How to Lose Weight Well: Can you lose a STONE in two weeks on the Baby Food diet?

CHANNEL 4’S How to Lose Weight Well investigates whether you can lose a stone on a crash diet such as the Baby Food diet.

February challenge

Well, it seems I spoke too soon about this new medication working. I had a terrible day yesterday. It's still only been three weeks since I started taking it, but after this weekend and yesterday, I'm not so sure it's doing anything. I have a follow-up appointment with my doctor on the 9th, so we can figure out what to do then.

It's so weird how much my emotions can swing sometimes. I'm going to ask my doctor about testing my hormones and vitamins and things, too, just to make sure it's not something to do with that. I'm just SO ready to get out of this funk that's been going on since June!

I have managed to stay on track with my eating, though.
Read more »

Orange Mango Turmeric Smoothie Bowl

This post is sponsored by Amazon.  It’s day 2 of Smoothie Week! Let me tell you one way to beat ...

Announcement!! Find Yourself. Find Your Finish Line.

Hi! I have a big announcement!! This is an opportunity I don’t feel like I deserve, but it’s such an honor and way too good to turn down. So in an effort to Be Brave and say ‘yes’ to things that scare me – I’m going for it.

 

Hyland’s Leg Cramps, the official cramp relief partner of the Boston Marathon, has put together a team of runners to share their journey as we prepare to run the Boston Marathon in April. It’s a social media project that is challenging us to share our motivation, adversity and preparation to run 26.2 miles. They asked me to be on the team and I said YES.

So, you can follow along with me and the other runners on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and blog updates – we’re planning on sharing different aspects of training at least 3 times a week!

This is extra special for me because:

1. Qualifying for the Boston Marathon is one of my big life goals. My best race time is about 2 minutes away from the qualifying time = sub 3:35. I’ve been working on getting in shape to train and run a goal race (a race where I’d go for a specific goal vs. just running as training or for fun which is what I do most of the time) since the beginning of the year.

That’s still the long term plan – train hard, pick a race, run hard. But, since I just started training and trying to get back in real race shape it’s not going to happen before April. So, things are a little out of order but most of the time goals aren’t as simple as a straight line from A to B.

*Here’s my video on why I stopped training for a PR for a while.*

2. This is the 50th anniversary of when Kathy Switzer, the first woman to run the Boston Marathon with a bib, ran the race!!

Rumor has it one of the race officials tried to physically remove her from the course because women weren’t allowed to run.

This article is noted by Switzer as the true account of what happened at the 1967 Boston Marathon. –> Kathy Switzer Boston Marathon Her Real Story 

How is this related?  Well, this team is all about celebrating girl power like Switzer’s!

The 2017 Hyland’s Boston Marathon team is all female and includes  super inspirational, hard-working ladies who are doing great things for girls, minorities and the less fortunate. Love.

I’m just over here keeping my local pizza place in business… gotta step it up!

 

Boston Marathon Announcement Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sg_7Clib8E

I’m not the fastest or fanciest or fun-est or funniest or anything-est run blogger – but I am a girl who is open to sharing the ups and downs of a big challenge with her peeps on the internet.

Over the next 12 weeks I’ll be sharing my training, thoughts, fears, struggles and other fun (and not so fun) stuff that comes with training to run 26.2 miles. Follow along here and on RER’s social media:

Run Eat Repeat Instagram

Run Eat Repeat Facebook

Run Eat Repeat Twitter

Run Eat Repeat YouTube

Run Eat Repeat home address – just kidding unless you’re sending me food.

 

In non-running news…

Spark is changing their packaging. I know there have been questions about it but it’s the same magical drink mix, just updated boxes to bags. I think the canisters are staying the same but the ‘on the go’ stick packs are now coming in these bags.

*Check out my shop page for my favorite flavors list.

 

Question: What is your BIG goal for this year? What is the plan to get it?

The post Announcement!! Find Yourself. Find Your Finish Line. appeared first on Run Eat Repeat.

Stavros Flatley weight loss: Father Demi at risk of heart attack due to stomach fat

STAVROS FLATLEY are starring in ITV’s Sugar Free Farm as father Demi Demetriou and his son Lagi attempt to shed the pounds.

Triple Berry Beet Smoothie Bowl

This recipe is the start of Smoothie Week. Each day this week, I’ll be sharing a delicious smoothie bowl recipe! ...

