Bad Things That Are Actually Good For You: Tanning?! [New research says Vitamin D deficiency may be deadlier than skin cancer]
This pic was taken during our photoshoot for an upcoming Shape Magazine slide show (Hint: Hip Hop is involved! Sooo fun!! Shh!). My first thought when I saw it was – and I’m just going to say this because I know you’re thinking it – “Huh, Al and I look like Turbo Jennie’s sex slaves!” (Which, for the record, was not what we were going for with this shot but whatever.) My second thought was, “Hello Casper!” Our photographer actually captioned it, “The 3 bears of skin tone.” Har har. (And my third thought was check out Jennie’s bufftastic arm!!)
“It’s official. You are the whitest person on the planet,” a friend greeted me as I showed up for Turbo Jennie’s annual outdoor birthday TurboKick extravaganza the other night.
As I stood there, already sweating so profusely in the 98 degree weather* that my shorts looked as if I’d peed myself, another Gym Buddy agreed, “Yeah, when you got here, the first thing I saw coming out of your car was your legs and I was like ‘Hey, there’s Charlotte!’”
They’re right of course. I’m so pale that I forgot my costume one year for Halloween and everyone just assumed I was Wednesday Addams.
But new research out about the advantages – yes, I wrote advanatages – of suntanning is making me rethink this milky white business. Not that I can do anything about it, mind you, but I like to rethink things I have no control over. Super fun! Anyhow, researchers found that the health problems that come from vitamin D deficiency – everything from an increased risk of Autism for a baby being carried by a deficient mother to many types of cancer – far outweigh the risk of sun cancer. Says one researcher, “ a spate of studies strongly indicating that vitamin D is the most powerful anticancer agent ever known.” Do you hear that? A whole spate of studies! According to this same article, the majority of people are terribly deficient.
John Cannell, MD, executive director of the Vitamin D Council, a nonprofit educational corporation, says, “everyone knows that there is an explosion of childhood cases of autism, asthma, and autoimmune disease. It all began when we took our children out of the Sun. Starting twenty-five years ago, a perfect storm of three events has changed how much sunlight children get. First came the scare of childhood sexual predators in the early eighties, then the fear of skin cancer, and finally the Nintendo and video game craze. Nowadays, kids do not play outdoors. Playgrounds are empty. You’re a bad mother if you let your child run around. And it’s almost a social services offense if your kid gets a sunburn. Never before have children’s brains had to develop in the absence of vitamin D.”
First the advice was to avoid the sun at all costs whether by UV-blocking sunscreen or clothing or both and now they’re saying that it’s more important to get your vitamin D from the sun? Frankly, neither scenario bodes well for white girls like me.
Being ultra pale has some advantages. First, I can rock a retro dress like nobody’s business (not that I have much occasion to get all Dita Von Teese’d up but whatever, I make my own occasion!) Second, I never have to worry about buying reflective gear – all I have to do is wear shorts and I’m set. Third, people can use the word “porcelain” and my name in the same sentence without it involving a frat house, a keg and a carpet stain.
The problem comes when I’m not dressing for a garden party or a midnight run. You know, like, the rest of my life. Let’s be honest: tan is in right now. Certainly ivory white skin has had its time in the sun (har!) in past generations so I’m not begrudging the bronzed folk their turn. But a tan is definitely this season’s must-have accessory. Not only, as every magazine will tell you, does it make you look thinner (question: does that mean being white makes me look fatter?) but a golden glow makes you look healthier, shows muscle definition better, camouflages cellulite and looks better in casual clothes.
What’s a (really) white girl to do?
From a medical standpoint, I could – and do, thanks to my seasonal affective disorder – take D3 supplements. Cannell advises 5,000 mg a day. I’ve been taking 1,000. But I’m a little leery of upping it so drastically on the basis of one, albeit very compelling, article. Also, says Cannell, “Some of my colleagues think D3 supplements are enough. But that supposes we know everything. I suspect that we do not know everything. Natural sunlight has to be the preferred route whenever possible.” I have to agree with him there that natural anything is always superior to man’s manufactured version.
