health

Real Inspiration

Yesterday while driving home from the gym I heard and ad on the radio that frustrated me. It was targeting women and trying to sell some kind of weight loss pill. It announced that scientists have said that women over 40 need to workout one hour a day just to maintain their weight, not even lose weight, so obviously everyone should start popping their pills to get skinnier.

It annoyed me that it was targeting women. It annoyed me that it was targeting women over 40. It annoyed me that is was claiming to have an easy fix to weight loss. It annoyed me that it was using what we know about the body against us.

I wished that there were ads that highlighted and inspired people via real life stories of individuals—men and women of all ages—who used diet and exercise to change their weight if needed. I thought of a very close family friend who in her mid fifties lost 50 pounds using weight watchers as a tool. She looks fabulous. I’d argue that she actually looks 30. It’s amazing. Another family friend lost weight by adding a morning exercise routine. Both of these women have […]

Real InspirationMaggie Downie2017-10-25T14:30:13-04:00

Pasta! Pasta! Pasta!

If it were up to my taste buds I would each pasta for every meal of every day, occasionally swapping out breakfast for a waffle, cereal, toast, or oatmeal. I love the stuff. And frequently when I was in high school and college I would eat pasta for a least one meal a day. It must be the Italian genes because while I like corned beef and cabbage, I seem just fine with an annual fix of the stuff.

But back to pasta. Are you sensing a carb theme here? That’s really what it is–pasta is my favorite carb–but I love all carbs. Right now I can’t think of a carbohydrate that I don’t like. I believe my dad once told me that he didn’t feel satisfied from a meal lacking in meat. Well I don’t feel satisfied from a meal lacking in carbs. And while carbs have gotten a bad wrap lately, in moderation they aren’t worse than anything else.

But moderation has always been my problem, until recently. Carbs are still what I want, but […]

Pasta! Pasta! Pasta!Maggie Downie2017-09-12T19:32:00-04:00

Snow Day Food

I usually grocery shop on Tuesdays. So last week when Matt and I made a list on Monday night, knowing that an impending storm was coming, he suggested I get some good snow-day food. “Good idea,” I said, “except I’m now on a healthy lifestyle.” I didn’t want to add a bunch of junk food to the list. And I’m pretty sure that is what good snow-day food is.

I added cider to the list for Matt and whole milk to the list for me so that I could make some good hot chocolate. I never drink whole milk except with hot chocolate, which I make from Dutch cocoa and sugar.

But then when I got the grocery store I kept seeing foods—dark chocolate covered marshmallows, cakes and pastries, cheesy quiches, scones, and breads—that would make good snow-day treats. Matt and I had already agreed that lunch would be grilled cheese with tomato and tomato soup. So there I was in the middle of the grocery store wanting all these good foods and being frustrated by my […]

Snow Day FoodMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:32:01-04:00

What’s Really Important?

On New Year’s day a group of girlfriends came over. One of them mentioned that she wanted to start going to the gym this year, not because she wanted to lose weight, but because she wanted to feel better and she hadn’t been exercising.

I thought that was a really important reminder. Feeling good should be the reason why we take care of ourselves. A weight reduction should be a pleasant side effect, but so often it is the other way around. Since I’ve set a goal to be 130 pounds, I realize there is a level to which the weight is occupying my mind more than whether or not I feel good.

Every Monday morning when I weigh myself, even on weeks when I feel really good, I’m hoping for a particular number. If I ate really well and exercised daily, but my weight went up, because, let’s face it, we can fluctuate a few pounds from one hour to the next just by going to the bathroom, I’d be disappointed. My first thought probably wouldn’t […]

What’s Really Important?Maggie Downie2017-09-12T19:32:01-04:00

Good Days

And somedays it all seems to come easily…

Monday, December 06, 2010

Feel great! Up again at 4:30ish, which I’m not thrilled about, but feel like I got a decent sleep. It helps that I took a nice hot bath and popped a melatonin before getting into bed, but I don’t know if the melatonin actually helped me much last night because I actually woke up a few times.

A hot bath is a vital part of a healthy lifestyle for me. Feels good on my body and mind and the relaxation is a must if I have any chance of maintaining my sanity.

This morning I did an hour pilates ball workout for myself—not too hard, but felt good. Tried working on a lot of different exercises I’d like to add to some classes. Then did a 20-min basic Tae Bo. Feel fabulous. I love workouts on days like this. I wish I knew what made my body feel so good.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Walked at the gym for 30 minutes […]

Good DaysMaggie Downie2017-10-25T15:49:56-04:00