David Cook's workout
2/5/2010 4:08:00 PM
David Cook rocks the stage and the gym. |
In this week's FGP column, I mentioned how useful Twitter can be as a training buddy.
One of my tweeps (ugh, I know — but it's easier than typing out "Twitter friends" every time) told me about
YakTrax to help with run training in snow and ice.
Lots Olympic and elite athletes tweet fun stuff, as do some of my favorite trainers. A few to follow:
@JoshCoxRun
@MyTrainerBob
@ApoloOhno
Because I also do "American Idol" coverage for Tulsa World, I follow David Cook and several other Idol faves.
Thanks to David's Twitter account, I now know who David's been training with these days:
"Hey folks. If you want to train with the same guy I do, you can online! go to www.exercisetv.tv and click Marco Reed under videos. Have fun!"
When David won "American Idol" in 2008, some meanie critics said he had a squishy beer belly. I'm guessing Marco's helping him with that, but I think the Cougars like him just the way he is.
I'm not an "American Idol" or Olympic athlete, but you're welcome to follow me on Twitter: @fitguineapig
Making oatmeal look good...
2/2/2010 1:10:08 PM
The Blue Dome Diner's Grandma's Oats are great. I'm ready to try Kath's recipes, though. |
I've been thinking a lot about oatmeal lately, for three reasons:
1) February is American Heart Month, and I need to eat more oatmeal to keep my cholesterol in check.
2) My pal J-Dub is always eating it, and blogging about it.
3) They're cheap.
For a while, I had a set oatmeal routine in the mornings. I would just try to duplicate the Blue Dome Diner's delicious Grandma's Oats (only a much smaller portion).
Then I got bored.
Then my friend Coco e-mailed me a link to a very fun blog, Kath Eats Real Food.
This girl makes oatmeal look good.
I'm dying to try her peanut butterscotch toffee crunch oatmeal, whipped banana oatmeal and blackberry graham cottage cheese oats (I'll skip the one with the spinach blended in, green oats makes me queasy).
Good fuel for long runs, or just long days at work.
Asthma stinks
1/28/2010 12:59:26 PM
You want Chris Bianco back in his kitchen, trust me. Courtesy |
I didn't know I had asthma until I was 28. That's what had always made running so hard for me.
I'm lucky, because I can run now with the help of an inhaler and bronchodilator. I can't run as fast as I would like to sometimes, but I can still do it.
The Arizona Republic is reporting that famed pizza chef Chris Bianco of Pizzeria Bianco is being sidelined from his own kitchen because of his asthma.
The smoke from the fire-fueled oven and exposure to wheat in the dough have been aggravating his asthma, apparently.
If you've ever been lucky enough to eat his pizza, you know exactly how much that stinks.
Lest you turn your nose up at Phoenix pizza, you should know that a few years ago, it was chosen as the best pizza in America in the book "Slice of Heaven."
It really is. I hope Chris finds a way to get back in the kitchen.
Asthma really stinks, especially when it keeps you from doing the things you've always wanted to do.
Say hello to my little friend...
1/27/2010 5:19:54 PM
The Fitbook: It knows when you've been bad. |
I am a dork who now takes my Fitbook everywhere with me.
Fitbook (for those of us who are too unhip for iPhone apps) is a great way to track workout goals, progress and keep a food journal for accountability.
I bought mine at Fleet Feet Sports for about $20 (you can also find them online here.
It fits in your purse (or manly messenger bag) and comes with its own little pen.
The idea behind this little type-A tool is that lots of research shows people who write down their goals are 75 percent more likely to achieve them.
I needed one because I am training for the Austin Half Marathon on Feb. 14, but also because I was testing out the Big Breakfast Diet and had to track what I ate (still eating that way about 60 percent of the time and loving it, btw).
Though I'm absent minded and sometimes have to go back and fill things in a day later, I think knowing that I have to write it down makes me more likely to stick to my workout schedule. And it pressures me to at least do a little something rather than blowing off an entire workout on busy days.
It makes you think about sweets and fatty food before eating it: "Do I really want to have to write that down?"
