Slim People in Progress

Power walking is fun with a friend

I've been power walking the last two mornings with my dear friend and colleague, Kathleen Gage. We're both on the faculty of Niche Affilite Marketing System workshop this weekend.

Kathleen is training to power walk a marathon in May. We decided we would meet early each morning before  the conference to do quick 30 minute walk. Usually I run, but I want to take advantage of the time with Kathleen to brainstorm and talk business. And it's fun. And invigorating, since it's about 30 degrees at 6:00 am in Atlanta! Pretty cold for a California girl.

Power walking is easier than runnning for having a conversation,that's for sure. Though I haven't gotten my heart rate up as much as when I run, I feel really good about the power walks and I'm having fun and getting exercise. That's the important thing, right!

Tip: Kathleen recommends Dave McGovern's Complete Guide To Marathon Walking. McGovern has trained thousands of marathon walkers who participate in the Team in Training program.

Travel and Workouts - Video to the Rescue

When I travel I always have the best of intentions. I take my running/workout clothes and tell myself I'm going to go to the gym or run while I'm on the road. Somehow it rarely seems to happen. So many excuses: I'm tired, no time, not comfortable running alone in an unfamiliar city.

Next week I'm going to Atlanta for 5 days to speak at an online marketing conference. I'm taking my workout clothes and this time I'm determined to get some exercise in. One thing that will help is that I'm meeting up with a colleague who is training with Team in Training to power walk a marathon. We're planning to get a few walks in together. A great way to catch up, brainstorm about possible projects we can do together AND get some exercise.

I'm also going to use the following video by Rachel Cosgrove to get me going if I only have a few minutes in my room before all the morning to night activities.

Do you workout when you're on the road? If so, how do you motivate yourself?

Vitalicious Sweepstakes - Win a Years Supply of VitaTops

This is a public service announcement. Vitalicious, the maker of my favorite one point treat, is having a sweepstakes and giving away a year's supply of VitaTops.

Plus, there's a special deal via Hungry Girl so you can get 50% off when you order the 2 for 1 Chocolate Craving Smackdown by January 20 and use coupon code HGChoco.

Lately, my favorite way to consume VitaTops is to buy the baking mix and bake them myself. Same great taste and just 1 point.

11 Healthy Eating Tips for a Healthy Heart (and weight loss!)

Guest author Kathryn Schleich shares her experience and what she's learned after having a heart attack at age 51. She writes about health, diet and exercise.

One of the first things having a heart attack has taught me is how important healthy eating is regardless of the severity of the attack. Here are 11 tips that can also be used as a guide to lose/and or maintain your weight on an ongoing basis.

1.    Legalize All Foods. There are no bad foods, just bad eating habits. Don't put any foods off limits, but do be aware of portion sizes and how much you are eating.

2.    Listen to your hunger. Ask yourself on a scale of 1 to 5 how hungry are you (One being very hungry and five being very full.) Pay attention to what your hunger symptoms are - strong growls, light-headedness, headaches, or difficulty concentrating).

3.    Know when to stop. Learn to recognize when you are full and stop eating. Learn what fullness feels like and rate fullness on a scale from one (one being very hungry to four being comfortably full and satisfied).

Taking the Mystery Out of Dining Out

Guest author Kathryn Schleich shares her experience and what she's learned after having a heart attack at age 51. She writes about health, diet and exercise.

Taking the Mystery Out of Dining Out

For cardiac patients or those trying to control high blood pressure [or lose weight - Ed note.], one of the most difficult areas related to dietary changes can be the ability to eat out while still enjoying a meal but still eating healthy.

Pop Quiz
How well do you know the number calories and grams of fat in several dishes of popular fast food restaurants? Put the following foods in order the ranking from the highest to lower calories:   
          
1.    Put the following in order from highest to lowest in lowest in calories:
Plain bagel
Boston Crème Donut
Honey Bran Raisin Muffin

2.    For a deli lunch at a Subway, which 6-inch-sub is the leanest?
Roast with 1-table mayonnaise
Tuna Classic made with 1 tsp mayonnaise

3.    At Burger King, the King-size fries contain:
420 Calories
540 Calories

4.    The leaner choice at Taco Bell would be:
Nachos Bell Grande
Double-beef Supreme

5.    At Pizza Hut, which would be lower in calories and fat?
Pepperoni Hand-tossed Pizza
Veggie Lovers Stuffed Crust Pizza
                                             
6.    Which Chinese entrée is lower in calories?
Vegetable lo mien
Steamed fish

*Answers at the end of article