Of Women, Wine and Weight Loss

Sophia says, "eat, drink and be merry,  mia amore!"

I am a fitness trainer. I am a woman.  I am a mother.  I am a wife.  I am a sister, a daughter, grand-daughter, niece, aunt, a friend, associate, acquaintance.  I am a an artist and a writer.  I am many things and not defined any one of them.

"What am I doing here?"

Many times I have been in the grocery store, shopping for my family, and my cart will bump into another belonging to a client or a student from my fitness class.  Their eyes dart to my cart to sleuth out my weaknesses.

She asked for it!

Before my boys went away to college, I may have had a frozen pizza or a bag of chips in my cart.  I may have had a bottle or two of wine.  I am sure I had half and half; it's all I'll use in my morning coffee.  It seems they find pleasure in inspecting what is in my cart like I'm up for public scrutiny; I do not get the same 'privacy policies' as the rest.

Yes, I've bought these,  and worse, for my kids.  

"You let your kids eat frozen pizza?"  "I didn't know you ate fat?" "I thought dairy was bad for you."  "So, you drink wine, huh?" "Why do you eat meat?"  "Is that for you?"

Can we live without wine and chocolate?

I am a human being.  Yes, I eat fat and dairy as well as white fluffy carbs.   And I enjoy a Martini.

NO THANKS!

I am a fitness trainer, yet do not hang out with many in my trade.  They can bore me to tears.  "Join our 'Runner's Club!'"  "I'm having a potluck.  Can you bring the edamame?"

I run all the time, thank you very much!  I run when I need to get somewhere quickly, but I prefer to walk fast.  Hit the gym?  I'd rather clean my windows so I can clearly see the beautiful countryside that surrounds me.

Can we play, now?

I have a lot of energy and use it for purpose or fun.  And, I understand the importance of having prescriptive exercise; exercise that creates balanced muscle and strength as well as cardiovascular health. This kind of exercise can be achieved in as little as fifteen minutes a day.  You simply have to know what prescriptive exercises your body requires to keep progressing and/ or maintaining it's youthful abilities.

They 

are  beautiful.

I think of the fifty year old (plus) and exceptionally youthful, beautiful women I know and have known.  Most do not spend a second in a gym and they drink wine.  And eat fat.  And may even have a cigarette at a party.  They live life on their terms, with a sense of youthful abandon mixed with educated choices.

To them I say, "You are Bodeci, Il mia amore!'

My 14,000 Calorie Surplus

Since my sons have been in and out of my home throughout the summer, I have put on about four pounds.  Those pounds snuck up on me it seemed overnight!  I've had to take a good look as to what I've been doing to deserve this newly stored 14,000 extra calories!  I needed to investigate!

Jordan with Tickles and Rocky

  Let's see, I made them their favorite dinners (last night it was mashed potatoes and gravy and I'll be darned if I'm going to scrimp on the ingredients) a few nights a week and they've had "their" food clogging my fridge and cupboards.  (What's the big deal if I have one small bowl of Cocoa Puffs before bed?)

My overstuffed, junk filled fridge

But, I can't blame it all on them.  As I made one of my typical breakfasts the other morning, I actually looked hard at what I assumed was a teaspoon of peanut butter on the knife poised atop my toast.  I tried to measure it by site then decided to use a measuring spoon.  I was nearly dead on!  But, once I'd finished preparing my toast, I automatically put the knife back into the jar to do my usual  knife dip; that extra lick from the knife before putting the jar away.  I decided to measure my dip.  It was a full teaspoon or more!  OK, it's only thirty five or so calories, but, on a grander scale, it becomes a pound of fat after swallowing the hundredth knife scoop.  What if I didn't do my "knife dip" and instead put the jar away?

Gian made dinner one night.  He told me he was making chicken burritos.  White tortillas, 210 calories; refried beans, 190 calories; avocado slices, 100 calories; plop of sour cream, 70 calories; chicken breast, 90 calories.  (I added fresh vegetables to mine, just for kicks.)

Later in the day, while I made my lunch,  I mindlessly went to the kid's stash, ready to nibble on a few tortilla chips while heating my soup.  It occurred to me that if I simply did not do those little extra nibbles, I could lop off approximately one hundred or more calories.  Hmmm...I'm beginning to see a pattern!