I really don’t want to get skin cancer though. It runs in my family and it’s ugly stuff. Plus there’s the whole premature aging and wrinkles business. From an aesthetics standpoint I could self-tan. This is not as much fun as it sounds. In my mind that phrase conjures pictures of having the ability to change my skin color at will, like a chameleon super power. In reality it involves spreading a bunch of foul-smelling goo all over my body. And it must be all over my body because seriously what is the point of having tan legs if my arms, face and chest are white? The next problem is that self-tanning is an under appreciated art form. You have to smooth it on just right, making sure to use even strokes and skipping your knees and ankles so that you don’t end up with streaks or orange spots. I always admire girls who can do it and do it right. I suppose I could always pay for a spray tan but that comes down to the real reason I don’t self-tan: you have to maintain it. The definition of futility is spending your entire life literally painting your skin a different color than the one you were born with. To wit:
Was that really necessary?At the risk of sounding like a Dove commercial, the only real solution in my book is for people to be comfortable with the skin they’re in. Are you naturally brown, ebony or any shade in between? Rejoice! Flaunt it! Be proud of that your skin is beautiful without having to do a thing to it. Heaven knows it’s taken society long enough to get to this point. But the flip side is also being able to embrace your epidermis if it is milky, light-n-freckled or downright fish belly. That and getting outside in the sunlight on a regular basis for long enough (but not too long!).
You know what though? I like my skin the way it is. It’s me. I dig it.
Do you have “a flaw” that you actually love? What do you think about this new vitamin D/tanning research??
Down Time is Good.
Good Morning Kittens!! How are you? 
I’m feeling wonderful….vacation is just what I needed. NO schedule, no worrying about being back at the airport in two days, no “NEEDING” to do anything. And I have been getting my YOGA ON in a big way honey. See the crow pose above? I did it yesterday!!!
Ok, so I did it for about 2 seconds but still– Kelly, my BFF who has been practicing yoga for 10+ years now and teaches numerous classes per week– showed me a GREAT way to practice this pose and work UP to it using the block. I’m AMAZED at what a solid yoga teacher can do as far as adjusting you and making sure you are working a pose for the benefit of your body. Both Kelly and Bertha – the two teachers I’ve done classes with down here, both have fixed things in me and showed me some tendencies I have that I was totally unaware of- whoa.
These are the kind of poses that Kelly (not me, my BFF Kelly down here, don’t be confused) can do in her sleep. It’s awe inspiring to watch this woman. I am learning so much and certainly becoming more and more addicted to yoga.
We are off to yoga this morning, the past two days we’ve done hot yoga and today I’m going to Kelly’s class which is not hot yoga but another style– don’t worry, she said she’ll be on a vlog with me, we just haven’t had time, as we’ve been out and about.
I will tell you this, I’m working on getting Kelly to agree to participate in some of our future FitFluential events as we tour the country in 2012. She’s that amazing. For the record, yes, she also does weights but the majority of her “working out” is yoga. And I can tell you, at age — well, I won’t tell you her age and I’ll let you guess.
QUESTION OF THE DAY: Are you into yoga? Are you a regular or random student?
What To Do When You Get Injured Exercising [Good Sore Versus Bad Sore]
Scene: the sweat-soaked, MRSA-ridden, gritty, black stretching mats at the Y. My face is planted in a pool of someone else’s grime while I try and stretch my quads. I am trying not to inhale. Grossed out? It gets better. I look up to see my friend Bobby (Hi, Bobby!) taking off his running shoe and gasp as his sock is covered in oozy bright red blood, nearly to his ankle. Bobby seems unperturbed. “That’s funny,” he says. “I didn’t even feel anything!”
“Blister?” I ask. I shouldn’t be grossed out – a mother who is a nurse breeds that out of you right quick – but I suppress a shudder. A better friend would run to get him paper towels and a band-aid. In this instance I don’t even qualify as a decent friend as all I can do is stare.
“Nope,” he answers as he peels off the sock.
Fresh blood can look like a lot more than it is. Now I consider running to get band-aids – to put over my eyes. I blame childbirth. Ever since my little monkeys started spewing bodily fluids I’ve gotten a lot wussier. My mother is not proud.
“Sharp toenail,” he finally declares. I faint.
Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?
