There's No Such Thing as Comfort Food

The other day I saw a commercial showing two kids dressed in soccer wear sitting on the staircase at one of the kids’ houses. Their hair is matted down with sweat and they’re talking about the game they’ve obviously just finished. One says to the other, “Winning is my favorite thing.” The other says in a monotone voice, “We lost today.” Enter Mom, presenting a cutting board holding a thick, doughy pizza sliced into sixths. The boys each take a slice and the first kid says, “No, we didn’t.” They grin at each other and chomp into their slices as the music comes fades in.

What a message this is sending! To kids, to parents, to everyone! Here’s a kid whose favorite thing in the world is winning but he’s just lost. Most people would be pretty unhappy about that, right? But, miraculously, a piece of pizza makes it all go away.

And that’s the message. That food can make a bad situation better. That food can make an issue disappear. That food takes away the pain. And that food is even better than your “favorite thing.” We get those messages early and often while we’re growing up. And it doesn’t stop when we’re adults.

Cut to any chick flick – when the inevitable breakup occurs, what does the heroine do? Crack a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. Our girl next door has taken those lessons she learned as a child an applied them to her adult life – turning to food as a source of solace.

But don't messages like these encourage a behavior pattern that sets us up for food addiction? If we turn to food to deal with unfavorable circumstances what really happens? We fill up with sugary, starchy or fat-laden foods that numb and dumb us down. And we avoid whatever issue it is that has gotten us to this point in the first place. But long after we’ve filled our guts the emptiness remains, the issue is still unresolved and it will stay that way until we face it head on.

Let’s take our scenarios down the rabbit (or donut) hole. Soccer Kid eats pizza after losing; he feels full and doesn’t go back outside to practice (like many kids do while still in uniform right after a game). His technique doesn’t improve so he loses the next game. He eats more pizza. And on it goes until he can’t get off the bench. So he resigns himself to playing video games in his bedroom. While eating pizza.

And how about Break-up Girl? Her spoon hits the bottom of the ice cream container and she's still rarin’ to go. A few pints later and she’s high, depressed and still hungry (because that’s the insidious nature of sugar). She continues to comfort herself with fattening food until the zippers on her clothes no longer glide up or down. Soon, calls from potential suitors grind to a halt. And she holes up in her apartment, turning the pages of Cosmo with Cheetos-stained fingers.

I’m no Tiger Mother but I do know that Soccer Kid isn’t going to win unless he spends more time concentrating on soccer. And rather than wolfing down a pizza, he’d be better served by spending some time analyzing and practicing the game. That way he could have a better chance of getting his “favorite thing” next time. And Break-up Girl should put down the spoon, pick up a self-help book and learn why she makes bad choices in men or has no self-esteem. That way she might have a happy ending in her next romance.

Here’s the deal – life sucks at times. There’s no getting around it. But if you face whatever sucks at the moment, you can deal with it, change it, and move on. Food is NEVER the answer. You are.

Engage the Cage - Abs 101

I hate doing abs. Laying down and exercising don’t really mix in my opinion (and if you think sex is a workout, thank you, Sting, for reading my blog). Ab work is the only case where exertion and repose meet in the middle - literally.

But for as much as I hate doing abs, I love the results. I'm stronger, my posture is better, my clothes fit better, and I feel fierce. So I’m committing to hitting the floor 3 times a week. Depending on the workout, I’ll do anywhere from 180 to 350 reps each session.

I don’t think there’s one ab workout that’s better than others – the key is making a plan and committing to it. This article, The Truth About Toning Your Abs has some great advice to keep in mind while concentrating on your midsection. And here's a great page from Muscles For Women that has a solid ab workout plan if you don't have one of your own. 

The good news is an ab workout takes a maximum of 15 minutes – mine are usually a little shorter than that.  If I don’t have time to do a full weight or cardio workout in the morning, I’ll bang out my abs right away in the morning. If I can get my abs done I’ll be more motivated to do the rest of my workout later in the day.

This week I’ve only done abs 2 times so far but I can already feel them beginning to firm up. That’s the beauty of the belly – it’s so responsive to everything we do! And guess what? After today I’m done for the week!

Just remember - the only way to show that six-pack is strip away the fat, so be sure to keep burning calories with cardio and weight-bearing work.

Hey! No one said this was going to be easy. But the results will be worth it!

Weight, weight!

