The Right Dose Of Exercise

I saw this article this morning in the NY Times regarding the correct amount of exercise necessary for a healthier life.  It's pretty interesting.  It seems that working out for one hour every day, some of it high intensity exercise, is the best for over all health and longevity.  So, I'm doing something right!

The Right Dose Of Exercise For A Longer Life

What are your thoughts on how much and what kind of exercise is best for a healthy life?

Six Weeks With Suzi (Take Two) - Day 1

Today, I am starting the Six Week Challenge once again.  Last month I lost 10 pounds and made a good start of firming and toning my body in six weeks.  I would really like to take off another 10 pounds and do more body sculpting.  My challenge this time is to find my abs!  I definitely noticed my core getting stronger and my mid-section getting firmer last time around.  But, my "six pack" is still hiding under a layer of belly fat.  I know it's under there and I WILL begin to uncover it over the next six weeks!

I probably won't bore you with daily updates of my meal plans this time.  For the most part, I'm going to follow the meal plans from the first challenge.  The ideas are the same from day to day: high protein, high fiber, low carbs/good carbs, and "healthy fats" in pretty much every meal.  Add in lots of colorful fresh veggies, drink lots of water, exercise every single day, and there you go... before you know it, you're living a healthy lifestyle!  

What I will do is check in weekly to let you know how I'm doing, if and how much I'm losing, and share any insights I pick up along the way.  I'll share recipe and workout ideas and try to provide motivation to keep us all going.  If you feel so inclined, I would love to hear about your progress, tips and motivational devices that help you stay on track.  I am also going to remember and take measurements today so I'll have more of a comparison basis other than just numbers on a scale.

Some days, I will go ahead and share my meal and exercise plan for the day for no other reason than to "keep me honest."  I found that there were days during the last challenge when I would have cheated if I hadn't been posting daily; but once I posted the plan for the day, I felt locked in and would stick with it anyway.  

So, here we go again!... 

Six Weeks With Suzi (Take Two) - DAY 1

Breakfast
Fat Free Greek Yogurt

Mid-Morning Snack
1 Boiled Egg

Lunch
Salad: Romaine, Spinach, Red Bell Pepper, Tomato, Celery
6 oz Tuna

Dinner
4 oz Roast Chicken
Carrots and Onions, cooked

Exercise
Walk 4 Miles with 5 lb Weights


Are you ready for another Six Weeks With Suzi?

Watermelon Spinach Smoothie

I have always loved watermelons.  They taste like summer.  When I was a child, my grandparents always had several large gardens and Granddaddy would say he planted an extra row of watermelons just for me.  Some summers we would have so many watermelons that they were literally served with breakfast, lunch and dinner every day.  I never complained!  And it turns out that these sweet delicious gifts from the earth are good for you!

Watermelon Nutrition and Health Benefits

While watermelons are low in most vitamins and minerals, they are a good source of vitamin C and beta-carotene (which your body synthesizes into vitamin A). Watermelons with red flesh have more lycopene than tomatoes, which is a nutrient believed to protect against prostate cancer.  Since watermelons are primarily water, they also provide necessary hydration.

Watermelons do contain two interesting nutrients which are found especially abundant in the edible rind: citrulline and arginine. Citrulline has been shown to boost heart health, the immune system and help with weight loss and type 2 diabetes. Arginine boosts nitric oxide in the body which helps relax blood vessels and can treat and prevent erectile dysfunction. Some say watermelon is nature’s answer to Viagra! Arginine also removes toxins from the body.

Today's smoothie combines watermelon with other super foods like mango, pineapple and spinach, all rich in fiber and other vitamins and nutrients also known to improve eye sight, lower blood pressure and help prevent cancer.  So, enjoy the health benefits along with the delicious tastes of summer in this watermelon green smoothie.

Watermelon Spinach Smoothie

8 oz Fat Free Greek Yogurt, Vanilla Flavor

1 c Watermelon, chunks

½ c Mango, chunks frozen

½ c Pineapple, chunks frozen

1 c Spinach, frozen

½ c Cashew Milk, unsweetened

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

(20 g Protein, 1 g Fat, 4 g Fiber)

Six Weeks With Suzi - Results

Congratulations on completing Six Weeks With Suzi!

It's the Final Weigh In Day! ... And the results are in ... Drum roll please ...