As if Bobby’s bloody toe wasn’t bad enough, Gym Buddy Allison’s been nursing a “pinching pain” that starts on the outside of her hip and runs down the back of her leg. We don’t know how she did it or even what it is but it keeps the poor girl up at night it hurts so bad. Plus she can’t sit. (Although she and Gym Buddy Megan did do a hilarious “You can’t have me Lucky Charms” jig at the gym this morning so you know it’s not fatal.) Gym Buddy Daria’s elbow still hurts from several months ago. Krista is still recovering from her surgery. Megan’s back still spasms. Injuries and exercise, sadly, go hand in hand. (Knock on wood, I am not injured.)
Ace bandages and knee braces are the fashion statement du jour on the treadmill. Bruises (hah – you should see the bruise on my chest bone from bouncing the bar off of it doing a clean and jerk!), wrist straps and weight belts abound on the weight floor (but no, all the shaved heads are not indicative of a mental injury or a Britney fetish – although I’d love to see you ask one of those lifters about it!) In fact, if you pick any random person at the gym I bet you a thirty-pound dumbbell dropped on your chest that they have an injury story to tell. If they’re really, um, lucky they even have their very own pet injury – one they can feed & clothe and love just like a Webkin but without the yearly subscription fee!
Do You Really Want to Make Me Cry?
I won’t tell you about the worst exercise injury I’ve ever seen (In high school a soccer player caught his foot in a hole in the grass and went down, breaking his FEMUR. It sounded like a RIFLE going off. The bone came through his SKIN. His coach THREW UP. Sorry, that just popped out. I think I still have PTSD from it.) but I can tell you some things to help avoid exercise injuries.
1. Don’t exercise. Oh, wait. Not an option? Fine. You can do Sit and Be Fit. Mmm… except I bet somebody somewhere has fallen off their chair.
All right – if you exercise you’re going to get hurt. To be fair, if you do anything other than breathe you are going to get injured eventually. Which is why you need to be as smart as you can (wear appropriate clothing, ask for a spot when you need it, stretch properly etc.) but don’t despair when the inevitable occurs. (Knock, knock, knock on wood. Well, at least I think this is wood. If it’s not and I get injured today I’m so suing IKEA.)
Working Around An Injury
1. Rest. I am the worst possible person to talk to about this because as long as I can still get my shoes on, I’m in the gym that day. Hopefully you are not as compulsive as I am. But in case you are, at least try and rest the affected part. If your shins hurt (aHEM), try swimming or bike riding. If your wrists are sore avoid pull-ups and push-ups. The key here is to keep resting your Achilles heel even after it starts to feel better. Depending on the severity of your injury it could take weeks or even months. When I stress-fractured my leg several years ago during my great Over Exercising Debacle I was off all high-impact activity for 6 weeks. If I can do it, anyone can.
Ice, heat, massage and those crazy-fun foam rollers can also do wonders for mild injuries.
2. Get the proper equipment. Don’t let your pride or impeccable fashion sense prevent you from getting those butt-ugly orthopedic shoes or knee brace or basketball goggles (hee!) if you need them. Wear them with pride, bro, wear them with pride!
3. Don’t repeat. This sounds like a total duh but since I am so guilty of this one, I’m going to say it: don’t make the same mistake over again. Even if this means you can’t exercise at the level you used to. If you hurt your knee because you upped your mileage too fast then don’t do it again! Up your mileage slowly next time. Train for the surface you run on. Don’t walk and chew gum at the same time.
4. Strengthen the supporting muscles. I can’t say enough good things about this one. If you have knee pain, do more quad, ham & calf exercises. Stronger legs will help stabilize your knee and help it from going out again. Back pain? Make sure you are doing lots of core exercises. Ask a doc or physical therapist for exercises you can safely do to help with your injured area.
5. Whine a lot. Well, actually, have a good support group. Complaining loudly to a friend makes it feel so much better. Misery loves company. And sympathy. And chocolate.
I probably shouldn’t ask this but I can’t help myself: what’s the worst exercise injury you’ve ever seen? Have you ever had to work around an injury? Anyone have any idea what’s wrong with Allison and have any advice for her??
Ruining Perfectly Good Food
Sprinkles for chest hair! Now all my cooking problems are solved! Thanks Tom Selleck (and Emma, you lucky lucky girl)!
