Spare the Spine

Greetings from Little Rock, the capital of Arkansas. Located virtually in the center of the state, the city is also centrally located
in the country.

Muscles located in the central area of our bodies are called core muscles. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) says that core strength is important because the muscles of the lower back and abdomen serve as a solid foundation for nearly all bodily activities, movement, and posture.

Core training is rapidly gaining in popularity for one reason:
Sitting leads to a weak core.

Risks associated with a weak core include a common ailment...lower back pain. Other problems include poor posture, being injury prone, having minimal strength and (drum roll, please) a bulging waistline.

Professor Stuart McGill, professor of spine biomechanics at University of Waterloo, cautions that even some widely held notions - like, "stretching the back and increasing the range of motion will help prevent injury" - are questionable. In fact, he says research shows that people who have a greater range of motion in their backs are more susceptible to future injury. How's that for blowing a hole in your exercise routine??

One of my (mother's!) primary concerns as I began jogging and lifting weights was the risk to my lower back. "Once you've injured your back, it's not something that's easily fixed," she argues.
Point well taken.

So, for the health of all our backs, please take a few minutes to review Dr. McGill's recommendations for how to maintain
lower back health and prevent injury to this vital skeletal component.

This week, I'm staying at the newly remodeled Holiday Inn Presidential, one of the nicest properties in the company's portfolio, where I'm taking full advantage of the hotel's fitness center to keep my core in shape!

Three Cheers for HYC Bloggers!

One of the things I love about the Healthy You Challenge bloggers is the group's way of celebrating success - large or small. All of us like to post badges for ANY reason!

Bob Greene reminds us dramatic change doesn't happen in one day or even a month. For some, that can be discouraging if your used to (and long for) immediate gratification. It's easier, though, to be patient when you feel as if you're reaping some kind of reward for your efforts; that's why it's so important to enjoy the process of positive change rather than focusing on the end result.

"Find joy in each triumph, big or small," Greene advises. "Don't take for granted turning down a piece of cake, eating a healthful breakfast, or going for a walk at lunch - or any other of the small but significant efforts you make as a part of your commitment to this program. They all count, and with continued patience, perseverance and a positive attitude, they're all going to add up to a big payoff."

The secret to success, he says, is this: "Be honest with yourself and those around you. Take responsibility for your actions and your life. Think of the commitments you make to yourself as sacred, and honor them in the way your honor commitments to other people. Identify what it is you really want from life, realize you deserve it, and think positively about your ability to get it. Make your plan, have the inner strength to stick to it, and claim the life you deserve!"

***So, in honor of small victories, I am pleased to report another one-pound loss for today's HYC Weigh-In. Oddly enough, that one-pound loss translated into another 2-1/2 inch loss, bringing the totals since January 15 to 38 pounds and 34.25 inches lost. WAHOO!

What's even MORE exciting is that through the C25K training program, I am now jogging 25 minutes without stopping at a 4.2 mph pace. Wa-TWO!

And as part of my commitment - not just to a diet program, but to a healthy lifestyle - I have entered my name in the hat TWICE for Scale Junkie's free bike giveaway. Winning would pull that prized item right from my vision board and put it under my diminishing derriere!

Quotes from The Best Life Diet

Start Acting Like a Thin Person

I'll always remember the first time I read Dr. Phil's line: "Staying fat has been working for you in some fashion." What??

I had never thought about what sorts of payoffs I got from obesity: insulation from the opposite sex, neutralizing sexual attractiveness, an "occupational buffer zone" to hide femininity to protect myself from the attention at work, an excuse for failure ("I didn't get the job, sign up for the class, etc., because I'm overweight.").

In his book, The Ultimate Weight Solution, Dr. Phil points out it is precisely this sort of discomfort that makes us push the panic button and start working at cross-purposes with our healthy goals. Managing weight from behind these defenses is doomed to fail.
We MUST disconnect!

Changing our "fat mind-set" and "fixed fat beliefs" means we have to become comfortable in our new, trimmer bodies while we're dumping "psychological fat." To do this, we must act like the thin,
fit person we really are.

"Even if it doesn't feel completely right," he says, "we can move in that direction with some simple but positive actions."

* Look at your reflection in the mirror more often to acclimate yourself to your new shape and image.
* Face with courage those situations you formerly feared - wearing a bathing suit, trying on new clothes, going to certain parties.
* Stay with your exercise program in order to appreciate your own strength and feel good about your body.
* Replace negative self-talk about your body with affirming,
accurate thoughts.

Peeling away fixed assumptions by disposing of their payoffs and demolishing limiting beliefs that tell us we are worthless and not deserving of success is the first step to developing new ways of thinking. True knowledge and insight will lead to a life of peace where we are comfortable in our newly transformed bodies.

Thanks, Dr. Phil. I needed to hear that again today.

Quotes from The Ultimate Weight Solution: The 7 Keys to Weight Loss Freedom

Day of Rest - HA!!

About once a month, I really enjoy sleeping a little longer than usual - say, until about 9 a.m., especially if it's raining outside. That way, DH is home instead of at the golf course, and we can get in a little extra cuddle time.

Well, this wasn't the weekend for sleeping late, cuddling or lounging around. The weather outside was beautiful, DH was on the golf course, and I've been working my tail off getting ready to leave town Tuesday.

Still, I love my home and the privilege to work from a home office. One thing's for sure, though: The bed will feel good tonight!

Weddings and Preparation

Short post today. Fun-filled weekend performing two wedding ceremonies and playing with our quartet for a third.

Also, I'll be traveling another part of Arkansas on a press tour beginning Tuesday; so the rest of the weekend, I'll spend writing stories that are due Monday.

Today was a C25K rest day, but all goals are on track!

Don't Eat Like a Bird; Sing Like One

"'Eat like a bird' is a very poor analogy, since it is meant to denote light consumption," says Alan Weiss in his current Balancing Act newsletter. "The birds I've seen, from sparrows to seagulls, pack it down like there's no tomorrow since they have huge metabolisms. We're often blindly imprisoned by venerable but inaccurate bromides."

On another note, my dad,
Dr. Davis Bingham, is one of the gifted humans who sings like a bird. A profoundly healthy 77, he still conducts his church choir, and will be singing the baritone lead in Mendelssohn's "Elijah" this Sunday in North Carolina.




The last time I visited Dad and my stepmother, Joan, was the week after Thanksgiving last year, when DH and I were on our holiday eating binge.
(I admit, it was really awkward watching them eat responsibly, or watching television while they went to play tennis or work out in their gym.)

When I return to their home in mid-June, I will have lost 49 pounds - assuming I reach my weekly goals between now and then.
"Cant wait to see the NEW you!" Dad said in an email yesterday.

"..and I ran 25 minutes WITHOUT STOPPING today," I responded proudly.

What a difference a decision and some dedication makes!
This truly is the Best Life!

Elsewhere in the Blogosphere

Ran across this Weight Loss Management and Fitness carnival earlier today. Noticed some good information - including this article about stevia.

My C25K training is going well. Having already been walking/jogging since January, I started on Week 3, which I completed with no panting or day-after soreness. Last week, I combined Weeks 4 and 5. This week, I am following Week 6 of the program:

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:
Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)
Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)

When I finished yesterday, my pulse was 143, which is in the target zone for someone of my age (53) at my fitness level (works out at least three times a week).

Hope everybody's having a good week. I'm preparing for three more weddings this weekend!