Fit4Travel Blog

Click to view blog by:   Latest date first  or  Earliest date first

175 lbs - According to the NY Times . . .

MARCH 2, 2010: I believe that I eat significantly less than I did a month ago. The big difference is, however, that I reduced the amount of strenuous aerobic exercise I do per day. Blame it on the snow!

Anyway, today's NY Times, in it's article In Obesity Epidemic, What's One Cookie? by Tara Parker-Pope, says that calorie reduction as a weight-loss scheme really doesn't work. Small calorie changes, for example, have no real effect.

Large caloric changes, without exercise, equate starvation diets. I could, indeed, lose weight at no more than 650 calories a day like my sedentary girlfriend did. But I don't want to do that.

IMHO, the change we all need to lose weight (without going completely nuts) is a solid, one-meal-a-day program (coupled with a small snack), plus an hour a day of aerobics.

In my case, a low-level aerobic program puts me at 120 beats-per-minute and a high-level at 145+. No matter what, I can achieve both aerobic levels exercising in my living room while watching a movie. Now, I just have to be consistent about exercising!

Will I live up to my own belief? We'll see how I do over the next two weeks!

175 lbs - The joy and dangers of travel (shows)

FEBRUARY 26, 2010: Over 20 inches of snow dropped on New York today, with a good 12 inches on the street when I left the house at 8AM to attend the Travel Agents portion of the New York Times Travel Show.

Snow accumulation was the least of my worries. My warm sweater, down coat with fur-rimmed hood, thick scarf, and knee-high, Wisconsin-style boots kept me warm while I kicked my way through fluffy drifts along the sidewalk leading to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. I entertained myself by witnessing roving posses of husky men push stuck cabs out of side streets. "Well," I thought, "at least my own effort of walking through the drifts while watching other people work should help me lose weight."

The seminars I attended were incredible and the show itself was invigorating. The obstacle I didn't count on, however, was that my ticket included several meals, including a nine-inch long, meaty sub, quadruple-salted potato chips, a giant cookie, and (ah hum) a healthy Granny Smith apple. I didn't eat the apple.

But I ate everything else! I devoured a Danish for breakfast, the huge lunch, AND reception food. Then, when I left the building, a bowl of York Peppermint patties beckoned. When I arrived at my warm home, I felt that I deserved to munch on butter-drenched, homemade popcorn while my husband and I watched the movie, The Cats of Mirikitani. (Highly recommended...the movie AND homemade, buttered popcorn!)

Tomorrow, I won't weigh myself.

175 lbs - Ah, there is a god . . .

FEBRUARY 25, 2010: I cannot begin to describe how relieved I was this morning when I stepped on the scale.

The weather is not fitness-friendly and calls for mugs of hot chocolate and bowls of double-buttered popcorn and Netflix movies. We'll see how this affects the scale tomorrow. That said, I've added vigorous in-place marching to my array of aerobic-style exercises, which I do in 10 to 15 minute "TV" watching bouts.

176 lbs - Arrrrgggg

FEBRUARY 24, 2010: I've been 176 for several days. While I've exercised indoors for 45 minutes each day (a combination of weight-lifting, twisting, and AirClimbing), I've stayed the same weight. I assume that if I didn't exercise, I would have gained. (All indoor exercising is done while watching Netflix movies. Maybe listening to fast-paced music would be better.)

I eat about one and a quarter meals a day and do not feel hungry at all! The big difference in my routine, however, is not pushing myself aerobically. My sustained indoor exercise heart rate ranges from 115 to 120 beats-per-minute. Outdoors, on the Weehawken Gym, my heart pumps past 140, a sure indicator of weight loss.

And what about walking? Twice last week, my husband and I walked 4 to 5 miles between NYC events. While I know walking is supposed to be good for weight loss, it didn't do a thing for me. Possibly, walking speed is more critical for weight loss. A pedestrian pace just doesn't cut it.

At minimum, I do require daily aerobics, no matter what my heart rate. Overall, I feel great. I recommend light aerobics for anyone who has a tendency to feel stiff, as aerobics makes stiffness disappear. IMHO, light aerobics are more affective than stretching (systematic stretching exercises are vastly over-rated).

Now then, I've also increased eating crusty Panera bread for lunch. Mistake? Well, as of today, I'm eliminating it until I reach 170 lbs. The food I won't eliminate, however, is a daily cup of walnuts.

Our road trip to Florida altered my dietary course. While I did not gain significantly during that time, I did lose momentum. Then, since returning home, I've spent overtime-hours sitting while writing and programming.

I hope to have better news tomorrow!

