A warning about brown rice syrup

Hello everyone-


I came across an article on Yahoo this morning that is not necessarily about weight loss, but it IS relevant if you eat brown rice/brown rice syrup.

Click here for article


Recently, studies have shown that organic brown rice syrup COULD be a high source of arsenic, and the article also mentions rice itself having arsenic in it.  This just makes being gluten free even harder, if you don't want poison in your food.  And going organic won't change it much- the arsenic was found in organic brown rice syrup-containing foods. 


I actually have a jar of organic brown rice syrup that I think I might have to toss in the can after reading this. 


As far as I know, stevia is still safe to use for sweetening, so I think I will keep doing that. 


I really think the best way (at least for me) is to just avoid grains altogether, since everything seems so wrong with all of them these days.  I usually feel better when I do.




Have any of you tried to be grainless? How do you like it?

Grain-Free Comfort Food?

Hello everyone!




I am always trying to read up on things grain-free, and while chatting with a friend of mine about a book she had seen for vegan comfort food, the lightbulb went off in my head- Are there Paleo (dairy/legume/grain/gluten-free) comfort food books as well?


So, I went to my good old friend Amazon.com and typed in the search line "Paleo Comfort Food".


And then I got directed to this title:

Paleo Comfort Foods- Homestyle Cooking for a Gluten-Free Kitchen by Julie & Charles Mayfield

The good thing about this is that the recipes are free of anything I don't want to eat- grain/beans/dairy.  I downloaded the ebook to my Kindle Fire and I will be going over it during the weekend and let you guys know how it is.

My gluten/grain free ladies (and anyone else) any good websites, books, etc for gluten free recipes? Post below!

Have a great night!

Gluten Free Pizza- At Dominos!

Hello everyone!

For those of you (and myself) who love pizza but don't love gluten, I read that Domino's Pizza will be offering gluten free dough!

It is safe for those with mild gluten sensitivities but not recommended for those with full blown celiac disease.  This is because the pizzas are prepared in the same kitchen as the regular crust pizzas that do have gluten.  If cross-contamination does not bother you,  then this is the pizza for you.

I also read that this crust will be only for small pizzas and sadly, cost $3 more than a small pizza with a regular crust.  According to Domino's, the crust is made from rice flour, rice starch, potato starch, water, and olive oil.

If I hadn't already eaten dinner, I would have ordered one for myself!

For more information, the article can be found here- http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/the-exchange/domino-let-gluten-free-160438224.html

And another article here- http://www.glutenfreephilly.com/2012/05/last-domino.html

Are you going to try it, or do you want to try? Post in the comments below.

Kumato!

Hello everyone!

Over the weekend, I was shopping and I found something called Kumatoes on sale. 

What the hell is a Kumato anyway?  

Basically, it's a brown tomato.

It's a hybrid tomato from Europe that is brown- and supposed to be that way.  They are not colored, GMO, etc but bred by combining different breeds of tomato.

What do they taste like? I do not know myself yet, but I read that they taste sweeter than a conventional tomato. 

I did buy a pack (they came in packs of six and they are not very big- about twice the size of a golf ball.  I haven't tried them yet (looking for good recipes to put them in. Perhaps I might try them in a ratatouille or caprese salad) but when I taste them I will let you know.

I do not like the taste of regular raw tomatoes, I hope these taste better!

Now I am getting back to my final essay (exams done! Yay!)

Have a great day!

Tracy Anderson's Weight Loss Advice for Brides

Hello everyone!


I came across an interesting article-



In it, Tracy Anderson discusses various tips about shaping up before a wedding or other special event.

1. Start Early

Basically, as soon as you start planning for the wedding or event, plan out your workout and fitness regimen.  Don't be one of those  people who waits until the last minute and needs to lose 30 pounds in a month, because you will be sadly disappointed.

2. Diet

Do not deprive yourself severely while trying to lose the weight. Tracy suggests eating cleaner- use lemon juice on salads instead of dressing, eat lots of vegetables and lean protein, and exchange the occasional meal with a protein shake or a bar.

3. Exercise!

Your body will  not look its best no matter how you diet if you don't exercise as well.  "If you want to look like you and a healthy version of you and the best version of you for your husband-to-be, then you need to start sweating and exercising and designing your body to look like a woman," Tracy says. 

