TGIF

Just in time for the weekend, a co-worker sends me this article on counting the calories in your cocktails.

I know we've talked about this before, so this is just a few more details.

Thanks to everyone's comments I'm generally drinking red wine when and if I imbibe. (Hey, they say it helps your heart!) But it's also something I tend to drink slower, which also means less calories.

Update on the Mayors' Challenge

Here's an update that was sent on Monday (it's been that kind of week) from the folks with the Mayors' Challenge:

Benefits of Dairy
You probably know that dairy foods are good for you because of the calcium they offer, but did you know that dairy foods can help you keep weight off? Low fat dairy foods have been shown to keep you full longer which can reduce your daily caloric intake and help you slim down. Choose low fat milk, cheeses, and yogurt for optimal benefits.

Exercise Myths
There is a lot of information (and misinformation) about exercise in the news and on the Internet. How do you decide what to believe? According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, these are some common exercise myths that need to be debunked:

- Women shouldn’t strength train: many women believe that strength training (weight lifting) will make them too look like bodybuilders. The truth is, women don’t have nearly enough testosterone to create muscles that big. Strength training is an important exercise, and provides both women and men tremendous physical benefit by strengthening the body and reducing the risk of osteoporosis.

- Light weights on your arms or legs can boost your exercise benefit: According to exercise experts, carrying light weights during a walk or run will make your aerobic exercise less effective, and won’t give you any strength training benefit.

- Weight gain is inevitable as you age: Not true! As you age, your body naturally loses muscle mass, which causes weight gain. Regular exercise and strength training can offset this tendency and help you maintain your weight.


Mark Your Calendar
Don’t forget to invite your friends and family to finish off the Mayors’ Challenge with the Get Healthy Guilford walk from 1-3 p.m. April 14. Information here.


Mayors' Update
Our eight mayors are sticking with their program and have lost more than 40 pounds so far! Please share your success story here.

Goodie Days, revisited

I had to face two days at work last week that were full of peril: A St. Patrick's Goody Day and a cookout for a co-worker who was leaving.

Both had lots of yummy food and I didn't over indulge. (Although an editor did yell at me for eating four Wheat Thins. But I think he was kidding.)

Anyway, I found this in my e-mail from the N.C. Division of Public Health: practical guidelines for providing lower-fat and lower-calorie foods and drinks at meetings and events.

Not that Krispy Kremes at meetings are going to go the way of the dinosaur or anything, but it's worth looking at.

Personal trainers

Interesting story on personal trainers and how well they are trained.

I'm not sure what the requirements are in North Carolina.

I've been debating whether to get some help at my gym from someone more qualified than me just to make sure I'm doing everything I can to maximize my workouts. I'd probably only do one session, although I probably should have gotten some good advice at the very beginning.

I'm baaack ...

I'm going to post a couple of more interesting things in a second, but first I'll give you a little update on how I'm doing.

I've lost five pounds in about seven weeks. Not bad, I think. I don't know if I'll make it to the 10 pounds in 10 weeks. But I think I could swing another pound or two before April 15.

Especially since I've gotten a little advice on what I should be eating. I kept a food diary and an article will be in the N&R about that on April 2. (It was originally scheduled for this Monday, but it was pushed back a week.)

The biggest change in my life is that I'm continuing to work out. I think I'm actually starting to secretly enjoy it. And on mornings where I skip the gym (like today), I feel kind of slow all day.

So I'm really going to try and kick it up a notch and try and stay focused over the next three weeks. I'm going to be facing a lot of road blocks: my birthday, Easter candy, a trip to New York where I'll be faced with bagels, pizza and Mom's cooking.

It's going to be tough.

M.I.A.

I've been working a bit of a weird schedule lately, so I've been somewhat M.I.A. on the blogging.

Sorry about that. I'm going to post a few things today that I've been meaning to get to. So stay with me ...