178 lbs - Getting fat on ocean cruises, a reality check

FEBRUARY 16, 2010: I just got around to reading the New York Time's The Cruise Issue 2010 (2/14/10). In it, I found this thought-provoking statement:

"Gaining weight is one of the perils on the high seas, with the average cruiser said to put on several pounds on a week-long cruise."

What an unhappy thought! When on vacation of any type, but especially ocean cruising, eating is a major form of entertainment; an issue I am trying to solve via this blog. Anyway, the article (Offering Whatever Floats Your Boat) further says:

"To help passengers get shipshape and resist the buffet, cruise ships are offering everything from beefed-up gyms to macrobiotic menus."

Oh g'me a break! What is wrong with this picture? First you pay to be feted with food, then, as an afterthought, you are provided a place to exercise. How many of us would be rational enough to put in the 1 to 2 hours of aerobic exercise required a day to work off dining?

Do we really want to go on ocean cruises (where walking around and around is as stimulating as mall-walking) to get fat? And pay for the privilege of getting fat? And pay for the privilege to exercise harder than we might have exercised had we stayed home?

Is the fun of travel involved with getting out and about, or is it involved with just going from table to table? I believe that the no more than one-meal-a-day option is going to become a requirement for our society, restaurant industry be damned.

178.5 lbs - Fudge weight

FEBRUARY 15, 2010: OK, I have to admit. Buying a lot of absolutely fantastic fudge (especially the mint/chocolate) is not a good way to target weight loss. But frankly, I'm glad I didn't skip that Key West fudge!

Now here is the thing. Experts say that you can only take off 2 pounds a week, with 4 to 5 pounds being way too much. Yet, as most women know, it is very possible to gain 5 to 8 pounds a week. In my opinion, it should come off as fast as you can put it on by simply reversing the process.

Reversing the process, of course, means eating less and exercising more. Increased aerobic exercise is the real key to weight loss. Unfortunately, most of us are required to sit for long periods, so we have to radically reduce what we eat. Eating less, even more unfortunately, does not result in rapid weight loss.

Anyway, now that I'm home, I'm back "on plan." One hour a day of some type of aerobics, coupled with eating only one or two meals a day. And for inspiration (or at least a preview of all the wonderful clothing I'm going to buy when I weigh 135 pounds), I'm going to research an article on a really fabulous NY boutique, SoHo Women, which is across 40th Street from Bryant Park.

Never take fudge on a long road trip

FEBRUARY 12, 2010: We began today's road trip slowly. First, we left Hollywood's beach and drove around its pristine, "original Florida," Art Deco city, then proceeded on to Ft. Lauderdale's stunning beach.

While in Ft. Lauderdale, we saw a 1940s "woodie," which was a commercially made truck fitted out with a wooden body; a precursor to the station wagon.

By the 1950s, woodies were old and falling apart, but were usefully roomy and inexpensive. They became known as the beach boy (surfer dude) car of choice. In keeping with that theme, the owner of the antique pictured here stuck a wooden surf board out of its back window.

Anyway, our day was primarily spent in the car as we crawled back to Daytona Beach amid construction zones and miscellaneous traffic mishaps. Our sack of fudge did not make it to Valentine's Day.

Being cool in Hollywood

FEBRUARY 11, 2010: Today, we left Key West on our return trip to the Daytona Beach Airport, and are staying in what we found to be our favorite location - Hollywood, Florida. To fully appreciate it, you need to stroll its tiled, beach walk to see its 1920s, pastel, Art Deco buildings. The vacationers we've seen in the area include families with young children as well as a full range of adults. Situated between Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, there's more than enough to do!

Wherever you travel, you will find the best place to stay by determining what you want to see, then getting lodging directly in front of it.

With that in mind, we scored a fabulous place in a timeshare resort by simply walking up to the reception desk and asking if there was a vacancy. The upside is that the room we are now in has two huge windows overlooking the beach AND we got it for a substantial discount. The downside is that there is no heat. As far as we're concerned, it's early October. (Hollywood Beach Tower)

What is hard for me about the area is that we are near lively, beach-side restaurants, all of which are off-limits in my current one-meal-a-day diet plan. Note that I'm eating normally and by now, don't have cravings (except for a small nibbles of fudge). What I miss is evening the entertainment and atmosphere that accompanies evening dining.

Chilling out in Key West

FEBRUARY 10, 2010: I arrived in Key West around 1:30PM with only one thing on my mind - key lime pie.

