Back in the Low Carb Saddle Again !

Back in the Saddle Again !!

Hi ! I'm home, well-rested. Back and ready to attack the low-carb world out there.

Vacation was really nice. I went to the height of 14,000 ft. on Mt. Evans and got stuck at NASA Space Center in Houston because our tram was run on propane. Guess we NEVER know where we'll end up sometimes ??

Which brings me back to low-carbin and exercise. I exercised ever day while I was on vacation. The Hampton Inn has slogans in the gyms, to brighten up your workout :



One thing I found out while traveling is that you need to be prepared. Not every hotel gym comes with free weights. Out in the middle of nowhere (like I was when traveling half of the time) .. Les Mills programs were not offered at the local gyms, or the Anytime Fitness gyms. It makes me REALLY appreciate the programs my Anytime Fitness offers !

I only had two cheat days. One for pasta, and the other for chicken cheese quesadillas. My workout and persistence in eating low carb paid off ! I did not gain any weight !! Yeah for me !

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Back into the workout regimen. Had two great Bodypump classes and one RPM class this week. Since I kept up the strength training while traveling, I felt comfortable with that. What kicked my butt was the RPM (spinning) class. WOW, muscles I had not used suddenly and slowly started working again... and again...

I woke up Thursday morning feeling every muscle in my body aching... like I had the flu...took some Ibuprofen ... hours later only to realize that is HOW I am supposed to feel after a workout.. lol.

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Now, it's time to get back into the swing of things ! Eating correctly, exercising, and RECOVERING... (thanks Darrell for reminding me of that !).

Blast off fat (way) faster !

The healthy living section of Yahoo 'Shine has some great advice on how to Blast off fat (way) faster. ENJOY !


Blast off Fat (way) Faster !!



By Myatt Murphy

Tired of plugging away at the gym without seeing the pounds disappear? We found simple tricks that will transform your usual regimen into the ultimate fat-blasting routine. Whether you use just two of these strategies or all seven, our insider tips will help you get the calorie-burn you deserve.

1. Know this: “You’ll be able to comfortably work out longer and harder if you’re cool,” says Len Kravitz, PhD, coordinator of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. “Being too hot stresses your body out, so you don’t perform as well.” Translation: You burn less fat.

Do this: When exercising at home, put a fan in front of your workout area. Hitting the gym? Wait to use the treadmill that has a fan built into the console.


2. Know this: “Wearing a heart-rate monitor makes it easier to burn more body fat by showing just how hard you’re really working,” Kravitz says. “Keeping your heart rate in the right zone prevents you from slacking off, so you make the most of every minute.”

Do this: Invest in a heart-rate monitor and wear it every time you exercise. We love Life Fitness’s new Dual Watch and Heart Rate Monitor ($60; at CVS stores nationwide). It’s simple to program and use. It doesn’t require an uncomfortable chest strap—just touch the face with your fingertips. And it comes in a variety of sizes too.

3. Know this: “Warming up for five minutes before each workout helps you lose more weight,” says Heather Dillinger, an IDEA Health and Fitness Association elite-level personal-fitness trainer. “It not only makes your muscles more pliable but also increases their range of motion, so you end up using more muscle fibers as you exercise.”

Do this: Choose a warm-up routine that hits all of your muscles, not just your legs. The easiest option: Do three to five minutes of low-intensity walking while pumping your arms back and forth.



4. Know this: “Saving your energy for the end of your cardio workout may prevent you from losing as much weight as you can,” says metabolism expert Dixie Stanforth, of the department of kinesiology and health education at the University of Texas at Austin.

Do this: Instead of starting out slow and then finishing up strong, do your high-intensity cardio early in your workout. After doing your warm-up, try exercising at a high intensity for 15 minutes before slowing down to a more moderate pace for the last 15 minutes.



