The Latest GAL Happenings

Check out the latest GAL endeavors at:

http://roadto5kand30.blogspot.com

Dr. Ty
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Humbled by the Bosu

I'm typing this post from under the covers... a little nervous about performing any strenuous motions (like sitting or walking).

I got introduced to the Bosu yesterday.

The Bosu is a half-ball structure you can use like a step. Apparently, it ups the intensity of any cardio workout. I did not come close to the gracefulness of that woman in the photograph, let me tell you. The Bosu and I had a rough first meeting. I went full force like I normally do, and about 30 minutes in, I thought I was going to faint (literally). By the end of the hour, I was just doing the motions on the floor. I decided to let the Bosu win.

I only went to this cardio class because I had to work during the kickboxing slot. It was a good workout, but I really didn't have fun. I know myself, and if I'm gonna keep up with a workout, it has to be more fun than pain. I like to notice the pain after I stop... or the next day. Not during.

Thank goodness I can make next Monday's kickboxing class.

Dr. Ty
From the GAL Blog
www.getalifecampaign.com
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America's favorite past time? (Humpday Wednesday post)

While the Dow Jones drops hundreds of points, unemployment rates double, and businesses everywhere go into the red, there's one business that is actually on the rise during the recession: Rick's Cabaret.

 

I watched an Inside Edition feature story Monday night on a former corporate employee who now dances at said club. Apparently, she makes more money at Rick's than she did as an exec.

 

At first I was dumbfounded. If people can't afford their mortgages, light bills and food, how can they afford lap dances and T&A shows? Then, I started paying more attention to television commercials (instead of muting them like I usually do): Extamax, Maxoderm and Enzyte, over and over, amidst regular television shows. No longer dedicated to the late-night circuit, I actually saw more of these during daytime TV than any other time! 

Hello! Kids are watching people.

 

Let's not forget the persistent and frequent radio spots that claim to make men "thicker" and "wider." What would we do without those? And isn't thicker and wider the same thing? Anyway...

 

So, I suppose the recession has increased Americans' fascination with sexual activity, and as a result, male enhancement. But, why now? Is it because it's cheaper than most entertainment? Because people want something to bring them out of the recession-funk? Because egos are torn among the downtrodden, and men want to give themselves a little "boost?" Or do folks just have more time to care about it? Really, what's up?

Pick Me Up Tuesday: Free Samples

After my workout yesterday, I came home to a beautiful brown package with pink and white lettering on the steps: my free Bare Escentuals sample!

A co-worker wore Bare Escentuals foundation one day and it was natural-looking on her. So, I check it out and found their free 10-day sample offer. Many of you know I hate to shop in stores, so I used the shade finder to pick my shade.

Excited to play in new makeup, I tried the Medium Tan foundation with the cute little brush that comes with. I'm sad to say, I didn't like it. It looked so good on the co-worker, but either I had the wrong shade, or I'm truly just a liquid foundation kinda gal. My skin looks a little on the ash side.

There is always a silver lining: the free RareMinerals moisturizer sample they sent as a bonus is wonderful. My skin is soft and moisturized without the greasy feel.

Guess you can't win them all. Don't forget to try yours... let me know what you think.

Dr. Ty
From the GAL Blog
www.getalifecampaign.com
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Knocking out my stress today...

When given the opportunity to leave work early today, I jumped at the chance to shake off my winter funk in a kickboxing gym class. An hour later, I'm a little stiff, a little achy and walking up the stairs requires a range of motion that my hips won't allow all of a sudden.

I'm happy I went though. It was so much fun. Whenever I'd start to kick a little lower and lower, she would vary the routine such that I was more focused on keeping up (kick, then punch, then jab, jab, uppercut, kick!) rather than the burning pain in my hips and thighs.

Ya know... I like to think my stair-walking helped me hang in there after not going to the gym for a few months. It has nothing on this class' intensity, but it held me at bay.

I'm sure the endorphins from the workout will help me feel a lot less stressed tomorrow... but imagining I was karate kicking a few people who get under my skin made me smile tonight.

Warning: Don't cross me this week -- I got my jab-jab, cross, uppercut, knee, side kick down pat!

Dr. Ty
From the GAL Blog
www.getalifecampaign.com
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What's In Your (Weight Loss) Snack Bag?

It's been about 4 months since I lost my 20lbs of fall/winter weight and kept it off... so I think it's safe to finally talk about it without fear of jinxing the results.

Unlike previous weight loss efforts like I talk about in "The Get A Life Campaign," (losing 70lbs of baby weight, especially the 55 I still had at 9 months post-partum)... I didn't have the schedule or energy to commit to twice a week workouts nor completely swear off carbs.

I had to figure out a sustainable way to drop pounds and keep them off in the midst of my overbooked life.

