I’m more concerned that I lost my way with food and exercise a little bit while I was there. I wasn’t too bad, but I certainly didn’t follow all the suggestions I’ve written about here–at least not completely. My eating and exercise weren’t quite up to snuff.

I also got out of the habit of writing on this blog. It’s funny how it doesn’t take too much sometimes to get off track. But I’m back.

The lure of good food and wine did get to me at times. In general, I kept my wits about me, but I must say I also enjoyed myself at times. I gained 3 pounds during the week, but that was a lot better than I have done on other trips to Las Vegas. And I have managed to get a couple of them back off since returning.

I’m glad I wrote my last blog post about Healthy Holiday Articles. I learned some things myself from them. I especially found the article on Quick Workouts for Busy Times useful. I found myself having to fit some quick workouts into some short time frames. A couple of times, I dilly-dallyed about getting ready to go out, and didn’t have time to go for a workout. I was able to fit in a few reps of the five exercises in that article, before heading out on the town. It wasn’t a lot, but at least it was something.

We stayed in a timeshare (the Wyndham Grand Desert) while we there. It’s a couple of blocks back from the Planet Hollywood as seen in this photo.

The Wyndham has a really good fitness room. It has cardio equipment, machines, and free weights. I ran on the treadmill and lifted weights a couple of times while I was there. That made me feel better about all the good food and wine I was eating.

I’ve wanted to beat myself up about this a bit, and I have succeeded to some extent. However, when I think back on it, I don’t believe I really was all that bad. I had a good time, remained aware of what I was doing, and I didn’t really feel deprived. A few years ago, before I got smarter about all of this, this trip would have had a much more disastrous effect on me.

I know I won’t get my $20 back from the slot machines, but I know I am giving back the pounds I gained. I’ve decided that, instead of forgiving myself, I should congratulate myself.

It’s a new year, and like everyone else, I plan to make some improvements in myself. I liked the fact that I got some more workouts done while on vacation. That felt good, so I’m going to do more. I also really want (and need) to get better control over my time and productivity if I want to accomplish everything I want to. I don’t think it’s going to be a major transformation, but more of a getting back to what I know really works for me.

I also thought of several new ideas for blog posts while I was gone. I had hoped to write some of them up, but haven’t done that yet. *sigh* I’ll get to them, though. I’m still working on my transformation to become a real blogger.

So how did you spend your Christmas and New Year’s? Let us know in the comments. Do you have any regrets? If so, can you find a way to forgive yourself and move on? Or, can you congratulate yourself and move on? Either way, the past is past, and we need to keep looking forward and living in the present day.

photo credit: http2007 on flickr

Have you figured out how to handle this feast without paying for it in pounds? I’m not going to kid you. It’s tough, but it can be done.

How I’ve Done It

I used to weigh 240 pounds, until one day I finally realized it was going to kill me and how much it hurt. I’ll tell you more about that in future posts. For now, let’s just try to get through Thanksgiving. These techniques and others helped me lose 100 pounds in 16 months, and they continue to help get me through the holiday season each year. When I was working on losing the weight, I managed to stay exactly the same weight the day after Thanksgiving and continued to lose.

We’ve probably all seen lots of tips on how to avoid overeating on Thanksgiving. I’m not going to repeat them all here. Besides, trying to remember a whole lot of rules, much less actually follow them, can be a recipe for disaster (pardon the pun).

So here are my top 5 tips, along with some warnings:

1. Plan ahead and eat a variety of foods. Don’t deny yourself all your favorites, but make sure you eat appropriate amounts. Eat more of foods that will fill you up with fewer calories.

Warning: Salads and soups can be good for you, but not all of them are. High-fat salad dressings and creamy soups can go right to your waistline.

2. Eat only the foods you really love when eating high-calorie items. I use this same rule when I go on cruises. Make sure you do eat the more healthful foods, such as white-meat turkey and steamed vegetables. Eat a tiny sliver of pumpkin pie for dessert, if you need one. Savor the taste of every bite.

Warning: Don’t use this as an excuse to fill up only on the high-calorie items like chips and pecan pie.

3. Follow the “one-plate rule.” This one has been the most important tip for me. It’s also the easiest tip to follow, because it’s really simple. I take a medium-sized dinner plate (not a small one, like some people say) and fill it with food following the guidelines above. Then I don’t go back again. That’s it.

I find that I get in the most trouble when I say I’ll just get one more bite of this or that. The next thing I know, I’ve filled my plate up again, usually with things I don’t really want all that much.

Warning: Fill your plate, but don’t put a huge pile on it. That’s defeating the whole purpose.

4. Drink as much water as you can. Turkey and other Thanksgiving foods tend to be high in sodium. Water helps flush that out, so you can cut down on that bloated, puffy feeling you can get. It also has the added benefits of keeping your hands and mouth occupied. Some say it helps fill you up, too. To be honest, I’m not so sure of that, but it certainly can’t hurt.

Warning: I can’t really think of any warnings needed for this. Drinking water is always a good thing.

5. Get some exercise. Go for a walk or run. Enjoy the outdoors. If you’re up for a bit more of a challenge, try a “turkey trot” in the morning. These are low-key, friendly races. Although you can find some longer ones, most of them are 5 kilometers long (3.1 miles), and you can walk or run. Many of them also have 1-mile “fun walks” with no competition pressure at all. Many of my friends have had a great time doing these with their kids.

After eating, consider playing football instead of watching it. Record the game and watch it later if you must. Besides the health benefits, you can skip all the annoying commercials.

Warning: Don’t assume that you can eat as much as you want, just because you got a little exercise. Check out the calorie calculator I mentioned above to see how much exercise you might really need.

