Take the Diabetes Risk Test

Today is American Diabetes Alert Day.  You have a greater risk for Type 2 diabetes if:

• You are overweight.
• You are age 45 and older.
• You have high blood pressure.
• You have a family history of diabetes.
• You get little or no exercise.

Go take the free risk test at the American Diabetes Association web site to find out if you are at risk. You only have to enter a few pieces of information which include your age, height, weight, lifestyle and family history.

I scored a “5” with a low to medium risk, mainly because I’m overweight. It suggests I keep my weight in control or lose weight, stay active most days of the week, and eat a diet of low fat meals high in fruits, vegetables and whole grain foods.

Check it out at www.diabetes.org/risk and view the at risk weight chart too.

High-tech video game bikes

I’m starting to get a little bored at the gym. I was late to my normal step class today, so I got on the treadmill for a walk when after a few minutes my iPod died. I guess the juice just ran out. I completed about a half a mile in 10 minutes, and then was bored with no music.

I jumped from the treadmill to the elliptical machine where I could watch the television and did a cardio program for 15-20 minutes and then noticed these new fancy bikes with TV’s attached. These were no ordinary TV’s, but they displayed trails and looked like video games.

So I got off the elliptical and hopped on the high-tech bike which turned out to be fantastic! It was an Expresso Fitness machine which claims “Bye bye boredom!” I was definitely not bored, but I did have a little trouble figuring the machine out.

Since I’ve been doing spin, I thought I could handle this machine with no problem. Unfortunately I don’t really know how to shift a bike, and this bike had a shift on it!

I picked out the “Evening Bliss” ride and proceeded to go around a nice track with the sun setting in the sky. There was even a glare from the sun when my bike faced the right direction. It was fun seeing other bike riders on the trail, and I enjoyed picking up my pace to pass them (who knew I was competitive?). It was just like a car video game, but at a much slower pace. I went through the entire program and then remembered my headphones.

Since my iPod had stopped working, I plugged in my headsets and could flip between different radio stations. They had several different types of music stations including country, oldies, dance and rock.

Even though I couldn’t really figure out the shift thingy, I did manage to complete the course. My heart rate got up in the cardio range, and I was sweating.

I signed out, and then decided to sign back in as a guest and picked another course, the “Coastal Run” where the ocean was in the background. While I didn’t pay much attention to the first courses’ graphics, besides the sky, I did notice the interesting backdrop for this course. There were sheep on the sides of the road, and some trees whose leaves flickered.

It was fun passing other bikers on the previous course, but since I got into the video game mindset with this one, I was tempted to knock out the other bikers like you do on the car race track.

I admit it; I bumped into and knocked over two other bikers. I know, I’m evil. There was no big crash and burn though like with the cars, you just saw them “poof” and go away with no fanfare.

Then I looked at the clock and realized I had been at the gym for about an hour and it was time to get home to the family.

Anyway, if this is the future of workouts and gym equipment, boy are we in for a ride. I had too much fun, broke a sweat, and lost track of the time. Its not often that this happens to me at the gym, in fact, it’s never happened. I always am looking at the clock.

Check them out. And if you can explain to me how to shift a bike, I’d appreciate it for my next ride.

Friday is Buy Nothing Day

The day after Thanksgiving is lovingly referred to as Black Friday. I know I have fond memories of spending turkey day at my sister and brother-in-laws browsing the paper ad flyers, with my sister and aunt hunting down the best bargains and making a game plan for which stores to hit in which order. They had kids to buy Christmas presents for, and I had none.

Now I do have a kid, but I refuse to inherit the madness that plagues a large majority of my family. Shopping and over consumption.

Not only do we have a tendency to over consume food, but we also have the same with tendency when it comes to bargains.

This Friday, we are staying at home, and I’m making a game plan to spend the day with my daughter and husband. We will not be hitting the stores. That includes shopping for food too.

I do however have plans to hit the road. I’ll be walking and working off some of the goodies I consumed on Thanksgiving.

For the holidays, my husband and I will not be buying gifts for one another, and I think my younger sister and I agreed not to purchase as well. I already have a few little things for my daughter, but we plan to spend Christmas morning enjoying one another’s company and food, instead of gifts we don’t need or use. I hope to teach her the lesson that spending time with family is more important than presents.

Check out the Buy Nothing Day campaign at Adbusters, and see how you can join the 24 hour moratorium on consumer spending. I especially like the credit card cut up, although they warn that carrying scissors in public could get you arrested as a “terrorist”. Or watch the North American Piggy ad on YouTube.

Next step for me, Buy Nothing Christmas.