Or "Wow, I eat a lot of dairy."
Some days are healthier than others.
A model Wednesday:
Cardio: 2.5 mile walk (rest day from longer training runs)
Breakfast: Orange-vanilla smoothie made with nonfat Greek yogurt, black tea, turkey bacon, a scrambled egg and two slices of raisin toast.
Snack: Mini muffin and Earl Grey Tea
Lunch: Vegetable burrito with sweet potatoes, spinach and black beans
Dinner: Fettucine w/vegetable marinara sauce, chicken meatballs and a sprinkle of Romano cheese.
A less-than-ideal Thursday:
Cardio: Skipped my planned 6-mile run.
Breakfast: Honey oat bagel, light cream cheese, Gatorade G2, black tea.
Snack: Fruit and yogurt smoothie
Lunch: McDonald's cheeseburger, medium fries and Diet Coke.
Dinner: Sushi, tempura fried vegetables, pork with rice, beer.
A few weeks ago, I was recovering from food poisoning so all that day says is "Dry toast and water."
Oddly enough, the food poisoning was from bagged salad greens on a healthy eating day, not the McDonald's or sushi.
It's been an interesting experiment, this Fitbook. We'll see how long it lasts once I'm finished with my half marathon insanity.
Saucer of milk?
1/22/2010 1:24:04 PM
Quit being a bunch of mean girls, NYT. Christina Hendricks looks hot. |
Meow, New York Times.
In case you missed some of the Times' catty (and as it turns out, distorted) post-Golden Globes fashion coverage, they basically called Christina Hendricks of "Mad Men" fat (she's not, she's curvy and fabulous) and questioned if some of the ridiculously skinny actresses attending — Kate Hudson, Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox — had put on a few pounds.
Wow.
I get that fashion-industry types may get their designer feathers ruffled when someone like Hendricks gets so much attention for being va-va-voom gorgeous while still managing to look like she's eaten a meal in the past decade.
High-fashion types prefer their fashion icons to look hungry, emaciated. Think Kate Moss, who recently said her personal motto is "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels."
They want the masses to worship them for their superior ability to resist the evil temptations of food. Bad bacon, put that down.
Witness the Times' snotty anonymous stylist quote regarding Hendricks and her ruffled Christian Siriano dress: “You don’t put a big girl in a big dress. That’s rule number one.”
Real people (you know, us flyover folks) think Hendricks looks hot, especially when the Times isn't unfairly distorting her red carpet pics.
A mere editing oversight, I'm sure.
Just a thought, NYT fashion crew: Perhaps Kate, Jennifer and Courteney have taken notice of the beaucoup de positive attention Hendricks has received from fans and the press, and have decided they'd like a slice of whatever she's having, please.
Perhaps instead of Andy Port's comment that those notoriously skinny minnies have all "put on a little weight," the more accurate statement would have been they "look better and less emaciated."
Dare I say — happier?
After all, bacon tastes good. You can read all about it in Scene Writer Kim Brown's Sunday story.
No Om required...
1/20/2010 3:29:33 PM
Tomorrow's Fitness Guinea Pig is about Kimberly Fowler's "No Om Zone" Yoga workout DVD.
It's a cool workout, and I like her yoga-minus-the-new-age-junk approach that appeals to runners and everyone who needs to work on flexibility and strength — but have no patience for chanting or learning a vocabulary of Sanskrit.
One thing that cracked me up while doing the workout — Fowler's ultra-chill monotone. This gal is mellow, almost sedate. It's a refreshing change of pace from overly chipper aerobics instructors, but I think it's sort of unintentionally amusing.
Check it out here:
Don't let that stop you from trying it though, it's a great yoga workout.
Fun at Carbon...
1/18/2010 1:20:17 PM
Carbon offers classes that combine spinning and Pilates, for cardio and toning. |
A few months ago, I posted a photo tour of the new Carbon Pilates studio on here for you guys.
If you're looking for a gym/fitness program, Carbon is offering some fun events as part of its "Come Back to Carbon" week.
