The Banquet Effect

A syndrome in eating that is so sneaky and persistent you almost don't know it is happening - and you do not have to be at a banquet for this to happen!

Banquet Effect: (noun) vast amounts of tasty, desirable, ready made, easily available food for an extended amount of time. People eat more food when this situation presents itself. And they keep going back and then you get into grazing.

I am always on the look out for an interloper (naughty food) to invade the kitchen. There are certain items we just don't keep in the cupboard so as not to be tempted.

An innocent ice cream habit got me right into this syndrome and I did not realize it was happening.

Hubby got an ice cream maker and I made sure he understood we would do this once in a rare while.

Well this ice cream hobby seems to be happening every weekend.

He is even doing the lowest sugar amounts possible, tweaking recipes with different fruit combination. The pure banana ice cream was very delish and the sugar was less then half called for. So it was good for us ice cream - an even better reason to partake.

Last weekend I had my half cup portion and that was it - done, finished.

Later that day it was still in the freezer. I was perplexed, why had he not given it away, or hidden it (even in the car) or as a last resort poured down the drain.

There it sat.

I kept coming back into the kitchen to 'check on it'. Making sure it was ok - comfortable - not too cold or too hot.

Went away again and then I realize - I have got to have some of that low sugar banana creamy cold ice cream.

OK, but just a half cup portion. I had a half cup portion. Then a little later another few bites.

Finally I just got the container of creamy banana ice cream and ate it. Wow. It was good though.

That is amazing how that can happen but I realized I had broken one of the strictest rules of eating right:

DON'T KEEP TEMPTING FOODS AROUND AFTER YOU HAVE HAD YOUR SERVING - THAT BECOMES A BANQUET.

I noticed that sort of eating made me more lenient this week. A chocolate square here, three on one day and then it all culminated with Hubby making lower fat/fruit sweetened ice cream this past weekend.

I had some and stopped. It had to stop.

I could feel the weight on me from just the past week. Even though it was not that much at all.

WHEN YOU ARE MENOPAUSAL YOUR BODY PUTS ON POUNDS VERY EASILY AND RELEASES FAT VERY RELUCTANTLY.

I learned that lesson a while back. And ya, my jeans are tight.

Once you notice a pattern of unhealthy eating you have to jump right back into the healthy eating immediately. I could have kept on eating and eating and said "I'll start Monday."
I know that does not happen.

So got back on track and worked out yesterday.

Fitness goals:

water 6 glasses - done
bum buster workout - done (lots of squats and arabesques)
biceps buster workout - done (lots of reps with different weights)
cardio: 25 mins. with HITS and squats added in (double duty workout).


Fitness goals:

Watch out for sugar! Do not let this just haplessly sneak in.

Drink more water 6 glasses

Make a veggie pot - a big pot of veggies to have for snacking...
mmmm I can almost taste those brussels sprouts.

Keep up the biceps buster workout
Some more ab pull ins, pelvic floor pull ups
Some yoga stretching
free form cardio if the opportunity presents itself

Fitness Goals

Need to do upper body workout - mainly biceps

Some tummy pull ins - 100 of various counts

squats for bum reps

AND

Get in at least 6 glasses water

Do Ya Jiggle When Ya Wiggle?

I scour the sinks daily and what a way to judge the jiggle - the jiggling of the arms.

If my arms are jiggling that means I have not been doing my triceps kickbacks.

But it's been busy recently! Nah, not buying it, there is an excuse proof method for firm arms...

TRICEPS KICKBACK (no this is not a financial kickback but the rewards are great)

Take a light weight - 3 or 4 maybe even on some sets 6 pounds but I do not go above that - you load up the elbow joint.

I do a triceps kickback on one side at a time. Make sure you take a minute to situate into correct form starting position. Fitting these in is not a reason to get sloppy with your technique.

You can keep your weights within easy access (under a sofa or chair, in your desk drawer at work) and grab them and do some reps.

As long as you are busily engaged (housework) you do not need much of a warm up - in fact starting with 3 lb. weights for one set is a warm up. If you need to warm up (as in been in couch potato mode) do some arm circles to get your joints lubricated and warmed, maybe 10 or 20 circles.

GOT A CREAKY JOINT?

Naturally, if you have a bad elbow you are going to have to ask your health care provider how to modify exercises - but - if you have a creaky, bothersome one here is a tip (and no it is not getting out the WD 40):

You don't lock the elbow at the top of the move, let the elbow be a little tiny bit relaxed at the top.

Also: hold at the top of the move to make sure you are not see sawing up and down and just swinging the weight which does nothing.

Hold for just 3 seconds at the top of the move on some of the reps.