Coffee cake is one of life’s nicest niceties. Not only does it have crunchy brown sugar streusel layered with moist cake and topped with icing but it also evokes images of tea parties and twee hats and gloves and dresses with nipped-in waists and Peter-Pan collars. Fun! So when Gym Buddy Lisseth waxed rhapsodic about the best coffee cake ever, which she had made the night before and eaten for breakfast this morning, you will understand why my mouth began to water.
The Gym Buddies and I have an interesting post-workout tradition. After we get good and sweaty together and bounce some iron around (and grunt and scratch ourselves), we sit on the stretching mats… and talk about food. No matter how hard we try, every post-workout conversation eventually comes back to food. What new restaurant Krista tried, the new recipe Megan found, the number of chicken wings Allison can eat in one sitting (her record thus far – with husband – 120. In her defense it was a serious pregnancy craving!) – it’s all fair game. By the end, each of us is drooling, starving and usually armed with a resolution to cook something when we get home.
This day it was coffee cake, courtesy of Lisseth. While I didn’t have her recipe, I do have a perfectly wonderful Betty Crocker cookbook that has served me well many a time and so I hauled that out. Turning the oven on to preheat, I checked to make sure I had all the ingredients. For something so tasty, coffee cake is amazingly simple. And also amazingly bad for you! How have I never known what is in coffee cake?! My heart pounded a little faster as I looked at the white flour, oil, butter, salt and all that sugar. I knew I couldn’t make it. What would be the point of that grueling workout I just finished if I were to eat half a coffee cake afterward? Sure Intuitive Eating says to eat what you really want but it also tells me that eating half a coffee cake will make me feel like crap both physically and mentally afterward.
Sighing, I started to put the book away. But then a thought came to my mind – I could healthify it! Happily, I got out my mixer and bowl and set about substituting every ingredient. I used whole wheat flour for the white flour, replaced the fat with a banana, the sugar with applesauce and so forth. Excitedly I poured the batter into a casserole dish (like I own a bundt pan – please, you’re talking to the girl who only owns one grown-up sharp knife). The kitchen filled with yummy smells and 60 minutes later I had… banana bread. And not even good banana bread! Healthified banana bread. That was most definitely not what I was craving. In fact it was so nasty that it sat on our kitchen counter for a week until my husband finally threw it away.
This is not the first time this has happened. In fact, you could say I have a reputation for ruining perfectly good food. The ingredients all start out fine but in the process of trying to healthify the recipe, I usually ruin it. It’s gotten to the point where my cooking has become a punchline among our friends. (“We’re picking up the rocks to landscape our yard this weekend.” “Oh, so you got invited to dinner at Charlotte’s too?” Ha ha ha.)
The problem stems from having my cake and wanting to eat it too. Some healthy living ascetics can give up sugar, fat and every other vice with nary a backward glance (I’m looking at you, Dr. J!). But for me a life without brownies is just too depressing to contemplate. My compromise is to make substitutions.
There is also the other end of the spectrum: the just-eat-the-cake-already people like Bethenney Frankel and all the Intuitive Eaters. If you want coffee cake, the reasoning goes, eat a little of the best coffee cake you can find, don’t deprive yourself and you’ll be sated. However, I have a rather addictive personality or perhaps my tastebuds are just slow to catch on but if I eat only three bites of a really yummy dessert I’m going to feel deprived. I will want more than three bites and telling me to stop there will only make me want to eat more. So we’re back to the substitutions.
Lest you think I’m brilliant – I hate to disillusion you but really you should know better by now – I am not the first person to come up with this idea. There are whole books and websites dedicated to making healthy, yummy food. They also happen to be run by people who are much better cooks than I am. Now the key for me is to hone my mad kitch skillz to the point that I don’t wreck their recipes. It might also help if I got some real cooking equipment.
What’s your food philosophy: have a little bit of what you really crave or focus on healthifying the decadent recipes? Any other chronic food ruiners in the house? Anyone else still cooking with the utensils they got at the thrift store in college?
My First 24-Hour Relay: I’m funnier without sleep! [Your chance to do some good]]
Kevin and his baby boy – nothing like getting tongue kissed by a baby!