For more info- the link to the article is here:

http://www.fitsugar.com/Tracy-Andersons-Wedding-Weight-Loss-Tips-22945906

7/9/2014

Hello everyone!


Today I walked again, for another hour.  This time, it was a bit harder because I had some intense pain in my right heel.  It comes and goes, with a burning sensation, mostly in the morning and when I've been on the foot for a while, it sort of goes away.  I didn't let it stop me, though.

I suspect Plantar Fasciitis, but I am going to go to a doctor to confirm it if it persists. 

I also really need to start  making breakfast at home.  And I know it's going to be a pain in the ass because of how early I get up to go to work on time.  So far, I can only think of a few things that are gluten free and can be made the night before, like hard boiled eggs, pre cooked sausage, and so on.  And fruit, of course, which I really need to learn to like. 


But the postive side  is this - I have been able to do an hour again, and it's not my legs stopping me for breaks during that hour but my feet and lower back.  Mostly the feet. Ugh.

Have any of you guys dealt with foot pain? Any suggestions? I don't want to stop my walks, that's for sure, but it's hard when my heel hurts like this. 

Update! First iPad Post!

Hello everyone! 

I hope everyone has had a decent weekend so far!  I have been keeping busy too, I haven't been able to exercise but I have been active.

Having to go shopping and walking around lifting heavy bags of dog food and bottles of laundry soap can be quite a workout.

I have also done some food shopping, this weekend I have been somewhat naughty diet wise because I had a friend celebrating a birthday and the previous day I got taken out to eat for my own birthday, which is later this month.

I also finally upgraded to an iPad as of yesterday, so this is my first blog post from it! I hope the formatting and everything stays the same.  One thing I don't see here is changing font colors and styles, so on occasion you may see some posts that look a little weird, I am getting used to the iPad and I will change font formats when I am on my PC later.

I am also in the process of adding apps including MyFitnessPal.  Add me! My username is asagi722. 

I've decided

Hello everyone!




I have decided that I would like to try the ketogenic diet for a while (with exercise) and see how it pans out for me.  As someone who loves meat/cream/cheese, etc this shouldn't be a problem in regards to me actually enjoying what I eat.


I am going to try a slightly lower fat version (I have read about people on lower fat keto diets and their results were even greater because the body used up body fat as energy more often) but I am not going to think too much about fat grams as opposed to net carbs.




I'll post about how it goes! Have a good day!

Hey guys just a quickie post!


I finished my L1 D2 with 25 reps, a 60 minute walk and 30 minutes of DC.




Tomorrow night I will be doing 30 reps. EEEEK. I don't know if I can handle it. I feel kind of sore today. Hm.




Have a good night!!!

Hello everyone!




I finished day 1 last night (pretty late, I crashed into bed when I was finished) and already woke up today and walked for an hour. I also had a pretty healthy, filling breakfast.


I had one cup of plain fat free Greek yogurt and 1/2 a pint of blueberries. Total protein- 24 grams. I still feel kind of full after eating it, and it was delicious!


Going to get my day 2 workout done today with a little more reps and maybe an hour of dance cardio (not all at once, 30 minutes, a break, 30 minutes) but we'll see. At least 30 minutes. 


As usual I will post again later with how I did. Last night was 20x each leg rep, today 25 and so on.




Have a happy Tuesday!

Hello everyone!


Today I start Meta Abcentric, and this morning I took measurements and weight. (look to the right!)


The only exercise I really did was walk daily and stretch, and since May 23 (about 2 weeks ago?) I lost 4.75 inches and 11.1 pounds!


*Yay!* 


I knew I was feeling smaller, but I thought it was just in my head.




Ok, off to work and do my workouts, and I will check back in tonight!!!




Have a great Monday!

A man loses 370 pounds with Zumba!

Hello everyone!


I came across an article about a 44 year old Neil Burns,  who once weighed 680 pounds and within 2 years, lost 370 of it.  


Did he get surgery? Did he take some other drastic, crazy measure?


No. Good old diet and exercise.