Flotation Tanks: Should You Give One a Try?

photo: wikipedia

By Crabby McSlacker

So recently I spent an hour in a flotation tank. Or, as they're also known, an isolation tank, or sensory deprivation tank. Given the current state of the world, we could all use some sort of complete break from reality, right?

Or hell, if I wanted to be even more cumbersome about it (and not leave any potential googlers out), I could also say: I undertook some "restricted environmental stimulation therapy," or a "flotation REST."

Yep: I lay there naked in the dark, closed off in a little heated box, suspended in a solution of epsom salts designed induce an extreme state of relaxation and make my arms and legs and everything else melt away, leaving nothing but a state of pure Crabby consciousness.

Why would I do such a thing? What was it like? Did I freak out? Did I see God? Would I do it again? Do I have any advice for how to prepare?

Answers to these and other questions no one has cared to ask me below!

Supposed Benefits of Isolation Tanks & Why I Gave it a Shot

I hadn't done any recent research, but had heard good things through the years. Articles like this one on float tanks in Men's Journal mention things like "reducing stress by lowering cortisol levels; managing chronic pain, injury, and illness; fighting addiction and depression; elevating mood; and even improving sports performance." There are even more health goodies listed at the Floataway website.

On the other hand, to paraphrase Wikipedia (go-to source for lazy bloggers): a lot of this "isolation tank research" is pretty darn sketchy. And I couldn't find any super-convincing links after an exhaustive two minute search on the google. But really, who cares about research? This is one of those things where your own experience is going to be a lot more important than what random subjects in some study report.

And honestly, it was the altered-state-or-consciousness aspect that appealed to me more than the health benefits. And consciousness is something very hard to measure in any study.

Because you guessed it, yet again I'm trying to be more diligent about my own custom-designed bizarro meditation practice. And one of my primary modalities is body awareness.  I can get into some pretty trippy headspaces sometimes, yay! But one of my biggest challenges is relaxing and letting go. The idea of an environment specifically designed to accomplish this, to get my cranky little brain higher, deeper, and more nutty than ever? Very tempting!

However the thought of plopping down $60 to take a bath, even a trendy high-tech bath? Awfully hard to justify.

Enter Groupon!

I saw one back in early December for a cheap float at a place right down the street. And since I'm really hard to buy Christmas presents for, I decided to drop a gentle hint:

"Honey? Go online and buy me one of these Flotation Tank Groupons for Christmas. And hurry okay, before they sell out."

Okay, maybe not so gentle. My awesome wife dutifully purchased The Groupon, and last week I finally got around to taking the plunge. (So to speak. You actually can't plunge when you're buoyant.)

photo: pixabay

My Floatation Tank Experience

Yes, I realize this is chronologically backwards, I should start with the "preparing" part first, but the tips make a lot more sense when you know what can go wrong.

Because yeah, if I had to sum up my experience, I'd say: Disappointing.

I went to one of the Float Sanctuary locations. I don't know if this is common, or if this was an anomaly, but the first thing I noticed was the air temperature in my tank was a little chilly. A sense of uncomfortable coolness is not sensory deprivation, it is sensory aggravation.

Why didn't I just tell them to heat it up? Well, there was no intercom in my room or anything, or at least I wasn't told about one. And I'm lying there in a darkened box full of salt water and would have to make my way to the hatch, climb out, shower off the salt, find my glasses, get dressed again, wander out and find the nice lady at the desk and hope she was empowered to tweak the temperature, get back undressed again, climb back in, reposition, wait, and hope it got better but not too warm. Meanwhile: clock ticking.

And here's the thing: it may have a perfect temperature for someone else. For all I know, it varies from person to person. But if there's no feedback mechanism, there's no way to get the right temperature for the right person.

Other sensory phenomena that were annoying: even though I tried to keep still, I kept floating into the sides of the tank and bumping the walls. Perhaps I'm just asymmetrical that way. Water dripped down on me occasionally from the ceiling. The air sometimes seemed a little under-oxygenated, like an airplane, though that could have been paranoia on my part.

Not as annoying: a slight electronic hum which, had I remembered to wear the earplugs provided, I might not have heard. There were a little dim light from the oxygen holes, which didn't interfere with a sense of total darkness with my eyes closed. It was actually reassuring to know that if I opened my eyes and looked that way, I could reorient if I felt the need.

You're not locked in the tank, so if you start to feel a little anxious, you can always just pop the hatch and re-enter the Real World. I didn't need to, but it was good to know  that if somehow I found myself in some sort of freaked out state I wasn't going to be trapped there.

