Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Supertasters, Unite!


Today on Rachael Ray (aka: the show I like to watch as I decompress from the gym) Rachael and some cute Doctor Guy were talking about supertasters.
In case you've never heard of it, supertasters are allegedly people who have more tastebuds thereby making htem more sensitive to, well . . .taste. Salt is saltier. Savory is savory-er. And heaven of heavens, sweets are sweeter. The caveat: it seems that what is especially effected is bitter flavors. Just what you always wanted. More bitterness in your life.
Strangly enough, there seems to be some evolutionary benefit to supertasters. Historically. Supertasters would have been more able to taste the bitterness of poisoness plants more easily. However, in todays society this seems to be of little importance and being a supertaster may actually be harmfull.
See, because of all the bitterness, supertasters tend to avoid good for you foods. Broccoli, kale, cabbage,spinach, brussles sprouts, olives, coffee, grapefruit juice, and green tea are ammong the foods most commonly avoided by supertasters. This leads to the reason why supertasters are five times more likely to be overweight and much more likely to develop diabetes or cancer.
This is not to say that just because you don't like one of these foods that you are a supertaster. Likewise, supertasters can also train themselves to like certain foods. I myself am a supertaster and I happen to love love love spinach. But it wasn't always that way. I also came to like broccolli later in my life and I am slowly learning to like kale. Probably mever going to like brussles sprouts, though.
So now I'm a fat supertaster, I not only have to train my body but I also have to train my tastebuds. Perfect.

Friday, January 21, 2011

What's Better Than a Potato Chip?

OK. Admittedly, not that much, but I have found something that gives good ol' chips a run for their money. Ever heard of Kale Chips? Yeah, me neither. Until a couple of months ago when they started to be EVERYWHERE. Seriously.
So when I was at the grocery store the other day I noticed that Kale was only 72 cents a pound. I have no idea whether or not this is a reasonable price for kale as I have never purchased it before. But I figured that for less than a couple of bucks I could give it a try. Boy, am I glad I did.
When roasted they taste remarkably like potato chips. Seriously! And if you don't believe me, just ask my kids. They each had a big ol' dish while watching Despicable Me then were bummed when they found out all the Kale Chips were gone.
"Mooooooooom! Why didn't you buy more kale? Jeesh!"



1 bunch kale
olive oil
kosher salt

Wash and remove stems from kale. Tear into bite-size pieces. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and place on cookie sheet. Sprinkle gently with kosher salt. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes. Allow to cool. Enjoy.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Hoop Fever . . . It's Catching!


I have been waxing enthusiastic about hula hooping for fitness for almost a year now. Admittedly I can sound like a bit of a crack dealer at times. "Come on just try it, you'll like it! You won't believe how amazing you'll feel!" But here's the thing. . . I'm not the only one.
From the amazing health and fitness blogger, MizFit Online (I just love her kick ass style of fitness!)

Hula Hooping For Fitness - guest post by certifies Hoop Instructor, Jo Mondy

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Fat Bottomed Girls

Not a whole lot to report on the weight loss (or lack thereof) this week. But talk about inspiration! This years Golden Globes Red Carpet was, quite simply, stunning. Thank Bob that dressing like a lady is back in style. So here's to the women who showed us that their womanly bodies are more than just overly decorated clothes hangers.


christina-hendricks-gg-2011.jpg
Continuing my girl-crush on Christina Hendricks. I wanna look like her when I grow up!


amber riley jenna ushkowitz golden globes 09
Glee's Amber Riley killed it! She shows that it's not so much about size as it is about proportion. Amazing!


kelly osbourne golden globes red carpet 2011 04
Kelly Osbourne looking lady-like with a rocker edge. Very cool!


KISS & FLY photo | Christina Aguilera
I'm not necessarily in love with the dress, but I do love that Miss Aguilera is embracing her curves.
What about you? What did you love/hate about the red carpet?

Friday, January 14, 2011

Yoga Bear

Yoga Girl Pictures, Images and Photos
I just got back from my first ever official yoga class. It was really really hard. Surprisingly hard. But kind of a good hard, you know? I don't know if yoga is technically for fatties, and considering as how I was definitely the biggest person in the room, I don't know if I'll ever be any good at it.
My yoga instructor is seriously cute. She has one of those perfect bodies that yoga pants are made for. And she does moves that I've only ever done on accident. Right foot red? What? When did this turn into a sadistic game of Twister? I hate her.
No, not really. She's actually a very sweet and nice person and it would be impossible not to like her. Well, except maybe when she says to hold that pose just a little bit longer.
But I'm doing it. Maybe I can't lift my leg as high as some of the other ladies or hold it steady for quite as long, but it's a start. And I like the way I feel afterwards. It is a surprisingly thorough workout. I was amazed at how much I actually sweated. I thought yoga was all about the stretching and the breathing and the whatnot. And it is, but it's also about flexibility and muscle control. My shoulders, hamstrings, and lower back are especially appreciative of this.
I guess I'll be practicing on my own this weekend. I don't want to be the doof who falls flat on her face during Downward Facing Dog. Besides, anything that will make my booty look like the instructor's I am all for.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Happy Hooping!

With  my post yesterday, it occurred to me that I may have left some in the dark with my vague description of working out with a weighted hula hoop. I didn't want to leave anybody with the horrible mental picture of myself flinging myself around inside my hoop like some rabid five year old on a pixie stick high. I mean, I don't even like pixie sticks.
I could upload a video of some of my favorite hula hoop moves. . .But come on! Did you really expect that to happen? Telling you that I hula hoop in the relative safety of my living room and showing you videographic evidence of such. I thought I would leave that to the pros.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Fat Tuesday

It seems that in the spirit of my Biggest Loser themed weight loss re-boot, I have chosen Tuesdays to be my weigh-in/evaluation day. After week 1 I have a lot to report.

