Much has happened since May!

Yep! I bet that is true is everyone's life.
From my Fitting In Fitness, with the help of our dog, my coach Teddy this is what has changed the most:

From about late May, or early June;

• No matter how short we kept, (We! Ha! Thank you Susan the Groomer at Pet Smart!) Teddy's fur. (& he BITES!)
• No matter that I walked during the coolest parts of the day.
• No matter that I offered water every 15 minutes

He turned into the Carry Me dog!
I need more black shirts, and I do not like wearing black, especially in the summer.

Eventually, with heat waves of over 100 degrees, we even took much shorter walkes. All walks turned into, Then I carry him back.

I figure coach Teddy is helping me work up my upper body strenght. Just as his biting, unpredictably, has helped me sharpen my reflexes!
Nice of him, but a recent trip to the vet reveals that he has gained a few pounds. Now when a 15 lb dog gains 3 pounds, it is proportionally much worse than a 160 pound human gaining 3 pounds.

In an effort to help prevent our Teddy from out of shape related illness, I have simply made sure we take different walks daily.

This puts us on the path of Places We Have Not Walked in Months!
It worked!
It not only insures he takes a bigger interest in walking, more new scents and scenes for him.
It also insures he walks most of the hour, then I spend at least 15 minutes, or more, carrying him back.
It also helps entertain folks we pass on the streets! The most common comment we get is "who is walking who?" I just tell them, we are, we walk each other, take turns! Stuff like that. It makes people smile.

The effect is:
Teddy is walking further out
I am getting a tad stronger!
He, and other things I must lift teel lighter!

I cauaght a glimpse of myself in the mirror, with my tankini top on, getting ready to go to the pool...I have been over weight long enough to have trained my self to look always automatically, but this time I caught a glimpse, and LOOKED BACK!
The part, for a few inches below my bust is noticeably much narrower.
As in the ratio between my bust to underbust and waist was: WOW!
The rest of the look down, not so wow, but Thank You Teddy just the same!

There has been swimmign on a regular, well at least 1 to 3 times a week, basis this summer for me and my daughter!
Here is where I found my selft with not quite enought breath to swim the way I normally had. Granted, it has been decades since I swam regularly at all!

So I am looking into the E Cigarettes I saw on TV, found a coupon, posted it here in the right column. Usually smokes just hurt my checkbook. Now I find I am not up to breast stroking a short, width of the pool, lap! I am not taking this side stroking all the time! Nor will I accept it could be because I am 50 as a reason to be short of breath, in the pool!

Besides, cigarettes have cost too much for way too long!
I figure I could at least try the cheap, disposbnle e cigs soon, see how they are.

I will get back to you about that.

and about adventures in sun screen, rash guards, swimwear and the like

This time I will take  less than nearly 3 months to do it!

Hoping you are having a fun and enjoyable summer!
Anne

A Good, Filling Snack or pre-Breakfast in my case

As I mentioned back in March, I have been having a bit of a time finding something healthy, filling, quick to make for those early morning hours when I am actually awake, yet find no time for breakfast!

Thanks to my friend Holly, I found it.

At Holly's suggestion I tried mini shredded wheat cereal

Pleasantly bite sized, not overly fatty or sweet, and high in fiber!

She says the cheaper store brands are just as good, though I am not through eating

Post's Vanilla Almond Shredded Wheat, they do not call the small ones mini-shredded wheat anymore.

They come in a bunch of flavors too!

However, spare yourself the experience of the vanilla almond style as a cereal, with skim milk and nothing else.

It is Way Too Bland.

Dry it is excellent!

And Filling!

As it turns out, A Dog Will not ALWAYS keep you Moving

 I wrote earlier, regards to the inadvertent exercise plan, that A Dog Keeps You Moving.

I have learned that is:
Unless he / she is sick, Thankfully, that did not last long!
Unless your dog does not like the weather.

This weather issue has lasted much longer! In our Teddy's case, he does not like the wind!
So we have gone from steadily walking 2 or more hours a day, to anywhere from 1/2 hour or less even some days to just under an hour each day. Some days this windy spring, not at all!

