You call this diet food??

My lovely British husband went all out Sunday morning and made what his countrymen call, "a fry up". This typical English breakfast consists of fried egg, baked beans, mushrooms, grilled tomato, toast or fried bread and usually a couple of "bangers" (link sausage, to we foreigners) and/or black pudding (blood sausage). Since I haven't taken a vow of giving up every guilt producing food item, I allowed myself a modified version of this cullinary masterpiece.

Only one egg, fried in olive oil, once piece of English bacon, one small round of toast with real butter, half a grilled tomato and a spoonful each of mushrooms and beans.

The trick with modifying my eating habits is to allow "naughty" things occasionally, which keep me from feeling deprived all the time. I also felt in a celebratory mood since I'd lost 2 more pounds, for a total of 7, in the last three weeks.

Unfortunately, the cold from which I am suffering, set me back a bit in the exercise department by keeping me in bed for several days. Sunday I was able to start up again with my elliptical and yoga workouts. Amazing how missing a few days can affect flexibility and stamina.

Less than a week to go now before we pack our bags for a month in France and Germany. We're looking forward to seeing our friends in Lannion as well as our friends who just moved to Munich. It may be a challenge avoiding the pitfalls of luscious French and German cooking (with wine and beer!) while still embracing the life of the locals....but I think I'm willing to try!

Emotions are for Eating....and other myths

I've been to Phoenix twice now, in a little over two weeks time and it has rained everyday, both times that I've been there. Every other day it has been beautiful, except for when the wheels of my aircraft touch the ground.

I arrived with a cold and left two days later with an even worse one, after walking in the rain from the bus stop to my friend's house.......no jacket.... no umbrella......no warmth.....no sun. I had a dental appointment to make later that day, after which I would hop a flight back home....right.

Phoenix is currently in the middle of "Spring break". Trying to get an empty seat (standby) on a flight during Spring break is like trying to get Congress to give up their private health plans in order to sign up for Obama's new national healthcare system. Ain't gonna happen.

Four hours later as I was headed to the hotel, I suddenly realized that I am an "emotional" eater. I suppose I knew that but I just didn't want to admit it as I was stuffing my face with all those Hershey's kisses three weeks earlier.

My day, had not gone well. I was informed by my dental office that my insurance had been disapproved.....something about them not agreeing that my broken crowns needed to be replaced. I was informed by my sister that my elderly dad, who had gone in for an outpatient procedure that morning, had to be hospitalized because of the blockage in his gall bladder and now, feeling like crap, I would have to stay in a hotel because I was silly enough to travel during the busiest week of the year outside of Thanksgiving and Christmas.

My exercise, aside from walking for miles in the airport, hadn't gone as planned either and my meals were certainly deteriorating to near junk food levels. Before I knew it, I had downed an entire 4 oz bag of Trader Joe's freeze dried, crunchy green beans and was dangerously eyeing the loaded hotdogs at Nathan's hotdog stand at the end of the concourse. Instead, I opted for a turkey wrap at Paradise Bakery, only to discover later that tortilla wrapped "anything" usually has more carbs in it than regular bread. Sigh........

That's okay though. I realize that this journey of mine is not guaranteed to be easy. There will be great days, not so great days and downright crappy days but as long as I stick to the green beans instead of hot dogs, the rest will sort itself out.

Would you please not do your "Down Dog" in my office?

Now that I've "upped" my yoga practice from twice weekly to daily sessions, I've completely embraced the feeling of the inverted position, otherwise known as the Downward Facing Dog, or Down Dog, for short.

I remember the first time I tried this maneuver, with hands and feet placed wide apart on the ground, posterior facing skyward and head dangling upside down, somewhere in the middle. As the blood rushes to your skull it is supposed to rejuvenate the brain.......I thought my head was going to explode.

This is the "resting position" in yoga, like a dog stretching after a good nap. Ha! Just let me go lay down on a bed of nails, I thought. It's not the easiest thing in the world, trying to breathe as your head throbs and your eyeballs bulge.

As with anything, it gets easier with practice and I now feel incomplete unless I "invert" myself numerous times throughout the day. The stretch on the muscles is incredible. It improves posture, balance and I swear that I think more clearly when I give the blood a chance to circulate through my little grey cells.

I will, however, have to be a little more careful about my "down dog" practice location. My husband finds it a bit difficult to carry on a serious conversation with me when I spontaneously strike a pose during office hours.