5. Know this: “Two smaller workouts can be more effective than one,” Stanforth reveals. That’s because every time you do high-intensity exercise, your metabolism stays revved for an hour or more afterward. Splitting up your workout boosts your metabolism twice, giving you additional calorie-burning time from the exact same routine.

Do this: Divide your workout into two smaller, high-intensity sessions—preferably, doing one in the morning and one at night.


6. Know this: If you’re convinced that you’re melting fat while exercising, you’ll make a mind-body connection that will actually help you lose fat faster, Dillinger explains. In a 2007 Harvard study, participants who believed they were getting a good workout showed greater reductions in body fat than subjects who performed the same activities but didn’t feel like they were really exercising.

Do this: The next time you do anything active, remind yourself every few minutes that you’re giving it your all. This little mental move may motivate you to push yourself harder, leading to even greater fat loss.


7. Know this: “The less time you rest between sets when strength training, the more calories you’re likely to burn,” Dillinger notes. “Keeping rest periods short keeps your heart rate at a higher rate, which naturally increases the number of calories you’re using.”

Do this: The best rule of thumb is to take only a 30-second break between sets (meaning you’ll need a watch with a second hand). .
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Going on a Low Carb "Cruise" !!

(Blogging tonite from Abeline, TX)

I'm one of those "Type A" New Orleanian, whose life seems scheduled to the max ! I teach, run the kid to baseball, church, find time for Body Pump, Body Flow and RPM.. etc. I've learned, especially during this last month the irreplaceable value of quieting the body and mind. The question is : How can I fit relaxation into my everyday life ?

I got some great advice from talking to my friend, Darrell. He mentioned that I have to make a conscious choice to step back and RELAX... So, I decided to go on a 'low carb cruise !!"

My cruise does not happen on a ship. It can happen ANYWHERE !

Mine happens to be on my sofa. I take my favorite things : books, yoga magazine, and music, lie down and SINK for a while.. It readjusts ME, and allows ME to allocate the time that I truly deserve. I also like to call this my "Recovery Time."

This "low-carb cruise" restores the mind and body - releases the tension, thus allowing me to breathe deeper and develop a renewed awareness to my energy. It is a conscious effort, and therefore, renews my energy by creating an openness in my body and a calmness in my central nervous system. This way, you can create the conditions for TRUE relaxation to happen. This is what it's all about.. ME TIME. It is a powerful antidote to the state of stress many of us live with on a daily basis. I WAS that person !

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Just let it go ! Now you are on the cruise.. Give yourself some time to settle in and make the adjustments you need to get yourself in this state of harmony. It is so easy, yet So difficult. I am reminded often that it takes more effort to relax than it does to exercise ! Find contentment and think about what this low carb cruise can do for you. With the right mind and rested body (recovery stage), you will tend to feel and think So much better ! You will become aware of your breathing and learn how it truly feels to relax and the true value of self-care. I think that's what Darrell meant he recommended stepping back and making a conscious effort to RELAX. Hey .. I think I got this now :)

Sometimes the best thing we can do for ourselves is to stop overextending, to stop being goal oriented, and thinking we have to take care of everything 'right now.' Like tonite, I let the laundry at the hotel do its own thing in the machine, while I put my feet in the hot tub and enjoyed myself. I looked UP at the beautiful crescent moon in the twilight of the evening sky. I am beginning to notice things around me, sights , like the electric generating wind turbines..

I find that once you have reached the point of finding the true value of your 'low carb cruise'.. you will reengage with life and be more efficient and happier too. It's never about attaining goals. It's about taking whatever life seems to be throwing at you and handling it without resistance.

After your 'low carb cruise' has ended, don't forget what you have experienced ! Remember how you felt and relaunch your relaxed state of mind whenever you need. =)

Low Carbin' In Colorado and New Mexico

After a nice breakfast at our hotel of eggs and ham omlette, wheat toast and a tablespoon of jelly... today's journey found us traveling to the Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum. Its a quaint place located at the Pueblo Municipal Airport.

