Sapporo's Christmas tree quilt square

Just finished... This quilt block is the design of Chuck Nohara which I found in Quiltmania #74 Titled Sapporo's Christmas trees.

The ornaments on the quilt in the magazine were made out of silk kimonos, which is what attracted me to the design. However since I had no silk kimonos in my closet I had the great idea of using men's silk ties. As I planned for this quilt square I figured thrift stores would sell used ties for around a dollar. What a surprise I was in for. $2.99 is the least expensive tie in this square. I probably spend as much time sewing as looking for the right ties. I did really enjoy the hand appliqueing and I'm looking forward to making the rest of this quilt. This square is for a contest I am entering at the quiltstory blog.

meals and snacks

An email I received last week started me thinking about meals and snack. So this week that's what we are going to think about.

To keep your blood sugars level and your metabolism up you need to eat three meals a day with healthy snacks in between. Each meal and snack need to have protein in them. The ratio should be like: 20 to 35 percent lean protein, 40 to 60 percent complex carbohydrates, and 20 to 25 percent healthy fat. This will keep up your energy and your fat burning.

Too many of us go too long between meals and then eat, eat eat. or we let ourselves get too hungry and snack on the wrong food choices. Like snacks that are easy to grab, cookies, chips, soda etc. It is bad on our metabolism to have big gaps between eating. This signals the body to slow down the metabolism and store the food as fat.

This week eat every two to three hours. Starting with a healthy breakfast (see first posting) keep your meals around 600 calories and snacks at 300 calories. I'm not big on counting calories but I do check how many calories food items have and I really try to stay away from high calorie foods. If you are here to lose weight I suggest a food dairy and really watching your calorie intake. I would also write in that dairy, if you have any drops or spikes in energy. Then compare that to what you have eaten. (another blog post.)

Also after each snack or meal do some moving around, like walking or my favorite lifting arm weights or do the dishes just don't stay sedentary.

You should be eating your three meals and 4 snacks. Snack between breakfast and lunch, a early afternoon snack, a per-dinner snack and a before bed snack between eight and nine o'clock. That fourth snack is a new one for me. But I have really been trying to eat before six in the evening and around 600 calories and by eight o'clock I am getting hungry. I use to be a firm believer in no food after dinner. So we shall see how this works. As I have said in the past you still have to think of calories in and calories burned, but as I see my own metabolism slowing down I now am more conscious of what I do to slow and speed up my metabolism. Like not eating frequently enough or being sedentary for longer than thirty minutes at a time and how certain food make me feel after I eat them. Like sugar.

Snack suggestions:

1/2 c. low fat cottage cheese or plain yogurt topped with fresh fruit or 2 T. whole oat granola. Limited your dried fruit... which I love, dried fruit still has the sugar but no fiber to help feel you up, so we tend to eat too much of it.

One reduced fat mozzarella cheese stick and a small handful of dried blue berries or fresh fruit.

An apple or other fruit and peanut butter or almond butter. Remember don't pile on the peanut butter. I've only tried apples.

Small handful of nuts or seeds with a fruit.

1/2 C. raw vegetables with either the cheese stick or homemade hummus, or a few nuts. Check store bought hummus for preservatives. (another blog)

1/2 a protein bar made with whey protein... check the carbs. and fats.

This should give you some ideas on portions and the protein, carbs. and fat ratios.

So this week really watch when and what you eat.
Keep up with your cardio. either go back to what you were doing two weeks ago or if you like the 20 mins. of intensity then stay with that. Disclaimer: "always check with your health provider on starting a new program."

Keep hydrated by drinking your 8 to 10 glasses of water.
Give up soda... it has no health benefit.

Good luck till next weekend.

Aloha,
Roxie

A kick in your cardio

This week I want you to give your cardio workout a big kick. A few weeks ago I ask you to do 20 mins. of cardio 3 times a week.

Researchers state that intervals of high intensity are needed to burn body fat. Their evidence shows that intense exercise is nearly 900% more effective than slow and steady in reducing fat. "Go Hard" Men's Health (Aug. 2003)

So we are going to take their advice this week and increase our intensity. That means different intensities for different individuals. But whatever your level push yourself more.

Use any aerobic equipment you have: stationary bike, treadmill, the street, your stairs.
Warm up for 5 mins.
Then for 5-6 secs. go "all out"
Meaning push to the maximum but be able to maintain for the 5-6 secs. and don't hurt yourself. So for me I am going to be on the street running. After my warm-up I will run like I am being chased by a wild lion... think of something to make you more. Count slowly or if on the road run to the next telephone pole. If you are walking, you can still imagine you are being chased and pick up your pace. If you are on a treadmill or stationary bike use the clock.
Then for 10 secs. slow back down to your warm-up pace.
Repeat this fast/slow cycle for 10 mins. That's your goal, if you can't maintain this then repeat as long as you can.
Last 5 mins. return to warm up speed but now it is cool down time.

