From Karen: I arrived at work today “Monday” morning and the front page of the Daily Herald Health and Fitness section is Tom and I. Well I am cooking turkey burgers. In the parking lot I at work, I waved my usual wave to a fellow worker and he replied “Hey, Ms. Turkey Burger” I would assume he read the paper this morning. What a celebrity I am ! Great workout with Tony this morning … his creativity is amazing! I am feeling great and ready for another great week!
Posted in Uncategorized
Can holding a cold thermos help you lose weight?
From Joe: Reporter Anahad O’Connor reviewed the evidence indicating that you might improve the quality of your exercise sessions by carrying a cold thermos around, especially if you are overweight. You don’t use it for hydration but for cooling purposes!
…the scientists recruited obese women, ages 30 to 45, with no other health problems. The women took part in three group exercise sessions a week for three months, and held special cooling devices in their hands as they walked on treadmills and performed lunges and other exercises. In one group, the devices circulated cold water, but in the other group, the water was room temperature.
From Mike: I am not sure what it was, but yesterday was perfect. When I stepped out of the car and walked towards the trail, a cool breeze zoomed through the trees and cooled my body. It was quite perfect.
It became more perfect when I put my headphones in my ears and tuned into 94.7. The first song playing as I began my jog up a hill so steep, it’s difficult to walk up, was Lake Shore Drive. The way the piano leads in the song is enough to send chills through my body on its own.
Comments Off
Posted in Uncategorized
From Karen: So, today I walked into Push with a positive attitude and then was notified that while looking at the board … I am in last place in this contest. Hard to believe that working so hard I am in last place. I need to tell everyone that is following this adventure, I am truly doing 100% of everything I am asked to do — the diet, the workouts, everything and it just is what it is. Someone at the end will come in last place and as much as I hope its not ME, it will be someone. With that said, Tony strapped on the weight vest and the workout continued. Not for punishment in any way, but for a harder training session. I admit I DO NOT like the vest. Between the vest and the ball I was carrying, it totaled about 25lbs and it made me deep down inside MAD. What was I mad about? When I walked into Push at the start of this adventure, I was just about 25lbs heavier than I am today. I just kept telling myself, “you deserve to feel this, this is the old you, the person you walked around with everyday, the weight I was just a short time ago” And now today I am using that weight for a better workout. Karen…I am proud of you…I am proud of every day, even being in last place. I am proud of all you have done and all you are going to do before the end of this adventure. Thanks fellow losers for your support and Tony, Mark, and the Push crew… I am going to fight till the end and do my best.
Posted in Uncategorized
From Mike: The only thing insane going on last night was the way Derrick Rose scored with every step I took on the treadmill. We were a perfect team. I was keeping the pace and he was doing the scoring. It really worked out well when I was at a full sprint and passed the ball to a cutting Derrick Rose for him to slam it home. I played more minutes than him last night. I opted to play through the timeouts and commercials. We worked hard and are looking for a repeat performance Wednesday.
Posted in Uncategorized
From Matt: What a classic piece of metal. That car was huge , with a powerful engine and built like a tank. Let’s say that car was left in a garage for 16 years. Along comes my mechanic( Mark Trapp) who is an expert in his field. His eyes are huge as he looks at this car and is thinking where do I start? He opens the hood and all of the parts are there. He performs a diognostic test and the results do not fair well. There is a lot of work to be done and he needs to put a plan together that will get this tank running again. He returns with an intense look about himself and tells me that with alot of hard work, determination and the right attitude, there is no reason that we cannot get this car running again like it did 16 years ago. Well my friends, we are entering week six and my mechanic has got the engine started. There still is a ton of work to be done to get it out on the street, but the engine is running and it is feeling good.
Posted in Uncategorized
From Brian: This has been an amazing week. Feeling great, settling into a nice routine ,but its the small victories this week that made the difference.
First victory was to recognize I am on the last hole on my belt. The need to go buy a new belt or punch a new hole brings a smile. My clothes, especially my pants were getting to big. I went to the basement and dug a box of clothes that is probably 8 to 10 years old. Pulled out a bunch of Jeans and Khakis that are a couple sizes smaller than my current clothes. Tried them on and they all fit comfortably. Bonus in that it confirms the work is paying off and at the same time, I have a new set of clothes for the next few weeks of the competition and don’t need to buy interim clothes.
Posted in Uncategorized
From Joe: It’s counterintuitive. Attack a bad habit such overeating when you are on vacation? That’s when most of us put on the pounds! Yet this is exactly the kind of advice that New York Times reporter Charles Duhigg provided when he was recently interviewed by Terry Gross on Fresh Air.
In his new book, “The Power of Habit,” Duhigg reviews up-to-the-minute information from the cognitive sciences about how habits are formed and broken. A key element in this process is the brain’s predisposition to conserve energy by automating behaviors which you perform with regularity. By turning these behaviors into automaticities, the brain conserves your decision-making resources for when they are needed to face novel challenges in life.
I have been Santa for the last three years. Maybe 2012 will be the year to retire.
From Mike: For the past 3 years, I have been dressing up as Santa Claus for Christmas. My wife and I have an annual Pre-Christmas Christmas party and Santa Claus always showed up to eat the snacks and help drink the beer.
This past Christmas was the best for Santa yet. With many of my friends and family members now having kids, I actually played Santa for people that thought I was really him. I went out and rented the suit for a weekend (I contemplating making an investment and buying my own nice one, glad I didn’t).
Posted in Uncategorized
It's been a long road to recovery, but I am back on the trail!
From Cathi: I actually got on the treadmill last night! SQUEEE!!
It’s the simple things excite me these days.
I’ve been off the treadmill for almost a month since I fell down four stairs, tore the collateral medial ligament in my left knee, landed in a brace, and wound up with an entirely new workout plan.
By the time the diagnosis part was over, I think I recruited most of Central DuPage Hospital to join Team Catherine. Props to everyone who helped get me back on two feet!