I have wondered if one can get a small cafe fairing for their dog...
This is a fairing for a motorcycle

OK, I doubt they make fairings for animals.



If I am wrong let me know!

So these days I had been rethinking just how inadvertent an exercise plan one can rely on when...

My daughter started using my, way to big for me, roller blades. She wants us to skate the streets of our town together!
This will involve me learning how to stop and slow down on roller blades, going down hills. Oh yeah and roller blades, that fit this time, for me. (Gulp!) Well at least we both have all the protective gear already! I just might have health insurance too! Oh Boy Pavement and side walks!

We tried roller blading years ago, so we could skate when our ice skating rink has no public hours...

We both chickened out then...

We shall see...

Workout while you walk, or stand, in Instability style footwear

Obviously, with all the footwear styles that promise us a workout as we walk, or even just stand, the #1 choice for having or maximizing an inadvertent exercise plan is what I call rocker style footwear!

I have been pursuing this for years and the good news is, these styles are getting less and less expensive!

The first style I tried, years ago, was the, still expensive MBT sneaker, and later sandals. Both are still over $200. Gulp.

Today we have Fit flops, start at $50.

Literally today, at a possible 20% off, Reebok Easy Tone sandals at Shoe Buy and Possibly 40% off at Reebok

They are just for $60, the women’s sneakers, at Reebok’s site, run from $99 to sandals, to $125.
Click on this Easy Tone flip flop, obviously the cost effective way to try this exercise style and you will find it at Shoe Buy. Today, below this sandal’s description is Shoe Buy’s Mother’s Day 20% Off offer.

Now this brand might be an exception. Turns out, when Shoe Buy has a discount offer, they do not tell us, or their customer service people what the exclusions are. Customer service did tell me these things tend to be on most brands though…

If this Mother’s Day discount does not apply to this, or what ever you are interested in at Shoe Buy, you can still use their $5 off offer in this page’s right column.

Now Shoe Buy only has Reebok’s Easy Tone sandals, and even so, only in two colors.

Reebok has them in 7 colors in the women’s section. They also have this $40 Off deal to your below. When I click on it, I get no details. Perhaps I will have to take it through to checkout and see what happens…I am not quite ready for that, yet…




And here is the Easy Tone, in its gold color, flip flop at Reebok. The price is the same at either store.


Easy Tone, MBT footwear and Fitflops all work on the instability principle. What I call “Rocker style”. You can really see the rocking effect in the original, horrendously pricey MBT footwear:

This is the ultra pricey MBT Sport 2 sneaker below:

They do have sneakers with a smaller incline, or rocker middle.
I believe I have the earlier version, just as extreme at tilt.

The sandal I have, just as pricey:

They do have other styles of sandals too.

With the MBT footwear styles, you can see where the instability comes from.

And fitflops at Walkers Warehouse, has a Microwobbleboard inside their footbeds.


Not only do you not see where the instability comes from, you do not feel it. At least I did not.

They, like the newer Reebok Easy Tone footwear rely on instability to tone your legs and back side.

I have not tried the Easy Tone styles yet

Here is what I can tell you about the MBTs and Fit Flops.

MBTs
They take some getting use to. You really feel it, the wobble. Once I did, I really enjoyed standing around in them. I do that a lot, waiting for my child’s school to let out. Also they are fun to walk in too! They give you a nice rolling gait.

Sadly, not only does the price seem forbidding, because of the price, they remain so. I avoid wearing either these sandals or sneakers in the wet, even morning dew.

If we have a dry spell, usually called August in NJ, I will wear them a lot. They are also good for fall. Your feet do really feel protected!

MBT sandals, So far I am not finding them in a flip flop style. For me this means I go nuts trying to not get blisters. Wearing socks, trying to get the straps adjusted just right…It is a problem I have with all strappy sandals, unless they are thongs, or flip flops.

Should they ever come in a thong style, I will eventually get them and wear them to death, as I did with my, pricey but not quite so much, Birkenstock thongs. I believe the style was called Cancun, and I wish they’d bring this style back.