And the floating itself felt very nice! It does seem to allow muscle relaxation to a deeper level than lying on a bed. But my arms didn't feel entirely comfortable either in the recommended position above my head, or at my sides. I had to keep switching off.

So it wasn't horrible, it was sometimes pleasant, and I didn't experience any major anxiety or discomfort. But I did spend a fair amount of time grousing when I should have been relaxing, and I didn't float off into nirvana.

Would I do it again? Sure, if it was cheap, say maybe $15 bucks a shot, and I could make sure the tank would be warm enough. But failing that, I realized I've actually have better luck achieving the sense of my limbs disappearing by meditating at home, under the warm covers of my own bed. For free.

But if you're curious, don't be deterred just because a perpetually cranky blogger didn't drift off into bliss. A more easy-going attitude might make all the difference.

photo: pixabay

How to Prepare for Your First Floatation Experience

The float places will give you a general run-down of their particular procedures before you go. You'll probably be advised that you'll be showering first at the place before and after, that you're not wear lotions, that you should cover cuts with vaseline provided, and that you need to move slowly, particularly when you exit--like an astronaut returning from orbit, you can feel a little heavy and awkward when reintroduced to gravity. I'd also add that if you wear contact lenses, you may want to take them out and bring glasses so your eyes don't get all dry and scratchy and swollen.

But here are two additional things I wish I'd known to do:

1. Lower expectations for the first float.

A huge part of my problem was not realizing that flotation tanks apparently work best over time. (Which is great if you own a flotation business, or are independently wealthy, but not so great if you're looking for any immediate bang for your buck).

To use a medical analogy, flotation is more like a "therapy" than a "procedure." Much of my discomfort was self-inflicted because I'd had ridiculously over-optimistic hopes about what I might experience the first time out.

2. Check Yelp or other sources for reviews of your local flotation place.

Do a lot of people complain about temperature or conditions? If so, you may want to ask a few questions of the proprietors and make sure you will be comfortable.

(OK so as soon as I wrote "your local flotation place" I realized I was being an urban-centered asshat. Because yeah, how many people in this country, let alone the world, have the option of overpaying for the privilege of lying in a dark salty tub in their own neighborhood? Just be reassured that if you're cranky like me, you may not be missing much).

How about you all, have you, or would you, try a flotation tank? Any other experiments with sensory deprivation or altered states to report?

The One Change I Made to Improve My Sleep

Staring at the clock. Grabbing your phone and idly scrolling through Instagram. Tossing and turning.

We’ve all been there…and it sucks. 

But over the past few months — including, frustratingly, on vacation — I’ve had a really hard time getting to sleep.

Basically, this. I get into bed and my mind starts racing. 

I’d tried so so many things — from the natural like melatonin or magnesium to just taking a freaking Klonopin and calling it a night — and they either didn’t work at all or I’d wake up really groggy. I cut back on coffee past noonish.

I tried sleeping with my shades open, I tried sleeping with my shades shut. I put the temperature in my room up, I put the temperature in my room down.

Nothing. Awesome.

I’ve enjoyed meditating on and off but, to be honest, haven’t ever really stuck with it regularly.

A particularly wide-awake night a few weeks ago, I decided to give the Headspace app another try, and it’s completely changed my sleep.

They have an intro recording that discusses your relationship with sleep, and that we so often have a hard time falling asleep because it’s the first time we’ve stopped in our busy days. We also start comparing our wide-awake state to other times we’ve had a hard time falling asleep, and it’s a vicious cycle.

The actual meditation is great, too! It starts by asking you to play back your day in your head — from waking up to showering to commuting, etc. Even when I’m just trying to meditate and fall asleep on my own now, I’ve found this incredibly helpful. From there, you do a progressive muscle relaxation. I have TMJ and carry so much tension in my jaw, and I always feel some relief and release here, too.

And you? How do you fall asleep when you’re having trouble? Or do you have any specific bedtime rituals?

Related posts:

1. I <3 Sleep
2. Getting Zen at Inscape
3. NYC Marathon Reflections: The Problems That Weren’t, and What I’d Change

Last Day of Run Camp First Day of Marathon Training

Hello! It’s the last day of Run Camp! It’s not really the first day of training for the LA Marathon, but it’s the first day I’m keeping track of my training and eating. I’m trying to be better about logging everything to get better. I have a lot of big goals and big races coming up!!

First, let’s talk about food. I have been craving GOOD chips and guac so I grabbed some from Trader Joe’s… it didn’t do the trick. I really need to make it myself. womp womp.