After a great lunch (including pie) at Fogarty's on Duval Street, we stumbled upon homemade fudge in a shop near the end of Duval Street and promptly bought a pound (or so) of it. The orange/chocolate combination is to die for!

This fudge is a test of my will. I'm hoping it'll last until my birthday a month from now, or at least through Valentine's Day. That said, the size of my lunch was modest, I shared the pie with my husband, and the half-square of fudge I eat today I considered my evening snack.

Meanwhile, as we strolled, the temperature sank into the 50s and the winds gusted to 25 miles per hour. Palm trees bent to the ground. Sweatshirt sales were brisk! And sandaled feet froze (I speak from experience).

We asked a maintenance engineer at our hotel to turn on the heat. After he fiddled with the controls, said he never turned on heat before as normally, guests complain about the air conditioning not being low enough. Right now, I have all the cracks around our door lined with newspaper to keep Key West's tropical icy wind from blowing in. Luckily, this particular hotel chain has heated beds.

The short and tall of it

FEBRUARY 9, 2010: Because we are attempting a speedy road trip through southern Florida, we really don't have much time to enjoy ourselves.

Fortunately, as we were driving along Ocean Boulevard late yesterday, we spotted one of the few, human-sized hotels along the strip and scored an ocean-front room at the Monaco Resort (a TravelLodge affiliate). While I cannot recommend the hotel to those seeking quality-quality-quality, I can recommend it for people who like waking up to the sun-sparkling Atlantic and rushing out to the beach without having to wait for an elevator.

Next door to the Monaco Resort, heading north and south, were overwhelming skyscrapers. You be the judge as to which type of lodging provides the most value . . .

Later, we discovered Hollywood and North Hollywood, both of which were almost devoid of huge buildings. Should you visit the area, drive as close to the ocean as possible in order to understand the old Florida charm these communities radiate. Beach access here tops whatever is available in Miami, plus you can actually see the sea when you drive by.

Diet news: My husband and I are now both sticking to one main meal, plus one light snack. Hunger doesn't bother us, but we truly miss the entertainment value of dining and drinking out.

Vacation entertainment options: eat, eat, or eat

FEBRUARY 8, 2010: We woke up this morning at 3:50AM to catch the space shuttle Endeavour's launch. By 4:10AM we were standing on the beach next to the receding surf and soon thereafter, we saw orange clouds appear on the southern horizon. From the clouds arose a golden needle, then whole show was finished in under 30 seconds! Of course, we cheered . . .

By 9AM, we were off on a 350 mile road trip to Miami Beach, arriving in the area at around 1:30AM. The ten blocks of the Historic Art Deco District, unfortunately, are not a dieter’s paradise. *All* the sidewalks in front of the famous Art Deco hotels were covered with restaurant tables, leaving only a narrow passage for pedestrian traffic. Besides being surrounded by diners, each restaurant displayed food and aquarium-sized drink samples. Navigating the area was like walking a gauntlet!

Since the early 2000s, skyscrapers have transformed Ocean Drive into a cave-avenue, devoid of ocean views. There are so many skyscrapers that in contrast, they make the "tall buildings" in New York City look like huts. Frankly, I'm of the opinion that what's built in NYC should stay in NYC. This many skyscrapers in a sea-side resort area is not appropriate. Fortunately, we were lucky to secure an ocean-front room in one of the few, mid-1900s, two-story motel resorts left on the beach.

Sunday's road trip to St. Augustine

FEBRUARY 7, 2010: Our typical road trip is comprised of a roughed-out destination that compliments our total ignorance about the location. The fun of this type of travel is that it's full of surprises. The negative side effect is that we spend a lot of time on the road looking for the surprises.

So far, in support of my diet, I've been able to execute some serious twisting exercises (the air has been too cold in Daytona Beach to use our hotel's nicely heated, outdoor pool). My first and only meal was lunch at a tasty Mexican restaurant that served cinnamon coffee, followed two hours later by a half-square of fresh fudge.


When in a strange town, I like to ask locals for "what to see" tips, and by doing that, our day was shaped by a recommendation that we visit nearby St. Augustine. It was also shaped by the aborted, Sunday morning NASA shuttle launch, so we decided to remain at our "launch view," beachfront hotel, hoping that we will see it early Monday morning. Our road trip surprises included:

• Learning that the damp, ultra-fine sand at Daytona Beach creates a resilient, hard surface great for jogging!
  
  
• Learning that for $5, we could drive on the beach.
  
  
• Learning about the shopping possibilities at St. Augustine. Everything appears to be half the price of what you'd pay in NYC.
  