Do this 3 times this week and your metabolism and your energy level will improve.

If you are a walker and you want to mix it up a bit. Do the walking for your warm-up and cool down and then use stairs for your intensity part. Just be creativity and push yourself more than you normally do to kick up your metabolism.

If need be reread the early weeks advice to check that you are still drinking your ice water etc.

I am finally set up with my classroom and getting home earlier, so I would be glad to respond to any questions or concerns that you are having or just let me know how things are going. Several of you have been replying after each email and I have enjoyed reading your challenges and improvements. Hopefully now that I have this blog I can respond to all and your concerns may help others. I'm excited to try this new format and hope all of your are also. Till next week or maybe sooner.

Now get out there and burn some fat.
Roxie

Dinner

I know I didn't get to this earlier... but it is so hard to sit at a computer when the sun is shining. hee hee actually today went by so fast.

For this week keep up the cardio. and either continue the core workouts or work on another body part, like arms. I think everyone knows different exercises to do, so I want to focus on eating this week.

Dinner the second most important meal of the day. Why because this is where a lot of us blow it for the day. I want you to really think about your metabolism this week.. Our metabolism tends to slow down late afternoon into the evening. This is also the time when most of us tend to eat the most. Dinner our biggest meal and then we sit in front of the T.V.or computer screen for a few hours afterward. Which tells the body to store what we just ate as fat.

1. Have a late afternoon snack (pre dinner) that is low in fat and high in taste.
Studies have show that this type of snack stimulates the brain to be alert and sustain energy for up to 3 hours after your meal.
Suggestions:
half an apple with peanut butter/or almond butter
half an apple with a mozzarella cheese stick
fresh vegetables with low fat cottage cheese or hummus
a handful of almonds ( I like to soak my almond overnight in water)
a small protein shake with frozen fruit and fat free milk or water
Remember how you felt after eating a high fat high carbohydrate snack, example cookies. Still hungry and tired.

Now to keep our metabolism up during the evenings try to follow this list:

Eat dinner early
Make your meal light and tastier
Slow down
Start with eating a few bites of protein first
Eat dessert later in the evening
Move after dinner
Try to eat between 5:30 and 6:00. The later you eat the more likely that food will be turned to fat since your metabolism is slowing down and we are more sedentary. I used to think more about calories in and calories out or being burned and it didn't matter the time of day. But as I am getting older and know that my metabolism is slowing down..I still eat the same but the belly fat is now coming, sigh. I read that anytime after 6:00 for every hour after that your meal should decrease by 100 calories. Simply because your body doesn't burn as many calories in the evening. Try to eat your bigger meal at lunch keep your dinner at about 600 calories. Make sure those calories are satisfying, low in fat, complex carbs. and lean protein. Remember you did have a predinner snack and you get to have a light dessert later on.

As you eat, eat slowly. I've read (of course almost everything I am telling you I read somewhere, sometime, wait till I tell you about eating for your blood type.) anyway if you listen to soft slow music will help you slow down your eating. Of course it's a no brainer that rock and roll music then must speed up your eating so be careful to what you listen to. Remember it takes 15 to 20 mins. for your stomach to tell your brain that it is full. So wait that long before you consider seconds... but with 600 calories seconds are out anyway.

Start dinner with protein to help your food get burning and not stored as fat. Suggestions:

small serving of bean or lentil salad
low fat plain yogurt
cottage cheese with a few slices of fresh fruit
small glass of fat free milk
1 1/2 to 2 hrs. after dinner you could have a low fat high protein snack.

low fat or fat free cottage cheese with fresh fruit
low fat or fat free plain yogurt with fresh fruit
low fat cheese (lite Swiss, jarlsberg, mozzarella or reduced fat cheddar) with fresh fruit
dried blueberries, cranberries with a few nuts
****If you are a dessert lover, then once a week you can eat it, but the key is try to only have 2-3 bites of it. You should find that you are satisfied with a few bites.

Last but very important part of your dinner routine is the get up and move. What you do in the next 30 mins. after your dinner sends a signal to your metabolism. The last thing you want to do is sit in front of the t.v. this promotes fat storage not fat burning. Exercise after eating could increase calorie burning by 30 - 50 percent for up to 3 hrs. after a meal. Another study from a university. So aim for 5 to 10 mins. of cardio. activity.
walking the best choice
washing the dishes
taking out the trash
lift a few weights or do some leg lifts or neck rotations or at least a few stretches
Just try to move, not sit within the first 30 mins after your dinner.

I've have a couple of you mention that I should do a blog...I will look into that especially since I just added a few more names to my list.

Good luck this week and remember that this a life change not a diet so think of how your body works and how it will work better when we feed it with healthier food and we will have more energy and a more effective metabolism.