He went from eating 10,000 calories per day in fast food to 1,800 calories per day in healthier choices.  The slowly began exercising, eventually getting into a Zumba class- and he eventually became a Zumba instructor!


He works out twice a day- Weights in the morning and cardio at night.  Together, these burn about 1,000 calories a day.  


However, the journey wasn't easy.  He had some tips:


1. Get a workout buddy to keep accountable. 


2. When you cheat, admit it.


He also has a "skinny list" for motivation- things he has been able to do since losing weight. 

NEIL BURNS' SKINNY LIST

1. be able to sit in a chair with arms

2. fit into a airplane seat with no seat belt extension's

3. walk up and down stairs like everyone else

4. pick something up off the car floor without having to get out of the car

5. lay down flat in bed and not feel like lungs aren't going to collapse

6. fit through a turnstile

7. buy clothes off the rack

8. not being the big fat guy in a group on guys night out

9. not having to stretch out shirts so they will fit

10. knees - ankles - feet not hurting

11. Not hearing "wow" you're big from little kids

12. have a watch that fits without extensions

13. fit into a sports car

14. fit into a booth at a restaurant

15. bending over to pick stuff off the ground

16. being able to see my feet

17. not breaking chairs

18. going to the pool and not wearing a shirt

19. quit being lapped by 80 year old mall walkers

20. being able to tie my shoes when there on my feet

21. doing spin class and not feeling like I got violated

22. go horseback riding

23. fitting into a public rest room

24. walking on the beach at sun set

25. being able to play sports with my son

26. brushing my teeth without losing my breath

27 walking into Walmart

28. walking to mail box

29. not being stared at

30. being able to look at myself in the mirror

31. feel worthy of love

32. using a vacuum cleaner

33. being able to do laundry standing up

34. being able to unload and load the dish washer standing

35. going hiking

36. not having strangers taking pictures of me  (Really?  People can really be cruel!!!) 

37. being able to walk thru a door way without going sideways

On a day where I needed motivation, this was a good article for me to read. 


If you want to read it too, click here: http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/man-loses-370-pounds-old-fashioned-way-reclaims-100129123--abc-news-health.html

Happy Memorial Day!

Hello everyone!


First, Happy Memorial Day to all of my American friends and readers!

Yesterday, I didn't do so good.  


The day started good- Woke up, had canteloupe and 2 hard boiled eggs, Steak and salad for lunch.  I also powerwalked for an hour.


Then disaster struck- I came home RAVENOUS.  We're talking eat the whole house ravenous.


The previous night, my roommate had picked up some breaded boneless buffalo wings and offered me some, which I declined.  Yesterday, they ended up in my belly.  All 10 of them.   Today, I saw that I had gained 3 pounds and am having tummy troubles (bloating, etc).  Today, I am going to keep my eating very light.  I had some fruit and tea for breakfast, planning on having soup and salad for lunch and dinner.  And, of course, LOTS of water.


I also didn't do my TAM yesterday, but will today.  Not starting over, doing Day 2. 


Have a happy, healthy safe Memorial Day!

Day 1 OFFICIAL Boot Camp Start!

Hello everyone!




A little check in here!


Today I ate the following- (I am not following TA's diet plan, but going gluten free and mostly grain free as well.)


Breakfast:


5 slices of very crispy bacon. 


Lunch:


Salad with butter lettuce, a light drizzling of Italian dressing, some steak strips and some pieces of onion.


Dinner: (I was kind of bad here, went to see Men In Black 3)


1/2 bag of large popcorn (no extra salt or butter) and diet coke. This is a HUGE improvement- normally I would salt and butter the hell out of it and eat the whole thing.   Also, the theater did confirm that their popcorn and topping is gluten free. (Aside from possibility of being in the same truck as gluten, which I am not too worried about right now)


Also on the right- There is a Myfitnesspal.com badge to show how many pounds I have lost since my initial stats. I will not measure my body until my boot camp is DONE. Every 10 day measurements will be taken when I begin Metamorphosis after this.


So, how was my workout?


I did day 1 sequence 1 with 20 reps per exercise.  I am about to do the dancing part of my workout.  I will be following the moderate beginner plan (which I am afraid MIGHT be a little too fast- after 3 days she will have me be jumping, but never know until I try, right?) because I can "walk but not run"-  I walked a solid hour at a good pace yesterday and got a good sweat up. 