This week I'm kicking my fitness program into high gear and getting serious about building muscle. I think I'm like most women when it comes to working out - I'm always so concerned with burning calories that if I'm pressed for time I'll do cardio instead of weights. But it's muscle mass that will keep me young and strong and help my body defy gravity. It's muscle that will amp up my metabolism. And as I get older, it's muscle that will protect my joints from injuries.

So this time around I'm focusing on building muscle. Not a lot; just enough to give me some nice definition in my arms, legs, back, butt and abs. I'll be lifting weights on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays along with my interval cardio training six days a week.

Yesterday I did a circuit weight training routine from Jackie Warner's book, This is Why You're Fat, an amazing read and definitely worth a look. The routine took about half an hour. I also did 25 minutes of interval training on the treadmill (2 minutes walking at a good pace at a 15.0 incline; 2 minutes running fast at a 1.0 incline; and 1 minute walking briskly to recover at a 3.5 incline. Repeat the entire series 4 times to make a 20 minute workout).

Today I'm going to do a short cardio interval workout (20-25 minutes) and give my body a good stretch with the P90X* Yoga workout. It's about 90 minutes of vinyasas, held poses, and stretches. It's not like a typical Yoga class with spiritual undertones (which I adore) but even so, it's a lovely gift to give to tight muscles.

Today's a busy day so I'll have to squeeze Yoga in during lunch and crank out my cardio before dinner. Better get going!

* - P90X is the workout program I followed last year to get ready for my 50th birthday. It is the most challenging yet gratifying workout program I've ever done. I love it and I'll return to it 100% in half a year or so. But no matter what your workout, eventually it gets predictable and your body gets bored. So right now I'm mixing certain aspects of P90X with the Jackie Warner program to keep things interesting. I wouldn't recommend that for everyone - if you're just starting a workout program, choose one or the other and stick with it.

My Fitness Goal - Shape Up to Ship Out

May 9th, 2010 - My 50th Birthday

On April 2nd I’ll be heading to Tahiti and Bora Bora for a 7-day cruise. This morning I figured out that that’s 66 days from today! As I look out at our gray-and-white Minnesota winterscape it’s hard to imagine the Technicolor paradise that awaits me on the other side of the world. And it’s hard to imagine myself impersonating the poolside-posing Bain de Soleil chick when I’m sitting here in two pairs of socks, baggy jeans, a turtleneck and an oversized shawl to keep me warm. But it’s going to be a reality sooner than later. And I’ve got some work to do. There’s no way I’m sportin’ moo-moos when I’m in French Polynesia – this is a bikini trip if ever there was one! So I’m setting some goals for myself today:

1.) Lose 5 pounds.
2.) Get more defined abs.
3.) Develop more muscle tone.
4.) Rock that cute bikini I bought last summer.

Okay, now that I’ve got the goals set, I need an action plan to reach them.

1.) Set a daily calorie limit, record the foods I eat every day, and cut out booze (except on Fridays).
2.) Do at least 20 minutes of interval cardio training six days a week.
3.) Do weight training and ab work every other day (3 days a week).
4.) Weigh myself at least once a week (every Tuesday morning).
5.) Model the bikini at least once a week, being sure to check the rear view (every Tuesday morning sounds like a good plan).

Setting goals and monitoring your progress is the best way to hit your mark. And the more specific your goal, the better. Instead of saying you want to lose a few pounds, give your goal a number. Say, “I want to lose 10 pounds in 10 weeks.” That way you have something you can measure and a way to monitor your progress. If things aren’t going the way you want, you can rework your action plan to ensure success. When you set specific goals, you to take responsibility for your results. And when you take responsibility, you take control.

Last year I decided to whip myself into shape before my 50th birthday. I promised myself that no matter whether I succeeded or failed, I'd put on a string bikini and wear it in public. Talk about motivation! I worked out six days a week and watched what I ate. And on the day I turned 50, I donned the bikini and wore it poolside at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.

There's no reason I can't do it again this year. So this morning I hit the Livestrong website to figure out my caloric needs to lose a pound a week. Then I figured out my eating plan. And then I set my alarm clock early enough so I’ll be able to get my workout done before I head to work. I’ve got about 8 weeks to pull it together and with an action plan like this, I know my goal of rockin’ a bikini in April is attainable.

April’s just around the corner. And summer’s not far behind. Now’s the perfect time to set your diet and fitness goals, kick them into gear, and get ready to show off some skin!