Quick update....another week, another 1 and 1/2 pounds.....total 5 pounds! Woo hooooo!

Behavioral Objectives

In my past life, when I was a teacher of the Hearing Impaired, one of the mandatory tasks required at the beginning of each new year was the writing of individual educational plans (IEP) for each student under my tutelage. One can't successfully reach a goal without detailing a step by step plan.

First of all, you may ask.....what IS your goal?

.......to strengthen all the muscles necessary which will enable me to bend over, squat, lift, carry.....and basically "do" any task applicable to the grape harvesting process.....as well as lifting a few glasses in celebration.

And how will you go about fulfilling this goal?

.......increase my twice weekly yoga practice to daily sessions, either at the "Y" or at home with my DVDs

....... add resistance weights to strengthen muscles....twice a week by using my hand weights at home, my elastic bands or the weight equipment at the "Y"

.......healthier eating habits.....eliminate all but the natural sugars that are in fruits.......severely limiting my intake of flour, potato and white rice products........no alcohol, at least until I get to France next month during a "mini" trip...........ramping up my intake of organic veg and fruit.

Well, you get the idea. Fortunately, much of this will not be too foreign to my system since Mark and I rarely eat out and make most of our meals from fresh, organic "food stuffs". I don't drink sodas......haven't in over six years and have mostly curtailed my semi-chocoholic tendancies.........unless I have a really bad day and decide to stuff my face full of Hershey kisses as a sort of compensation for how badly life is treating me at that moment in time.

Losing about 25 pounds wouldn't go amiss either and if I follow my ITP (individual training plan) carefully, I will be able to accomplish my goal in a reasonable amount of time, without dipping into that candy bowl !

Green tea, sashimi and hold the rice

Sticking to a dedicated system while traveling can result in setbacks for those who are not experienced road warriors. Fast forward two days to Phoenix, Arizona, as I take my fitness plan on the road.

This trip had been planned weeks ago, so it was necessary to change my eating habits from home cooked meals to restaurant prepared grub. The downside to restaurant food is that it is generally flavorless but what is even worse is its extraordinarily high fat content, combined with its dubious origins.

Mark and I have made it a point for the past several years to eat organically as much as possible. It's not an easy proposition since many stores do not carry organic products and when they do, the shelves are lined with rubbery, bruised or moldy specimens of fruit and veg, far past their sell dates. Organic products carry a higher price tag but the benefit of pesticide free food far outweighs the drain on the pocketbook. As I always tell Mark, "You pay now or you pay later." He hates it when I say that.

Organic restaurants are few and far between so I usually try to find sushi restaurants when I'm on the road. It is easy to find simply prepared dishes without alot of hidden fats or ingredients. My mouth was watering for some juicy slices of sashimi on this particular day so I headed to "Ra" to satisfy my craving. The thought of eating slabs of raw fish may not appeal to everyone but the creamy, smooth texture of a slice of raw salmon rates high in flavor as well as Omega 3 fatty acids. As a matter of fact, I had such an excellent lunch that I've already made up my mind to come back for more of the same tomorrow!

Even though I'm far from my local gym and our elliptical machine, I can still maintain my exercise regimine using my yoga dvd. There are also no excuses to remain motionless while visiting the desert in the Spring.......except when it decides to rain everyday......can't win them all.

It's NOT all about me........

.......well, maybe just a little bit. Okay, it IS about me. I'm a star in my own universe for these next six months anyway.

Mark is feeling a bit left out. I understand. It does seem like I'm paying an awful lot of attention to my own needs lately......exercising twice a day, only eating "this" and not eating "that", anticipating and planning for my days in the fields. I apologize now and for the next 180 days, give or take a few......but, progress has been made! After this first week of "training" I've shed a whole 3 and 1/2 pounds!

I know that this won't be the norm but for the moment, I've forced my physical self into dropping these pounds through the element of shock. Oh my God!!......what? ....no more Hershey's kisses......slabs of homemade bread lathered with Kerrygold butter...... And what's this with the nonstop exercise?? Surely THIS novelty will wear off as quickly as you can say......"Taco Bueno Combination Burrito"!

I have a surprise for you, my alter ego......since my progress is being followed by millions of readers out there, I have no choice but to follow through with this ambitious, six month sojourn.

So, my fellow supporters, if you believe in me, clap your hands and say, "I believe in fairies". Okay, maybe not fairies.......but you know what I mean. Just give me a "shout out" now and then or lend a sympathetic ear when things get sidetracked. I've still got another 173 days to go.........