The yummy zucchini bread Cathy made me.  I finally learned to enjoy one slice, not two or more!

A multitude of studies have found that, on average, normal weight people underestimate their daily caloric intake by about 20% and obese people underestimate by 30 - 40%.  Quite a few underestimate up to 50% or more!  (Even those who walk around with their trusty calorie counter will underestimate the amount of calories they consume.)  That said, it is no wonder why so many fitness professionals ask their clients to measure and weigh portions as well as keep an accurate food journal for at least three weeks.  The more aware one is, the less likely they will underestimate, with such glaring disparity, what they put into their mouth.

I've gained a few pounds and I am again mindful to what I am eating and drinking.  I am not going to diet because every time I have ever thought about dieting, I get all weird and start thinking about food compulsively.  Yuck!  No way!  Nope, it's the 10, 100, 5 rule for me.  Bye bye, four pounds!  I'll let you know next Wednesday how it's going!

GianPaolo and his Kirby

Oh, and bye bye Gian!  I am getting him up in a few minutes.  He's driving to his new school in LA.   And, I am once again an empty nester!  So, this will be a good time to be mindful!  Wish me luck!

D stands for: Drink Water, (Drink Wine?)

I’m sure I don’t need to elaborate much more than that…drink water! The big question is always how much to drink.  Most of us need about 64 ounces daily, but because of the large amount of water found in fruits and vegetables, you may only require 48 ounces or 6 eight ounce glasses. 

I have green and herb tea during the day as well as the rare "lo-carb" drink.  Avoid sodas, as they truly have a negative impact on our bones and muscles.  Moreover, most diet sodas contain sweeteners that raise blood sugar just like sugar does, thus you get the sugar blues and eventually more cravings for sweets and refined carbohydrates. It was determined in one study that people actually gain more weight drinking diet sodas than those who drink regular soda.  (I have read it a billion times, just don't have the study here to quote. Google it if you are interested.)  Both aren’t good for you, and because they contain phosphorous, they leach your bones of calcium.  NOT GOOD!  Sodas also bloat the stomach and create gas.  Ah… enough said about that.*

Your negative calorie soup is a great source of water and fiber, so eat up!  Drink more water if you sweat a lot during exercise, but drink moderate amounts throughout the day, as chug-a-lugging will distend your gut and make you feel bloated. 

Drinking water or other water sources will take away food cravings. Try drinking four ounces of water before going for the goodies, and drink eight ounces extra for every alcoholic beverage you have. You’ll feel a whole lot better and you will have more self control around food.

Just drink it, will you!

That said, what about your wine or other alcoholic beverages?  The ruling is: drinking alcohol has health benefits. Now, stop before you run to the liquor store! It is, again, about moderation. Moderation is the key to a healthy lifestyle with a bit of fun thrown into the mix.  (Another Bodeci must; fun!)

Regarding alcohol consumption, this is a variable, but for sure one drink for women and two for men is considered healthier than abstinence.  I am not here to judge the amount of alcohol you drink.  I only provide BODECI information and if you drink to a point to where there are problems associated with it, even what may seem unimportant to you, go to the middle or abstain all together. (Or stop reading and “get thee to a Nunnery”).  

I hate to sound like a broken record, but you’ve GOT to choose your poison.  What is not a deal breaker is not going to often be a part of your daily and habitual consumption.  It is totally up to you to decide what you will absolutely not live without. I, for example, cannot have my one (sometimes two) cup of half-caf with anything other than half and half, period. I can give up the caffeine and juice and even wine  (maybe not my Bodecini) but I will not have my first and only cup of half-caf with anything other than half and half.

  

So, I say this to you:  If you want to have a leaner body, you will ABSOLUTELY need to nourish it with the best possible intentions and this means deciding to drink less of your daily calories and drink more water and water type foods and liquids.

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[1] Soft drinks contain high levels of phosphates and its consumption has long been suspected of lowering calcium levels and increasing phosphate levels in the blood.  When phosphate levels are high and calcium low, calcium is leached from the bones. - Michael Murray MD and Joseph Pizzorno MD, "The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, Revised Edition".