This kid is so cool!

These photos were taken of my nephew Theo (Nikko) Tydingco. They are so cool! You’re probably looking at these photos wondering, “How the hell do you know if it’s Theo or not?” Easy. I’ll show you.


Tip-off #1: Theo’s jersey number is 97.


Tip-off #2 (and the one that guarantees it’s Theo every time): See the color of the ice? White. Very white. See the color of the kid’s face behind the mask? Brown. Very brown.

And that’s how you know it’s Theo.

(Okay, there are other things that will tip you off like the way Theo skates or the way he tapes his socks, what his helmet looks like or maybe even the pants he’s wearing. But I always go with #2. You’ll never be wrong with that one!)

injured

It's holy week and I think the Gods have decided that I need a break. I pulled a muscle on my leg on Saturday. It's dumb, really. I was sitting on the couch working on my computer with my legs on the coffee table, ankles crossed. When I uncrossed them, I felt a little click in my left leg and some pain rushed through it. Bleh.

It's okay now. But I think I need another day off it for full recovery. After that, I'm off to finding the gym. Everything is closed on Thursday and Friday, so I gotta get a move on before then.

Hope you're all well!

back in the gym again

Today was my first official workout in Pinas (sans the weak intro session yesterday). Today I treated myself to a Spin class (or Cycling as they call it here) and a Body Balance class (a combo of tai chi, yoga, pilates and meditation). Man, I really needed these workouts. I really liked the Body Balance class because the teacher was very patient, but really good at making sure people had good form. The room was purposely warm, making it extra good for the muscles (all you yoga heads probably know how much it sucks to train in a cold room). I totally broke out into a nasty sweat. The Cycling instructor was intense and the energy in the room was great. If any of you know what that exercise exhilaration feels like, it's amazing. I didn't realize how much pent-up stress I had inside me.

Sadly, life in the Philippines (for now) revolves around the mall. It's partly because I'm getting acclimated to the heat. Right now, my mornings are at the gym taking good care of my health. From there, I shower and go to the Coffee Bean (it's only been two days doing this and the guy already knows my name; it's funny walking in to someone greeting you with a "Hello Miss Ma'am Joanne!"). To avoid lugging my laptop, I've been hand-transcribing my interviews.

Today I had lunch at Max's Cafe. This was a good meal for me because for some reason, I haven't been eating enough protein and I think that's why my sleep has been erratic. It's not that the protein isn't there. Believe me, there's plenty of food. I think the heat just suppresses my appetite. That I finished the halo halo was an accomplishment. (Ahem. You didn't think I'd put that icy goodness to waste, did you?)

The way of eating here is actually very good because you eat about 5 times a day - three meals and 2 snacks (merienda). As I mentioned before, everything is portioned well. That's why you have to eat 5 times a day. The only knock against the diet here is the amount of rice you're expected to eat. I'm not big on rice and eat about half or less of what most people eat. Another great thing about their diet is there's lots of fruit and veggies involved. It's a lot of good habits I hope to bring back with me:)

finally! a gym!

I want to say it's taken me a while. However, I need to give myself some credit, here. I just arrived on Thursday and finally signed up for the local gym today (Monday). I'm now officially a member at Fitness First in SM North Edsa. It cost more than I had hoped for. However, I guess the amenities are worth it. I had to weigh my options and decided that it's an investment considering I really don't know what else I would do to exercise here. My problem is that I like a really hard exercise, so the occasional jump rope at home just doesn't do it.

It's funny trying to haggle an appropriate rate and stuff. After some discussion, I finally got the deal that I thought made most sense. It is a nice club, something along the lines of Club Sport in Fremont. Major difference is that it's smaller and in the mall.

Anyway, as with most clubs, it includes a fitness assessment and 2 personal training sessions. I did my fitness assessment and session today, which put me at the club for about 3 hours. I refused to have them weigh me and the poor trainer Albert was a little irked. To his credit, he was very nice about it.