Love,

Roxane

Aloha,

How is the drinking ice water doing?

Did you do whatever form of push-ups this week?

Did you eat breakfast...hungry or not?

Did you get your Cardio. in?

If you could answer yes to all great, if not see if this will help.

Research shows that permanent fat loss is more likely when you think in the third person instead of first person. For example: you observe yourself walking for 20 mins. Not I will walk for 20 mins. today. Somehow the seeing yourself doing it makes you do it.

So for this week: Before you go to bed and in the morning before you get out of bed visualize whatever type of cardio. you are going to do. Be it walking, running, cycling or swimming. See yourself walking down the street in the morning after that nice big glass of ice water, the sun is shinning the birds are chirping and you have this smile on your face and you are taking nice deep breaths of fresh air and it is a great day etc. This week do cardio on three days. (Sorry I will try and get this email out on Sat. so that you can plan your week out on Sunday, which is what I do. I have been working 10 - 12 hrs day at school getting my new room and grade ready and I am almost there. Then life can get back to a better cycle. I did take Sat. off and went for a 5 hr. hike with a friend who is visiting from Arizona. We had a great time hiking and visiting. But after church today I was back to my classroom and now here I am at the computer as most of you are probably already sleeping.)

This week you will add: Twice a week do some core and leg strengthening.
As we are all aging we need our core strong for balance and better posture.
Do something like crunches or elbow to knee curl ups (bicycle) Do what you can...if you can do 10 reps. 3 times that is your goal, but do as many as but no more that 12 before a 1 min. rest. Slow and steady is better than fast.

Now for the legs: Choose from seated leg extensions, sit and a chair and lift one leg at a time extending it straight out. again do 10 to 12 lifts then change to the other leg. do 3 sets. or My favorite is to sit back against the wall like you are sitting in a chair but minus the chair, hold till you can't any longer. Or do standing leg lifts. Or calf raises. I'm sure all of you know these exercises... if not email me and I will explain them.

To recap this week.

Drink 10-12 glasses of ice water
Start with a healthy breakfast
have a healthy snack or meal every three hours.
3 days of cardio.
2 days of core and legs
if you want to cont. the pushups go ahead... I think next week I will add upper body anyway.. so you will be that much stronger starting that week.

I will talk more next week about food choices.

Thanks for the emails...it was good to hear that some of you are really working at being healthier, happier and fitter.

Love,
roxane

Friends and family,

While I was visiting some friends in Idaho, we started talking about fitness and "dieting" and they were so impressed with my vast knowledge... hee hee ...on the subject. That they wanted me to be their personal trainer, but due to the long commute Hawaii to Idaho we are going to try it through email. Then I thought. why not send my thoughts and advice on this subject to many of my friends and family.

So here goes my advice for week one to a healthier, happier, slimmer you.

Big number one: You must stop dieting....you have to change the way you eat for life...that doesn't mean you have to give up your favoirte dessert... you just have to not eat it very often...

two: you need to start thinking of your body like a machine, what you put in it is what your body is going to give back to you, meaning if you eat a lot of sugar and junk food then you are going to feel tired and sluggish.

Okay that's it for the mini lecture, now for this weeks assignments

1. Drink 8 to 10 glasses of ice water each day. As soon as you get up in the morning drink 8oz. of ice water this will jump-start your metabolism.

2. Within the first hour after you get out of bed you need to do some intense muscle toning activity. This will tell your muscles to start burning fat. This week I want you to do push-ups twenty...start where you can do twenty... traditional great, or on the knees, or lay on the floor and just push up your upper body, or do standing push ups... stand about 2 feet away from the wall, hands on the wall with bend elbows and then push back to straight arms. Twenty remember.

3. Eat breakfast, this is the most important meal of the day. If you skip breakfast it's like turning your metabolism off, plus turning the fat making process on, double whammie.

Breakfast options: old fashion oatmeal with low fat or fat free milk and some fruit and a few nuts.
a slice of 100% whole grain bread with fat free cream cheese and all fruit preserves.
a protein shake with fruit in it.
an egg with 100% whole grain bread

If you skip breakfast you are more likely to eat high fat/high sugar foods in the late afternoon due to a brain chemical that triggers food cravings. Breakfast eaters also have lower blood pressure and have a easier time maintaining balanced blood sugar,which makes it easier to stick to a healthier diet.

Also remember not all foods are created equal. Instant oatmeal with whole milk or white bread with butter and jellly will almost double you blood sugar levels, which means an increase in the fat forming process.

4. Each meal and snack needs to have some protein with your carbs. and fats. I will get into the reason for this next time.

5. This week do 20 minutes daily of any time of moving. Walking, yoga, running, cycling just move for 20 minutes each day.

6. Do not sit for longer than 30 minutes without doing some moving like get up and stretch or walk a little bit.

That's it for week one.

Love to everyone