Juggling a hula hoop, my toddler, my gym bag, my preschooler, an alarm clock/CD player*, an infant in her huge carseat (just babysitting Turbo Jennie’s baby, I did not pop out another one!) AND an umbrella, I cursed under my breath as I was forced to drop all my stuff to open the gym door because the person walking in in front of me didn’t look behind them and let it shut right in front of me. Granted, my pack-mule tendencies are my own darn fault but still, is it too much to ask to just look behind you when you go through a door? Three kids under 4! And a hula hoop! In the rain!! As I continued my mental rant and shuttled everyone and everything (including some random detritus lingering around the doorway) inside – being careful to hold open the door for the person behind me in the most grandiose way possible – I turned around to see… a teen in a wheelchair.
Every day a group of people who are disabled come and hang out at our Y – some of them even hula hoop with us on occasion! – and today this boy was part of a group was selling handmade cards in the front lobby. My face flushed as I realized how very blessed I am to be able to carry three kids and enough workout crap to run my own gym through the rain and still open doors. We went over and said hi – me with my hand firmly over my preschooler’s mouth because this is the same child who said to the Wal-Mart greeter in a wheelchair, “You look really stupid in that chair. Why don’t you just walk?” (Charming!) – and then I continued on, chastened, to check my able-bodied children into the childcare so I could go work out my totally healthy body.
Sometimes it’s a little thing like this morning that reminds me of how blessed I am but sometimes it takes a larger impetus to make me realize how much I truly have and what a responsibility I have to help others.
Last September, Gym Buddy Megan’s brother Kevin was diagnosed with rectal cancer. He’s 32. I’m 32. He’s a father to two boys, 3 and 18 months old. I have boys. Jelly Bean is 18 months old. He’s a husband. I have a husband. He has an ostomy bag. I have never been more grateful for my rectum. (Sentence #437 that I never thought I’d write on this site.) While he’s doing well with his treatments – he’s about halfway through his chemo and radiation – he writes, “I’ll be honest, I’m scared. Had someone asked me 2 weeks ago what I’d be doing right now, taking trips to the Vanderbilt Cancer Clinic would not have been last (that would have been a live taping of Oprah), but it would have been really low on the list.” He’s funny! I’m funny too! Sometimes!
Gym Buddy Megan with her grandma and brothers Daniel (left) and Kevin (right). I think they’re at a wedding. Either that or they have a thing for dressing alike.
Understandably this has been a really difficult experience for Kevin, his wife and kids and his parents and all four of his siblings. I still remember the day Megan told us the news – she started crying on the treadmill. You know it’s about to get serious when someone is crying and running and they’re not even watching Lifetime on the little treadmill TV. So to help support Megan’s brother and our Gym Buddy Jess who got a bone marrow transplant for Christmas and is now currently in remission from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, the Gym Buddies and I have all joined a Relay For Life team for the American Cancer Society.
I’m going to be honest: I’ve never done anything like this before. I hate asking people for money. I couldn’t even do the door-to-door penny drive in elementary school. But I lost my grandfather and an uncle to cancer and I know what an ugly, terrible disease cancer is and the devastating effect it has on families. And so I’m doing this. The 24-hour overnight relay will be the easy part (heck, it’ll even be the fun part – Gym Buddy campout!), asking for donations is the hard part. But I’m doing this. For Kevin. For Jess. For my grandpa. I’m not going to make a huge deal out of this and pester you guys nonstop – for the record, I have never, ever asked my readers for money before – but I am going to ask: It would really mean a lot to me and to the Gym Buddies if you could make a donation (click link to go to my donation page). Anything at all. Even just a buck or two will help. And if all you can do right now is offer up a silent prayer of gratitude for your healthy rectum, I totally understand. Thank you!
Kevin with his wife and kids
And speaking of helping a stranger out, Reader Carrie recently sent me this e-mail, “I’m trying to adopt a little girl from Columbia. Her name is Julie and she has Down Syndrome. I am a single mother with one child already and a Special Education Teacher. This is going to be a huge expense. Would you consider helping me raise money to bring Julie home? I know I’m a pretty much a stranger asking a huge favor but I really hope you’ll consider it.” Carrie’s note made me all teary – I have a huge soft spot for kids and especially for kids with Down Syndrome. I made a donation to Julie’s adoption fund and I hope you’ll consider it too. (Click on link to go to Julie’s adoption page to make a donation.)
Kids, cancer, mouthy preschoolers – heavy stuff today. Do you have a loved one with cancer? Have you ever participated in a fund-raising race/walk-a-thon/relay/whatever? Do you have a hard time asking people for money too? Thank you guys so much! (<—You know you want to click it!)