-2 lbs

Total Six Week Challenge Weight Loss =

-10 lbs

I am not at all unhappy with these results.  While my initial challenge set 15 pounds as the goal, I'm not going to argue over losing 10 pounds.  My ultimate goal was to get healthy and take control of my body, and I have achieved that goal!  And, I know that I could have lost more pounds if I had gone for a more calorie restrictive diet, also known as starvation diet.  But, I chose to do this the smart and healthy way, with no starving involved.  The problem with starvation diets is that they end...and leave you starving.  As a result, you are more likely to fall back into old habits as soon as the diet ends; gorging on everything you were denied during the diet.  Instead, I've tried to approach this as a "meal plan" instead of a diet.  The items and portions that I have been eating for the last 6 weeks will probably not change even though the challenge is over.  I don't feel drawn to cheat or "pig out" today.  In fact, I woke up planning my food and exercise for the day just like I've done for the past 42 days.  There will definitely be a celebratory cocktail or 2 (or 3...) in my life this weekend, but otherwise I will continue with healthy eating and exercising every day.  I feel confident that these 10 pounds will stay off!

I wish I had taken measurements when I started this challenge, but unfortunately I didn't.

However, there are before and after pictures.  They aren't as drastic as I might have hoped, but I think you can tell the difference.  

                      BEFORE                                                                AFTER

             

            

            

           

I would still like to go for about another 10 pounds next month.  But, for now, I will just keep doing what I've been doing.  Stay tuned for more challenges.

I will also be posting a summary of my exercises as well as recipes from this Six Week Challenge.

Great job and thanks for joining me on this journey!  

How did you do?

Six Weeks With Suzi - Day 42

Congratulations on making it to Day 42!  It's the last official day of this Six Week Challenge!
Let's make this last day really count...

DAY 42

Breakfast

½ c Kashi Go Lean Crunch, ½ c Skim Milk

Lunch

1 Boiled Egg, 1 Boiled Egg White

1 T Fat Free Greek Yogurt, Plain

Onion

2 Slices Whole Wheat Bread

Dinner

4 oz Roast Chicken

1 Carrot, Roasted Whole

Salad: Red Leaf Lettuce, Tomato, Mushrooms, Red Bell Pepper

Snack

1 c Sugar-Free Cashew Milk

Exercise

Warm Up:  10 Minutes JC Leg Cranks

Abs:  30 Minutes Ab-Work

Arms & Legs:  45 Minutes Lifting w/10 lb Dumbbell Weights

Cardio Finish:  5 Minutes JC Leg Cranks

Yes, I'm upping the workout from one hour to 90 minutes today. Let's make the most of this 42nd day!  Feel how strong your body has become as you push it just a little farther today.  

Let's talk about exercising and staying fit over 40.  I can tell you right now that it is NOT for the squeamish.  When I was in my 20's, even 30's, working out hard would result in sore muscles, but the pain went away quickly leaving only results.  At age 48, these old muscles and bones just don't behave the same way anymore.  They continue to hurt long after the workout ends, constantly reminding me that I'm an old woman and trying to convince me that I'm too old for this shit.  But, every day I laugh at this old body's complaints and make it work hard whether it wants to or not; and I try to ignore:

1) the pinch in my knees

2) the ache in my lower back

3) the shoulder that hurts every time I reach behind me

4) the stiff hips

5) that annoying decades old groin pull always threatening to act up

...and I could probably go on and on with my list of aches and pains.

But, this aging body has taken good care of me so far, and since it's the only one I'm going to get as far as I know, isn't it only fair to take good care of it and keep it strong and healthy?  Even when it complains, I know what is best for it!  So, suck it up, ignore those aches and pains (unless they get too bad - be careful of "working through the pain" - if it feels "wrong" STOP.)

So, get out there and make this a great day!

What are your thoughts on exercising as you get older?

Belly Blaster Smoothie

As I near the end of my Six Week Challenge, I find that I have really been missing my smoothies.

While I do believe that a diet including nutrient rich smoothies is healthy and can be conducive to weight loss, I have been largely avoiding sugar during this challenge.  However, even with the natural sugar from the fruit and the yogurt, the balance of vitamins, nutrients, protein and fiber make this particular smoothie a good weight loss tool.  Antioxidant rich raspberries and pineapple both aid in digestion and help prevent bloating, spinach and whole oats add fiber, yogurt and whey powder pack a protein punch, the cashew milk and banana give a great sweet flavor, and all together it will keep you full and satisfied for hours.