Here's my schtick on fitness assessments... I THINK THEY'RE BULLSHIT! My friend Alex says that according to the BMI chart, Tom Cruise is overweight. That's how bullshit that whole thing is. If I'm paying good money to go to a gym, then I should be able to retain my dignity. Albert was a little shocked that I didn't mark "weight loss" as a goal. Again, it was a political choice I made. He asked why I didn't mark that (can you believe the fuckin' nerve?!) and I said, "I'm happy with my body. As I wrote, I'm here to maintain my health and that's it." I'm pretty sure he wanted to poke me in the eye. I wish I actually cared.

Anyway, he ran me through some of the machines and stuff. Plus, he did a 6 minute interval run and did the standard tests, letting me know what heart rate I need and such. All the tests were normal. I thank him for his patience because I don't know Tagalog. That's happened to me a lot and people tend to apologize for their bad English. I always respond by saying that their English is WAY BETTER than my Tagalog. They don't usually get it.

His workout was okay. Again, I like to be worked so it was just okay. I think he assumed that I was totally out of shape. (Ahem. I admit that I look out of shape, but I'm quite healthy.) The weights he chose were mostly way too light - especially my lower body weights. I wish he turned it up a bit. My favorite part was the stretch because it really helps to have someone stretch you. Again, he looked surprised because yes, believe it or not, this fat girl is more flexible than most people assume. I'm pretty sure there were points where he didn't know what to do. I just had to laugh.

While I'm here, I'm going to focus on running (on the machines), spinning and yoga.

Here is fierce runner life in the Philippines. I'm at a gym now. It's not CrossFit. But it'll do until I get back. I can't wait to take the new CrossFit fundamentals classes. I'm so gonna need it when I get back!

international travel and diabetes: medications

One of the most difficult things about preparing for this trip to the Philippines is squaring off all the doctor's appointments. However, they're almost done (the last being tomorrow). As I mentioned before, traveling as a diabetic isn't easy. For diabetes management, I use Metformin (Glucophage to some of you) and Byetta. I've talked about Byetta before. For those of you who are diabetic and are traveling internationally, here are some things you should know:

- It's best that you travel with ALL your medication. I'm gone for three months, so I have three months worth of meds. This should be carried with you at ALL times on the plane. You really don't want to risk losing your meds to check-in luggage.

- With all the airport security issues you have to deal with, it's best to carry a note from your doctor explaining that you need to carry your meds with you. Byetta is a liquid medicine that needs to be refrigerated until you actually break open the pen. Though security guidelines allow for medical supplies, it's still a good idea to bring a doctor's note. For me, I have to keep the Byetta cool, so the note will excuse the gel pack I need in order to keep this cool.

- For those of you who use meds that need to be cool (after breaking open the Byetta, it can stay at room temperature; unfortunately, room temperature in the Philippines is so not room temperature in Calfornia), I recommend in investing in a FRIO wallet. They're great because they can keep your meds cold for about 2-3 days. All you have to do is soak it in water to activate it. A great investment for me!

- Carry a copy of your prescriptions. In case you happen to lose your meds, you can go to the local pharmacy with your prescription. You may have to pay a pretty penny, but your insurance should cover it when you get back. Check with your respective insurance carriers.

- If your doctor has it, do sign up for an email communication with her. She'll be able to answer your questions about anything that happens to come up.

That's about it. I'll post more as I start to travel. Just remember, BE PREPARED! Diabetes is no joke - especially overseas. When I was in high school, and uncle was visiting from the Philippines for an extended stay. He ended up passing away while he was here. My brother recently told me that one of the causes of his passing was that he didn't have his diabetes meds. This really struck a chord with me. So I'm preparing!

don't forget to vote!

international travel and diabetes: immunization shots

I'm in the process of leaving the country for three months for research. Normally, this would be really easy. However, when you're a diabetic, it's a little harder than I'd like it to be. First off, like many people, you have to get your immunization shots. It sounds simple enough. It's even less painful than most people would think. The problem is, not all health professionals are trained the same.

Truth be told, I don't have an actual record of all my immunizations. In fact, I didn't have an official record until I was diagnosed with diabetes a few years ago and had to get certain ones done. Before then, I was working on pure memory, which tells me that I'm sure I got all the proper ones as a child, but I never had shots from maybe second grade and on.