And yes, I will do my best to do the workouts EVERY day. It's only a month and I really need to not cop out. Yes, one day at a time, but the daily workouts is a goal I would like to attempt to achieve. 




Have a great Saturday- See you tomorrow! 

Goals for this summer

Hello everyone!




I am off to a very late start, but I have some summer goals.  I had more, but realized that it's probably unrealistic and is just begging for injury or failure.


The original goals: 


1. Walk for one hour a day and start to jog
2. Do 60 minutes of dance cardio
3. Do power yoga as often as I can, preferably daily
4. Stretch for an hour
5. TA MS work bootcamp, then Meta.




The new goals:


1. Walk for one hour a day
2. Build up my dance cardio endurance based on the boot camp book 
3. Stretch
4. MS bootcamp- 6 days a week instead of 30 days through unless I honestly feel up to working out on my rest days.
5. My goal is to be at one hour of cardio (even if it's just step touching) by the time I hit meta. We'll see.
6. NO MORE GLUTEN!!!!! There's really no excuse why I can't other than literally just not giving a shit. (pardon my language)
7. More exercise is extra and not required. If I feel like it, I will do it. If not, no big deal.
8. Try to make vlogs. (finally) I have a different computer set up now so it should work better.


Yeah, I've tried Boot Camp  before and quit, but that is also because I made it an all or nothing thing. I quit because I missed a couple days and thought I "messed up". I was able to get through Metamorphosis up to half way through before, so I figure if I break boot camp down into 6 days instead of daily, it could be more doable for me. I also need to get over it if I miss more days, TAM is an ongoing thing (which is why there's continuity). There is no "end date" or "deadline" because it's a LIFESTYLE change, not "doing a program". If one were to just choose to do the boot camp or meta only, then that is "doing a program". However, keeping up with it from then on is making it a lifestyle and there is no end date to live up to or feel bad about missing. Listening to your body is also very important.


Also, I took out yoga because I am not a fan of over training and I firmly believe that weight loss is 90% diet, exercise just makes your body LOOK nicer and helps along the weight loss more. (Burning calories, every little bit helps)


I am going to take new measurements tonight, weigh in in the morning and get my ass on the mat!


Also if I do not meet my goals 100%, I PROMISE this time not to scrap everything, call myself a failure, etc. I am working on being more lenient with myself. It's harder than it sounds!  

For the guys- Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man Workouts

Hello everyone!


I saw the Avengers recently, and I had the idea to write this post. I am a huge Robert Downey Jr. fan and an Iron Man fan as well. I happened to come across his workout routine for the Avengers (which Gwyneth also appeared in again as Pepper Potts and of course is still trained by Tracy) and thought I'd post what I found. After all, I'm pretty sure I do have SOME male readers. I will try to dig up other workouts for the other characters in the movie (Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye, etc).


Usually, male actors tend to work out to get bigger for roles. Not so much with Iron Man. After all, he's a millionaire playboy/arms dealer who uses his brain more than his brawn. The goal was to make it believable that he has the strength to work with iron, but not needing rippling muscles (like Captain America for example).  For Iron Man, RDJ had to slim down and build up about 15 pounds of muscle.

So how did he do it?


He trained with trainer Brad Bose, who has had over 20 years in training experience, martial arts, swordwork, etc.  He had RDJ do strength training, martial arts, and a lot of cardio.  He also implemented some of his own inventions (a machine called "the pineapple", for example).


The article I found didn't show details on the actual workouts they did, but what I can assess is if you would like a body like Iron Man, incorporate strength training (not bodybuilding type, just enough to build strength gradually), and do your cardio. (A lot of men I know like to avoid this part).  In my opinion, I think cardio in any form should be okay, as long as you keep it up and enjoy it.   And of course, true for ANYONE male or female, eating well is key!


Link to my source: http://healthmad.com/health/robert-downey-jr-s-ironman-workout-routine/

Why it's okay to eat fat!

Hello everyone!