Helpful Calculators

This fun and simple Thanksgiving calorie calculator will estimate total calories for you and tell you how far you would have to walk to burn the same number of calories. It can be very eye-opening.

The calculators for food calories and calories burned at CaloriesPerHour.com are my favorites for helping me plan and track what I’m eating and doing.

Closing Thoughts

In summary, embrace Thanksgiving and don’t be afraid of it. Just remember these simple rules, enjoy your family and friends, and keep everything in moderation. You’ll feel better both physically and emotionally.

You can also follow these tips in other situations, such as parties and vacations. I’ve even gotten through those notorious food-laden cruises without too much damage to my waistline, by following these simple rules.

Let me know how you do. Do you have any other tips that have worked particularly well for you?

Robyn

photo by LarimdaME on flickr

Oh my gosh! How did that happen? I hardly knew what to do. Think! Breathe!

OK, now what? First, leave a comment on her blog to tell her how flabbergasted I am. Second, finally write and publish my first real blog post — something other than “Hello World!” and “This is a test comment.”

Try breathing again. Go back and read it one more time.

During WordCamp Phoenix and PodCampAZ, I shared with my audience that I was too excited to just be “this close” to the one man who completely changed my life when it came to writing, actually helping me become a professional writer. Robyn Seaton stepped up to my challenge and connected me with the master himself. This is just one more amazing reason why I love WordPress and WordCamps!

In the next few days, I hope to connect with Alan Dean Foster and tell him thank you and hug him. Hopefully, I’ll also get time to interview him.

via Dreams Can Come True: Meeting Alan Dean Foster « Lorelle on WordPress.

A Wonderful Weekend

Back up. How did I get here?

I had a wonderful weekend attending two events here in Phoenix. I spent all day Friday at WordCamp – well worth taking a day off from work for. On Saturday and Sunday, I went to the “relevant media unconference” known as podcampaz, where I attended lots of sessions on lots of topics. I wish I could have cloned myself and gone to more.

Both events were filled with the nicest and most helpful people I could imagine. It was like being invited to a big family gathering, except there weren’t any obnoxious cousins there to spoil the fun.

The opening speaker at WordCamp was Lorelle VanFossen. I’ve been reading her WordPress blog WordPress blog for a while. I loved her presentation. She was fun, full of information, and obviously very happy to spread the word about the wonder that is WordPress.

After her talk, I bought a copy of Lorelle’s Blogging Tips book. She signed it and wrote “Blog your passion.” That struck home. It’s really a wonderful book with a lot of good advice, and I know I’ll refer to it often.

I attended a couple of sessions at podcampaz that Lorelle spoke at. In one, called WordPress 201, we talked about planning your blog (Who am I blogging for? What approach am I taking? What am I going to write about?). When talking about organizing a blog using categories and tags, she used Star Trek as an example subject for a blog, something most people can relate to.

On a Quest

WordPress 201 was so good that a few of us stayed on, missing the next session altogether. Since we were talking about Star Trek, someone mentioned Alan Dean Foster’s name (he’s written several books based on Star Trek movies). Lorelle’s whole face and body lit up, and she told us how she would do anything to meet him someday. Did any of us know him and could introduce her? “He lives near Tucson, only a couple of hours away,” someone said. “You should look him up.”

“Oh, no. He travels all over the world, so I’m sure he’s not there. Besides I have to go to Prescott Valley for a few days to visit family. That’s north of Phoenix, in the other direction.”

Her passion and excitement were infectious. I decided to take it on as a challenge. Could I get this to happen somehow? At the after-event party, I prodded Lorelle to look for him. No go. We tweeted about it on Twitter the next day. Still no go.

I decided to go on a quest. The Internet is a wonderful thing. Google “Alan Dean Foster.” Hey, he has a website! Check out his bio there. Hey, he lives in Prescott! That’s right down the road from Prescott Valley, where Lorelle was going. Hey, Lorelle!

She mails me back, I might not be able to stand being THAT close to him and not meet him, but then, he’s rarely home as he travels the world. I really dream of one day getting on a plane or pausing to chat with a stranger and finding out I’m talking to Alan Dean Foster. What I would give….maybe some day.

More research. Check out his monthly update page. October 2 – He’s competing in Las Vegas at a powerlifting event in mid-October. (How cool is that?) November 1 – He seems to be on a roll with a couple of his latest books, and he posted photos from his “last” journey. I’ll bet he’s at home! His e-mail address is right on the front page of his website. Hey, Lorelle, you should e-mail him!

No response. She must be busy visiting with her family.

I can’t let this go now. The Universe couldn’t possibly have aligned itself any better. It would be unforgivable to ignore it. It’s late at night, and I tend to get a little more reckless then. I know it’s much easier to recommend someone else than yourself. So…

I write to Alan Dean Foster myself and tell him about her. I’m not going to tell her I did that, in case it doesn’t work out. I hope she won’t be mad at me.

Success!

The next morning I get a mail back from him saying he will contact her. I see a tweet from her saying that he had mailed her. They’re actually going to meet on Saturday. I’m sure you can read the rest of her story on her blog.

I think I’m almost as excited for her as she is. I feel all warm and fuzzy knowing that I played a part in fulfilling someone’s dream. As it turns out, it wasn’t all that hard to do after all. It makes me believe that maybe some of my own dreams can come true someday, too.

Thanks, Lorelle, for finally pushing me all the way into the world of blogging. I’m going to do my best to follow in your footsteps and “blog my passion.”

P.S. I learned how to use Press This to start this post. Another small step in my blogging journey.

girl photo by Tetsumo on flickr
map photo by KimmerKC on flickr