Happy non-shopping holidays!

Step Out walk – it’s no Marine Corps Marathon

This weekend in DC was a big one for walking and running events. Saturday was the Step Out to Fight Diabetes walk, and Sunday we had the Marine Corps Marathon.

Saturday I attended the Step Out walk, in the rain no less. I took the metro to the Archives/Navy Memorial stop and walked a few blocks to 3rd and Pennsylvania. I exceeded my fundraising goal and rose over $650 to help this great cause.

There were two paths a 2 mile walk and a challenging 6 mile walk. I had every intention of walking the 6 mile walk (I had been practicing long walks for the past two weeks), but when I arrived at the set up on, I heard the news that the 6 mile walk had been cancelled due to the rain. I stood in the registration line and collected my long sleeve t-shirt, and missed getting a medal by a few hundred dollars. The medal winners had to raise at least $1,000.

I also grabbed a banana, an Odwalla chocolate chip peanut bar (5 WW points) and a bottle of water from the fuel tent. I wore my rain slicker which had huge pockets and stashed my t-shirt and water.

I hit the 2 mile trail and switched between wearing my hood and using my umbrella. It had been pouring rain around 9 when the walk started, but it started to wear off shortly after. By the time we were done, the rain had stopped completely. We did have to avoid major puddles on the roads and sidewalks, but I was a bit relieved not to have to walk 6 miles in the muck.

I figure I’ll make up the 4 mile difference at the gym this week.

Love Your Body Day

It’s not always easy to love our bodies. Especially if you are overweight and the world tells you that you should lose weight.

I do not love my body when it steps on the scale and even though I’ve been working out hard and eating right, the numbers fail to go down.

But today is Love Your Body Day, so I’m going to tell you what I love about my body.

I love my womb which made and carried my daughter for over 9 months, and my breasts which fed her nearly 9 months after she entered the world. I love my arms to hold her and my hips which still carry her occasionally.

I love my long legs and feet; they took me for an 11,000 step 2 hour walk this morning, two 3 mile walks, plus three workouts at the gym this past week.

Go take the I love My Body Pledge, it’s good stuff:

I, (Name), pledge to speak kindly about my body.

I promise not to talk about how fat my thighs or stomach or butt are, or
about how I really have to lose 5 or 15 or 50 pounds. I promise not to call
myself a fat pig, gross, or any other self-loathing, trash-talking phrase.

I vow to be kind to myself and my body. I will learn to be grateful for its
strength and attractiveness, and be compassionate toward its failings.

I will remind myself that bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and that no
matter what shape and size my body is, it’s worthy of kindness, compassion, and love.

What do you love about your body?

Fight Diabetes

My friend Bob says, “No one feels sorry for the big fat guy with diabetes.”

I have several family members with Type 2 diabetes, and two friends who have Type 1. Type 2 is linked with obesity in some cases, and although I don’t have diabetes and am not pre-diabetic, I know how hard it is to lose weight and exercise (which doctors strongly recommend for people with pre-diabetes as well as newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes).

I hate asking for money, but I’m asking for money for a great cause. The last time I solicited friends and family I did a walk for the March of Dimes in spring 2006. I walked with my husband and daughter in a stroller, but this time I’m going solo and walking with Bob and my team. Daughter is too big for a stroller, and too impatient for a 6 mile walk.

I’m walking in DC on October 27th for Step Out to Fight Diabetes, and I need your money to help find a cure. I’d love to have you walk with me or help me walk 6 miles by making a donation. There are two walk paths, a 2 miles or 6 miles. If I exceed my goal, I’m going to do the whole 6 miles.

Donate now, or sign up to walk with me. You’ll get a free t-shirt if you walk, although the t-shirts you get for events like this are not all that comfortable, flattering or fashionable. The neck is always too tight, and they are made for a man’s body, not my curvy frame. It’s too tight over the chest and hips, and too big in the shoulders (see picture).

I’ll post an update and photos here after my walk. Here are a few quick diabetes facts:

• Over 21 million American’s have diabetes
• An additional 54 million have pre-diabetes
• Diabetes is the 5th leading cause of death by disease in the U.S.
• Complications of Diabetes includes, heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, blindness and kidney disease among others

Nice cover Time Magazine

I saw this cover two weeks ago, but have been too busy to comment on it. I like it of course, since I am using the Rosie the Riveter image in my own way with my big boned blog logo and “Can We Do It?” phrase. I read Newsweek, Business Week, Wired and Weight Watchers magazine, but haven’t read this issue.