SAVING AIR HISTORY: This is the motto of the Pueblo Historical Aircraft Society, which manages the Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum for the City of Pueblo. Located on Magnuson Avenue just south of the Pueblo Airport, the museum houses more than a dozen aircraft dating to World War II, including the huge B-29, "Peachy". Outside are thirteen additional planes, which will be moved into a second 30,000 square- foot museum hangar when its construction is completed this fall.

Very interesting an unique place to visit. We had our own personal tour guide, and was told that Saturday was a 'slow' day, so be sure to visit on that day !

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We planned on visiting Pike's Peak, but the roadway was closed due to snowfall in the higer peaks.

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We drove onward to a town called http://taoswebb.com/ Taos, NM. Lots of art and galleries.. Starving artists and hippies are supposed to make up the clientele here...
We decided to pass on because we were pressed for time, but it looked like a nice place to come back to visit.

Our final destination of the evening brought us to Santa Fe. Such a confusing place ! All of the store signs are limited to a height of 15 feet. All of the buildings are stucco like and a tanish-brown color.. Everything blends into everything else. No signs are visible to the eye.. unless you happen to spot it from road and by that time you've passed up the place ! We are in a nice hotel, but it is longer than wide and next to a trailer park.. The elevator is 85 yards from the hotel room. Go figure. Rule of thumb, next time drive on to Albuquerque !! This afternoon, I ended up finding a chicken salad at a little place near the motel..

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I was able to work out for one hour this morning at the hotel... tomorrow we'll drive onto Albuquerque so stay tuned !

Low Carbin' through Colorado !!

Today : we ventured to Rocky Mountain National Park - the road was blocked because of the snow in the higher elevation. Not to be thwarted by this onset of road conditions, we ventured to :

Idaho Springs - Mount Evans - the highest paved road in North America ! Mount Evans is the road into the sky. Drive from 8,700 feet at Idaho Spring where you turn off Interstate 70 to 14,240 feet to the summit, and you will pass through 3 life zones, passing ancient trees, lakes and forest to the land above timberline. It can be 90 degrees in Denver and 40 degrees at the top of Mount Evans. Mountain Goats and Bighorn Sheep will greet you as you climb to the top of the world.

Driving this stretch of road is like a scene from Ice Road Truckers in India ! It cost $10 to go up this road, (or as my 12 year old puts it : "The side of cliffs !). My husband said it was like $10 worth of pure hell. I saw his knuckles turn white as we ventured up the winding roads to the summit. It was breathtaking, beautiful and bewildering all at the same time. Like some insane joyride. Venture if you dare :)

I was a very hungry gal today ! I ate pasta at one of the roadside grills.. and in the evening we ended up driving to Colorado Springs, CO. We ate ate Buffalo Wild Wings. I ate the Chicken Quesadillas..

We are at a very nice hotel.. Weight room is great. I worked out for an hour lifting weights, and did cardio on the cross country elliptical.. for about 40 minutes.

I concluded the evening with a little down time for myself. I sat out on the veranda by the pool, noticing the ever changing colors of the sky and the landscape and just breathing the mountain air makes it ALL worthwhile !!

Low Carbin' through KS and Colorado !

Hi ! My hat lands in Firestone, Colorado, just outside of Pikes Peak. We plan to head up the mountain in our truck tomorrow.

Today was a much better day for me. I found out something very important.. I NEED and MUST exercise in order to burn off all of the extra sugars I consume. I was SO lazy yesterday, I did sleep in the truck part of the way.. I know I was not feeling well, but it hit me today just how important exercise is when low carbin it on the road.

I had a very nutritious breakfast at our hotel in Liberal, KS. Cheese omelet, and sausage. Quite delicious! Also had a very nice gym with free weights. I made use of it, worked out for an hour, and noticed how GREAT I felt after exercising. I keep wondering why nobody else exercises at 6 in the morning like I do LOL... I'm still on the 'mom' school time when getting the kid off to school. I have to keep MYSELF in shape, especially when on the road.