Fit Flops

Wore them at home first, then forgot to switch once or twice, and started to wear them every where, even to the office in the summer several times a week

Takes no time to get use to.

Because they are not expensive, I never thought twice about wearing them in the rain.

Bottom Line on will they TONE YOUR MUSCLES?

I cannot tell. I cannot say wearing either felt like a workout.

Two, not advertised, personal perhaps, reasons for to wear this style footwear.

• Relief of back and hip pains.

After a winter of wearing mere 2 inch high heeled boots my back, and especially hip, pains left. Within just two days of wearing my MBT sneakers! This was before Fitflops came out.

After that, I wore my Fitflops around the house all winter, which counter acted the ill effect on my back and hip of the heeled boots.

When my Fitflops died, I had to return to wearing my current, negative heeled, Birkenstocks. The hip pain returned within a week, and the back pains are on occasion, as opposed to never.

I might not wait much longer to try the Easy Tone thongs.

• Instant Arch Support

Whether it is the big bold obvious rocker MBT style or the invisible, sedate Fitflop style, this wobble board, or instability style, foot bed is sheer heaven for those amongst us with high arches.

The next great fix it the Birkenstock Blue Foot bed (Heeled). It comes in casual style too, which I take to be for flats, same price though…

But it costs $55, and just like it says, only up to a 1.5 inch heel.

The high price of getting reliable great arch support, built into a footwear style might justify the outrageous prices of these shoes and sandals. In my case this value is multiplied greatly by the hip and back pain relief.

If I can work it out to keep good records while, at the same time, wearing one pair of this footwear style consistently, I will perhaps be able to report to you its “workout” value…

A summer in Easy Tone thongs my just be the thing that will do this. They do look durable and it does not appear water could damage them….we will see.

What I hope to be going over here in the near future

No, I do not mean once a month. Much has happened, and not happened. Due to both of these things, I mean to be sharing with you what I find out about due to:

What happened

• I though I broke our Teddy dog, my coach, when I got him groomed. Turns out, he was sick and veterinarians are expensive. 
• He is well now but I ended up broke for my daughter’s spring break so I will be looking into:

Pet Insurance

• With four out door and 2 indoor cats, I will also be looking in to

Cheaper Front Line Plus on line, real of not real
What did not happen:

• I did not gain the weight back. 
• I did not loose more. 
• I will be checking out new ways to loose a bit more of it, while walking Teddy

Because you might not be looking to have a dog in your future, but are perhaps here looking into how to fit in more fitness

• I will be looking into how to do that sans dog.

• For instance, nearly always in my email is a subject line about how you can loose X amount of pounds just walking and the like. 
• I will give them a look-see.

Footwear:
What is the difference between

• rocker style footwear like MBT, Sketchers shape ups and Fit Flop footwear
• vs negative heel footwear like Birkenstocks 
• and Reebok’s Easytone footwear.

What gives you the best comfort, and if possible, workout?
For instance, I am wearing these Crocs thongs, for no other reasons than I like thongs, they looked durable and wear cheaper than fitflops.


Then I saw these Reebok Easytone thongs, which look durable, and, like fitflops, supposedly tone you as walk!
However, they are more expensive than fitflops…still

EasyTone Flip Flop For FREE SHIPPING enter promo code FLIPFLOP during checkout. Get a better butt and better legs with every step. With EasyTone Flip Flop, you can get firmer thanks to our patented sole technology, which emulates walking on sand.

The up shot of this is, they are suppose to improve muscle tone in our hamstrings, calves and glutes up to 28%! They come in a lot of colors and get excellent wearer reviews. The Sneakers in this Easytone style are sadly, pricewise, on a par with MBTs and Sketchers Shape Ups…Still a nice warm weather price break!

OK so a pair of thongs is easier to confront than Pet Insurance, but I had better get on that too!

Now you know more of what to expect in the, likely weeks, to come. This is where I will be making my own note pretty much concerning all that, and the first part tells you why.