Here are the mantras that I attribute to my (prolonged) success:

• Only eat carbs when they count. Wheat bread for a sandwich is okay, but chocolate cake with frosting, NOT okay
• Use Splenda whenever possible. No carbs, no calories, curbs the sweet tooth, and doesn't make me feel like I'm missing out on goodies.
• If I do indulge in sweets, add an extra activity. ONE white macadamia nut cookie = walking back up the stairs to the 7th floor on the way up from lunch or making sure I do push ups at home.
• Don't tempt myself. The house is only stocked with healthy or low-carb snacks. Yes, I still ravage the house for a misplaced bag of Skittles now and then, but hey -- I'm human.
  
• Snack much but don't deprive myself. I always have a bunch of low-carb, low-sugar snacks on hand so I can snack as much as I want without feeling like I'm "dieting" or feeling ravenous.
• Bring food from home. Even if it's not home-cooked food, it still saves money and is usually healthier than the snacks I grab on the go.

What's in my snack bag?

- Splenda... Splenda... Splenda
- South Beach Living Cereal bars (cinnamon raisin and peanut butter chocolate chip are my favorites)
- No sugar added fruit cups
- String cheese
- Atkins vanilla shakes
- Crystal Light on the go packets to add to my water
- Diet Pepsi or Pepsi Max
- Popcorn
- Sugar free candies (Twizzler, Reese's Peanut Butter cups)
- Low-carb or light bread (5-7grams net carbs per slice, which is 1/4th of regular bread slices)
- Whipped cream (okay maybe this doesn't go to work with me in the lunch bag, but it's a great diet tool... My new fave is diet root beer with whipped cream -- no sugar, no carbs. You can add it to anything, strawberries, etc. to make a plain snack taste scrumptious).
- Water-Water-Water (helps my energy level, decreases my needs for caffeine, and fills me up)

In truth, anyone can crash diet and lose a bunch of weight. I'm happy I can finally maintain without feeling guilty over every sweet or guilty about not living in the gym.

What's in your healthy snack bag? Oh yea... And don't forget your quickies!

Dr. Ty
From the GAL Blog
www.getalifecampaign.com
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Memories of Travel Woes...

As much as I love to travel, I always come back with travel stories. The recent "weekend" to Chicago was no exception. And while planning for my next trip in a few weeks, I'm forced to remember all the joys of our trip... including being delayed to O'Hare on Friday, canceled on the way back on Sunday, rerouting through Newark, having THAT flight delayed, only to hitch a ride back to CT, pick up my car from Hartford airport and finally get home 5 hours before my ER shift. Ah, the memories...

THUMBS DOWN to leaving freakishly warm CT weather (60 degrees) and arriving to Chicago's chilling 20.

THUMBS UP to Kammy for turning 30 fabulously and inviting us to my favorite city in the continental United States.

THUMBS DOWN for opening the paper to see how many murders Chicago has had since January 1, complete with a map.

THUMBS UP to my big cousin who took care of our hotel, our airport to hotel transportation and made it possible for me to never have to deal with the hotel staff or customer service (as if I need more bad customer service stories).

THUMBS DOWN to the Einstein Bros. cashier for telling me they no longer sell iced green tea, when a huge jug of it sat in eyesight in the corner.

THUMBS UP to Einstein Bros., however, for selling only turkey products (chili, sausage). Great for us non-beef, non-pork eaters.

THUMBS UP to that Thai restaurant downtown for having the equivalent of a "dollar menu" made especially in honor of our failing economy.

THUMBS DOWN to United Airlines for canceling the 5:30pm and 7:30pm flights from O'Hare to Hartford. And rebooking us for the next night.

THUMBS UP to United agent Gustav who rebooked our flights to Newark so we could get back on Sunday - not late Monday night. For free.

THUMBS DOWN to United Airlines for letting the Newark flight take off 3 hours late.

THUMBS DOWN to the grey-haired lady in O'Hare who ran over my calf with her rollie and when I asked her to say excuse me, proceeded to tell me how she was in line first (HUH?), and topped it off with an exasperated "Just go," allowing me to walk in front of her. Hey lady: Even if I did cut you in line (which I didn't), does that really give you the right to injure me, without an apology? Goodness.

THUMBS UP to O'Hare's Wolfgang Puck to Go for hooking UP my chicken caesar salad with extra dressing and a smile. Good service finally!

THUMBS DOWN to United for making me check my carry-on duffel bag for $15... all to keep from tossing my huge $30 body scrub ("considered a gel") from H2O that I've been dreaming about since that gift basket in '07.

THUMBS DOWN to the United counter rep who decided to go on break as soon as we reached the front of the line. Love ya!

THUMBS DOWN to boarding almost 2 hours before takeoff and sitting in a hot metal tube with crying babies and obnoxious passengers until wheels up.

THUMBS UP to United for breaking out their emergency box and handing out a "crunchy bar" and water to each passenger after an hour of waiting on the jetway. I'm not kidding. I think the exact words over the loudspeaker were: "It's now time for us to break out our emergency kit."


