Happy New Year

Happy New Year Everyone!

I gave up on this blog for a while because I thought it was lame and figured no one would read it. After almost 1 year I decided to review it again. I have over 11,000 page views! What? Who is reading this? Please let me know who you are and if you want me to continue this blog. I don't think I have anything exciting to share. Basically I spent the day cleaning my house and walking my dogs.

Do you want to know how many calories you burn by cleaning house? Check out this site: http://www.fitday.com/webfit/exerciseinfopage.html

I probably burned at least 500 calories today just from cleaning. Not bad!

Too Busy Getting Fit (Wii Fit) to Post

I got another new fitness toy last weekend. Last Saturday I went to Target and asked about the Wii Fit. They were out but said they would get a shipment on Sunday. I went back Sunday morning and snagged one. I brought it home and gave it to Chase for his birthday. I've been playing it a lot more than him though. The Wii Fit is very addicting. It has several exercises/games that last around 1 to 5 minutes each. The more you play the more exercises you can unlock. The exercises include yoga, strength, aerobics, and balance. In the first week I've pretty much unlocked all the games. There are two more strength challenges I haven't unlocked and some advanced/expert levels I haven't reached yet. Wii Fit seems to focus more on balance and strength than on cardio. So far the only game that makes me sweat is the long run. I don't know how fit this toy will make me but it's probably better than sitting on the couch.

Weekly Workout Stats 1/11-1/17

Sun: 4.5 mile hike
Mon: Step Sculpt Class
Tues: Off
Wed: Step and Abs Class
Thurs: Body Works Class
Fri: Step Circuit Class
Sat: Step and Abs Class AM, 4 mile walk PM

Favorite Food Finds of the Week

Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches
The Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches are available in 6 Low Fat flavors and 1 No Sugar Added variety. I got the mint ice cream sandwiched between two chocolate cookies. These are delicious and only 140 calories per sandwich!

Special K Crackers
Available in Italian Tomato and Herb and Multi Grain. I tried the Multi Grain crackers. 17 crackers are only 90 calories. The crackers are smaller than I was hoping but still a good calories per content ratio. These crackers were delicious with my homemade Hummus.

Sugar Free Jello
Sugar Free Jello This is a great snack or dessert when you are craving something sweet but you don't want the calories. This little treasure only has 10 calories per serving! I try to keep some in the fridge at all times.

South Mountain Hike

South Mountain Park is the largest municipal park in the country. The park has several moderate to difficult trails and one very difficult trail. There are a few easy interpretive trails too. Today my husband, his friend, and I decided to hike at South Mountain Park. We selected a route that is part of the National Trail, the longest trail in the park. The entire National Trail is 14 miles long but our route was 4.5 miles. This is considered a moderate to difficult trail. Our route (the purple line on the map) started at Buena Vista Lookout.

We headed west to Fat Man's Pass (also known as "The Tiki Bar" I will explain later), which is where two large boulders come together along the trail leaving a small gap for hikers to pass through. It is a tight squeeze but do-able if you take off your pack and wiggle your way through. I am claustrophobic so I chose to go around. My husband and his friend walked through with no problems. Unfortunantely I forgot to take pictures of Fat Man's Pass. Then we walked around to the Natural Tunnel. On the way we slid down several slick rocks. It was fun but a little scary. The Natural Tunnel was neat. It was nice and cool inside and easy to walk through without feeling claustrophobic.

After completing the loop we traced back our steps East on the National Trail. On the way back several hikers heading West asked us how far to Fat Man's Pass (apparently a popular attraction at the park). Since I had on my Garmin Forerunner I could tell them exactly how far. One particular hiker, who was almost out of breath as he walked by us, asked how far to the "Tiki Bar". I don't recall seeing a Tiki Bar along the trail, although it would have been nice, so I think he was referring to Fat Man's Pass too. It was a great day for hiking one of my favorite trails in Arizona. If you do this route I recommend going early because parking is sparce.

Weekly Workout Stats 1/4-1/10

Sun: 3 mile run/walk, 3 mile walk
Mon: Step Sculpt Class
Tues: 2 mile walk
Wed: Step and Abs Class
Thurs: Off
Fri: Step and Abs Class AM, Step Circuit Class PM
Sat: Step and Abs Class AM, 3 mile run/walk PM

Well Balanced Nutrition in a Bowl

The last few weeks I have been avoiding restaurant food because I know it is one of my weaknesses. Meal portions at restaurants seem to be getting bigger and bigger. After reading the book Eat This Not That I wonder if something I order at a restaurant that seems healthy like a salad is really packed with 1200 calories or more and lots of fat. What is the point of eating a salad? I might as well get the double cheese burger, chili cheese fries, and chocolate shake. Healthy restaurant food is becoming an oxymoron. You can still find some diamonds in the rough though. One of my favorite cuisines is Vietnamese. You can order just about anything on the menu and feel good about what you are eating. Most dishes come with lots of fresh vegetables, herbs, and spices. It is balanced with a reasonable portion of protein and rice or rice noodles. The cooking methods, including grilling, stir frying, boiling, and steaming, are lower in fat. Some days after working 10 hours straight and squeezing in a session at the gym I really don't want to come home and cook dinner, but I don't want to fight typical restaurant temptations either. Vietnamese cuisine is a great solution!