So I knew that my visit to the travel clinic would be a big one because they'd probably have to shoot up everything imaginable. Fine. I get it. As long as it means I get to roam around the concrete jungle and return home in one piece, I'm okay. FYI, if you go to the travel clinic at the Tang Center, give yourself a good 2 hours because the consult is LONG! They go in detail about all the strange things you can get while you're overseas, especially a so-called third world country like the Philippines. I know they're trying to be clinical. However, some things just bordered on offensive. Anyway, all was fine until the nurse asked me if I had Hepatitis B.

Huh?

The conversation went a little something like this...

Fierce Runner (FR): I'm pretty sure I don't have Hepatitis B. If I did, wouldn't I know?
Crazy Nurse (CN): Well, that's the thing. Most people who have Hep B don't know. Have you been tested?
FR: No. But. Um... I'm pretty sure I haven't engaged in any activity that would cause me to have Hep B.
CN: Well, there is a chance that since you're from a Third World country, that you may have it. It may have been passed on to you by your mother, or you may have contacted it in other ways.
FR (irritated): I'm sorry. I think you misunderstood. I'm from GUAM, and Guam isn't a third world country. It's a US territory. I'm not sure what you're getting at.
CN: Yes, of course Guam is a US territory, but still. You may have been infected because it's common among people from third world countries.
FR (even more irritated): Again, Guam is NOT a THIRD WORLD COUNTRY! It's a US territory. I'm from this country.
CN: Yes, but your mom is from the Philippines and that's a third world country. She may have passed it on to you.
FR: But I'm the youngest of three kids. Don't you think she would have known that she had Hep B by the time she had me? I still don't understand why you would think I have Hep B.

By now, this conversation is beyond irritating because I want to poke the nurse's eye with the Hep B vaccine just to teach her a lesson. She leaves the room and has a long discussion with another nurse about what she needs to do about me. Again, she's under the impression that I secretly have Hep B. I'm also irate because this appointment is taking way too long and I have another appointment to catch all the way in Fremont! She comes back and says...

CN: Here's what we'll do. We'll give you your Hep A vaccination today and get you labs to test for Hep B. When those come in, we'll figure out the next step.
FR: But I'm pretty sure I DO NOT have Hep B!
CN: Sure. But we just want to make sure because you are from a third world country.

This is a lost cause. I'm angry, but I also have to go. So I tell her to just give me whatever shots I need, the labs and I go on my merry way. Five days later, CN calls me. Here's how the conversation goes...

CN: Hi FR. Good news! I'm calling to let you know that your test results are in and you don't have Hep B.
FR: I think I told you that last week.
CN: Sure. Well, this means we can get you your Hep B shot. Can you come in today?

shuffle chafing

Last night I did a 5K run. This morning when I was in the shower, I felt a little stinging below my neck. Dripping wet, I stepped out of the shower and found this in the mirror. (Note: I dried off and got dressed for the photo - didn't want to scare ya'll off, ya know! See the wet hair?)

Apparently, I didn't find a good place to hook my shuffle to. This is how I wore the shuffle during the run:

I guess it kept hitting my lower neck. Hence, the chafing mark. Today's fierce runner lesson? Find a better place to hook your shuffle - preferibly where it won't chafe. Those kind of marks are a little harder to explain in the running world.

CrossFit One World W.O.T.D.

Freddy captioned this: Swallow your chewing gum and bad things can happen. It took me a while to understand what he meant. Now I get it Freddy! ha ha ha!

Warm-up
I did 60 minutes of yoga before class.

WOD
Run 5K.

Notes (to myself) about this workout:
I like running. I like it more than I hate it. To me, the key to running is good shoes and gear, and good music on your ipod (personally, I'm a shuffle kind o gal). The 5K was two rounds around the extended block around One World. I didn't realize we had to do it twice, so I came back to the studio after the first round and Jolie pointed out that I had to do another round. No big deal. I kinda felt like the 5K went a little too fast. I know it's been a while since marathon training, but I definitely know what 5K feels like. Twice around the extended block felt more like it. The first round flew by and I felt really light. It's a good feeling when you're running to feel light. The second round was a little heavier, but I was still energized when I hit the finish. UGH! Let's hope the weather stays as decent as it was today so that I can find the inspiration to run more.