  
• And learning about www.VinoDelGrottoStAugustine.com, which produces unique vintages from every fruit (and some vegetables) grown in Florida. I purchased Orange Sunshine (11% alcohol) to toast the shuttle flight (whether or not it takes off). Some other flavors include Green Apple Riesling Wine, Chocolate Raspberry Port Style Wine, and Key Lime Ice Wine. You can order online, but visiting is better as you can taste numerous other wines not featured on their website, including Tomato.

Dieting and a road trip

FEBRUARY 6, 2010: As you know, my goal is to get down to 135 pounds by mid-May and if I were to stay home with "no life," I could easily achieve it. All my routines are laid out. My frig is filled with healthy food. And I'm a master at ordering reasonable meals in New York.

The first test of my weight-loss system, however, begins today as my husband and I go on a road trip in Florida. We are not bringing a scale, so I won't be able to check my daily process. That said, I want to weigh 173 or less a week from now.

Looking Back... A few days ago, I introduced one of the devices that's serving me well - Frank Sepe's Fitness Disc - which lets me twist back into shape. I had been using a very tiny twister for years, so when I tried his during a personal demo, I was instantly hooked on its value for a home gym.

I'm not sure that using it will give you his physique, but it will get your heart pumping and it provides the means to produce amazing arm and body core strength. I even think it reduces stress around the spine. Since using it, my lower back (crippled by too much sitting) feels great.

Pictured here is Frank doing the easiest level of the Fitness Disc routine. By moving the center poll back and forth, you twist to a nice rhythm. If you come in after a hard day of sitting and simply want to get your blood pumping a bit, this is the way to go! It's totally relaxing.

Unfortunately, I can't bring the Fitness Disc with me next week, so will have to make do with my tiny twister. I'll let you know how it works out!

176.5 lbs - Let's hear it for the non-diet diet

FEBRUARY 4, 2010: I am trying to lose weight for two reasons, the first of which is to improve heart-muscle strength and the second, to be small enough to shop for clothing at Saks Fifth Avenue sales.

In my opinion, the only way to lose weight is to participate in daily aerobic exercises, coupled with moderate eating. Dieting just doesn't do it. Unfortunately, as we get older, it seems that those aches and pains caused by being sedentary increase when we attempt any type of aerobic exercise. Ankles, knees, spine, and hips "go" at the first jog, bounce, or dancing step.

To offset inevitable problems caused by aerobics, I've introduced non-impact aerobics into my life by using Frank Sepe's Fitness Disc and the AirClimber. I use them in combination for an hour a day while watching TV. (The hour is accomplished in two different periods.) These devices are easy to use, increase the heart-rate to low aerobic levels, break up sluggishness, and in the case of the Fitness Disc, exercise the body's core and arms.

These two devices let me exercise inside during otherwise down-time. While taking a long, brisk walk is nice, weather conditions and perhaps the lack of daylight eliminate walking as a reliable, daily option.

The very best non-impact, aerobic exercise, however, is walking up stairs, an activity that is not similar to a stair-climbing machine. Fortunately, I live by Weehawken's mega-staircase; my city's answer to a free, public gym.

My "diet" consists of one or two meals a day. I start with a big, high-protein breakfast that includes a cup of walnuts. Along with the nuts, I might have eggs, meat, or herring (my Danish heritage). I also liberally use butter and olive oil. This type of breakfast keeps me feeling full for a long time. If I do have lunch, I don't spare the butter or olive oil, nor do I particularly watch what I eat. After that, no more meals.

As for supplements, I take three Choline/Inositol 500mg capsules and one ReserveAge Organics Resveratrol 500mg capsule every morning. If I feel tired in the late afternoon (which is rare), I take two to three NewChapter Coffeeberry capsules. I've found that this combination of supplements truly contribute to alertness.

177.5 lbs - Get away, Hollywood!

FEBRUARY 2, 2010: OK, girls, tell me what is wrong with this picture? Kathy Griffin, who claims she starved herself thin, apparently grew breasts. And not just any breasts! As she lost weight, she grew the increasingly popular, NBA pro-basketball variety.

You can find Kathy's diet in Joan River's book, "Men are Stupid...and They Like Big Boobs."

178.5! Fresh, hot popcorn and the evil Meryl Streep

FEBRUARY 1, 2010: My downfall in not losing a pound this weekend was directly caused by Meryl Streep, who personally inspired me to set aside my "no eating after 3:30 PM" rule in order to munch on way too much popcorn. Here's what happened:

On Saturday, I saw "It's Complicated." In it, Meryl plays a thin pastry chef (yes, of course) and owner of French-style cafes. She lives by herself in a stunning home where she is surrounded by more food than you'd find in a Walmart Supercenter. Without regard for the rest of the story, her calling in life is to feed bread, cake, and pastry to everyone she meets. And her problems? No sex and her kitchen is too small.