I have recently debated with someone about the subject of eating fat and controlling weight. As for me, I am pro-fat, anti-carbs (other than fruits and veggies). 

I came across an article that justifies my views- 5 Fats You Should Be Eating


1. Saturated Fat


Usually people think that these are related to heart disease, but there has been recent research leading doctors to question that allegation.  One study showed that some saturated fats can be metabolized by the body quickly, meaning they are not stored as body fat.  Suggestions: Butter, Coconut Oil, Reduced-Fat Milk, Lean Ground Beef




2. Monounsaturated Fatty Acids


Similar to oils, these fats can help reduce risks of type 2 diabetes and heart diseases by promoting healthy cholesterol levels.   Usually these are found in plant foods.  Suggestions: Safflower, Corn, Soy, Cottonseed, Peanut, or any other vegetable or nut oil, Sunflower Seeds


3. Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids


These may help to improve cholesterol levels and steady blood sugar. Suggestions: Avocado, Green Olives, Peanut Butter




4. Omega-3 Fatty Acids


Omega-3s may help prevent heart disease.  The downside is that it is fairly difficult to get enough for this benefit.  According to the article, you need 500 mg per day and that would require for example, eating salmon three times a week.  There are also non-fish sources of Omega-3. Suggestions: Salmon, Sardines, Flax, Walnuts, Eggs




5. Omega-6 Fatty Acids


To prevent heart disease, "people should get a 1 to 1 ratio of omega 6 to omega 3s".  If not, the body can metabolize Omega 6 in a bad way.  The average American has a 20 to 1 ratio of Omega 6.  Suggestions: Margarine (I don't recommend it but the article does), Almonds, Almond Butter




For the full article, click here: http://health.yahoo.net/articles/nutrition/photos/fats-you-should-be-eating#6

Madonna's Trainer

Hello everyone!




For anyone who's wondering what Madonna is up to lately trainerwise, she is now working out with a dancer named Nicole Winhoffer who is also helping Madonna out with her Hard Candy gyms (which I wish would open in Chicago!).


For all of you that think Madonna ditched the Tracy Anderson method 100%, that may be only a half truth.  Miss Winhoffer actually used to work for Tracy and that is how she got to meet Madonna. In a quote from an interview with her, she was asked how she got to become Madonna's trainer. "[Madonna's] previous trainer was recruiting professional dancers for the dance cardio portion of her fitness training. I was brought on board to assist her on her last tour. When the tour ended, I immersed myself in understanding anatomy, physiology, and the latest fitness trends while continuing my dance training. I continued to train Madonna and now I'm her primary trainer."


Tracy did travel with Madonna on her Sticky and Sweet tour before they parted ways.  Also, I have found some videos





(Note the stretchy bands on the ceiling- at the TA studios they have the same setup going on)


And here is a sample leg workout:





She also has dance cardio but it looks way too advanced for me right now, or even forever, haha.





I wish I COULD try her workouts but right now, I'd probably end up injuring myself because I am so out of shape. 


Have any of you been lucky enough to go to the Hard Candy gym in Mexico or Russia? Would you if they built one near you?

Trying to decide.

Hello everyone!


Yesterday I ended up having a pretty active day.  Two dog walks, a walk to the bank, and a dirty bathroom that needed scrubbing. 


No TA- Why? Because I am trying to decide if I want to do the book workout before going to meta.  It seems like the logical thing to do because:


1. It gives me a chance to strengthen up cardio-wise
2. I do have a lot of time this summer during the day- decided to not take summer school this time.
3. I have heard from others that it helped them a lot before starting Meta to lose some weight and get stronger with the MS work as well.


Whichever path I go, today I won't be able to do it because I do have a busy day, but tomorrow should be better. 


Well, I will think it over today and make a decision. 




Have a great day!

Happy Mother's Day!

Hello Everyone!




I would like to wish a happy Mother's day to all my readers!  


Last year, Tracy put up a blog post about Mother's day and tips for busy moms to stick to the method better.


The blog post can be found here: http://tracyandersonmethod.com/2011/05/happy-mothers-day/


Sometimes I do like to go back and look at old blog posts by Tracy.  Some of them are kinda interesting. 


Have a happy, healthy, safe Mother's Day!!!