two hours! I was ecstatic when it was my turn to run again. I was out of the van for a good hour and 15 minutes, and when I got back... she was STILL singing.
But that's just part of the fun of a relay. There was never any quite time. And when you're working on zero sleep, things start to get a little crazy...
Check back later for pictures and Part 2 of our Relay adventure!!!
Let me begin by saying that three days ago, I only knew two people on my team. I was totally excited about the race, but I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I had signed up to spend two days in a van with people I didn't even know. I knew I was not going to get any sleep and I knew I was going to be dirty and sweaty and stinky. This could be bad.
When I first met the team members, I knew it was going to be a fun time. Let me just say that our group had ALOT of personality...ALOT of strong personalities.
Friday morning started frantically. I was yelling at my husband because we were running late.....and we weren't the only ones running late. When we finally made it to our meeting point, we couldn't get the bike onto the van's bike rack. First, we thought the bike didn't fit on the rack. Then we thought the rack was broken. Needless to say, neither was the case.... How many runners does it take to attach a bike to van?
Once the bike was attached we piled into the van and headed to Fort Myers. Of course, we couldn't just get a normal passenger van. Someone had the brilliant idea that we should get a cargo van. The van had no windows and there was a cage separating us from the driver. Let's just say, it was a little dark back there. We had no idea where we were going because we couldn't see anything, and we were constantly sliding all over the back of the van. Remember the time that the guys on Jackass went roller skating in the back of Uhaul?
So the trip to Fort Myers begins, and one of our teammates begins with the oversharing.... the oversharing that never stopped! We heard about her bathroom issues in graphic detail, we heard about her relationship issues, we heard about her walking in on other people naked, we heard about her great love for her three kitties, we heard about her Xanax hangover (at least 50 times), we heard her opinion on freaking everything (Usher is the greatest artist of all time... better than MJ apparently). She never shut up. Oh, but wait. It get's better. Turns out, she also likes to sing. She sang to absolutely every single song that came on the radio and every song on her ipod.
Picture this, there are 5 of us stuck in the back of a van. We're hot. We're sweaty. We're tired. We're hungry. We're cramped and we have no privacy. Meanwhile, one of our vanmates has her ipod on. And she's singing. Every word to every song. Now, this didn't just last for a few minutes. This lasted for a good two hours! I was ecstatic when it was my turn to run again. I was out of the van for a good hour and 15 minutes, and when I got back... she was STILL singing.
But that's just part of the fun of a relay. There was never any quite time. And when you're working on zero sleep, things start to get a little crazy...
Check back later for pictures and Part 2 of our Relay adventure!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)