*Hooping with music is about 200 times more fun! And my alarm clock is the only portable music player I have. Yes, I probably still have a Walkman around here too. Shut up.
Feeling So GOOD!
Happy Saturday Kittens!! How is your weekend going? Mine? It’s going FAST…..but that usually happens when I get home from one trip on Friday evening and have to leave Monday morning for another.
Le Sigh.
I’m not putting my energy toward feeling annoyed. I’m putting my energy toward HOW GREAT I AM FEELING WITH EACH PASSING DAY. I know it’s early. I know I’m just at the beginning of this new/old Kelly O lifestyle but I know it is for keeps, and I know it is changing me completely for the better, inside and out, and that, my friends, is what FEELS SO GOOD.
I had a busy day today, but I woke up (YUP slept in!!! Will be very glad to be back to normal sleeping patterns again as I don’t like being so tired that I sleep in until 8:30am!) had my coffee, and then did a Kettlebell workout. I used my existing 20lb Kettlebell, because until I read some of my books and really do some more re-training on form, I don’t want to go too heavy too soon. And hopefully by this summer I can join the local Crossfit gym like I’ve been wanting to do. I know I’ll be playing with all KINDS of fun badass toys over there.
Yummy.
Speaking of Crossfit, here is a good video demonstrating the CORRECT form for a Kettlebell swing and the common mistakes- watch carefully. I am going to try to find a vlog that Tim Ferriss did on this, which, when I took the time to re-train myself and tweak my form, I realized that I wasn’t doing it totally correct and the tweak worked my bootie that much more.
I’m all about working my bootie peeps. I’m ALL ABOUT IT. God gave me the bootie, and I’ve embraced it. Now it’s just time to make it more bootie-full.
Enough Said.
Gotta run kids. Enjoy this morning’s rambling goodness below. Question of the Day: Do you still listen to the RADIO? I don’t EVER…..and the other day I was stuck without my iPod in my car and like 1/2 the radio stations that I used to listen to years ago- are GONE. Instead they are all ESPANOL!
It Feels Good to Feel Good!
It Feels Good to Feel Good Again. I mean, to feel TRULY GENUINELY GOOD. Psyched. Amped. And yet, at the same time, calmed down, peaceful and content KNOWING that I’m taking the right steps, I’m directing my path exactly where I want to go. I’m finally on MY own path. I’m finally taking my life back and letting go of fear and doubt. IT FEELS AWESOME.
Tomorrow night we are going out for my birthday. Just the girls. I CAN’T WAIT. Some of you said to me that this is the first time you’ve heard me talking about my birthday in a couple of years. Probably right. I was probably thinking about work or stress or the doctor or my missed workout in the past.
That’s all behind a closed door now. It’s all in a vault that I’m not opening up again.
And what else am I doing this weekend?
Massage. Pedicure. A little shopping, as I did today, in addition to getting my new license! That was a nice moment at the DMV today because the last picture on my license was the one taken three days before I met my ex-husband. So it always reminded me of THAT. So nice to have a fresh new picture that looks fabulous I might add.
I had a great workout this evening- yes this evening! BOOYA!! Ilaria Kickboxing…about 40 minutes and burned 378 calories. And now kids, I can’t elaborate as usual cuz I have plans. I’ll be back tomorrow morning I promise.
In the mean time, enjoy the babble.
It’s All Good!
I LOVE THIS!! I actually just stumbled upon a blog I used to read in the past but had stopped for some reason ~ I think a lot happened when I made the switch from the Blogger platform to Squarespace….many of the blogs that I was following got lost in the transition. Anyway, not sure if any of you read Josh Hillis’ blog, you can check it out by CLICKING HERE.
It was cool to read up on his latest posts and see that he’s all about strong sexy women and training HARD. Like I’ve said before, if I’m SHOWING UP to workout, I’m gonna GO BIG OR GO HOME. I’m not here to superficially sweat! I’m here to make a difference! It got me really amped to hit the GYM. Usually I’m all about my home gym, but there is something to be said about going really heavy and hard on some moves that you can’t do at home without a spotter. So, I’m gonna be mixing in some HEAVY time in the gym with my home gym workouts. Yummy!