Events include:
Tuesday, 6 p.m.: Little Black Dress Trunk Show
Wednesday: Stop by and enter to win 4 private training sessions.
Thursday: Become a fan of Carbon on Facebook and you'll be entered to win $100.
Friday, 5:45 p.m.: Happy hour kickoff with appetizers & wine.
Saturday, 8 a.m.: Free breakfast.
Sunday: Open for private & semi-private training by appointment.
Carbon is located at 3325 E. 31st St.
Read the FGP column I wrote about their spin/Pilates combo class.
Three things...
1/14/2010 3:47:00 PM
FGP would rather be watching Jersey Shore than running. Courtesy |
that I would rather do than go running this evening:
1. Get chicken lettuce wraps for takeout from Pei Wei, sit at home and watch trashy TV (there's so much of it).
2. Clean out my closet and take some bags of clothes to Goodwill.
3. Read internet gossip about the Conan vs. NBC/Leno showdown and "American Idol."
But I'm going running. And then maybe I can do some of that stuff.
The breakfast dictator...
1/7/2010 4:34:05 PM
I've ranted about the importance of eating breakfast before, so it's only fitting that the one New Year's diet I wanted to try was "The Big Breakfast Diet."
It's a
book written by endocrinologist Daniela Jakubowicz (you can read more about it next week in Scene) that spells out why so many people are overweight and addicted to snacking on carbs/empty calories in the afternoon or evening: They're insulin resistant.
Basically it's a vicious cycle: The way many of us eat (skipping breakfast, heavy dinner followed by decadent dessert) makes us insulin resistant and causes us to store excess glucose in our body as fat. It also causes a constant hunger for carbodhydrates, because our bodies can't properly convert food to energy — the body thinks it's starving and demands more food, which leads to weight gain.
Sound familiar? It's something I've wondered — why do we crave sweets after a big, filling meal? Why is there such a higher rate of obesity for those who skip breakfast?
I do not skip breakfast, and I don't fluctuate in weight that much (though I'm glad to be training for a half marathon after too much decadent holiday food).
But I was curious if following the diet might help me shed some fat in stubborn areas while losing a couple pounds. Too soon to tell (it's only been a few days), but I promise to report back later.
Full disclosure: I am following the plan a little looser than Jakubowicz would like you to, but I'm not overweight — I'm a runner and need a few more carbs than the plan allows throughout the day. Good carbs, like quinoa and whole grains, not cookies and chips.
There's no calorie counting required, just tightly controlled portions and rules about what food groups you can eat at certain times of the day.
The breakfasts are awesome and huge. Sample breakfast:
Pancakes and ricotta cheese drizzled with real berry syrup, a few pieces of Canadian bacon, a lowfat smoothie (sweetened only with real fruit or Splenda) and a few pieces of dark chocolate.
Lunches and dinner are a little less exciting: Chef salads, flank steak and asparagus, cottage cheese and fruit. Lots of vegetables and fruit, a little protein and dairy.
Other than the fruits and vegetables, you eat very few carbs for the rest of the day. You're supposed to get those out of the way at breakfast and move on.
You eat a sweet at breakfast so you won't crave it later (sounds ridiculous, but the few times I've tried it, it does seem to work).
I'm on day 5, and it seems to be going OK. Breakfast is so good that I don't mind the less-exciting, smaller lunches and dinners. It seems like I have more energy throughout the day.
If you've been following Jason Ashley Wright's new year's resolution progress on his blog, you'll know he made a rookie error the first few days: He skipped breakfast.
He's fixed that now, but he'll have to add more protein in the morning to make Dr. Jakubowicz happy.
I threatened him via Twitter today (follow us: fitguineapig and JAWrightTulsa):
Glad you finally ate breakfast. If not, today's FGblog was going to be: Dearest Jason, Eat some damn breakfast. Love, FGP
New downtown YMCA
1/5/2010 3:27:15 PM
You can run on the treadmills at lunch time and silently judge all the people ducking into Impressions for peanut butter pie and prime rib sandwiches. |
Yoga, anyone? |
Drop in at lunch and ask about membership |
The waiting area, where you will not burn so many calories. |
FGP dragged herself out of bed on New Year's Day and ran on these treadmills. That's dedication. |
You can read more about it in this week's Fitness Guinea Pig column, but the new YMCA is so nice.