Yoga in the evenings has been great. I've noticed that my mind is clearer and I'm able to do things I couldn't do like bind this one pose. It helps when you don't think about it too much. Just do. Allow yourself to be surprised. That's been my yoga week.

uninspired.

I don't know why. But these days I'm uninspired to workout. Maybe it's the weather. Maybe it's my frustration with CrossFit. Maybe it's me not knowing when to workout. Whatever it is, I gotta get out of this funk! UGH! Any suggestions?

donate to a good cause: help a pinay sista out!

Hello all!

I wanted to pass on some information about a fellow Runbu-Runner, Nerinna Valera. She's participating the the AIDS/Lifecycle this year. It's a really great event and she's raising money for a wonderful cause. I'm especially impressed because Nerinna has had to slow down her workout style this past year because of some health issues. Now, she's back on track and I'm really proud of her.

If any of you are interested, please donate and support a sista, will ya? Below is Nerinna's most recent donation letter. If you'll notice, Nerinna is also an amazing photgrapher. She's offering services with a minimum donation. Details are below. Thanks!

Hello friends and family,

As many of you already know, I'll be participating as a cyclist in AIDS/Lifecycle, a 545 mile cyling journey from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Since the 5th of this month I've been hitting the road putting in the mileage along with cross-training. My legs feel stronger, I'm cyling faster, and lovin' it. It's a little hard when it's raining but rain or shine I'm out there.

I know it's only been a week since my last e-mail but for the fundraising portion I wanted to thank those who have donated. Every bit does help. And to encourage those who haven't yet had a chance to donate, I'm offering photography services. As some of you know, I'm a photographer and I will gladly spend one hour photographing you, your family, your children, baby, dog, cat, parakeet, and/or goldfish if you donate $100 or more. You'll receive a CD of high resolution images which are up to poster size printable, online viewing of images will be available, and your $100 is fully tax-deductible. Your contribution will go towards two wonderful nonprofit organizations and you'll be getting a great photo deal! Christmas is next week and New Year's is around the corner...it could be a holiday present to self, family, or pet. You won't be disappointed. Samples of my work can be seen at nerinna.com or on my photo/cycling blog at http://nerinna.bigfolioblog.com.

You are an incredible and important part of reaching my fundraising goal and I do hope you will support me, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, and the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center. Again, no amount is too small. Also, please send me names of friends or family members who have been affected with AIDS/HIV. I will fit their names onto my jersey to remember who I'm riding for. Hope you all are looking forward to some time off and fun during the holidays.

Hugs,

nerinna

Make a donation now on my personal page:
https://www.aidslifecycle.org/donate/2324

CrossFit One World W.O.T.D.

Okay. So you might think this is a little disgusting. You've heard of snow angels, right? Well, this is a sweat angel. After a CrossFit workout, you're literally dripping wet with all that sweat, so this is the mark that you leave on the floor. Granted, my sweat angels tend to look a little weird because I lay on my stomach and there's usually two circles denoting the my bust. I refuse to take a photo, so I figured Austin's sweat angel would be good enough. ha ha ha!

Warm-up
Run around the block (1.1 miles)
Stretch session

WOD: "Twenty-One"
20 push-ups/1 sit-up
19 push-ups/2 sit-ups
18 push-ups/3 sit-ups
17 push-ups/4 sit-ups
16 push-ups/5 sit-ups
15 push-ups/6 sit-ups
14 push-ups/7 sit-ups
13 push-ups/8 sit-ups
12 push-ups/9 sit-ups
11 push-ups/10 sit-ups
10 push-ups/11 sit-ups
9 push-ups/12 sit-ups
8 push-ups/13 sit-ups
7 push-ups/14 sit-ups
6 push-ups/15 sit-ups
5 push-ups/16 sit-ups
4 push-ups/17 sit-ups
3 push-ups/18 sit-ups
2 push-ups/19 sit-ups
1 push-up/20 sit-ups

No time recorded.

CrossFit One World W.O.T.D.

