health

Valentine’s Day Gift for YOU!

Give yourself a V-Day gift this year. Choose one way you are going to be healthier. It’s the best way to love yourself, and, ultimately, the best way to love someone else. I’m on a mission this year to get in the best shape of my life. I’m not sure how well it’s going, but here are some tips for all of us:

Trade sugary beverages for water or unsweetened herbal tea
Limit processed foods
Try to get at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day
Start a calorie journal
Sign up for a race or walk to motivate you to get in better shape
Join a fitness class with friends
Give up dessert for the rest of the month

Valentine’s Day Gift for YOU!Maggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:58-04:00

No Dessert, But…Peanut Butter

Well, my healthy lifestyle isn’t going as well as to be expected. I haven’t eaten dessert yet, but I seem to be hungry for just about everything else, especially peanut butter. I think I’ve eaten a jar in two weeks. That’s 3,200 calories–about 230 calories per day. I guess that’s not as bad as it seems, although that’s pretty much one pound. If I cut out peanut butter and didn’t replace it with anything I would be a pound lighter right now.

I did a search online to see what a peanut butter craving could mean, and the internet proved to be completely useless. Apparently, I could have anything from a Vitamin A deficiency to a mold allergy, which seems really far-fetched. I could even crave peanut butter because I’m allergic to it. It turns out that eating too much of something can make you addicted and you can have feelings of withdrawal without it.

This why I can never go on websites like WebMD. I think it’s more likely, that the most common Google response is […]

No Dessert, But…Peanut ButterMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:58-04:00

Jack Lalanne’s Inspiration

Jack Lalanne was an inspirational person. He reminded me of Joesph Pilates in his intense passion for fitness and trying to help and inspire others to a healthier lifestyle. I really hope that when I’m in my eighties and nineties, I’m as active and healthy as they both were.

I imagine that is something we all hope for, but health in our senior years has to start now. It seems so worth it. I think everyone who chooses a career in fitness on some level really wants to inspire others to be healthy too. But everyone is inspired in different ways.

I’m inspired by being able to be active, hiking a mountain like Mt. Washington, being involved in team sports, feeling good, looking good, being outdoors, competition, having fun while working out, and the calm I find exercise provides me. I’m inspired by watching someone really passionate like the video of Lalanne in the above link or reading Joe Pilates. The picture above even inspires me, but probably only becaue I know who Jack Lalanne […]

Jack Lalanne’s InspirationMaggie Downie2017-10-25T14:30:12-04:00

Healthy Lifestyle Slow Going

My healthy lifestyle has been progressing slowly. I’m the same weight and same measurements–135 pounds. And at this point I’ve got less than two months before I’m 30. I think I have to make February no dessert month or something.

The problem is, that isn’t realistic. I’m not going to cut desserts out forever. However, I really would like to lose five pounds because I think my four physical challenges that I’m preparing for this year will be easier if I do. And I think my knees will thank me a little bit, especially when I run and hike. And, I think I’ll just feel better in my own skin.

Alright–that’s it. I’ve decide this very second:no dessert for Maggie in the month of February. It’s the shortest month of the year, so I should be able to do it. Anyone want to join me? When we feel like having chocolate cake we can convince each other that plain yogurt is just as good.

My only exception: if we get more good snow storms and I shovel or sled, afterward I […]

Healthy Lifestyle Slow GoingMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:32:00-04:00

Real Inspiration

Yesterday while driving home from the gym I heard and ad on the radio that frustrated me. It was targeting women and trying to sell some kind of weight loss pill. It announced that scientists have said that women over 40 need to workout one hour a day just to maintain their weight, not even lose weight, so obviously everyone should start popping their pills to get skinnier.

It annoyed me that it was targeting women. It annoyed me that it was targeting women over 40. It annoyed me that is was claiming to have an easy fix to weight loss. It annoyed me that it was using what we know about the body against us.

I wished that there were ads that highlighted and inspired people via real life stories of individuals—men and women of all ages—who used diet and exercise to change their weight if needed. I thought of a very close family friend who in her mid fifties lost 50 pounds using weight watchers as a tool. She looks fabulous. I’d argue that she actually looks 30. It’s amazing. Another family friend lost weight by adding a morning exercise routine. Both of these women have […]

Real InspirationMaggie Downie2017-10-25T14:30:13-04:00