THUMBS DOWN to the very considerate passenger directly behind me who slammed her tray so hard it shook my seat while yelling, "Oh great! And there's a BABY on our plane." She was definitely much more of an issue for me than the baby. Trust me.

THUMBS UP to brand new earplugs and a good book that made sitting inside that tube feel like a sunny day on Miami Beach.

THUMBS UP to the TSA Agents for doing such a thorough job:

Example 1 - To Chicago, the agent moved my juice-filled fruit cup out of the way to get to the Pepsi can I mistakenly left in the bag... but put the fruit cup back inside. Right in front of me. I mean really... shouldn't I get my Pepsi back? Isn't that like when your meal is free because the cashier fails to give you a receipt? Seriously.

Example 2 - From Chicago, my 700+ page Harry Potter book set off some sense of worry and they had to rescan my bag and do a hand search. Madam TSA Agent wouldn't look me in the eye afterward when I asked her what they saw. She just shooed me on. Geez. Yes, ladies and gents... publishers still make books that big. And people read them on va-ca. It's not a kilo. Or a... (dare I type the b-word?) Keep up the great work, though. Meanwhile, 3 unsuspecting grannies just snuck by with weapons up their skirts.

Hmmm. I think I might just stay local on this vacation.

Dr. Ty
From the GAL Blog
www.getalifecampaign.com
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Fish Pedicures?

Hmmm... I am usually intrigued by the beauty fad du jour, but this just grossed me out. The idea of tiny fish eating my dead cuticles away... there is nothing dainty, relaxing or blissful about that.

And like the article says, how do you sanitize between clients? Do I bring a fishbowl each time with my very own flesh-eating fish?

What's going on with the pedicure industry? First, it's illegal to use the scraper blades, now they can't even touch our feet?

I've been staring at this photograph for a good 20 minutes and as disgusted as I am, I can't look away. I wonder if you can feel the teeth...

Dr. Ty
From the GAL Blog
www.getalifecampaign.com
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Pick Me Up Tuesday: Spa day recession-style

In my "I just worked 70 hours since Thursday" exhaustion, instead of curling up in the bedroom while forcefully squinting my eyes against the 8am sun, I treated myself to an affordable pick-me-up.

My first stop? The day spa... only for my eyebrows (there are just some things you don't skimp on, and for God's sakes, they're on my FACE!).

I left the day spa and walked 4 doors down to the regular neighborhood nail shop for my mani-pedi combo (Yes I did, and I didn't even have to move my car. Don't laugh, there's a recession going on!).

The bonus? This particular shop has a massage chair that can actually work my kinks out. It doesn't just vibrate amuck like the cheaper lookalikes that give you shaken baby syndrome by the last coat.

As an aside: I feel compelled to share a deep, dark secret... my favorite Jersey nail shop has a chair that massages things that shouldn't be massaged (well, not in public). I wonder how many other GALs have tried to hide their surprise about the chair's um... routine... and kept it a secret, too. Shame on us. Yea... no emails about said location, by the way!

Since the smell and atmosphere of the day spa left me craving a facial, I stopped at the pharmacy in search of a minty facial wash or a clay masque. I'm talking about those old school green masques people wore on television while donning their bathrobes and rollers. The last masque I had (and loved), I bought from my Mary Kay lady in college (Yes, Mary Kay... and yes, college. Speaking of old school...). Just my luck, Queen Helene makes a Mint Julep Masque that was on sale as BUY ONE GET ONE FREE! I snagged the last two.

I also grabbed bubble bath for future soaks ($1 each) and it was off to soak and masque affordably. Maybe a little less sleep was worth it.

What's your recession-style routine?

Dr. Ty
From the GAL Blog
www.getalifecampaign.com
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Quickies

The gym and I have only seen each other twice so far this year - once in Cancun and once during the week I returned. My schedule is mostly to blame, but my usual winter funk didn't help matters. But, in an effort to not lose momentum (and gain the weight back), I have started doing quickies at home.

While yes, there are many types of quickies that can raise the heart rate and burn calories, my workout quickies have effectively kept the pounds at bay until I can get back onto my routine.

Here's my latest 15-minute quickie:

* 50 crunches
* 20 oblique crunches (side to side)
* 5 boy pushups, 20 girl pushups
* Stairs (up and down 12 stairs) x 10 times, lifting the knees while jogging down also

I know it seems wimpy to not break a dripping sweat, to not spend 90 minutes sitting on various gym equipment, or to not limp after a workout. But, even something as simple as 15 minutes CAN make a difference. Don't fall into the all or nothing mantra ("If I can't spend a whole hour, I might as well stay home"). Do something, anything! You'll feel better for it.

The quickies are also good for those of us who don't want to go to the gym completely out of shape. Give yourself a head start at home before you commit to your gym schedule, or join a running group.

Other daily things (you've heard me say these before):
* Take the stairs rather than the elevator
* Jog from the parking garage to your building (or between buildings)

Dr. Ty
From the GAL Blog
www.getalifecampaign.com
Follow me on Twitter: @doctorty
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