If you know anything about Pet Insurance, cheaper online Front Line Plus and fitness footwear PLEASE SHARE!
Thank you
Anne

Free FitFlops!

But it will cost ya. eDress Me, who has beautiful dresses and plus size dresses ranging from pricey to reasonably priced is now carrying swimsuits! If you are buying, mostly bikini, some one piece, and not plus size swimwear, anyway, this free FitFlops offer might be good for you. It will be good until 3/29/10 and does not seem to apply to their cover-ups. Use the link at the bottom of this post to go straight to eDress Me’s swimsuits.

I had fitflops and I love them! Mine lasted about a year and 6 months. They come in many styles now and not just sandals. They are well worth the little they cost!

Below is the style I wore, and will buy again soon! Click on the Buy button their picture to read their reviews, or shop for them at Shoe Buy. First, note their discount code in this page’s right column!

FitFlop WalkStar (Women's) - Natural Every step you take in the FitFlop Walkstar helps tone and trim your legs. The Walkstar has a uniquely built multi-density midsole that activates muscles to help tone your thighs, your calves and your glutes. According to a study done at the University of Salford in Manchester, UK, the Fit Flop wearer's gait is very similar to that of a barefoot walker, but the added cushion provided by the EVA midsole helps reduce joint strain and absorb shock. In fact, several Walkstar wearers have already reported relief from back pain after a few days of wearing them. Available Colors: Black, Natural, Red, White/Blue.

Or take advantage of eDress Me’s free fitflop offer, but only if you planned to buy the kind of swimwear they sell. After all, the above fitflop sandals only cost $50, less with Shoe Buy’s discount, and free shipping. Swimwear at eDress Me starts at $60 for a bikini bottom.

The Small Stuff, a pre-Breakfast Snack

Or the little / big stuff. Breakfast, the first frontier in lots of our days. Such an important meal, many of us, I am told, can not even stomach.

Getting up early, as I call it, between 2 and 4AM and walking the dog after he eventually gets up is one thing. Going out into below freezing weather, before breakfast, turned out to be another…

When I say Breakfast, I am talking about something I can eat quietly, without doing anything to speak of in the kitchen, in the wee hours of the morning.

Isn’t that just the sort of thing most people need at some point during their day? A nutritious, sustaining, (as in, not hungry a half hour later), bite to eat.

I spent months trying to get this right.

What I got right is:

Below freezing, a corn, or bran, (these things, when store brought, tend to be fatty all on their own), with a smear of butter will get me through an hour walk. Maybe I’ll have another between 6 and 9AM too.

Above freezing, as store brought muffin needs no butter, but you are aware of how much fat it has, and if there is heart disease in your family, or perhaps because loosing more even more inches seems nice…

The search for the sustaining, easy snack for breakfast continues!

I hoped Full Bar would work, as it is described as filling. Without the meal to go with it, it does not. I bet it would with the meal though and you can try it cheaply. Just get one or two at the grocery store. Shop Rite has them! At least they do not have a lot of calories of saturated fat!

Then I tried, pecan sandies, cookies, the store brands and Keeblers. Lots of calories from fat, yet I did not gain inches.

But I felt this is not heart healthy so I tried

Ritz Crackerfuls, calories from fat, almost on a par with corn muffins….

So far, the Full Bars, Crackerfuls and of course the Pecan Sandies, all taste very nice!

But still….

Then, because it was on sale, I tried Stella Doro’s Almond Toast!

Great taste of course! A serving size is 2! The calories from fat, not so bad! 15 out of 100!!

I don’t diet but I do try to keep the fiber up and the fat down, that heart thing you know.

This week it’s peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Because I have not got to the store…
Peanut butter. Well I might just as well eat butter!

I wanted to make a peanut butter oatmeal cookie once, I added a cup of peanut butter, and did not reduce the shortening.

I got a lighter than air, nearly, pastry, which could perhaps support meringue, but certainly no part of a pie otherwise.

Anyone out there got any fast, and filling pre breakfast snack ideas??