Meryl's former husband, Alec Baldwin, is chubby. Lord knows how he got that way because he didn't live with her for the last ten years. Oh, and did I mention Meryl's friends? They are skinny bitches who are able to happily devour endless desserts, washed down by bottomless glasses of wine. (Not one of them loosened her waistband!)

Girls - we don't need this kind of message from Hollywood (especially when hot popcorn is available at the concession stand). Unless we are athletes, we simply cannot eat or drink as much as movies (or travelogues) depict.

178 lbs - Twisting my weight off

JANUARY 29, 2010: Of all our body parts, it is the heart needs the most toning. Without one, we are dead. Conversely, we can live decades with double-chins, flabby tummies, and sagging butts.

Hearts are needed for pumping blood, staying mentally alert, and, of course, falling in love. Unfortunately, as long as we are not dead, we usually don't consider how much better life could be if our hearts were in better shape. Commonly, we don't even know.

What we do know about health is mixed information about using strenuous exercise, staying on strict diets, and attending expensive gyms. When we don't have extra time, dedication, or money, however, all is ignored.

One "secret" to obtaining better heart-and-body fitness is to make better use of passive downtime, like when watching TV. Another secret is to limit meals to two a day, with both before 3:30PM.

While neither secret will turn us into Olympians, at least we can use them to improve our heart health, lose weight, and maybe fall in love with life all over again. Or, at least, that's what I believe. If I am correct, I'll weigh around 135 by mid-May.

As of this blog, part of my "traveling woman," pro-TV, aerobic fitness regiment is using Frank Sepe's Fitness Disc, an incredibly simple (and relatively inexpensive) device. More about it tomorrow.

179 lbs - Breakfast of champions, vacation-style

JANUARY 27, 2010: To be on time for an early meeting, I left home without breakfast. When the meeting ended, I was starved. Fortunately, I was near The Brooklyn Diner by Carnegie Hall.

If you are hungry and in the neighborhood before 11AM, ask for its "Tony Bennett's Cinnamon Raison and Pecan French Toast." It is served with diet-friendly strawberries, a bowl of thick, home-made whipped cream, plenty of butter, and a pitcher of grade A amber, Vermont maple syrup. Each slice of toast is one-half inch thick and makes a good carrier for mounds of plump raisons, rivers of cinnamon, piles of pecans, and egg custard. With three pieces of thick toast per serving, it's an excellent meal to split (which I did).

Temptations like this are the bane of a diet-conscious traveler, but heck, if you must eat, it might as well be worthwhile, especially if it is rarely available. To make up for this splurge, I skipped my second meal of the day and didn't miss it at all.

Just when I wanted a big bowl of popcorn

JANUARY 26, 2010: The diet plan I'm using consists of a solid, protein-rich breakfast, anything my heart desires for lunch, and nothing after 3:30PM. OK, maybe a tiny nibble of cheese or a fig, but that's it.

Tonight, my husband and I decided to see Avatar in 3D, which meant that my will was going to be tested by the concession stand. It should be noted that if I had a choice between fine chocolates, a bottle of Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac, or freshly popped popcorn, the popcorn would win.

Anyway, I struggled to my seat empty-handed. And it's a good thing, too, for what did I see pop out at me from the screen? Skinny blue Pandorians. Ten foot tall, skinny blue Pandorians, which made them even skinnier than skinny. Between their chests and hips were 7 feet of long, tiny tummies complete with tiny little 6-packs. Were they an inspiration or curse?

Anyway, when we got home, my husband whipped up something to eat. I went to bed hungry.

Sitting it out at 180 pounds

JANUARY 24, 2010: Since March, 2009, I lost almost 40 pounds, then the holiday season quickly put seven pounds back on. Did I eat more? Sure. Did I sit more? Oh, yeah!

Sitting "stands" between me and my dream of traveling in stylish outfits (bought on-sale from the best shops) and energetically trotting from sight to interesting sight.

That said, have you noticed all the travel ads that feature hotel beds and luxurious accessories? Excuse me? Have I missed something?

When I travel, I am far more interested in what is outside of my hotel, than what is in it. And I'd rather not luxuriate for hours at some spa-like facility when the end result is a bigger end. Trust me, "relaxation industry," I am an expert on the subject. What I need now, at age 66, is something far, far better.

But what is it? And how to do it? That's what this blog is destined to discover.