Warm-up
Jump Rope - 5 minutes
THREE rounds of:
Samson Stretch
10 shoulder rolls
10 overhead squats
10 GHD sit-ups
10 GHD back extensions
10 band assisted pull-ups
10 dips

WOD: One If By Land, Two If By Sea
Complete five rounds for time of:
Run 400m
Row 500m

No time recorded

And then...
25 GHD sit-ups
25 GHD back extensions
25 Abmat sit-ups
25 Supermans
100 twisters

CrossFit One World W.O.T.D.

Warm-up
TWO ROUNDS:
10 jump rope rotations
10 shoulder rolls
10 jump rope rotations
10 overhead squats
10 jump rope rotations
10 band assisted pull-ups
10 jump rope rotations
10 dips

WOD: Burpee Complex
Complete five rounds for time of:
5 squats
5 squat sprawls
5 push-ups
5 squat jumps
5 burpees

Joanne's Final Time - 9:53

And then...
25 GHD sit-ups
25 GHD back extensions
25 Abmat sit-ups
25 Supermans
25 Hollow rocks (or my own pathetic version of hollow rocks)
100 Twisters

Notes (to myself) about this workout:
This WOD sucked. However, it gave me a better understanding of burpees, which makes me appreciate them a little more.

CrossFit One World W.O.T.D.

This is Jolie, one of the instructors at One World. She was the cover girl for this month's CrossFit Newsletter. Here's what Freddy posted: By now, all of you should be subscribed to the Crossfit Journal, but if you are not, here's another reason! Our very own Jolie Gentry is the cover story of the January 2008 issue. It's a great article. Jolie shares her thoughts on being a female athlete, her start with Crossfit, and a little insight about her job (she's a cop and a SWAT operator if you didn't know)! Congrats Jolie and way to start 2008 off with a bang!

Warm-up
Jump rope
THREE rounds of 10 reps:
Shoulder rolls
Shoulder press
Push press
Push jerk
GHD sit-ups
GHD push-ups

WOD: Jelly Legs
Complete five rounds for time of:
500m row
25 squats
25 box jumps 12"

Joanne's Final Time: N/A

Notes (to myself) about this workout:
This was my first CrossFit workout of the year. A little late, I know. It's just that I've been busy finalizing plans for the Philippines, taking care of the stupid things I put off during the holiday, and helping my brother move into his new place (don't get me started on that!). I did his WOD instead of the one posted because I didn't want to lift max weights after getting immunization shots.

I like WODS like this because they're long. I think I took over a half hour. For me, that's an ideal WOD because it's both cardio and strength over a good amount of time. I'm definitely out of shape, but I need to just honor the fact that I'm back on my feel wa-hoo!

fierce products: weekly fitness journal

A few weeks ago I wrote a rave review about the Streaming Colors Fitness Wall Calendar and mentioned that they had a new Weekly Fitness Journal. After what felt like an eternity of waiting, I finally received my weekly calendar in the mail this past Friday (Jan 4th). Admittedly, I was a little disappointed because I lost a few days. However, I'll spare the company forgiveness just because I like them so much!

Unfortunately, I have a lot on my plate and haven't been able to fully appreciate the planner because I'm up to my eyeballs in planning for the Philippines and getting my fellowship stuff done. UGH! It doesn't help that yahoo! isn't working right now. Right now, I hate you, yahoo! I hate you!!!

Okay... back to my point... Here is my assessment of the new weekly fitness journal. Some things I really like...
- I like how colorful and clean it is, just like the wall calendar.
- There are a lot of great tips in this planner that I really appreciate.
- It's nice and light, so you can take it places (as long as you have the right size bag).
- I like the milestones and accomplishments pages (but I wish they happened at the end of each month).

Some things I think need some fixing...
- Though I appreciate the square format to match the wall calendar, the size makes it a little hard to carry around if you have a smaller bag. There is a 3-column format to the pages, and I think it should be cut to two columns so that the overall planner can be thinner. (If your planner stays in one place, like the office or your bedside, this isn't a big deal. However, I like to carry it with me, so it's a little inconvenient.)