In running shoe news… I hit up Road Runner Sports for some gels for my long run and there is a BIG clearance sale right now.

In cat news…

Vegas is sleeping. That’s not news, that’s all he does – but it does it well. Go Vegas!!

Now… RUNNING!!

Yesterday was the most gorgeous day ever in the history of the world (I have to double check that, but I don’t have time to research right now).

Pre-run rituals… Singing, Spark, Sunblock… the usual

Run – 20 miles. I kept a good pace, but a few of the miles were pretty rough. And after I felt wrecked. I need to focus on stretching and core work.

God Bless California.

In running eating news…

I hit up Smart & Final for grapes. I am obsessed with grapes when watermelon is out of season.

Anyway… I saw Lean Cuisines were on sale AND if you bought 4 you get a box of Drumsticks FREE. I could not turn that down. But isn’t it kinda funny to give people buying Lean Cuisines – ice cream? But who am I to question free ice cream?! I was all about it!

Run Camp Day 21

Last day of Run Camp!! For the last 21 days we’ve been doing small changes and check-ins to run faster, stronger, longer and better!

Over 1000 RER-ers joined Run Camp and a few hundred were in the Facebook group. Seriously – You ROCK!!! So so proud of all the work and support of each other. I love it.

I’m going to be putting the Run Camp Calendar, log and all the challenges and tips in an e-book you can get in one shot soon. Stay tuned for that!

Final Run Camp Challenge:

1. Finish your running log for this week.

2. Compare it to the last 2 weeks.

Check in and ask yourself –

What did you improve about your running?

What do you still want to work on?

What was your BEST run from the last 21 days?? Why was it awesome?

What was your WORST run? Why was it bad? What can you do next time to prevent a similar situation?

What is your biggest strength in running?

3. Give yourself a high five / hug / thumbs up selfie for signing up for Run Camp and working to be a better runner. It’s not easy to run. It’s not easy to add a challenge to your schedule. You are getting better everyday.

 

Share your best run or runfie (run selfie) or something fun with #RunEatRepeat on Instagram and/or Twitter to share the awesome!!

Question: What was you BEST run from the last 21 days? Why was it awesome??

The post Last Day of Run Camp First Day of Marathon Training appeared first on Run Eat Repeat.

Running Gear for Marathon and Half Marathon Training

Hi!! Run Camp is almost over!! By now we’ve hit most of the basics on getting on track to run faster, better and stronger. Go back over the previous posts if you have any questions or want a review. It only works if YOU do!

 

In the first two weeks of run camp we talked about running shoes and running clothes. This final day covering running gear is about the extras. These are things you don’t necessarily need to run, but they make running a lot easier if you have them to help!

The items on this list are most helpful for longer distance runners like those of you training for a  half or full marathon. But if you are having issues with hydration, fuel, tracking your time / distance or just want to make it a more pleasant running experience – check it out and stock up on things you need. These items can be pricey, but remember this is an investment in a hobby that keeps you healthy and happy!

 

Running Gear for Marathon and Half Marathon Training

These are all the ‘extras’ that aren’t 1000% necessary to run a half marathon or full marathon – but they make it a lot easier.

1. Fuel belt or hand held water bottle. I use the Stay Fit Running Belt and  Nathan Hand Held Water Bottle (I think you can get 25% off with code repeat at StayFit linked there)

2. GPS watch. There are tons of running watches with GPS capabilities out on the market. I’ve used Timex, Tom-Tom, Garmin in the past.

3. Body Glide or Vaseline.

4. Sunblock and Chapstick with SPF. Don’t forget your lips and ears when putting on sunblock!

5. Compression socks. I wear Pro Compression socks for long runs or for recovery after a long run.

6. Electrolyte drink. (I use Spark pre-run and during my run sometimes since I always have that on hand and run out of Rehydrate fast.)

7. Chews or gels for mid-run fuel. Buy these one at a time from a local running store at first so you can try out different flavors and brands to see what you prefer. Then, you can buy them by the box to save money.

8. Foam roller. Buy it. Use it.

9. A lot of food. Buy extra. Suggestions include, but are not limited to: ice cream, chocolate chip cookies, popcorn, pickles, tuna sub, pizza, churros, chocolate Chex cereal, Pad Thai, french fries, tortillas, sharp cheddar cheese, Snickers ice cream bars…

 

Question: What is your #1 FAVORITE piece of running gear?

What is on your running gear wish list?

The post Running Gear for Marathon and Half Marathon Training appeared first on Run Eat Repeat.

