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  • It’s a Slam Dunk: Forget the Elliptical and Pass Me the Ball

    It was 6:35 a.m., and I was in the gym, heading for the resistance machines. Sick of the boring elliptical, I figured I’d change things up and do strength training first, then maybe finish up on the elliptical or the treadmill, whatever I felt like doing to get the aerobic portion over with. So this…

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  • I Want Michelle Obama Arms

    Like I said, I want this to be my first sleeveless summer, ever. Maybe I was sleeveless as a little kid. I don’t recall, so that doesn’t count. As an adult, though, I’ve never been sleeveless. Here in the South, people take their right to bare arms seriously. It just gets so freakin’ hot, you…

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  • Gotta Say 'No Thanks' to the Spanx

    OMG, if I have to wear that Spanx thing again I think I just might scream. Just got back from a meeting at Wake Forest University, which moved from Wake Forest, N.C. to Winston-Salem just over 50 years ago. (That’s your trivia for today.) It was one of those rare occasions where I had to…

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  • Be the Change You Want to See in the … Gym

    Today, I’m looking for a new level of discomfort. I just got rid of the 1.5 pounds gained over Easter weekend, which wasn’t just about the food – although I must admit, I make really good cheesecake! – but some unfortunate stressors that had me seeking carbs and sugar. I don’t try to be perfect.…

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  • Losing Weight for Entertainment Purposes, Only

    So, how much weight have you lost? I accept that this is the one thing folks most want to know: The number on the scale. This is, after all, the  Biggest Loser era, where teams of fatties don’t work, and don’t worry about the mortgage, relatives or meals. Like laboratory rats, their world consists of…

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  • Leftovers: Second Verse, Same as the First

    It’s Easter Monday, the day of resurrection – of last night’s dinner. In my  ’fridge is evidence of yesterday’s excesses: Quite a bit of leftover ham and the orange marmalade glaze that goes with it; enough potato salad to feed my house and another’s; green beans; homemade dinner rolls and two cheesecakes – one with…

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  • This Sunday, it’s Me or the Ham

    Easter Sunday, like all major holidays, consists of food traditions. In our house, it’s ham, likely accompanied by potato salad and green beans.  The only other mandatory-ham holiday is Christmas. I like ham OK, but it doesn’t like me. There’s just too much sodium in cured meats like ham, bacon and lunchmeat, and I am…

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  • The Comedy and Tragedy of Weight Loss

    I’ll just get right into it: I’ve managed to regain eight of the 15 pounds I’d lost. The last few weeks have been quite stressful, and despite my best intentions, I succumbed to old habits and really packed in the carbs. I’d mentioned bouts with insomnia: That led to eating in the middle of the…

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  • Chocolate reduces heart risk? Be afraid. Be very afraid.

    Attention Easter bunnies: This year’s baskets may be extra heavy, so please be mindful of OSHA rules regarding back-injury prevention. In case you hadn’t heard, a new study suggests that small doses of chocolate every day could decrease your risk of having a heart attack or stroke by nearly 40 percent. Let’s pause for a…

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  • All This Pain is Supposedly a Good Thing. (Yeah, Right.)

    I hurt. I won’t say it’s a “good” hurt because it ain’t. These are bone-deep aches that are affecting the way I move through the day. Have to wonder if I’m overdoing it. I can’t imagine that’s the case, though something’s not quite right. It would be great to add a weekly massage to keep…

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