- I think there needs to be a way to mark (1) your currently monthly color guide and (2) your current week. Franklin Covey planners allow you to do this with their adjustable bookmarks. Right now, I'm doing it by using post-its and bookmarks which works, but I wish there was a more efficient way of doing this. A lot of school planners allow you to tear the corner of the bottom page so that you can sift to your current week. Maybe this would be a good way of doing that.

- I wish they kept the squares the same as the wall calendar. This is what the wall calendar looks like:

I really like this format. Unfortunately, The weekly calendars don't have all the lines in between. There's just one large square, like this:

I like seeing a lot of color, so I wish there were more lines in the box to allow for that. It would also make the wall calendar and the weekly planner consistent.

- They have a "Food Diary Worksheet" and a "Food Diary Quick Look-up Chart" which I think is nice, but I think the "Food Diary Worksheet" needs to somehow be incorporated weekly or daily. I also think there needs to be more "Food Diary Quick Look-up Chart" pages.

In this design, one week is on one page and I was hoping that one week would be between two pages, like a lot of planners out there. That way, you have room for your coloring activities, plus your food and exercise journal. Also, it would allow you to give yourself a weekly kudos and such. Granted, this would make the planner a little thicker, but more comprehensive.

I have to say that my review is still a little early and I'm still trying to navigate my way through this journal. It's a brand new product and from what I can tell, the company is still looking for opinions on this. I firmly believe that things take a while to perfect. As a first try, I sill like this planner. Also, I think folks should invest in this planner or the wall calendar because it really is a fun way to get your fitness on.

If any of you have suggestions or would like to share how you're using it, that would be great! I'd love to hear some ideas!

2007 Final Count

Using my handy-dandy Streaming Colors Fitness Calendar from 2007, I decided to tally up my workouts. Here is my final count...

CrossFit: 69 hours
Krav Maga/Fit-2-Fight: 8 hours
Spin: 34 hours
Running/Walking: 12 hours
Yoga: 54 hours
Bellydance/Salsa: 53 hours

Total workout hours: 230
Average workout hours per week: 4.42

In looking back in my calendar, it was interesting to see what months I was really on and what months I was totally off. Early in the year, especially in February, the workouts were slim because I sprained my ankle and busted my knee open. Remember that? I sprained my ankle again not too long after that. Needless to say, it was a pretty rough start. I was pretty consistent (to my surprise) for the rest of the year, except the holidays.

I was also surprised to discover that I'm about 12-15 pounds lighter now that I was this time last year. I think it has to do with the byetta I've been taking. Also, I was in a relationship last year with a guy that didn't have the eating restrictions I had, so I just faltered. Lesson learned. When in a relationship, you have to stick to your own health goals. In 2007 I think I learned a lot about health - especially in the latter part of the year when for some reason, my health seemed to be in a more crucial state.

One of the most important lessons I've learned last year is forgiveness. In this culture, we're so fixated on being perfect that we forget that real learning comes from the mistakes we make. I've learned to forgive my body and to honor it for what it does, as opposed to focusing on what it is not. My body is not a size 2. I'm okay with that. I forgive my body for that because this non-size 2 body does so much more. Hence, the hours of CrossFit and dealing with THREE sprained ankles quite gracefully.

In 2008, I'm hoping to do more CrossFit. In fact, each month, I'm going to record my goal hours with each exercise and see if I actually make it. Also, with my challenges, I've decided that taking away food isn't the best thing because it makes me want it even more. I can do that for a short period, say 30 days. But the more I do it, the less healthy my relationship with food becomes. So my next resolution is to make sure I'm eating a serving of fruit and/or veggies at every meal. It's been working nicely so far. Maybe that's my first resolution. More on that to come!

Healthy New Year Advice

I opened my email this morning and received the following article. For those of you who don't know, I subscribe to the Hungry Girl newsletter. When you go on their site, you can sign up pretty easily. Their advice is pretty sound - especially if you're looking for interesting snacks and food. Anyway... I never really know how to start the new year with resolutions and all. Though I believe in resolutions, I believe they should happen all year long. Hence, why I haven't drawn any new ones just yet. I'll get back to that one though. Anyway... in honor of the new year, I wanted to send out some friendly advice that the folks at Hungry Girl sent out today. Good luck with your own resolutions, whatever they may be!