We Americans Don't Stand a Chance

While in Phoenix, I stopped by Fry's Electronics to pick up office supplies that obviously couldn't wait until I returned home to Oklahoma. Fry's is the type of store that houses computers, TVs, videos, appliances and more. It is the "more", that is the disturbing part.

Halfway the length of the store, enroute to the thirty some odd checkout stations, is a non avoidable aisle containing a limitless selection of calorie laden, trans fat loaded, sugar saturated candy, junk food and chips.......including one aptly named, "toxic waste".

I was appalled at the blatant display of obesity causing, diabetic inducing items on offer which mascarade as "food" in this country. Af far as the eye could see, on both sides of the aisle, one could pick and choose a diet designed to guarantee illness and a shortened life span. And THIS was in an electronics store!

No surprise then, that the supermarkets always place the healthier forms of sustenance at the back of the store, forcing us to walk past the aisles of sugary fruit juices, plastic encased sweet rolls and boxes of processed hamburger helper.

It has been written that the current generation of children will be the first generation who will NOT outlive their parents, a sad state of affairs in a world that has the technology and know how to make life so much better.

However, it is not my place to lecture, although my husband will tell you differently. I'll step down off my soap box but in doing so, I'll issue a plea to those who can make a difference. Parents, set a good example.....stop feeding your children junk. Take the time to serve real food, something that has actually grown in a field and has not been genetically modified, processed, chemically injected or transformed into something that only resembles food. They will thank you for it by living a longer, happier life. Afterall, we need them around to take care of us in our old age.........okay.....now......where's that box of Krispy Kreme donuts............just kidding.............

Does this chair make my butt look big?

"I've gained eight pounds since last November", I moaned, as I pinched the miniature "love handle" making itself comfortable around my waist. "At this rate I'll gain 24 pounds by year's end."

I hadn't stepped on a scale since I don't know when, so I wasn't completely surprised to see the bar continue its slide to the right as I gently nudged it with my finger. The bar hovered at one hundred and sixty-five pounds and I jumped off the platform before it could change its mind. It appeared that my recent retirement from the friendly skies, combined with my husband's excellent cooking and my current job sitting at a computer for eight hours a day had taken its toll. This system overhall wasn't coming a moment too soon.

The excess weight had disguised itself well since Í am far from vertically challenged. I've always had "skater's thighs", except now there was an extra layer of "textured" insulation blocking the winter's chill. The slight thickening at the waistline would have been cause for concern were it not for the happy fact that I always lose weight there before anywhere else.

I contemplated my plan of attack as I methodically moved from one piece of exercise equipment to the next during my evening at our local "Y". This is serious business but with a little modification of diet, accelerated workouts and support from my family and friends, my chair won't recognize me in six month's time.

A New Direction

Unaware of how my life was about to change, I sat reading the latest e-mail update from Domaine Rouge-Bleu, http://rouge-bleu.com/, the vineyard owned by my friends, Jean-Marc and Kristin Espinasse and their two children.

A call had gone out for additional helpers for the 2010 grape harvest on their 20 acre organic vineyard in Sainte-Cécile-Les-Vignes, a small town north of Marseilles. The opportunity was described as a “unique physical and spiritual experience, requiring good health and no back issues”. Sounded almost like a matchmaking service for body and soul. Hmmmm, did I have what it takes to put myself through 10 non-stop days of hard labor in these French “killing fields”?

From over four thousand miles away, it felt like I was being drawn into another life, not exactly against my own will but perhaps, as others might say, against my better judgement. This is something I'd wanted to do but circumstances had always prevented me from acting. After a quick consultation and "thumbs up" from my husband, Mark, the wheels began to turn rapidly.

When I informed Jean-Marc of my intention to sign on for this gargantuan task, I could sense a bit of reticence on his part. Maybe it was the note that he sent back to me saying.....

Dearest Sandy,

We will hold a seat for you. Please be aware that this is a hard job even if I am sure that you have all the physical capacities to do it. If you change your mind, that is fine. I will let you think about it until the end of the month.

Take care,

Jean-Marc

Was he trying to bolster my confidence or perhaps his own? Well okay, I'm halfway into my 5th decade but I've always been in good shape.....ballet as an adolescent, competitive ice dancing as a young adult. I still hit the gym twice a week for yoga and we do have an ellipical machine at home that I use for my workouts.

I know....who am I trying to convince....him or me?