Move It!

January 10, 2012
Calming Movements
Leo Daily Horoscope
 
You may feel nervous and jumpy today. When difficulties arise, you could overreact emotionally and feel as if tension were suffusing your entire being. You may also feel your sense of anxiety expand into your body, causing you pain and stiffness. You may, however, be able to relieve both your mental and physical symptoms simultaneously by engaging in exercise or meditation. Because the mind and body are intimately connected, calming activities that focus on working tension out in one area can have a similarly positive effect on the other. Today can be the perfect time to begin an exercise routine or invite loved ones to meditate with you.

When you exercise, the anxiety in your mind is relieved as the tension in your body is drained away. Simple, repetitive movements can do much to calm a nervous mind and help you regain clarity of thought. As you utilize your body's muscles, you reconnect with the earth and ground yourself, both in the physical plane and in your body. Life-giving oxygen floods your body's systems and to your brain, giving you the strength you need to overcome your worries and soothe your spirit. The intensity of your emotions will lessen as you get lost in the cadence of your physical movements, and a feeling of sweet serenity will remain. Taking time to exercise today will help you release the tension in body and mind so that you are more present to life. 

Good advice from Daily Om, think I'll go on a nice long walk today.  The weather here has been gorgeous, although we did have to turn the AC back on, it was just too humid in the house.  Looks like another cool front will be coming in toward the end of the week, yay! 

As you know, it's Pizza Night here at the Castle, and I'm scrambling to find a "no-white-stuff" substitute for myself.  I think I found the perfect one here, stay tuned for pics and review!

I have some errands to run and chores to attend to, but before I go I'll leave you with this exercise video from the 1960's. Ms. Debbie Drake, she was something else!  


 

Have a Beauty-Full Day,

Woman vs Machine

Loki and I hit the pavement bright & early this morning, did our usual 30-minute jaunt around the neighborhood. We arrived home hot & sweaty, he was dog-tired but I felt like I'd just gotten warmed up. Hmm...I dusted off the treadmill and did another 30 minutes of fast walking, Pink & Madonna blasting in my ears. Got off, feeling absolutely amazing and crunched some numbers:


Wow! Look at the difference between (estimated) calories burned on my home walk as compared to the same amount of time on the treadmill! I mean, I know it's a much more intense workout but didn't think it would make that much of a difference! Guess me and my treadmill are going to be much better friends from now on!

By the way, I haven't posted any weigh-ins lately because my scale is on the fritz. I'll pick up the spare one from Ormond this weekend if I can't manage to get to the store between now & then.

Off to work, hope you all have a Beauty-Full Day!

My Idea of Exercise

Ah, Loki, if only it were this easy!

TGIF

Whoo-hoo! You guys were right, I did indeed make up for last week; the scale showed a 2.4 pound loss! Just what I needed to get me motivated and on track!

This coming weekend presents a couple of challenges, we are celebrating another birthday (Beren's daughter) and I'll be making dinner and a cake for her. We are also attending a birthday party on Sunday, Madonna-themed and I've already heard about the decadence planned for that one! I'll just need to keep my wits about me, remember the number on the scale and how hard I have to work to get rid of those sweet treats and alcoholic concoctions.

To start the weekend off right, I'm going to be making a pasta dish from Hungry Girl tonight. I'll be using Shirataki noodles for my serving, whole wheat penne for the family as they aren't quite as fond of the miracle noodles as I am!


photo courtesy of Hungry Girl

Fettuccine Hungry Girlfredo Veggie Explosion!

PER SERVING (entire recipe): 151 calories, 4.5g fat, 407mg sodium, 20g carbs, 7g fiber, 7g sugars, 9g protein -- POINTS® value 3*

Ingredients:
1 package House Foods Tofu Shirataki Fettuccine Shaped Noodle Substitute
1/2 cup small broccoli florets
1/2 cup red pepper chunks
1/2 cup large zucchini chunks
1 wedge The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese
1 tbsp. fat-free sour cream
2 tsp. reduced-fat grated parmesan-style topping
salt and pepper, to taste
Optional: garlic powder, chili powder

Directions:
Place all the veggies in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl with 2 tbsp. of water. Cover bowl and microwave for 2 - 3 minutes (until veggies are fully steamed and tender). Drain water and set aside.

Drain and rinse noodles well. Dry noodles thoroughly (use paper towels to soak up as much moisture as possible), and then use a knife or kitchen shears to slice them up a bit. Next, place noodles in a microwave-safe bowl, and top them with the cheese wedge, sour cream, and parm topping. Then microwave for one minute.

Stir well, and then microwave for one additional minute. Mix in the veggies, and season well with salt and pepper. If you like, add some garlic powder and/or chili powder. Enjoy!!

MAKES 1 SERVING

Now, off to the treadmill to keep those pounds off, I really need to make morning exercise a habit. Have a great day, TGIF!

P.S. 30 minutes on the treadmill, 224 calories burned.

(Wo) Man vs Machine

Despite frequent declarations to do otherwise, I have left my poor treadmill standing alone for months now. Untouched and unappreciated, it sat in the corner of my family room gathering dust and providing a constant reminder of my failing fitness efforts. I passed by it each day on my way out to the pool or patio, glanced at it behind me while working on the computer, stared at it guiltily through the kitchen window. Shameful, I know. I could hear it taunting me, reminding me of the money spent, promises made and broken...sigh..finally the nagging voices became too loud to tune out so I listened, and I responded.

For 25 minutes, long enough to watch an episode of Sex and the City, I worked that machine as well as my body, made them both come happily to life!

1.5 miles and 185 calories burned later, I'm a happy girl, filled with renewed energy and ready to tackle the day! I can't believe what a difference that half an hour makes and can kick myself for allowing exercise to fall by the wayside. There are no excuses, I simply got lazy and unmotivated. Period.

Ah, treadmill, my friend, I apologize for neglecting you for so long! I promise we'll be having daily dates from here on because you are oh-so-worth the effort.