Kicking It III

With only 182 days left before I leave for my birthday trip, a few folks have pointed out an irregularity in my last column.

Apparently, I have always been obnoxious. It started when I was 10. With a pair of six guns slung low on my hips, I'd mosey up to family members and smack them squarely between the shoulder blades asking, "Guess who's back?" My family nickname is unprintable.

When you read this column, I will have knocked out my sixth week of exercise. There's not much change in my body except my knees are complaining a bit.

Daily, I warm up on the bike. I have increased from 10 minutes to 20. Riding a stationary bike is the most boring exercise in the world, especially when the only distraction is watching the media spout anarchy. Reading anything helps while away the time.

My personal trainer, Kellen, started me out using small 3-pound weights. I am now using 5-pound and 8-pound weights, while the pull-down weight bar has gone from 20 pounds to 40 pounds. It all equates to added strength.

My favorite exercise finds me facing downward at the waist, bent over a pair of pads tucked under my hips, heels locked in place, lowering my head almost to the ground and lifting back up using my glutes and back muscles. I think it's a form of masochism, and Kellen keeps talking about squashing walnuts between my buttocks to strengthen my back and core muscles.

Traditionally, I have several workout routines that I change daily depending on what is ailing, like my right knee. For something different, I joined Carolyn's Silver Sneaker Circuit class. It's a 45-minute workout using a chair for stabilization. The class makes for a great warm up for weight training. At one point, my heart rate even hit 144.

I can make as much or as little of her routines depending on what works for me. There is also a Classic Silver Sneaker program for aging newbies. Check with a health care provider to see if they offer a gym membership.

If all this exercise sounds pedantic and mind numbing for you – the big girls go to David's "take-no-prisoners" boot camp. I've noticed more females than males from where I sit on the recumbent bike.

I won't know until the end of the month when I take a new thyroid reading if the increased dosage has made a difference, but I am thinking my doctor may be onto something.

Exercise seems to be the answer, along with healthier choices. Don't kid yourself, you know what they are. Everyone does.

What I do not understand is why health care providers are not examples of good health, except for my trim doc.

The good news is that it is possible to eat our way to good health. After all, isn't Vincent a testament to that? His primary exercise is strumming the ukulele. And does yard work count?

Our shopping list has shrunk. Well, other than dairy everything else is plain food. It looks like what it is. When cooked, veggies are flash boiled for a minute followed by an ice bath. Dried and eaten.

Proteins are grilled outside. We eat half a potato from time to time. Nuked and grilled.

The only bread we eat is homemade. Vincent uses his sourdough starter for bread or waffles. Either of them topped with my homemade applesauce is pure nirvana. We eat them as a great midday treat to offset hunger or, when we're feeling naughty, it's dessert.

After working out, my breakfast is 2 ounces of orange juice, half a cup of cottage cheese, a small tomato and an ounce or two of ham, tuna or leftover chicken.

Our only other meal is early. Apparently eating earlier provides a healthier result, eventually leading to one daily meal on the way to occasional fasting. Well, that's a way off.

The second meal starts with a large plate of butterleaf lettuce crowded with carrot rounds, avocado, tomato, cucumber, radish and raw cauliflower and served with a side of green beans, asparagus or more cottage cheese. These ingredients provide plenty of chew. We also add a few ounces of grilled protein.

Most days I pop enough popcorn to make 5 cups. Not the higher caloric packets, I make it fresh. I found the perfect dry popper pot at The Spoiled Avocado in Fallbrook. I add 1 tablespoon of melted butter or 1 tablespoon of popcorn oil. Both contain the same 110 calories. The popcorn is only 20 calories per cup.

The bottom line is I feel a lot better, stronger and maybe a bit more obnoxious. It's all relevant. Thanks for your ongoing support.

Elizabeth Youngman-Westphal can be reached by email at [email protected].