Never Forgotten

It's not about the day off, it's not about the BBQ.  Today is about the men and women who serve our country in times of war and peace.

Regardless of your political leanings, please take a moment to honor them.  

For those of you who are Facebook saavy, consider donating your status to honor a fallen hero.

And please remember at 3 p.m. today to pause for a National Moment of Remembrance.

Drink up!

But you know it's got to taste like heaven!

PB & C Shake at Cold Stone = liquid bacon :)

Check out the full list of the 20 worst drinks in the US here.

A Little Something Extra

Interested in an easy way to boost your calorie burn at the gym?  What if I told you it's something that you're very likely already doing, and by doing more of it you'll not only easily add to your workout, you'll be performing a much needed service as well?

I'm referring, of course, to re-racking your weights!

If you're anything like me, you wouldn't dream of walking away from a fully loaded barbell when your training is complete.  No, you take the time to strip it down and return all the plates to their neat and tidy home.  Sadly, you and I are often in the minority.  At my gym, it's rare that even one of the employees takes the time to walk around the gym floor taking care of these small housekeeping chores.

Last year, a good friend of mine left her health club job to train privately.  As time progressed, she noticed that despite continuing the same training and eating regime, she was putting on a small amount of weight.  What had changed that would result in the unexpected weight gain?

She wasn't constantly re-racking weight plates or rearranging dumbbells on the racks (and all the other organizational duties) while working in her former club.

Now, I can't promise that putting someone else's crap away will make give you a six-pack or make that V-taper pop (someone else's, because I'm assuming that none of my readers are the annoying PITA that leave all their sh*t lying around).  But I can tell you that you'll get a little extra burn for your gym buck, you'll be more likely to find what you're looking for the next time you train, and the employees working the floor will become your best friends.  

Big Apple Run For The Warriors®

Come join me!

Big Apple Run For The Warriors®

When:              Sunday, May 30th, start time 8:30 am

Where:             NYC Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Who:               Benefits Hope For The Warriors®

Register:          www.hopeforthewarriors.org

Want to celebrate Memorial Day weekend right and have fun at the same time?  Then register now for the Inaugural Big Apple Run For The Warriors® 3-mile or 1-mile run/walk.  A ceremony to honor our fallen and wounded begins at 8:30 a.m. followed by the race at 9 a.m.  The race begins and ends at the NYC Vietnam Veterans Memorial and racers will also pass the NYC Police Museum, Wall Street, Fulton Fish Market, South Street Seaport as well as pass under the Brooklyn Bridge.

All proceeds for the race will benefit Hope For The Warriors®, a nonprofit organization that assists wounded service members, their families, and families of the fallen.  Registration is $30 for adults, $15 for college students.  Active-duty military, their families, and ALL children under 18-years old are FREE.

Grab your sneakers, bring out the whole family, and celebrate Memorial Day with Hope For The Warriors®.

Picture Perfect

Jen Fit posted this on Facebook yesterday, and I think it's something that everyone should take a gander at.


Very eye-opening pictorial article illustrating the caloric density of common foods.  There's nothing newsworthy about it, of course - no big shockers or surprises.  But it's still enlightening, and really serves to hammer home the  importance of knowing how to get the most bang for your buck, particularly if (like me) you're a volume eater :)

Just don't go there until after you've eaten.  It's torture if you're hungry ;)

What's Your Angle?

Perspective.  Sometimes you've got it, sometimes you don't.  If you're lucky, you have people in your life who can provide you with a little extra help in that area when you need it.

A little while back, I was discussing with a friend how I'd been somewhat lax with my eating that week.  Eating some unplanned grapes.  A raisin here or there.  And, for at least 3 days in a row - having 30 almonds instead of my planned and accounted for 20.

She stopped me and asked me to think about what I had just said.

10 almonds.

69 calories.

Now, she was in no way condoning the deviation, merely pointing out that in the grand scheme of things, 10 almonds is not much of a deviation.  

The issue itself lies not in what was eaten or how much, merely in the fact that it was done mindlessly.  Not because I was starving, or lacked energy, or even because I was DYING for another almond.  I ate 10 extra almonds because they were there, so why not?  I ate the grapes because they were sitting out on the counter, about 5 feet from my desk.  The raisins because they had fallen out of some cookies.

How many times have you bailed on a workout and kicked yourself in the ass for it?  Before you beat yourself up though, examine WHY you bailed.  Were you stressed at work or at home, over-trained, sick or ridiculously tired?  Or were you simply not in the mood?

Taking an unplanned rest day is OK.  Listening to our bodies is smart, no question about it.  Having a flexible approach to your diet can be a great thing as well, reminding us to enjoy life and keeping us from psychological burn-out.

But when these moments arise, we need to take a moment to step back from the situation and examine the motive behind the behavior.  Be truthful and you will never steer yourself wrong.