Since I believe in sharing bad news first I will willingly disclose that I have not lost any weight. Nope. Not one ounce. Why am I not suicidal, you ask? Well, for one, I didn't gain anything either. And after the sugar fest that was my Holiday Season no gain is a good thing. I can live with no weight loss for now because even though the scale is not going down, I am moving forward.
I have added a few new tools to my repertoire. If you've read for any amount of time you know that I'm all about my Curve's workout. I love the circuit training and the aerobic/strength training intervals. Plus, as evidenced by the p

icture over there, I'm a freak for my hula hoop. 5 pound hula hoop to be exact. I've done all kinds of exercises over the years and nothing, NOTHING!, has strengthened my core like the weighted hula hoop.
But even with all those amazing workout options I was stuck in a bit of a rut. What to do, what to do? Watching the season premier of Biggest Loser last week gave me my first inspiration. Kettle Bells! I liked the fact that they come in all different weights; and while I've used a variety of free weights for a while now, I like that they offer a bit more of a challenge. My kettle bell from Danskin came with a DVD (which is OK) and a sheet with a set of 6 moves (which I love) It also helped that this months issue of Shape magazine featured Jillian Michaels herself's favorite kettle bell moves. I really really like the k

ettle bell for my arms. The triceps have never looked better.
Next I added in yoga. I had done a bit of informal yoga off and on for years but nothing major. I wasn't what you'd call "into it". Consider me converted. My gym has added a twice a week yoga class and so far I'm loving it! Turns out I'm not as flexable as I thought I was, but I can already tell a difference. My back and my hamstrings have already loosened up and my downward facing dog is starting to look more like a utilitarian hunting do and less like a lumbering mastiff. I'm shooting for greyhound, but that may take a while.
So now I had taken care of the mind and the body, but my eating still wasn't quite what it needed to be. And you all know how I feel about diets. . . I just needed something to get me back on track and help to remind me to make better choices. It has never really been what I eat so much as it has been how I ate it. I tend to go off track on sweets and portion control. I needed something that would let me include all my favorites (including sweets) as long as I kept track and stayed within reason. I had done Weig

ht Watchers before and had some success - in fact I have kept off every pound I lost the first time I did Weight Watchers - so I thought, why not? I signed up for 3 months of Weight Watchers Online. I just started on Sunday and so far I have found it really easy to keep track of what I'm eating and where I'm having a bit of trouble. Hopefully I will have an even better report for you next week.
They are calling for snow for the rest of the week though, so I make now promises. I still manage to get in a decent workout between my WiiFit, Wii boxing, kettle bell, and at-home yoga. But no school means no gym time for Momma. I think that I really do better with the structured schedule of a gym. What about you? Are you disciplined enough to get a full workout at home or do yo need the external structure of the gym? What is your favorite at-home workout when you're stuck at home?

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

The Bitch is Back

It certainly has been a long time. Have you missed me? Of course you have. Who wouldn't miss this wit and sparkling charm? Turns out the break from journal keeping (aka blogging about my weight loss - or lack thereof as the case may be) has left my waist line a little. . . shall we say unmotivated.
Then along comes New Years. That ubiquitous fresh start. The undeniably futile resolution making. I myself have resisted New Years Resolutions in the past just for the simple fact that I don't like the feeling of self disappointment that inevitably follows. But seeing as that has worked out so well for me in the past (NOT) I thought, "What the hell!"
Now, just to be clear we are not calling anything a "Resolution". That would imply that I have some sort of resolve which to me sounds like you've had to drag yourself to doing something. I'm thinking more like a New Year's Reboot.
Yes, when I first started this journey I lost almost 40 pounds relatively easily. Yay, me! But somewhere along the way I hit a plateau and never seemed to get off. I had previously made a goal to lose another 50 pounds. Half of which I have already lost (included in the aforementioned 40 pounds) Again, yay me! So that leaves 25 more to go.
And since I have already turned the Resolution on it's ear I thought, 'Why not make it an even 30?'
I am going to Reboot my eating and exercise plans to lose 30 pounds. I am using, like about a zillion other people, NBC's Biggest Loser as a motivation and time frame. Every season I am inspired by the people who lose massive amounts of weight with what amounts to no more than diet and exercise. Yes, they lose like 10 - 20 pounds a week. An unreasonable amount for us mere mortals. They have the benefit of living on a world class fitness ranch with unbelievable trainers, nutritionists, doctors, and maybe most importantly - no kid's chicken nuggets and mac-n-cheese.
My Reboot will include 4 days of Curve's gym workouts plus 5 days of at home cardio. I've gotten myself my very own kettlebell (8 pounds) and the new Gold's Gym Cardio boxing game for the Wii and I'm actually looking forward to my extra workouts for the first time in a long time.
As far as eating goes, that is also turning out to be surprisingly easier than I imagined. After this Holiday Season I am just about as sick as sweets as any human could be. I don't think I could even think about eating another piece of cake or pie or candy even with my seemingly unsatisfiable sweet tooth. Yes, I know that won't last and probably before they even roll out the Valentine's candy I'll be raiding the pantry looking for a rogue tootsie roll. I'm going to make sure I have healthy alternatives like fruit, angle food cake, and maybe even the occasional mini York Peppermint Patty. I will also be including more vegis, which unfortunately have been sadly lacking in my diet for the past few weeks.
I've worked in a few rewards along the way like new workout clothes, trips to Sephora and so on. And the biggie, If I can manage to lose 30 pounds by the end of this season of Biggest Loser I can treat myself to a new summer wardrobe. Hey, if I lose 30 pounds I'm gonna need new threads.
Now, if you'll excuse me I've got to go Wii for the next 30 minutes. At least. See you next Tuesday!