Recipes?

I really don't like to cook.

I much prefer other people cook for me.

I know. I'm a brat.

But this whole weight-loss thing has got me thinking about getting a little better about that.

So can anyone recommend some tried-and-true healthy recipes?

And the simpler the better, when it comes to both ingredients and time. (Just so you know who you're dealing with - Rachel Ray's 30-minute meals usually take me about an hour or more.)

Mel's got one here for veggie chili, although I may need a chemist to help me figure out how to halve the ingredients. :)

Walk it off

More details on the Get Healthy Guilford walk from the Guilford County Department of Public Health:

On April 14, Guilford County residents are being challenged to "step into health" with a walk at 1 p.m. at downtown Greensboro’s Festival Park next to the Cultural Arts Center on Davie Street.

Come out and walk as we celebrate the success of the Mayors’ Weight Loss Challenge. Walkers may pre-register on our Web site or register that day at Festival Park at 1 p.m. You may choose from eight walk routes, about one to two miles each, through the downtown Greensboro area.

Get Healthy Guilford Walk Schedule:
1-2 p.m. - Registration & Pre-Walk Activities
2 p.m. – Walkers Take Off

For questions or donations call 845-7720 or e-mail JWORKMA@co.guilford.nc.us.

The Get Healthy Guilford walk will also coincide with the Center City Park Kick-Off Celebrations taking place from 11:00 am until 4:00 pm.

Pork barrel politics

Hmmm ... wonder if this Florida rep stole the "weight-loss challenge" idea from Guilford County?

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Pork in government isn't a good thing. Neither are too many ham sandwiches and pork chops, says the chairman of the House's health care council.

Rep. Aaron Bean has challenged the chamber to see which member can lose the most weight by the end of the session. Weigh-ins will be held this week and during the final week of the session in early May.

The friendly competition is meant to promote healthier diets and lifestyles, and the House is challenging the Senate to lighten the load as well.

"We need to set an example for all Floridians," Bean said.

Is Atkins a winner?

First, Atkins was all the rage.

Then, everyone said it was bad for you.

So will Atkins now be "in" again?

CHICAGO (AP) -- The low-carb, high-fat Atkins diet gets high marks in one of the biggest, longest head-to-head studies of popular weight-loss plans, beating the Zone, the Ornish diet and even U.S. guidelines. Even so, critics say the results show how hard it is to lose weight and keep it off.

Full story here.

UPDATE: This is carb-related. N&R columnist Lorraine Ahearn's take on white vs. wheat.

Good news and bad news

First the good news:
My clothes are a little looser.

I have to pull my belts in one notch tighter.

And when I was weighed Monday, I came up 145 pounds. (Although I hadn't eaten lunch yet and it was 1 p.m., so I'm not putting a lot of stock into that.)

Now the bad news:
I kind of slacked off this weekend on the workouts.

I missed three days! (Friday, Saturday and Sunday)

I've got several excuses, including a weird work schedule and the fact that my gym opens on Sundays later than I thought.

Blah. Blah.

Really there's no excuse. I could have totally gone to the gym on Saturday. Just plain lazy.

Anyway, I'm trying not to let either my progress or laziness set me back. I went to the gym on Monday and Tuesday, which I think is a good sign.

Usually when I have a bout of laziness it kills my momentum. So it's probably a positive thing that I went back to the gym at all.

Mayors' Challenge Update

From an e-mail sent out by the folks coordinating the Mayors' Challenge:

This Month:
March is upon us, which means that it’s National Nutrition Month. This year’s theme from the American Dietetic Association is “100% Fad-Free.” It’s easy to be tempted by fad diets that offer fast weight loss while letting you eat all the junk food you want, but such diets are usually not scientifically or nutritionally sound. In fact, many can cause serious health problems. The following are signs that a diet is probably a fad:
- Promises of incredibly rapid weight loss, such as 10 pounds in the first week (remember – healthy weight loss is generally 1-2 pounds per week)
- A list of “good” and “bad” foods
- Any recommendations that are used to sell a product
- Too good to be true promises, such as “no exercise needed”

Mayors’ Challenge Success Story:
Shirley Pearson of Gibsonville has already lost 7 pounds! When asked how she did it, Shirley told us she simply cut back on the amount of food she’s eating. For example, she realized she didn’t need to eat 10 crackers with her salad when she would be just as satisfied after eating 3. She’s also stopped driving through fast food restaurants for the 99 cent sundae. Congratulations, Shirley!
Do you have a success story you’d like to share? If so, simply e-mail the details along with your name and daytime telephone number to mayorschallenge@ymcagreensboro.org.

Staying Motivated:
With week 4 of the Mayors’ Challenge finished, many of us are struggling to keep our motivation to exercise. Consider these simple tips to make exercise a lasting part of your life:
- Exercise in short bursts. Finding 30 minutes to exercise is difficult, but it may be easier to find time for three 10 minute walks during the day.
- Keep a journal. Looking through records of your success with exercise may be just the thing to keep you going back for more.
- Schedule time. Treat exercise like an important business client – write it in your calendar and don’t cancel your appointment!
- Do something you think is fun. Sure, running may be great exercise, but if you don’t enjoy running, you probably won’t stick with it. Maybe you prefer walking or taking a yoga class instead.

Mark Your Calendar
Join your mayors from 1-3 p.m. April 14 in Festival Park, downtown Greensboro, for the "Get Healthy Guilford" walk as part of the finale of the Mayors' Challenge. You can choose one of eight downtown trails, each about a 30-minute walk - or take two trails for an hour walk.