If you're looking for a gym membership to fulfill your New Year's fitness resolution, I would definitely go check it out.
Your 30-second tour, if you please. I did not photograph the locker rooms, because I didn't want to get kicked out or accused of being a perv.
The Taco Bell diet?
12/30/2009 12:17:09 PM
Taco Bell wants you to lose weight. Really. |
Move over, Jared of Subway diet fame.
We now have Christine, a woman featured in new Taco Bell ads that claim she lost 54 pounds in a year by choosing items from the fast food chain's low-fat Fresco menu.
They're calling it the
Drive-Thru Diet, big surprise.
Really? Diet food from a place that frequently advertises new menu items like bacon-and-ranch-topped tacos and burritos wrapped in a second layer of tortillas and cheese?
Taco Bell's Fresco menu features seven items that aren't as bad for you because they are topped with a "fiesta" salsa instead of sour cream and cheese. Because you couldn't figure that one out on your own?
You can hear the
health experts snickering about this one.
Basically, you can get similar calorie savings by ordering most of the regular tacos and burritos, minus sour cream and cheese.
Hence the fine print, from Taco Bell's Web site:
"Drive-Thru-Diet® is not a weight-loss program. For a healthier lifestyle, pay attention to total calorie and fat intake and regular exercise. Taco Bell's Fresco Menu can help with calorie reductions of 20 to 100 per item compared to corresponding products on our regular menu. Not a low calorie food."
So if it's not a weight loss program, why call it the Drive-Thru Diet?
I know plenty of people hit the drive-thru when life gets hectic, so it's great that fast food chains are trying to offer healthier options.
Just know that fast food — Fresco menu or otherwise — is still higher in sodium and lower in nutrition than what you should be eating if you really want to lose weight.
Check out the nutrition info if you're really thinking about the "Christine" diet.
Merry Christmas to my crazy self
12/23/2009 12:17:13 PM
At some point in the mad dash to Christmas, I lost my mind and signed up for a half marathon.
Not a half marathon sometime later in 2010, mind you. The Austin Half Marathon on Feb. 14 — Valentine's day.
As in, eight weeks away.
My childhood best friend just moved back to Houston, and she wanted us to do a race together in 2010. The Houston Marathon and Half Marathon sold out too fast, so why not Austin?
I can't think of a more delicious post-race treat than Texas hill country barbecue. The weather should be nice. All my encouraging buddies at Beer for Chicks (many of whom happen to be distance runners) told me to go for it.
True, I did complete the 9.3-mile Tulsa Run on Oct. 31, so a 13.1-mile half marathon isn't too lofty a goal.
Had I started training right after Tulsa Run.
I have been running since my gig as a celebrity runner for the 2009 race, but I have not been keeping up the intense training schedule that it took to get me there.
More like 3 miles here, 6 miles there. Lifting weights at the gym on occasion. Some other Fitness Guinea Pig workouts.
So my beloved Tulsa Run trainer, Gini McFarland, exercise physiologist for Hillcrest Exercise and Lifestyle Program, made me a training schedule to get ready for Austin.
On the day she sent it to me, I had started coming down with a miserable head cold. I looked at my training schedule and wanted to cry.
My temporary insanity means it's back to 4 to 5 days a week of workouts. Three runs, one cross-training workout and 1-2 weightlifting workouts every week.
Next week's runs are 3.5, 4 and 6 miles. By week 3-4, I'm up to 8- and 9-mile runs again.
It's not just the exercise that's tough. It's watching what you eat (greasy food + running = bad news). Drinking tons of water. Icing down swollen knees and shin splints post-run. Kicking your own butt out of bed on freezing cold mornings to go running.
Merry Christmas to me. At least I don't have to worry about making any fitness resolutions for New Year's.
A breakfast must-try
12/14/2009 12:27:23 PM
Yum. That's all I have to say. |
Icelandic skyr is the new Greek yogurt.