I also….did my first ‘official’ weigh-in this morning on my Eat Smart Scale. Kids, the anticipation I had or the anxiety that I was STARTING to build up internally was pretty big. But then I recognized that destructive negative self-talk and stopped it. I stepped on the scale and Amen it was not as horrifying as I thought, I was kind of exactly where I had told my BFF Sherry I thought I would be. So– I will inevitably share my #s with you all, LATER. Not yet. I’m taking baby steps ok??
I do love the scale- it’s all digital and even measures by the quarter pound…..I was waiting for it to talk back to me and say WHOA GIRLFRIEND! YOU WANNA BACK UP THAT BOOTIE? COME ON NOW! SUMMER IS ALMOST HERE, LET’S DO THIS!! haha I should help them create a talking back scale. And then a talking REFRIGERATOR!! And pantry! Can you imagine? Every time you go to have an extra Klondike 100 calorie ice cream bar, you see a video that’s like “Ain’t that your second piece TODAY? Are you sure about that?” hehe
Later in April, we’ll be doing some contests and giveaways with the Eat Smart folks, so stay tuned. I’m digging the bathroom scale. It’s my friend.
Now, I’ve been so delayed the past 2 weeks in announcing our winners from the Multi-Grain Cheerios Twitter parties!! So, our first winner was Ms. Julie of Adventure is Out There won the 2 Biggest Loser Cookbooks and food scale! WOOO!! And Miranda from Chicago won the Biggest Loser “video game”! WOO!!
So, tonight, BOOM BOOM POW! I get to host another giveaway. I’m working with the folks at General Mills every Tuesday night to co-host Twitter chats at 7pm CST on Twitter- with Multi-Grain Cheerios and NBC’s The Biggest Loser! (#client). Join us by jumping on Twitter and following the hashtags: #MGCheerios and #BL11! (#client). And tonight, we will choose a winner for this cool as heck fitness video game, AND your own box of Multi-Grain Cheerios!
You like that? No, it doesn’t come with Bob or Jillian, for those of you that asked. I will tell you, I’ve always found Cheerios to be a yum cereal that actually has a reasonable serving size (um, not a tablespoon!) and low-cal, low-fat. I dig it. And now, new flavors! Sweet.
They have a GREAT website set up with recipes and videos and tips; CHECK IT OUT HERE.
To be entered to win, leave a comment telling us the last time you had Cheerios, and if you have tried any of the new flavors. I PROMISE I’ll announce our winners this Friday!!
Now- yesterday I shot a vlog and YouTube must’ve been having a rough day because it would NOT upload. So bear with me on this vlog actually from yesterday. I’ll be back tomorrow!!
UPDATED: I just finished my workout (BOOYA to me for doing a workout this late in the day when I really “didn’t feel like it”). I did 20 minutes of Cathe HIIT 30/30, followed by a Shoulder Circuit, designed by me.
Circuit One:
- Front Raise 12x
- Lateral Raise 12x
- Bent over Raise 12x (Rear Delts)
- I used 8lb dumbbells here and did not stop between sets. BEFORE starting this circuit, my heart rate was up and then I ran up and down my stairs 2x, followed by 12 kettlebell swings with a 20lb kettlebell, followed by 16 plyometric plie squats, hands touching the floor each time. I did this circuit 3x, and in between each circuit, I did the stairs, kettlebell swings, plyo squats to keep my heart rate elevated.
Circuit Two:
- Side Lateral Raise- single arm, at an angle. 12x each arm
- Upright Row – 12x, focusing on not hyperextending
- Overhead Press- 12x
- I used 8lb dumbbells for the side raises, 12lb dumbbells for the upright row and overhead press. NO pauses between sets, and between the circuits, I did the stairs/kettlebell/plyo squats as mentioned above. I finished the whole workout by taking 10lb dumbells, then 12lb, then 15lb and doing “static” overhead presses- where the range of motion is like 2 inches, it burns!!
Overall Calorie Burn was: 380 calories. Breakdown: After the 20 minutes of HIIT I was at 167 calories burned, after the first circuit I was at 262 calories burned and then 343 after the last one, then a stretch. Only 50 minutes total! NOT bad.
QUESTION OF THE DAY: Do you weigh yourself? Measure yourself? Or neither?
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