We journeyed through Kansas today. As my earlier post stated.. I was actually blogging it from my phone with an 'update'.. something I had never done before.. Expansive cattle everywhere as far the eyes could see. They fatten them up just to sell them... made a wonderful brownish color on the landscape. Kansas is a lot of wind, dust and well a lot of nothing lol.. The Liberal Air Museum was the highlight of the morning.

We traveled onward to Colorado. You kinda have to sneak into the Denver area to get the real feel of the Rockies, they poke out of the earth magnificently. From my hotel room, I could see the snow on top of the mountain ! Hope to have pictures tomorrow.

For supper tonite... I had grilled chicken AND some chili with beans.. hmm weird combination, I gather. The pork and beans in the chili was kinda on a downside as I was expecting red beans.. lol.

I think the weather will be cooler tomorrow. Will keep you posted !

Just left Liberal, KS... NICE visit to the Liberal Air Museum. 5th largest in the country. Stopped in Garden City to eat. Had a chef salad.. Some interesting chips..garden tomato and basil. Very unique blend indeed.. Passing through Garden City and Friend KS now. LOTS of stockyarda filled with cows... They become part of the landscape there are so many..thousand and thousands .. Miles of cattle as far as the eye could see... Keepin on Truckin IIII

Low Carbin' through TX, OK, and KS

Hi ~ I'm located in a region of the country that is over 2800 feet in elevation ! and Dorothy doesn't live here anymore ! Yep, you guessed it, Liberal Kansas. We are here to visit the Mid America Air Museum... The largest helium plant in the world is here - National Helium is also located here. Temperatures have been hot.. throughout Texas and OK.. nothing has changed since we arrived in Kansas !

This morning I awoke early, ready to go downstairs to the 'hotel breakfast' to see what they had.. The usual high carb, stuff. So, I settled on some fresh fruit and a slice of wheat toast with grape jelly.

We started the day 'antiquin' in Forney, TX. We visited the antique shops there. Deridder Antiques will take you an entire day to visit it. It's hard to miss from Hwy 80. The Blues Brothers life-sized statues greet you at the front door. This place is like a movie lot / antique store gone WILD.. There is over 40,000 square footage to devour. Once you are there for a while you eyes start to get criss crossed... There is THAT much stuff.

One word of warning though.. : If you are prone to nasal allergies, dust, allergens, etc.. I HIGHLY recommend you takin a Zyrtec BEORE going inside ! The place is NOT air conditioned, and the last time they probably dusted was well, what year was that ?? I suffered from allergies after we got out late in the afternoon... and suffered miserably for the reminder of the day. Good thing we were travelin a lot today... I got to sleep some of it off.

We visited Burns Flat and Altus, OK. My husband was born in Altus (Air Force Base), and raised in the area until he was in the 4th grade before moving to Louisiana. Lake Lugert was also nice...

We stopped to eat at a local Dairy Queen along the way out. I was searching for the chicken in my chicken salad. Highly over priced. Good thing I brought an extra hamburger patty to supplement the meal.

We drove and drove and drove... until just rolling into Liberal an hour or so ago. Made lots of tracks because along the route, No Where to stay.. Hotels are only in the BIG cities, excuse me ? lol.. Not much to see but the land was different... the winds are strong here. 80% chance of rain tonight.. BIG temp change as we rolled in. Kansas is flat... and breezy and HOT.. I'll let you know how things turn out tomorrow.

As far as exercise goes, I was only able to workout by riding on the stationary bike for 20 minutes before we headed out this morn.

Top 10 Road Trip Snacks

Top 10 Road Trip Snacks

Weightwatchers.com has an interesting article on the Top Ten Road trip Snacks that I thought you would enjoy reading !