Just fit in these reps when you get a chance.

I get in a set of maybe 20 reps each side right of the bat. Then might alternate with biceps, and one sided bent over rows. Or I might just go on and continue with what I am doing if I am really busy then stop again a little later and get in another batch of reps and maybe change the weight and rep count. It is possible to work up to and crank out 80 - 100 reps while doing the dinner dishes.

TOTALLY EXCUSE PROOF!

But what about push ups, they are supposed to firm the upper body in one move?

NO DO NOT DO PUSH UPS!

If you are at all overweight... these over load your elbow and wrist joints.

ALSO on my not do list: Overhead triceps dips, french tricep dips and plain triceps dips.

Just stick with the simple, basic, no frills triceps kickbacks.

And those arms won't jiggle when ya wiggle!

Double Dip

You mean a double dip ice cream cone?

Uh, no.

An exercise tip. About your dips.

With some upper body resistance training you can do both sides at the same time - triceps kickbacks, double arm rows, triceps dips...

DON'T

Do your triceps kickback on one side, then alternate sides back and forth. While one side rests, the other gets worked out. A big joint strainer on your upper body joints to do the double technique.

Ditto with the rows: Do single arm rows in good form and alternate side to side.

I don't take rests between sets and just alternate which gets you worked out quicker.

WHAT ABOUT TRICEPS DIPS?

This is a double dip you just do not want to do in your routine. A real strainer load on your shoulder joints.

AND YOU WOULD NEVER STEP UP TO THE ICE CREAM COUNTER AND ASK FOR A DOUBLE DIP!

Portion control, ladies. The only way to approach rich desserts that make life so much sweeter...and you would eat this after a meal.

You would ask for a little, ittle, tinsy dip - or 1/2 cup portion of ice cream.

And how sweet it is, even in tiny amounts.

Fitness goals achieved:
floor ab workout, bum bun workout done (just fit in squats, arabesques)

FITNESS GOALS:

freeform movement - just move when opportunity arises.
maybe some light cardio of a few minutes fittingly fitted in...
and don't forget: ab pull ins, pelvic floor lifts and the kegels - Don't ever forget the Kegels - and no, that's not the name of those neighbors that moved last summer.

Hold it!

really?

But, I gotta go.

Yes, hold it, even if for just a minute.

Yep, another shocking thing women should know:

going all the time weakens the bladder.

Which leads to the conclusion: holding a full bladder strengthens it.

Something to consider, but I am not going to recommend this as you journey forth on a trip or tend to get stuck in long traffic jams. And goes without saying - go as your health care practioner informs you to go.

Also, when doing kegels - there are different ones - do your uretha kegels (sounds like a title to a catchy song).

That is in addition to your other kegels and pelvic floor lifts...

There is always something to exercise - but these are of the 'invisible' exercise category - no one knows you are working out.

Fitness goals achieved:

yoga - 20 mins.

cardios - several segments that have added up: 17 min. walk with some light jogging
8 min. cardio dance moves (DVR'd)
20 min. cardio dance moves

Total cardio fitted in: 42 mins.

Did lower body resistance workout of about 8 mins. (incl. ab pilates floor moves).

Did upper body resistance workout of about 7 mins.

Then added in some odd moment upper and lower resistance exercises - these really add up.

Somehow the bum got left behind...

So today is a bum bun goal day and more abs with pull ins.

Just The Flax Mam

Flax seeds, flax oil, flax meal... flax is showing up everywhere especially for menopausal women.

I ended up using it as a spoonful of seeds daily. Usually I just take the seeds and chew them. You want to so you get the maximum benefit.

I also have made homemade flax meal (just ground up flax seeds) and used that in baking.

I ended up preferring a good quality olive oil and did not use the flax oil very much at all.

I do keep any flax refrigerated.

Fitness Goals:

abs - gotta get working on those
no excuse: 100 ab pull ins
work it: get on floor for some pilates ab work

Well, can't be (f) lax today!

What A Heel!

If you are doing heel lifts and someone exclaims this - that can mean only one thing - you are doing a single heel lift. Maybe you might even be holding a weight in your hand.

Don't.

DO ONLY DOUBLE HEEL LIFTS AND WITHOUT WEIGHTS

One heel lift is putting way too much pressure on your foot and ankle joint.

If you are even slightly overweight this can add strain.

I do only double heel lifts. And you don't even have to go all the way up on your tip toes either if that is uncomfortable. Go halfway.

Also wear shoes. Do not do barefooted on a hard floor.

A non load substitute for this? Point and flex your toes. Great to do while watching the telly on the couch.

Let someone say:

"Those are some heels".