Belly Blaster

4 oz Fat Free Greek Yogurt, Vanilla

½ c Unsweetened Cashew Milk

1 c Raspberries, frozen

½ c Pineapple, frozen

½ Banana, frozen

1 c Spinach, frozen

2 T Flax Seed, ground fine

½ c Whole Oats, ground fine

2 T Whey Protein Powder, Vanilla flavor

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

(60 g Protein, 10 g Fat, 22 g Fiber)

Six Weeks With Suzi - Day 41

We are in the home stretch!  Just a couple more days of this program.  I don't know about you, but I feel great!  Maybe the weight loss hasn't been quite as dramatic as I might have hoped, but my body is definitely healthier and stronger than it was 40 days ago.  I have so much more energy!  And, this may be TMI - but if you have been following me on this journey, you have probably noticed a lot of other changes within your own body - I have not eaten one single antacid tablet in 40 days.  Prior to starting this program, I was eating TUMS at least every few days.  By taking control of my eating habits, my digestion has become much less problematic.  My food makes me feel whole and energized, not sluggish and heavy.  

Today, I'm in the mood for a smoothie.  The Belly Blaster is full of good fruits and veggies, as well as plenty of protein and fiber to keep me full for hours.  I'm actually going to split it up and make it a replacement for both breakfast and lunch.  However, I've been noticing a bit of an energy lull in the afternoon, especially on days where I don't have a big lunch, so I'm adding in a small mid-afternoon protein snack.

DAY 41

Breakfast

½ Belly Blaster Smoothie *

Lunch

½ Belly Blaster Smoothie *

Snack

1 Boiled Egg

1 Slice Whole Wheat Bread

Dinner

4 oz Roast Chicken

2 Carrots, Roasted Whole

Spinach and Pine Nuts, sautéed in Olive Oil

                        

Snack

½ Grapefruit

(* Recipe to follow)


Exercise
Walk 4 Miles w/5 lb Weights



How do you feel now that we're in the "home stretch?"

Six Weeks With Suzi - Day 40

Happy Cinco de Mayo! ... AKA: "Happy Day We Celebrate Mexican Food & Margaritas!"

Today is one of my favorite holidays, but I will refrain from the celebration.  Unfortunately, Mexican food and margaritas are NOT on my program.  I strongly contemplated cheating today.  Strongly contemplated.  But, no cheating today.  I am only days away from the end of this Six Week Challenge and really want to make this last week count.  There will be margaritas next year... hell, there might be margaritas next week, but not today!  When I roll up that chicken wrap for lunch today, I'll sprinkle on some hot sauce and pretend it's a burrito!  

Let's make the most of these last few days and shoot for happy and positive results on Friday.

DAY 40

Breakfast

Fat Free Greek Yogurt

Lunch

3 oz Chicken Breast, Grilled

Romaine Lettuce, Spinach, Cabbage, Onion

1 T Fat Free Greek Yogurt, Plain

1 Whole Wheat Tortilla Wrap

Dinner

10-12 Med. Shrimp, sautéed in Olive Oil

Red Bell Pepper

Greens: Romaine Lettuce, Red Leaf Lettuce, Spinach, Celery Leaves

¼ c Quinoa

Snack

1 Grapefruit

Exercise
Abs: 30 Minutes Ab Videos (3)
Arms: 30 Minutes Lifting w/10 lb Dumbbell Weights

As I near the end of this 6 Week Challenge, I am also getting ready for my annual girl's vacation, DIVA Fest, next week.  Since I will be mostly living in a swimsuit all next week, this week I will be concentrating on working my ABS.  Yes, I will be the first to remind you that you cannot "spot reduce" by exercising one area more than another; and, I'll be the first to remind you that great abs start in the kitchen, not the gym.  It is possible to have strong and toned abdominal muscles that are buried deep under a layer of fat. But, as that fat starts to melt off, voilà, there they are!  So, as I work toward those last few pounds this week, I will also be working extra hard on those elusive abs; hoping that by next week just a little more of that fat layer will be missing and I won't have to work quite so hard sucking in my stomach while I lay next to my super-model niece at the pool!