Dear Hungry Girl,

I know so many people make New Year's resolutions to eat better, and then they give up within a week or two. Why do you think this is the case, and what can I do to avoid falling into that same trap?

Addie Wants Advice


Dear Addie,

Happy 2008!!! Great question. You're right! So many people say they're going to start eating better in January, and then two weeks later, they're back to their old habits. I have a theory or two about this -- and basically it all boils down to setting realistic goals. Here are my TOP ATE tips for successful eating in 2008. Ready? Good...

1. Don't go "on a diet". While diet plans can be helpful, if you think of yourself as being "on a diet", everything will be too black and white. If you're on a diet and suddenly you have a little setback, you may decide you're "off your diet" and go back to your old ways. Think of your new eating plan as more of a lifestyle change -- one that will have ups and downs, with good days and bad.

2. Don't deprive yourself. Remember, your new eating plan shouldn't be about dep rivation. It should be about SATISFACTION. Find foods you LOVE -- ones that satisfy you but are better choices. This is KEY.

3. Drink lots of water. Water is good for you. It's good for your skin and your metabolism. And it helps fill you up. Plus, not enough water can make you cranky and more likely to make bad food choices.

4. Listen to your body. It knows things. If you know that eating cereal for breakfast makes you hungrier throughout the day, then don't eat cereal in the morning. Pay close attention to your body cues. This will help tremendously.

5. Live one day (or even one MEAL) at a time. Don't be discouraged and beat yourself up if you fall off the wagon and eat badly -- just be more aware of what you eat during your next meal.

6. Get exercise with activities you enjoy. I used to HATE exercising. I feared it. Now I exercise but only do what I like (which happens to b e walking on a treadmill 5 times a week while watching reality TV, and weight training 2 times a week with a friend). Find something you actually like to do, and you'll do it. Don't take on an exercise routine that causes pain or discomfort -- you'll just end up ditching it completely. (And I know this isn't an EATING tip, but it's important!)

7. Let yourself cheat a little. Everyone strays once in a while. It's totally normal. Splurge when you need to, and enjoy it (don't feel guilty)! Then get RIGHT back on track, and prove to yourself that you can handle a cheat meal now and then.

8. Keep track of what you eat. Write it down. As dorky as it sounds, you WILL 100% without a doubt do better if you hold yourself accountable for what you eat by keeping a food journal. Just do it -- even if you only write in it every OTHER day.

Good luck -- and have fun!

CrossFit One World W.O.T.D.

The last WOD of the year! Yeah. That's me sitting on the floor next to Eric who is about to die from this WOD. I wanted to make sure I ended the year right by doing this WOD.

Warm-up
Jump Rope - 5 minutes
THREE sets of:
Samson Stretch
10 shoulder rolls
10 overhead squats
10 push-ups
10 sit-ups

WOD
Complete 5 rounds for time of:
Row 500m
50 squats
30 back extensions

Joanne's Final Time - 35:45

CrossFit One World W.O.T.D.

For those of you who don't know him already, this is Sam, the sushi chef wonder from Semo Sushi in Fremont. Sam thought it would be funny to pose in this Zoolander best. Err. Um. Sam, please stick to sushi!

Warm-up
Row 1000 meters
THREE rounds of:
Samson stretch
10 shoulder rolls
10 overhead squats
10 sit-ups
10 back extensions
10 push-ups
10 dips

WOD
Complete 21-15-9 reps for time of:
Right arm kettlebell swing
Right arm kettlebell overhead squat
Jumping Pull-ups
Left arm kettlebell swing
Left arm kettlebell overhead squat
Jumping Pull-ups

Joanne's Final Time - 26:25

Notes (to myself) about this workout:
I started with 20# for the kettlebell swing, but scaled down to 15# towards the end. It had been a while since I've been to CrossFit, and this WOD totally wiped me out. I thought I was going to die!

OWMA Quotable Quote
"More boobs!"
- said by John regarding ACB's CrossFit photo