I've mentioned plenty of times how much I love Greek yogurt. It's one of my go-to breakfasts, topped with a little fresh or dried fruit, some granola or Kashi Go-Lean Crunch.
This weekend, I spotted Siggi's Icelandic-style Skyr strained non-fat yogurt on the shelf at Whole Foods and decided to splurge on a little container (not cheap, it's like $2 and change per tiny carton).
It has no fat, 16 grams of protein and lots of calcium.
I had my carton of vanilla this morning with some fresh blackberries, toasted walnuts and a little honey. Yum.
It's everything those sad little containers of Yoplait aren't: Creamy, fresh and not cloyingly fake-sweet.
Most of the popular brands of cake and dessert-flavored yogurts on the market are loaded with high-fructose corn syrup and other stuff you don't want to be eating.
Siggi's uses natural flavorings and Agave nectar.
My goal is to stop paying $2 for little tubs of fancy yogurt and start making my own with the yogurt maker my brother bought me for my birthday last year.
But it's still in the box. Part of the problem is you need to use some yogurt with live, active cultures to start your batches.
And whenever I buy Fage Greek yogurt (and now Siggi's), I seem to eat it and forget to leave some for future yogurt making.
Also, I'm lazy. But I promise to experiment with making my own strained yogurt/skyr soon and post photos, k?
Way to go, Danny!
12/9/2009 4:24:08 PM
Danny Cahill of Broken Arrow is the "Biggest Loser." Courtesy NBC |
I only had time to watch the very end of "Biggest Loser" last night, but I was thrilled to see Broken Arrow resident Danny Cahill win it all.
Before he stepped on that scale, I knew he had it in the bag. Down from 430 pounds to a trim 191. Lookin' good, Danny!
He told our Scene assistant editor, Sarah Hart, that he hopes to become a motivational speaker now.
I think he may have already motivated more people than he realizes.
If Cahill can go from 430 pounds to running marathons, why not you?
Tomorrow in Scene , you'll read a story about Skiatook resident Scot Underwood that proves you don't have to be contestant on "Biggest Loser" to lose an impressive amount of weight. He's shed nearly 300 pounds.
Scot and Danny actually know one another from working out at Sky Fitness & Wellbeing.
Scot said Danny told him: "It's a good thing you didn't try out, you would have beat us all."
The secrets of their success...
12/8/2009 3:00:00 PM
This is a way better option than skipping breakfast. |
Tonight, we find out whether Danny Cahill of Broken Arrow wins NBC's "Biggest Loser."
In Thursday's Scene, you'll meet someone with an equally inspirational story — Scot Underwood of Skiatook.
Scot was once more than 570 pounds. He had to weigh himself at the feed store.
He's now a fit 285 at 6-feet-4-inches tall — and he's not done losing yet.
One of the things Scot told me was that he never used to eat breakfast. Now, he never skips it.
Studies have shown that skipping breakfast raises your risk of obesity by a whopping 450 percent, according to David Zinczenko, editor-in-chief of Men's Health magazine.
In general, breakfast eaters tend to weigh less than those who skip their morning meal.
Some scientists think eating a healthy breakfast helps reduce hunger later in the day and helps you make better food choices throughout the day.
Also, eating a bigger meal earlier in the day gives you more time to burn it off through activity — jump starting your metabolism.
Breakfast skippers may think they're saving calories by avoiding it, but they typically get hungrier by lunch and dinner and eat more at those meals than they would if they had simply eaten a balanced breakfast, studies have shown.
Note: These studies are talking about healthy breakfasts, not donuts or greasy fast-food hashbrowns and biscuit sandwiches. They're talking lean proteins, whole grains and a dose of healthy fat.
I never skip breakfast, mostly because I feel like gnawing my arm off if I don't eat something by 9 a.m.
Many days, it's something like this clever on-the-go yogurt with fruit and granola idea from Everyday Food.
Lately, with this icy weather, it's more like my homemade version of the Blue Dome Diner's delicious Grandma's Oats.
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