So, today, let's work those ABS!

What is your favorite Abs workout?

Six Weeks With Suzi - Day 39

DAY 39

Breakfast

½ c Oatmeal, ½ c sugar-free Cashew Milk, 2 T Whey Protein Powder Vanilla Flavored

Lunch

3 oz Chicken Breast, Grilled

Romaine Lettuce, Spinach, Cabbage, Onion

1 T Fat Free Greek Yogurt, Plain

1 Whole Wheat Tortilla Wrap

Dinner

4 oz Lean Pork, Grilled

Green Beans

Yellow Squash, Yellow Bell Pepper & Onion sautéed in Olive Oil

Snack

Fat Free Greek Yogurt

¼ c Grape-Nuts Cereal

Exercise

Walk 4 Miles with 5 lb Weights

Six Weeks With Suzi - Day 38

I did good last night.  I was able to enjoy the party and have a great time, while having only two alcoholic drinks (vodka & club soda) and even eating healthy!  The meal was Low Country Boil, so I loaded up on protein with yummy shrimp and sausages, had some corn-on-the-cob and avoided the potatoes.  And then, even when I got home at midnight, tired and hungry, instead of reaching for the Pringles in the cabinet (like I REALLY wanted to!) I munched on some carving board ham.  Overall, I'm tickled that I was able to stick to my plan and not feel like I was being deprived of a good time.

DAY 38

Breakfast

1 Egg, 1 Egg White, Scrambled with PAM

Lunch

Salad: Romaine, Spinach, Cabbage, Celery, Yellow Bell Pepper, Onion

Dinner

4 oz Chicken Breast, Grilled

Broccoli & Cauliflower, sautéed in Olive Oil

½ c Whole Wheat Pasta

Snack

Fat Free Greek Yogurt

Exercise

It's time for Sunday with Jillian!
Up the challenge - swap the 5 lb weights for 10 lb'ers

Enjoy your Sunday!

Six Weeks With Suzi - Day 37

Well, we are 5 weeks into the program!  Congratulations!
I'm a day late with this, but here we go...

It's Weigh In Day... And the results are in... Drum roll please...

-2 lbs

Ok, I am not going to complain.  At least there was some movement in the right direction!

One more week to go, so let's make it count.  Unfortunately, prior commitments leave me at the mercy of party food and drinks tonight.  However, after feeling so poorly waking up Friday morning following a night of splurging on drinks and rich food, I plan to be as good as possible without offending anyone (or denying myself a good time) tonight.  

DAY 37

Breakfast

Fat Free Greek Yogurt

1 Boiled Egg

Lunch

Salad: Romaine, Spinach, Cabbage, Celery, Yellow Bell Pepper, Onion

Dinner

Open – Party Food

Snack/Booze

Going to a party…plan on keeping it light with just a few drinks and LOTS of water

Exercise

Warm Up:  10 Minutes JC Leg Cranks

Abs:  15 Minutes Ab-Work

Arms & Legs:  30 Minutes Lifting with 10 lb Dumbbell Weights

Cardio Finish:  5 Minutes JC Let Cranks

Are you happy with your Weigh-In Day results this week?

Six Weeks With Suzi - Day 36

Today is supposed to be Weigh In Day, but I'm in a hotel with no scales.  So, darn, I'll have to put it off a day.  Stay tuned for the results tomorrow morning (hopefully accompanied by less tears this time!)

I left lunch and dinner open yesterday since I was eating out and not sure what would be available. For lunch, I had a Protein Bowl from Nature's Table in the mall.  It was really good, with brown rice, quinoa, chicken, kale and other veggies.  And, for dinner, I did have some wine, and the dinner was Italian.  It was fun to drink and not worry so much about what I was eating, but I have to confess that I felt really bad when I woke up this morning.  My body has definitely become accustomed to eating healthy, exercising, and no booze!  This morning it was asking me what the hell I did to it last night!

Back on track today...

DAY 36

Breakfast

4 oz Fat Free Lite & Lively Yogurt

Lunch

Wendy’s Single Hamburger, no cheese

Dinner

Salad: Romaine, Spinach, Cabbage, Yellow Bell Pepper, Carrots

Snack

1 Orange

Exercise

Walk 4 Miles with 5 lb Weights