Odds and Ends

A few days ago it occured to me that I did not do O&E last Sunday! I believe the travel glitch thwarted me there, but this has been a more normal (if 30 degree mornings in SW Florida are normal!) weekend.

I start with the most positive observation:

Yogurt for Power Lifters: I do not drink sports drinks (just my elete water electrolyte mix) and I do not consume protein shakes, powders or bars. I DO eat protein and carbs and I do fuel with protein and carbs when I work out. As you might have deduced, I am going to the gym now a days, as opposed to any time since about 2006. Many days, I see a man there who appears to be training three or four young guys. Maybe they are highschool athletes, possibly wrestlers. The workouts they do are INTENSE. So on Friday, there I was doing my focused but simple weight training, while the 'boys' were doing their own routine. The leader is standing there eating a container of yogurt! He was chided a bit by some of the other muscle bound men, but stuck to his guns about protein in a natural form. I was SO impressed!

Calorie Content: I guess this is the worst thing I read all week. There is a good amount of error in the nutrition content information both on fast food or other restaurant menus and websites AND even on the labels of frozen foods, like Lean Cuisine and Weight Watchers. GASP> Well, if you are consistently eating the same things it isn't going to matter, but if you are switching to something and tracking your calories, you could be making costly mistakes. Always round up for sure. This is one of the reasons I just order my food the way I want it cooked, i.e. no oil, fat or butter instead of ordering a menu item that is considered a dieter option with a specified calorie content. Remember, calories do count and if you count them, you want a certain amount of accuracy.

Orange Juice: Always a fan of whole fruit and never one of juice, my thought on the news that orange juice prices were going to sky rocket due to the crazy Arctic weather in the South, was - GOOD. Now maybe people will drink less of it.

Words to Ponder: I was having a conversation about exercise with a physical therapist the other day. She said the follow three things about exercise; 1) it increases quality of life 2) it increases mobility 3) it decreases pain. She then added that it is a protective factor for almost every disease there is.

Restaurant Need to Know: Eating out with my family the other night. I asked for my broccoli to be steamed with no oil, fat or butter. Now, I know that you guys, my sweet, naive readers, think that if a vegetable is steamed it is also free of butter - MMMAWHAHAHAHA - not so. At the restaurant, I did get my fish and veggies cooked the way I wanted, but then the waiter asked me, "so how is that broccoli? (great) I had to go find some in the freezer. Does it taste okay without butter? (delicious) I didn't even know we had that freezer!" That my friends is funny, but also terribly sad. It is also why ordering a vegetable plate over a small steak may NOT be the smartest move you've ever made.

IN the Wake of My Travels: I was happy that my great niece and her dad enjoyed my international coffee (sugar free) so much that they bought some more. I usually have my own decaf skinny cappuccino, but when I travel I buy that. And today, my niece (her mom), let me know that she and her husband were drinking Deirdre cocktails, Seagram Seven and Fresca! I love it when people adopt some of my calorie saving strategies!