I am thinking of making a t-shirt and stamps out of my logo, if I can ever find the time to sit down and design (outside of work). I’m also hoping one day to have some nice looking arm muscles (instead of my flab) where I can have someone photograph me in the styling of this iconic poster from WWII.

I show off my little biceps and triceps to family members, but am not at the point where I can model my arms just yet. Lifting my 39 pound daughter does helps build up my muscles even if I can’t always exercise.

Anyway, nice cover Time.

Queen Noor and ten thousand steps

It’s not everyday that you get to see and hear a Queen. Yesterday I saw her majesty Queen Noor of Jordan at a woman’s conference sponsored by Congressman Jim Moran. She was lovely and her speech was eloquent and relevant. I’ll have to get her book at the library sometime.

I took a few pictures, but it’s too bad I didn’t have as nice a camera as the professionals. They served pastries and bagels for breakfast and Pizza Hut pizza for lunch. I had two pastries and two slices of pizza.

Today I did over 10,000 steps according to my pedometer. Not surprising since I took a Step Interval class this morning.

What was even more surprising to me this week was that I did over 13,000 steps on Thursday! I think that’s my highest day yet.

Thursday is the day of my normal step class, and the day I usually hit 10K, but I must have done more walking than I thought. I went out for lunch and did a little walking, and my step class was about 5,000 steps itself. Then I took my daughter out for dinner and we did a little walking around from the grocery store to the restaurant.

In the past month, there have only been 7 days I’ve racked up over 10,000 steps. My daily average is about 8500, and on the low end of daily steps I get at least 4500 a day.

Husband and daughter went to pick apples yesterday at Homestead farm in Maryland. They brought back a huge bag, so today we made apple pie. I used Betty Crocker’s recipe, but used half sugar and half splenda. It’s delicious, and that’s what I ate for dinner.

Although, the apple pie probably cancels out my ten thousand steps for today.

Eat yogurt and help the Earth too

I tried organic yogurt recently, primarily because it was on sale. I really only buy whichever yogurt is on sale for the week because I’m cheap, and hate paying more than $.60 for a small cup. One day while in Whole Foods I saw their Horizons organic yogurt was on sale for half price, two for $.99! I bought a few. The points values were a little higher than I like for yogurt, about 3-4 per cup, but whatever, they were on sale.

Then one day while shopping at Giant Food, I found Stonyfield Farms “All Natural” fat free yogurt on sale for $.50 per cup too. I bought a few cups for my refrigerator at work, but then noticed the lids, and the promotion they have going on. You can save the lids, clean them, send them to Stonyfield, and they will donate $100,000 to 3 organizations. It’s called “Bid With Your Lid” and I saw one of my favorite non-profits, The Center for a New American Dream on the lids!

You can vote online for your favorite non-profit and you will also get a coupon for a free yogurt too! I love coupons too (‘cause I’m cheap).

Anyway, I went back to Giant and bought around 20 yogurts to save and mail in to get a gift.

Unfortunately, I tried to use my coupon back at Giant Food, only to learn that they DO NOT accept online coupons anymore!

Due to an increased number of fraudulent Internet coupons in the market place, Giant no longer accepts Internet coupons for free items. At this time we are still accepting Internet coupons for cents off. This change has only occurred recently. We realize that many customers receive these coupons over the Internet and believe they are legitimate. Unfortunately, in many instances they are not. Also, the manufacturers have told us that they won’t reimburse retailers for them if we do accept them. Here is a link to a website that explains this in more detail. http://www.cents-off.com.

I thought about a boycott of Giant due to this fact, but yet I shop there when they have my favorite stuff on sale, so nevermind.

My favorites are the Lotsa Lemon for 2 points and the Strawberry Raspberry for 2 points. I found the Chocolate Underground to be less than desirable taste wise and 3 points.

I’m still a few lids short of my 30 lids to the organic cotton tote bag, so let me know where they may be on sale before October.

My first $50 reward

This week I earned my first $50.00 reward through Virgin Life Care, my employer’s health and wellness program. You can turn the money into gift cards, so I got $30 in a Blockbuster gift card, and $20 to AMC Theaters. Not that I have much time to watch movies, but hopefully I will soon.

I did end up renting and watching 3 movies over the long Labor Day weekend, Miss Potter, Dreamland and The Last Kiss. The last movie I saw in the theater was Ratatouille with my daughter. And a date night…can’t remember the last time we went out on a date, although my husband did watch the movies with me at home.

Classes started last night, so for the next eight weeks, my weekends and Monday and Tuesday nights are shot. The upside is, after these 8 weeks, I’ll be done with my masters!

Probably no more movies till November, but I’ll try to keep up my exercise routine so I can earn my next reward, $75.