Slim People in Progress

Designer Water Out, Tap Water In

This isn't directly related to weight loss and fitness, but an article on Slate.com caught my attention: Evian Criminals: The New Snob Appeal of Water.

Since drinking plenty of water is stressed by Weight Watchers and most others who espouse a healthy lifestyle, I thought it a good article to share.  Apparently there are some high-end restaurants that are doing away with fancy bottled waters and serving tap water in an effort to be more earth-friendly.

The reason: It takes a lot of energy to create a bottle of water and ship it from Europe to California. And so of-the-moment bistros can boost their enviro cred by giving away tap water instead of selling promiscuously marked-up bottled water.

Frankly, as long as the water is filtered, I'm perfectly happy with tap water. I use a Brita filter at home and that saves me a lot of $$ since I drink a lot of water.  What's your take on this issue?

Stay Young: Use 9" Plates

I saw this on RealAge.com:

RealAge Benefit: Using 9-inch plates for meals can make your RealAge 3.1 years younger.

Do you believe that? I know the point is that if you use a smaller plate, you'll eat smaller portions. But can that really help you live longer?  Hmmmm.

From time to time Flora, my WW leader, talks about cravings. Included with the tip above, was a comment about how to tell if you're body really wants food or it's simply a craving.  Keep a food journal is the advice -- to determine when you're eating and why. I think a lot of my eating is done as a distraction.

I work at home and when I need a break from my desk, I immediately head for the kitchen, whether I'm hungry or not.  Maybe I try going for a run instead! :-)  What do you do when you get a craving?

Road ID: A cool idea

Now that I'm running and have done a few 5K races, I'm on a lot of mailing lists. One ad that actually caught my attention was for a product called Road ID. I thought the idea was so cool, I immediately bought one. Here's the gist of it...

If you are a runner, cyclist, triathlete or just a person who doesn't sit on the couch all day, Road ID is for you. This awesome piece of gear not only looks good but it could save your life. In the event of an accident, if you can't speak for yourself, your Road ID will.

I bought the Shoe Pouch. The pouch is big enough to hold drivers license, credit card and key. It straps to your shoe so you don't have to have anything hanging around your waist, like I usually do, or on your back. But that's not the coolest part.

Backyard Bootcamp Update

I haven't even started the Backyard Bootcamp, and I'm already impressed with how the whole thing works. Leslie Maltz, the owner and trainer, is really on top of things.

A couple days before the Bootcamp starts, I have to go to a fitness evaluation. In a one hour evaluation, we "will do "before" photos, a short fitness test, circumference measurements and body fat testing.  You will also receive your food journal (an extremely important part of this program) and we will go over all the "ins and outs" of bootcamp."   This is serious.

I'm a bit nervous about all this.  I have the fitness eval on a Saturday.  I run a 5K race on Sunday (to benefit Heal the Bay) and then start the bootcamp the next morning at 6:15 a.m.  I told my Pilates teacher that I may skip Pilates for a few weeks and she told me I shouldn't do that since I'll really need the stretching to balance the bootcamp.  I don't think I can do bootcamp and Pilates on the same day, but we'll see.

Backyard Bootcamp

You know that saying "be careful what you wish for"? Well, at the 5K event this past weekend, I filled out a form to win a 3 week bootcamp training, and I won!

Backyard Bootcamp is 3 days per week for 3 weeks and all the workouts are done outside. I have too many conflicts with the evening session, so I am going to do the morning workouts at 6:15 a.m.  That's a tough time for me, but hey, it's free and it's only 3 weeks.  I have 2 conferences at the end of May, in NYC and Orlando and I told some friends I wanted to take 7 pounds off before then.  Guess, the bootcamp will help, along with getting more disciplined again with Weight Watchers.

The program starts in May.  If I have any energy left, I'll report on my progress.