Top 10 Road Trip Snacks


Article By: Jennifer S. Lazarus


Hitting the road? Keep your nosh healthy and light with our tips.



Summer means road trips to the cottage, the lake, and other vacation destinations. Don't let road-trip weight-loss anxiety get in the way of your summer fun. Instead, read our tips for the best road trip snacks suited for any kind of travel.

Whether you're traveling alone, with your significant other, or the kids, these snack ideas are designed for easy access, and most importantly, to steer you away from fast food stops along the way.

We suggest you bring along a small cooler to keep your healthy snacks fresher for longer.

If you're driving alone

Driving alone can be a cathartic experience, especially with the windows down, the wind blowing through your hair, and your favorite music blaring. To make the trip even better, come prepared with these easily accessible snacks that don't require help from someone in the passenger seat.
•Grape tomatoes: Actually a fruit, these miniature tomatoes, when ripe, make a delicious snack. This is a no-mess, grab-and-go snack, and one you can reach your hand in the bag for over and over.


•Quaker® Quakes: These delicious snacks come in a variety of flavours and can satisfy even the most stubborn sweet or salty craving.


•Summer berries are in abundance: Throw together blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, or any mix of berries in a plastic container. This snack can get messy, so unless you've got a bunch of napkins tucked away in your glove compartment, leave this one for the rest stop.

If you're with that special someone

Sometimes it can be hard when you're traveling with your significant other, and they are looking forward to all the high PointsPlus™ values foods they are going to indulge in on the road. Fear not! As your loved one dives into a bag of fries, you are armed with a bag of popcorn sprinkled with Parmesan cheese or chili pepper flakes. And when you inevitably end up at the drive-thru window, you can either sink your teeth into a delicious sandwich you made or make a smart choice from the menu. Whatever you do, remember to spin the situation positively, and when it's time for you to eat your healthy snacks, the extra pair of hands will help you open your yogurt or pull the plastic wrapper off your string cheese. Here are some ideas.

•Popcorn sprinkled with low-fat Parmesan cheese or hot chili peppers.


•Open the lid of your yogurt and toss in some crushed cereal or granola for a little extra crunch. This will give you a solid dose of calcium, and although a little more challenging to eat in the car, you can make it work by placing the yogurt in your cup holder.


•Cheese and crackers: Decorate some whole wheat crackers with your favorite low-fat cheese, and portion them out in plastic bags for easy access. You can use string cheese and snack on it by itself too!

If you're with the family

You can prepare these snacks in bulk to pass around the car and share with the whole family. These foods are sure to keep the kids happy so they don't start asking to visit the nearest fast food drive-thru window.
•Core an apple and cut it into pieces. Throw it in a plastic container. Bring along a jar of peanut butter, and a plastic knife. If you're not driving, spread peanut butter onto the apple pieces and enjoy! This is one for the whole family.


•Mini pita snackwiches. Hummus is full of protein and can help keep your hunger at bay until you reach your destination. Put some between mini pitas. These mini hummus sandwiches make the perfect portable snack that the kids will love too!

If you're with someone you don't know well

If you're grabbing a ride with a friend of a friend, or giving someone you don't know very well a lift to your destination, you might consider bringing along snacks that won't create crumbs (if it's the other person's car) and that you can easily share with them as a nice gesture (don't forget to pack a little extra). If you're worried the other person is going to stop at fast food restaurants along the way, you can pack yourself some portable main meals too. Also, packing foods with more neutral ingredients will minimize the possibility of strong smells filling up the car.

•Try our Hot Pepper Pretzels – a perfect snack to tote along with you wherever you go! You can bring several plastic baggies, each containing one portion size.


•Meringue cookies: These light cookies made from egg whites and sugar make a delicious low PointsPlus value sweet craving satisfier. You can get the store bought ones, or follow any recipe. Try our Chocolate Meringue Cookies recipe.

Happy snacking, and bon voyage!