The Mayors’ Update
In the first four weeks, the eight mayors competing have lost more than 36 pounds!

BMI

Interesting story. I wonder if we will one day have to rattle off our BMI like it's our Social Security number?


HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Amid a growing obesity epidemic in the United States, an insurance company has started giving customers another reason to slim down by being one of the first in the nation to offer discounts to customers who keep a low body-mass index.

The program by Phoenix Cos. Inc. offers discounts up to 20 percent on life insurance policies to customers whose BMI is verified by a doctor to be 19 to 25.

BMI is a ratio of body fat that takes height and weight into account. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines obesity as a BMI of 30 or more; people between 25 and 30 are considered overweight.

Rude?

I've gotten a couple of e-mails and even a blogger who think I'm the rude one for getting mad at the weightlifter who wanted to "work in a set." (From Tuesday's story.)

I've heard their complaints, but I still think the guy was rude to ask to work in a set. And it was especially frustrating because it was the first time I had tried the weights on my own.

If I was sitting there for awhile, then yeah, that's obnoxious.

But he was hovering over me like it was a hot slot machine in Atlantic City. And I paused for only a few seconds. I equate it to a waitress asking if you're done with your plate when you put your fork down after one bite.

It's just unnecessary.

Any more thoughts on weight machine etiquette?

Watching what I eat

I continue to insist I eat fairly well. But I'm going to put my theory to the test.

For a week, I'm going to keep a food diary to track what I eat. I started yesterday.

I want to see two things -

1. Do I really eat as well as I think?

2. Will writing everything down keep me from overindulging?

This week might be especially illuminating. I'm helping to cover the ACC women's basketball tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum and it will probably be hard to eat really healthy.

I'm curious to hear how the experts and non-experts feel about food diaries. Are they good or a bit obsessive?

Over-the-top meals

Sorry to leave you guys hanging for a couple of days.

I went away to the mountains and was busy with work, but I'm back! And as you can see, I'm making up for lost time with a couple of new posts today.

Check out this report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which bills itself as "a strong advocate for nutrition and health, food safety, alcohol policy, and sound science."

An excerpt from their press release:

"Burgers, pizzas, and quesadillas were never health foods to begin with, but many restaurants are transmogrifying these foods into ever-more harmful new creations, and then keeping you in the dark about what they contain,” said Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of CSPI. “Now we see lasagna with meatballs on top; ice cream with cookies, brownies, and candy mixed in; ‘Ranchiladas,’ bacon cheeseburger pizzas, buffalo-chicken-stuffed quesadillas, and other hybrid horribles that are seemingly designed to promote obesity, heart disease, and stroke.”

Looking at all this can make you crazy, especially when I think about how many similar meals I've eaten in the past! And I wonder if there were calorie counts on the menu if I would ever go to a restaurant again.

I guess there is something to be said about this tip that I've seen: Immediately ask your waiter or waitress to box half your food.

Any other tips or healthy alternatives out there?

Third week of the Mayors' Challenge

Here are some excerpts from an update the YMCA put out yesterday on the mayor's challenge:

This week's health tip:
When trying to lose weight, know how to control your portion sizes. Remember - how much you eat can be just as important as what you eat. More in depth information on portion control is available here.

In the news this week:
Congratulations to Greensboro, recently designated as one of North Carolina's Fit Communities! Greensboro received this distinction based on efforts to increase the health of citizens through physical activity, healthy eating, and prevention of youth tobacco use. Fit Community is sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina as well as the North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund.

Mayors Update:
Our mayors are doing a great job on their healthy eating and exercise program. In the first two weeks, they had lost a collective 27 pounds!

Health on the Web:
Looking for health information online? Be sure to check here for delicious (and healthy!) recipes.

Tips from Diane Gill

Afraid of the gym?

Here are some tips from Diane Gill, a UNCG exercise and sport science professor who specializes in the psychology of exercise.

- Have the gym staff show you how the machines work. Also, there are instructions on the sides of many of the weight machines.

- If you can, go to the gym during times when there are less people there. Before and after work hours tend to be the busiest.

- Don't start out trying to do too much. You'll just hurt yourself and that means you'll be less likely to go back to the gym.

Today's column

Today's article in the News & Record:

Rage against the machines

By Amy Dominello
Staff Writer

After 10 reps on some sort of bench-press machine, I paused to take a break between sets.

Obviously, I needed to make sure I didn't overexert myself with the 10 pounds I was pumping.

But as soon as I paused, the guy hovering behind me leaned in.

"Do you mind if I work in a set?" he asked

Ticked off, I grabbed my towel and my water.

"This is why I don't use the weight machines," I growled at him, as I turned the machine over.

Click here for the full article.

New diet trick

Last night, I attended a dinner where I somehow managed to sit at a seat that had two place settings. While that meant two salads, it also meant two desserts.

Facing down two desserts can be difficult, but I found there's an easy way to deal: make sure N&R sports writer Robert Bell is nearby.

After he wolfed down his own slice of cheesecake, I passed over my two pieces to him.

So if you're trying to diet, just invite Robert to your home and feed him everything you're trying to avoid. Maybe it will catch on among dieters: Atkins, The Zone, and now, the Bell.

Two pounds down!

To answer Andrea's taunt, I have been weighing myself once a week.

Doing it more often would make me insane.

But I weighed myself today and I've lost two pounds since Feb. 1. It's probably a good thing that I saw some results. This blog might have gotten real ugly if I had gained some weight.

I want to hear from others who took up the mayors' challenge! Anyone else out there want to share their results?