On the 2017 Race Calendar

Hey, remember when I used to run and blog about that?

I had a rocky relationship in 2016 with running, but I’m hoping for the best in 2017. It will suck again getting started, but I know it will be worth it again in the long run.

And so, I’ve signed up for a few races. As I said, my goal for this year is to do things intentionally, so I’m trying to bring that into everything, including even pulling out my credit card (pulling out? who are we kidding? The number is memorized.) to sign up for races. 

I’m trying to not get caught up in social media race excitement and think about if I truly want to do these races.

Here’s the ones that are so far a HELL YES for me. I like that Dani keeps a running race calendar on her blog, so I may do that throughout the year.

For now…

The Franklin Lakes Triathlon is one I’m really excited for! 

A few years ago, though I discovered that long-distance tris were not for me (I started training for a 70.3, only to realize how much long rides are also not for me), I really enjoyed triathlons, and this Franklin Lakes Tri is especially fun for me — in my hometown, long enough to feel challenging, short enough to feel doable and to train for without devoting a ton of time to.

Plus, even if my running ends up sucking, there’s two other disciplines to enjoy. 

MAYBE

At work, we have a cool new partnership with Spartan — a program designed to prepare you for a Spartan race.

So…now I am thinking seriously about a Spartan SPRINT (none of that long business) at Citi Field (none of that mountain business, either.) Why? Because it sounds fun, and it’s something that scares me a little bit and sounds novel — and that, my friends, is fun. Our users push themselves to do things they never thought possible, and this is one of my I-never-thought-I-could-do-it items. If I do it, we’ll probably be doing a work team, so it will be all for funnies. (You know, with some of the most competitive people I know.)

Brooklyn Half

So…this is where I took my first and only DNF last year. I’ll admit that I got a bit caught up in the social media excitement of people signing up for the race — but I took a moment to think critically. Did I really want to do this race after a crappy experience last year? What if I had another crappy experience? …but what if I had a great experience? And I got the redemption I wanted? I’ve PR-ed here, I helped two of my favorite people run their first half here. Honestly, I will be happy just to cross the finish line of this one — to prove I’ve still got it.

What about you? What races are you signed up for — and why?

Related posts:

1. On the Race Calendar
2. 2010 Race Calendar!
3. 2015 Race Plans (Or Bust!)

Weight loss: British man lost ten stone by playing THIS game at home

A MAN saw an incredible ten stone weight loss by playing on his Wii Fit game at home.

Weight loss: 19 stone woman TOO FAT for Disneyland dropped 16 dress sizes

Weight loss tips could be taken from this Barbie look-a-like who lost 9st 7lbs - an amazing half her body weight. Christina Jordan, owner of Fit Body Weight Loss, is providing motivation for other women hoping to slim down.

Easy Black Bean Burger Recipe

Weight loss: Having THIS at the dinner table could help you shed pounds FAST

WEIGHT loss isn’t just achieved through diet and exercise - did you know that changes to your lifestyle can also shift the pounds?

Runner Visualization Exercise for Race Day Confidence

Self Doubt City sucks. But I get it, I’ve been there. Sometimes I hang out there. Sometimes I stay for a while.

Even though I’ve run dozens of half marathons and full marathons – I still get nervous. So it’s something we’re going to work on together. Here is a race visualization exercise to help train your mind.

Watch/listen to it somewhere that you can close your eyes and really visualize yourself rocking your race. Make mental toughness a priority by remembering your mantra, staying positive and using training techniques like the video below to get you in a positive place.

Runner Visualization Exercise Video:

Happy Running!

The post Runner Visualization Exercise for Race Day Confidence appeared first on Run Eat Repeat.

Extremely Brief Q & A

image: flickr

By Crabby McSlacker

Q:  There has been no blog post at Cranky Fitness this week, does this mean Crabby has wandered away again? 

A: No! There will be a new post on Monday. Crabby is just slow that way.

Q: Why is this even a post? Does Crabby think anyone gives a crap if she posts on her silly little blog every week?

A: Intellectually she understands that no one does. But her brain works strangely. By posting something saying she is not posting, she feels way better about it.

(Thanks all, see ya Monday! --Crabby). 

Jenna Coleman weight loss: Could Pilates be the reason behind the actress' HOT body?

JENNA COLEMAN, star of Victoria, shot to fame in Emmerdale. The actress, who recently stepped out with boyfriend Tom Hughes, has transformed from buxom babe to a slender superstar during her time in the spotlight.